crissTcross

Update: I am in Arizona again and here are my thoughts....

copperscrl — Thu, 8 May 2008 21:36:00 GMT

Hey!

It has been a while since I last blogged on this page. My life has been a bit crazy. I have definitely had mixed reviews about my trip to Israel, but for better or worse it has changed my views on life.

I have definitely devoted many hours to updating people on world events and political issues, with occasional opinions of my own. But after visiting a country shrouded in biased opinions and media coverage, I am not as passionate about politics anymore.

Politics in itself is worthless. I know what many of you are thinking, but it is empty and full of hypocrites on every side. The world is corrupt and sin is decaying our planet. Many people believe in diplomacy! That we can talk to everyone and reason with everyone.

How many people have tried going to the worst part of town and negotiating with a gang member? How many people watch CSI? How many people lock their doors at night? One more: How many people stop and have lunch with a homeless person?

Having lunch with a homeless person....hmmmm...What could that have to do with anything. Human nature! Survival of the fittest? Pride!

How about the age old arguement that religion has been the cause of almost every war! But the answer is NO. War is started by Pride. You think your race is superior, your have a right to someone elses property, or your religion gives you the right to do anything! Pride is what makes a person hurt another. It gives you power over another human (even for a breif moment).

Many of us will not do horrific crimes against humanity. But their are evil people in this world who will! Since the fall of man, at the beginning of creation, there has been evil. The Bible talks about how sin has corrupted this world and is embedded in us from birth. An ancient path passed down through each generation.

The only salvation from this path of sin and destruction is the Lord Jesus Christ. He broke the evil and it's hold on us by paying the ultimate price of death on the cross. He bore what we should all have to take as our judgement. In doing so we can be cleansed of our past and take our seat with our Heavenly Father, God!

But this does not take away the corruption left in this world. Many will choose to be apart from Him. Many will choose evil and destruction. This was all prophecied over 2000 years ago in books such as Isaiah and Ezekiel, not to mention Revelations.

There are many God has called to stand up against evil in government positions, but ultimately they are holding back evil, not stopping it! That is why our faith must be in Jesus Christ and God's word. Our time is short and this is not our world! We are hear to spread the love of the Most High God and be a light in a dark world.

Do not get comfortable here. Do not put your trust in men to save you. Do not worry about the future!

But we must be informed....Informed on how to pray. How to help those in need. How to know who is in need. How to pray for those men and women that God puts in political positions to stand against evil. How to pray for our enemies and forgive them. How to love every culture and race. How to comfort them and see their hurts How to bear eachothers burdens and love them unconditionally.

Love the person, but hate the sin.

Pray for everyone!
Plan for years of God's work!
But prepare for His coming today!

We only have one short life! Make God proud! Stand in the light and love your enemies!

I want my knees bloody when I get to heaven! - Lt. Gen. William "Jerry" Boykin: Epicenter Conference

In Christ!
Copperscrl

I Love Israel

copperscrl — Sat, 8 Mar 2008 08:50:00 GMT

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to apologies to everyone for being so vague about my last month and a half here in Israel. I have been sending updates about the conflict between the Arabs and Israel, but not how great and safe my trip has been. I am very passionate about politics and interaction between people groups, not because I am afraid of something happening to me, but to see god in the situations. also, to be informed on how to pray.

I spent the month of February with a lovely Messianic Family (Christian Jewish family) who live near Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee. I saw tons of archaeological dis and historical sites. Great hiking around that area and I even had the opportunity to visit a great Vineyard in the Golan heights as well as sledding in the snow on Mount Hermon.

I visit a young adults bible study that was in Hebrew my first day staying with them and it was completely in Hebrew. It was great though because they had a translator for the three of us English speakers. Several of the songs I recognised and started singing in English, so afterwards several people asked me if I new Hebrew because I was singing. It was very encouraging to meet all of them and hear how different it is for them in such a Jewish, Muslim, or secular only society.

I am picking up on some hebrew words and phraises. I would love to come and live here for a time and learn Hebrew. To read God's word in the original text and not someones translation of it. Who knows what doors the Lord will open.

