Jerusalem on Friday

Today we went to Jerusalem.

Aaron and Brenda needed to get new passports, so we did that then went for a late lunch at the Focaccia Bar where I had a lovely Focaccia salad, which is a lettuce salad with lots of tomatoes, GARLIC!!!, onion, bell pepper and yummy beef marinated in a teriyaki. Along with this HUGE salad (which I shared) I had focaccia bread with goat cheese (Very good!), garlic and roasted tomatoes. For beverage I had a lovely lemonade which was fresh squeezed lemon with shaved ice and fresh mint leaf. Yum! Indeed I ate quit well. Oh, not to forget the Grand Finale: a double cappuccino. It was good but a bit weak... However, since I had 2 large cups of coffee at breakfast (after a few hours of restless sleep), I was buzzing all the same.

Then, stomach's quite full, we walked to the Old City. The walls of the Old City are those that were started during the Crusades and finished by the Turks. Very impressive and the arches and narrow alleys are lovely. Aaron and Brenda used to live near the Old City so many old friends were met along the way. We went into one jeweler's shop where I purchased a ring (“I am my beloved's and He is mine” written in Hebrew). The shop keeper, a friend of A and B's, prepared traditional Arabic coffee for us: very strong, very sweet with a touch of cardamom (I think). Wow! I am buzzing again!! We also visited the owner of a falafel restaurant (No, we did not eat again!). He, like the jeweler, is an Arabic Christian and arranges the conferences for Benny Hinn when he comes to Israel. By now it was coming onto 6:30 and we had a Shabbat dinner planned at the home of a Argentinian Jewish Christian family so we headed out of the Old City.

What a wonderful family! The single mom takes care of 7 (count them...seven!) kids ranging in age from 'almost 12' to 23. Soon after our arrival at the apartment, the 5 students who are attending A and B's Discovery 2010 class came with 5 pizza's. Needless to say, I did not eat the pizza, due to an overstuffed stomach, though I did have the Shabbat bread and sip of wine that is passed around after the Sabbath prayers. After dinner we ministered to the family prophetically. It was a powerful time and a lovely time. Such a beautiful family!