Losing Life?

I would like to share my day with you.

7.30 - (tentatively) asked God what it means to lose my life

8.30 - in totally unexpected conversation with two very educated Israeli professors from Jerusalem about Mennonites, belief vs. tradition/heritage.  While they were a couple, one was practicing and one was secular.

9.30 - picking up trash around Nazareth Village

10.30 - leading a tour group from Malaysia, who needed me to lead them for an hour and a half before they ate lunch, making them the first group to which I had to speak so much.
- and working in the kitchen a little with Melissa, a young woman of peace from Palestine/Israel soon to marry a man from Ireland.

12.30 - leading a tour group from Canada as well as several young Israeli families.  Very intimidating.  The office sent along the seemingly secular Israeli's because they had missed the Hebrew speaking tour they were supposed to be a part of celebrating the olive harvest.  Israeli's are typically hard to please as well, so they placed them in a neutral group.

2.00 - eating hummus, flat bread and olives in Mary's kitchen at the Village

3.00 - leading a large Finnish tour group with Israeli translator (plus four Italians who could understand some English).  Before the tour, the translator told me, "this group is Christian but don't talk too much about spiritual things."  I realized later, when he told me what kibbutz he lived at that he probably didn't want to translate for me if I talked too much about Jesus.

4.30 - laughing with our friend Jule about accidentally hitting Philip's forehead with an olive!

5.00 - heading home with leftovers from Nazareth Village kitchen and Mary, the cook.

resting...

7.00 - at the Fauzi

This morning I read 'For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it' (Matt. 16).  May we know more clearly what this means.

B