The Wittys

Shkedia! Shkedia!

2012-02-21T21:47:21Z

Jack & Violet on an adventure walk with their shkedia!

A couple of weeks ago we were leaving the apartment in a hurry. Leaving the apartment in a hurry is generally not advised as we have Israeli neighbors and Israeli neighbors are rarely in a hurry because everything is centered around the relationship they have with you.

Case and point: we are rushing down the stairs and since it’s impossible to do it quietly with Jack & Violet, Smadar comes bursting out her door exclaiming “Jack & Violet come in here! I have something special for you!” What might it be? Curious excitement is on both of their little faces! She excitedly hands them an almond branch with a few new little pink blooms on it. Jack looks past it like, "yeah, where’s the surprise?" I can see the branch is pretty but not quite sure what the excitement is. “Shkedia! Shkedia!" exclaims Smadar. (almond blossoms) Here is this 37 year old woman giddy with excitement at the shkedia/new blooms on the branch. She exclaims that these are the first blooms of the year and she was so excited that she broke off a branch, just to give to Jack & Violet. (*almond trees are the first trees to blossom each year)

What struck me was how incredible this was. This genuine excitement of a new season approaching. Jewish people even have a specific blessing for a new season:

“Baruch Atah Ado-noi, Elohai-nu Melech HaOlam, Sheh-he-che-yanu vi-kee-yimanu Vi-hee-gee-yanu laz-man ha-zeh.”

“Blessed are You God, King of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.”

Now as we take walks with the kids we have a new appreciation for the trees blossoming around us. Signs of a new season. Signs of God’s faithfulness. Signs of God’s provision. What will this season hold for each of us? How will we depend on God in this coming season?

Each year in the Central Valley of California when the almond trees blossom I will think "shkedia! shkedia!" and be reminded of Israel, Smadar, my kids at ages 2 & 3, this season of life that I will never live exactly the same way again. I will never see an almond blossom the same way & for that I am thankful.

The Crusty Oatmeal Bowl Devotional

2012-02-10T12:49:28Z

The Crusty Oatmeal Bowl Devotional
Laurie Witty

I really do love & serve a God that can & will speak at any time & in any situation. This morning it came in the form of a crusty oatmeal bowl.

In a rush this morning I left my oatmeal bowl on the table. I enjoyed most of it, but there were some little oats still on the sides & bottom of the bowl. I hurried to get the kids ready to go to Pop & Gran’s house & then took on the job of cleaning the apartment. By the time I was back in the kitchen & ready to tackle a literal MOUND of dishes, I looked over & there was my oatmeal bowl – crusty. Hmm…now I had a choice: scrub as hard as possible & still fight the chance that some oats will hang on for dear life….or…soak the bowl & come back. Since time is precious these days with 2 little ones, I chose the latter.

I did some other housework & when I returned to the “MOUND” I really didn’t remember my oatmeal bowl…it was somewhere in the bottom soaking. By the time I got to the bottom, I was miffed with the amount of dishes I was doing. Why did I let them pile up so high? Anyhow…I got to my little oatmeal bowl & as I swiped the sponge into it…it was immediately clean. Voila! But the bigger voila! was what God impressed upon me right then.

SOAK.

I have junk. Crusty junk in my life I’ve just let sit for too long. I know it’s there…getting crustier by the day, hanging on for dear life, and stubbornly refusing to come free. When I’ve “gone to God” about it I’ve found myself feeling like, where do I begin? I begin to ask for forgiveness and then I think “oh yeah…there was that sin too...ugh”. To be honest I’ve given up…it was simply too defeating. It made me feel so bad about myself. I didn’t want to confront the junk. What I really didn’t want to do was scrub the oatmeal bowl that had been sitting for too long.

"SOAK."

"Huh?"

"SOAK in Me."

"Soak in My goodness. Soak in My love. Soak in My mercy. Soak in the remembrance of the way I've forgiven you in the past. Soak in how I've set you free. Soak in My majesty. Soak in My might. Soak in My ability to be bigger & stronger than your sin. Soak in My Living Water."

Ohhhhh.

It was so incredible to be reminded that I don’t only come to Him and ask for forgiveness. I need to come before Him, worship Him, and let my crusty sins soak away in praising Him for how GOOD He is. The longer I soak, the easier it is to become truly clean. When the bowl is clean am I am reminded of how awesome He is, then I can begin to understand that He really is the Living Water that washes me clean.

Tomorrow morning as I fill my oatmeal bowl I can say out loud, “Your mercies are new EVERY morning! Great is Your faithfulness!” …and I’ll take care of the oats before they get all crusted to the side.

Four Names or Eight?

2012-02-03T21:08:10Z

There's a lot of new insights we’re getting while living in the land of Israel. One of the cool things we recently learned was the Rabbinic take on the names of the Messiah as described in Isaiah 9:6. You probably just heard this verse around Christmas:

“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.”

Truly, it’s a beautiful description of the glory of Yeshua, (Jesus) our Messiah, but what happens when you consider the text how it reads in Hebrew?

The Jewish understanding of this passage sees each term as a standalone description showcasing a unique and magnificent attribute of Messiah. So, without trying to take away from the familiar rhythm of this passage take a fresh look at the awesomeness of God and ponder each term as a distinct name for Yeshua:

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty, God, Eternal, Father, Prince, and Peace.

from sundown to sundown

2011-11-04T19:52:57Z

It's Friday. Friday in our neck of the woods of Jerusalem means busy! I often do my shopping on Thursdays as to avoid the craziness of (Sabbath) Shabbat-prep-fridays but today I'm out in the midst of the long lines & hurried customers (think Thanksgiving shopping in America but every friday). I've missed the good chicken. Yep, they've sold every piece of decent looking chicken and it's only 11am.

