Baby Steps

So everyone felt much brighter after sleeping well.
So grateful!  Having not slept hardly at all on the plane and feeling very dizzy, I was the first to crash.  Kids followed shortly and slept about 10 hours straight!  Love me some good sleep!!

So with clearer minds and optimism re-established, we set two goals for the day.  One - find food to eat for lunch.  Two - find food to put in house to feed family.  I'm really not obsessed with food, but I have 6 hungry tummies to contend with - and it was our priority of the day after complaints about my late night choice of Raisin Bran!

We ventured out to explore again and finally came across a burger bar that had a menu in both Hebrew and English.  Scotts burger was half lamb, half beef.  No cheese of course : )  I opted for grilled chicken salad - served with as much tomatoes and cucumber as lettuce.  Hit the spot.  Kylen slept through all of lunch - lull of stroller going across cobble-stones on warm day was more than he could handle.

The grocery store was an experience - once we finally found it that is.  First - Jerusalem doesn't really have "grocery stores" like we think of them.  There are small convenience stores everywhere.  Most people shop at an open-air market called the Shuk.  We passed through the Shuk but were bedazeled by all the activity and people.  Israeli people are loud and agressive sounding.  They aren't upset necessarily, but sure come across that way.  We didn't have any shekels anyway and it was just all too much so we baled there.  Second - when you ask for directions to the grocery store, Israeli's have no idea what you are talking about.  When they do offer directions, it is "down the road".  So quite literally, we prayed and God somehow landed us at a place called the City Cellar.  It was the size of a Walgreens, but did have hand soap, dish soap, milk, bread, etc.  Ryan went in with me and kept me focused.  "Just the basics, Mom" he kept saying to keep me from getting overwhelmed at all the Hebrew.

We managed honey, eggs, turkey, cheese, chips, pasta and a few veggies.  Found some instant coffee too and what I thought might be creamer turned out to be buttermilk.  Thanks sweetie for trying that one first for me!  And this is our first official meal in our home.  Velveeta Shells and Cheese snuck in from USA and left-over salad.  Sweet!

God has been extremely gracious to us today.  Gave us everything we needed, just when we needed it.  When we moved to England, a friend named Tina Johnson took me under her wing and showed us the ropes.  It made all the difference.  So these last few months I have been praying again for friends for all of us.

We were down in our courtyard playing ball with two non-speaking Jewish little boys late this afternoon when a woman and her gaggle of kids pours out of the apartment below us.  They are a Jewish family with 8 children and Rachel is the mom.  She is originally from Houston, Texas!!! but has lived in Jerusalem the last 18 years.  Thank you God!!!  Of course, some of her 8 match up with my 4.  They played in the courtyard together and Ryan even went to the basketball courts - away from us - with two of her boys for about an hour to shoot hoops!  I asked if I could follow her around the Shuk tomorrow since she goes daily and she loved the idea.  She even asked if we knew John Haggee - Ha!

Love and miss you all.  Thank you for the prayers.  They are carrying us!  And Happy Birthday sweet Falon!!!