Hi from Jerusalem. Monday morning at breakfast, I was able to have the most interesting conversation with a professional actor (he will be doing his one man, two act play on the life of CS Lewis, here on Weds. night) and his wife (Divine Appt). We talked of CS Lewis and my interviewing his friend Christopher Fry and Fry’s comments on how the “Chronicles of Narnia” were written. Also we talked about Fry’s work with “Ben Hur,” and the religious significance that Fry snuck into the Heston movie. It was great fun sharing with them what I have shared with you. I am looking forward to the play. Neat Christian couple. He agreed that a movie should be made of Lew Wallace’s life. This is a repair and prepare for the next week, day. When I travel for two weeks, I take enough along so that I only need to do a light laundry once during the trip. This is that day. Thank you for your prayers about the phone. Tonight I went downstairs to the little coffee shop (this is hot chocolate weather) and gave the phone one more try, miracle of miracles, I was able to spend 15 minutes on a call to mom. It feels like a Michigan Fall. I am looking forward to a Florida one (haha). Blessings, D

Hello from Jerusalem. Friday,even though it rained on and off all day, I was able to participate in a three hour guided walking tour. The young man who led it is originally from Ohio, graduated from Moody Bible College, but lives here with his young family. This is the best way to get reaquianted with the Old City. Just heard that they made an important archeological find this week, in the old City of David. Will check it out tomorrow. While on the tour I met two lovely Christian girls from Germany (Divine Appts), we ended up having lunch together (my first Falafel this trip) and talking about our mutual love for Jesus. I was able to share some about the Spirit-filled life. We were so encouraged. I hope to see them this weekend at one of the Services here at the Old Church. Got back to the hotel in time to change for the evening Shabbat supper. What a sweet blessing, to honor Jesus through the Shabbat. Later I was invited to watch a “classic” fun movie with the staff. Lots of Blue Grass music. Late night but good. Thank you for your continued prayers, I see the fruit everyday. Blessings, D (p.s. I talk with mom everyday, she is doing great.)

Hi from Jerusalem. Yesterday I spent more than three hours on a tour of what is called The Tower of David Museum. I have always wanted to, but never had the time. I am staying just across a small street from it. While there, I met a young couple from St. Petersburg . . . Russia. We met again last night while attending a History of Jerusalem light show. We spoke of many things and I invited them to our St. Petersburg and they invited me to theirs. Also, yesterday the hotel wifi was totally down because of some repair work. They were told that they were not sure when it would be fixed. The manager and I put it under the “Umbrella” and prayed that it would be fixed within a half an hour. Later she sought me out, gave me a hug and said it was up within that half hour. Divine appts.! Blessings, D

Shalom everyone, I knew that this final full day would be long, but I did not realize how wonderful. I saved up most of my shekels for this day, because I knew that I would be going to the farthest points of Jerusalem, and would need to take taxis (not an easy thing to do). Early this morning, for three hours, I worked on the Temple Mount Sifting Project that has been going on since 2004. I was surprized, as to how much I was able to find, in such a short time. i was told by one the main sifters on the dig, that I was very “fortunate” (Divine appointment) because even though they had only gone through 50% of the Temple debree, this was the last day of the official dig. Gabrael Barkay, the head archeaologist, will now take the findings and write a book. From now on the site will be open to tourists and if anything of importance is ever found, they will write a paper on it. They were very excited about about the dig that I had been on with Dr.
Barkay in 1980. We had fun exchanging information. Then I left for the City of David “palace” dig that is going on right now (i first saw this dig, just two weeks after it had been found, because of Randall Price’s tour in 2007). Things sure have changed! I took communion while standing over David’s palace and looking down at “his” Jerusaem. I then joined a very informative three hour tour and went through a long Cananite water tunnel (they think it is the one David used to attack the city). I am now back at my hotel room, trying to pack and get ready for my early morning flight home. I sure miss home and my dear ones. I leave satisfied that I have accomplshed all that I had hoped for and more (so many Divine appointments). Blessings. D