The girl ringing up my items couldn't care less there's a line 10 feet long & she's chatting away on her cell phone, scanning each item slowly. I'm fidgety. I really just want to get my groceries and head home. Something in me has changed a slight bit in the 12 weeks we've been here and it has to do with rest.

I pick up Jack from school (required early pick-up at 12:00 instead of 2 so mom's can get home & begin preparing for Shabbat) & he's munching away on the Shabbat cake they made together as a class & chatting about his morning. As I'm in the cross walk I hear "Boker Tov (Good Morning)!" Shabbat Shalom!!" and it's my Shabbat flower guy greeting me from across the street! I pick up a small bunch of flowers (the home is supposed to be beautiful on Shabbat) and I comment how beautiful the rain has made everything. I've made good friends with the older guy who sells the flowers & his buddies who hang out with him all morning. They claim their friend gives me a cheaper price & they heckle me about being pretty...ha! It's all about the relationship - taking a moment to stop, chat about the weather, comment about the t-shirt he's wearing (Israeli Opera at Masada...oooh, sounds cool!) & let them ooh & ahh over the kids waiting impatiently in the stroller.

I get home, lay the kids down for a much needed nap, place my flowers in a vase & unload the groceries. I have meals planned out for the next dinner, breakfast, lunch & dinner (25 hours of Shabbat). I pick up the mess from the day, do a couple loads of laundry, clean all the floors, think about dinner & then wait for John to get home from class. If I forgot something at the store I'm out of luck - John's last class goes until 3pm & by then all the stores will be closed. Yes, the stores will be closed! By 2pm (in our neighborhood) there isn't a single store open. The large shopping mall will become a ghost town, the supermarkets will all be locked up & even the falafel & schwarma shops will have their large metals doors rolled down over them...until sundown on Saturday evening, when Shabbat ends.

From sundown on Friday evening until sundown on Saturday evening Jewish people observe Shabbat or Sabbath. Taken from Genesis 2:2-3 at the end of the creation story:

"By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done."

Jewish people are still under the law as they don't believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah (who fulfilled the law). They are still waiting for the Messiah to come and until He does the old law is still in place. Part of observing the law is to "keep the Sabbath holy". It it one of the most repeated laws in the Old Testament. So, they rest. Not just rest but there are 39 rules for observing of the Sabbath. A basic list of things you are not allowed to do are: start or stop a fire, drive a car, turn on or off incandescent lights, cook, write, carry things in the street, ride a bicycle, use machines like a computer, TV or elevator, buy or sell things or take a picture.

Once 2 or 3pm hits there is really nothing to do for the next 25 hours (in most of the neighborhoods of Jerusalem). The entire bus system stops, there are a few taxis (Shabbat rate is 25% more expensive), restaurants are closed, shopping is an hours walk away and without a car we are forced (in a good way) to observe the Sabbath. We would never be inclined to observe it like a Jew because there is no need to but what we are learning to do as a family is to rest. Saturday is a special day because meals have been planned out, the house is all clean, laundry is all done & the parks are full of families & everyone seems in a content mood. People are inviting guests over for Shabbat lunch or dinner, going to synagogue (3x), spending time with family & overall just living simple for an entire day. All their meals have been prepared are are being warmed on plattas (i.e electric hot plate).

A family we met in the park invited us over for a Shabbat lunch last Saturday and it was lovely! They did the traditional blessing of the challah bread, kiddush (literally, "sanctification") which is a blessing recited over the wine to sanctify the Shabbat and we had a kosher meal of course - this one was meat (so no dairy products) & lots of authentic Israeli & Shabbat-specific dishes. We had a lovely conversation where it was asked if we are making "aliyah" (immigration to Israel). That's where we make it clear we are not Jewish & that opens the door to a much bigger conversation and "what are you doing here?" is usually the beginning of it! We are asked if we are making aliyah in most conversations we have so we have lots of opportunities to share why we're here.

Anyhow, Shabbat is a special time. I have found myself busily preparing on Friday in anticipation that things will stop on Saturday. It's a time set aside just for spending time with friends & family, for resting, for thinking about spiritual things, for ceasing from work & not feeling guilty about it...for resting and not feeling guilty about it.

Maybe you don't feel guilty when you rest, but I do. No one makes me feel this way there's just something in me that thinks I should be busy all the time - writing an email, making a meal, cleaning, organizing...whatever it may be there's this mental list in my head of things I should be checking off. For one day a week I'm learning to block out that mental list and instead enjoy my family, enjoy my friends, enjoy hospitality, enjoy good food, enjoy walks to the park, enjoy spending time in God's Word, enjoy the beautiful creation around me, enjoy talks with John about what he's learning at JUC, enjoy my kids and enjoy just being instead of doing. I can see that even Jack & Violet enjoy taking a day to rest-no agenda, no school, no running here or there, just hanging out as a family! I'm thankful that living here is allowing me to understand rest - whatever day of the week it might be, mine just happens to be Saturdays.

*Note: not everyone who lives in Israel experiences these same things. There is a wide range of religious observances, our neighborhood just happens to be quite religious.

come into our sukkah!

2011-10-14T12:34:13Z

sukkahs in our neighborhood
*if picture doesn't load...let me know, I can email it to you

Today was the official holiday of Sukkot (to see some Sukkot information scroll to the bottom of this post). We had brunch in our neighbor's sukkah this morning and it was incredible to eat the food, listen to the Torah reading, the reading of the blessings and also watch them do other traditional celebratory things (lulav & etrog). Ya'ir's family was all there along with all the neighbors in our building that don't have sukkahs (if you don't have a yard, you don't have a sukkah...we heard it's "illegal" to build a sukkah indoors). It was relaxed and welcoming. We had sweet potato/potato hash, a flour tortilla-like thing that you fill with boiled eggs & salsa, breads, salads and awesome espresso! The kids ran and played with the neighbor kids for over 2 hours! It was wonderful! It's amazing to be part of this community of people and for Jack & Violet to have "neighborhood friends" to play with (ranging in ages of 3-12). Such a blast!

