The Avery Adventure

Back in the Land

2008-11-02T10:56:00.003-06:00

There is just something about Israel that makes me want to blog.
Brent and I arrived here Sat. around 4:00 p.m. I cried tears of joy and homecoming when we landed. I cried in the Taxi as we drove through familiar streets. I cried as we walked to our favorite restaurant to eat dinner.
I know, it sounds like I am just an emotional, blubbering idiot. Maybe I am. But I'm OK with that because I love this place and will be a blubbering idiot for this place.
I really love just about everything about this place. Brent and I went to a sidewalk cafe near the beach and just enjoyed being in Tel Aviv this morning. As I sat there relishing the moment, I realized I even loved the noises of this city. Crazy, huh? What really made me laugh, internally so that people didn't think I was some kind of lunatic, was that I realized I even loved the sound of the traffic, the buses, the honking. It adds to the feeling of familiarity. Call me a weirdo.
Today, our first full day here, has been spent with a dear friend we met in our Hebrew Language school during our 7 months living in the Land. Kate and her 7 1/2 month old son, Edan (pronounced "Ee-dahn") met us for a falafel at Brent's favorite place. Edan was born about 2 weeks before we came back to the U.S. He has grown so much and has been SO FUN to be around. I'm actually writing this post from Kate and her husband Adi's apartment. We are getting ready to go pick up Brent and go to dinner together! It has just been a great day of reconnecting and catching up and I feel really blessed to be able to come to my "other home" for a couple of weeks!
I feel I am rambling and must stop. Besides, it's time to go get Brent and go eat!
Maybe I'll feel inspired again in the next two weeks and will find a computer I can blog from!

My Birthday

2008-08-21T22:47:00.003-05:00

Today is my birthday. I was officially born around 9:00 PM. So, I'm finally 24 (wink, wink).
I had a good day. My hubs got me some beautiful white cala lilies....my favorite! And a sweet deal at a spa! It includes a massage, facial, mani or pedi and a haircut with wash and style! Isn't he so sweet! We also got to go out to dinner tonight at Salt Grass. OH MY WORD! That place is so good if you have a hankerin' for some delicious steak! I don't eat steak all that often so I take any opportunity I can get! Tonight was just one of those opportunities!
Now, a little story about my sweet and funny husband.
When we got back home to the U.S. of A. I was going through some stuff putting my house back together. See, I'm a bit of a pack-rat and I keep lots o' stuff. I'm also very sentimental and this only compounds the pack-rat problem, as some might call it. Point being that I have kept every card that Brent has given me. So, I was going through them and reminiscing and came across one of the birthday cards he had gotten me. It was a humorous card and I chuckled as I'm sure I did the year he gave it to me. I came across another envelope with his handwriting, opened it up and pulled out, would you believe, THE EXACT SAME CARD! He had gotten me the same card two different years and didn't even know it!! I was appalled over this and for many reasons. First being that I had not noticed this on the particular birthday that I had received a duplicate card. Second, that my husband would be so careless as to get me the same card two years in a row! Third, that when I told him of this little mishap he just laughed. And fourth, HE GOT ME THE SAME CARD THIS YEAR!!! OK, as you have probably figured out, he did that on purpose, at least the third time. He was looking at cards and wouldn't you know, there was that infamous card staring him down, calling his name and begging him to buy it yet again! So he did. I would like to add in here that he was sweet enough to actually buy me two cards this year, the repeat and a new, sweet one that made my heart melt. I love that guy.

Facebook

2008-08-18T20:19:00.002-05:00

Well Friends,
I think I'm back in the world wide web.
We have internet that actually works!!!!
And............
I have joined facebook.
Hopefully I can get back into the swing of blogging.
I have started a new job. I have joined the 40-hour-a-week society. It's really for the birds. But my new job pays really good! Don't worry, I'm not teaching grammar!! :)
Well, I have some really old events that I want to blog about and I have pictures and everything so look for that to come.
See you on the web.

M.I.A.

2008-06-26T12:34:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. I have been TERRIBLE about blogging since we got home.
I could roll out a massively long list of lame excuses, because I've got them. However, I value any of you who may still be randomly checking this blog too much to do that.
I will just say, I'm sorry. I really do want to blog. I even have pictures. I just have some sorry excuses too.
With that said... I hope to get back to the blog world at some point. I'm in the process of trying to get a full time job and my house the way I want and need it. All of this will help me get back on the blogging bandwagon.
Until then....don't completely give up on me.
I have a great fondness for any of you who may still be hopeful enough to check this sad blog every once in a blue moon! (When exactly is there a "blue moon" anyway? Anyone?)

Time Zone

2008-05-02T14:16:00.003-05:00

When I began this blog we were living in Tel Aviv, Israel.
When I set up the blog I set the time zone to Israel time.
I forgot to change it.
So, for those wondering if I posted that last post at 2:00 in the morning....NO WAY! I'm not that crazy! It would have been about 6:00 p.m. here in the U.S. of A.
Well, I think I fixed that little mix up. Shew. That was a potential disaster averted!

No Way In

2008-04-30T18:09:00.002-05:00

You want to know what's frustrating? Not being able to get into your house after being on the road for 16 hours.
When Brent and I arrived to our home, well after midnight last Friday night, we were unable to get it. No, we hadn't locked ourselves out. Our house locked us out. Well, not really but it sounded funny.
You see, ever since we returned from Israel, our glass door/screen door (though it has not screen and is only glass. hmmm) has been sticking. When you turn the handle on any door, the sticky-outy-thing that keeps it closed, withdraws, thus allowing you to open the door. (Do you love my technical terms, cuz I do!) On our glass door the sticky-outy-thing was sticking before we left. When we arrived back home in the middle of the night it was completely broken. You could turn that handle till the cows came home and it was not opening up!
"Why didn't you just go in through the garage door?"
Well, people, it's like this. We live in the hood! And our house is old. There is no entrance from the garage to the house. Yep. I have to go outside to get into the garage where the washer and dryer are. At least we have a washer and dryer though, eh? (No, I'm not Canadian.)
Why didn't you go int he back door?"
Come on people! We look that screen door too! (And yes, that one actually has a screen.)

OK, let me describe the scene for you.
12:13a.m. (not really. I don't know what the exact time was but I like details!)
I have slept the last hour or two and am groggy and grumpy and just want to unload the truck and crawl into my big, soft, king size bed.
Brent has been driving since 6:30a.m. and is exhausted.
Brent has gotten the big stuff out of the back of the truck and is at the front door.
I'm unloading all of my bajillion little things that have been strewn all over the back seat. I hear the Brent jiggling the handle on the door. Then I hear him trying to yank the door open. Then I think he's going to pull the door off it's hinges while shattering the glass and become concerned.
He yells "The glass door is locked!". I say "No it's not. That's impossible." (Unless of course we have leprechauns or elves living in our house who wanted to play a trick on us. They do that sort of thing, you know.) Brent says through gritted teeth "Yes it is." and begins yanking on the door with all his might. I run to the porch to stop him from totally destroying the door.
We then proceed to get screw drivers out to try and pry it open and even consider taking the door off but that would be a really bad idea. I get two screwdrivers in my hands and try to get the sticky-outy-thing pushed back into the door so we can get it open and I almost had it, about 13 times and lost it. Brent sees that it is hopeless and we are too tired and grumpy to be sensible and says "You're done. Call your Mom and Dad."
So, we call the folks and spend the night at their house.
Next day, Dad and Brent get the door open. How? Dad used the screwdrivers and did what I tried to do the night before. Way to go Dad.
Now we have no handle whatsoever on our glass door because I was not about to let my house lock me out again.

Stats

2008-04-28T17:52:00.004-05:00

8 Days
8 States
Over 2000 miles
That just about sums up our trip last week.
Not really, though, because we had so much fun and got to visit with so many sweet people and friends.
We also reviewed some of our Hebrew verbs on the road home and Brent had me laughing so hard at his attempts to pronounce the word for "to celebrate" that I thought we were going to need to have my seat cleaned and dried, if you get my drift.
I must say that I am very glad to be home again. D.J., our little dog, was glad we were home too!

Thank you, Lord, for a safe and blessed trip!

Can't sit still

2008-04-23T13:44:00.003-05:00

We have only been home about four weeks and we are on the road again! We just can't sit still.
Brent and I left last Friday morning at 5:15 a.m., yep, A.M. to head to Lexington, Kentucky. Friday we traveled as far as Nashville, Tennessee. We stopped there and stayed the night and had dinner with friends. Brent knows Michael and Amy from when he was a youth minister in Liberty, Indiana. Michael and Amy walked into Brent's office one afternoon fifteen years ago and said, "Marry us!" Brent asked, "OK, when?" Michael, dressed in a bright yellow t-shirt and shorts said, "Right now!" and handed Brent the marriage license. Let me just add in here that Michael was and still is in the Marines and he talks like a drill Sargent...all the time! Brent asked all the proper questions, even talked to Amy alone for a minute to make sure this was what she wanted to do and then took them and Michael's Dad to the newly remodeled basement of the church and performed the ceremony to join them as man and wife. They now have two beautiful daughters and live in a beautiful home in Nashville. It was a really sweet reunion and we are looking forward to keeping in touch with them.
Sat. we got up and traveled the last several hours to Lexington, Kentucky. Let me just say that Lexington, Kentucky is one beautiful place. This is the perfect time to be traveling in that part of the country because the dogwoods are blooming and MAN ALIVE are they gorgeous!! I'm serious, people! They are amazing. Actually, everything is blooming! You don't have to look any farther than God's creation to get the perfect color palette for decorating any room. I got a few ideas on this trip and I'm ready to get home and redecorate!! (Yeah, Brent's real happy about that too! The man hates to paint.)
"Why did you go to Kentucky, Tonya?"
Oh, I'm so glad you asked!
We went to Kentucky because Brent's college roommate, Mark, preaches at a church there and invited us out so Brent could throw down the Word!, or preach :) Sunday morning then we lead a Passover Seder Sunday night for the church.
As usual, Brent did and amazing job. I'm telling you, the man is GIFTED! I love to hear my hubs preach. Man, can he preach. He's just so anointed and gifted and wonderful. I love him. However, I don't want you to lose your lunch so I'll stop gushing.
I will say that after being in Kentucky, I want to move there. It is so pretty. The rolling hills covered with lush, thick, soft green grass and the amazing trees. Oh my! It is a truly beautiful area. Don't worry, Mom and Dad! We cannot afford to live in Lexington. Those people are rich! And I mean filthy RICH! (I would love to show you pictures but I forgot the camera. Yep, I'm a doof!)
Then Monday we spent a little more time with Mark and his wife Kathy and traveled on to Richmond, Indiana where we stayed the last two nights with our friends the Retz'.
We spent most of the day yesterday, however, in Liberty, Indiana where Brent was a youth minister, football coach, probation officer and preacher. We had lunch with Chris B. who was in Brent's youth group. After that we spent the afternoon gabbing with Bill and Betty, two of the sweetest people I have ever met. All of my grandparents have already gone to be with Jesus and so I have adopted them as my grandparents. They don't know it yet, so let's keep that between us for now.
Today we traveled to Indianapolis, only about an hour. We are planning a tour for a church in the area and Brent and I will speak with those interested in the tour tonight. Right now I am sitting in the church's coffee shop area typing this to you. It is a beautiful, new, huge church and we are loving seeing how the body of Messiah is growing.
The next couple of nights we will stay with Brent's sister LeighAnn and husband J.R. and kids Zac and Shanna. Then we head home.
This may have been one of my more boring posts but just felt the need to connect with my readers, at least what's left of you. I think Kim is the only one still checking in. Thanks Kim! I appreciate your loyalty. You're a peach!

Water and Oil

2008-04-17T15:36:00.003-05:00

Apparently, living in the United States and blogging don't really go well together for me. It's like water and oil. You know how water and oil don't mix. You know?
Man Alive!!!!
I'm really sorry people.
I want to blog but here are my sad excuses. (At least I'm calling them what they are, right?)
#1. Our internet is not working correctly yet.
#2. Don't know what to blog about cuz I'm still a little sad about being away from Israel.
#3. Well, shouldn't #1 and #2 be good enough? Come on!
Oh and just so you know, Brent and I are leaving town again for about 11 days so don't have any expectations of a new blog during that time. But then, if I do get time, and an internet connection, and do get a blog out there you will be pleasantly surprised.
I miss all of you and really do want to get back in to the blog swing soon. But I'm just warning you that it will probably be the beginning of May before that happens. A one month sabbatical seems about right.
OK, see you all you soon. And thanks for continuing to read this somewhat-pathetic-for-now-blog.

