Pam and Liam in the Kitchen
Hi Dear Friends!
Life has been so full! We have not been able to correspond as we have been on the road and when we got back our internet service was down! Here’s a condensed catsup
6/2/2012 On the drive to Jerusalem you can see the wreckage of vehicles that were ambushed by Arab forces in the early days of the nation. Those were hard days as the people of Jerusalem were cut off and without supply. Rations were dangerously low and a heroic effort was made to quietly cut a road in the wilderness to bring relief to the people under siege in Jerusalem.
We had lunch with Shabbi, a crotchety but generous man who provided us abundantly at his hillside farm about twenty minutes from Jerusalem. Everyone has a story. Shabbi is on the edge of discovering the relief from shame and grief that Yeshua can bring.
We crowded into our Jerusalem camp site, the two bedroom apartment of Micha’el, a lively, enthusiastic Messianic Jew who has a powerful ministry in music and has been a witness in the Orthodox community.
6/3/2012 We went to “The House of Painter”, an agency where Una’s brother Doron works. It is a school for troubled youth. Some live in residence halls and some live with their families. Pam and I teamed up with Una and the kids to transplant hundreds of starts of tomatoes, cactus and peppers. The kids worked well as a team and consensus was it was a fun experience. The students sell the plants for fund raising and to learn responsibility. Doron was overjoyed with our work and wants us back. From hesitation to total openness!
We worshiped at The King of Kings Congregation. Both Pam and I did some nodding as we had worked hard earlier and were still working through jet lag. Afterwards we shared dinner out with Pastor Wayne and Anne Hilsten and their friend Brian from Nashville. Wayne is willing to do an interview with me for my book, Riverfront Property!
6/4/2012 We met Hadas an opera singer who lives near Micha’el. She is willing to rent a room to Pam and I. She is not a believer but enjoys friends that are. She is happy to have us come and we pray her heart will be open.
We have been helping the kids with home schooling – Bible memory, math, writing, etc. Steve is giving swim lessons. They are all very bright. We need to get a regular routine going and we adults will be talking tonight about schedules that bring predictability as well as flexibility.
Shared a delightful dinner with Yoel and Laura in their beautiful apartment. He is a tour guide. They shared their faith in Yeshua, their love story of meeting and marrying in their forties. We are all part of an amazing love story!
6/5/2012 Steve went to a Business workshop at The King of Kings Congregation in Jerusalem called, Preparing for business and retailing challenges in the 21st century. It was a wonderful relationally centered approach for working with clients and work staff. After the workshop he had the opportunity to meet with Pastor Wayne and a few of his leaders in their prayer tower which has a wonderful vantage of the city. Steve was grateful for the favor he felt as he prayed and shared with them. An exciting vision is being realized for them as the congregation and other believing business people are buying up shops in the Klal mall in down town Jerusalem. They have bought out two brothels and replaced them with Christian businesses. Ps 50:2, “From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. “
We journeyed to Ashkelon to meet Una’s parents. Both Pam and I felt tender hearted toward them. They force feed us with food on the hour. The most beautiful part came when Una’s mom asked when Steve started to read the Bible. It gave an open door for sharing Yeshua. We recounted our experience with Him and our confidence in Him with humility and gentleness. They listened! They have come a long way as a few years ago they were unwilling to have a Christian in their home. Pray for Yeshua’s beautiful Spirit to convince them of His goodness!
6/6/2012 Steve had a swim in the morning while Pam rested. She is recovering from sinus congestion. After home schooling we splashed in the Mediterranean and threw a Frisbee and kicked a soccer ball on the beach, a good day of rest. The Bella’s friend Jamie is visiting. She is a professional basketball player and gave lessons this afternoon to Lou.. All the kids are beginning soccer next door on the beautiful astro-turf field.
We are getting cultural lessons about acceptable ways to share Yeshua. These lonely Jewish folks are still reeling from WWII and the haolacost. They wear the pain of a ‘God’ abandoned people or so many think. They are hardened to words like ‘Christ, church, Jesus. But are drawn to love, compassion, true joy and words about Yeshua, Congregation, and a hope in a loving God! We as gentiles have so much to learn, we must not make fun or mock only love and let Holy Spirit lead!
Yeshua is the reality. Everything else is shadow. Keep us in your prayers!
Steve and Pam Johnson
