Shalom Family and Friends,

 

First of all, let me apologize for my monster-sized pictures!  I am still getting used to this technology thing so I will be sure to send much smaller ones in the future.

 

Today was such an exciting day that it deserves its own update!

 

I’ll start with the bad news first before moving on to the good news.  If you read my past updates, you will remember an elderly man named Max.  He is the husband of one of our patients who is a Holocaust survivor (Mrs. Bine).  My last assignment here, Max was in great health.  He would always smile at me and greet me with a kiss on the cheek.  He had a great personality and would hum to himself all day and sometimes he and I would dance a few steps.  When I returned a few days ago to start working here again, Max was so depressed and unhealthy looking that I was concerned.  He wouldn’t eat, would stare off into the distance and never smiled or hummed his usual tunes.  This morning when I came to work, Raul informed me that Max had passed away last night.  I was so saddened by this.  All of the staff were feeling down as well.  This is the second death of a patient I have experienced in Israel and I am sure it will not be the last.  Max was dying and the staff called his family who came to his side.  It was not a painful death, Praise the Lord. 

 

After work today, I went into downtown Jerusalem to walk around and then meet some friends.  My assigned soldier Tal called me suddenly and she was very excited.  She had wonderful news!  She asked me where I was and when I told her, she said she was only three minutes away.  She met up with me and we sat down on a bench.  Tal was searching for hospitals in Jerusalem that assist severely handicapped adults.  While at a particular facility she thought of inquiring about similar facilities for youth and young adults.  She knew that I would be interested in such an assignment. The hospital referred her to a special facility called Beit Tamar in downtown Jerusalem.  Tal went to Beit Tamar to ask if they needed any volunteers.  They said they certainly need volunteers and would be happy to meet me.  Tal ran to meet me and took me to the facility.  I could barely hold back from crying… the teens are absolutely wonderful and already were talking to me.  They are simply the most lovable and precious young people and I was informed that many of them could not be cared for by their families because their parents are either substance abusers or have passed away.  I met with the manager and she explained that she would love for me to volunteer.  If I chose to volunteer there, I would be sharing a small apartment with other female volunteers (2-3) and that they will feed me all of my meals, give me a free bus pass and also extend my visa for as long as I request… years even!  The government recognizes this special facility and works with them to grant all the volunteers visas.  This is an amazing blessing, an amazing step for working toward a permanent stay here in Israel.  It was practically dropped into my lap.  I have always wanted to help handicapped teens and young adults since I worked with this age group at the Alternative School for at-risk youth in Tampa.  Not only is my dream of working in an environment such as this coming true, but also my dream of living in Jerusalem and being able to stay permanently as well being provided for my expenses. I am beyond ecstatic!  Please pray for me as I decide when to start there.  I am aiming to remain here at Maon HaRofe for at least another month and possibly two just to finish working with these patients and staff that I have grown attached to.  I want to start the new assignment at Beit Tamar as God leads.  So please keep this in your prayers!  Even now I am sitting here just overwhelmed with excitement!  God truly grants us the desires of our hearts if we give Him our all.  I said to Him the night before I left for Israel that I am selling myself out for Him… 100%.  There is a quote from a missionary who was martyred named Jim Elliott that I have quoted before and it has always impacted me:  “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

 

With Great Hope in the God of Israel, the God that neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4) …This is Erin reporting LIVE from Jerusalem!