Still here

2008-04-08T12:49:00.004-05:00

Hey Ya'll!
Man Alive. It's hard to get back into a rhythm again. We have been trying to get our house put back together because we packed a lot of it up to rent it to some friends while we were gone. So, it's like moving in all over again. Then I got sick starting Friday night and have been down for the count since then. My sweet husband called the Doctor on Monday morning to get me in because I was coughing all night long and he got worried (as well as really annoyed!) So, now I'm on some antibiotics and trying to not push it too hard.
We also have not had internet until about an hour ago, hence my silence. I just don't want you, my devoted readers, to get the wrong idea....THIS BLOG IS CONTINUING!!!!
But for now, I must go. Just wanted you all to know we are still alive and kicking!

Back in the USA

2008-04-01T21:31:00.003-05:00

Well, we arrived back to our USA home yesterday around 5:00 p.m.

The journey was emotional, LONG, exhausting and somewhat frustrating.

Jet lag is a real drag.....feeling really fuzzy in the head.

This is the end of this post.

More to come.

Will tell story of flight home adventure.

fading...............

goodnight.

Our Last Day....For Now

2008-03-30T02:00:00.013-05:00

Today is our last day in Israel (for this trip). It is a very bittersweet day for me and I have already shed several tears. I know there will be more because I feel them wanting to start up again as I write this post.

But, I am working hard at keeping a thankful and grateful attitude so as to not get too sad about having to leave this place that holds my heart so tightly.

Here's the bottom line. Brent and I are called to this land and this people. The Lord has allowed us seven months here to begin establishing roots. Yesterday at congregation, they prayed over us and spoke encouragement into our lives. It was said that it is a great privilege and honor to be invited to this land and grow the deep roots that we have grown. I believe that God has done this in us for a purpose and for this I am so thankful.

I do not know when we will be back. But I know we will return. God knows when He will invite us to come to His chosen portion of earth again. In this I rest. In this I find encouragement. In this there is hope for both Brent and I.

It has been an absolute honor to live in Israel and learn the language and live among God's chosen people. I cannot, in words, express to you what is in my heart. Only God can define it because He alone placed this love and passion and desire in us. I praise Him for His faithfulness and His goodness. I thank Him for calling us into His service in this place among His chosen people. (Uh oh, the water works have started again.) I am grateful to Him for holding us so tightly in His hands and leading us on a path of service to Him and for Him.

So, now The Avery Adventure continues and so will this blog. WOW, I just heard a HUGE sigh of relief from all you readers! I know, I know. You haven't been able to sleep for fear that this enthralling blog might end when we return to the U.S.! No worries. Being and Avery is ALWAYS and adventure!!!

See you in the USA!!

Next Adventure: Jetlag! UGH! :)

To my dear readers

2008-03-28T13:33:00.002-05:00

Dear Wonderful Readers,
(all 5 of you)
I feel the need to apologize. I have neglected you. I have forsaken you. I have ignored you.
BUT
I have NOT forgotten you.
Our schedule has been jam packed for the last week. Not only are we preparing to come back to the USA, we have also had friends living with us for the past two weeks. Amanda, her 13 month old daughter Ariella and Alexis have been staying with us while their husbands Shay and Seth, respectively, have been hiking in the Negev desert. It has been so fun and entertaining to have them with us. Amanda and Alexis are very precious friends to us. Ariella is a joy and delight to be around and makes me long and look forward to motherhood.
All this to say, with packing, cleaning, meeting with friends to say goodbye, show the apartment to potential renters, cleaning some more, packing some more, volunteering at a soup kitchen, playing with Ariella and cleaning some more, well, life has been busy.
However, I want you all to know that my thoughts have been with you. I even tried to get a post up last night but I was trying to upload a 114 MB video and four hours later it was not finished so I left it going all night only to find that in the morning there had been and "error" and it did not finish and I cried and wailed and threw a tantrum....um.....where was I going? Uh. Oh, I have been thinking of you and wanting to get a post up but time has been my enemy.
"Why do you have time now, Tonya?" you ask.
Well, Shay and Seth and the other 5 guys are done hiking in the horrifically hot Negev desert. Shay and Seth along with Daniel and Ben returned to Tel Aviv early this evening. Andrew, Chase and Dan went to Jerusalem for the night. Shay and Seth had wives waiting eagerly for them and Daniel and Ben have wives out there somewhere waiting eagerly for them. Any wonderful single ladies out there? OK, I'm not really into match making, well, maybe a little. BUT THAT IS NOT THE POINT!!! MAN ALIVE STAY FOCUSED!!
Sorry, I'm back. OK, so to rap up this lovely diatribe, our house is empty again. Well, not empty cuz we are here but it's just me and Brent and I had time to write a post. GAG! I better go now before you all think I've lost my marbles.
WORD!

5 More Days in the Holy Land

2008-03-25T15:26:00.003-05:00

OK, so I think I'm doing pretty good not boring you with the count down to the end of our time in Israel. I mean, come on, I've only done one post about it....I think. :)
So, just a little update....We only have 5 more days in the Holy Land.
Brent and I are busy saying goodbyes, packing and eating our favorite things one last time. It's an emotional roller coaster for this crazy, emotional female who gets very attached to places and items. For instance, I could tell you about every nick-knack I have in my home in the States, such as where it's from, who gave it to me and for what reason. Another example, I collect teacups and saucers and teapots and I can tell you where I got each one, who gave me which ones, when I got them, etc. All this to say, I have even gotten attached to our apartment in Tel Aviv. It will be sad to leave it because I'm pretty sure I will never live in this apartment again. (We will have to find something a bit cheaper when we come back for any extended period of time!)
So, it's emotional and sad.
However, to try to keep my mind in the positive mode, here are some things I look forward to in the U.S. of A.

Seeing our family and hugging their necks.
Seeing our dog, D.J.
Seeing friends.
Being in our home with our recliners!
Driving my Honda CRV
Mexican food. Lots and lots and lots of Mexican food!
Shopping at Target and Wal-Mart.
Knowing exactly what I'm buying in the grocery store.
Understanding all of the signs I see.
Knowing how to get around outside of a one or two mile radius! (And that's generous!)
Did I say Mexican food yet???? :)

By the way, I know I have some standing dates with some of you to eat Mexican food and I expect those to be kept, OK? :)

Oh, and I'm not promising this will be the last count down post, so please don't hold your breath.

The Negev Desert

2008-03-22T07:33:00.004-05:00

I'm sitting here in the Negev Desert enjoying the heat of the day. I must admit I feel pretty cool being able to say that.
So, our friends from home are here in Israel and the guys are hiking part of the Israel National Trail. They are hiking the desert part which I think is a bit crazy! But, hey, it only got up to 105 degrees yesterday. Good thing they came in March and not July!!!
Brent, Amanda (Shay's wife), Ariella (Shay and Amanda's 13 month old daughter), Alexis (Seth's wife) and I drove down from Tel Aviv yesterday. We got a flat tire on the way. Yep, in the middle of the desert. Thankfully the tire blew out really close to a gas station. However, we could not drive into the gas station because the tire literally blew out! Brent immediately got to work while the girls walked to the gas station. I stayed behind to be of assistance. I didn't really do anything except give moral support. Brent's so strong he broke the tool that jacks up the car. Some people came along and helped and we got the tire changed and made it to the place we all stayed last night. We called the rental place and they brought us a different van because the spare was not in such good shape and we did not want to drive back through the desert on it.
Today, we have just been enjoying the Sabbath and staying in the shade. We will head back to Tel Aviv in about an hour.
So until I post again, here are just a few photos from Daniel's camera.

So, when do you want to come hike in the Negev desert?

Bar Mitzvah, The Party, Part I

2008-03-19T09:39:00.008-05:00

So, I know this Bar Mitzvah series has been stretched out over a very long period of time. I apologize for that. But I have had so many other things to blog about.
But today is your lucky day because I have nothing else to blog about and I want to finish what I started (partly because I'm a bit not so good at that and partly because you deserve to know the details of this fabulous event).
OK, so after the Bar Mitzvah was over we all went to a restaurant for the party afterwards! The restaurant is called Darnah. It is a Moroccan restaurant and it was SO COOL!
Here is the entrance to the restaurant.

This is the view just inside the door. This is a little seating area in the bar area. How cool is this? I would totally love to decorate a vacation home in this style. I could so see this on my back porch!
One of the dining rooms. Thought the arch doorway was cool.
Again, just a cool nook. I would like to have something like this in my Moroccan vacation home kitchen.

This dining room had bench seats all the way around and more cool nooks.
This place is so cool that, if you can believe this, this is the refrigerator.

Again, cool arches and love the colors.

Loved the pretty windows.
Even the bathroom doors were beautiful.
And this is the room that we were in. This dining room seats around 85 people and it was packed!!!

I got to sit on one of the couches along the wall. Brent got to sit in one of the funky chairs.

And finally, this was the beautiful place setting in front of each person at the party!!

More to come, hopefully soon!

The Final Countdown

2008-03-18T05:08:00.003-05:00

Well, friends, the real countdown has begun. Why have I not brought this up before now? Because our friends from home are here. What? What does that have to do with the countdown? And what countdown are you talking about? Who are you, lady?
OK, let me break it down.
We arrive back in the states on March 31. I knew this to be a reality but until March 31 comes along, I like to live in a fantasy world and think that I am not leaving this land that I love so dearly. Well, the problem with that is, once our friends arrived in Tel Aviv, I knew that we only had two more weeks because we fly home with them. So, they arrived yesterday. We leave in two weeks. The countdown has begun. I'm sad. I don't want to leave. I don't like change. But my Momma always said, there's only one thing in life you can count on, there will be change! Or something like that. Anyway. Two more weeks.
That's all folks.
Sorry this is a bit whinny and pathetic. Oh, and it's not that I don't want to see family and friends, I really do. I just want them all to be here. OK, enough of the cry baby act. I'm out.

291

2008-03-15T15:03:00.004-05:00

By my count, we learned 291 verbs in Ulpan. OK, let's do some math.
1 infinitive form
4 present tense forms
9 past tense forms
8 future tense forms
22

22 x 291 = 6,402

That's a lot of words, friends! And that is only VERBS!! That doesn't include nouns and pronouns and adjectives and adverbs and whatever other types of words there are. (Grammar was never my strongest subject....math was!)
Anyway, that's the final count. 291. 6,402. Yep. That's a lot of words. A LOT of words. Yep. OK, then. Lot 'o' words. uh huh.

That's all I got folks. Peace out.
Weird mood today....can you tell?

The Pomella

2008-03-14T05:00:00.004-05:00

Have you ever heard of or had a Pomella? I had not before coming to Israel. The Pomella is a citrus fruit. It's a big, green citrus fruit that has a very interesting and scrumptious taste. It's a little like a sweet grapefruit. Not exactly the same taste but traces of the grapefruit taste.

In this picture you can see the size comparison with a normal size apple and orange. It's pretty big. It's even bigger than a grapefruit but I didn't have a grapefruit on hand so the apple and orange had to do. Isn't it a nice color combination though? Mom, will you paint this for me?
The tricky thing about the Pomella is that it has a very thick peel which is usually rather difficult to get off. The white part of the peel is really spongy too.
This picture shows you the comparison of the Pomella peel to the orange peel.

