Some pictures

Here are a few pictures!

These are two of my closest friends here at JUC. Breanne is in the middle, she is my roommate. Doesn't she look like a tourist. To the left is Leah she is our next door neighbor. We are the only three single Graduate girl students who live on campus.


In this picture I am at the ruins of the temple where Jesus went. The road behind me is called the Cheesemakers road and Jesus walked it frequently. In here I am "swimming" in a mikva. A mikva is like a little pool that the jews had to wash in before they could go and worship in the temple. There is a set of stairs that goes into the pool you would walk in on the right and exit on the other side. This way you did not walk in the path of your sin again.

This is the sign to the school I am attending. Good old Jerusalem University College! It is known as the American Institute by the taxi drivers.

This is a picture from the Garden of Gethsemene. It was beautiful.

These are a number of stone graves on the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is mostly grave sites, but there is one little section that is all olive trees.

This is a classic view of Jerusalem. The dome of the rock. It is the large muslim mosque.

Me and my camel friend. His owner was offering rides at the top of the Mount of Olives.

Sorry it took me so long to post some pictures. The internet is very slow here and it takes a while to upload pictures. This is the first time I was able to get any through. ENJOY!

Typical Weekend

The typical weekend here in Israel is Thursday night to Saturday night. This is because the Sabbath for the Jewish people is Friday night to Saturday night. Most churches, synagogues and mosques meet either on Friday night or some time on Saturday. Due to this practice in Jerusalem, I rarely get to go to church because I am often on field studies of the land during the time the church services meet, but last weekend I was able to go to church. When I can, I have been attending a Baptist church with Paul and Diane Wright. I love it. I have made some friends and really feel part of the community, but I will not be able to attend for another two weeks because of trips. But the message this last Sunday was excellent. The head pastor has been in the states so different parishioners have been filling the pulpit. The message this week was on situations and living for God even when it is hard to trust. When it seems like you did nothing wrong, but your life is falling apart. We looked at the life of Job and how he suffered so much, but still looked at God with a positive attitude and praise even though he did not understand why all this was happening to him. I realized that I still have many places in my life where I am trying to take control rather than letting the Spirit lead me. It was excellent!
I also took my first test this week. It went well. I did not do as well as I had hoped, and I am going to need to pray myself through the class. This particular teacher picks out little facts that he may have even simply mentioned in passing. It is going to be a hard class but worth every single minute of it.

Wednesday night I led Bible Study for the girls and it went so well. I read to them Ephesians 5:1-2. We focused on being imitators of Christ and what that would look like in the lives of woman. It easily could have gone into a place where people could be boastful, but rather people were very humble and spoke very honestly with characteristics which they knew were Godly but greatly struggled with. Some to mention were joy, love, trust etc… We were able to talk about what God really meant within each of these characteristics and how we could work on being better servants for the Lord with in these characteristics. It was great.

I have had many opportunities to touch people’s lives in ways I would have never expected. Every Thursday afternoon there is an opportunity to get together with a group who bakes cookies in Diane Wrights home with the female student service director, Abby. I have been going every week since it began and every week there have been new people who show up. This last week a new girl came who hadn’t come yet, and one thing we do is share about ourselves. She made some little comment in passing and I got very excited because it was something that bonded me to her. I love learning more about people and being able to share my life stories with them just as much hearing them share theirs with me. She was a blessing to me!

But the best part of yesterday was that God gave me the opportunity to have dinner with a friend/JUC faculty member. Cyndi teachers Physical Settings to the undergrad students and is good friends with my friend Emily. We knew that we had to get together. I went over to her place for dinner and my friend Laura came with me so that I wasn’t walking alone. We had a lovely time, and it was also very therapeutic. I shared a lot of what has gone on in my life over the years and she shared with me her story of coming to Christ and ending up at JUC. She is an amazing woman of the LORD and I am so thankful that the Lord brought me here to study and to meet her.
Blessings to you all!

Next Steps

The last week has been very crazy. I began working on campus. I am a librarian! I do imputing of the new books that will be put into the library as well as the regular library tasks. It is a great opportunity to meet other students and have a little bit of quiet. I work one evening a week from 10pm-Midnight and there are not many people around so I get the wonderful privilege of being alone in peace and quiet. But I actually do get a good amount of time alone. My roommate is dating and her boyfriend is here, so she is out of the room a lot and I get the opportunity to be alone in my room. It is very good.