The kids went down for a nap & John was busy writing a 20 page paper so I set out with my camera to take pictures of sukkahs. I had no idea it would be so eventful! I was handed food, invited in to eat a couple time! I was also welcomed in to visit or welcomed to just come in and see the inside of the sukkahs. Each one is festively decorated - some people hang entire framed artwork inside & others hang garland, lights & pictures of their favorite rabbi's. Some are big & some are small. Some are nice tent/metal structures & others are plywood with shower curtains for walls! The time of day I was walking around was bbq'ing time and there was smoke in the air, the smell of meat cooking, lots of voices & laughter, music & merriment!

Another family made the offer again that Smadar made to me - this hilarious family I just met says, "come, eat dinner at our house any night of Sukkot or any Shabbat! You are welcome in our home!" I sat with them, ate bbq & drank Coke! They introduced me to the whole family as if I were an old friend. Their house was a tiny, dirty, disorganized old mess (ha, it was!) but no mention of that-they were just happy to have me there enjoying a meal in their sukkah.

I had such a great time that when the kids woke & John was at a spot to take a break we set out to see more sukkahs! The same thing happened again! We were offered food to take for our walk, invited into sukkahs to eat & welcomed like we were part of the family! The kids had a blast & were treated so special - being handed toys to play with, food to eat, Coke to drink & lots of attention!! One group invited us to join them Wednesday night for the final night of Sukkot where the Torah scrolls are closed & there is dancing in the streets in celebration! It's like inviting complete strangers to your Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving dinner or Easter lunch.

It's so difficult to put into words how it feels to be with the people here. We are strangers to them and they treat us like family!

Mom, you're right - it's totally like Abraham welcoming "the strangers" (Genesis 18:1-8):
"The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.
*Last night as I read this story again I realized that it goes on to say that the strangers have a special message for Abraham & Sarah (that they will have a son) - this message is life-changing! Hmmmm...we also have a message that is life-changing. Please pray that we would have boldness to share this message.

These lessons in hospitality are really hitting me. This last week has changed my life in how I see hospitality and in welcoming a stranger. It's a whole different ball game when you're the stranger being welcomed in.

As we walked home John said, "this is how it should be for us. This should be how we would approach Thanksgiving or Christmas...welcoming a complete stranger into our home to share a meal with us & making them feel like family."

Incredible.

חג שמח! (happy holidays!)

Sukkot

- commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters.
- lasts seven days. No work is permitted on the first day of the holiday but is permitted on the remaining days.

- the commandment “to dwell” in a sukkah (temporary shelter) can be fulfilled by simply eating all of one’s meals there; however, if the weather, climate, and one's health permit, one should live in the sukkah as much as possible, including sleeping in it (which I saw today).

- A sukkah must have at least three walls covered with a material that will not blow away in the wind.
- A sukkah may be any size, so long as it is large enough to fulfill the commandment of dwelling in it.
- The roof of the sukkah must be made of natural material that grew from the ground and was cut off, such as tree branches, corn stalks, bamboo reeds, sticks, or two-by-fours. This covering must be left loose, not tied together or tied down. The covering must be placed sparsely enough that the stars can be seen, but not so sparsely that more than ten inches is open at any point or that there is more light than shade.

(From the JUC Friday A.M. Post – Oct 7)

Smadar & her family.

2011-10-08T18:53:41Z

We are so blessed to live where we live. I know that now.

About a week after we moved to Israel I was woken early one morning (if God wakes me up I know it's important - mornings aren't my best time). I felt led to read my Bible, specifically Isaiah 17:4-5. Yes, chapter & verses specifically. God speaks to me through His Word and when He lays a verse on my heart I often have no idea what it's going to say (nope, don't have the Bible memorized...I wish).

*back story* moving into this specific apartment was rough up to this point. I wondered why it was so dirty, so ill-equipped (seemingly in my expectations of what "equipped" is) for our family, far from school, no yard, and in sort of a "rough" neighborhood. I had my doubts of living here and was trying ever so hard to think of a solution to move. There was none. We had signed a contract & here we were going to stay. I complained. To God, to John, to my kids.

So back to where I started. Sleepily I walked into the living room and opened up my Bible to Isaiah 17:4. I read:
“In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain, gathering the grain in their arms—as when someone gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim."
Hmmm, ok. I reread it. Read it again. Give up to figuring out it's meaning and went to bed.

In the morning I shared the verses with John. This is when it came into focus. In short form one thing he pointed out to me was "Valley of Rephaim". Where do you think we live in Jerusalem? Yep, we live in the Valley of Rephaim. There's is a main shopping street near us called The German Colony and the street is Emek Rephaim. Emek means "valley".

Hmmm. As I pondered all this in the following days it began to warm my heart to where God placed us to live. Now I had a purpose. There was a reason for us being here. I could stake a claim at 7 Ma'aglaei Yavneh because it's exactly where we were supposed to be. As I changed my perspective things got better...and then we all got sick.

At the tail end of my parents visiting me & the kids got sinus colds (later turned into sinus infections and 3 weeks later we're all still on antibiotics...) Jack went down hard and the next day so did I. It's not easy as a wife/mom to get sick. You lay in bed & think of all the things you should be doing so you try to drag yourself out of bed & boom, you're back down.
So I'm in our room & there's a knock at the door. John's outside running the kids and I continue to hear the door knock - I just ignore it because it's not John (he has a key) and I don't want to exert any energy in conversing with anyone.