When it's all said and done, the Pomella peel stacks pretty high and the orange, well, the orange not so high.
Once you get the peel off and get down to the fruit, the Pomella slices aren't really that much bigger than the orange slice. However, the individual pulps are about 3-5 times bigger than the individual orange pulps and there are a lot more slices. I tried to take a picture of the pulps but they all came out blurry and looking like worms or some icky bug or larvae.
With the Pomella, I personally don't eat the skin or whatever you call the stuff that holds all the pulps in. I know, my terminology is astounding and brilliant. I have no idea what the proper titles are for all the parts of citrus fruit. Give me a break, I'm still recovering from learning Hebrew. Back to the Pomella. I peel each individual slice and this picture shows what it looks before you peel and after. Oh, and the reason I don't eat the skin is that it's pretty thick and tough.
Once you painstakingly peel each individual slice you have a bowl full of Pomella deliciousness. It really is a lot of tasty, juicy fruit. Not the gum, Juicy Fruit. Pomella, the juicy fruit. It's juicy not chewy.

And finally, here is the comparison of a peeled orange and a peeled Pomella. Brent and I had a yummy snack when I got done taking all of the pictures.

Have you ever heard of or had a Pomella? Did you like it? Come visit me in Israel and we can share one!!!

Cafes a plenty

2008-03-13T04:01:00.007-05:00

I have talked about Israeli's love of coffee and the multiple cafes that exist in this country. Here are some of the main ones:

This one is very near our Ulpan (Hebrew language school). A lot of students would go here during our mid-morning break to pump some caffeine into their sluggish and overwhelmed brains. They have great hot chocolate and mochas!
I have never been to Cup 'O' Joe. I should do that before we come home.
Aroma started out being my favorite. Brent and I were in an Aroma a few years ago visiting our friend Adi. It was located in the central bus station in Jerusalem. That's not really relevant but the point is, I looked at the Hebrew word as you see below in white letters, and read it. It was the first Hebrew word I read without any help. They too have fantastic hot chocolate and every drink is served with a little chocolate candy. Oh, so good.
If you have been keeping up with this blog for a while you should recognize the name of this one. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and I became good friends toward the end of our Ulpan course. I would go here every afternoon to study in a comfy brown leather chair, listen to my iPod (usually Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis or Waterdeep, who I am totally obsessed with right now) and drink a chai tea latte.

OK, Boutique Central is not exactly a cafe but they do sell coffee. In fact they have a great deal, a drink and a pastry for 14 shekels. Not shabby. And their pastries are ridiculously delicious. They also have the cards that you can have punched for each time you purchase this great deal and to be honest, I have no idea what you get if you get all ten punches. Maybe I should read that card, or at least try....it's all in Hebrew.
Cafeneto is another I have not visited. It's always got a good crowd but it's not so much in my daily path. It's the opposite direction of where we go most of the time. Um, and someone made a mistake on this sign....though I did this all the time with one of the Hebrew letters that looks like a backwards "c".

Cafe Hillel is another one I have never been to but it's also popular in this country. It's not the greatest picture because I had to take it from across a large and busy intersection. This cafe is actually diagonal from Cafeneto, so again, not in my usual path.
Well, I stopped what I was doing here and took our now working again camera (thank you Lord) to take a picture of one more major cafe in Israel called Cafe Cafe. However, when I got in position to take the picture and turned the camera on, the battery was dead. UGH!!! I will take the picture on another day and get back to you.

I have to say that from the outside some of these look more appealing to me than others. What do you think? I realize this is totally superficial but....go for it anyway.

Least outwardly appealing for me is Cafe Hillel. This Aroma doesn't rank much higher in outward appearance either. Most outwardly appealing? Actually? Cup 'O' Joe, and I've never been there! Oh, the irony!

Scooter Love

2008-03-12T04:19:00.005-05:00

I would LOVE to have a scooter. Though, I'm not sure I want to drive one in Israel. They drive pretty crazy here. I'm good with driving a car in Israel and have done so a couple of times, but a scooter is so...exposed! Not sure I want to risk my life in this manner.
Anyway, I have taken pictures of three different scooters with three different styles. I like all of them for different reasons.
This first one is classic! I love the look, and the color. I can totally see me on this one. Wind blowing through my brown locks, Brent on the back. HA! HA! :) I would have have some big white sunglasses to go with this one. I would wear my checkered capri pants and a wide white head band in my hear. (Ok, I don't really have checkered capri pants...that would not be pretty on me!)
Then there's this one. Sleak and silver. I would have a sleak and silver helmet and black leather jacket to go with this one. Oh and some slammin' silver sunglasses. I would also wear some kickin' tall black leather boots on this sweet ride.
This is the girly pink look. I love pink. It even has some white flowers on the back that you can see if you look hard enough. I would have a pink helmet with white flowers to match. I see me wearing a cute, long, flowy pink skirt with this one. Pink sunglasses too.
So, what do you think? Which one do you think is more my style? Which one is more your style? Would you drive a scooter where you live? Just curious about all of you.

Oh and for those lurkers who are reading and not commenting.....STOP IT!! I want to know who is sharing this adventure with us. It's really easy to leave a comment. If you dont' have a google account just use the anonymous one and make sure to put your name in the comment so I know who you are. Thanks, dear readers!

Bar Mitzvah, Part II

2008-03-11T08:48:00.013-05:00

Here are some more pictures from the Bar Mitzvah we attended last week. The young man's name is Itamar (pronounced Ee-tah-mar). He is the brother of an Israeli friend of ours, Leor.
This first picture is of Leor and Brent standing in front of the Western Wall.

In this picture Itamar is preparing to lay tefillin. This is related to Deuteronomy. 6 where the sons of Israel are told to bind the Word of God on the arms and foreheads.

It's bound on the left arm because it's closest to the heart. In Rabbinic tradition this is called the mark of God.

This is me watching from behind the dividing wall. I'm the one on the right.

In this photo Itamar is reading from the Torah.

In this picture Itamar is praying at the Western Wall. You can see all the notes/prayers people have left in the wall.

Here is the proud father hugging his son who is now a young man.

The next post about the Bar Mitzvah will be about the party afterwards. And people, it was a PAR-TAY!!!!

Four Years ago Today

2008-03-08T13:42:00.005-06:00

Four years ago today Brent asked me to marry him!

He took me downtown to the Botanical Gardens, got on one knee, and popped the question. I was completely surprised.

It was also on this occasion that he told me he loved me for the first time. I was so happy. I had been wanting to tell him for so long, but we all know you have to wait for the guy to say it first.

When I reminded him of this anniversary of sorts, he assured me that if he had do it all over again he would indeed ask me to marry him again! Whew! Although, he added that the next time he would require a pre-nup. He's SO funny!

The Peace of Jerusalem?

2008-03-07T01:17:00.000-06:00

Shalom Friends,

Well we knew that it would happen eventually and now it has. Hamas has struck again, this time in Jerusalem killing 8 young yeshiva students. A palestinian gunmen burst into the yeshiva where the students were praying and studying the Torah. While we knew it was only a matter of time it doesn't make it any easier.

As I write this I simply want to ask you to do two things. First is to simply pray for the families of those killed in the shooting and also for the 35 plus people who were injured. These families need the comforting ministry of the Holy Spirit.

The second thing I want you to do is to remember what the scripture says about the last days. One of the realities that we know we will have to face is when good is called evil and evil is called good. As I watch the way in which the United Nation has responded to Israel's operations in Gaza I can only conclude that those days are upon us. The world seems bent on condemning Israel for defending itself from the daily barrage of kassam rockets fired into Israel. What is hardly mentioned in the media is that these rockets are being fired from the very area that Israel painfully left a couple of years ago foolishly believing that leaving Gaza would bring peace.

The reality is that no amount of land vacated by the Israeli's will ever bring peace. The radical Islamist terror groups have only one goal and it has nothing to do with land. It has to do with the total destruction of Israel as a people and a nation. As I watched the disgusting celebrations in the streets of Gaza following the murder of the yeshiva students I couldn't help but think of
Ezekiel 25:6 "For thus says the LORD God, 'Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the scorn of your soul against the land of Israel, therefore behold, I have stretched out My hand against you and I will give you for spoil to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands; I will destroy you. Thus you will know that I am the LORD."

There is a place in the Passover Seder where we remove a drop of wine from the cup of Instruction to help us remember that we are celebrating the miraculous salvation of God. We remove the drop of wine to remind us that it is a joy mixed with a touch of sorrow that it came with such a heavy price. How much better it would have been for the Egyptians to repent and obey the Word of the LORD. However the scripture is quite clear, God will not be mocked and you cannot assalt the apple of His eye and get away with it. My point is that I do not rejoice in the coming destruction of Gaza but rest assured it will come as it will for all the enemies of the LORD.

These days remind us of the great need for all humanity to know the truth of Yeshua the Messiah, yes even the Arabs of Gaza and the westbank. While there is yet time let us all be about the work of declaring the truth.

Shalom from Tel Aviv,
Brent R Avery

Bar Mitzvah, Part I

2008-03-05T07:11:00.005-06:00

Monday and Thursday are busy days at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It is on these two days that boys perform the ceremony of the Bar Mitzvah. At the age of 13, according to Jewish tradition, a boy becomes a "Bar Mitzvah", a son of the commandment. At this point he becomes a man and binds himself to the keeping of the Torah. It is a rite of passage for all religious boys. Many secular Israeli boys also choose to participate in this ceremony.
From my vantage point, behind a wall, this is what I saw.

This is a really big deal for every young boy. Their families surround them and celebrate with them. There is even a man doing a professional video in the above picture.

When this young man entered the Western Wall plaza, his family came in playing drums, singing and dancing.

Again you see a professional video being made. The men in the family surround the boy to witness his reading of the Torah.

This Bar Mitzvah was going on just to the right of me. It is sweet to see the Father's and Grandfather's proudly watching their sons/grandsons prepare for and perform the ceremony.
These were the women of the family of the boy in the above picture. They were also watching proudly and with great excitement.There were also women lined along the wall to the left of me watching the festivities.
You can see in this picture all of the Bar Mitzvah's going on. Also notice the women lined up along the wall. They are standing on chairs in order to see their loved one. When each young man finished his ceremony you would see candy flying through the air and hear women singing. At times, the men would grab hands and dance in a circle singing a song in celebration. It is really a touching experience for both the young man, his family and on-lookers such as myself.

More to come in the following days!! I even have some video!

A Teaser

2008-03-04T08:17:00.006-06:00

Here's a teaser picture for you for the series of posts coming up about the Bar Mitzvah Brent and I attended yesterday in Jerusalem. See you tomorrow.

Funny Langage Stuff

2008-03-02T04:39:00.003-06:00

Today is our first day without class. Hmmm. Not sure what to do with myself, to be honest. You would think that I would have enjoyed sleeping in. But no. I woke up, and I mean wide awake, at 5:30 AM. WHAT??? I was so mad. I didn't even wake up that early when we were going to class five days a week. So, I got up and surfed the web a bit and played a game on the computer. Around 7:00 AM I went back to bed, just as Brent was waking up. I got all snuggled back into bed and Brent asks if I want to get up and go for a walk. I grumpily said "NO!". He said "OK", and got up and walked. I woke up around 9:30. THEN, I went for a walk.
As I walked to the Tel Aviv Port I witnessed something that I though you might get a kick out of.
There is a word in Hebrew that makes Brent and I laugh every time. Sarah would use it a lot in class when things would get a little out of control. In English the word means enough and in Hebrew it sounds like "die". So imagine, Sarah has introduced a new word and everyone in the class is talking in their various languages with classmates that speak that language and we are all trying to define the word. And people keep talking and Sarah is ready to move on and says "Die, die die!" If we said that to someone in US people would think we were so mean. But it means enough not stop living. It just made me chuckle every time.
So, as I'm walking I pass a woman whose baby is in the stroller crying and I hear her saying to her baby "Die, die, die." WHAT???? Oh that's right, I'm in Israel and she is telling her baby "That's enough crying, ssshhhhh, it's OK, hush." What a strange sensation to hear a word that sounds the same in two different languages but has COMPLETELY different meanings!

p.s. still working on the final count of verbs.
p.p.s. Brent and I are going to a Bar Mitzvah tomorrow in Jerusalem, so check back in the next couple of days for pics and the story of that adventure!

WE DID IT!!

