Tour de Jour

Wonder where we work when we're not out filming or painting or exploring? CBN News Jerusalem Bureau is right here, complete with intern guides. Just watch this ~

Artists for Hire

One of the activities we really wanted to do while here was work with the locals for a day. Last week, we finally had that opportunity when we spent the afternoon painting at an Armenian pottery shop. If you go anywhere in the Middle East, then you know the people are all about the blues, the reds, the greens, and those itty, bitty tile mosaics. After slaving away in the bureau, it was nice to be able to enjoy some mild revelry with a paint brush slaving away for the Armenian. The potter's name is George Sandrouni, and his family are very nice and welcomed us into their shop with open arms. He gave us a few painting pointers, some pottery, assigned the colors, and let us be for 2 1/2 hours. Not only was it relaxing, it was really fun, and we kept a few things we painted! The video says everything else.

St Peter in Gallicantu

We had the honor of traipsing around the city with producer Erin and cameraman Yoel as they filmed b-roll for a TV series on the life of Jesus. The day started before 6:00 am. We hiked all over the Old City in the heat with gear strapped to our bodies. By about 1:30 pm, we were all a little sun-scorched. Yoel has the record for being the most loopy by the end of the day. You'll see what we mean when you watch the video that highlights one of the locations...

Going Underground

Lessons Learned from the Darkened Recesses of Hezekiah's Tunnel:

Lesson 1: Water from a spring is either frightfully cold or disturbingly hot. There is no temperature in between, tepid or lukewarm, when water flows naturally out of the ground.

Lesson 2: Dark caves and tunnels have little to no natural light. When there is no natural light, the water does not heat up; it stays cold.

Lesson 3: When a tunnel is chiseled in a hurry, the space between walls is often narrow and low. Frequent duckage (literally meaning "hunched-over positions of the body occurring at random frequency and considerable length spans") is likely to occur.

Lesson 4: When a tunnel dates back to 720 B.C. and when thousands (if not millions) of visitors have entered the tiny space, the tunnel is likely to be filled with a not-quite-so-sweet aroma.

Lesson 5: Turning off flashlights in the middle of the tunnel's darkness can be both amusing and loud as fellow interns' screams echo off the walls.

We took a brief leave of absence from our internship responsibilities this morning to visit Hezekiah's Tunnel in the City of David. To get to the tunnel (which contains the water flowing from the Gihon Spring), we first traveled through Warren's Shaft. This shaft reminded me of Carlsbad Caverns, minus the stalagmites. It is a larger space with comfortable and easy to climb steel staircases and warm yellow lighting ensconced in "old" urns. As it turns out, Warren's Shaft is actually nothing like Hezekiah's Tunnel at all.

The story goes that in 720 B.C., King Hezekiah demanded a secret underground tunnel diverting the Gihon Spring (the main water source) to be built beneath the City of David (Jerusalem) in fear of an imminent Assyrian siege. The Assyrians didn't conquer Jerusalem that year, but the Babylonians did 100 years later. The tunnel was almost forgotten about, until re-discovered a few decades ago. The entire place is actually really cool...and really wet...and really really dark. Because it diverts the flow of the spring, and because the spring still flows, there is in fact cold water running through the tunnel at an almost comfortable knee-high depth. However, because it was a sweltering 100 degrees outside, the coolness of the tunnel was a welcome change. Other than this, there really isn't much to say about the tunnel. The experience can be described in four words: dark, wet, narrow, FUN.

When you come to Israel, bring your flashlight, shorts and Chacos for this B.C. version of a water park.

Bethlehem

No trip to Israel is complete without traversing over to the West Bank to see where the story of Jesus all began: in Bethlehem. Getting to the West Bank was no problem. Kim & I live within walking distance of the checkpoint to Bethlehem (about 5 city blocks). Despite our relative proximity, we drove with the CBN crew.


Our morning started at 5 AM. Our alarms sounded half an hour late, so we only had 25 minutes to get dressed and out the door. From there we had a 20 minute walk to the office to arrive by 6 AM. We left the apartment at 5:27 and arrived to the building at 5:50. Not bad, but did we mention that all of this happened in the AM?? Erin Zimmerman, the best CBN producer there is, needed to shoot B-roll before her flight left the same day. We didn't mind arriving to the office so early because we love working for Erin, and we love the exclusive access a CBN press pass gets us. We filmed lots of neat rocks and hillsides, a donkey, and even a few places inside Manger Square, but definitely not inside the Church of the Nativity. Despite having the paperwork and almost all the permissions in order (we were missing the Greek Patriarchate...one out of twelve!), the police outside wouldn't let us in. Of course, when we say police, we actually only mean one police officer - the rest had no problem with permitting us entry. In the end, we were unable to film inside the church but captured great exterior footage nonetheless.



Later that day we went with Erin to Ein Karem, the traditional birthplace of John the Baptist. We hiked half a mile uphill through a construction site to reach the Church of the Annunciation (where Mary might have visited Elizabeth while they were both 'with child'). Our last day shooting with Erin was fun but sad. We miss her and look forward to slaving away for her anytime...the sooner the better!

CBN Partners & the Tomb

The CBN Partners & WorldReach directors came for a visit to The Land. They were gracious enough to allow us to hitch a ride on their buses and see some of the sites with them. In addition, the Partners were also more than willing to allow us to eat several meals with them. Now, we should tell you that the CBN Partners & WorldReach directors really know how to travel. WE ATE GOOD. And for the record, Kim & I got our fair share of vegetables and viewed some Holy sites that we may have otherwise been unable to see.

