להיתראות

Goodbye Jerusalem :( this is my last post from Israel as I sit here in the airport in the few minutes before boarding. Security wasn't as horrible as last year, for one thing i was expecting it, but also, there were 1 or 2 less bag searches, so that was good. Everything is now done and over, we finished with all our work and cleaned up the office and covered up the areas, it was a sad sight. We left early in the morning Friday for Jerusalem. Spent most of the day at the center, slept and tv and lunch/dinner, it was a good recovery day. Stayed at the Citadel on the rooftop, i love the beautiful view, especially of the center lit up on the Mount. Saturday I went to the church of the Holy Sepulchre and walked around a little before church. It was a wonderful last Sabbath in the Holy Land, I will definitely miss church and the spirit that is there. I stayed again at the center with the Chadwicks until the fireside by Bro. Judd, it was very good. Going in to the gate at night was fun, as all the lights have begun to be put up for Ramadan which starts on Monday, I'm sad I'll miss that. My last day here I tried to get in what I could, a little shopping, some last goodbyes to places like the churches of the Redeemer and Holy Sepulchre (FYI if you do take flyers that are in arabic, hide them a little in your luggage or the security people at the airport won't be too happy if they see them) and the western wall and some shops in East Jerusalem. Then Jeff and Kim picked me up for the airport. He took us to a delicious Lebanese restaurant on the way, Abu Ghosh, delicious falafel, a good last meal in the country. And now I am here, waiting to board a flight that i think is delayed, either that or i am totally in the wrong place :) either way, at some point I will be home. As sad and hard as it is to leave this year, it is not quite as bad as last summer. I know now that I will be coming back, that this place isn't so far off as I once dreamed it to be. so Shalom and l'hitraot Israel until I return.