2008-02-28T12:47:00.005-06:00

Well, it's over. We did it. We survived. We conquered Ulpan!!
Our final test was today at 1:00 p.m. (Israel time, of course) It was challenging to say the least but we completed it, and that's something.
It was a very exciting day, a very happy day and a very sad day for me. I so enjoyed this adventure. I did not want it to end. It's such a fascinating language and it just makes sense to me. I thank God for giving us an amazing and challenging teacher. Sarah pushed us, believed in us and inspired us to advance, to learn and to grow. I hope our paths cross again. I also thank Him for giving me a mathmatical mind which greatly contributed to my ability to pick up on the structure of the language. I am praying for the opportunity to continue my study of Hebrew once we return to the States.
I am sad because I am going to miss seeing every day the friends we made in our class. We formed a bond as we struggled through the class and getting used to life in a different country, a different culture among a different people. I admire those who have made "Aliyah"; immigrated to Israel. It takes a lot of courage and strength to do such a thing. Sarah, our teacher, even commented on what a difficult and challenging thing it is for them to do. She said she did not know if she would be able to do such a thing. I especially admire those who came by themselves, without friends and family. What courage!
It's amazing to me that I got to meet and know people from almost ten different countries. For the time we were together everyday, it was as if we were one people group, without differences, without language barriers, a family. We struggled together, we laughed together, sometimes we even cried together. We invested over 500 hours of classtime together. (This does not include the number of hours spent studying outside of the classroom!) It was a bonding experience and I will treasure each of my classmates always. I pray that we will meet again. I know there are some who we will stay in touch with and visit when we return to Israel. For this I am thankful.
Now we begin the next phase, the next adventure. One more month in the Land.
Then comes the next adventure....Returning to the USA!

p.s. I must thank my sweet friend Kirsten for loaning me her camera for our party yesterday. Ours is still fried. We are in the process of researching what is out there and what is the best camera. Got any opinions? Let me know!
p.p.s. coming soon.....the final number of verbs we learned in the six months we were in Ulpan.

Last day of Ulpan

2008-02-27T06:18:00.018-06:00

Today was our last day of class at Ulpan. Tomorrow is our written test, and our final day to be in "Keetah Aleph"...in English - class level "a".

We learned for the first couple of hours then pushed the tables together to make one big table. On the table we laid out all the goodies we had brought and sat around the table together. We spent the rest of the class time talking and eating. We gave Sarah several gifts we had bought her. She gave us several special things she had prepared for us. She read a letter she wrote to all of us in which she spoke about each of the people in the class, describing what was special about each one. It was a very bitter sweet time for all of us. I almost cried three different times. We cannot believe it's over, well, almost over. There is still that one little thing we call a TEST!!!

I have loved this experience. I have enjoyed learning Hebrew so very much. I am so blessed by the new friends we have made; friends we will continue to visit in the future when we return to Israel. I am so thankful that Sarah was our teacher because I believe that she is the best teacher in that Ulpan. I am very sad it's over. It went too fast.

Below are some pictures from the day.

This is the street sign of the street Ulpan Gordon is on. (I know I'm a nerd. It's OK.)

This is one view of the outside of the building. There is also a library here.

If you look at the above picture and go to the left a bit, this is the view to the entrance.

This is the entrance to Ulpan Gordon.

This is just inside the door. There a two coffee vending machines, one with soft drinks and one with snacks. We sat down here on our first morning, eagerly waiting for class to begin.

Just to the left of the above shot, posted on the wall were short texts that our class had written entitled "My Opinion of Israelis". Sarah was so impressed with our texts she should them to the manager of the school and she asked to post them. So they have been downstairs, in the entrance, for everyone to read for the last couple of weeks. The close up is of my text. Can you read it?

This was our class number. The sign says "Room 32". We got to walk three flights of stairs every morning! Good for the legs! (Again, I know I'm a nerd.)

Here we are today, our last day, still being crammed full of Hebrew by Sarah. You can see some are zoned out, some are writing feverishly (Brent) :) and some are holding their head in pain (Yudith, although not really...she was one of the best in the class). Notice all the females? By the end of the class there was only one other male in the class and he is from Russia and speaks NO English! Still, he and Brent stuck together!

This is a view from the third floor to the entrance. This is during the break and most of the people out there are smoking and that is the only exit from the school so we got to walk through a thick cloud of smoke every day at 10:00 a.m. This I will not miss though I might start having nicotene cravings from the second hand smoke next week.

Here we are getting out all the goodies and getting ready for the party.

Here's the spread!!! Sarah made a cake for us...it's in the silver pan cut into servings. She wanted to make sure we had something homemade!

Here we are presenting Sarah with her gifts.

Here is our class. From Right to Left, the Hebrew way. Leonid, Russia; Tracy, Belgium; Ilana, England; Mandy, Belgium; Brent, USA; Kate (and baby), USA; Yudith, France; Me, Sarah, our teacher; Jhana, Russia; Laura, Germany; Victoria, Russia; Barbara, Brazil; Katie, England; Karen, USA; Annia, Switzerland.

I'm telling you, I tried and tried and tried and tried and tried to get these pictures and captions straight and orderly.....to no avail!!!! Sorry about the mess but there's nothing I can do. Hope you can figure it all out. I have no doubts that you will because you are all so very, very smart!!

Another small difference

2008-02-25T09:53:00.002-06:00

I was thinking today about another of the small differences in restaurants here.
In the U.S. of A. when you eat at a restaurant, sometimes before you are even finished with your meal your waiter/waitress brings you the bill. They want to move people through as fast as possible so as to make as many tips as possible.
In Israel, you have to ask for the bill. You could literally sit there for hours and they would not bring you the bill. You absolutely have to ask for the bill.....every time! You would think with it being this way that they would have trouble with people walking out without paying. This is not the case. Israel doesn't really have a lot of crime like that. It's actually refreshing.
Anyway, there's another small thing I thought you might get a kick out of.

One of the many differences

2008-02-24T12:09:00.004-06:00

We are out of groceries.
I need to go to the store.
I did not go to the store today.
Brent and I went out to eat.
We went just down the street to one of the bajillion little cafe type restaurants in our area. They serve traditional Jewish food. It was great. We had goulash with mashed potatoes and green beans.
As we are sitting there eating I see something move in the corner of my eye. I look up and in a chair against a wall is a black cat. It looked like it had just woken up from a nap and was licking it's paws. It made me pause for a moment. I wondered if it was a stray that wandered in. Then I noticed the waitress spoke fondly to it as she walked by. I was pretty sure it was not a stray. Then I continued eating my delicious dinner.
This would never fly in the good old U.S. of A. Talk about Health Code violations. But it's pretty common around here. People take their dogs into restaurants with them, usually only sitting in the outdoor seats but in the winter those outdoor seats are enclosed. They go into the pharmacy with them, into the kiosks. Someplaces have a spot where you can tie your dog up outside the door but you just never know when you are going to see an animal inside a store. This is just one of those many differences between here and the States.

A picturless blog....that's no fun

2008-02-22T05:14:00.002-06:00

Well, friends. Our camera is on the fritz. It started going bad a while back, but now I think it has officially kicked the bucket. I don't know what to do. I have so many things I want to take pictures of to show you but now that seems impossible.
I would love to go buy a new camera but that takes money; money we don't have at the moment. Plus, everything is about twice the price here as it is back in the States. So, that's not gonna fly. So, maybe I'll just buy some disposable cameras, have the pictures put on a disc and we'll see how that goes. Until then, this is a picturless blog. Sorry.
On a brighter note, I went to the mall today with Kirsten. On Thursdays and Fridays they have a food festival. There are vendors lined up along the wall in one area selling delicious looking food. I didn't have any but Kirsten got an amazing looking potatoe, (does that have an "e" at the end of it? I never can remember.) with sour cream and beans. It smelled good too!
The mall felt, in some ways, like I was in the U.S., but in some ways I knew I was in Israel.
What felt like the States:

There are stores that look like what you would see in the states; clothing, sport, decor.
There is a small food court

What felt not like the States:

Israelis, speaking Hebrew everywhere
Prices in shekels
Signs in Hebrew
The food court food is very much not like American food court food; falafel, shnitzel, loads of rice and cous cous, (don't know how to spell that either) lots and lots of vegetables - and not fried.
People smoking in the mall, even though it's technically illegal
Security guard checks your bag before you enter the mall
Grocery store in the mall
Gym in the mall (at least I've never seen a gym in a mall in the States)
I even saw a man sleeping, on his back, fully stretched out.

Wish I could show you pictures but you'll just have to use your imagination. It's good for your brain.

Random Thoughts

2008-02-20T06:22:00.003-06:00

Brent and I were just talking about our longing for a nice big route 44 drink from Sonic. Oh, it's the little, simple things in life that you miss when living in another country, like ice and free refills.

We only have FIVE more days of class. Well, technically 4 1/2 days. We have class tomorrow, Thursday. Then Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday we only learn half of the day then the other half is a party! Yea. Then Thursday, February 28 is our written test. I'm a little sad it's almost over. Brent is not.

I need to go to the supermarket and don't want to. It always tries my patience and my grace.

Brent and I are looking forward to sitting on comfortable furniture again, i.e. our LazyBoy recliner!

I can't believe we have been here for 5 1/2 months. It seems like a few weeks, and like forever. I am ready to see our family and friends and our dog, but don't really want to leave here.

What will we do without hummus? I'm going to have to learn how to make it.

That's all I've got for today.

A little something about the weekend

2008-02-18T11:20:00.006-06:00

It's cold and rainy and dreary and I have not woken up all day long! (It's 7:20 p.m. by the way.)

Even so, here is a little something about our weekend.

Friday afternoon we went to Kefar Yona. Our friends Rami and Gabbie Danieli live there and invited us for Shabbat dinner. So Brent and I caught a bus from Tel Aviv to Netanya (about 45 minutes by bus). Rami picked us up, and then another friend of theirs. We spent the late afternoon catching up. Then around 6:30 dinner began.

Rami did kidush which is the blessing over the bread (challah) and the fruit of the vine. This tradition is kept in Jewish homes all over the world and is a very special thing to be a part of. Rami then read Proverbs 31 with his arm around Gabbie and prayed over her and their children. It was really sweet.

Then we ate an amazing meal that one of their three daughters had prepared. Dinner was followed by more catching up, drinking coffee and eating a wonderful pie, doing puzzles with their nine year old son Micha-el, and trying to keep up with the Hebrew being spoken in the house. I understood most of what was said! Yea! We spent the night with them then went to congregation with them in Tel Aviv. After a great service in which we heard about a trip they had taken to West Africa and a time of fellowship, Rami drove us home.

It was a nice get away from Tel Aviv and fun to be with other like-minded friends!

(FYI - their children are blessed to already speak THREE languages!!! Rami is Isaeli born so there's the Hebrew. Gabbie is originally from Switzerland and so there's the Swiss German. They both speak English and they all lived in the States for three years so there's English. What blessed kids, to already speak so many languages!)

The 08 Quake

2008-02-15T06:32:00.004-06:00

I experienced my first earth quake ever. Talk about an adventure!
Today, Friday February 15, 2008 there was a 5.0 earthquake in Lebanon that shook our apartment in Tel Aviv.
Brent and I were sitting at the kitchen table and I felt everything start to sway. I looked up and saw the plant in the corner also swaying and I heard one of the closed bedroom doors hitting the frame over and over. I looked at Brent and asked if he felt it. He said he did. We immediately began searching the web for info, to see if it had registered anywhere. Brent surfed what T.V. channels we have to see if anyone was talking about it. I even called my friend Kate, from Ulpan to see if she was at her apartment and had felt it. She was not and did not.
About an hour later it popped up on the Quake Sheet. If you want to see it go to http://www.drudgereport.com/, scroll down to the bottom and click on Quake Sheet and follow the links to the region of Israel.
Crazy stuff. Brent is going to get t-shirts made for us that say:
WE SURVIVED THE QUAKE OF 2008
p.s. Don't worry, we're fine. It was just a little sway.