Perhaps the most important activity we did with the CBN group was visit the Garden Tomb and share communion together. It was one of the most blessed experiences we've had thus far. For starters, there is an indescribable peace on the Garden Tomb, and an amazing sense of joy in taking communion at that location. The Garden Tomb, which sits outside the Old City walls, is one of the speculated locations of Jesus' burial and crucifixion. This is the popular location for Protestant believers; whereas, the Catholic & Orthodox favor the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the traditional burial spot. The Garden Tomb is owned by the British Garden Tomb Association after General Gordon of England discovered it in 1894. In case you'd care to check it out, we've placed additional reasons why this spot is the likely location of Jesus' burial under the "Loaves & Fishes" section of the website. Regardless of which site you choose (if either), the important fact which cannot escape notice is that Jesus isn't dead or buried. He's alive! He's risen! And because of this, it really doesn't matter much where He died as much as that He rose again.

After walking inside the believed tomb, we sat under a tree nearby and took communion. The service was led by Michael Little, CBN president. The entire experience was simply amazing and joyful. We were very blessed to be able to spend the morning with the CBN party and share the symbolic Last Supper near the likely spot of Jesus' one-time burial.

Unfortunately for us, the Partners left last Saturday, which means that Kim & I haven't eaten quite as nutritiously as we did last week. Our visits to various Holy sites aren't nearly as fun without those precious folks! Thank you, CBN partners!

Gone to Gaza

Normal internships, if the word normal can be used, usually include sitting in a cubicle in a room with fluorescent lighting. The normal internship might include a coffee machine that makes ridiculously strong coffee half-responsible for the creation of corporate America. A normal internship might require a dressy or business appropriate attire. It even may require a uniform. Some normal internships include copy machines, fax machines, Dell computers, and a network system that stretches the demands of its outsourced IT division. Some internships may be supervised by Roman-nosed, widow-peaked Human Resources officials. But rest assured, our internship isn't normal.

Extraordinary internships include portable offices, open fields, and natural lighting. Extraordinary internships include instant coffee, a tasty gift straight from Heaven. An extraordinary internship allows jeans and bermuda shorts and sometimes requires the use of flak jackets & helmets. An extraordinary internship includes expensive HD cameras, beautiful editing suites with Final Cut Pro, reporter's notebooks, and fast Macs ready for anxious typists. Extraordinary internships include minimal supervision by bureau chiefs, senior editors, and a cameraman/editor/producer/slave-driver/native Israeli. And then I remember, CBN Jerusalem is anything but normal. This internship is definitely extra, extraordinary.

Yesterday, the interns accompanied Chris & Yoel to the Gaza border. We walked along the chain link and barbwire fence that separates Gaza from the rest of Israel. We visited 3 Kibbutzes (Kibbutzim), Sderot, and a few other rocket-barraged places. We drove past bomb shelters, met IDF soldiers, visited with the Prime Ministers spokesperson/Press Secretary, and traversed to a few "Hamas hot spots" and sniper zones. Did I mention that we forgot the bullet-proof vests and helmets? These might have come in handy yesterday afternoon.

While searching for a good place for Chris' stand-up, the entire CBN crew came upon a suspicious looking fire less than 100 yards away, as though a mortar or qassam had recently exploded there. Bare in mind that we were standing on a hill in an open field, completely exposed to snipers should there be any out there. In fact, one journalist was shot just a few yards to our left only months ago. This type of thing inspires great confidence and trust in one's relative safety. As we helped set up for the stand-up, we heard the sound of close range gun fire. Chris called the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) desk to find out what kind of activity was in the area (to assess the level of danger he had just put the interns in). The IDF assured him that they knew of no such activity along the Gaza border today. Sure enough, less than 10 minutes later the IDF jets were circling the area. Once this happened, we decided it was best to head safely home and not get an exclusive shot of IDF special forces conducting an offensive engagement less than 200 yards from where we were standing.

Suffice to say, this is not your normal internship!

A very artistic bomb shelter we passed.

By the way...a Road Trip down hill.

When something unusual or unexpected happens at the start of the day, one's usual prayer is that the whole day doesn't continue like that...and then there is Sunday's Road Trip in which anything that could happen, did happen. The original plan was to take the train from Jerusalem to Haifa and rent a car from Hertz upon arrival. After picking up the car, we intended to see Mt. Carmel and then proceed to Tiberius, Capernaum, Megiddo, Nazareth, and Caesarea, and then home again to Jerusalem. Sure, it was a purposefully packed & busy schedule. I, Bonnie, even assigned maximum time limits to each location, so that we could see as much as possible in our final week. Its best to move through the day chronologically. Also, for your reading pleasure, the blog includes various sub-chapters.




