"A Blast from the Past," or so it seemed. Upon arrival in Israel 3 days ago we met some friends at a popular shopping mall near the airport. I knew our quest would take us to some historical places, but I didn't expect this! (Don't worry, they're not real.)

This was just a small surprise from our initial days - which are common in international travel - but here are a few more serious ones:

-How expensive a taxi is on the Sabbath
-How in your face the culture can be
-How open people are to talking about what Americans would consider too deep for public conversations (i.e.- religion and personal faith)
-How clear the Muslim call to prayer echoes through the valley beneath my hotel
-How beautiful the Kibbutz is that we're staying at
-How much fun it can be to learn another language, especially a "dead" one

Thank you for your prayer. Shalom