Just one day left until I fly off to Israel on my four month sabbatical! I can hardly believe that the time has come. After my last time at aerobics this morning, I spent most of today trying to pack everything into two suitcases--and not exceed the 70 pound per bag limit. Having to take clothes for two seasons makes it more difficult to know what to include, and with my new "Home Repair Team" ministry responsibilities, I feel like I need more work clothes for outdoors as well as indoors. However, everything made it into my two bags, and I think I am safely under the weight limit for each one. My carry-on is sure heavy though! British Airways only allows one item--period--and so I had to repack my laptop and its accessories into my other carry-on, which already has books and magazines, camera items, folders with all of my important papers, ipod gear, and miscellaneous stuff.

Yesterday was my last Sunday at church until July. I gave a report about my sabbatical, my new ministry role, where I will be living (so close to all the holy sites!), and thanked everyone who contributed to my sabbatical fund. I have received more than $3000 over my budget of $9000! The generosity of my congregation is awesome to me, and I could sense their strong interest and support and love as I stood before them yesterday.

Then I received quite a surprise from the guys in my Wednesday morning Bible study group! Three of them came to the platform with an Ace Hardward bag, loaded with construction gear, and proceeded to deck me out in all of the paraphernalia of a home repair geek! Gary Hamaguchi sort of narrated this part, making spiritual parallels to each of the items that Bob Diliberto and Ed Montague were putting on me (e.g. knee pads--for the hours I will be spending in prayer). Next, Carolyn Ahlem came and presented me with a beautiful leather yarmulke, inscribed with a verse from Isaiah, so I will be prepared to enter all of the Jewish holy sites with a proper headcovering. Finally, Pastor Bruce invited people to come and lay hands on me as he prayed for me, for my sabbatical experience, and for the church, as I take this four month break from my ministry roles here in Hilmar. It was very powerful being surrounded by my church family and to receive this physical act of blessing and affirmation from them.

My next post will be coming to you from my new home in Jerusalem! Please keep me in your prayers as I fly from San Francisco to London, then on to Tel Aviv, arriving early Thursday morning in Jerusalem, the City of Peace. Shalom!

It's offical! I will no longer be working in the "Operation Ezra" food distribution ministry during my sabbatical. Instead, I will be working with the "Home Repair Team" ministry! Doing renovation work, cleanup, and repairs on the homes and apartments of the poor and elderly around Jerusalem, general maintenance of the BFP facilities and apartments, and involved in the recreation of the "Biblical Land of the Bible Experience," which is a new addition to BFP's educational ministries. Here's the email I received from BFP about my willingness to work in a different ministry:

Hi Dan,
We are so encouraged and thrilled that you have decided to accept the
redirection of your position while you are here. As to the work, you
will not have any problems as far as special skills, etc. There will be
someone on hand at all times to oversee the jobs and I am sure you will
have much variety. We feel confident that you will greatly fit in with
this team and will enjoy working with everyone involved. You will do
great and we are all looking forward to your arrival!
Dan, if you have any last-minute questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let us know. As to the political situation currently, we are
all just rejoicing in the confidence of knowing that God is in control
here in Israel.
May God bless your every detail of preparations as you embark on your
voyage.
Blessings and Shalom.
Fran

You can all pray for me, that I don't electrocute myself or cause a flood doing plumbing work on someone's apartment! This is going to be a more interesting experience than just being stuck in the food warehouse all day, so I am even more excited about what lies ahead for me, once I arrive in Jerusalem.

Also, I have been looking into the possibility of getting to Cairo, Egypt during my sabbatical. My "Friends of the Persecuted Church" group has been writing to and supporting a Christian prisoner in jail there, and I would love to be able to surprise "Jacob" and show up in person to visit him! The problem is how to get to Cairo, and to make the connections to get in to see Jacob. The woman who helps us get money to the Christian prisoners told me it is a ten hour bus ride, often with a 6 to 8 hour wait at the border to get across. However, yesterday I found an El Al flight that goes from Tel Aviv to Cairo and back--in just 30 minutes--for about $440, so this might make it more feasible for me to go see Jacob. Please pray about this too. Wouldn't it be amazing for me to actually get to see Jacob in person and show my support and encouragement to him in this tangible way? Since my church family has been more than generous with funding my sabbatical, and since the whole congregation has also been involved in raising money for Jacob and the other Christian prisoners, I think this would be an excellent use of the extra funds that I now have in my sabbatical account. We'll see what happens!

I received an interesting email from "Bridges For Peace" earlier this week, asking if I would be willing to switch from the Exra Project food distribution ministry to the Home Repair Team ministry! Doing wiring, plumbing, plastering, etc. to fix up the homes and apartments of Jewish families who can't afford it. I wrote back and said I am willing to do whatever they need me to do, but that I have very few maintenance/building skills (my brother, Don, got most of the "construction genes" in our family!). Actually, this would be more interesting and varied work, getting out all over Jerusalem and into the residences of the people, sometimes for days at a time for large work projects. I think the Home Repair Team would give me more opportunities to build relationships with the people, so I am ready to go ahead with this work, if BFP assigns me to it. Stay tuned for the details.