Wisdom Teeth and and a Wedding!

Here I am on Vashon with my dear friend Lindsey…

Me and my amazing Daddy!!

Christine Brakke my best friend came over to Vashon and spent three days with me for our special Vaccation.

Christine and I at Grandma Marilynn’s house!!

The Saturday market…

At the point Robbinson light house again, our special spot!

I always cut hair when I’m home in Washington!

Christine’s Siblings, David, Cathrine, Christine, Me, Andrew

Christine’s mom Sherri

My brother Jonathan and I before we went swing dancin’!!

While I was home for 10 days my cousin Alyssa got married, of couse I did all the hair! She looked gorgeous!!

Last Moments in Jerusalem

One more walk

one more look at the blue and white and olive….

One more coffee, casual, comfortable conversation…

Packing my life again….

Off to Tel Aviv for my first ever Jewish wedding!!!

Goodbye beautiful Tel Aviv beaches and waves of life…

Memories are like water, to all-consuming and numerous to catergorize….

It’s alright I soaked it all in !

I’ll never Forget!!!!

z

Happy Independence Day Israel!!!

Memorial Day

Candels lit the night before, and many prayers exended on behalf of those fallen and their families, Memorial day in Israel 2007. After leading a worship set at the food bank, run by Bridges for Peace, my friend Pierre and I walk to a small cafe for a long chat and some cooling ice coffees, yes the heat has now finally began. We are waiting for the siren. The siren goes off three times once the night before to announce the beginning of memorial day, and once at 11am to remember and then again at 8pm to close the observation. We disscused polotics and faith, our usual pick of the hour and then amid a sentence about aparthide in Africa, he stops and we stand silent, in prayer. We watch life hit by the “pause button” outside. It’s really amazing, every person (except for a few rude muslums) and car in Israel stopping, standing at attention. Then after the 2 minutes are up, everyone wipes his or her eyes and the conversation picks back up again. Just like their lives. We don’t understand price in America anymore, not like these people. We simply don’t remember, but they do.

Remembering the Jewish “star” worn during the holocaust and those who fought against

anti-semitism in france.

Remebering Bus 38 bombed by terrorists 

Remebering many young freedom fighters who fell during the war for Independence in ‘67 right here in the Old city. 

I will remember. 

Roses

I’ve never seen roses like the ones that grow here in all my livin’ life!!!

Yes, absolutely stunning, gorgeous, and bright!!!!

And so it goes…

I am feeling tremendous guilt for my lack of writing, not lack of blogging, but lack of recording that which is so important to remember. My experience here is so precious to me, and often I feel that I don’t write for fear of not doing it justice, or maybe just laziness. But today is new, and life is one big series of starting over so here I go, I start again…

Lucia, is her name. Isn’t that a fabulous name? I think I may have a new name for my little girl, or at least a puppy, or a lady in my story. The point is: I want to keep this name in a locket of sorts. She is as I would say, “a real” find, and friend that I have come across on my travels thus far. She is a living piece of history yet a great mystery for me to try and unravel. She is a Polish, practically Argentinean, Jew who has lived in Israel for 5 years and has two sons. She is precious and also quite tragic as she was quite recently bereft of a very beloved spouse of 58 years. And I am at a loss for words, literally almost the entire time I am in her presence because I have none, that is not enough, not enough in Spanish. Yes, most of our communication consists of Spanish rambling and every once in a while a Hebrew Ken, or “Tov Tov”! For emphasis, We greet each other in Hebrew express with smiles and sighs and then attempt to communicate ideas in broken Spanish. I have always know I wanted to be fluent in espanol and this experience confirms that desire over and over, what a wimp I am only barley knowing one and a half languages when I am in a country of people who know at the least 4! Lucia has quite a handle on Spanish, Hebrew, Yiddish, Polish, French, and probably more. I am a shmuck and a shmo, and that’s my realization.

Walking

I feel it’s extremely important to dedicate an entry to the joy and pain of walking, mostly because it is the number one mode of transportation around here for me. Against the wishes of many, (I found out today!) including, I believe my father and Leah Morgan (IHOP staff) I have also taken several non-bombed buss rides, but for the most part I am a great walker. I love it very much. I like walking with Softah, and I like walking with Pierre. Most of all I like to walk alone, not because I don’t love Softah and Pierre, I do! They are two of my best buds in Jerusalem! I really enjoy all my time spent with my wonderful Softah and my friend, but there’s something about the streets of a city, that they tell you when you are alone, which they shyly hide when others are privy to their presence. So I ask questions, I laugh, I smile, sigh, and weep, alone. I have learned a lot over the years, (I know my very few years, but a few nonetheless) while waking.