Time is of the Essence:
7:03 AM: Leave the apartment and hail taxi.
7:05 AM: Realize that the all-important video camera is at the office & that Bonnie forgot extra
batteries.
7:06 AM: Jump in front of moving taxi to rush to the office.
7:13 AM: Arrive outside office and haggle w/ taxi driver over price.
7:19 AM: Leave office, hail second taxi, and race to train station.
7:21 AM: Taxi only travels about one-half mile.
7:21:30 AM: Bonnie begins increased stress levels (she hates being late).
7:25 AM: Taxi travels a great distance at a decent clip in the WRONG direction.
7:27 AM: Taxi driver pulls over & picks up third passenger. There are now 3 passengers in the
taxi headed to two DIFFERENT locations.
7:27:30 AM: Man hands driver 100 shekels; Bonnie experiences pangs of desperation of arriving in time to purchase train tickets.
7:32 AM: Taxi driver drops off third passenger.
7:32:30 AM: Bonnie remarks loudly to Kim that they may not catch the train on time.
7:32:41 AM: Taxi driver senses heightened urgency and feels flames of impatience flowing freely from the backseat.
7:33 AM: Driver asks when the train departs.
7:33:30 AM: Bonnie responds flatly, "Seven minutes."
7:40 AM: Arrive at train station.
7:43 AM: Train departs for Haifa.


We've been to the central train station in Tel Aviv before, and this station happens to be where the train to Haifa switches. We made this switch with no difficulty. In fact, the train ride to Haifa was quite pleasant and full of cheerful conversation. Bonnie studied the maps and figured out exactly which station was needed to reach Hertz. Apparently, the Haifa train doesn't continue to that station. Additionally, the station employees do not know where the Hertz office is. We can also assure you that even the taxi drivers don't know how to find the address where Hertz is located.


"No Car For You" (the car rental Nazi's):
After we finally reached Hertz, we waited 30 minutes to speak with someone at the counter. We prearranged the car rental at the Jerusalem Hertz office, so we expected no problems. Kim handed the lady her credit card, which by the way is a debit card, which by the way, NO rental company in Haifa accepts. (Kim's note: The same card was used to rent a car with the same company in Jerusalem for the Dead Sea trip.) Kim then handed the lady her Discover card, which by the way, NO rental agency accepts, because, by the way, Discover card is not accepted in Israel- period. Oops.

Bonnie & Jenna only had debit cards with them. And when we say that NO rental agency accepts these--trust us; we visited most of them.


Cold Cash and New Israel Shekels:
At this point, 3 HOURS later and 1.5 hours behind schedule, we realized that we would need shekels should we seek additional transportation. We walked to the mall, which, by the way, is undergoing massive construction and re-modeling. This construction, by the way, has resulted in most of the walkway to the mall going through the construction site. Without becoming discouraged, we gracefully inhaled the cement dust and made our way to an ATM. That particular ATM (the ONLY one in the mall) doesn't accept our cards, by the way.

We proceeded a few more yards until we reached the Central Bus Station, which by the way, is just a parking lot full of 14 buses and completely devoid of any machinery resembling ATMs.

At this point, Bonnie started getting rather stressed...and moody. Is it too much to ask for a little cooperation from the locals? All we need is a car and money...and a new plan, since B's schedule is now a joke. The Lord heard our prayers - or at the very least our complaints. As we walked out of the bus station, we met Benny the taxi driver.


Benny the taxi driver:
Benny the taxi driver is a Haifa native and a frequent customer at the nicest ATM in Haifa (it has a shade canopy). Benny the taxi driver is the proud father of two grown children who have traveled the world. Benny the taxi driver drives a nice cab and makes pleasant all-Hebrew conversation. Benny the taxi driver plays disco music. Benny the taxi driver occasionally sings along and intermittently requests B to practice her Hebrew pronunciation. B entertains the taxi party with her hideous Hebrew accent.


Mt. Carmel is Closed, Please Leave & Come Again:

Our first stop of the day was Mt. Carmel, the site of many Elijah stories. On top of Mr. Carmel is a world-famous monastery that contains beautiful paintings of the stories. The monastery is pronounced "Muhraka" in Hebrew; ask B if you don't believe us...she spent the 20 minute taxi ride practicing with Benny the taxi driver. By the way, the monastery is closed on Sundays, although the view of the Jezreel Valley is quite nice (don't ask about the paintings because we couldn't see them).









Drive us to Kafar Nahum please?:
Benny the taxi driver was kind enough to come pick us up at Mt. Carmel and drive us to Kafar Nahum (Capernaum is Kafar Nahum in Hebrew; we know because B practiced pronouncing this too). During the hour-long ride, Bonnie chatted with Benny the taxi driver about his children and their travels. They talked about the country side and good restaurants along the Sea of Galilee. Jenna & Kim slept. This was the second time during the day that the girls got to sleep, and Bonnie had to stay awake. The first time the girls slept was on the train to Tel Aviv while she stayed awake planning the schedule. We arrived to Capernaum in the nick of time: the site closed less than 30 minutes after our arrival.











Umm...girls? There's no taxi!:
When you visit any sort of location in Israel, it is best to plan transportation getting to and from your desired location. By the way, taxis in the Galilee region only drive until 5 PM. Apparently, NO ONE needs to travel after this time. If one does have to travel, their timely arrival is doubtful. B called for a taxi, but the taxi driver (not Benny, by the way), said he quit driving at 6 PM. B sweetly reminded him that the time was only 4:45 PM. The not-so-nice taxi driver hung up. At this point, B turned to face the girls announcing, "Ummm...girls? There's no taxi." God blessed the girls again despite their murmurs and complaints. (Kim's note: I don't remember Jenna ever murmuring or complaining. And I only complained when Bonnie murmered.) He sent a lovely 4 year-old whose parents both worked for the UN to give us a ride to the nearest bus stop. By the way, the bus stop is a lonely bench in the middle of no where in a highly unpopulated region with a lovely view of the Sea of Galilee. We were able to hail a taxi to take us12 kilometers to Tiberius for only 65 shekels (a $21 cab ride for 7.5 miles).