I have also been very brave and taken buses everywhere. For those who know how shy I used to be when I was a freshman in high school, then you would understand how big that is for me. I have learned to say destinations in Hebrew and not English. Sea of Galilee is the Kinneret, etc. I did get very lost one day and stuck in Nazareth becuase I couldn't find the right bus or read hebrew. But the Lord provided me with a very expensive taxi, lol. Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The Lord is very good at humbling me and teaching me to relax and rely completely on him. Very good lessons to learn.

Life in Israel is similar in some ways to America, but there is more of a sense of dropping in and visiting one another more. There produce is so amazing here. Like picking an apple off the tree good! The cost of living is high though and the salaries are lower than minimum wage in the states. Those with degrees get paid less than a house keeper or tutor. So debt is almost as high as the states here.

The sense of safety is very high here. Even with Gaza and Lebanon, etc. It is just a way of life to live each day because war is always nearby. I actually feel safer here than in the staes because crime is lower. There is terrorism, but not in the main parts of Israel. Also you see soldiers everywhere. On the buses, shopping, etc. Everyone joins the military for 3 years after high school, unless you are married or hessidic jew.

Now I am in Kefar Yona near Netanya on the coast. The Lord lead me to a family here that works with Chosen Peoples ministries and the father is in the states fundraising and speaking with churches about praying for Israel. They have a 2 month old baby gril, 4 year old boy, and a 7 year old girl. So, I am helping out untill the father returns. I am loving taking care of an infant again. She is so sweet and precious. The boy understands english, but only speaks hebrew, so it has been interesting, but i can go off of yes and no answers with him. The older girl loves Jewish folk dancing and has been trying to teach me.

I am also loving the tradition of shabbat meal. The lighting of the candles, prayer. singing, and breaking bread and drinking wine together. L'chaim to Life!

Well, I am gonna go take care of the baby now. God bless! I will write better updates later.

Crystal

Snow!

copperscrl — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 07:47:00 GMT

I am excited to say that after days of locals crying "it is gonna snow!" It snowed last night. It is a bit sluchy, but the city looks amazing!

To catch eveyrone up on my activities. I went to Hebron in the West Bank last Wednesday and we delivered blankets and hats to several families. We had to do it descrietly because it could be bad for the families who received blankets and the other families will get jealous...sometimes violent. We took a taxi around from house to house, but we were still a bit obvious because very few white poeple travel to that refugee camp. It was amazing to go into these homes and see how empty their homes are, but they try and make their living room as welcoming as possible. They offered us coffe and tea at several homes and the children's heads all peaking around the corner was so cute.

That evening we went to a settlement near Hebron for Jewsih settlers and it was shocking. They believe they are more israeli that Israelis born in Israel. They have terrorized the Arabic community there by pour hot water on them in the street and throwing fridges into the street. It was a ghost town because they had driven a majority of the people out. Star of David;s were grafitied on several doors and "all arabs must be gased" was on a stone wall. The thing is though....they are not only attacking the arabs, but they are attacking the police and army who are their to protect them. They hate anyone who is not them. They are becoming a huge problem because these settlements are built on hills like a fort, so how can the israeli's stop them? Attack their own cities? It is an untold story that I believe is at the heart of the Palestinian problem. They are a problem for both sides of the wall and I am sure God is weeping over their sins.

We also breifly saw Abraham and Sarahs tomb in Hebron. Of course no one is sure it it is the one, but it was nice to see. We did meet up with two soldiers who agreed to take a picture with the guys. Later on we saw how board they were because one was doing push-ups and Mattias decided to join in and show them how it is done. He was only about to do 10 push-ups without all their gear, so it was quite hilarious.

The next day I did laundry and walked the Via Delorosa. The stations itself didn't really move me beyond repect, but the prison where Jesus and Barnabus were held was hard to take. They are very psotive of that location because it is the only Roman prison in the old city lines. Barnabus's cell was a hole big enough for him to stand with bars over it. While Jesus' tomb was a cell with two holes big enough for his legs. The his legs were chained underneath, so he had to stand in these holes for the duration of his stay there. (For those who don't remember the name Barnabus....he was the criminal whom the Jews wanted to release insteab of Jews during the passover}.

