Akko/ Acre

Thomas and I took a short adventure one afternoon further up north to a city called Akko, which has one of the oldest ports in the world. I posted pictures below of our boat ride we took around the harbor. Akko, like Jerusalem is a walled in city that is filled with markets and street vendors, (as most cities here are) underground Crusader halls, museums and much more. To be honest, I haven't done much research on the city of Akko so I am only sharing the information I have and what we learned while visiting. We didn't do much touring inside the walls as we normally do. We decided to just enjoy the afternoon by walking around the port. We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the atmosphere inside the city as well as the port. Akko is a place we will diffidently be at again. Enjoy the pictures :)

For those of you who may want more information on Akko here is a link I found
 http://www.akko.org.il/english/main/default.asp

 Inside the city walls of Akko, headed to the port. Homes to the left and right of us.

 No, we didn't try this ice-cream place out, but we sure wanted too! Maybe next time :)

 My sweet husband at the port! We sure loved all the fishing boats and sail boats :)

 Wonderful fresh fruit smoothies!

 Our boat!

 Thomas was interested in the fishermen!

 Young boys were giving donkey rides to children around the port.

Cheap spices and nuts -Wonderful find for me!!

Basketball Updates & Pictures

 Away Game- Fans putting up their team signs while drumming- The game was LOUD! :)

 Men of the team...

 Women of the team!!!

 Thomas and Starkman warming up

 I enjoy looking at all the team sponsors on the walls in Hebrew :)

 Line-up

 Three is good!!!

 And 1 play!

To meet the starting five for Megido click on the link  http://www.eurobasket.com/team.asp?Cntry=ISR&Team=8455

Yokneam/Megido is now 1-2 for the regular season. Next game this coming Tuesday at home!

Recent Interview

 

I thought some of you might be interested in an interview my former roommate, Brittany Wilson has recently done on my life in Israel. This was a class assignment that she hopes to get published in  the Gardner-Webb University seasonal magazine. Hope you enjoy!!!

Small places, Same faces

By Brittany Wilson

 

Q. How has your relationship with fellow Alumni and Gardner-Webb basketball player Thomas Sanders matured since you graduated from Gardner-Webb University?

 

A. Our relationship was difficult earlier on as Thomas spent most of his time overseas playing basketball while I was still in school. However, I was able to visit him during breaks throughout the school year while he was in Spain and Iceland. Since our marriage in June, we moved to Israel and are thoroughly enjoying our time together.

 

Q. How did you react to Thomas’s offer to play in the Middle East?

 

A. After our marriage, we decided if Thomas accepted a contract this year, we would go together. After serious consideration and continuous prayer, my heart was finally at peace knowing this was the Lord’s plan for the next couple years of our life together. I was excited to know I could explore the Holy Land I had spent a lifetime learning about. Thomas signed a two-year contract with Euro league powerhouse club Maccabi Tel-Aviv. This season he is on loan from Maccabi Tel-Aviv to a club in northern Galilee called Yoqneam, Megiddo. So far, this has been a great decision for the both of us and we have no regrets as we continue to seek the Lord in his land.

 

Q. Which historical sites have you visited?

 

A. We have visited to the Old City Of Jerusalem on three separate occasions. During the course of our visits we walked the Via Delarosa, Golgotha, he Western Wall, Masada, the Dead Sea, The Mount of Olives and numerous other fascinating places. My favorite site thus far has been the Garden of Gethsemane, which is mentioned in the gospels as the place where Jesus prayed one of his most famous prayers of agony prior to his arrest and crucifixion and where Judas Iscariot betrayed him with a kiss. The garden was full of beautiful flowers and olive trees, but gave me such a quiet and peaceful feeling. Visiting the Holy Land and seeing so many places where Jesus actually walked and performed miracles is such a humbling feeling. It is so hard to comprehend how the birthplace of humanity and Christianity can be packed into such a small country. It’s simply incredible.

 

Q. Do you think living in Israel will make your faith grow stronger?

 

A. I think there is defiantly a difference between understanding the Bible and walking the same paths our Lord walked.  I already feel a stronger sense of closeness than I did upon my arrival, partly due to my desire to draw nearer to Him than ever before. The sites and the holy places in of themselves have not, and will not make our faith any stronger. They are incredible to see, as this was the land and the places where our Lord once lived.  However, our Faith is in a King who died for us, and our sins, and not in places or ancient artifacts of History.  Nevertheless what we can say is that as we are excited to be learning the geography and history of this amazing country. Through this experience we are gaining a stronger understanding of his word, and the journey he took his people on both in the New and Old Testament. 

