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!