John returns home & I hear the door knock again. It's our neighbor.
Enter "Smadar & her family" into the story.

I hear a woman's voice introducing herself and apologizing for not coming up until now (work, life, busy, vacation). I'm laying there relieved I never answered the door. John is gracious & kind and chats and then explains I'm in bed sick & that's why I never answered the door. Smadar sounds nice but I'm relieved when she leaves as being sick & hospitable at the same time seems impossible in my achy state.

An hour later there's a knock. Again, I think? Sick=crabby.

Smadar is at the door with a huge platter of their Shabbat dinner. (Sabbath dinner) & a huge pot of homemade chicken soup. Her voice is concerned, kind & sure. She is sure she wants to help us in any way! John gobbles up the Shabbat food - chicken, roasted pumpkin, spices of all kinds, roasted potatoes, couscous. He puts the soup in the fridge.

I wander in the living room once the kids are asleep & John warms me up some chicken soup broth & it's the most amazing chicken soup I've ever tasted (as good as El Rosal but in a totally different way)! It's reviving my bones and I think, "who is this kind person to make me a pot of chicken soup...and on Shabbat evening no less?"

A couple days later I'm feeling better and as we walk downstairs we stop at her door and thank her. She insists we come to Shabbat dinner at their house any Saturday. She goes on to say, "really, you could show up at our house any night for dinner and we'd love it!" Wow, we are so grateful & also a little confused...this is where culture shock comes in.
Really? Come over any night for dinner? Just show up? Oh she's just saying this to be nice, right? But that wasn't her tone. Her tone was so sincere.

As an American I'm guarded. I don't just open my home to anyone and when I do I tend to pat myself on the back & remind myself I'm a good person. I want to be that way all the time but it doesn't come naturally. I lived next to my neighbors in Visalia for 2 years & never had them over for dinner. I'm kicking myself now.

I'm taken aback by Smadar. Why is she so kind? She doesn't know us.

A couple days later she comes up and says, "come down for dinner in an hour!" Okay, we say. The start of a wonderful friendship!

Smadar is married to a wonderful man , Ya'ir who's just as welcoming & kind. They have an 18 year old daughter (Libon) who's usually gone with friends and will enter her 2 years of army service soon, a 16 year old son (Elram) who's naturally fun with Jack & kind & gentle to Violet and a 12 year old daughter (Shahar) who loves Jack & Violet.

We come downstairs & it's completely informal & relaxed! Part of dinner is still in the oven, other parts are still being prepared. Smadar is causally talking with us, showing Jack & Violet the fish in their super huge fish tank...just kind of hanging out. It's 7:30pm and in my Americaness I'm thinking, "I don't think we'll eat until 8...and the kids go to bed at 8...they will be so crabby...it will be a disaster...we need to eat & leave...". I'm so conditioned. And it's partially true - we ate late, the kids got crabby & didn't get to bed until 9:45pm but we had a wonderful evening! It was delicious & homemade & simple.

Here's our meal:

(roasted potatoes, onions & pumpkin, rice, tahine with roasted eggplant,
cabbage salad, a cut up avocado, edamame & some sauces/salsas)

Dinner wraps up & we're just all hanging out. It hits 8:30 and the kids are seeming tired but are wound up being at a new house - they play on the sofa, Jack plays a driving video game with Elram, Violet is showing off her "pretties" to Shahar, they both run through the apartment chasing their dog Archie & as we apologize & try to corral the children Smadar & Ya'ir are relaxed, visiting & not worried in the least. At 8:30 Smadar says, "Oh I have something for you to try!" and she takes out a homemade dessert and watches intently while we eat it and then says, "what do you think it is?"

Any guesses?:

It's eggplant! Soaked in some sweet/sticky substance and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. Smadar admits she could eat the whole container. It is a fun dish to try but my taste buds enjoyed the familiar chocolate chip cookies I had brought! So did Violet's - as we visited I think she snuck up to 5 cookies. Little stinker!

So by 9:15 we were heading out the door even though they were all still lounging around & happy to have us there! It was a wonderful evening!

We have since been invited to go boating with them (their members of a boating club) but unfortunately we weren't able to. For Rosh Hashanah (New Year) she brought over plates of sweets. She brought coupons for diapers over. For Yom Kippur she invited us over to "hang out while they fast & mourn" (which was today - see pictures below) and on tomorrow & Monday they have invited us over to decorate their sukkah for Sukkot (it's high holiday season for Israel).

Example of a sukkah (a temporary shelter you place outside where you eat all your meals during Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles/Booths which lasts 7 days - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot):

We've made amazing friends with this sweet family. They are teaching me hospitality like I have rarely seen it displayed before. I want to be like Smadar. Her hospitality is natural, flexible, easy & open. It's not uptight & perfect like my hospitality tries to be. I realize that simply opening your home to someone is what means the most. Sharing your space & your life for a couple hours without trying to make everything look perfect. My life isn't perfect, I don't have it all together. I burn dinners & get frustrated. If I invite someone over I plan the evening down to the napkin holders. There's a time & place for everything but something Smadar is teaching me without even knowing is that I can open my home anytime & for any meal - it's about being together & having relationship.

That's why we now know that this is where God wants us - in the Valley of Rephaim, just a few steps up from Smadar & her family.

Here are some pictures of us hanging out on Yom Kippur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur) while they fasted-no food or water for 25 hours. In addition to fasting they spend most of their day in intense prayers of forgiveness:

Elram hanging out on the swing with Jack & Violet (Violet loved it!)

Smadar & Archie (rolling over for a treat - pets don't fast in case you were wondering, I was).

Elram showing Jack how to play pool! Ha! He's the kindest boy (his age) I think I've ever met.

Shahar, Archie, neighbor girl & Blinky (a mini Archie...she's blind in one eye so they named her Blinky!)

