Songs

Maybe it was the wrong side of the bed.  I think so, especially since my side of the bed is against a wall and I crawl out at the top of the bed.  Anyway, I certainly felt that I wished I hadn't crawled out of bed.  To make matters worse, we had a long day at NV, and I did not feel like talking to people, much less hordes of tourists.  Add to that the fact that my first group was a large group of French speaking Gypsies of whom their leader/translator said, "They are very impatient."  O man.

With coxing and short sentences, room for LOTS of pictures and a calm translator, we got through the hour with the group.  I was off to the kitchen to make extra food for a hungry group. 

After serving in the kitchen for a couple of hours, I changed from the village clothes into my own and got ready to lead the last group of the day: a group of 50+ Brazilians (they were excited when I told them my mother was born in Londrina).  The last group of the day is always a little difficult because everyone at the village wants you to finish so they can go home.  After a long day of people, I was ready to be finished too.  I soon realized, however, that the group was full of joy and energized me with their hearty exclamations, especially when I talked about Jesus.  They also had a very kind and energetic translator.  At the last stop through the village, the synagogue, I asked if they wanted to sing a song.  The sang "Here I am to Worship" in Portuguese.  It was almost dark outside and the synagogue was filled with a  beautiful, echoing praise.  I was blessed again at the very end of the tour.  As I said good bye to them the pastors on the tour asked if they could pray for me.  In loud shouting prayer they prayed for Philip and me, in Portuguese.  Wow.  Blessing.

As Philip and I walked home from the village, I told him of my day and the blessing especially of the evening.  We were just passing a house on our way where Philip had recently met a young family.  The smallest boy happened to be sitting outside the house.  His name is Khalid.  We chatted with him and his grandfather, Fauzi.  Soon Khalid's sisters came out: nine year old Sameena and 7 year old Noor (light).  Their mother soon joined us.  Suad is very lively and welcoming.  After a bit of conversation on the street, she invited us in for coffee.  Suad and her girls spoke Arabic and English with us, fed us coffee, fresh pressed pomegranate juice, cookies and sweets.  We had a lot of fun chatting and learning from them, sometimes only trying to understand each other.  I was invited to come and learn to cook from Suad.  We stayed an hour and felt so blessed.

We continue to be blessed by friends from everywhere.  Just yesterday I met a man from Denmark who has been living in Israel for the last four months with his wife.  They live and work in Tiberius.  His name is Soren.  As he translated for a group I was leading, I felt he might be a friend.  At the end of the tour, he gave me his phone number, and we were both blessed to think how refreshing it might be to meet as two couples new to this same land.   

Lately, we have been praying for friends, for community.  May we continue to follow God as He leads us to new friends.

B