Friday I slept in and in the evening the owner of the hostel where I am staying invited a few of us to his parents home in Ramallah for a BBQ. It was so good and his family was great. His nephew (who is 9 months) reached for me the moment I got there and I spent most of the evening playing with him. It seems ages since Ethan was that big, but at the same time it feels like yesterday. I know that is qliche, but so true.

On Saturday, I mostly relaxed and talked with people here at the hostel. I tried to teach Chris, the owner, cribbage and it was quite funny. He kept having to check people in,so it was slow going....but he was a good sport. I did talk with two English girls who are interning at the United Nations in Amman, Jordan. They invited me to stay with them and go see Petra and such while I am there. I may do that in March.

On sunday, I felt terribly sick, so I mostly stayed inside again. I have a bad cold and cough. It isn't very funny coughing and sneezing with 6 girls in your room. But Chirs, the owner, was very kind and made breakfast. We had eggs with red and green peppers....along with humus and falafuls. Oh and pita bread. I was so stuffed by the end. Falafuls and kababs are the main diet of everyone here because it is 6 sheckles and fills you up, but we have been trying to mix it up with spagetti and I had a quesadilla with guacamole on monday night. The gucamole was amazing, but I was so hungry.

On Monday, the two dutch journalists and I hiked Masada. It was quite an adventure, not just because of the hike, but because the bus driver who was taking us demanded we pay a second time after we had already bought a ticket. Mattias refused and he said he was going to call the police if we didn't calm down. It was so surreal, but he finally left us alone. My experince with the Israeli's has definitly been worse than the Palestinian community. It seems to be the consensus around Jerusalem about the jewish people, but I am hoping to see a kinder side when I head up to Tiberias on Friday.

The view was definitly amazing on Masada, but the hike was hard with my cold. I got a few pictures, but we arrived at the top a half an hour before it closed.

On Tuesday, we all stayed inside and tried to keep warm. I ventured out to find cold medication because I had misplaced mine. On the way back I found a coffee bean and dried off a bit there before pushing through the wind and rain back to the hostel. It was really nice to have tea and a scone at the Coffee Bean because it felt so much like home. I have been a little home sick, so the Lord knw I needed a little pick-me-up. The rest of the day we played hearts, rummy, and 31. I also kept my tissues close and went to bed earlier than usual.

Today I am hoping to meet up with a girl the Carpenter's daughter knows from Moody. She is studying hebrew here and working at a Messianic Jewish center. It may not happen because of the slush. Everyone who has ventured outside says the shops are all closed because of the snow. They have all rushed back in completely soaked and freezing. I would probably be best if I stayed in because of my cold, but I have been wanting to meet her so badly.

Be praying for my bus ride of to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. I am going to staying with friends of my Uncle and I am very excited about my own room....also Christian fellowship.

It was great hearing from you all and I will try and upload a couple pictures. It has been hard uploading pictures at this histel because the wireless is so jumpy. But I will keep trying.

God bless!

Jerusalem to West Bank

copperscrl — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:43:00 GMT

Sorry I have been so bad about writing. Thing shave been so crazy here ever since I arrived. I have met so many people from all over the world! God has blessed me in so many ways in just one week. I spent my first evening with a guy who showed me around the old city and even helped me sneak onto the old city wall so I could see the city at night. I wouldn't recommend the later one because it was a bit scary getting up there.

On monday I spent the day at the wailing wall and at the end of the day they had a ceremony for the latest military cadet graduates. They all looked so young, but I look 14 for my age....lol..... That night I met a guy from singapore that was planning on taking 160 blankets to a refugee camp near hebron and two dutch journalist were gonna go with him. They said I was more than welcome to go. For those who dont know....Hebron is a city in West Bank near Bethlehem. They were planning on going wednesday.

The next morning I woke up early again because I am sharing a room with 6 other girls (although it varies how many night to night). I got up to check my e-mail and one of the dutch guys came down and invited me to go with them to Ramallah. So, I threw on some clothes and before I knew it I was on a bus heading towards the West Bank ( I didn't know Ramallah was in the West Bank). We arrived and it was freezing and raining. We waited out the worst in a coffee shop and saw on the news about the demonstrations happening in Iran over the border closing in Gaza. Also, on monday all the arab shops were closed because of the issue in Gaza. For those who dont know.... Gaza has sent 150 or more rockets into israel last weekend and so Israel closed down the borders into Gaza. Keeping food, medical, electricity, and for a short time gas from going into Gaza. They still havent lifted the ban, but now Hamas has blown up the border with Egypt and thousands are going into Egypt. They are going in to get food for their families and Israel is telling Egypt to deal with the situation without their help.