SHALOM

2011-09-02T11:14:29Z

We're 3 weeks into this crazy adventure of living in Israel! As in any move whether that's down the street or over the ocean - you just never know what to expect! We've taken the "unexpecteds" in stride and we're well on our feet now.
We've covered well over 60 miles on foot (pushing a double stroller) since we arrived. Included in that was 4 airports - Fresno, Dallas, Frankfurt & Tel Aviv & 35 hours of travel. We arrived to an apartment that was filthy dirty from top to bottom so for the first 6 days John and I scrubbed every inch of this apartment-sometimes 6 hours a day. It is now clean & liveable!
So 3 weeks later, where are we at? We've figured out how to set up life in Israel but we haven't learned Hebrew...yet. We're trying! Jack will be passing us up quick as he's enrolled in an all Hebrew preschool!
So much to say! These weeks have had their peaks and valleys but God has been faithful - with His provision, His love, His guiding us to encouraging Scriptures and caring for our little family in more ways than we could ever imagine.
Israel is our new home & we welcome you to come and visit!
I would love to be friends on Facebook - I post regularly on there with pictures of everyday life. I too, would love to see your life!

In no particular order, here are some pictures:

Our apartment building - we're on the 3rd floor of 3 story building.

Jack on his first day of gan (preschool). It's all in Hebrew so he'll be immersed & should learn to understand & speak within 6 months!

Violet at her favorite place - the beach! Tel Aviv, Israel.

Beach-combing with Violet - sea glass everywhere! It was the best! Although Violet prefers to pick up rocks. She developed an eye for the sea glass after awhile & we were on our way to filling up a jar!

Or...Bethlehem...means Place of Bread. (a street near our house - we live nowhere near actual Bethlehem). Fitting that the "Bread of Life" would come from here.
John 6:48

A large Jewish cemetery - facing east to be the first to be raised by the Messiah as He will come from the east.

Our family in Joppa (Jaffa) -quite interesting to read about:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaffa

Violet waiting for Jack to run into the frame...so they could continue on in their RUNNING through Joppa!!

Life happens everywhere, even in picturesque Israel (Old City). Looks like congratulations are in order, looks like it's a girl!

Menorahs for sale in the Old City near the Jaffa Gate.

Jack with his colorful drawing of "Nextiba" - his imaginary place that is "happy", "has light houses" and he's "a harvester" there. Hmmm, the mind of a child!

Dinner with new friends! The Bylstra's (Keith & Laura) invited us over for pizza! They have a little 3 year old girl, Maryann who was & will be a wonderful friend to Jack & Violet - they played together so well (making forts & wrestling after only an hour together)! Also pictured is Matt & Jeanette Smith who are also studying at JUC this year. And the Blystra's other roommate, Emily, in her 3rd year at JUC. Such hospitality! (L to R-Matt, Jeanette, Keith, Laura, Emily & John).

Picturesque old postcards in a display case down one of the quaint walkways in Joppa.

Since we have no yard whatsoever and Jack who would live outside if we let him - we had to bring the outside in. So we hauled sand from Tel Aviv all the way home...and he's been a happy camper ever since!

A falafel pita - the most delicious thing ever (aside from schwarma)...falafel balls, hummus, spicy sauce, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded cabbage (like coleslaw almost) & pickles. It's so good! Come visit, we'll treat you to one!

A brightly colored board advertising all the events happening in the city - it's fun to live in a big city again! Jerusalem always has something going on. Air Supply is playing tonight...if only we had a babysitter!

Our bathtub(s)!! It's amazing how hard these two can laugh while taking a bath! It's like an event during the day! And yes, water goes everywhere! If only I could fit in one...

Violet in the morning - in her little chair by the window waiting for her egg or oatmeal with her blankie.
*Watching Shalom Sesame (Israeli Sesame Street) The Count started counting in Hebrew, "Echad (1)!" and Violet shouted, "Schtayim (2)!"...I guess it's true when they say kids catch on to language quickly!

Just a pretty view walking around the Old City (25 minute walk from our house).

At the Western Wall. The kids have been troopers - we're always out looking at something!

The new spin on the university sweatshirt! Yarmulka!

Walking up the path from John's school - JUC (http://www.juc.edu/).

As long as we stick together & stick close to God - we can do anything!
"Team Witty!" as Jack would say!

Lots of love!
John & Laurie, Jack & Violet.

Shalom!

2011-07-29T21:35:08Z

July 2011

To our friends, family & supporters of our continued ministry:

We come once again to you with exciting news regarding change!

In Isaiah it says,

“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.

For I am about to do something new.

See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.

I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NLT)

As we read this we are excited how this passage (and all of Isaiah 43) seems relevant not only to us but to the people and land we feel called to.

Let’s back step a minute – for those of you who never read the newsletter we wrote after returning from Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Perth we invite you to please read it. It is posted just below this post. Our 5 months at YWAM Perth were not short of challenges – one after the next. To sum up all that we experienced would take many paragraphs so the letter on our website is the briefest and most sensitive summary of our time there. Most importantly we are moving on and that’s where we cling to God’s promise that He is “about to do something new!” In the midst of much turmoil in our hearts while at YWAM Perth, God’s peace was truly like a river for our family. Not only was His peace present but also His clear direction for our future.

In the first week of our time at YWAM Perth God began to direct us to where he we would take us next: Israel. This beautiful and Biblically historical land is clearly where God is leading us. Many people have asked, “How are you ‘called’ to Israel, or any place?” The prophet Jeremiah put it best when he wrote, “You will seek (the Lord) and find (the Lord) when you search for (the Lord) with all your heart.” We clung to this truth and can say that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our next step is to follow the path to Israel.