Funny Language Stuff

2008-02-14T08:20:00.004-06:00

Today, Sarah, our teacher, wasted no time in starting to prepare us for the written exam in two weeks.
In one part of the test we have to write a formal letter. So today, we spent the first three hours practicing this skill. We wrote eight formal letters today. As we would finish one or two we would take them up to Sarah to check.
As she was reading one of the letters one of my classmates wrote, Sarah started cracking up. I have never seen her laugh this hard. She then tries telling us what this classmate had written. But it took all of us a minute to catch on. I guess our brains aren't fully recovered from yesterday. But the mistake was so minor that it was hard to hear at first until Sarah said it in English.
One of the letters we were writing was a complaint to a doctor about his receptionist who was rude and always arrives late to work. This classmate of mine was trying to say she waited half an hour for the receptionist to show up. The word "hour" in Hebrew is pronounced sha-ah. Instead she wrote sha-Jah which is the word for "year". According to this classmate's letter, she waited half a year for the receptionist! I would have complained too!
It may not sound that funny in this post but Sarah thought it was the funniest thing she had ever seen and was laughing so hard she was crying and had us all laughing with her.
It was a nice reprieve from the stress filled week.

Oh, yeah! Happy Valentine's day! What are you doing to celebrate the day of love?

We Survived!

2008-02-13T09:54:00.003-06:00

Our oral exam was today and we survived.
It was nothing like what we expected. This was a little unsettling. I had planned and practiced and studied and knew how to answer certain questions and say certain things and I sounded really smart. Then I got in the room and the teacher giving the exam threw all kinds of new and unplanned questions at me. Inside I was screaming, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING LADY? THIS IS NOT WHAT I WAS TOLD WOULD HAPPEN. YOU ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE ORDER OF THINGS". But on the outside I was speaking as well as I could, answering her crazy, unexpected questions and trying to stay composed. When it was over I practically floated out of that room feeling as if a huge weight had lifted off of me. I saw Brent come out of the room too and he had such a look of relief on his face as well.
We, apparently, don't get to know our scores but Sarah said she talked to the teacher giving our exam and said we all did really well and got very high scores. I hope she was telling the truth and not just trying to make us feel good.
Now we begin preparing for the written test in two weeks. Oh joy.

Oral Exam

2008-02-12T05:33:00.000-06:00

Oh boy. Our oral exam is tomorrow, Wednesday, February 13, 2008.
I'm not so nervous right now but I'm sure the butterflies will start flying in my belly as soon as the alarm clock goes off tomorrow morning.
The good thing is that Sarah, our teacher, allowed us to practice, in class, with each other, for almost the entire class today. We will also have time tomorrow in class to practice as well.
To my understanding, this is how it will go tomorrow.
We will arrive to class at the usual 8:15. Sarah will give us the option to have a lesson or practice with her and with each other. (Pretty sure we will choose the option of practicing!) Then three at a time will leave the class. We will go to wait outside another classroom. Then we will be called in to take our exam.
Here is what we have to do during the exam. First there is a small interview. What's your name? What's your address? When did you arrive in Israel? Are you satisfied in Israel? Do you have contact with Israelis? What's you opinion of Israelis? What will you do after Ulpan? What will you be doing in five years? Second we will have drawn two cards while waiting outside that are situations that we have to talk about. Such as, your neighbors had a loud party last night. You complain. Or, your friends gave you a birthday gift. Thank them. The final portion is talking about a text that we have written during the course. We wrote several so we got to choose which one we want to talk about. I will be talking about my dream house.
Then it's over. Hallelujah!
Then Sarah starts cramming as much information as possible into our already overflowing brains in order to prepare us for the written exam in two weeks. Oh boy.

Hebrew Calendar

2008-02-10T08:32:00.000-06:00

Today we finally learned about the Hebrew Calendar and how it numbers the days and how it is different than our calendar, the Gregorian Calendar. Here are a couple of the main differences.

The Gregorian calendar is a solar calender.
The Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar.
The Gregorain calendar has 365 days per year.
The Hebrew calendar has 354 days per year. (Brent would like you to notice that that is an 11 day difference!)
The Gregorian calendar year is 2008 with year 0 being approximately the year Jesus was born, give or take.
The Hebrew calendar year is 5768 with year 0 dating from creation.

What is also interesting to me about the way they count their days is they do not use numbers. Every Hebrew letter is also a number. The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (aleph-bet) is aleph, and it equals 1. The second letter is bet and it equals 2, and so on. After that, though, they don't just go up by one. At 10 you start to combine letters to equal 11-19 then they start going up by increments of 10 ending with 400. Confused yet? We just learned this today so don't think I'm an expert. I have papers in front of me explaining it. But I think it's really interesting. So the Hebrew date today is Daleth (fourth letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet) , Adar, which is the Hebrew month, year 5768. For those who know this stuff already I must clarify that it is month Adar aleph. For those who don't know, it's a little complicated to explain right now but basically it's a leap year in the Hebrew calendar and the month of Adar happens twice this year.

This also means that every word has a numerical value. Hmmmm. "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six." Revelation 13:18 Now, my husband is the Bible prophecy teacher and maybe some day he will go into deeper teaching on this, but think about it. I'm not claiming to know the name of the "beast" but is it possible we could figure it out when the time came? Think on that for a while.

In what other ways could you see that this information could bring more understanding to scripture?

Pizza

2008-02-07T14:35:00.000-06:00

I used my newly learned Hebrew to order pizza tonight! That's right! I ordered pizza in Hebrew. Well, part of the conversation was in Hebrew! The problem is that people speak so stinking fast. What is the deal? We all do it. Everyone. In every language.
But this is something you don't think about until you are trying to speak a different language, or worse, trying to hear a different language. I can say (in Hebrew) I..............want.............to....order.................two............................pizzas.......................and..a......................bottle..................of........Coca..Cola...............................Thank.............you. And they say (in Hebrew) What'syournameWhat'syouraddressWhatdoyouwantonyourpizzas? And I say (in English) WHAT???
It can be a bit frustrating at times but I was still very excited when I got off the phone.
I think one thing that is encouraging is when they reply to me in Hebrew when I speak to them in Hebrew. It makes me think my Hebrew is believable.
I'm pretty sure I have the people at my new hangout, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, convinced that I am a native Hebrew speaker. I only order in Hebrew and understand what they say to me. Granted, I say (in Hebrew) Chai Latte. Regular. For here. And they say (in Hebrew) What'syourname. And I say (in Heblish) Tonya. And they say (in Hebrew) Anythingelse? And I say (in Hebrew) No. This kind of conversation can fool even the brightest of people. Really. Ask the employees of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

Brent R's First Appearance

2008-02-06T12:18:00.000-06:00

Shalom to all our loyal readers,

This is my first appearance on the blog and quite honestly I am not sure where to begin. There is much going on in Israel and around the world these days that I would love to vent...or blog about but don’t have the time right now to do so. So I will limit this initial blog to a few thoughts about living in Israel, which is, as you well know, our current “adventure”.

To say that our time here has been an adventure is not exactly accurate. Living here feels as normal as anything I have ever done. Trying to force my brain to accept a new language which is composed of new letters, new sounds, and is written from right to left THAT is the adventure. I can honestly tell you that I have never done anything that has tapped me more physically, emotionally and intellectually. Yet I can also tell you that I truly love learning the language though I confess to spending too much time day dreaming about a better way to do it or at least an easier way.

Next week we have an oral exam. Hmmm, that should be interesting. We did a class practice run yesterday and it wasn’t too bad. Basically we have 6 "situations" that involve circumstances where you thank someone, complain about something, request or order something, invite someone to something, apologize for something, or make a recommendation about something. The situations are on cards and we will be required to select two of them and respond to it with three or four sentences. We also have to answer questions about one of the papers we have written over the course of the class and also answers questions from an interview sheet.

Getting past the stress of the upcoming oral test and the final written test will be a welcome moment. But I am certain that when it is all said and done I will leave the ulpan with more fond memories than bad. We have made many new friends from our class which we will enjoy visiting on our future trips to Israel. Albeit most of them are female as I am apparently the ONLY surviving male in our class. All others have given up, changed classes or just moved on to other endeavors in the Land.

So that’s it for my first ever blog, which to be honest just feels like a mass email but oh well.
Thanks for sharing our adventure.

Shalom from Tel Aviv,

Brent R Avery

Coffee Shop

2008-02-05T09:53:00.000-06:00

These past three days around 2:00 p.m. I have walked to a great little coffee shop to study and do my homework. I love going there. It has a great ambiance and fun music. There are comfy leather chairs and bookshelves with a few books. They have a great menu and it is the only place I have been able to find a Chai Tea Latte. I love Chai Tea Lattes!
Some of you know that I worked at Starbucks before moving to Israel. When you work at Starbucks, one of the perks is getting to drink whatever you want while on the clock. I got addicted to the Chai Tea Latte. I like this drink either hot or cold, depending on the weather and I always added an extra pump of Chai and made it with nonfat milk. Needless to say, I have been having withdrawals since moving to Israel. Thanks to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, my withdrawals exist no more.
All this is to pose a question. Why are coffee shops and little cafes so cool? What gives them that great ambiance? Why do people flock to these places with their laptops and books? Why do we spend hours in these stores doing our homework, chatting with friends, surfing the web? Why do we spend $5.00 on a great cup of coffee? (Ok, I actually get a little annoyed when people say this to me. It's not accurate and I'm a faithful Starbucks employee....well, past employee who might go back to work there when she returns to the States. Sorry for the rabbit trail.)
If you are wondering if people participate in this activity in Israel as much as in the States, well, yes, and maybe even more so than in the States. But why? I don't really have any answers. Sorry. I really just want to know your thoughts on the subject. So let me know what you think.

p.s. I'd like to know what you think of the new look too? There are only so many choices!

Top Five

2008-02-04T08:30:00.000-06:00

My friend Natalie gave me a good idea for a blog. (Thanks Nat!)
The top five things Israel has that the U.S.A. does not. Here's my top five.

#5 The knowledge that every place you visit here has some Biblical story connected to it. It completely changes the way you read the Word.
#4 The Dead Sea. If you haven't yet experienced floating in it you need to! You can also enjoy a nice mud mask for your entire body! Makes your skin so silky smooth.
#3 The Sea of Galilee. Not only a beautiful place but most of Yeshua's ministry took place in this area.
#2 The Temple Mount, where the Temple of God stood and the Glory of God resided.
#1 The birth place of Yeshua, the Messiah.

I've included a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

The Eastern Gate of the City wall and the Eastern wall of the Temple Mount

The cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered

The sea of Galilee on a foggy day

The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem

Bloggie Blahs

2008-02-03T13:57:00.000-06:00

I know this blog is called "The Avery Adventure" but apparently there aren't many adventures going on these days. I feel a bit of the bloggie blahs. Don't got nothin' to say. Hopefully I'll snap out of it and we will have some adventures and I'll blog about them soon. Until then, please don't abandon me!!!

Oh, and one small question. Just wondering where some of you get your pics that you add to your posts. Can you help a sister out? Thanks. You all are the best.

Answers to Your Questions

2008-02-01T07:28:00.000-06:00

Ok, great questions! This is going to be fun for me...hope it is for you too.
Let’s start with a very vital question.

Is there McDonald's in Israel?
Yes. Where is there NOT a McDonald’s? Ok, maybe some remote rainforest village. We have only eaten there I think three times in the five months we have been here. Why eat McDonald’s when there is so much good Israeli food such as falafel!!

Have you found that you eat more fresh produce there?
Absolutely! For one thing, Israelis eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, even the children. Even when you go to a restaurant they serve a lot of vegetables in their dishes. Fruit is a whole different matter though. Israel does not import any fruits! They don't need to. I think that is really amazing. I’m not so sure about vegetables but I think most of what you buy here is grown here. And let me tell you, the fruit here tastes so much better than back home. I don’t know what it is but it is just better. Could it be that it’s grown in the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey? I think so. It’s what we like to call “prophetic fruit”.

How is ice cream viewed?
Ice cream is big over here. They have a lot of it in the grocery stores. They also have a lot of little ice cream shops all over. There is a lot of gelato too. Plus in the little kiosks they all have a separate freezer full of ice cream bars, pop-cycles, and little tiny containers of Haagen-Dazs that even include a tiny little spoon. Israelis love ice cream.

Does anyone speak English?
Yes. Most people speak at least a little English. The older generation not so much but the younger generation grew up learning English in school. You could live here and never learn Hebrew, but that would get old after a while and you would not be truly integrated into society.