Sheirut to Jerusalem?:
A sheirut is a shared taxi that carries passengers to a specified location. It leaves only when full, and usually holds up to 13 passengers. By the way, the Tiberius sheirut drivers frequently stop for random smoke breaks. We know this from personal experience. The 45-minute drive took 1.23 hours and contained 12 stops along the way, including one 15-minute smoke break. B's stress levels started to rise again, but by this point she was really just too tired to care. She finally slept while the other two stayed awake. Unfortunately, Bonnie was so tired that Kim's video camera managed to capture a speckle of drool glistening in the sunlight.

We made it to the Tel Aviv central bus station where we could grab a sheirut to take us to Jerusalem. By the way, in order to catch a sheirut there needs to be a sheirut. Apparently, some mysterious black hole was making all of the ones headed to Jerusalem disappear. Normally, there are 10 sheiruts waiting in line at the bus station to take passengers to the capital. Normally, there are more sheiruts than passengers. And normally, a passenger never needs to wait to hitch a ride. By the way, Sunday's road trip was far from normal. After the sixth sheirut arrived 37-minutes later, and after we worked up the nerve to shove other would-be passengers out of the way (Jenna said, "Alright, we've got to get Israeli here, girls!"), we climbed to the back row of seats and got comfortable for the 45 minute drive home.


Later that night:

9:04 PM: The girls arrived at Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem.
9:18 PM: The girls obtain some semblance of dinner in the form up pastry and croissant at a
nearby bakery.
10:24 PM: The girls finally make it back to their apartment for some nice, well-earned shut-eye.

Tel Aviv

Behold! Our very windy and wonderful trip to the Mediterranian coastline! Both of us are proud to say that we swam out to the rocks that you see in one of the clips. No picture could ever do the color of the water justice! The lifeguards have a wonderful way of getting around in the surf. You'll see what we mean. (Not to worry, we were able to film a bit of the beach without the problem of inverse ratio in male bathing suit coverage to age/weight. There should be a law...'No Speedos for Old Men')

All in a Day's Work

Here is a little insight into the journalistic adventures that Bonnie and Kim have been part of this summer. Enjoy the video!

The Final Countdown

Shalom!

Kim & I are spending some quality time in the bureau this evening trying to catch up on blogs and videos that we've had to neglect the past two weeks. The whirlwind of CBN busy-ness may finally be over tomorrow. We literally hit the ground running last week going on B-roll shoots throughout Jerusalem. The week before was just as hectic and exhausting as we worked hard to obtain the necessary permissions from various institutions to film. All in all, we were privileged to film in the Garden of Gethsemane, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, St. Peter in Gallicantu, Ecco Homo Convent, Austrian Hospice, and all throughout the Old City. We did much of this by foot and carried the gear like obedient pack horses. Look for that beautiful footage on the 700 Club sometime near Christmas hosted by Gordon Robertson. Last night, we also met the CBN Partners and many of the WorldReach directors, who are visiting the country this week.

Meanwhile, we do apologize for being unable to complete many blogs and upload videos this past week. With our schedules such as they are, any possible time of rest or sleep was kindly appreciated and sought after. We will be meeting at the bureau at 5:45 AM tomorrow morning to travel to Bethlehem to shoot additional B-roll (in case you're interested).

We have spent the past few days reminiscing on the highlights of our time here thus far and are maintaining a list of sites left to see. Kim leaves Israel a week from this Saturday and returns to the States on Sunday. Bonnie also starts class at Hebrew University on Sunday. With not much time left, we are trying to outrun the clock and see and experience as much as possible in the next few days.

Five weeks ago today, Kim & I departed JFK Airport for Israel. It is strange to think that time is almost up and that soon we will be back on campus completing our studies. Our time in Israel has certainly been blessed, and we praise God for His unfailing grace on our internship. We are certainly learning a great deal about our career paths and more importantly, about ourselves. We have been able to experience the uncommon, tour the traditional, and live the extraordinary. For example, we were able to celebrate Pentecost yesterday just a few yards from where Pentecost first began! Last night as I read Acts 2, I was in awe of the fact that we are in the Holy Land. I am still amazed at that fact. We believe that we are here for such a time as this and are quite sad that we must leave soon. Again, we want to thank everyone for their prayers and kind words. We look forward to seeing you soon.

P.S. Kim is working diligently on those videos, and I can assure you--you do not want to miss them! We'll let you know when they are uploaded.

Erev Tov! (Good evening)

Hag Sameach! (Happy Pentecost!)

Shalom! Today is Shavuot, a holiday also known as the Feast of Weeks, and Pentecost. It is celebrated 50 days after Passover which falls on June 9 this year. Shavuot is the culmination of the counting of the Omer (Leviticus 23:15, 16) and marks the first day of the wheat harvest. For the seven weeks leading up to Shavuot, the Jews reflect on their previous slavery, exodus from Egypt, and on the Lord's promise to restore them as a people. For many Christians and Messianic believers, this day is also celebrated as Pentecost: the day the Holy Spirit came to dwell in the people (Acts 2).


In the Jewish religion, Shavuot is one of three pilgrimage holidays (these are Passover, Shavuot, and the Feast of Tabernacles). In the biblical tradition, Jewish men are required to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday. This pilgrimage might also explain why there were so many gathered in the upper room during the pouring out of Pentecost. Acts 2:7-11 tells us that there were people from all over, including Egypt, Libya, Media, Mesopotamia, Greece, Turkey, North Africa, Asia, and Rome. Even today, thousands of years later, Shavuot is still a special day. It is considered a special Sabbath and a time of thanksgiving. Thus, almost all the shops are closed today in celebration, and a day of great feasting is taking place throughout Israel. Meanwhile, the Messianic believers and Christians are having celebrations of their own.


