Jaffa Port Call

The amazing thing about Jaffa (Yafo, in Israel) was the juxtaposition of ancient to modern. Jaffa is the port where Jonah left in order to run away from God. It was his last point of land before getting swallowed by a big fish. It was so interesting and I got so many pictures that in order to share, I had to create a collage for inside this blog. We walked around Jaffa that first evening after work, and it is quite incredible. I'm so thankful I got to see it.

I visited St. Peter's Church in Jaffa, and as I entered, the congregants sang "Alleluia," and I joined in quietly. That was touching for me. It was a beautiful church, but I didn't take any pictures inside because they were actually worshiping. The outside was also amazing. The location was amazing, too.

This post is mostly about sharing photos. If you have a chance to get to Israel, Jaffa would be worth a visit.

Port of Jaffa

Collage of the city of Jaffa

Door at the port of Jaffa

Window at the port of Jaffa

Port of Jaffa from high up

St Peter's Church in Jaffa

Structure in Jaffa

View of Tel Aviv from Port of Jaffa

Lost in Translation

This post is an interlude to my Israel trip. I've been wanting to write it for some time, but the longer I delay, the more material I get, so it's okay.

I'm finding living in Germany to be quite difficult. The language and cultural barriers are higher than I expected. Overall I'm enjoying myself, but there have been some very frustrating incidents that kind of make me want to stay inside for a while. (Here they are in no particular order.)

1) When I went to the hardware store to buy some screws to get the license plate affixed to the van, the cashier told me the price and I handed her a €20 bill. She just stared at me. I said, "Alles klar" (which means "everything is fine"). She shared a knowing look with the lady behind me and pointed to the amount on a very well-hidden screen. I was about €15 short. I felt very judged by both ladies. Meanwhile, I'm thinking that they ought to be proud of me because I up and moved to an entirely different country!

2) I had the opportunity to get a loaner fridge from the army for the duration of my stay. My housing counselor was on the phone with my landlord, and we were trying to figure how tall of a fridge I could get. He told me there was a huge fridge there with plenty of space; he had bought it from the past tenant. Although I didn't remember seeing it in my initial walk through, I took his word for it and didn't get a fridge from the army on my one opportunity to do so. But it was a freezer, not a fridge. Now we're stuck with a European-sized fridge the whole time were here.

3) I was walking with Alex to his bus stop and we were crossing a road. A bus started turning into the road and the bus driver raised his hands at me in a gesture that looked like, "You idiot! What are you trying to do, kill yourself and your kid?!" Fortunately on this one, I was able to indicate to him that he did not have his turn signal on, and then his expression changed to, "Oh, you're right. I'm the idiot here. So sorry!" (Yes, I would say he was that expressive, but maybe I was reading too much into it.)

4) I keep ordering things and getting other than expected. One time I ordered an eiskaffee, expecting to get coffee with ice in it and actually getting a fufu coffee drink. (That worked out in my favor.)

One time, I walked up to a dinner counter and said, "Ich möchte angebot." The woman smirked. So I said it again like this: "Ich möchte angebot?" Still smirking. "Angebot. Angebot?" Finally she said, "Yes." I said, quite flustered because this did not happen as quickly as you can read it, or maybe because God was having fun that day and actually slowed time for a minute or two while watching this fiasco, "Should I just sit down or something?" "Yes."

So I sat down and immediately began to reflect. They had a sign in front that said that their deal was a cold fruit salad. I was envisioning one of those salads with lettuce and fruit and maybe a raspberry vinaigrette. I went up to her, I realized as I reflected, and told her, "I would like deal." Ha ha. "I would like deal?" "Deal. Deal?" Reminds me of a caveman. Me want food!

To top it off, she brought out this beast of a dessert that looked like it was a giant kid's sundae (because it was). I had stopped for lunch and I had completely ordered the wrong thing! It tasted fine, of course, but it wasn't at all what I had been looking for!

None of these little things really matter, except as nuisances, of course. I could give up on learning German, but I really don't want to. My next door neighbor seems like a sweetie and not judgmental at all, but she also doesn't speak English. I'm hoping to invite her over for Thanksgiving dinner. I think that could be fun for her and her family. But how would we communicate? I envision uncomfortable silences and awkward smiles. We'll see if I have the guts to do it or not. In the meantime, I'll keep looking for deals and trying my hardest!

Me want food!

In Tel Aviv

I'm in love with Tell Aviv. I really really want to go back. With my husband, God willing.

