Friday, April 4

It's hard to believe that today was our last full day in the Sinai Penninsula. Tomorrow we cross the border into Israel near Eilat. Yesterday and today were both "Desert Lesson" days, yesterday in Wadi Nasb and today back on Jebel Katerina (not all the way up this time). By the way, about the pictures promised on the last post...yeah...they didn't work. Sorry. We've got alot of pictures, but sharing them will have to wait at least until we can get a faster connection. If you're desperate for pictures, check out our friend's blog at dirtfromthedesert.blogspot.com
Tori has some pictures posted there.
Please continue to pray for our group. We've been literally in the desert for the past few days, but there are some people we've grown to love who are figuratively, emotionally, and spiritually in the desert. We are learning much about what it means to be community. I'll share one of our desert lessons here. Walking through Wadi Nasb yesterday was hot, tiring work--probably our hottest day here so far. Growing in this wadi is a little tree called a broom tree (I wish I could show you a picture). It's not very big--really more of a bush than a tree--not more than 10 feet tall. But it has great value, because it gives shade in the desert, and when you're in that shade, you can feel the temperature drop 10-15 degrees. That may not sound like much, but when it's 90 like it was yesterday or 115 like it is during the summer here, that's pretty nice! Notice that in Psalm 121, we're told that God is the shade at our right hand. That's the image! Life is often like that desert. We want God to take away the heat! That's not what He promises. He offers enough shade to rest and take one more step. Will we totally trust Him for that? Hold out your right hand as far as you can. No, really, do it now! The shade of God is never farther than that far away. Now read Isaiah 32:1-2. Who does God call to be shade to those in the desert?