Belive it or not, I have discovered there, more than anywhere else, my love for silence.  I, Breanna Noel do often crave and long for it. The quiet still whispers. Nothingness. Think of it as a canvas upon which the whole day may be painted, a destiny unfolded.

Walking is a place to become. I think that’s why I love running and climbing so much. Ireland and then New York is where I first really learned to walk. New York told me many secrets and Jerusalem even more. Mostly I think. I think about the people or pray for mine. My family, the people I will meet, bless, love, and serve with a nod, a smile, a hand, or a prayer. The streets tell me who they are. Jaffa, Emeck Rafiem, and King David, “Did you know Yeshua was here, right here? Do you know who the king is? Have you felt the awe and trembling of his presence? When you knew he was coming close did you shudder? Did you shrink back a little? I did. When he walked here I felt the mark and it’s still here, 100 feet down, it’s still here. We know we belong to the Lord, and we will not forget what was paid, the blood that was spilled here right here.

Whether I walk in the Old or the New City, I enjoy the moment and long for the fulfillment of their prophesies. I wait and watch. And I do not keep silent. God help me to know where to walk next and who to touch along the way, you did. Now let me do the same as I walk the streets of Jerusalem.

I miss you.

Shabbat Shalom!

My street on Shabbat afternoon

As the hot sun sets, the streets are silent, cars parked, the only sights are long skirts of young mothers, baby prams, and covered heads of sober fathers, walking, all walking, this is Jerusalem.
This is Friday evening.
This is Shabbat.

Then as the pink settles into velvet blue, the stirring stops. The candles are lit, and rest is sanctioned by God himself, for 24 hours…peace required, just peace.

Children from 2 orthodox families in the Old City, too cute!!

The home of Orthodox precious friends of my Softah, the Petersiles, is the setting for the festivities of this blessed day of my first week in Jerusalem. But this week is more special than most during the Jewish calendar year, because it is the week of Pesach, or in English Passover. The celebration of the Jews and all people coming forth out of slavery, both to men–and in a larger reality– to sin. We eat and sing, and sing and eat, and say the traditional prayers thanking God for the ordained day of rest. We rest alone at home on Friday night the “big” meal and tradition time, because our Jewish family was at a big hotel Shabbat the night we usually go to their home. So we had Shabbat lunch instead, fine with this little “gingi goy” (red headed gentile) from Washington.

me waiting for my bus to the Old city (it never came! it’s different here folks!)

I am delighted to be welcome in any event! The girls, whom I fondly remembered from childhood, were so happy to see me again, and we quickly decided to schedule a beauty day (hair cuts for all!) before too long! I may have even landed a wedding in may! Wouldn’t that be fabulous! I appreciated the celebration of God’s goodness, but also felt the prick of pain when Rabbi Petersile shared from the Torah and the Talmud void of the full council and wisdom of the Holy Spirit and the fulfillment of those prophesies he commented on in Malachi and Ezekiel.

Orthodox father walking with his son in the old city

His interpretation was sound and very well executed in interpretation and delivery, yet so unfulfilled and wanting for Yeshua to come with complete illumination to them. Oh, he is the key to unlock all their vast understanding! For they are the ancient holy Olive branch that I am so blessed to be grafted into.

bA very old olive tree at the American coloney hotel

They only need this one central element for all of it to be understood and hence applied in fullness of the message Jesus spoke of. What wealth lies here untapped. I am impressed by these thoughts yet lightly, like a whisper, but soon it will be a roar. He is coming soon, labor pain increases, and I long for it to be intensified in my own heart like Rose Dewebber, like my Softah, like my Saviour feel it, the longing for them to be saved, to be unveiled.

while walking on my way out of the Old city

I ask hardly knowing what I ask for, full of fear that I am in over my head, I know I am. But yet, I feel compelled to very weakly ask, to know, to understand–to “desire that all Israel would be saved”.
Romans 1:10

“Shabbat Shalom”.