It is no coincidence that Pentecost fell on Shavuot. Consider for a moment that Shavuot was the time that Moses received the law (Torah) from the Lord on Mt. Sinai. God not only delivered His chosen out of Egypt, He also established them as a nation. Just a few thousand years later, God poured out His Holy Spirit on the first believers of Yeshua and established the Church on Shavuot.


So today is both an agricultural holiday and a spiritual holiday, but more importantly, today celebrates the end of seven weeks of expectation and anticipation. The seven weeks are literally a time of expectancy that God will fulfill His promises. The Omer, or wheat harvest signifies that God fulfilled His promises, or mitzvah (blessing). The anticipation is signified in the period of prayer during the seven weeks. On this day, the shofar trumpet is also blown, to sound the Hand of the Lord among the people. The prophecy of Joel 2:28 (given on Shavuot) is fulfilled in Acts 2 (also on Shavuot).


Other interesting tidbits: One Jewish tradition today is to read the book of Ruth, which foreshadows Gentiles coming to follow the God of Israel. The Jewish men stay up all night studying the Torah. Also, on Passover the Lord required unleavened bread (without yeast). During Shavuot, the Lord requires bread made with yeast.


Today Kim & I are celebrating Shavuot with the rest of Israel. More importantly, we are also celebrating this day as the day of Pentecost. We can tell you that we are truly excited to be here in Jerusalem on this very special day. Also, I do not know if it is coincidence or intentionally planned, but the CBN Partners and WorldReach directors are visiting the bureau tonight for a brief reception on the roof.




So Hag Sameach ya'll!


Bonnie & Kim










Sarah, a Messianic believer writing for Jewish Voice Ministries offers a good description:

“In the Passover exodus, God brought a people out from among the nations. At Sinai on that first Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, later known as Pentecost, God created a nation set apart for Himself. He revealed Himself, and how to live as a redeemed community, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex. 19:6) The presence of God on that day was attended with great supernatural events: "the mountain shook violently, the ram's horn blew louder and louder, there were flashes of lightening, smoke rose upon the mountain and God spoke in the thunder." (Ex. 19:18,19). . . .

Sarah continues:

The first followers of Yeshua (Jesus) must have had a greater sense of expectation for they were told by the Lord Himself that, "in a few days you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit!" (Acts 1:5) before He was taken up before their eyes. Acts 2 records that approximately 120 followers of Yeshua were gathered in Jerusalem for the Shavuot celebration when "suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:1- 4) 

This was what was spoken of in Jeremiah 31 when he foretold of the New Covenant and Ezekiel 36:27: "I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances." No longer would man walk by commandments on tablets of stone, but the Holy Spirit of God would write the Law on hearts of flesh and give men power to overcome the powers of darkness, to become witnesses in all the earth! The "church" was born.”

For a great history and explanation of the spiritual significance of the day, please read Jonathan Bernis' article here:


Shavuot: A Biblically Appointed Holiday

(Bernis is director of Jewish Voice Ministries, an international ministry reaching Jews for Yeshua.)

Roadtrip Videos

Driving to Masada

Hiking down from Masada

Floating in the Dead Sea and driving home

Dinner and a Movie

Thursday night in Israel is the equivalent to Friday night in the States. Kim & I are anxious to see Indiana Jones & the Crystal Skull, so we figured that Thursday might be our golden opportunity. On that note we can only say that Israel is a strange country with complex mysteries so deep that they can easily befuddle the most experienced movie-goer. Kim & I are experienced movie-goers but apparently still new in this country. Kim not only likes movies, she can even tell you the best seat in the theatre (thank you Doug Miller for teaching that in your class). Unfortunately, our lack of Hebrew understanding of certain cultural norms, such as the movie theatre make for a very entertaining and educational evening.

First, did you know that most theatres have assigned seating? Second, did you know that these numbers are printed on your ticket, which coincidentally, is also printed completely in Hebrew? Third, did you know that it is socially acceptable for you to sit in a seat other than your assigned seat? It is equally not okay to remove others out of your rightful seat by harsh cajoling in the middle of the movie after the wrong seat that you intentionally sat in was reclaimed by its rightful owner. In such case, you must sit somewhere else.

Apparently in Israel, the majority of the theatres do in fact have assigned seating. However, most of those attending do not sit in their assigned seats at all. It is apparently socially-unacceptable yet technically-correct to reclaim your assigned seat if you are sitting in a chair someone else would like to sit in. Kim & I sat in someone else's seats by accident. Nonetheless, it did not matter. Because they sat in another seat before we occupied theirs, they had to give up their assigned seats and let Kim & I sit where we chose. Confused? We are still sorting it out ourselves.

This is the part where we thank the Lord for sending nice English-speaking Israelis to kindly clue us in to cinema customs.

