| | As I last posted I have been gone at a camp for children from the north for the last two weeks. I have been sleeping in a tent in an olive grove at a monastery outside of Jerusalem. I don't really have time to explain about it, but it was a trip. Out of about 65 people (adults and children) I was the only non-Russian-speaker. Sure all the kids spoke Hebrew, but some of the adults didn't. The camp was run in Russian. At times (actually the whole time) I had to remind myself I was in Israel not Russian. I was definitely outside of my comfort zone and whenever that happens you learn a lot.
All that to say I am back in Kiryat Bialik (Haifa area). The Gelbets wanted to return home and I felt my time at the camp was coming to an end. We decided to return before news of the proposed cease fire. I'm not sure this will make sense to anyone, but I wanted to be hear and experience what everyone else is experiencing. If everyone had left I wouldn't care to return. People are here, so I am. I want to learn what it is like living in Israel, the good and the bad. It's a package deal. None of this dissuades me at all from wanting to live here.
That's the background for wanting to return. The reality is that we returned and within the first 3 hours there were 4 sirens that went off. That means you have about 60 seconds to get to the bomb shelter. We have to go down 8 flights of stairs. Once I got to the bottom I hear "boom... boom... boom" in the distance. Maybe a few miles away, but not too close. I really can't explain the feeling. I doesn't seem real to me. Being an American and living in a safe place makes it hard to comprehend what is going on. In the bomb shelter people are listening to the radio trying to figure out where the (side note: there was another siren and I had to go to the shelter. While there another 3 sirens were sounded.) rockets fell. There have been some people here for the whole month doing this almost every day. Given the situation people are realitively calm (in this building). We, of course, are not in the worse area, like Kiryat Shemona or Carmiel, so I imagine things are worse there.
Maybe some other time I can compose my thoughts better. I haven't processed anything really.
I write this so my friends know what is going on. Please don't worry though. I'm fine and will be. Everything is in God's hands.
Until someone can give me a convincing reason to worry I won't.
Peace be upon you.
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| | Posted 8/13/2006 12:26 PM - 16 views - 2 comments
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