This is where things get interesting! In this initial year John will be in a graduate study program at Jerusalem University College. This Christian university is right in the heart of Jerusalem. As we look to our future in ministry we feel that Biblical knowledge will play a key role in bringing others to Christ and also discipling those in their current walks with Christ. When we had the privilege to travel to Israel last September with Ray Vander Laan (That The World May Know Ministries) we were forever changed by what we learned about the Text (the beautiful marriage of both the Old and New Testaments). We know that a more intense study of the Text will open doors for a number of ministry opportunities in our future.

As far as ministry opportunities in Israel, these will come in the natural form of daily life and also working with Care Corps International to coordinate working relationships and initiate potential partnership projects. We have found an apartment in a working class neighborhood of Jerusalem – even a lower economical end of town – and we hope to make relationships by living daily life. For Laura this will come through getting Jack enrolled in a preschool (“Gan”), spending time at the park with Jack & Violet and meeting other parents, getting to know the people in our apartment complex and making relationships with the people that God puts into our path in natural situations. Both Laura and John will be working under Care Corps to build working relationships for future collaborative ministry opportunities, and John will be growing in his Biblical knowledge and grasp of discipleship through his studies. We are called to be Jesus’ disciples and we feel this includes knowing our Bible and passing this on to others. (Matthew 28:16-20)

Although God has clearly swung open doors for us to move to Israel we need your help to fund our living and ministry costs. John received an academic scholarship from the university and was also awarded a merit-based scholarship from another Evangelical foundation that covers the first semester of his school tuition. Praise the Lord! John will continue to pursue scholarships for the second semester tuition, but we need support to help with the cost of our “daily life” ministry living in Jerusalem and liaising for Care Corps International. We continue to trust the Lord in where He’s leading us and trust He will provide in a way we that can’t for ourselves. How we wish we could sit and talk with each of you to explain our YWAM Perth experience, to tell you all the ways that God confirmed Israel to us and to share with you openly about our heart to learn, grow & become His disciple so that we can make disciples! We are excited about what’s ahead. We are nervous about what’s ahead. We are called to what’s ahead.

On a more personal note, since being back in California we’ve had the opportunity to work in a walnut orchard, do a large video and print project for a local business, set up a website for a local business and even put together a large play set for a family – all in an effort to provide some money to live on and help save for the future. We’ve been living with Laura’s parents and have been blessed spending time together. They have welcomed us with servant hearts and it’s been wonderful! The kids have loved playing in the blow-up pool, spending time with their cousins and running free out in the country. We’ve also visited John’s family and likewise been blessed by family and wonderful moments spent together. It’s been a FULL and FABULOUS summer! Changing directions to Israel will have its unique set of challenges for the kids – going from spending so much time with family and cousins to being with just our little family will be emotionally tough. Also, going from Papa and Mimi’s comfortable house to a small, quirky apartment will be rough but we’ll make the best of it. We are more than ready for the adventure ahead because we know it’s God’s plan and that He will help us through it!

Below is our financial breakdown. It’s especially stretching to trust the Lord for financial support during such an economically unsure time but our hope is not on the things that are seen, but unseen.

Projected Expenses for August 2011 – July 2012:

Rent and utilities: $18,000 ($1500 mo.)

Health Insurance: $2,000

Food & Household: $8,400 ($700 mo.)

Transportation: $600 ($50 mo.)

House set-up costs: $1000

Airfare: $3,700

Funds raised to date: $11,000

Total Need: $22,700

We treasure your prayers for us. We value any support you can give. All gifts are tax-deductible when given via Care Corps International. We love you and thank God for you. Thank you for taking the time to read this long letter – so much to say, so little space!

Also, keep up with us on Facebook at:

http://www.facebook.com/wittyjohn

http://www.facebook.com/lauriewitty

For information on Care Corps visit www.carecorps.org.

Lots of love,

John & Laurie, Jack & Violet

Here are some fun pictures of our "FULL & FABULOUS summer":

Practically off the plane from Perth & into the car for a 15hr drive to the Oregon coast for a week (with John's mom & dad & extended family) of agate hunting & more fun! Amazing time to clear our heads & focus our hearts!

Fires, kites, warm clothes! Oh and that gorgeous ocean! Ahhhh!

All the cousins together to put their hands in new concrete at Papa & Mimi's house!

A run in the irrigation canal...the absolute best to stay cool in the Central Valley heat

A run in the cotton field...

A run in the corn! Lots of running this summer!

Going for a ride...

Come on Violet, let's go!!

Went down south for my cousin's wedding & had a fun chance to go to Huntington Beach. John dug a huge hole & that pretty much entertained them all afternoon

4th of July with friends

"Celebrating America's...and our independence!" - Jack & Violet

Absolute fun!

Jack can throw water at, wrestle with and tackle Violet and she laughs...we look at her like we might be upset & she cries!

Colorado River with extended family! So much FUN!

Texas! So fun! We flew out to visit John's family for a week and it was full of fun! ...and super good food

Making pizza with fun Auntie Liz!

Violet acting so lovely with Pop & Gran...

"It's been a full summer, I'm exhausted!" - Violet

ALL PLAY & NO WORK MAKES A POOR FAMILY! HA! There have been so many fun moments this summer & it's been a blast but we haven't only played. Well, Jack & Violet have...but we've had lots of opportunities to work (as you can read in the above letter). The camera just comes out when fun is being had!

Hope you enjoyed a glimpse of what we've been up to. COUNTLESS hours outside...running, playing, water, Jell-O, Rocket Pops, swimming, digging, discovering, planting with Mimi, riding on the golf cart, helping, laughing, enjoying, getting dirty and loving life!

The countdown begins...13 days until we leave for ISRAEL!

Please be praying for us - we need your support!