Our next field trip was Sunday September 7th. We left campus at 7am and did not return until 6pm. It was a great day. We spent the morning studying some of the ruins of the Old Testament. We went into the Jewish quarter and saw part of the original wall built during the time of Hezekiah. It is so special to know that those very rocks were touched by Hezekiah and his mighty men. After that we went into the preserved archeological city of David. The ruins of his palace where there. We explored a bunch of tunnels which was the water system at the time. This included Canaanite Tunnel and Hezekiah’s Tunnel. These tunnels empty into the pool of Siloam, which is also where Jesus sent the blind man to wash his eyes. In the afternoon we focused on the New Testament and we went to Jerusalem Archeology Park where the original temple ruins are of the temple which Jesus worshipped and taught. We actually sat on the steps that Jesus walked on. We also walked the Cheesemaker Street, which was the main street that ran through the temple. We ended our day in the most beautiful, simple chapel. St. Anne’s in honor of Mary and her family. The acoustics of this building is amazing. Even the most horrible singer would sound amazing. On the same property there was the pool of Bethesda, which is actually more than one pool and the main pool is over 100ft deep! Jesus went and walked around this pool and told the lame man to get up and walk. It was a wonderful day!

During the week I began leading a girls bible study on becoming a Godly woman. We had 12 girls show up the very first time! It is going to be a great opportunity to bond with the other girls here. I have also had a few opportunities to do some mentoring which has been such a blessing.

This last Saturday, September 13 there was another all day field trip. The morning was mostly review for me because we went up the Mount of Olives which I had already done a few times while being here, but I was looking forward to the afternoon because we weren’t going to have to walk everywhere. We were going to get to ride a tour bus and we were going to go to Bethlehem and see the Church of the Nativity, but we had an unfortunate occurrence.

(For the younger readers – please read this with your parents)
As we leaving Jerusalem and entering the town of Tekoa, it is on the way to Bethlehem, our bus was hit by a rock. The rock went through the window and hit three of my dear friends, two of which who had to be taken to the hospital for stitches and to have glass removed from their skin and eyes. It was very scary. As we were driving by I saw the two boys out the window getting ready to throw something, but I could not make out what it was and I did not think that they could throw that far. But SURPRISE! They did. Once I was over the shock and we were back to campus. I was able to take some time to reflect on the situation. I was sitting in the seat directly in front of the girls that got the worst injury. That rock could have hit me. I am so thankful for my life and for my eyesight. I have prayed for the boys and have forgiven them, but there is still a little bit of fear in me to get back on a bus. And it was a private bus at that. These boys did not even know who was inside. It was simply an act of rebellion.

Thank you for all of your prayers. I miss you all!

In the Beginning....

I apologize for the length of this blog. The internet has been down for the majority of the time I have been here. I will also post some pictures soon. Again thank you so much for all your prayers and support. Enjoy!

Shalom from Jerusalem!
Day 1 -- Friday
Thank you so much for all those who have been praying for me. God has been with me every step of the way. Even through the tough times. I was slightly flustered for most of my travel time and it was obvious to anyone who saw me. I arrived at the airport and all of my paper work went flying as I got out of the car. When I went through security I had to leave my purse because I could only have two carry on’s including my purse. When I checked in the airline wanted to move me up to the earlier flight. Once I got through security I ran to my flight. I was probably the last person to board. As I walked onto the plane I fell face first down the isle. Finally in my seat and took a deep breath. I arrived in NY with no more problems and boarded the 11 hour flight to Tel-Aviv. I was all situated and praised God that there were not more problems. Then a woman came up to me telling me that I was in her seat. Lo and behold I sat in the wrong seat. Back to the craziness. I finally got to my seat and tried to sleep. I sat with a Jewish man who approached me in Hebrew before English. I was excited because that means that I am going to fit in very well. Finally landed and went through customs with no problems and arrived at the school. I felt at home right away. Paul and Diane Wright, they run the school, welcomed me with open arms. The first evening one of the long term students took us out for a walk and we went to the Upper Room where Jesus at the last supper. As I looked around it was incredible to know that Jesus and His disciples actually walked these streets. I have made great friends and I am very excited to see where God is going to lead.
Blessings,
Liz Lerman