What are the public restrooms like?
This depends on where you are. In nicer restaurants they are not too bad, usually pretty clean though not always stocked with toilet paper. However, let’s just say the seats are usually not so clean. I don’t do a lot of sitting. They don’t have them in most stores, even grocery stores because space is limited. However, if they do have them, I choose to go home. Enough said. There are a few public restrooms I know of in the Old City. They hardly ever have toilet paper but aren’t usually too dirty. I learned on my first trip to Israel to always have a roll of toilet paper on me, and hand sanitizer because there usually is not soap. Oh, and you hardly ever find paper towels.

What’s the weather like right now? Has it been how you expected it to be?
The weather this past week has actually been very stormy; cold, cloudy, rain, sleet, hail, very fast wind and snow in some parts of the country. But today the clouds are not so thick and the sun is shining a little more which is very nice. I originally did not bring my heavy winter coat because I really did not think I would need it. When my parents came to visit in the beginning of December they brought it over for me along with my scarf and mittens. Man, am I glad they did! I have needed those this week. However, on most days I just wear my lighter weight coat because most days are sunny and nice, chilly, but not cold. It’s more like having a really long Oklahoma fall with a few cold days here and there. I love it because fall and spring are my favorite seasons. However, I did not bring enough long sleeve shirts of sweaters because I’m a goof and thought “Well, it’s the Mediterranean. How cold could it get?” Lesson learned.

Now that you've been there for a few months, do you think you could give someone directions if you were asked? (Never mind a possible language barrier - this is assuming you understand them and they understand you.)
Sometimes. I have been able to do this on a few occasions but a lot of times people ask about small streets that I don’t know. I mostly stay on the beaten path and therefore don’t know a lot of back streets or neighborhood streets. I have been able to understand some people when the speak to me in Hebrew and this is really thrilling for me!

Is there country music?
Brent says, "Tell them yes. But which country are they talking about?" I have never heard American country music playing anywhere here.

Are there any movie theaters/video rental places?
Yes, both. Brent and I have been to see one movie since we have been here. It costs the same as back home. However, when you buy your ticket you get assigned seats. That was a little strange for us. There is also a really cool theater called Cinema City that we want to go to. They have what’s called the V.I.P. room. It costs about 120 shekels per person, which is about $30 per person which is a bit expensive, but listen to what you get. They have a buffet with all you can eat. I think it’s mostly what we would think of as finger foods but who doesn’t like finger foods. You can also drink whatever you want, pop, juice, beer, wine, champagne, etc. And you get to sit in comfy recliner type chairs! One of these days we are going to splurge and go indulge, when they have a good movie playing in the V.I.P. room.
They also have rental places here. There is even Blockbuster! We haven’t done this yet. I just borrow movies from my friend Kirsten.

Is it clean?
Well, sort of. I wouldn’t say it’s dirty. It’s not pristine. There is trash on the sidewalks some of the time and people sometimes don’t clean up after the dogs but it’s not filthy.

Where is your favorite place to sit and people watch, and why?
Really, and this is not a cop-out answer, I could sit anywhere here and people watch. I will say that one of the more interesting places to sit is on the beach or on the Tayelet (boardwalk). Of course this is more true in the summer time when more people are there. I love going to the Tel Aviv Port to people watch because there are a lot of families out and about and lots of children, adorable, beautiful children with gorgeous dark hair and eyes. It's also fun to sit in the sidewalk cafes and watch the people going by. There is such diversity here and that is interesting to see. They are also very social here. One of my favorite things to see is a group of "mature" men having coffee or lunch together. I think they are down right adorable. I always want to take their pictures but never do, I'm a little nervous they will think I'm some kind of weirdo. Maybe I am. Anyway, what was I talking about. Oh, people watching. There is always someone to see as there are always people out and about; families, groups of teenagers, mature adults and they are all fun to observe.

What surprised you about living there that was different from visiting?
Cooking!! When we visit we stay in hotels and kibutz and eat there. I didn't realize what a challenge it would be to cook. A lot of recipes I use are from Pampered Chef. These recipes call for pre-made ingredients such as canned biscuits or cresent rolls, canned soups and broth, Bisquick and large jars or cans of spaghetti sauce. They also use very American ingredients such as cheddar cheese or Velveeta. When we first got here and I tried to come up with things to cook I kept running into brick walls. I emailed my Mom and asked her to send me recipes from older cookbooks such as the big red Betty Crocker cookbook most Mom's have. Since then I have learned to be creative. I have even come up with some pretty good recipes. An Israeli friend gave me a good and simple recipe for spaghetti sauce when we first got here. After a few weeks Brent began to plead with me to not cook anymore pasta!! When you got a good thing going why do something different? Well, so I got brave. I started searching the FoodNetwork website and adapting the recipes to ingredients I knew I could find here. It's worked out well and know I'm cooking all kinds of stuff.

Thanks everyone for your questions. If you think of any more send them my way and I will answer them as we go. I'll also try to get some more pictures up soon. I've been cleaning the apartment today in between answering your fabulous questions, so that I can post pictures of it for you to see. Until then, blessings!

Q & A

2008-01-30T06:32:00.000-06:00

I thought it would be fun to do a little Q & A session.
Is there anything you want to know about our life in Israel?
Ask away. I'll answer the questions on Friday and get them posted.
See you then!

Things I miss in the USA

2008-01-29T07:26:00.000-06:00

Stores I miss:

Target - awesome stuff at great prices!
Wal-Mart - convenience, convenience, convenience! Oh, to go to one place and be able to buy everything I could ever need or want.
Old Navy - cute stuff and cheap to boot!
Payless!!! I had to have my Mom and Dad bring me shoes from the USA from Payless! Shoes are very expensive here! And I'm cheap!

Restaraunts I miss:

Taco Bueno. Enough said.
Chili's. I would love to have some chips and salsa right now.
Starbucks. And no, it's not because I worked there. A Chai Tea Latte sounds delicious right now as I listen to the rain/sleet hitting the windows of our Tel Aviv apartment. (I bet you're really crying for me!)

Food I miss:

Mexican food
Huge jugs of salsa (though this one is really more for Brent)
Mexican food
Canned anything
Refrigerated cinnamon rolls
Mexican food
Chips: Doritos (Nacho Flavor), Frito's, Ruffles, Cheetos (the "Cheetos" they have here are funky!!!!)
Mixes: brownie, cake, cookie, cornbread, anything.
Mexican food

Activities I miss:

Driving my CRV. I'm not sure I will remember how to drive when we get home!
Driving to the supermarket - it makes getting your groceries home a lot easier.
Driving to a restaurant. Although the walk back makes me feel better about what I just ate.
Driving to the movies. Who wants to walk home after watching an intense movie that drains you of all your energy.
Driving to congregation. No good reason for this one.
Driving, well, ANYWHERE! You get the picture.

But, despite all these things, I am so happy to be living in Israel for this season of our lives! The only thing that would make it better is to have all our family and friends here!! (We can help you find a good deal on a plane ticket!)

Happy Birthday Brent

2008-01-26T09:03:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Brent's birthday! We had a nice, relaxing, Ulpan-free day!

I thought I would share with you how we celebrated Brent's birthday in the Promised Land.

Thursday night we went out to dinner to celebrate his birth and I took him to eat at an Asian restaurant; we wanted something different for a change. I forgot to take the camera that night so here is a picture of the sign from the next day.

Friday morning we slept in. I got up and made biscuits and eggs with Velveeta (brought to us from the USA) and Starbucks coffee (also brought to us from the USA). Then we enjoyed a quiet morning; Brent reading a book "Genesis 1948" and I surfed the web and played a computer game. Then we each enjoyed nice, long, HOT showers!

After getting cleaned up we took a Taxi to a different restaurant, Wawi, where our friend Imri Works. Imri wanted to treat us to lunch for Brent's birthday. Here is a picture of the outside of the restaurant. (oh, and the taxi that took us there)

And a closer picture of the restaurant.

Here is what Imri fed us. First course, chips, or what we would call french fries. Condiments offered with them, ketchup and mayonnaise.

Then Imri grilled up some kosher sausage for us. I think he called it chorizo or something. Oh, and he kept calling this a Mexican restaurant. Anyway, that was served on a bed of strange lettuce with pickles on the side. (First picture Imri cooking)

Then came our "roll". More like a burrito, but, heh, they are new to this whole "Mexican food" thing. It had guacamole and pico de gallo in it and cooked onions and this spicy "kabob" meat in it. It was very big and really good. Oh and it was in an actual tortilla, also a new thing to Israel.

Here is a picture of the menu. It's in Hebrew.

Imri was really hyper because he had worked all night the night before and then had to come in again on this day, so excuse the crazed look in his eye! We absolutely love Imri!!

That was our lunch. More details to follow. I have to go finish my homework now!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENT!!!!

Good News

2008-01-24T13:44:00.000-06:00

I know you have all been on pins and needles, worrying, fretting, not being able to sleep wondering if Brent and Tonya have hot water. No? Really? Well, OK.
Seriously, though, we are blessed, once again, to have hot water! Yea! The plumber came back today and had to replace some vital part that was completely rusted out and there was no way we were going to have hot water unless this part was replaced. He replaced it. Thank you Mr. Plumber. Hot showers all around!
Thanks for hanging in there with us through the drama!

Small Annoyance

2008-01-23T12:49:00.000-06:00

OK, so, as you know, the water is running again. (see previous post)
However, we do NOT have hot water. People, do you realize how important hot water is? It is absolutely essential for a shower. I cannot take a cold shower. It is impossible. I am not capable of doing so. I would rather eat dirt than take a cold shower! I would rather pet a cat and rub both my eyes and lick my hands and suffer the horrible allergic reactions, than take a cold shower. Well, that might be a slight exaggeration but you get the point.
We had been having a bit of trouble with the hot water heater before the water ever stopped flowing. See, you have to flip a switch to turn on the water heater in order to have hot water. Usually it takes about an hour to heat the water. There is even a handy-dandy timer on the switch so you can set it so that you have hot water in the morning.
Well, after the plumbers, my new best friends, left yesterday I flipped the switch to start the process of heating the water. FOUR HOURS LATER we still did not have a DROP of hot water! WHAT??????
Well, this was getting serious. I was at the end of my third day without a shower and there was no way for me to go one more hour!! So, I called my sweet friend Kirsten who lives just a few blocks from me and asked if I could come use her shower! She kindly obliged. But I had to wait that "one more hour" because she had to flip her switch to heat her water. Don't worry, I didn't die, nor did Brent from the smell of me though it was close, people!
I finally got my hot shower.
The plumber (a.k.a. my new best friend) was supposed to come today and fix the heater.
He did not show up.
We aren't best friends anymore.

Spoiled

2008-01-22T11:54:00.001-06:00

Do you realize how spoiled we are with running water? Brent and I were without this wonderful convenience for about 26 hours.
Here are things I take for granted about turning a nob and having water:
1. Taking showers. Who doesn't love a good long hot shower?!
2. Flushing the toilet...this one was not fun!!! And the toilets don't work here like they do back in the USA where you can just pour some water in the tank and it flushes.
3. Washing my hands. Good thing I had some hand sanitizer. (And no, I did not pet any cats!)
4. Doing the dishes. Not my favorite thing but things start to pile pretty high - even in 26 hours.
5. Washing our clothes. Brent actually went to start a load yesterday and this is how he discovered we did not have any water. I'm making up for lost time tonight.
This is a somewhat short list but these are pretty major chores for a person to not be able to accomplish in any given day. Can you think of any other things we take for granted when it comes to running H2O?
Thankfully, some plumbers came today and got the problem fixed, making themselves at home in our apartment while doing so. I think we are best friends now.
p.s. I LOVE running water!!

Tel Aviv Port

2008-01-19T07:55:00.000-06:00

Yesterday afternoon Brent and I walked down to the Tel Aviv Port. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we had to be outside! You see, we had a cold front come through Israel the last week or so and it has been abnormally chilly. I think everyone in the city was out yesterday enjoying the warmer weather.

I took the camera along so I could share some scenes we were able to enjoy. The pictures aren't the best because our camera is somewhat broken. We have one of the digital cameras that does not have a view finder, just a screen. The screen no long works well. So I was taking pictures without knowing exactly what was in them. I think you will enjoy regardless.