It has been a great week. From Sunday to Wednesday I had evenings only. (I say "only" as a description but not with disappointment.) My nights were full of wonder: new places, new foods, and best yet, new friends. I was paired with a Major who is a fabulous defensive driver and two wonderful female soldiers. All three of them seem to be incredibly well-traveled, highly educated, kind, noble, and gracious. Getting to know them a little bit has been the highlight of my week.

But it has been a week of highlights!!

I stayed at the Sheraton Tel Aviv, which is listed as a 5-star hotel. What makes a hotel a 5-star hotel, I wonder? Is it because it's on the beach? Because it has robes and slippers? Because it has an evening turn-down service that puts chocolates on your bed? Because it has a great breakfast? I don't know if I would call the Sheraton 5-stars, but it had all of the above. The rooms were decent, but the city itself was pretty fantastic. Trust me, I hope I can go back to that hotel someday.

The first day I did indeed get to visit the Mediterranean (so warm!) and eat some shawerma. It was a great night! The next day we went to lunch in Ashdod for some delicious falafel. I knew Ashdod was referenced in the Bible, but I had to look it up. It was mentioned many times, actually, and is the site of a very interesting story from 1 Samuel chapters 4 - 6 (go read it and don't forget!).

Looking back and thinking about that location and the story in 1 Samuel, I consider the Israelites who lost the first battle in the story and then decided to "use" the ark of the covenant to win the next battle (read it for yourself!). It makes me think about something someone said to me this week about faith and how it gives people peace and solace. And I agree. My faith in God definitely gives me peace and solace. But I have to say that this is not the main reason that I have faith. I'm not a person of faith so that I can "use" my faith to give me peace or strength or confidence or anything like that. Rather, I'm a person of faith because of who Jesus is, and because of who God is.

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and I loved you." (Jeremiah 1:5)

"Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38, 39, paraphrased)

"God is love, and anyone that knoweth God, loveth God." (1 John 4:7)

And to sum it up:

"We love Him because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

The real reason I have this faith is because God cares about me personally. This holy, righteous God took the form of a man some 2000 years ago and suffered sufferings beyond my comprehension so that I COULD have a personal relationship with Him.

In the story in 1 Samuel, the Israelites tried to use God for their gain. We sometimes do that today. Sometimes we expect God to keep us healthy, or prosperous, or safe, yet we forget what Peter said about suffering. Sometimes we are afraid to suffer, yet sometimes God uses suffering to accomplish His goals.

Here are Peter's words:

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. (1 Peter 4:1) And:
But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.(1 Peter 4:13) And:
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (1 Peter 4:19)

That last verse, you will note, says, "those who suffer according to God's will", meaning that sometimes, He intends us to suffer!

My worst case scenario would be watching my kids suffer. I would suffer more if they were suffering and I couldn't help them than if I were suffering in some way specific to me. I mentioned this to Michelle (my sister) recently in an email, and she wrote this to me:

"In the old testament we see over and over again that when the Isrealites were keeping God's commands they were generally prosperous and either peaceful or blessed in their war efforts. When they turned to other gods, they suffered consequences. I think it's important to stay humble and seek God's favor during all seasons. Even then, we may suffer trials because God tests us to bring us closer to him."

Last night while packing up, I listened to Nace's (my brother's) sermon from 10 days ago titled, "Embracing Suffering." In it, he asked us to ask ourselves a very difficult question. I leave it with you now: "What am I doing today to suffer for the gospel?"

The answer for me is: I don't know? I think I'll have to get back to him on that. I mean, of course it's between me and God. And of course I want to always be doing God's will and be in His will. But I find it difficult to be in the world but not of it. It is easiest and most comfortable to rely on my current friends and family who are like-minded and (basically) love me without condition, which, in a way, separates me from the world. Instead, perhaps I need to develop some less comfortable relationships with people who are not of a similar mindset. Perhaps God is telling me it's time to step out of my comfort zone.

Perhaps He tells you the same thing?

Panorama from hotel balcony

Night-time panorama from hotel balcony

On my way to Tel Aviv

I don't know if you can imagine my emotions right now as I sit in this plane as it takes off for Tel Aviv. I am a mixture of melancholy and bubbly excitement. I know that this week is going to be a big burden on David, and it makes me sad. I also know that the kids will feel my absence, perhaps most of all Lilly, and that makes me sad, too. This is probably only my second time away from the kids for more than just a couple of nights, and leaving everyone this morning was hard. Add to that the expressions of concern for my safety I've heard from most everyone, and this trip is really making me quite sad.