Day 2 -- Saturday
Jet lag has not really affected me very much. I fell asleep great last night and was up in time for breakfast and orientation. Simply looking out my window when I got up was amazing. I am still amazed that I am in the Holy Land! Orientation went very well. I registered for classes and had a meeting with Paul Wright. We were talking about finances and my reasons for being here. Please pray that God will guide my future steps and that I would truly be seeking God’s best for my life. After lunch we had another orientation session followed by a digital camera scavenger hunt. This was fun. We went all through out the Old City of Jerusalem looking for some pretty wild and crazy things. It was a great way to get acclimated and accustom to the land in our back yard. It also gave a chance for people to meet other students that they may not have met yet. In the evening we went for a walk in the New City of Jerusalem and saw where some of the more modern stuff is. Everyone on staff at the school has been so helpful and you can tell that they really want you to feel comfortable and safe.

Day 3 -- Sunday
Classes Begin! Today was our first class, yes, class on a Sunday. In the morning we were free to attend any church that we wanted. I attended a very quaint Baptist church with Paul and Diane and a few other students. I felt right at home. I even connected with several of the local paritioners. Once I got back from church it was time to attend my first class. Physical settings. This class is part in the classroom and part out in Jerusalem. Today we were out in Jerusalem. We began our “tour” by going up a little hill and talking about the dynamics of the town of Jerusalem and the way each religious division affects the others. From there we went to the Old City and went on a tour of the entire building where the Last Supper was and had a little acheology lesson. From the roof of the building you get a great view of the entire city. The Upper Room is nothing like I imagined it would look like, and through our lesson I learned why. The building had been taken over my Muslims during the Byzantine Empire and they remodeled it to fit with the time period. Today there are still muslim writings on the walls. Next we preceeded to the Corodor which was the old market place. By looking carefully at the stones you could tell what rock was originally and what rocks were modern day. After this we made our way to the Church of the Holy Seplecure, but on our way we stopped several times and discussed much about modern culture and building in Jerusalem as well as the different quarters on the city. For those who may not understand what that means I’ll put it in Boston terms. The city of Boston has different quarters. We have China Town, where there is a majority of Chinese, and the North End where there is many Italians. That is how it is in Jerusalem also. There are four quarters. The Muslims, Armenians, Jews, and Christians. The Christian quarter is the only one that is not predominately religious. Here anyone that is not Jewish, Muslim, or Armenian fall under the category of Christian even if they do not believe in Jesus Christ. We also walked through the out door shops. The shop keepers are very pushy and they want your money. I have not yet bought anything…I’m waiting a while. They seem to respect you more when you are here for a long amount of time. We also walked through the meat market which was gross. It smelled horrible and there was blood all through the streets. I am so glad that I wore closed toed shoes. Some of my friends wore sandals. We finally got to the church of the Holy Seplecure. This church is where it is believed that Jesus died on the cross and was then barried, and rose again. With in the church there are different chapels represented by different branches of Christianity. There were many people that we were not able to go around very much. I will have to go back another time. We then headed back to school for supper and a time of snacks and games. It was a great day!

Day 4 -- Monday
Right before going to bed last night I got a group together to go really early to the Church of the Holy Seplecure. We left campus at 5:30am. The sun was still coming up and the roads were so peaceful. On our walk there a lady stopped us saying that she lost her group and that she was trying to get to the church so we walk with her for a while. Not that we knew any better how to get there than she did, but we had a map and a pretty good idea of where we were going. We got there at the perfect time. Not a whole lot of people but enough so that we didn’t feel like we were the only ones. When you first walk in there is a beautiful mural of Jesus and His disciples as you continue to walk around you will come to a set of stairs, if you go down the stairs it will bring you to a tomb that is just like, and could be, the tomb where Jesus was buried. It was very interesting to study the time period that Jesus was buried and to realize the way that it is depicted in movies, and probably the way many of us picture it, as Him being laid on a bench in the tomb and a big round bolder put in front of the door. This type of burial was dated to a different time period, rather Jesus was probably not laid on a bench rather propped in a standing position in a little cave with in the cave. Traditionally people were left to rot for a year and then after a year the family would come in roll the stone away and take all the bones and put them in a box. This was the way that they kept their families together even after death. It is very likely that Jesus too was buried this way. There is also a beautiful rotunda and as you look up there is a BIG sunburst. There are twelve rays coming off the sunburst and each one represents one of the disciples. It was beautiful. But my favorite part was the little chapel under the rotunda. There usually is a long wait, but because we showed up so early we were able to get right in. It is the chapel that represents the location of Christ’s assencion into heaven. It was beautiful and sacred. My friends and I went in and prayed and thanked God for His perfect plan of salvation and saving us. We bought some fresh bread and then headed back to school for classes.