We ended up not being able to see the latest Indiana Jones installment mostly because it wasn't playing at that particular theatre. Instead, we were able to see the latest Diaz chic flik complete with Hebrew subtitles. We were completely shocked when halfway through the movie the lights came on and the movie shut off. After we nearly screamed and had mild panic attacks (we thought Hamas or Hezbollah was behind the lights coming on because Shabbat was still a day away), we were astonished that our fellow movie-goers got up and left without complaint. I turned to Kim and asked her if she knew what time the theatre closed and if there was a curfew or some sort of something that might prevent us from seeing a movie in its entirety. Utterly clueless, we turned to our new nice English-speaking Israelis, the same new friends who had delivered us from a near-disastrous chair debacle, for guidance on the sudden switch-off. In Israel, the custom is to have regular intermissions. About half-way through the movie, viewers are offered the convenient opportunity to use the restroom, buy popcorn, or talk loudly on their cell phones. Never mind, they talk loudly on their cell phones any time they choose during the movie.

All in all, Kim & I learned two new customs in Israel. Note to self: Learn to count in Hebrew. Second note to self: Don't scream when the lights come on; Hamas may not be invading just yet.

The Shops

Shopping is an olympic sport. When in Israel, the shopper will no doubt have their mental knowledge, and physical stamina challenged. Shopping in the US is a breeze to those who speak English. Even in the UK, shopping is hardly considered an adventure sport that requires the precise combination of skill and wit as it does in Israel. In fact, one might argue that shopping in any Middle Eastern country or in the Orient involves unique tests of human ingenuity. Check out some of our experiences:

"Yellow Car I Win"

After almost two weeks of sitting in the office, going out on shoots, and site-seeing around Jerusalem, Kim and I were ready to see some other parts of the country. Since both of us enjoy things being relatively planned, we researched the Dead Sea region for a few days. We found out how to get there by bus and tried to book a night at a Kibbutz (a communal farm). When those plans fell through, we ended up renting a car for a great price Masada & Snake Path
and spending one whole day at Masada and the sea.

It is at this point that I should interrupt the blog to describe a car game we play here at the bureau. I think this simple game started when Chris Mitchell (our boss) and his daughters needed entertainment on long road trips. The point of the game is self-explanatory, and oddly enough, quite competitive! Every time you see a yellow car you say, "Yellow car. I win." The car has to be completely yellow - not a goldish or orangey hue - only yellow, and you have to be the first one to say it. It is very similar to the slug bug game that you play when you see Volkswagen Bugs. Granted, you were probably 8 years old the last time you played...

Well, "Yellow car we win." We rented a yellow Hyundai Getz, and it was oh so cute. However, renting a car was the easy part; driving in Israel was the challenge. Kim drove like a pro, despite all the motorcycles driving within inches of the vehicle, irregular traffic patterns, anxious horn-honkers, random security checks, the odd camel or two, and her fellow intern obsessing over the Hebrew and Arabic radio stations.

We managed to arrive at Masada around 10:30 AM, passing the Jordan-Israel border checkpoint, the West Bank, and the Qumran Caves (where the famous Dead Sea scrolls were discovered by Bedouin herders) on the way. At the Masada visitor center, we watched a melodramatic educational video, complete with laughable English translation dubbed over the Hebrew-speaking narrator, then hitched a ride on a hanging gondola up the mountain. Like most of the tourist attractions we've seen, Masada has a rich history. And I don't just mean Peter O'Toole playing the part of a Roman general saying, "What have we won? We have won nothing," when he enters the fortress on horseback for the first time. Aside from the classic Hollywood film, Masada is actually King Herod's famous desert fortress on top of an isolated mountain cliff that is only accessible by a snaking footpath. (Josephus, the Jewish historian, called it 'Snake Path'...no one ever said the old historian wasn't creative.) During the time of the Roman conquest of Jerusalem in the early 70's AD, several Jewish rebels, including women and children, fled to Masada to seek shelter. Well, the Romans could not allow any rebellion for the sake of the empire. The legions tried various ways to reach the mountain-top fortress (complete with a palace, water cisterns, bath house, and comfortably-stocked storerooms) while the rebels pelted them with stones and other available weaponry. The Romans eventually piled dirt higher and higher to build a siege ramp leading up to the fortress wall. This huge ramp is still visible, although not traveled by tourists and pilgrims today.view of Dead Sea from Masada
By the time the Romans breached one of the walls, they entered the fortress only to find that all the rebels had committed mass suicide. Today, ideological victory is given to the Jewish rebels (hence O'Toole's famous movie line). Historians, archaeologists, and of course, the Jewish people, believe
Masada to be a testament to the resilience of Jews to withstand conquest, even at the expense of their lives.



So, Kim and I walked atop Masada for more than an hour and decided to hike our way down the mountain via the Snake Path. This little adventure ended up making us hot, sweaty, sore, and very glad to have our camel-backs (fancy water bags view of the siege ramp
with a rubber straw running from our backpacks to our mouths) to keep us hydrated. I played a joke on Kim and fully embarrassed her by wearing my white and blue socks with sandals. She ended up making a funny documentary of other tourists wearing socks and sandals,
taking note of the age and gender of each. According to Kim:

"Without exception, all cases were men who most assuredly flashed their AARP cards in order to get the senior discount for the ride up the mountain. That's what was so embarrassing. If you must wear socks with sandals, at least go with the trend: dark dress socks that reach mid-calf. Athletic ankle socks, Bonnie...really? I'm nominating you for 'What Not to Wear, Retiree Edition."