After the weather calmed down we went to a shop and quickly I realized we were in a radical shop. You could buy everything from a hamas flag to a pendent for Al Quaida. The Police had just gone through there the day before and arrested 7 men and fined the shop for selling illegal radical muslim flags etc. I had no idea there were so many radical groups in palestine that are against eachother and Israel. Hamas and Fatah are not the only groups in Gaza and the west bank.

Then we saw Arafats grave and where his home stood before the Israeli military bulldozed it over. It was quite interesting and somewhat ironic being there. Then we headed up to Nablus and went through the check point to get in. Fifty some people were waiting in line to get back into Israel from the west bank. It was hard to see them standing there for hours in the rain just to get home.

Then our leader, David (the guy from singapore) took us to meet his friend who works at the main government building in Palestine. His story was definitly amazing. His family is pretty well known in the West bank because the Israeli police is constantly at their home. He has been held and interrogated several times because his brothers are wanted Hamas terrorists. They are arrested now and waiting on their sentencing. He said he has no animosity towards the israeli people, but would like to be left alone.

He gave us a tour around the old city of Nablus in the middle of the two famous mountains where Moses gave two speaches about good and bad. I am spacing the names at the moment. It was amazing to see how old it is and how narrow the streets are. He showed us where the israeli military blew up a house to make a road into the old city when they were going after terrorists in 2002. It was sad, but understandable from a military perspective.

After that we went to a refugee camp near by and met some of the children living there. It was abit unerving for me because the boys are very forward there and very open with western women in what they would like from you. Anyway, after that we headed back to Jerusalem and were able to pass the line through the check point into Israel. We all felt horrible that we didnt have to wait like the paletinians, but foreigners are always an exception in these places. It is a hard life for Palestinians here.

Well, I am gonna go, but I will try and write soon about how it went in Gaza! Also, be praying for the situation in Gaza and for the situation that just started near Ramallah. An Israeli soldier was just killed there yesterday by a
Palestinian and now the old city in Jerusalem is blocked off by police and the israeli military. They are checking every palestinians passports to see if they have a blue passport which means they are allowed in Jerusalem. A red and green one means you are not allowed to leave the west bank or gaza.

Well, i am off to Ramallah to visit a few villages near by.

Gallery: Dubai, India, Nepal

copperscrl — Tue, 8 Jan 2008 21:23:00 GMT

Dec-Jan 2008

Dubai to Delhi

copperscrl — Tue, 1 Jan 2008 13:39:00 GMT

January 1, 2008!

Happy New Year to everyone!

We have now arrived in Delhi, India. It is very foggy and smoggy here [which we were informed is a seasonal thing]. We were greeted with marigold necklaces and beautiful silk, embroidered shawls. As we drove through Delhi we told there are 16 million people living just in Delhi. That is more than the entire population of Arizona. We were approached by people young and old for money or food as we stopped at street lights. One thing India is known for is the constant begging and such, but it is hard to know how to respond. What I have isn’t enough to substantially help anyone, but we are to clothe and help the sick and poor. All I could do was put them in God’s hands and turn back to Ethan. May the Lord speak truth to me in this.

We passed by the embassies along the way as well. Huge buildings from Pakistan to Britain. Then India’s Presidential residence loomed before us. It was an enormous compound built during the time of British Rule in India. Near by was there Capital building which resembled Romanesque architecture in it’s circular state with columns surround it.

Then we arrived at our destination, The Imperial hotel. It was built between 1934 and 1936 by Blomfield and Lord Willingdon. It is very much like a museum and has priceless art throughout the hotel. It is British Victorian Colonial style with all the molding and elegant architecture. Stepping in our room was like stepping back in time. We were greeted the same way people were when it was built and were then seated inside while our driver checked us in.

We started our day driving through the poverty of humanity and ended our day in the comfort reserved for the royalty of India. May the Lord continue to speak truth to me and guide my steps.