Here is some of what we saw.

The water was so clear and beautiful. This is an old port which is not used as a port today. Now it's full of restaurants and shops.

The deck along this area looks like rolling waves! It's really cool and in the bottom right corner of this picture is a little girl, rolling down the wooden wave on her skate board.

You can see in this picture what a big area this really is. The entire port area is probably around a 1/2 mile long, lined with shops and restaurants with tons of outdoor seating. Every one's food looked so delicious...I almost grabbed a roll off one table as we passed by.

This was a special sight! A wedding! The four white pillars with the white fabric draped over is a huppah! The building to the right is where the reception was, which we later peeked in on and saw people dancing and eating and having fun. If you look close you can see the bride and groom right in the middle of the huppah. It's a pretty public place to get married but they were blessed with an amazingly beautiful day and a stunning view of the sea. As you can tell, they had quite a few extra guests...people here are not shy about stopping and staring!

This little cutie, with the ball, was having a blast with her daddy. Just moments before I took this picture they were tossing the ball back and forth. I love seeing all the families here. There are so many children it makes my heart happy.

This little guy really, really wanted a balloon. He ran in and out of the mass of balloons more times than I could count. I did take one picture where all you could see where his little legs sticking out of the balloons. What a hoot.

Brent and I agreed that this would be a great place to come and read on a beautiful day like this. I think the whole city may have been at the port this day.

This is just some algae or something growing in the water. It may be a silly picture but I loved how bright the green was and how clear the water was and how cool the ripples of the sand look.

Of course there were tons of people out sailing. This boat caught my eye because it looked like the whole thing was covered in pure silver the way it glistened in the sun.

The sun was sparkling in the water like diamonds. I just love that!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour. It's better in real life....when do you want to come visit us?

Musical Interlude

2008-01-17T05:48:00.000-06:00

We had an amazing treat in class today! One of our fellow classmates from Russia, Janah, plays the violin. She is currently studying at a university in Tel Aviv and is very accomplished on her instrument. She is even going to be in a concert in New York soon.
She brings her violin to class some days because she goes to the university after we are done at the Ulpan. Today was one of those days.
Sarah, our teacher, asked Jana during one of our breaks, if she would be willing to play for us in class. She agreed. So at 10:30 this morning as we all wandered back into class, Sarah begins to teach then stops and says that Jana has agreed to play something for us today.
So, Jana arose from her chair, opened her case, pulled out her violin and knocked our socks off!! She began by playing a piece by Bach, whom she said she loves. It was a beautiful piece and she played it wonderfully! I started crying it was so beautiful! I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face. I clenched my jaw and furrowed my brow to try to make them stop! Brent was overwhelmed as well, though let me be clear that he did not cry! He is the man after all!
When she completed the first song she then explained that she would play another song that was composed by a Spanish composer. It too was splendid!
During all of this, the teacher from the class next door peaked into our class to see where that beautiful sound was coming from. At the next break she asked our teacher, Sarah, if Jana could come play a piece for their class once that break was over. Of course Sarah was proud to share her talented student and agreed. The other teacher then comes into our classroom as we are chatting and asks Jana if she would come play for her class. She says they heard the beautiful music and were so distracted by it they could not continue what they were doing, but stopped and listened through the wall. Jana agreed and played a short tune for them as well.
It was a fun break from having our brains pureed for a few minutes!! She is truly talented and I think we have talked her into giving a short concert for us at the end of our course.

Momentary Alzheimer's

2008-01-14T05:47:00.000-06:00

I am allergic to cats. Sometimes I forget this. Not a good idea!!
There is a sweet cat that hangs out outside our Ulpan. Yesterday, as I was waiting for Brent to exit the building after class, I lured the kitty over to pet it and make friends. I was successful. I pet the kitty.
Brent exits the Ulpan, we walk home, I don't wash my hands. I know, Mom, you taught me to wash my hands. You were and continue to be a great example of this discipline. I should know better. But apparently I don't. Sorry. Do you still love me? More importantly, will you still claim me?
Back to the story, I pick up a pretzel and eat it. I make some lunch. I stick my finger in my eye. Before I could finish my sandwich my eye began to swell and itch. Tears began to gush from my eye like Niagara falls. Then as I was in the middle of my sandwich it felt as if that sweet little cat had used the back of my throat to sharpen it's claws! I could hardly swallow the bite that was in my mouth. I couldn't even talk to tell Brent what agony I was in. He did, however, notice as I grabbed my throat and began to thrash in pain and saw the river that flowed from my left eye and began to fill the room. OK, so I'm being a bit dramatic, but people, IT HURT!
Brent brought me a Benadryl, I choked it down past the sandpaper in my ravaged throat and about an hour later all was well, although I did not look so good. Good thing he loves me!
So, what's the moral of this story?
If you are allergic to cats, or anything for that matter, DON'T TOUCH THEM. But if you have momentary Alzheimer's and extend your hand and make contact, WASH YOUR HANDS.....BEFORE you eat something with those hands or stick your finger in your eye! Lesson learned, I hope!
Have a good, allergy free week!!

Unexplained Tears

2008-01-11T01:55:00.000-06:00

I'm sitting here on this beautiful Friday morning in Tel Aviv crying my eyes out. "Why?", you ask? I'm not really sure. But here is what I can tell you. I just finished watching an Israeli live newscast of the President of the United States visiting Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem (which, by the way we are only about an hour away from...weird...and cool) and I cried through the entire broadcast. I know that every time I have visited this expansive and amazing complex I cry at some point. You, see, not only is there the main museum, also present is the Hall of Remembrance, The Children's Memorial, The Row of the Righteous Gentiles, many statues and carvings and much more. It is a very impressive and somewhat overwhelming place to visit.

Bush was there just a few minutes ago. I watched him finish his tour of the main museum by entering the Hall of Names, where there are about 600 pictures of Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust. This is also the place where there are volumes and volumes of forms memorializing those who perished in this horrific event. You can also search for your family in the computer data base or record the name of someone who has not yet been identified.

Then I watched him enter the Hall of Remembrance where on the floor are the names of the extermination camps. There is also a stone slab under which there are ashes buried of those killed in the camps. Upon this stone Bush laid a wreath honoring the victims. It was a beautiful ceremony; a girls choir sang, a Rabbi prayed and Bush looked truly touched.

Then I saw him exit the Children's Memorial. This place is usually where I cry. Inside it is dark except for the light of candles reflected on hundreds of mirrors giving the effect of thousands and thousands of lights. These candles flickering in the dark represent the lives of the almost two million children brutally murdered. At that time, Bush said how he had been deeply impacted by his visit to Yad Vashem. I can only hope so.
So, does this explain why I cried my eyes out as I watched our President come face to face with this incomprehensible atrocity? No. Maybe as the day goes on God will help me figure it out. I just hope and pray that the impact our President feels right now, coming face to face with this event in our not so distant human history, will stay with him.

Golani

2008-01-09T08:41:00.000-06:00

We met Aaron two years ago in the McDonald's in Tel Aviv. He heard us speaking English and saw our Oklahoma shirts and asked us where we were from. Thus began our friendship.
Aaron is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, were Brent went to college, so the two had much to reminisce about. At that time Aaron was only temporarily in the country. Since then, he has immigrated. He joined the military and earned his way into the elite Golani brigade. (The picture is of the symbol of Golani.) Aaron is very passionate about Israel and serving her. He is also passionate about being the first person from his family to make Aliyah (to immigrate) to Israel. He is the only one from his family to return to the land and will be the patriarch of his family line in Israel. What an honor.
Aaron began his service with the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) in November. After a couple months of what we would call "boot camp" the soldiers are inducted into the army with a special ceremony. Aaron invited us to his military induction ceremony which was a huge honor for us as a sort of family away from home.
So, last week on Thursday Brent and I caught the train to Binyamina, which by train was only about an hour North from Tel Aviv. We got off the train in Binyamina and wondered how we would get from there to the base. We saw some soldiers and asked them. One of which quickly ushered us just outside the train station to a bus which looked more like a tour bus than a public bus. He said, "Get on the bus." Brent asks, "How much is it?" The soldier says, "Free." OoooK. So, we got on. Nobody said anything to us as we did, they didn't even blink an eye; no security, no checking our bags, asking questions. Nothing. There were several other soldiers on the bus and one other civilian. Slowly the bus began to fill up with more soldiers and more civilians. Then the bus driver closed the door and off we went. We drove about ten minutes and arrived at the base. The gates were opened and we drove right through!!! We were astonished! You can't even get into the MALL without someone giving you a pat-down practically!
So we get off the bus and find Aaron. We got to just hang out with him for about an hour, then the commander of his unite spoke to all the family and friends (all in Hebrew....didn't get much of it, kinda tuned out, turned my brain off, was too tired). Then we all walked over to the stadium for the amazing ceremony (again, all in Hebrew but still really cool). There were songs, readings from the Torah, speeches, the National Anthem and I'm sure other stuff I missed out on because of the language. Then came the fun part! Each soldier walks to the front and receives a gun and a Torah. As Aaron said, "What I fight with and what I fight for." But what was really special to witness was Aaron's commander honoring him in a special way.
Each soldier has a tag that is on his arm. On the tag is the picture of the tree from the photograph above; it is the Golani symbol. I believe they have to earn that tag and had just received them that morning. Well, Aaron's commander comes to stand in front of him and removes Aaron's tag. Then he proceeds to remove his own tag from his shirt and puts it on Aaron's shirt. His commander had received that same tag from his commander. This is a very high honor and Aaron was on cloud nine!! What an amazing thing for this new immigrant to achieve.
Aaron, way to go! We are SO proud of you!

Another New Look, and other things

2008-01-07T06:43:00.000-06:00

So, this is the third look I have tried out for this blog. Not sure if I like it. What do you think? The problem is there really aren't a whole lot of options unless you know that Html stuff. (what does Html stand for anyway?)

Other than that there is much I need to catch you up on. Below are preview pictures of what is to come in this next week.

Not Your Ordinary Christmas

2007-12-30T07:07:00.000-06:00

Let's just say, nothing is the same in a foreign country.
Our American friend, Kirsten, found a church in Jaffa that was having a Christmas Eve service. So we three caught a cab and headed South to Jaffa. The little Lutheran church was packed! The service was very similar to what we grew up with in that we sang the classic carols and the story of the birth of Yeshua was read. Though, this time, some of it was read in English, while some was read in Hebrew. There was also a message given, in English, then translated into Hebrew. Even the announcements at the end of the service where first said in Hebrew, then in English. It was a great service and nice to have a sense of familiarity.
The funny thing was, Kirsten and I, as we sang the carols in English, tried to read the Hebrew "translation" of the songs and they were NOTHING like what we were singing in English! I don't know who "translated" those songs but I think they may have been throwing back a little too much eggnog!!
Then on Christmas day, Brent and I went on a class field trip to Jerusalem with our Ulpan (Hebrew language school). As you can imagine, the trip, planned by our state run language school, was not so much about Jesus! Of course, it was about Israel and the Jewish people which was very interesting. We even saw some things we hadn't seen before and learned some new things. This was great since we have been here, leading tours (well, Brent has) since 1990. Also, since this was a tour with our Hebrew class, our guide spoke in Hebrew the ENTIRE DAY!! However, the two teachers of the two classes that went threw us a bone every once in a while and filled in the gaps with English definitions! Thank goodness for that!
Probably the most difficult part of the day was going to Yad VaShem, the Holocaust Memorial Museum. We have been there numerous times but it never gets any easier. And, it's not exactly what I would choose to do on Christmas, but such is life in Israel.
One of the great things about the day was being with our teacher, Sarah, outside of the classroom! We got to be on more of an equal level with her and it was fun to just talk with her, in Hebrew and English! At one point she was talking with Brent and me in English and suddenly said "Why am I talking to you in English? You need practice in Hebrew!" Then finished what she was saying in Hebrew! She was born to be a teacher!
The other neat part about the day was that we ended our "tour" by praying at the Western Wall. Now, I must say, that is a cool thing to do on Christmas! Besides the fact that we were in a place were Jesus literally walked! Pretty amazing.
So, not your ordinary Christmas, but still a great day.
I hope each of you had a joyous and blessed day remembering the wonder of what God did for His creation!

