Week 1: Manna

Shabbat Shalom,

This is the first of a series of written letters we plan to share throughout our time in the Land.

Our travels held all the trademarks of a classic arduous journey (though we can’t compete with Paul just yet). After 2 missed flights, 20 hours of flying, a couple lost bags and nearly 40 hours of total travel, we made it to Tel Aviv around midnight on Monday (morning?). We have been here just 4 short days so far but Tayler and I are both glad we jumped at the opportunity to acclimate a week before classes start at Jerusalem University College (JUC). Today is move-in day on campus and we discovered we are in the “tree-house” room! If you haven’t seen JUC’s campus, we’ll be sure to share pictures at some point. Think quintessential Old City Jerusalem — storied stone walls, beautiful gardens and a strategic location with quick access to multiple gates of the Old City (Jaffa & Zion) where many holy sites reside. 

Highlights from our first few days include:

1. Enjoying walks around Jerusalem

• These have been treasured moments taking the time to acclimate, explore and discover our new home (and learn more about each other too).

• Discovering the best eats 

• We’ve had everything from tasty falafel in the Old City to delicious pizza and tacos in West Jerusalem.

2. Helping harvest grapes at JUC (JUC grows several fruit varieties throughout the year)

• This is a prime example of what makes JUC so special — this is a place you truly get to experience the seasons and agricultural calendar referenced in the Bible. John 15:5 came to mind as we were cleaning and clipping the grapes, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

3. Experiencing our first “sirens” with a comfort and calmness 

• On our third night in Israel we had our first siren experience. These are an alarm for missile / rocket attacks. This sounds incredibly intimidating to a Westerner, but this is part of daily life here in Israel. Because of the close communication with our contacts in Jerusalem leading up to our trip, we came aware and prepared that siren moments would come. At around 5:30AM, Tay and I quickly got dressed and scampered down the stairs of our AirBnB to the bottom floor of the apartment building. Other local tenants headed down the stairs with us. When we got down there, we sat against the walls on the floor. It was early in the morning and no one spoke. Tay and I glanced around, almost looking to the others for some semblance of what we should be doing or how we should be feeling. Smiles started to crack across the dimly lit room as several families with young children goofed around, unbothered by the experience. One little baby (probably a 1 year old) was the highlight of the moment. The baby had large dark eyes and the widest smile, which proved to be contagious for all of us. As the baby’s smiley expression and the laughter of the children echoed, so did our nerves relax. During one of our many seasons of prayer and God’s affirmations before arriving to Israel, Tayler said to me, “I love you enough to get in a bomb shelter with you.” It turns out, she was telling the truth! 

Some of you reading may know this, but we have actually been praying about studying long-term in Israel for several years (even before we were married). In that time, Tay and I have been struck often by God’s provision for us. The journey didn’t start the day we arrived in Israel — the journey started long ago. Already we have stories of God’s providence and glory before we stepped foot off the plane or opened a textbook. His Word has been active, living and breathing on our lives. We’re hopeful that through these letters we may share some insight and context to daily life here and the miraculous things God is doing in the big and small moments. There have been mighty movements of His hand to be sure, but we often find that His peace and provision are found in the ordinary. We consider ourselves “small moments” people — and by that we mean we try to be people who appreciate and live in God’s presence in the present every day, not just in the spectacular “part the Red Sea” moments. The smaller, intimate moments are what make up a life. That said, we’ll do our best to share a little bit of everything we’re experiencing here. Traveling and studying in the Middle East is a privilege and wonderful adventure, so we won’t hide that aspect (we plan to enjoy it to the fullest)! At the same time, there are sacrifices that come with being in a strange land and far from home, away from family and friends. There is room for joy, excitement and wonder as much as there is for change and even sadness.

We want you to know we have a posture of great joy and wonder for what God will say and do in our time here. We do not have a spirit of fear or uncertainty about being here. The lessons and faithfulness He has bestowed before we even arrived have prepared the ground for what is a special year to come. 

God’s provision is what stands out when we think about our journey to Israel. And God’s provision is what we will remember and hold onto during our time here (and forever after). That’s why this week’s letter is named, “Manna.” In the Exodus story, God provided the abnormal, heavenly sustenance that cloaked the desert scape like snowflakes so that the Israelites could eat, and they did so for forty years before entering Canaan. The text says that Moses received the LORD’s command that they keep some of it “…for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt” (Exodus 16:32). In a way, these letters and our stories shared are to serve as a remembrance and praise of what God has done and is doing in our lives. We write them and keep them so we can remember who God is and what God does. Tay and I are rather private people — and social media isn’t our natural game. However, we do feel part of God calling us here is to share this experience outside of ourselves. And while we plan to be fully present, we also desire to honor that calling and share the  stories of God’s manna in our lives. 

If you want to know how you can pray for us..

Prayer requests:

1. Tayler’s Time in Israel

• Tay has been working diligently these last few months to establish a path forward for working in Israel; it has been a roller coaster journey to say the least. There are currently still questions up in the air about if it is feasible to work in Israel or if God will close that door for her. Please pray that God reveals what His will is and opens the right door for her time here in Israel.

2. Acclimation

• It’s probably not a secret that moving to the Middle East is a big adjustment. Please pray for our marriage and that we adjust well together. Please pray that I (Grant) can start strong in my studies as I work towards my MA. 

3. God’s voice

• Pray that we seek and hear Him clearly. There is so much opportunity to experience God in this special place. We don’t want to miss a thing.

With love,

Grant & Tayler 

Week 1 Adventures

Move-in Day at JUC!