Miscellaneous

No major theme this week just some miscellaneous photos. The Municipality of Jerusalem began erecting new "neighborhood" signs in Hebrew, Arabic, and trans-literated Hebrew in English. The sign below is at the entrance to my complex. HaMoshava HaGermanit is "the Colony of the Germans" (the German Colony).

Through the flowers, this old street sign says Haim Bajayo. I live at 11 /9 Haim Bajayo, which is building 11, apartment 9. It is an experience to try and tell the bank or car rental agency where I live. Haim Bajayo sounds half Jewish, half Spanish to me. Plus it is not a street with heavy traffic but just bricked pavement for the complex. Tenants park underground like a hotel or business.

My geraniums are looking good. Karen, the IDF coordinator, planted them for me a few months ago. She told me to water them every other day and include a little plant fertilizer every other week. Since that is all I know about flowers, that's what I do. My neighbors have offered to water them anytime I am away. I'm glad they like them. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18.

My living room window geraniums are also doing well.

A date palm tree outside my second bedroom window. The yellow in the center are young, growing dates. This tree hides the street from me and vice versa.

On Friday, at the Distribution Center, we received a shipment of clothes from England. The driver was able to back in the first time with 6 inches to spare on both sides. It was a full shipment of 1200 boxes of clothing. Praise God! I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Matthew 25:36.

The container had to be "turned around" quickly, so we unloaded the boxes in the street and separated them by Men's, Ladies, Children, Mixed, and Special. Those shipping boxes are instructed to describe the contents of each box with an "M", "L", etc. The only problem with this is that we would have to pick up every box twice. But that's ok. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Hebrews 6:10.

About an hour later.

Then it took us about another hour or so to get the boxes inside. The Lord Jesus provides just enough volunteers for us to able to form a "line" and pass the boxes along. During one of the quick breaks, I took this photo of the "end of the line" into the clothing storage room. In addition to being the IDF Coordinator and knowing how to plant geraniums, Karen, from Nebraska, is not afraid of hard work and unloading containers.

After we were finished, these young men posed for me in the storage room. The room was empty when we started. Now over the next several weeks, the volunteers at the Distribution Center (DC) will sort out the clothes for the poor and needy that come in daily to the DC. Then the Lord Jesus will send us just the right amount of boxes and we will fill the room once again. He knows the beginning from the end. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8.

After we were through, I walked over to the Central Bus Station to catch a ride back to CFI's main office. While I was waiting, the Jerusalem Double-Decker Tour Bus #99 was there. I have not toured the city yet on #99, but probably will in the fall when it's cooler on the upper deck.

Jerusalem is building a light rail system to help facilitate the growth and replace some buses. As you enter Jerusalem on Highway 1 from Tel Aviv, you will see this recently completed light rail bridge. The design is like David's Harp and is nicknamed the "string bridge". I should be able to get a better close-up photo later.

Jerusalem's Central Bus Station on west Jaffa Road.

The light rail system construction has reached Jaffa Road in the City Center where we work. This is the very congested intersection of King George and Jaffa. Buses only are reduced to one lane of traffic in one direction. No taxis. No personal cars. No place for pedestrians either. You sort of just get out in the road and start walking.

Jaffa Road at Zion Square where the one lane of buses travel in the opposite direction to King George. The buses actually face each other in the same lane when stopped. All buses have to turn either north or south at that intersection.

Walkway across Jaffa Road to Zion Square at the foot of Ben Yehuda. If we open the windows at work, you hear plenty of jackhammers, cranes, and construction noise. That's good! We need to be looking up for the Lord Jesus! But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations. You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come. For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, And show favor to her dust. So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD, And all the kings of the earth Your glory. For the LORD shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory. Psalm 102:12-16.