Ready to cool off in the nearby Dead Sea, we drove to the Ein Gedi Spa and paid a small entrance fee to use their lockers, showers, fresh water pool, beach, and mud. The inside hall of the spa wreaked of sulfur pools and sulfur hot tubs. I'm not exactly sure what benefits bathing in sulfur might give your body, but I'm pretty sure that it is not enough to convince us to swim in the putrid yellow liquid, bubbling up the stench of rotten eggs. And, in case a dive into the sulfur isn't enough for you, the spa has conveniently provided guests with yellow sulfur powder next to the Dead Sea mud pits. We managed to avoid both liquid and powdered versions of rotten eggs.

Walking into the Dead Sea was pretty exciting all by itself. After hearing about the salty sea for most of our lifetimes, being there for the first time reminded us again of how awesome it is to be in Israel. We chose a great day to go. The weather was moderately warm, the water cool, and the visibility amazing. We alternated video-taping the other's first floating experience. To quote a fellow American in the water with us, it was more than a little 'trippy.' You literally float, and it takes powerful core muscles to cause your body to sink or force yourself to stand. Salt crystals on the sea floor will slice the skin if you're not careful, so wear thick sandals when you go. By the way, Dead Sea water stings like fire, even on tiny abrasions! Its amazing how many scrapes we had that we didn't know about before we entered the water.

After floating for an eternity, we rinsed and walked over to the mud pits to experience the mineral effects of the dark chocolate-colored mud. If you've ever used any type of mud mask, then you can easily live vicariously through this ritual. We proceeded to bake for the recommended 20 minutes. Afterwards, our skin resembled that of elephants. Trying to walk to the showers was painful because the mud had hardened so tightly that walking became both difficult and painful. Moreover, the spa eagerly displayed its obsession with sulfur because we were provided with our choice of sulfur showers for rinsing off the mud. Even as I type this I can smell the rotten eggs flowing like a deluge from the shower spout. Kim accidentally rinsed in it before smelling her mistake. Another note from Kim:

"The smell wears off eventually. But, for the record, it is not an effective man repellent."

After a brief stint in the fresh water swimming pools and enjoying popsicles and cold drinks, we were back on the road to Jerusalem. We were too exhausted to stop by the Qumran caves after all, but safely drove our winner of a yellow car back to the apartment.

The Call

Less than a week after being in the country, Kim & I were asked to assist with one of CBN's stories, The Call/Global Day of Prayer/ God TV event. For those who aren't acquainted with the event,
The Call is a 12-hour prayer conference that takes place all over the world at various times, is sponsored by the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, and includes a time of worship and optional fasting. For the Jerusalem Call, The Global Day of Prayer also participated, and God TV simulcast the Call to various stadiums and auditoriums across the World. In fact, something like 122 nations participated, making the event the largest organized prayer conference in pretty much the history of Christianity.

The event was also significant for Jerusalem. As you may know, the body of believers in Israel (including Messianic Jews and Christians) is small. Believers experience a good deal of persecution and threats, especially from the ultra-orthodox Jews. Some rough numbers suggest that there only 14,000 Messianic Jews residing in Israel (Messianic Jews, aka those who believe in Jesus as the Messiah, do not usually use the label "Christian" due to the negative inference oftentimes drawn from the label...think the Inquisition). Also, Messianic Jews do not exactly broadcast the fact that they are believers. The good news is that the number is growing. The downside is that Kim & I have to be pretty careful
as to how we describe who we work for. For example, we can't describe CBN as a "ministry" or refer to ourselves as "evangelists", "missionaries", and so forth. All that to say, when we attended The Call in Jerusalem, we didn't enter a huge 30,000+ seat stadium or an arena packed with people. Instead, we entered a convention center auditorium that seats maybe 2500, filled with a majority of people not from Israel at all. Also unique to this Call was the number of times the Shofar was blown and the emphasis on Zion & the Messiah's return.

After sitting in the auditorium for only a short while, we went outside to interview all those in charge or helping to direct the event including Lou Engles, Mike Bickle, Misty Edwards, Graham Power, Jill Austin, Heidi Baker and several others. The time of interviews created interesting work situations and challenges which can be read about in another blog describing our daily internship duties.

All in all, we spent the majority of Sunday working and diving head-first into the internship. As usual, Kim has put together a video showing highlights of the event including a few interviews.





Kim & I exhausted after working all day.

Mount of Olives

"On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south."
Zechariah 14:4 (NIV)

The Mount of Olives (aka Mount Olivet) may very well be the most well-known landmark in Jerusalem, if not Israel. Part of what makes the Mount so revered is not for its past history (which consequently is very rich) but for its future history. The Old Testament book of Zechariah mentions it as the place the dead will be resurrected during the arrival of the Messiah. Christians and Messianic Jews believe this event will take place during the Second Coming (see the book of Revelation). However, Jews believe this event will take place the first time the Messiah comes. Because of this, many Jews wish to be buried there. In fact, the largest and oldest Jewish cemetery in the world stretches from the foot of the Mount up to the top and dates back to biblical times (think Gethsemane). Graves are literally stacked on top of each other, while many graves are placed vertically to allow room for more. According to Wikipedia, there are an estimated 150,000 graves. Famous people buried there include Jesus (only for a little while), Ben Yehuda (the dude who revived the Hebrew language), Oskar Schindler (as in Schindler's List), a plethora of rabbi's, Israeli prime ministers, and royalty.

Those objects that look like white rocks are actually tombstones. The steeple marks the Mount's peak. The taller buildings are a neighborhood.

