As I sit here typing my first blog entry from one of the rooms in the new youth center, this is what surrounds me:

A complete state of chaos and mess!

I can hear the workers in the next room speaking Russian to each other, mixed in with the sounds of hammers, scrapers, painting, and whatever else they are doing to finish the other rooms.  Its been a whirlwind of a week, to say the least. BUT, its coming together shway shway as we say in Arabic.  (slowly, slowly).

I moved in this past Sunday with the help of some friends from my congregation.  At that point NONE of the rooms were finished, so it was only my things that moved…. I stayed on the couch at my old place.  By Monday night, one of the rooms (and one toilet ) was completely finished, so I was able to camp out in there.  Tonight (Tuesday) they are working and we believe that everything should be finished late Wednesday night. (thats true faith there)

Its been interesting these past few days, talking with random people down here.  I have been asked by pretty much everyone the same question over and over again, tonight was no exception.  Alex, one of the workers, asked me what I’m doing here.  I get this a lot, so I start with my normal “Why I’m in Israel” speech to which he interrupts me and says, “No. Why are you HERE, here?” (referring to the area)  After I explained to him what I’m doing and why I decided to live here, he just looks at me and says, “you are a pioneer.”

It was a simple sentence, but one that really meant so much to me.  Even though I am NOT the first one to do such a thing, for him I was.  Leaving the comfort of my life in the quiet Ramat Gan, to dive into the madness and noise of South Tel Aviv… it was unheard of to him. I’m pretty sure he thought I am absolutely crazy, but then again there are moments when I think the same thing.

Pioneer.  This word keeps playing over and over again in my head, and as I look out my window to see the streets below filled with grime and filth, I can only wonder what my “prairie” will behold.