The countdown is on!

Things are falling into place!          Seven days til we fly!

Last Saturday, a friend and his acquaintance from the United Arab Emirates dropped in for a visit. I was able to speak my very little Arabic, and yes, he confirmed that I have been attempting to learn the right language.  This is good!

It has taken me a couple of days to process the great sending Calvary organized on August 24th.   I had been looking forward to this time, and had been told that I wouldn't have to preach or even emcee the meeting. This is good!  I did have one commitment, and that was pray with Mike & Kate as they dedicated the beautiful Elianna Kathleen Cecile Flemister to the Lord.  What a privilege!

At that Sending Service, I was just blown away by the show of support.  I was amazed and humbled at how many attended and the great words spoken by visiting ministers.  What was also a great delight was listening to two of my children, Ben & Katy, singing a funky rendition of a George Beverley Shea song, 'I'd Rather have Jesus'.  Jason Martin, of Mennonite Church Canada lead us in a litany where Margaret and I pledged to engage others with the reconciling Gospel of Jesus Christ, God helping us!  Calvary Church pledged to pray for us, God helping them!  I was impressed by the number of people who gathered at the front to pray and lay hands on us.  What an amazing time.  All followed by great food, great conversations, and best wishes and hugs all around! 

Monday morning, I was further blest by the sight of two young deer on my back lawn. Though our house backs on green space, in the four years we have lived on Water St., I have not caught sight of deer on our property.  Chance timing?  I like to think it was my Lord, reminding me that He is always there, and He delights in delighting us!

Thanks so much, everyone, for a special last day together before sabbatical.  I liked the cards, the loving words, and the love offering, given so sacrificially.  I loved and appreciate even more the commitments my church family made to pray for Margaret and I as we experience this new adventure.  It is all good!

Sending Service

I have been looking forward to my 'sending' service tomorrow at Calvary Church.  Those wonderful people at Calvary Church have arranged a litany and prayer time, asking for God's provision, protection, and empowering during the time in Israel.  MC Canada has been great in facilitating this short time mission, and sabbatical.  It is amazing to think that I am going!

Preparations continue for our transition to Nazareth:

I have downloaded a free app which helps you with some rudimentary Arab words like hello, how are you, you are welcome, thanks, that's great, etc.  It is very basic conversation stuff, which has a voice speaking the words, and a phonetic spelling of it.  So my memorization skills have been put to the test.  

Margaret and I have also ordered a book which we have been encouraged to read.  It is called 'From Foreign to Familiar' by Sarah Lanier.  It outlines the differences between 'hot' climate cultures and 'cold' climate cultures.   Obviously in Canada we are 'cold' which means, according to the author, we would value efficiency, individual freedom, and privacy.  'Hot' climates tend to value relationships, events, and groups.  It has been an interesting read, and provoked discussion between Margaret and I about how we fit into the mold. The southern USA, according to the book, exhibits some of the 'hot' tendencies, and possibly since I spent some time there as a teenager, it could explain why I have emphasized 'relationship' rather than being more 'individual' or direct in my communications.  

In addition to learning some language, and customs, and reading a book, Serve Nazareth has given us 5 modules or weeks of questions to answer. Some questions deal with the content of the book, and others are probing our application of the material and encouraging us to have a daily devotion with our Lord.  It is all good.  

Even though we are excited about this time in Israel, we also have some trepidations.  We are leaving the familiar to 'go where we have never gone before'.  We are determined to go and love those we meet in spite of culture clashes.  Please keep us up in prayer!