okay, I have been back for a while, but blogspot still thought I was away! ha!
coming home from Israel was a joke! my flight was delayed an hour just to board. once we got on the runway, the pilot announced that he wanted to park the plane to check a valve before take off. that check took an hour and a half. total delay time= 2.5 hours= total layover time in Toronto to catch San Francisco flight back to California. needless to say, I missed the last flight home by 5 minutes! at that point, I really wanted to be on my way home. I had already adjusted to California time, gotten ready to rejoin my Fresno life, and I was delayed one more day. Air Canada was very accommodating, setting up our group for the night at a local Best Western hotel and providing meal vouchers. the greatest thing about missing the flight was the chance to soak in the hotel spa and sleep in a queen-sized bed taken over by big, fluffy pillows. a great way to relax from the hectic travel home. the last flight to San Francisco the next day went smoothly, getting a chance to catch up on the in-flight movies I didn't watch on the first trip!
Israel was such a great experience. I am so glad I happened to hear of the trip last fall and was able to work it into my schedule after graduation. I believe anyone serious about the Bible should travel around the Holy Land to experience the stories in person. I love ready the Bible now and stumbling upon a city name and knowing exactly what that city looks like and where it's located because I'VE BEEN THERE! it's so cool! my thinking about the church and its academic world have changed a lot. as one great funny man keeps commenting to me, "oh, you don't want to do that anymore since you've been to Jerusalem." while most of the time he's pulling my leg about silly things, some aspects of my life have changed I believe for the rest of my life because of this trip. I am so thankful for this trip and the opportunity to walk the land of the Bible.
now I am back and have been thrown into busy Fresno life. it was great to come home to my loving family, sharing pictures and stories of my trip. I saw some of my great friends and met new ones. so good to be home!
the rest of June will be a time for me to prepare for Camp Keola, as I will be assisting Greg Camp as program director. our theme this year is service and we want to incorporate some projects to help with the relief work of MCC. Keola captured a special place in my heart summer of 2004 and I am so glad I can come back this year, probably for the last time. this time next year I will be finishing my year of Mennonite Volunteer Service in Washington DC. speaking of MVS, also this month I will have to start consolidating my belongings and planning what to take with me when I move to DC in August. so much happening and time flies by so fast!
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
12 June 2008
31 May 2008
Holocaust History Museum
apart of our last field study, the group took a couple hours to visit Yad Vashem- the Holocaust History Museum in Jerusalem. the museum presents the story from a Jewish perspective, highlighting individual testimonies, artifacts, photographs, film clips and music.
we were not allowed to take pictures in the museum, but I took pages of notes of my impressions. I am thankful for the LORD equipping me with emotions, but at times it is difficult in public places! I had a hard time in some exhibits keeping my tears down.
in a labor camp, Jewish workers were assigned to make shoe pads, drum heads, and the lining of purses. the materials they had to use- Torah scrolls of parchments! imagine being instructed to make items out of the Holy Bible. heartbreaking.
there were large displays of items that were stolen from synagogues in Europe. before burning down the building, SS officers would gather all of the booty to sell or melt down for gold.
within the camps, Jews traded bread rations for handmade brooches and metal gifts for loved ones. it was such a great sacrifice to celebrate a loved one's birthday by giving up one's only possession, let alone, only chance to further life.
a section of the museum was transformed into a street from the Warsaw Ghetto. on the floor was laid original cobblestone, with tram tracks down the middle of the street. above was an original lamppost guiding the travelers. as one walked down the street, above one could hear the noise of the area when the Jews were evacuated from their homes.
an exhibit was dedicated to the Righteous Among the Nations, the non-Jews who worked to save the persecuted Jews in Europe. a row of trees outside of the museum commemorates their efforts.
many faithful people risked much to extended a hand to the oppressed Jews. among the honored were Oscar Schindler, who is buried in Jerusalem, and Corrie Ten Boom, who my little sister is named after.
within the Righteous exhibit was this quote from a non-Jew: "I know that when I stand before God on Judgment Day, I shall not be asked the question posed to Cain- where were you when your brother's blood was crying out to God?"
the latter part of the museum documented how Jews coped with the end of the war and the living transition afterwards. an elderly couple's video testimony described how many people once free got married to other fellow camp mates. they said their wedding was the first of 21 in one day! they were the typical older couple as well: the woman told most of their story while the man just sat, looking at the camera. he would interject with comments like "I didn't know that" or "why didn't you tell me that?" so funny! and the woman just ignored him! she told her story of how she dealt with her first pregnancy after the war. at first she did not believe she was with child: "my body did not have any fat on it. how could I develop a body to have a baby?" she did not have money for an abortion, so she tried many different methods at home to abort her child. nothing worked; her son was born just the same. recalling the moment of his birth: "I looked at this beautiful baby, a healthy son that I created, and I could only think of was how I previously wanted to kill him."
