After visiting  Israel for 20 years, you become familiar with its people and its many different cultural customs. With each visit came more knowledge of how this beautiful country, with all it complexities, exists.

In the Old City of Jerusalem are hundreds of shops selling their goods. Most of these businesses depend on the generosity of tourists to make a living. For years I have made purchases of religious items from these vendors. The Old City, along with Bethlehem has the best deals. Bethlehem is located in the West Bank. This is also where Shepherd’s Field is located.

Bethlehem

I pray for my friends in the Holy Land;  some are Muslim and some are Jewish. In particular I pray for Bethlehem, where the population of Christians is shrinking and is now less than 2%.

On one of my last visits to Bethlehem, I met a wonderful Christian couple who had a shop with beautiful artwork. I purchased several items from them, and they shared with me that their life in Bethlehem was becoming more and more difficult. With fear and uncertainty for their future, they were planning to leave their beloved city.

Bethany

Bethany is also in the West Bank Where we always visit the Church of  St. Lazarus. We also visit The Tomb of Lazarus. Directly in front of the entrance is a mustard tree. A family waits for us to exit the tomb to sell mustard seeds.  This is one of the few places in the Holy Land  where mustard seeds can be purchased.  I always purchase these biblical seeds to share with my students.

This Catholic Church is completely secluded from the rest of the city of  Bethany. The gardens are beautiful and well kept. The last time we were there the priest shared with me that there were only five families who were part of this parish.

Commerce

There has always been mutual respect between the Jews and Muslims in matters of commerce. Our Jewish guides were always friendly with Muslim merchants because the guides bring them business. The vendors, in turn , will share part of their profits with the guides. Will they meet for dinner later? No! because it’s strictly business.

Drawing the Line of Division

With the recent war between Israel and Hamas, the guides and merchants must take sides.  Before the Palestinians and Jews were at peace with one another; but war changes everything.

The deeply embedded hatred rears its ugly head, and both groups are back to square one. This is the perfect plan for the Enemy. Setting the stage comes natural because all the props are easily accessible. It’s the same miserable play that has lasted for generations. As the bombs go off, it is music to Satan’s ears; after all he is the conductor.

Generations of Hatred

During the war there is no love lost, and without Jesus there is no love. The blood of hate runs deep within all the terrorists so when you are ruled by hate there is no escaping the generational curse.

God Takes Sides

We all know that God will rescue Israel because this is His beloved land. History will once and for all see this manifest. I pray that it is soon.

God loves the Palestinians just as much as he loves the Jews. There is no distinction of who He loves more because we are all His creation. He sees the oppression of the Palestinians brought on by Hamas. He hears the cries of all of His children, and He will intervene! God will bring justice to all who have been afflicted and He will restore peace to His land.

How Can We Help?

First of all stop listening to the news or watching hatred play out on social media. Satan has orchestrated and manipulated the news to his favor. Instead ask God to give you revelation. Set aside time to pray on a daily basis. Ask for God’s holy intervention and pray for the Lord to reveal Himself to all who are hurting because of this conflict.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, You know all the atrocities that the Jewish people have experienced because of  these heinous attacks by Hamas. Lord, You know the hearts of all Your people and only through a miracle can peace be attained. Lord, make Your presence known to Hamas, Hezbollah and all terrorist organizations. Touch the hearts of all those who have been affected by violence brought on by war. Lord, free the souls of those who are longing to see justice. Jesus, it is only through You that justice will prevail. Strengthen the hearts of those who are seeking comfort and hope. Restore Your faith in all humanity. For the sake of Your sorrowful passion, destroy the Enemy. Amen.

Halloween has become the second most celebrated event. This year over 12 billion dollars will be spent on Halloween.

The Origin

Halloween is the abbreviation for All Hallows Eve, a pagan holiday that originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The day marked the end of summer harvest and the beginning of winter. It was also a time of year associated with the dead; part of this festival was to dress as ghosts to scare away evil spirits. This is not to be confused with All Saints Day or All Souls Days, which the Catholic Church celebrates on November 1st and 2nd.

Today Halloween has become into one of the most festive holidays in the U.S., but Satan has tried to make it his, and with the help of Hollywood, evil is thriving.

I have always attempted to play down Halloween; that is why our home is decorated with fall decor. With that in mind, allow me to share a few nightmare stories because the guilt still haunts me.

Not Like Me

I remembered our daughter Sonja posted a picture of a project that she helped her son Lucas with for his second-grade assignment. I marveled at her creativity and wondered where she got this gift. You are either one of those connected together Moms, or you are like me, a last-minute, get-it-together Mom.

The entire time that our kids were in elementary school I could never quite get dates right. Sometimes I would take the kids to a party a week early or otherwise forget to take them at all.

I received all notifications from the school, but with my ADHD and dyslexia I would either forget or make a mental note of  the appointments, thinking that I would remember them, but I never did.

