With the kids out of school for the Sukkot holiday, we decided to do something unique, non-traditional, and just plain yummy over the break…. we hosted a Sukkot Sushi Outreach!

Thanks to the help of the some of the YWAM team, we introduced the kids to the deliciousness of the Japanese culture. Most of them have never tried sushi, let alone made it themselves. We taught them how to make it, how to use chopsticks, and most importantly, how to eat it!

A wonderful time was had by all, and at the end of the day we had some of the cutest, satisfied customers in all South Tel Aviv! It was fun to do something different, and enjoy the holiday together…

 (Full collection click here)

When I was little girl my mom always made us fun, amazing cakes, accompanied by gifts and friends we had invited.  We would play games, eat cake and ice cream, and have a special celebration… Birthday’s were always a special event.

But imagine turning 8 years old and never having celebrated your birthday with a party,  not enough money for a gift, or no friends to invite over.  This is the story of many of the refugees children living away from their home countries.

When her brother told me it was her birthday I immediately decided to do something for her.  I made cupcakes and a special “mini cake” for her.  I got her a couple of small gifts and headed over to her house for her birthday party.  It was only her family and I, but we all had a great time.  No, we didn’t play any games and there weren’t piles of gifts, but there were lots of smiles.

I have been to MANY birthday parties over the years, but this one will go done in history as one of my most special….

Before I started working with Eritrean’s I had never heard of Injera either, but I’ll let you in on a little secret…. it’s amazingly delicious!!!

Injera is a staple in Eritrean and Ethiopian food and is an incredible 3 in 1: food, eating utensil, and plate! (pretty cool, huh?) It’s a large flatbread made out of teff flour, but with a spongy texture. The teff is mixed with water then allowed to ferment for a few days before cooking.  It can be eaten alone or also with various foods and stews.

During Friday’s Feed My Sheep Outreach, I was welcomed to a unique surprise: one of the women was busy making Injera…. but not just a couple Injera… 600 Injera!!!

Her 20 year old son was getting married the next day and she was preparing for the Wedding Feast, a preparation that would take her about 6 hours that night!

Pouring out the flour mixture into the heated pan

These bags are filled with Injera

Peeling off the finished Injera

I’ve eaten Injera several times, and each time it’s been delicious! I especially like it as a “dipping utensil” to accompany the other rich foods Eritreans love to eat, but I stil can’t fathom having to make 600 of them in the 90 degree weather heat! Now that’s cultural dedication!

The moment I heard Chris Tomlin’s song, I Will Follow, I knew this was going to be the basis of my new video.  The song is incredible, and it just spoke to me in an intimate way.  The words are exactly how I feel about my calling and work here in Israel. Enjoy and thanks for following along on my journey as I follow HIM….

Where You go, I’ll go

Where You stay, I’ll stay

When You move, I’ll move

I will follow You

Who you love, I’ll love

How You serve, I’ll serve

If this life I lose, I will follow You

Approaching the shelter I had no idea what to expect, but honestly what I saw was even more extreme that I could possibly imagine.

The “shelter” is actually a block of tiny apartments, filled with bunk-beds, one-burner cookers, a sink, and many women and babies.  Each room holds 4-5 women, along with their babies and sometimes older children as well.  There is a communal bathroom area for all of them to share, which I haven’t have the pleasure of seeing yet. All of this sounds completely inhumane, but yet for these women, these living quarters are actually a blessing (considering the alternative of being homeless.)

I already knew some of the women from Food Distribution, so when they saw me coming their smiles, hugs, and kisses broke the ice for those who didn’t know me.  All the women were extremely open and welcoming, and were genuinely thankful for the food we brought… and while the food was something they physically needed, what they really needed was to see that someone cares about them.

As I left the compound, pulling our empty carts, smile on my face, and eating oranges one of the women gave me… I couldn’t help think this one thought:

We are blessed to bless others

Something I need to continue reminding myself daily….

**We go out every Friday afternoon, weather permitting, 16:30… If you would like to join us (South Tel Aviv) and help distribute food, please contact us!

~Click here to see the full collection~

Two weeks of Monday Night Basketball, and both times have been a success.  We split into two groups this past week, older and younger kids.  Scott and Cole, an awesome father and son combo, took the older kids and taught them passing and lay-up drills while the rest of us played with the younger ones.

Relationships are being built and the kids are having fun! Thanks for all the prayers!

And what happens to all those lovely recorders after the year is over? There are closets and boxes all across America who can answer that question…. maybe your closet is one of them.

This is where Shine steps in.  One of the projects I plan on implementing in our Summer Club is teaching the girls music….specifically the recorder.  Many of you know that I used to be a teacher, but you might not know I also taught Music for two years. Because it was a small school, without many resources available, I decided to teach the kids how to play recorders…and they loved it!  The recorder is the easiest and cheapest way to introduce a child to the world of instruments.

So what does this have to do with you?  How can you help?

It’s a bit difficult to teach recorder without the actual instruments, so I’m sending out a call to anyone out there who might have an old recorder laying around, not being used.  Donating your old recorder is an amazing way to help give a refugee girl the gift of music, a gift most of us take for granted everyday.

Anyone who is interested in donating your old recorders and/or any easy kid-based music for the recorder, contact me and I will send you information on how to send it.  If you do not have any recorders, please pass on the information to anyone you know who might.  The sooner we have enough recorders, the sooner music can fill the air.  This is a practical way to show God’s love to these wonderful girls!