But at the same time, there are things that I've greatly desired in my life but never thought would actually be possible. Or things that I've greatly desired but just not quite enough to spend the kind of money needed to get that which I desire. Seeing Israel, the home of my faith, was one of those things. And yet here I am, on my way to Tel Aviv for my first of what could be three times over the next six months. I may indeed get to walk in the same place or places as my Savior. I may get to see the port where Jonah left before getting swallowed by a big fish. I may look on the land of the prophecy in the books of Daniel or Revelations. And I will, at the very least (more than likely), get to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea and eat some shawerma tonight for dinner.

I can't believe it. I'm on the plane in flight and I still can't believe it. Because nothing in my life is more important to me than Jesus and my relationship with Him. When I read the Bible, sometimes I have to remind myself that this Man actually walked the Earth and lived a real life, so I tend to focus on the descriptions of the surroundings when given. What was His life really like? How were His interactions with the everyday people that He met?

I think of the Samaritan woman at the well at Sychar in the book of John (chapter 4). She says, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did." Really? We are not given very much detail about the conversation, so either she lived a very simple life and didn't get out much, or Jesus actually spent a lot of time talking with her. This is one of my favorite stories to put myself into as a fly on the wall. Imagine seeing her talking with this Rabbi. How progressive He is to be talking with her! Imagine what the disciples think as they walk up and see Him talking to her. Are they surprised? Are they angry? Or do they think, There goes that Jesus again. Always bending the rules to include somebody new.

I think of the well itself and the surrounding area. I've been in the desert before and appreciate how precious water is. In fact, after I finished my deployment to the Persian Gulf, I basically swore to myself that I would never again be in a situation where I couldn't have ice. I wonder if Jesus, who is God, felt hot and thirsty at this well and lamented not having something with which to draw the water. How familiar was He with suffering at this point? Did He already know how thirsty He would be on that day when He died for my sins?

Yes, I'm excited. Some things in life are in the realm of possible, and some are not. And sometimes, our great God moves the impossible into the realm of possible just to bless us. I feel He's done that for me today. I don't know why, nor do I need to. When I was pregnant with the twins, which I had wanted since I was about 12 years old, I struggled with why I have been so blessed in my life, pretty much my whole life, and why had God granted me what was probably my biggest desire (boy/girl twins). I really struggled. Why did He choose to bless me but not some other people in my life? I know I haven't earned those blessings, and it was actually quite a religious struggle that I was going through, mainly because I was worried those blessings were just going to be taken away from me. I finally got some peace when I got this answer: Mary, the mother of Jesus Himself, didn't ask that question. In fact, all she really said was, From now on all generations will call me blessed. So who am I to ask?

One thing about this big move to Germany is that I won't know if it was a good decision until we're safely back home. Have I said that already? I'll elaborate. This big move is not without risks. David and I think that we understand the risks and that the benefits outweigh them. But what if we're wrong? When I was pregnant with the twins and worrying so much that it was too good to be true and something bad was going to happen, I received another answer that also gave me peace, and it continues to give me peace everyday. I know, and some of my friends and relatives who have already suffered a great deal know this too, that whatever suffering I am called to do, I will not be doing alone. I know that my amazing Savior, whose footsteps I may get to retrace this week, will always be there for me and carry me through if I need Him to.

This is all because of Jesus. As I've been saying so often already, I am grateful.

I checked into the hotel. Somebody is going to have to pinch me. 

The move-in

Well, I have to say, the move-in was pretty terrible. The Baltimore movers were every bit as bad as we had feared. Correct that, every bit as bad as David had feared. I had been tentatively optimistic.

They broke our couch, for starters. Supposedly (we'll see when the time actually comes), I have full replacement value as long as I file my claim within 75 days. But the couch irks me because we have a matching loveseat. I've been told to claim that, too. We'll see.

They also lost the hardware to our crib, dining room table, and the boys' two beds. David has since gotten the table and beds together, but not without multiple trips to the hardware store. I'm sure that was an adventure. The crib had special hardware so it's still unassembled. Not sure what to do with it. Not even sure how to dispose of it if comes to that. I will claim that cost, too, if there is one.

And then there's the kitchen. They lost all of my silverware, most of my utensils, pretty much all of my Tupperware, our toaster, and a handful of other things. I'm not filing my claim yet because I'm still figuring out everything they lost.

The quality control person told me that for a time, they had lost an entire container that belonged to us, which was why we had to wait so long for our delivery. Good job, guys. And although the ship weight equaled the delivery weight, that assumes that everything made it onto the ship, which it clearly did not.

It's just stuff, right? It is just stuff. But it's useful stuff, and I feel like I'm 20 years old trying to build up my kitchen the way I need it. Or living on furniture that doesn't fit. And I was so looking forward to getting Lilly in her crib again and getting her to sleep like a normal child. Not yet, I guess. I hope and pray that the claim goes smoothly. I hope it goes quickly. We'll see.

