its been a while

Yes. It's already the end of October - and I'm just again blogging. Lots of things have been happening.

the weather change for one, it's freezing at night! in Israel you don't really get a fall season. it just goes from really hot, to really cold in about 2 days. on some random day in maybe November the leaves will change color and fall off the trees - yes, all in one day - and then you start really dragging out the jackets. it's rained only twice so far and only for about 15 minutes at a time, so i really can't complain.

u just can't dress for this weather. warm during the day, plus walking everywhere makes you hot....by the evening, you're really cold and wondering why you didn't schlep a jacket around all day. though last year, i remember wearing sandals in december still, so i will deal with this...i remember NYC winters.

speaking of winters, WE (me, nicole and tony) will be schlepping home via Madrid on December 6th. oh the joys. i'm so excited. and so is tony since it'll be his first Christmas season outside Israel. and that is a big deal since they don't celebrate it here. (go read my last years' blog of how nicole and tony had to take off work to spend Xmas day at home, and how me and my brother had to walk home our Charlie Brown looking Xmas tree down a major road during rush hour traffic)...good times (http://embloggage.blogspot.com/2005/12/merry-christmas.html).

So my parents were here visiting for about 3 1/2 weeks. that was a great time. they've been here about 5 or 7 times, and know their way around, where to walk, how to take cabs, what places to go, etc...We were all crammed into 1 apartment, and we went through 5 pounds of coffee or something ridiculous like that, but it was really fun. they came with 4 full suitcases and left with only 3 muchmuch less full ones..so you can imagine how much wonderful american stuff they brought with them..mostly coffee, but there were other things too!

about 10 days of that time, i was helping to lead a tour of about 75 young people from around the world. they came in for the Grafted tour during the Feast of Tabernacles.

this is me and James, the NEW bookstore man :) it was great to see him in action...Ahhh. this was the first year where i didn't have to run the bookstore of the ICEJ during the feast. and yet, i managed to hang out there pretty much most of the time, pointing fingers and laughing at the dude who took over my old job. heheh. JUST kidding.

it was fun to see everyone again, and yet not to have to deal with questions, complaints, confusion and all the other stuff that goes on. even my parents, who weren't planning on doing anything there wound up helping out at the bookstore.



The Grafted tour was amazing. There were about 6 leaders, 1 "spiritual leader" and a whole crowd of Finns. the Finnish always take the award for most people on the tour - this year there were 43. more than half. others were from various nations around the world. so we traveled the country, galilee, dead sea, ein gedi, tel aviv, jerusalem.

it was great fun to meet all people from different nations. our worship/prayer/testimony times were really amazing. it was wonderful to see young people's hearts loving the lord, loving israel, wanting to learn more about God, and this nation and just being in relationship with Him. i was very impressed that even tho cultures, nations and languages were so various on this tour, the heart of unity in worship and prayer and just hanging out was really special.

things have settled down a bit. i have about 6 weeks now until i get home...will be nice to see family and cats again. we'll all be home this time, except for my brother in the military...this time around in Iraq.