Welcome to my new blog!  And I will officially launch it by breaking a bottle of champagne across its bow and then see how it sails as I head out on another adventure.

On Sunday evening, I am headed to Israel with a World Vision group of women.  We are from all over the US – many different ages and backgrounds but all with the purpose of learning more about the issues in that troubled region.  I know my prayer is for me to see it all through God’s eyes as we travel to holy sites, visit with fellow Christians, both Jewish and Palestinian, and listen to their stories.

As a person who likes a clear sense of purpose in undertaking a trip, this one is a new challenge.  On previous vision trips, I have gone to teach or to visit water projects, child protection programs, or microfinance initiatives.  However, on this trip, I am going to get a tiny sense of the complexity of the issues in this land – the Holy Land.

A great list of resources was provided to help us prepare for this trip.  But as I have watched or read, I have been so torn.  One article or video will make me weep for the Palestinians and all the injustice they continue to live with.  But then the next day, I will see something which turns my heart to the Jews and Israel.

During the long years of my husband Paul’s illness, I learned about the seeming impossibility of holding two mutually exclusive thoughts at the same time. I once asked a friend, “Can all be well and still awful?”  And the rather irrational answer is, Yes.  It is uncomfortable, but possible.  That is what I am asked to do here – there are no clear cut good guys and bad guys.  There is plenty of blame to go around.  But (critical but!) there is God.  And I want to discern what he wants me to take away from all this.

So, as always, I ask for your prayers.  Please pray that I have eyes to see and a heart open to learn and be moved.  I always have the usual requests for safe travel and very superficially, for my luggage to arrive! And, as we are a group of women who, for the most part, do not know each other, that we would quickly unite in our common purpose.

Thank you.  As always, it is a great blessing to have you travel with me.

Shalom