I have a lot of work to do. That's really an understatement. I'm not sure when it will get done. David and I worked hard over the weekend, but that was just 2 days. Little bits at a time, I suppose. It doesn't help that they took my 11 days of administrative leave from me. Nor does it help that I'm supporting something for the Chief of Staff for 3 days next week and going on an overnight trip for work on Sunday! I can't even take time off to put the house in order. Please pray for David. He hates chaos and it's very chaotic in our house right now, as you can see. We'll get there, but in the meantime...!

The good news is that our van got registered without any hiccups. I don't have to mess with that again while we're here. Huzzah!

I've enjoyed taking Alex to the bus stop in the morning. He was a bit of a bear yesterday from being tired, and he slithered down the steps this morning because he was so tired, but he's a bit of a sweetie overall. He got 4 points from his teacher yesterday for following the directions, and I can already see that the bus driver likes him. Who wouldn't?! We sure do love the heck out of our kids, don't we?

Some things are getting to normal. That is quite nice. Soon normal will be taking a weekend trip every month (God willing) and seeing more of Germany. And something else is exciting. I am going to Israel for work at the end of this month. I hope I get an opportunity to see something. I hope I get to walk where Jesus walked.

And one more thing. I realized just yesterday that in my last blog, I described a sausage fest (my friends' words) in one paragraph and then thanked Jesus for my life in essentially the next paragraph. Hm. That was a bit weird of me. But I think you all know what I meant, right?

Hope you all have a nice day (or night). Keep in touch and comment if you want to. I appreciate your comments because they make me feel just a little bit closer to home.

Toy room. Still a nightmare but not quite this bad. 

And this was taken after already working for one day. The good news is that I actually am sleeping on my bed now. Progress.

So much sausage!

We returned to the apartment we were renting and got everybody to bed. It was called Ferienpark am Darss, inside the Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft (Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park). I thought it would be right up my alley, and in some ways, it was. It was a nice little area that had a playground for the kids. We were renting a two-bedroom townhouse for two nights. It was a good price, more than affordable considering how big it was. Only 20 minutes away from the beach.

I have to say it felt very much like camping. I don't understand this at all, but Germans don't put screens on their windows. Nor do they use air conditioning. So you have to sleep with the windows open, and let the bugs come right in. In Fuhlendorf, I'm pretty sure there were more bugs per square inch inside than there were outside. Spiders as big as tennis balls (okay, golf balls, but still). Numerous giant crane-fly like bugs. Too many creepy crawlers to make it a pleasant stay. Not to mention, the floor was plywood with 20 layers of varnish on it. The rail to the loft was loose and unsafe. (Fortunately the obedient children did not lean on it at all.) The wifi worked well, and considering we are still not set up for internet in our house, that was pleasant for us for a change. (Alex got to play slither.io a little bit.) It was okay for the price, but it is not a place to which I will return.

Regardless, the kids had fun at the playground. Alex took his time to find a lot of bugs. So far no diseases have shown up on his skin, either. And the drive to the beach was easy. So we had a nice morning, David slept in a little bit, and then we went to the beach.

So, many of you might have read the title and thought that we found an all-you-can-eat German-style restaurant. But, some of you may know Europe a little better, and you might have figured out that the beach that we took the kids to on day 2 (Zingst) was actually (yes) a nude beach.  And there was so much sausage there!  I think the average age of the people who actually chose to go nude was about 60. (This is my estimate based on how low their jingle bells hung. And oh by the way, I'm cracking myself up about this right now.) I said to David when we walked up, "Oh. It's a nude beach. I was afraid of that." He said, "Well you didn't mention it to me!"

It didn't bother me, though. I mean, whatever. It wasn't TOO difficult not to look where I shouldn't. Overall it just kind of seemed like a natural thing. I was a little trepidatious about what the children would say or do. But can you believe that we were there for HOURS, and not one of them even seemed to notice. They were just having fun at the beach. And a lot of fun they had.

All in all, it was a long trip for a short vacation. I picked that location because of the warmer weather and August is the best month to go up there. Our next trip (I'm hoping it will be to Garmisch) will be closer and easier. Maybe it will not be as enjoyable for the children as going to the beach, but Dave and I might enjoy it. I hope that next year we will go to the North Sea and spend 3 nights at the beach instead of just two. I disliked sleeping with the bugs so much that I decided we would leave at 4:00 a.m. to come home. It was going to be a rough week and I didn't want to make it worse than it needed to be. So home we went, and the drive was all right because the kids were sleeping and I drove for 6 hours without stopping. Then I only had 2 hours to go after that. The kids were tired when we got home and I ended up being glad I left the Baltic region when I did.

