Israel

I have been attempting lately to educate myself in preparation for my trip. I have read books, magazines, and newspapers, and have watched educational TV programs. Some notes from these sources: The attitudes of Jews at present are largely informed by the Holocaust. This is reflected in the Jewish slogan “never again.” The Jews invaded and took over much of Palestine in 1947. Due in large part to the Holocaust, the UN was willing to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a free republic. The Palestinians protested, of course, but the Jews countered with the claim that God had given them this land 3,000 years ago. The slogan of the Jews was “a land with no people for a people with no land.” The problem was that it was not a land with no people. The Palestinians had been living there for hundreds and thousands of years. In the seven day war of 1967 the Jews took over the Palestinian territories of Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into refugee camps. Israel recently returned the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians, and plans are under way to return parts of the West Bank as well. There is also talk of creating a Palestinian state, if agreement could ever be reached as to what that should look like. *Presently checkpoints are set up in various parts of Israel. These are a source of humiliation and frustration for Palestinians. – I hope to visit one of the territories, perhaps Hebron or the West Bank, to go through a checkpoint, and hopefully to talk to some Israeli soldiers (if I can find any who speak English) about their experiences, and about their views on the above topics.

Thanks for Adams's safety

I went to Adam Andress’s house Tuesday night for a welcome home party. It was very good to see him (thank you most kindly, Lord, for bringing him back from Iraq safely.) His experience there could have gone a number of ways. He showed us his stainless steel Starbucks coffee mug with holes on either side where a bullet from an AK47 passed through. * While at the party I mentioned that I plan, Lord willing, to be in Megiddo for most of June. A man asked me if I would be there June 6th. I told him no. He said there is speculation that something catastrophic may occur there on June 6th because of the Megiddo/Armageddon connection, and because it happens that June 6th of this year will be the sixth day of the sixth month of the sixth year - 666. I plan to arrive on June 10th. Hopefully Megiddo will still be around at that time.

Race/Taks

The race went well. No breakage. Much mud. Much fun. * The TAKS scores came in today. English Language Arts scores were excellent, thank goodness. The scores were high enough to receive an exemplary rating - the only subject at our school which received such a rating. It is nice to know that the effort you put forth produces a positive outcome.

Bike race

I will be participating in an outdoor adventure race tomorrow. Will be riding the six mile mountain bike portion of the three part race. (Other team members will be canoeing and running.) It has been raining here and I expect the course to be muddy and treacherous. I plan, however, to take it easy. At 52 years old I am no longer interested in competing with (as we used to say when I played high school football) reckless abandon

Dig file

The application for joining the dig made it clear that I was applying not to sit under an awning with a paint brush swishing away at an artifact, but to use pickaxe, shovel, and wheelbarrow to haul dirt in the desert sun. That’s fine with me; I like to exercise, and am not afraid to break a sweat. * Two nights ago I was standing in our backyard watching a thunderstorm and counting after every lightning bolt to judge how far away they were. (Five seconds until you hear the thunder equals one mile.) I would see lightening and count “one thousand, two thousand, three thousand…” After one bolt I only got through “two thousand” before hearing an impressively loud boom. It occurred to me then that I need to inform Sandra as to where the file containing information about the dig is, in case I die and can’t go. Someone needs to let the program director in Tel Aviv know that I will not be there. I went inside and explained to Sandra how to contact the appropriate people if it should become necessary. Sandra joked that if it turns out I can’t make it then maybe she will go in my place. “Yes,” I said, “good idea. Write the director and tell her I’m no longer around, but that I left a nice insurance policy, so please change the name on the paperwork from ‘Kregg’ to ‘Sandra’ and you’ll see her in June.”

Can you dig it?

I have been accepted to join a team at an archaeological dig in Israel this June. It should prove to be an interesting and enlightening experience, and I am looking forward to it. This will be the first time I have ever participated in a dig. I have often thought that digs were intriguing, and so decided that I just needed to try and join one. My friend Dr. John Willis gave me an archaeology magazine which led me to web sites about digs taking place in Israel this summer. From information gleaned from those web sites I applied to join the team digging in Megiddo, and was accepted. * Megiddo is mentioned in Revelation 16:16 as the place where Armageddon will occur. (We might want to set up a phone chain. If The Last Decisive Battle Between the Forces of Good and Evil begins while I am there, I will call you with a heads up.) * For helpful information about Megiddo do a Google search and click on Wikipedia Encyclopedia, or any of the other sites that will come up there. * I will use this blogsite to write about the process of getting ready to go to Israel, and I hope to be able to send periodic entries while in Megiddo. * I will leave for Israel June 10th, and will be there approximately four weeks.