DON'T FORGET TO ADD US AS FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK

SO WE CAN STAY CONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER!

Big news...again!

2011-05-17T22:42:00Z

If you'd like to support us with a tax-deductible donation through PayPal
please copy and paste this link into a new window:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=RZLJ97KMEZRB4

Ninga Mia

2011-04-23T13:17:00Z

Last week Tuesday we worked with an Aboriginal community called Ninga Mia. (Ning-ga Mee-a) This is a government funded Aboriginal settlement. First we went to the old deserted one - in the early 60's the government ran all the Aboriginal's off the land they had given them to live on because they wanted to begin digging the mine.
We went to see where it was and spend some time praying there.
Then we went to the new settlement and spent some time picking up trash. The Aboriginal people just kind of leave their trash absolutely everywhere and they don't seem to care for the land very much. We worked with a small church in the middle of this settlement - Pastor Jeffery, his wife Christine (a pediatrician, she's Irish), and two of his 5 kids, Rebecca & Lachlin.
Despite the big issues on our minds/hearts in regards to this whole situation the Pastor's daughter Rebecca really seemed to take a liking to John, I & the kids! She wanted to be with us in each spot we were at and walked & talked with us the whole afternoon! It was awesome! We learned SO much about Aboriginal life & culture & history. She was a dear-heart and the kids took to her right away because she was so much fun!
Missions are awesome because they allow you to meet people you would never meet otherwise!!! Rebecca is one of those people!

Here are some pictures of our day:

If we go anywhere we take the orange bus & as soon as Franz (our leader/driver) gets out of the seat - zip...Jack is in it! Pulling the gears & pushing the buttons & making "orange bus sounds"! He's awesome!

John & Jack in "the bush" - Jack is actually holding a kangaroo leg bone that he found!

Rebecca also taught us what the Aboriginal's do to shoo away the flies - grab a branch of the "bush" and shoo them away

Areas where we were walking would be FULL of broken glass...not really kid safe but the kids were aware & were extra careful...they only picked up the "really pretty ones." ha.

Rebecca - 14 years old. An absolute gem of a girl!

There was an old rusty digger abandoned. You can imagine Jack's sheer excitement when Rebecca zipped right up the side & said, "Come on Jack, have mommy help you up so you can drive it with me!" He was BEAMING from ear to ear!!

from John's iPhone...so cute!

He did not want to get down so he was waving & saying "bye bye mommy, bye bye daddy...bye bye Violet!"

We did pick up trash Here's Rebecca carrying 2 of our full bags. The really sweet part of this picture...about 1 second after I took it she heard Jack cry from the play set. She dropped the bags so fast she didn't even care that the garbage spilled out and she began to run toward him. It was just this instant reaction that a mom/dad would have. It was amazing to see someone care for Jack after only knowing him for a few hours!

Ninka & Ivan with bags of trash!

Wouldn't be the outback if there wasn't red dirt & flies on our faces!

LOVE this photo!!! Rebecca was responding to something funny Jack was saying! Ha! Violet really loved her! She's loveable!

It was a good day - it ended with a "sausage sizzle" at the church as a thank-you to our team. It was awesome! They busted out the keyboard outside under the stars and we sang songs. It was an "outreach moment"!! One to be remembered!

His hands & feet.

2011-04-17T05:39:00Z

Days on mission trips can be extremely full. yesterday was & today was (Tues. & Wednesday)! Tuesday we spent the day cleaning the church where we are staying - it's a church that's connected to a guest house. From what we've seen the guest house is a place where a lot of people who are in & out of jail, on & off of drugs or people connected to the mining industry stay (10 days on at the mine, 4 days off). Conversations with the people staying here are quite interesting as they are trying to get their lives on track or say sober long enough to pass the drug test that allows them to work in the mines. It's awesome (and tiring) because ministry never really shuts off when you have people always available to talk with. We are beginning to understand why Jesus often went off to a quiet place

So we cleaned yesterday! Top to bottom! Inside & out! Kitchens, bathrooms, the nursery, the sanctuary, the grounds outside & windows. You name it, we cleaned it! And it needed a good cleaning!!!

Birgit & Ninka scrubbing the guest fridges for the guest house.

The kids hanging out while John & scrubbed the nursery (creche) from top to bottom. There are slatted windows with no screens so when the wind blows...it picks up that red dust from outside & blows it right in! Everything was so filthy dirty & disorganized! Each night I was having to give Jack & Violet Benadryl for allergies because the nursery was so dirty. Jack didn't want to take his the other night so I said, "ok if you look in the mirror & your eyes aren't red & your face isn't splotchy you don't have to take it." he took a look in the mirror & said, "oh wow, my eyes and face are so red!" he happily took the medicine

What do you do with 5 kids under 5 on a cleaning day?
You let them be kids! Phillip & Jack thought it would be so funny to hide in this little cupboard in the kitchen...Victoria & Violet joined right in!

It was so awesome to hear them laugh so hard together!

The girls wanted to find "a spot" too!

Franz cleaning the vents & hood above the stove.

Adrian cleaning the windows - the background painting is an Aboriginal-style mural because the facility used to be an Aboriginal Rest Home for elderly people.

The courtyard of the guest house - lots of playing here since it's the only grass! Got it all mowed, swept & insect free!

We were all exhausted after using muscles we haven't used in awhile, ha! We ate dinner & the kids were ready for showers & bed!

Since we're still all 4 in one room, we put the kids to sleep & then lock the door and go and hang out in the common area. I came in to the room the other night around 10:30pm and went to kiss Jack (he's so sweet when he's sleeping)...he wasn't in his bed. My heart dropped into my stomach in a panic (it's scary the thoughts that can flash through your mind)...so I turned quickly to look in Violet's crib and there he was...they were both SO asleep that I took 3 pictures with the flash and they didn't move an inch. Little loves.