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

Kirsten and me on Christmas Eve in unplanned matching outfits; green sweaters and brown pants, posing beside the huge beautiful poinsetta Kirsten gave to Brent and me.

The Scroll of Fire; a memorial statue made of solid bronze commemorating the history of Israel from the Holocaust on through the rebirth of the State of Israel. This statue is located in the Jerusalem Forest.

This is one of the carvings on The Scroll of Fire, which is of Janusz Korzak and children from his orphage. You can read about him in one of my earlier posts.

From L to R: Arik, a fellow student in Ulpan from Sweden; Sara, our teacher; Kate, another classmate from Seatle, and me! We are sitting in the Cardo in the Old City of Jerusalem "listening" to our guide. Actually, we weren't really listening, our brains had shut down by this point! The Cardo is the ancient main road that ran through the middle, or the heart (hence the word cardo - cardiology) of the city 2000 plus years ago.

This picture was taken toward the end of our day. This picture is of the golden Temple Menorrah, made by the Temple Institue, which is preparing all of the vessels for use in the Third Temple. And yes, it is covered in pure gold. In the background is the Mount of Olives. To the left of this scene farther down into the valley is the Western Wall, were we ended our day.

Pay Attention

2007-12-22T12:56:00.000-06:00

So, it's Saturday evening. Brent and I just went to service at the congregation we are attending here in Tel Aviv and just like in the States we have a tradition of going out to eat after services.
We go to our favorite little cafe just a couple of blocks from our apartment. We're sitting there eating and talking about our plans for the future. We are still trying to figure out exactly when to come home and when we will come back to Israel, how and for how long, etc. I have the thought, I'll be funny and see if Brent notices. So I nonchalantly say to Brent, "Honey, if we are thinking about moving over here for a year or two we should probably think about selling your truck when we get home." Notice I did not mention my beloved Honda CRV!!!! And I wait for the reaction....but.....HE AGREES! He says he's already thought about it. So, as usual, he did not notice how funny I am!
We finish eating, we pay and we're walking home. As we come to the corner crosswalk he asks me a question about the hebrew word for pay attention. You can either say "seem lev" or "laseem lev". One is "pay attention" and the other is "to pay attention". I explain this as we wait for the light to change so we can cross the street and as it does, all of a sudden, he says "Wait just a second, what do you mean sell MY TRUCK? What about your car?" Ah ha, as we finish our discussion on the hebrew word for "pay attention" he catches on! Appropriate, don't ya think!

173

2007-12-20T12:17:00.000-06:00

173.

That's the number of verbs we have learned to date in Hebrew. Now, that may not seem like a lot to most of you. However, you must remember this. For every one verb you must count:

-the infinitive form

-the four present tense forms (masculine singular, feminine singular, masculine plural and feminine plural)

-the nine past tense forms (I, you - masculine singular, you feminine singular, him, her, we, you masculine plural, you feminie plural and them)

-and now we are learning the eight future tense forms (I, you - masculine singular, you feminine singular, him, her, we, you masculine/feminie plural and them)

By my calculations that's 3806 words. And that's only VERBS!!! Man Alive! It's like they have a different word for EVERYTHING!!

p.s. the above picture is of Brent and me with our teacher, Sarah.

Selfless Act

2007-12-14T07:52:00.000-06:00

Janusz Korczak was a pediatrician, military doctor in several wars, an author, a director of an orphanage and even had his own radio show. However, these accomplishments pale in comparison to one amazing act of selflessness.
During World War II, the orphanage Korczak had created for Jewish children in Warsaw was forced to move into the ghetto. Three years later, German soldiers came to collect the children, who numbered almost 200, and several of the staff workers to take them to the Treblinka extermination camp. Because of Korczak's fame and accomplishments, he was told he would not be taken and could find sanctuary on the "Aryan side" of Warsaw. Korczak refused. He chose to go with the children to the death camp.
He had the children dress in their best clothes and choose a favorite book or toy to bring with them. So they would not be frightened, he told them they were going to get out of the ghetto, outside of the walls, to a meadow where they could play. They were then marched through the streets of the Warsaw ghetto, like a parade, to the trains that would take them to their death, Korczak with them.
This picture is of a memorial statue of Korczak and his children located at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. Each time I stand in front of this amazing memorial I am wrought with emotions. I grieve the lives of these innocent children; almost two million children were murdered in the Holocaust. I marvel at the bravery of this man to willingly go to his death just so his orphan's would not be scared. I am frightened by man's susceptibility to become so depraved that they would murder millions and millions of innocent people in cold blood, because they were different. And I wonder, would I have done what Korczak did? Would I have gone to my death to make it easier for the children, even though I had been offered life? I honestly don't know. But I hope I would have. What would you have done?

Home and Safe

2007-12-14T07:48:00.001-06:00

A quick update...my parents arrived home safely. Thank You, Lord. They had no delays, even with the bad weather in OKC and had three seats to themselves on the international leg of their trip! I guess if you can't fly business or first class, three seats for two people is the next best thing!

On Their Way Home

2007-12-11T06:41:00.000-06:00

Jerry and Ann Pitts are currently on their way home to Oklahoma. It was a tearful goodbye. But the tears were dried as I expressed my thanks to God for allowing my parents to come to this special land. It was such an incredible experience. I wanted so much to share this experience with my parents. I wanted them to see the sights, tourist sights and the sights of our lives here. They were able to meet many of our Israeli friends, Mom went to our Hebrew class with Brent and I, they experienced Shabbat in Israel, heard the Shabbat blessings in Hebrew with an Israeli friend who joined us for the Sabbath, share in lighting the Hanukiah with an Israeli Cohen as he recited the blessings in Hebrew, even experience the winter rains in the Galilee. This was a very special week for me and Brent. I know it was equally as special for my Mom and Dad. Thank you, Lord, for making this possible. I only hope that someday we will get to share it with Brent's Dad also!

A Little Inspiriation for the Day

2007-12-09T01:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning I was reading my Bible in the Psalms. I read Psalm 15. It is a straightforward and simple passage about who may abide in the Lord's tent. Let me just type it out for you.
"O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honors those who fear the LORD;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He does not put out his money at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken."
Psalm 15
I sat and thought on each of these points asking myself if I have lived this way. I encourage you to do the same. In those places we don't measure up, we ask for God's grace and for Him to do that work in us!

p.s. a fun little discovery...we thought my parents were going home tonight, then we looked at their e-tickets and discovered they don't leave until Monday night! A whole extra day...yippeeee!

The Pitts in Israel

2007-12-08T05:37:00.000-06:00

Well, my parents have been here this past week! We have had so much fun taking them around the Holy Land and sharing this experience with them. Hence, the lack of posts this week! I will get back to it after they leave tomorrow night, sniff, sniff.

Got Turkey?

2007-11-28T07:36:00.000-06:00

It's official, we had Thanksgiving! Last night, we had several of our American friends from our Ulpan class (Hebrew language school) over for Thanksgiving along with their husbands and boyfriends. Yes, I realize the actual holiday has come and gone, however, this is when we could all get together, and when in a foreign country you do what you can!!

I cooked my first turkey! As soon as I knew I would be cooking it I emailed my Mom..."HELP!!" Of course, she gave me all the info I needed. I even called her yesterday afternoon and asked "How do I know when the turkey is done?" Like she could look in my oven, in Tel Aviv, from Oklahoma, and give me the answer I needed! She did help all she could and the turkey turned out GREAT and was a big hit! Thanks, Mom!

Thankfully, everyone pitched in and brought food because the turkey and rolls I made were all I could handle! How did our mothers do it? They are amazing! We had a lot of food and lot of tastes I'm not used to, which was part of the fun! All the food tasted really good and it was so great to have these new friends in our home away from home! We were eleven people in all plus a dog! One of our guests was the daughter of our friend Gen and her husband. Her daughter's name is Yael and having her with us was very special because we got to share in her first Thanksgiving!

All in all, the evening was a lot of fun and real blessing for Brent and I! It was nice to have a real Thanksgiving meal too!

Skyline Chili......for Thanksgiving???

2007-11-25T07:21:00.000-06:00

So, Thanksgiving in a foreign country is a bit of a challenge! This was my first time to not be in the USA for this holiday and only the second time to not be with my family!! It was a bit sad, I must admit. We thought about attending a thanksgiving dinner at a hotel but opted not to because it was too expensive.

So, what did we do? Well, we ate Skyline Chili!! Let me just start by saying, it was a taste of home for us and that was important! For those who know not skyline chili, let me first say, I am so sorry! Skyline Chili is a Cincinnati, Ohio delicacy! If you have ever lived in Cincinnati, you should know what I am talking about. It is a very famous restaurant in that area of the US! To prove my point let me tell a story. Two summers ago when we were in Israel, we were in McDonald's (we ARE Americans) and a young man heard us speaking English. He came over, asked us where we were from, told him Oklahoma and he said he was from Cincinnati. Brent looked at him and said, "I can prove that to be true or not with two words, Skyline Chili!". Well this guy goes crazy! He begins listing all the protocols for eating Skyline Chili. And I think I even saw his mouth begin to water. You need to know that he had been in Israel for nine months and I think was missing home a little. So Brent bringing up something from his home was very therapeutic for him.

So, what's the deal with Skyline Chili? Well, it's nothing like Texas chili!! First of all, it has a completely different taste! It's hard to describe but I think it even has cinnamon in it. Second, you serve it over a bowl of spaghetti noodles. Then after drenching the noodles in this somewhat runny chili, you pile mounds of cheddar cheese on top. You also add oyster crackers to the dish. Of course you can add onions and beans too! Yeah, it's so not healthy!

All this to say, Thanksgiving for us in Israel was a little unorthodox! However, don't fret too much for us. We are having the other Americans from our Hebrew class over this Tuesday for turkey and all the traditional Thanksgiving food! In fact, the turkey is thawing in my fridge right now! I get to cook it and I hope it turns out alright; I've never cooked a turkey before!

So, that was our Thanksgiving in Israel! I hope you all had a great day with family and friends! Bottom line, the day is not really about the food, it's about being thankful and being with those we love! So, wherever you are in the world, you can still celebrate with a thankful heart!

p.s. if you want to know more about Skyline Chili you can check out the website. The site is listed in my links. :-)

Welcome to my first ever blog!!

2007-11-22T13:47:00.000-06:00

Greetings,
This really is my first ever blog! Can you believe that? I mean, the internet has only been around for, oh, a LOT of years now! Well, it's true, I am a newbie! I am an amateur! So, welcome to my new adventure!
Let me start by saying, I will be the main blogger for this sight. However, my husband, Brent, will be making special appearances. I know, I know, you can hardly breathe from the excitement! Seriously, though! He is an amazing man of God! He is a very gifted preacher, teacher and writer! You will love hearing from him and his perspectives on life!
So, here's a little about our current adventure, which I think is a perfect way to start this blog!
Brent and I are currently living in Israel. We live in Tel Aviv which is only about a one hour drive from Jerusalem. The picture I have included in this post is a view of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

We arrived in Israel August 30, 2007! Almost three months ago!! We have come to live here about six months to attend Ulpan. What is Ulpan? Ulpan is Hebrew language school. Ulpan is a tool the government uses for new immigrants to Israel to learn to speak, read and write Hebrew. But "tourists" such as ourselves are also welcome to join the classes. So, five days a week from 8:15 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, Brent and I are in class, having our brains turned to mush!! I'm not kidding, either. Hebrew is such a hard language! I mean, we have even had to learn an entirely new alphabet for crying out loud! However, we are learning and that is the amazing thing!

We love life in Tel Aviv. We have settled into a routine here very quickly! I have been amazed at how quickly life has become normal here for us. People ask me if I'm ready to go home, and honestly, sorry Mom and Dad, I'm not ready. Brent and I both miss our family and friends terribly! I just wish they were all here with us.

I can't wait to share with you some of the adventures of living in this amazing land. The Promised Land!! It is a daily adventure, as is life with Brent Avery!!! :-)

Well I don't want my first post to be outrageously long so I'll sign off for now!

So begins this new adventure! We hope you enjoy it with us!!