 

Q. How does Boiling Springs, NC relate to the small town you reside in?

 

A. We both enjoyed the benefits of a small town in Boiling Springs because of how connected it made us feel to the people around us. We now reside in a small village consisting of about one hundred Jewish families that’s located in northern Israel, overlooking the Jezreel Valley. Once again, we really appreciate the slow pace of life we are accustomed to, however the church we are attending is very different. It is a Messianic Christian church located in the Mediterranean coastal city of Haifa. The consistent warm weather allows the service to be held on the large patio surrounding the outer walls of the church creating a unique atmosphere with its openness and fresh air. Since the people are extremely diverse, services are translated into Hebrew, English, Arabic, and Russian. The pastor has to stop every few sentences to allow a translator to relay his message to the Hebrew congregation. 

 

Q. Culturally, what’s hardest to adapt to?

 

A. For me it has mostly been the lack of familiarity within the aspects of driving and food. An odd but comforting adjustment has been the constant presence of the Israeli military personal. At first this was strange for me, that in virtually every restaurant, gas station, and park I would see young soldiers with sub-machine guns strapped to their sides. Every Israeli citizen is required to serve at least two years in the military and honor their country by being ready to defend their people at all times. Now, I find their presence very comforting, particularly in places of hostility and large crowds.

 

Q.  What are some of your personal plans for the duration of your stay?

 

A. After years of school I’m grateful to just simply relax. I realize this opportunity is once in a lifetime, so I plan to explore and travel often. I’ve arranged to volunteer by providing care for African refugees; mothers and children rescued from crossing the boarder because I’ve always had a desire to work with orphan. I also have started a blog. Once we got here, I wanted to provide a way for our family and friends to follow us to the places and experience the while discovering our place in this country. It became a way for me to post pictures and express my feelings and thoughts on the places we were going to visit, plus track Thomas’ season. This blog has become apart of my daily ritual to share all that’s going on in our live in Megiddo, Israel.

Brittany Wilson

Special thanks to Britt for choosing me to interview!!! Love you. 

The Month of Holidays

Yokneam/Megido opened up with their first regular season game last Tuesday night against Kiryat Tivon. The game was played at Kiryat Tivon’s home court. Thomas’s team travels to all their games in two vans because of the close proximity, which I am allowed to come along in as wellJ. Don’t you know that just delights me! All the games are played here in Israel and the farthest away game is no more than two hours. All home games are played in the next village over that’s only about five minutes away. Now, on with the game stats! Thomas had an amazing first game with 23 pts, 17rebs. 4 assist, and 4 steals in the 36 minutes he played! Both Americans, Thomas and Almaad Jackson (also from TexasJ) led the team in minutes and points. The gym was packed full of families and young children supporting and cheering the teams on with drums and air horns which gave the game a great atmosphere, but Megido left the court with a 7 point loss, 83-76. With not much time to think about the loss Yokneam/ Megido will open up with their first home game this Tuesday night against Maccabi Beer Yaakov. I’m looking forward to the first home game and getting to know the local crowd and supporters of Megido!

           

                                               
Coach to the left in white, Thomas, assistant coach in black, strength coach in orange

                                                     #4 Sanders

          

Since being in Israel, Thomas and I have had the opportunity to experience lots of the Jewish Holidays some of which we have already shared with you. The latest two we have had a chance to participate in were Yom Kippur and Sukkoth. Yom Kippur (October 8^th) is considered to be the Day of Atonement and is the most solemn day of the Jewish year. As we observed and learned about the history of this Holiday, we found that most Orthodox and traditional Jews will fast from food and water for the 24 hour period and commit to prayer during this time. As many explained to us, this is a day in which the Jewish community comes before God in their homes, synagogues, or even at the Western Wall to pray for forgiveness. During this Holiday, much of the country comes to a halt, especially in Jewish communities. Almost all the roads are empty, and no one is expected to drive on this particular day.

Thomas and I didn’t fast during Yom Kippur but we did however set aside time to pray and ask the Lord to draw near to us during this time and to continue to show and to teach us about his country.

Sukkoth (October 13^th) is known as the Feast of Tabernacles.  This is a Holiday that Jewish families build open-roof huts or shelters called sukkot on their porches or in their backyards.  This tradition is to remember the makeshift lodging of the Hebrew people under the leadership of Moses as they wandered in the desert for 40 years as nomads. The Sukkots are all designed with palm branch, or other permeable roof-tops, so that you can see the stars as you sleep.  This Tradition is also to commemorate the way life would have been thousands of years ago for the Hebrew people. Orthodox and traditional Jews will eat most of their meals in the sukkot and some will even sleep there for the duration of the holiday (7days). We were invited by our neighbors on Wednesday evening to have the first meal in their sukkah. Israel (the father) had been preparing and building this sukkot ever since Yom kippur and we had no idea what it was until a few days before when we learned there was another holiday approaching. Thomas and I kept guessing what it was going to be. I thought it was going to be a greenhouse for plants or some type of shelter for his wife to garden in and Thomas was sure it was going to be another addition to their house. As you have read, we were both wrong. It was to be a sukkot. The meal was done the same way as Shabbat but brought a much different atmosphere being in the sukkah eating.  The sukkah was creatively decorated by drapes of dates, old artwork from Israel’s daughter’s and family pictures. The roof was covered with bamboo and palm leaves that allowed you to still see the night sky and the bright stars as you ate. Next Thursday (October 20^th) marks the last day of the Sukkoth festival season called Simhat Torah. On this day, those reading the Torah will finish and immediately begin the annual cycle again. 