The Mount of Olives is actually a hilltop east of Jerusalem and is named for the numerous olive groves once found on it. It's Biblical references include:

• David's flight from Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 15
• Solomon's houses for idols in 1 Kings 11 & 2 Kings 23
• Zechariah's prophecy in Zechariah 14
• The place of the Glory of the Lord in Ezekiel 11
• Where Jesus taught & wept in Matthew
• Garden of Gethsemane
• The road Jesus, Apostles, and Paul walked on their way to Bethany

A Holy Hike

Friday afternoon, Kim & I traversed down to the Old City to walk the Via Dolorosa. Many Christian pilgrims revere this walk as a holy walk- the same steps that Jesus walked from Pontius Pilate's to Calvary. Along the route, there are 14 stations marking various actions as recorded in the Gospel. For example, station 3 marks where Jesus fell and station 5 marks where Simon the Cyrene was appointed to help carry the cross. Various historians disagree to the actual accuracy of this route. In fact, the route itself has changed several times. At any rate, it is a significant walk nonetheless, even if it is only symbolic (type and shadow) of the real thing. On another note, the Via Dolorosa (Walk of Tears) is actually located in the heart of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. So as you visit each station, you will invariably be asked by one Arab shopkeeper or another to purchase his goods. He will tell you that "We are friends," and "There is no charge for looking" and "This is it. This is real wood from the cross" and so forth. If you are a blonde American woman, of which Kim & I both are, you may actually get hit on in the process. In fact, these shopkeepers may beckon you to come visit there shop by wooing you with such self-esteem building phrases as "I like your eyes. They are very beautiful" to "My name is Vin Diesel" and "You from the States? You very beautiful." One such shopkeeper emphatically declared to Kim, "My friend, you dropped something." Once Kim turned around to check, he continued, "See, it is my heart." Wow...

While we hardly know what to do with such words of poetry, we found it more intriguing not to get smashed along the walls by other Christian pilgrims- more thoroughly dedicated to the stations than we. In the video, you'll see Kim describing a group of pilgrims wearing green hats and carrying a cross. Without any hindrance to themselves, these pilgrims faithfully stopped at each marked spot and recited various Latin prayers, songs, and chants. This is all very normal of course.

The last four stations are located within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church is kind of like Mecca for Christians, especially for Greek Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox and Coptic Christians (Orthodox sects stem from the Byzantine Empire, during the beginning of which, the church was built). Located in the church are several "holy" spots, including the place where Jesus was crucified, where His body was prepared for burial, and where He was buried. We have taken pictures and labeled them accordingly. In the video, it may seem that we are irreverent. We do not intend to be. However, neither of us believe that these are the exact spots where the Gospel events of salvation took place. If you believe more along the lines of the pilgrims, then perhaps it is best if you don't watch the video. ;)

Top: the Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre (Tomb of Christ)

Bottom: Golgotha (place of crucifixion)

More about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre

**It is wikipedia, so read it with a grain of salt.


About the Ladder:

A few years ago, one of my favorite history professors, Dr. Dan Hoffman, told us about this ladder during our Roman and Early Church history class. Apparently, this ladder has been left outside in nearly the exact same spot because no one agrees to move it; moreover, the various denominations/sects that are custodians of the church can't remember who left it out there. This may seem silly, I'll admit. However, these men are so adament about their various custodial divisions in the church that they will literally fight & brawl (sometimes leading to hospital visits) if they feel that another denomination/sect is invading their zone in the church. I dreamed of one day being able to see the ladder in real life, and I did! I took these photos during yesterday's visit.

Kim & I will be visiting the Garden tomb and Golgotha (marked by rocks in the shape of a skull) shortly, which is where we believe the crucifixion/burial/resurrection most likely took place.

Out in the Old City

In our fist 48 hours of being in the country, Kim & I decided to explore the Old City on our own after John Waage (our boss) took us on a little mini-excursion there during lunch. Here are a few snapshots of the bazaar in addition to the video.

First impressions of the Holy Land

In this video, we survive the flight into Tel Aviv, gather our luggage and meet Chris Mitchell. This video shows highlights of our first 36 hours in the Holy Land. You might notice that we look a little bleary-eyed and somewhat dazed & confused. We were suffering from a common condition travel experts refer to as 'jet lag.' We've since recovered and have gone on to film many more memories for our mothers' scrapbooking ventures. Kim has been diligent in editing and uploading these.

Today's weather is moderately warm with a light breeze. The ambiance surrounding the CBN bureau is currently accompanied by helicopter whirring. Bush is in town and is staying at the hotel next door to the office. Kim spent the morning soldering XLR cables with Yoel, our hyperactive cameraman, and Bonnie wrote her first news script for Chris. Yoel took us to the Government Press Office this afternoon for our official press credentialing.

The Flight:

Ever wonder what it's like to fly internationally with two Texas gals who don't exactly get out much? Well, we thought we'd show you highlights from the two plane rides and airport adventures. Word of caution: Towards the latter portion of this video, we are EXTREMELY jet-lagged, so please don't think we normally get this excited about new things. We had reached that point of exhaustion where just about anything was funny.

Airport Zoo

Howdy! Tonight at 9:30 PM Eastern time, Kim & I will be flying to London via Virgin Airlines. We land about 9ish in the AM and then catch a flight to Israel via British Monarch. We should land in Tel Aviv around 8 pm tomorrow...ick. If you want to know Jerusalem time without having to do all the yucky math, check the homepage of the website. There is a clock at the bottom displaying current Jerusalem time.

Please pray for traveling mercies tonight and tomorrow.

Shalom,

~ B

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