Phoenix to Dubai

copperscrl — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 13:44:00 GMT

It has definitely been a tough couple of days so far. We left Phoenix on Saturday, December 29 and we landed in Dubai around 9:00 at night on December 30. Ethan was able to stretch out and sleep in his seat with J’Lein getting his head and I was the lucky one with his feet. It helped me understand what my father meant when he said we would make an H between my parents when we would climb into bed with them and my dad got the feet! The things parents do and give up for the younger generation. I got to give up sleep because Ethan needed to stretch his foot into my face every hour or so.

December 31

We stayed up most of the night with jet lag and Ethan’s hyper state. We decided to try and keep him up all day too so he would get over the jet lag quicker. We went to the beach in the morning and we met a sweet family on the bus ride over. They were from Western Europe and had decided to spend Christmas in Dubai. Ethan wasn’t being very sociable mostly because he was jet lagged, but he is also in a stage where he wants to growl like an animal instead of act like a sweet little boy. Hehe… The other mom completely understood, mostly because she said when her son was about the same age he told the doctor that he want to be the boss, but his parents wouldn’t let him. The thought of grandeur is always a draw for humans, even at the ripe age of 3.

Ethan followed up that story with, “My life is over!” Definitely random, but not necessarily for Ethan because he is the king of randomness…..I am definitely proud to say for those who know how random I can be…. He has started quoting movies and such lately. But this statement hit me a bit because of the huge contrast from the previous story. The Lord says we should have a child-like faith and when we lose site of that goal is our life over? Maybe not in the eyes of the world, but the most important relationship will definitely suffer.

J’Lein and I had another one of our infamous conversations during our jet lag, in which we discussed the coming primaries and who we wanted. She stated that she feels the democrats are going in the direction that I believe our government should go and that the current president is evil-er than Putin (Russia’s almost czar). When I hear a no Christian say such things I definitely come to the verse Matthew 24:9b ….and you will be hated by all nations because of me. If the world hates President George W. Bush then He must be doing something right in the name of the Lord!

Going back to President Putin…. I am not sure how many of you have heard about the article that Time magazine did on Putin naming him the man of the year. Which they claim is not an honor, but means he is one of the most powerful people in the world right now. You can read excerpts of the article and a great analysis on him at joelrosenberg.com . In the article it is stated that Putin claims to be a Christian or at least reads the bible. J’Lein asked me my thoughts on that, but I didn’t answer her at the time. Mostly because the Lord talks of those coming falsely in His name. Do his actions go along with what the bible says? Hitler claimed to be doing things in the name of Christianity. Also, Satan knows the bible word for word…..some men know the importance of knowing one’s enemy.

Enough with that….hmmm…. We were able to explore outside of Dubai this time. We went to see the sand dunes and we saw wild camels along the way. Even though it was a brief sighting, it meant more to me than every animal I have ever seen on safari in Africa. Mostly because the middle east has always been romanticized in my soul. The history and the harshness of the land have so shaped our world and our future. J’Lein made an interesting comment while we struggled up dune after dune in our four-wheel drive vehicle, “We can never hope to defeat Al-Qaeda [type groups] because they know how to survive in climates and landscapes like this.” She is right. Man will not be the victor in the end…..God will be the Victor! Amen

I had my first frightening experience during one of J’Lein’s many travels in the dunes of the United Arab Emirates! Ethan and I rode a camel! It wasn’t for very long but when the camel gets up and down you see your life flash before your eyes. When the back legs stand you go forward and when the front legs go up you fall backwards, then it is repeated when they sit again! I feel so alive!

Then J’Lein haggled for us to ride Arabian horses. Ethan rode a black pony and I was set to ride a white horse with black specks. At first I felt pretty confident, but then I remembered in Hidalgo that they stated how skittish Arabians can be, so I opted to have some one lead the horse, which I thanked the Lord for later because the horse occasionally tried to disobey the man leading him. J’Lein who is a trained rider even opted to not ride at all.

Later we saw hobbled camels heading for the breeding farm for water. They are hobbled so they can graze, but are unable to run. These camels are bred for camel racing, which is a huge sport in the middle east. People from all over the middle east come to Dubai to see the annual races in the summer.

Later that night we were able to get a few hours of sleep, but we had to be at the airport at 3am, so sleep would have to wait.