Shalom everyone, what a special Saturday. I went to the Garden Tomb today to have a quiet, peaceful place, to commune (and have communion) with Lord. The Lord was kind enough (between large groups visiting) to have some alone time with Him, actually in the tomb. It is a place that is a nice representation of what He did for us, just like the little wafer and juice. I met with my saturday prayer group (via praying at the same in the States), praying for an hour about Israel, the States, and our role “for such a time as this.” Then I stayed for another hour and a half, to pray for family, friends, and direction for myself (sweet time). Then it was back to the “Shroud” (yes, I had communion there, truly a time of rememberance) because the the gift shop was getting something for me to bring back to show you. Here come some more of the Divine appointments. They told me of a lovely restaurant on the roof of their complex, that had a beautiful view of
the Old City. There the Lord and I had a Rev. 3:20 time together. As the end of the day turned into night (and Shabot ended), a lady came by table (best spot) to take pictures. I asked her to sit with me. It turned out that she was from China and a “Born Again.” She told me her testimony, how, when her daughter died 16 years ago, she got angry with God. But, around six years ago she came to know Him. She was born running, she and her husband (a doctor) began a ministry in their home (baptized 90+ Californian Chinese, in their pool, last year). As we talked, I realized that she did not understand the Spirit filled life (her friends then came back), so I gave her a HS blue booklet, we exchanged cards and will stay in touch. 🙂 Blessings, D

Shalom everyone, today became another interesting “Quo Vadis” day, after working all morning, dealing with what appeared to be little “gnats,” (the Lord was just preparing my heart for what He was going to show me this afternoon). At one point, I needed to go over to the Jaffa gate (Old City), to the Christian Information Center (it turned out to be a Catholic facillty run by Franciscan monks. I got my info and turned to leave, when I saw a poster about a special exhibit regarding the “Shroud of Turin” at the Notre Dame Center (15 minute walk from my hotel). I decided to spend a good part of my afternoon there, and for almost an hour, I was able to view one of only two exhibits in the world, by my self (the real “Shroud” in Turin, France has not even been seen by a Pope in three years). Part of the exhibit has a full size copy of the “Shroud,” a bronze life size statue of Jesus (lying like He would have in the “Shroud”), a true to life hologram,
ect. To actually view things close up and see the over 720 wounds on His Body that the “Shroud” reveals (it is worse than what was shown in the movie “The Passion”), I could not help but well up with tears. Then came another Divine appointment, a dear group of spanish speaking tourist came into the exhibit with a tour guide, explaining and showing things that I had not seen (my poor little grade school spanish, only caught enough to have some questions). The guide was the last to leave, the Lord prompted me to ask if she spoke english, she did, and answered all my questions (we also discovered some things in the exhibit that she had not seen before). 🙂 On my way back to the hotel, I stopped for dinner at a real Chinese restaurant (only thing open because it is Shabot). Another Divine appointment, the night clerk had come on duty, he asked what I had done today, and I told him. 🙂 Because he asked what “Born Agains” believe, I was able to share my
testimony and give him the Four Laws booklet to show how someone becomes “One.” He said his father is a Jew who believes in God, but as of six months ago, this young man (after trying to find out if his father was right) has decided there is no God. Pray for the seed that Michael has gotten tonight, that it will some day be harvested. Blessings, D

Shalom to all, the Lord gave me such a sweet day, filled with good memories of the dig that I was on, while in college, in 1980. Yikes, where has the time gone? While on each tour since, we have driven by the site but I was never able to stop and see what was done with it. Today that changed, I spent all afternoon there. Because so much was found (it took more than two years for them to catalog the thousands of pieces and then years before much was published), I did not realize how famous it is until this trip. The two most important findings being the two little silver scrolls with Numbers 6:24-26 priestly blessing and parts of Dan., Nea., and Deut. on them. They are the oldest pieces of the Bible ever found in Isreal. They date back to the prophet Jeremiah and are older than the Dead Sea Scrolls by nearly 700 years. Also, pieces from the Romans during the distruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and much more. Duane, you would not recognize the place.
They have built a museum, dedicated to Menachem Begin, next to the site (and partially over it). There is a lovely restaurant there now, where I had lunch with the Lord, looking over the Hinnom Valley at the school where our small group of diggers stayed. I just found out that it is the second oldest building outside the Old City walls. Yep, I took communion at the dig site as well. What a time of thanksgiving! Much more happened today (Divine appointments) but this was the best. 🙂 Blessings, D