Day 5 -- Tuesday
Today I got to go grocery shopping! It was about a half mile walk from the school in the New City of Jerusalem. As we were walking it appeared that we went the wrong way because it seemed like a very sketchy place then all of a sudden there was the store. I was amazed at how expensive things were. To give you an idea a box of oreo’s which is about half the size of a thing of oreo’s in the states was 24 shekels which is about 8 dollars for them. But I was able to buy some little snacks and had a great time trying to figure out what the Hebrew items were. But after shopping I spent most of the evening in the Library getting the homework finished. I have lots and lots of reading to do.


Day 7 – Thursday
I didn’t sleep very well last night. I think part of it was that I was dehydrated. I did drink a lot through out the day, but there was caffeine in it and I think that it just drained me. I had a terrible head ache and was feeling very weak. As the day continued I started having some digestive issues. I was eating very carefully and also found out that several other people were in the same situation. I think that people are finally adjusting to the food and water and the adrenaline levels are becoming more normal because the excitement is settling down. I hope that I sleep well tonight because I am going to be out walking all day tomorrow. Today was also cookie night. In the afternoon a group of girls got together in Paul and Diane’s and we made about 5 dozen cookies and then in the evening we all gathered outside to spend time together and eat cookies. I also got to talk to my dear friend Emily on the phone. We talked for about an hour. It was great to catch up with her and hear more of her experiences when she was here. I could understand what she was talking about so much more because I have now seen what she was talking about.

Day 8 – Friday
Well, I slept a little bit better last night, but not great. I am feeling better though. My stomach is my friend again. Today, Breanne, Brandon, Chip, Leah, and myself left campus about 9am and walked all through the Mount of Olives. The view was amazing! On our way there we also went to the garden of gethsemene. It was so beautiful, and convicting. The reality of Christ’s suffering hit in a new and more realistic way. As well as the reality of the struggle the disciples had to stay awake. I can understand in a whole new way the exhaustion which they felt. Walking around all day in the heat and then eating a big meal you get sleepy. I am ashamed to say that I probably would have fallen asleep also. Like with most famous sites here there is some sort of church, synagogue, or mosque at the site. This particular place had a church. We went in and spent some time in prayer. I pulled out my Bible and read the Gethsemene account from my Bible. In a new way I now understand why Jesus wanted His disciples, His friends, to stay awake and watch and pray. I go out and want my friends to be with me, especially when I am going through a hard time. There is comfort knowing that those who are closest to you are being supportive to you and want you to be ok. Jesus had to of felt a little let down when His BEST friends let Him down in this way. For lunch we went into an Arabic area and ate at a beautiful restaurant. The owner actually opened up just for us. This month is Ramadan for the Muslims and from sunrise to sunset they must fast from all food, drink, smoking, sexual relations etc…In leu of that most restrants were closed and it was very nice of this man to open his place just for us. We walked in and sat on these couches. It looked a little bit like a living room. Very comfortable. There was a little boy that set the table for us. He was probably 12 years old. The people that were sitting across from me had there table settings facing me. We thought that maybe it was a muslim tradition because everything needed to be facing a certain way…but then the owner came over laughing and fixed the table setting. We had delicious food too. We had hummus, Arabic salad which was finely chopped tomato and cucumbers, babaganush, babaganush with chickpeas, parsley and yogurt dip, shawrma’s, a white dip that tasted like yogurt with yeast in it. I don’t remember what it was called. But the best part was the pita bread. Freshly made, hot, and soft. It melted in your mouth. After we ate we headed up to the very top of the mount of olives and we could see the entire city. But we were focusing on the temple mount. With it being the first Friday of Ramadan lots and lots of people would be gathering for the afternoon time of prayer. We wanted to see the masses praying. But it was such a hot day that from where we were we couldn’t see the masses. They were all on the other side of the temple. Oh well. But when the call to prayer went off I took a few minutes to pray for them. It is sad to see all these people living in Jesus land and they bow down and worship another. Granted they probably thing the same about us, but I was just praying that they would see God in a new and convicting way. In the evening, once we got back to campus, there was a cook out. I got to mix and mingle with some people that I hadn’t really gotten to know yet. It was a lot of fun! Well, it is late and I had a very busy day today. I need to get some sleep.