I'm very glad we went. But now I've been there and done that and am ready to go to another place with the family! Or without. I'm not sure which will happen first, depending on how work goes.

I'm a little bit behind on my blogs. I still have to write about the move. My Facebook friends already know how terribly it has gone. But without internet set up, it isn't quite as convenient to write. So I'm keeping track and tethering to my phone in the meantime.

Please keep us in your prayers! We certainly still need them! I am grateful for our adventure (the big one here in Germany), and even the bad stuff is part of the adventure. What I'm saying is, "Thank you, Jesus."

Enjoying the playground.

Ew. Too gross. Alex was having a blast making me take all of these pictures.

Played together almost the whole time.

Having a blast.

So content.

Baltic Sea or bust!

On Thursday we left for our first big trip, heading to the Baltic Sea. First of all, let me just tell you that I was using three different apps and searching everywhere on the internet, and I had the hardest time finding a place up north that would accommodate all six of us. I settled on a place 20 minutes away from the beach.

My plan was to leave around 10:00 and drive halfway if the kids were being good. I was going to stop at Hannover and maybe do some sightseeing while there. The kids were doing so well, though, that I actually drove much further. We made it all the way to a town called Lübeck. I hadn't made reservations for Hannover because I wanted the flexibility. I knew I was taking a risk, but I was also willing to split the family up between two rooms for just one night. We did fill up once. Gas prices were shocking! Dave took a picture for the record.

First David called a hotel to see what their price would be. We were quoted two rooms for €123 each. That was substantially more than I wanted to pay. So I told Dave we would try a gasthaus. We were blessed to stop at Hotel Herrenhof on the first try. They were able to give us two rooms on the same floor, and gave us a rate that was within my expectations. The hotel was clean and comfortable and spacious enough even for Lilly's pack'n'play. It also appears that it was located in a city that is worth a visit. I don't know, though, because we didn't take the time to do that. I think if we go to the North Sea next year as I'd like, we'll plan for two nights at the same gasthaus and visit the city of Lübeck.

Near the hotel, David found an all-you-can-eat Greek buffet called Restaurant Kreta. Why have I never seen one of those before? It was good and they didn't mind the big family at all, so we'll probably go there again next year if we end up in that area again.

Sleep went as expected with the kids, and we had a pleasant German breakfast and then left town. I hadn't successfully made contact with the owner, yet, to arrange to pick up the key, but I wasn't too concerned. We only had a two hour drive to the housing, so we drove to a town called Stralsund. Beautiful little town that we decided to visit for lunch and go shopping in. You see, I had done a typical Patty thing. I had packed the suitcase for the kids on Monday. By the time we left on Thursday, I had forgotten about it completely. Left it beside the bed. Not only did the kids have no clothes for vacation, they had no swimsuits for the beach. Honestly, it's so typical of me that I don't even get mad anymore. And neither (thank the good Lord) does David. He knows!

Of course, the town was beautiful but the parking garage was not. I had no misgivings about having Dave park the van. We exited that parking garage through a sort of tunnel into an empty lot. I said to Dave, how are we ever going to find this place again? I snapped a couple of pictures. We went shopping. Then we were going to eat lunch at a burger joint in town, but they had giant expensive hamburgers and no kids menu, so that wasn't going to work. So I thought we would choose a place to eat on our way to the van...

Which we never found.

Okay, okay. I'm telling the story from home, and eventually we found it. But we walked in circles for at least an hour. That beautiful town looked the same everywhere! Everyone was hungry and we were anxious to get going to the beach. The kids and Dave all were complainy and grumpy, so I finally deposited them at a Subway. And I'm not kidding, minutes after I relieved myself of the stress of taking care of the whole family, I found the van. Did I say that we walked for at least an hour!!!?? Probably more. I deposited the weekend's worth of brand new clothes in the van and went back to the Subway. We had to get groceries and check in before going to the beach. Which we actually did pretty smoothly. But our misadventure due to my stupidity resulted in the fact that the only thing that we did at the beach that day was watch the sunset.

That was pretty.

I told the kids we would go to the beach and watch the sunset. Alex asked, "Is that all we're doing?" He was taking it so literally it was cute. Of course, they played in the sand while I watched them and the sunset. It was certainly an enjoyable evening after we got over the disappointment of losing the van and forgetting the luggage.  Then back to the place where I had reservations, in a town called Fuhlendorf. We'll talk about that next.

Shocking gas prices!

The lovely Hotel Herrenhof

Two tired girls after a long day in the van

Stralsund 1

Stralsund 2

Stralsund