Next post will be Wednesday's work...this internet is too slow to do more

Crikey!!!

2011-04-11T13:54:00Z

We've made it to the outback! Here are some pictures and short descriptions about life & ministry in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia:

The church we're staying at and working with while we're here. It's called Goldfields because Kalgoorlie has one of the largest mines in the world! Gold is one of the things they mine. It's a community of 30,000 people and from what we hear you live our here if you're connected to the mining industry in some way because there really isn't much else out here. The Pastor & his wife are wonderful and have welcomed us so warmly!

Desert flies. Yuck. They're everywhere! Poor little Violet has them land on her sweet little face constantly

Ninka, Natalka & Auntie Stanka spending some sweet time with Violet. She LOVES being with "the girls"! They were showing her a picture of sheep and Violet was "baaa'ing" to make them laugh!

Meet Caroline. Caroline is from Italy (outside Roma) and has lived in Kalgoorlie since 1963. She came over at the age of 23 with her 3 children.
We went around to people's houses the other day just asking if there was anything we could do - clean, sweep, scrub, mow, etc. We just want to serve the people here. The way we could serve Caroline was to just spend time with her, compliment her beautiful cactus garden and listen to her stories of coming over from Italy almost 50 years ago! She promised if we come back she'll make us cappuccino and we'll continue where we left off I asked if I could take a picture of one of her really unique cactus's and she said, "yes, but I think you should also take a picture of this one" (the one she's standing in front of)!

The one she preferred

Emu! John & Olav took the kids to the park the other day while we had a meeting. They saw emus just wild...also some kangaroos but they were far off. Jack was really excited about "the bird that won't fly". ha!

Change is quite difficult for Jack. Being in a new place with a new schedule and new bed and new food and new bathroom & potty and new everything has been quite the challenge! Jack likes consistency and structure and YWAM just isn't that. So, it's been tough. We've needed a lot of grace and wisdom as parents. We finally just took him and Violet to the park yesterday to spend time as a family doing something that's familiar to him - playing in the sand with his cars/trucks at a park. Please pray for us and Jack.

Violet however is happy as ever with change! New food, new environment, etc...she's all good with it!

Church this morning. I was in the nursery watching all the kids. For anyone that knows me...this is challenging ministry for me Anyhow, once the cookies came all the kids had something in common and were happy as ever. Jack sat next to this cute little guy and they enjoyed cookies and after I pointed out that he had Lightning McQueen on his sweatshirt Jack tried to talk with him! Jack likes having a snack and calling it a "tea party"!

My go-to was the DVD player...since the nursery faces the worship center with only glass windows in-between I kept it tame...heeheee. John provided pop corn - a big hit!

Adrian & Stanka cooking dinner. One thing that's taking a lot of time out here is fixing meals for 11 adults and 7 children twice a day! We've made the best of it and we're on a dinner rotation and all get a chance as head chef (and floor mopper/dish washer)!

So there's some of what we've been up to. Please pray for us - we really need wisdom and encouragement right now.
Love to you!
John, Laurie, Jack & Violet

Look what I found!

2011-04-07T13:30:26Z

Violet likes picking up the leaves and berries that drop off the gum trees.

"Road Train"

2011-04-05T14:08:28Z

The middle of the country has massively long stretches of straight road, so I guess that's how they figure these trucks called "road trains" are a good idea.

I asked the driver of this one what it's like to drive such a huge truck and he said, "Well, it just all follows along wherever you go."

Indeed.

New Country

2011-04-05T14:03:10Z

On the Great Eastern Highway through the outback.

But we're in Western Australia...

I dunno, but it's cool.

All Aboard!

2011-04-05T13:41:59Z

Jack is ready to go.

Outreach Here We Come!

2011-04-05T13:40:08Z

The bus to Kalgoorlie.

11 adults, 7 kids, 600Km and 1 sweet orange bus with a trailer packed
to the rafters!

Woo hoo!

THANK YOU!!!

2011-04-03T09:01:00Z

Thanks to your support we've raised approximately $10,000 of the $15,000 we needed which means...

OUTREACH HERE WE COME!!!

Woo hoo!

We leave for the Outback on Tuesday. The first stop is Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. After being in Kalgoorlie for about 3 weeks we fly to Jaipur, India for 4 weeks. Our last stop is Singapore where we'll be for approximately 3 weeks. This whole time of "field learning" will wrap up at the end of June when we head back to California. Whew!

It's going to be a little nuts but we are eager to get going.

Thank you to all of you who have made it possible for us to participate in the outreach portion of our time here. We are greatly blessed by your generosity and expect great things to come during the next 3 months.

Much love,
John, Laurie, Jack and Violet

Things that make you go, hmmm?

2011-03-26T13:47:00Z

Look closely at the box in my raised hand.
When you've got a man-sized cold no ordinary Kleenex will do! I can't wait to get sick here!

This is candy. It's in the candy aisle. This is not the air freshener section nor the cologne counter at JCPennys. I'm scared.

This is in the floor at the central train station. There are other markers that have people's name on them. One of them not pictured commemorates Stephen Shaw as the first person to grind coffee in that exact place in 1852.
"Future acknowledgment?" Really? Can't you think of something since grinding coffee over 150 years ago?

In other news we have great news about finances, outreach and our plans for this fall. Stay tuned for more updates!

(posted by John)

Updated Link

2011-03-21T05:25:00Z

Hi everyone,
It's been brought to our attention that the link over there on the left of the page doesn't seem to work. Here is the web address that you can copy and paste into a new browsing tab or window and it will bring up our account.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=VJ4GCNKPLBH7G

We've been tremendously blessed by your generosity of giving toward our time here at YWAM Perth.

Thank you to all who have supported us!