Below are pictures I took of different Sukkot's in the area. The first picture is our neighbors and the second one is the inside of it where we ate. The last two are other sukkot's I thought we unique and wanted to share. 

 Thomas and I went to a Sukkoth celebration at a near by village the evening after we ate with our neighbors in their sukkah. The celebration consisted of several dances that represented the Hebrew people as they walked through the Egyptian desert.

           This dance with the palm leaves represented the Hebrew departure from Egyptian slavery.

           This dance was done by the children to represent the building of a sukkot.

         The meaning of this dance with the colorful dresses was to show Jews should offer good hospitality during this holiday.

                    

This final dance represented praying for the rain for their crops they had planted.

With much thanks to Grandpa Sanders :), who shared a preview of an I-Max movie that will be showing in 2013 on Jerusalem, I would like to share with you all as well. Thomas and I have traveled to many of the sites they show and discuss in this preview clip, and we can’t wait for this I-Max to be released. 

Jerusalem  To watch the 7 minute preview click on the link to the left, Jerusalem.

Special thanks to my mom and dad whose packaged arrived this week!!! We sure have been enjoying all our goodies!! Thank you!! Love you. 

Kehilat HaCarmel

Thomas and I had the privilege to visit our first church this past Saturday morning. Our first attempt a couple weeks ago didn’t go so well as living in a foreign country it’s rare you find things on the first try.

Kehilat HaCarmel is a Messianic Christian church located on the top of Mount Carmel that began worshiping together in 1991 and now resides in a new facility built entirely by volunteers in 1998. Kehilat HaCarmel is located in the Mediterranean coastal city of Haifa and because of its unique location at the highest point on Mount Carmel it offers panoramic views of the city and the surrounding countryside. Since the weather here is warm the majority of the year, the church is built with large patio’s surrounding the outer walls of the church isles. This allows for the church to open the large garage style doors and have member/visitors sit out on the patio to worship during the service. It really creates a special atmosphere, with its openness and fresh air. With this being said you can only imagine where Thomas and I chose to sit J.

            Our worship service is translated into four different languages; Hebrew, English, Arabic, and Russian. Really a multicultural church experience! It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of worship; I wish everyone had the chance to experience it for themselves. Interesting note: Because of the diversity of people groups and languages here in Israel, the pastor has to stop every few sentences and allow a translator to relay his message to the Hebrew congregation. Also the praise music is entirely in Hebrew. We like this, as we often recognize the songs, and then learn to sing them in Hebrew along with everyone else; an incredible feeling. One song in particular that we have caught on to really well and I would like to share is called Kadosh Atah ( You are Holy). This has been a favorite as Thomas and I play it several times a day and sing a long at home! For those of you wishing to hear it, here is the link-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N_BMtftbFg

Directly below the video there is an option to click on “show more” which will allow you to see the words if you want to learn and sing along as well. This song is beautifully sung and I must admit I get chills every time I listen to this song in the stillness of our Lord.

Kehilat HaCarmel provides humanitarian aid through delivering food packages to needy families from all backgrounds, and running a clothing distribution center. They also seek to help the local and surrounding people by providing a shelter located just below the church (100 yards) for domestic abuse, crisis pregnancies, and severe economic situations. Just recently, Kehilat HaCarmel has been open to refugees from Darfur, southern Sudan, and Eritrea who have suffered the horrors of war and genocide, and are seeking refuge. Many of the women come pregnant and with young children as their husbands are imprisoned in their own countries or here in Israel. They also care for children who were forcefully separated from their parents while crossing the border from Egypt. (Information provided by Kehilat HaCarmel website) Those seeking to learn more about this church we are currently visiting I have attached the link for you below.

http://www.carmel-assembly.org.il/home.html

Since arriving in Israel I have been enjoying my time relaxing, working out, and hanging out with my Thomas. I have been soaking up every minute of this experience, realizing that this is an opportunity of a life time! However this past Saturday at Kehilat HaCarmel the Lord may have opened up another opportunity for me. While here in Israel I’m planning to start volunteering at the women’s shelter/ African refugee camp. I have always had a desire to work with orphans and this opportunity presented itself in the midst of seeking the Lords will for me while here. I see this as a way God may use me and I’m so excited to see his plan in this and what he has in store for me this year as I allow him to move in my life. Please be in prayer for me as I start my first day this coming Sunday, October 9^th.

I’ll post pictures of the church and area soon. I didn’t have my camera with me last week.