Friday was a much different day than usual for the Haifa team.  All this week we have been extremely busy with lots of various projects (that is except for the 2 hours that Jerome stopped in to visit… during that time we had nothing to do and looked like slackers!  Haha!)  Anyway, today we got the day off since we had completed all the assignments Tents of Mercy had for us and because they were busy preparing for Shabbat.  So check out how we spent our day from the view of the students who experienced it!

-Micah

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Today was such a relief! We got to sleep in the latest of the all the days in Israel, which was very much needed. From the hotel we attempted a voyage to Mount Carmel, we got a little lost and doubled the time that our trip should’ve taken. When we finally got there we were greeted with a spectacular view of Haifa. Micah then read us the story from I Kings 18 about Elijah’s victory over the 450 prophets of Baal. It was amazing to be in the same location where Elijah asked God to bring fire down from the heavens to prove the prophets wrong. From Mount Carmel we made our way into the town of the Druze. Since we didn’t get to experience the Jerusalem marketplace we were able to get some shopping in (don’t worry I got presents for the whole family). We ate a quick Israeli lunch and made our way back to Haifa to see the Baha’i Gardens. From on top of the gardens we had an extraordinary view of the Mediterranean Sea and all of Haifa.

After the gardens we made our way back to the hotel to take a quick nap and get ready for one last dip in the sea. We spent our last hour in the sea body surfing and taking pictures of the beautiful sunset. We topped it off with dinner from a coffee shop, which was good but unsatisfying for us guys. So we attempted to make a trip to good ole’ Mickey D’s but it was closed for Shabbat so we had to settle for some watermelon and chocolate. And thats how our night came to an end.

-Geoff Brentlinger

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Today started out with me running just a tad bit late.. which may not surprise some of you, but that was the first time I’d been late all trip! So considering that we weren’t on any certain schedule, I consider that to be not too bad! Once we left the hotel we headed for Mount Carmel. I had been looking forward to this part of the trip all week because Elijah and the prophets of Baal is my favorite Bible story. It just amazes me how God choses to show His awesome power to prove He is the one and true God! Not only did He send down fire to light the sacrifice, but the altar & the sacrifice had water poured on them three times till the altar was overflowing. It took us a while to find the right spot, Geoff was navigating and Bobby was driving, but eventually we ended up in the right place. I found a rock with the perfect view and got out my Bible. I began to read the story from 1 Kings and look out at the same valley Elijah, the prophets of Baal, and all the witnesses saw as God once again proved Himself to be the only God worthy of our praise. Micah then read the story aloud & we took a picture on my rock. I took a leaf from a nearby tree & marked my Bible with it, as I’ve been doing with other sites that we’ve been to.

Then what we’d all been waiting for… shopping!! I fell in love with the hand painted pottery in the Druze market place!! The funny thing was the guys got more into the shopping than the girls did. Later that night we went to our spot on the Mediterranean on the Boardwalk that I am going to miss so much! As the sun was setting over the water, we quickly got out of the ocean and grabbed our cameras to take pictures. Once the sun had gone below the water, I walked out and sat on the edge of the rock formation that went out a little past the shore line. It was amazing to feel the warm sea breeze as I took in the sea for the last time this trip, but hopefully not forever! It was amazing to watch God’s creation do what it was made to do, glorify Him. I thought to myself about how I would like my life to do exactly the same thing, glorify God simply because that’s what He made me to do. It was an awesome time to sit & pray until it got dark & we left for dinner. I was sad to leave the beach that I am soooo going to miss!! Dinner was amazing! I had the best Mocha Coffe I think I’ve ever had in my life! I’m really tired, and I’m still getting over being sick, but overall it’s been an amazing week! God has shown Himself in little ways as we have worked indirectly to further His kingdom. It’s been a good opportunity to have a servants heart & show Christ’s love by working where we were needed. I’m really excited to experience Shabbat tomorrow morning with the Tents of Mercy Congregation. After that, I will definitely not be looking forward to the hours in the airport & on the plane. I’m homesick for Texas & am ready for my own bed, Mexican food, and free refills!

-Allyson

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As we were shopping in the Druze marketplace this morning, Katherine and I began to notice a lot of campaign posters around the village. There was a certain politician’s picture that made us laugh because of the funny expression on his face, so when we found a banner with the same picture on it next to one of the shops we visited, we decided it was a good opportunity to take a picture next to it. While showing Micah and Laura the picture we took, the owner of the shop happened to see it and suddenly exclaimed, “That’s my father!” He then proceeded to tell us about his campaign and he gave us a few flyers (with the funny picture on it). He even ended up giving me his e-mail and asked me to send him the picture we took, which may or may not happen, but nonetheless, it was pretty neat meeting a politician’s son here in Haifa.

-Katy

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