on top of the hill of the museum, there stands a Children's Memorial building dedicated to the one and a half million Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust. in the middle of the room was a single lit candle surround by a wall foggy mirrors, giving the illusion of millions of candles floating in the air. as one walked through the room, the name, age, and location of each perished child was read aloud. so moving. the building was completely funded by a couple who lost a son in Auschwitz in 1944.
the most impressive room in the museum is the Hall of Names. the room is filled 27 columns wide, 20 shelves high with 16 binders resting on each shelf. the hall contains the archive of the names of the Jews who perished in the Holocaust. within the binders are pages of testimony containing names and biographical details of the victims. there was also available computer terminals for conducting searches of victims names and adding names that are still missing.
the exit of the museum opens out to an incredible view of Jerusalem. in remembering the Holocaust, there must also be a look into the future. this view is a reminder that the state of Israel, while thriving through oppression, is still in need of creating a democratic state, creating peace with all neighbors.
the LORD promised in Ezekiel 37.14: "I will put My spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken."
we were not allowed to take pictures in the museum, but I took pages of notes of my impressions. I am thankful for the LORD equipping me with emotions, but at times it is difficult in public places! I had a hard time in some exhibits keeping my tears down.
in a labor camp, Jewish workers were assigned to make shoe pads, drum heads, and the lining of purses. the materials they had to use- Torah scrolls of parchments! imagine being instructed to make items out of the Holy Bible. heartbreaking.
there were large displays of items that were stolen from synagogues in Europe. before burning down the building, SS officers would gather all of the booty to sell or melt down for gold.
within the camps, Jews traded bread rations for handmade brooches and metal gifts for loved ones. it was such a great sacrifice to celebrate a loved one's birthday by giving up one's only possession, let alone, only chance to further life.
a section of the museum was transformed into a street from the Warsaw Ghetto. on the floor was laid original cobblestone, with tram tracks down the middle of the street. above was an original lamppost guiding the travelers. as one walked down the street, above one could hear the noise of the area when the Jews were evacuated from their homes.
an exhibit was dedicated to the Righteous Among the Nations, the non-Jews who worked to save the persecuted Jews in Europe. a row of trees outside of the museum commemorates their efforts.
many faithful people risked much to extended a hand to the oppressed Jews. among the honored were Oscar Schindler, who is buried in Jerusalem, and Corrie Ten Boom, who my little sister is named after.
within the Righteous exhibit was this quote from a non-Jew: "I know that when I stand before God on Judgment Day, I shall not be asked the question posed to Cain- where were you when your brother's blood was crying out to God?"
the latter part of the museum documented how Jews coped with the end of the war and the living transition afterwards. an elderly couple's video testimony described how many people once free got married to other fellow camp mates. they said their wedding was the first of 21 in one day! they were the typical older couple as well: the woman told most of their story while the man just sat, looking at the camera. he would interject with comments like "I didn't know that" or "why didn't you tell me that?" so funny! and the woman just ignored him! she told her story of how she dealt with her first pregnancy after the war. at first she did not believe she was with child: "my body did not have any fat on it. how could I develop a body to have a baby?" she did not have money for an abortion, so she tried many different methods at home to abort her child. nothing worked; her son was born just the same. recalling the moment of his birth: "I looked at this beautiful baby, a healthy son that I created, and I could only think of was how I previously wanted to kill him."
on top of the hill of the museum, there stands a Children's Memorial building dedicated to the one and a half million Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust. in the middle of the room was a single lit candle surround by a wall foggy mirrors, giving the illusion of millions of candles floating in the air. as one walked through the room, the name, age, and location of each perished child was read aloud. so moving. the building was completely funded by a couple who lost a son in Auschwitz in 1944.
the most impressive room in the museum is the Hall of Names. the room is filled 27 columns wide, 20 shelves high with 16 binders resting on each shelf. the hall contains the archive of the names of the Jews who perished in the Holocaust. within the binders are pages of testimony containing names and biographical details of the victims. there was also available computer terminals for conducting searches of victims names and adding names that are still missing.
the exit of the museum opens out to an incredible view of Jerusalem. in remembering the Holocaust, there must also be a look into the future. this view is a reminder that the state of Israel, while thriving through oppression, is still in need of creating a democratic state, creating peace with all neighbors.
the LORD promised in Ezekiel 37.14: "I will put My spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken."
10 May 2008
Here I Go!
I just graduated college! Life is so crazy and good. As of right now, I am about to embark on my three week trip to Israel with several FPU friends. I'm really excited, and really nervous at the same time. I plan on updating this blog throughout my trip to let all of the curious family and friends track what I am up to.
OK, I'm leaving in 10 minutes! Time to go! Keep me in your prayers and I will see you all again soon!
OK, I'm leaving in 10 minutes! Time to go! Keep me in your prayers and I will see you all again soon!
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