Cesar Chavez

Sonja was in the second grade when she came to me one morning before school to remind me that she had to dress like a famous person. In a panic I dressed her in a boy’s white t-shirt and a light blue button-down shirt with a pair of jeans. Right before exiting the car, I felt her tiny index finger lightly tapping my right shoulder. “Mommy, who am I?” I answered, “You’re Cesar Chavez,  now get out.”  My poor baby was not only a man but the leader of the United Farm Workers. I’m sure Sonja had never heard of Cesar Chavez. When Sonja’s teacher asked her who she was and Sonja answered Cesar Chavez, the teacher could not stop laughing. This made Sonja laugh as well.

Halloween Costumes

Halloween always snuck up on me, so throwing costumes together before dark on the actual date was not an uncommon occurrence. The worst Halloween occurred when I dressed Mikos like the Easter Bunny. I had made this Easter Bunny costume years ago for myself, wearing it on Easter Sunday to hide the eggs.

Poor Mikos! Not only did he wear the bunny costume but I painted his face all weird. This was a church party, and when Mikos walked in he saw his little friends in real costumes. One was a baseball player, the other one was a pirate, but Mikos was the white-faced Easter Bunny!

This must have been the most humiliating Halloween for my eight-year-old son. Sonja was a clown and she did not escape the scary painting  job that I did on her face as well. So instead of a cute clown, she looked like a scary miniature clown.

Homemade Costumes

The following  year I decided to get ahead of the game and make Sonja a costume. Sonja would be a white cat with a nice long tail. But my sewing machine was messing things up. It would sew for an inch, then skip an inch. Even though Sonja’s cat costume was adorable it had so many openings that I had to fix by hand. In spite of this, there were many parts of the costume that remained unstitched!  I had nothing to stuff the tail with, so I used old pantyhose and added a ton of cotton balls. As the day wore on, I had no idea that the cat’s tail weighed so much that it made a big tear on her butt while she was at school. The teacher had to pin the tail on Sonja’s shoulder. By the time she got home the tail appeared much longer!

Dark Princess

The following year I was even better prepared. I purchased a beautiful two-piece outfit for Sonja at a local thrift store. It was a full length skirt with a matching top. This was to be Sonja’s princess gown. Even though it was iridescent black and navy blue, Sonja looked like a princess. Serrano Elementary School allowed the children to wear their costumes to school. Sonja looked beautiful, and with her tiara she made the perfect princess. Perhaps this was Sonja’s first bullying experience. One of her friends came up to her and asked, “What are you dressed as?” Sonja responded, “I’m a princess.” The girl was confused and asked her again. “Are you sure? Because you look like a witch.”

I believe this is the day Sonja started developing a backbone. My little princess stood her ground and said, “No, I am a princess!” When Sonja got home from school that day she shared with me what had happened. In my disbelief I told her the little girl did not mean to be unkind. Then Sonja said, “But don’t princesses wear pink dresses?” My quick response was, “Only the ones that want to look like every other princess. Not you, because  you’re special.”

Mikos’ Trauma 

After the Easter bunny costume incident, Mikos never trusted me with Halloween, and he never dressed up in a costume either! He preferred to trick or treat in regular clothes for the rest of his Trick or Treating days.

Halloween In the Sixties

My childhood costume was either a ghost or a hobo, alternating every other year. My mom never had to worry about me on Halloween, as life was much simpler. Today my grandkids have their costumes months ahead of time, with no originality. They are costly and poorly made. Maybe I will surprise my grandchildren with homemade costumes next year.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I ask that You would protect all persons attending any Halloween gatherings, especially the children. May we celebrate this season by not opening any doors to the occult. May You manifest Your glory on those who seek and long to be in Your presence. Amen

On Tuesday, October 17th, my dear friend and mentor Joanne Petronella passed away peacefully.

Joanne

Joanne founded our lay ministry, Christ In You The Hope of Glory International Ministries. She was Catholic to the core but ministered to Protestants as well. Her ecumenical calling opened many doors to other countries. I am her fruit and because of her teachings and life experience my journey continues. I would like to share some stories about this powerful woman of God.

South Korea

A few weeks ago there was a report of a young army private crossing the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea. As I watched the news unfold, I thought to myself, “I’ve been there!” I remember the turquoise-colored buildings like it was yesterday.

How did I ever end up at the Demilitarized Zone? Well, I can thank  Joanne for that adventure. We were a small group invited to minister in South Korea: Joanne, Gina and me. This trip was in the mid 2000’s. Meetings were scheduled with large groups of pastors throughout our stay. These meetings lingered for hours, but this was when Joanne was at her best. She encouraged these pastors to fulfill their calling in South Korea with many receiving private prayer.

As much as the world was tugging at me to see some sights while in Korea,  it was never to be. We were there on a mission and both Gina and I understood our roles; we were to come alongside Joanne in prayer.

On the one day that we did have downtime, Joanne asked if our host, Pastor Kim, could drive us to the DMZ to pray for peace between these two countries. I remember traveling through some farmlands and through mountains to reach the DMZ,  which was 35 miles from Seoul. At this time of her life Joanne was restricted to a wheelchair, but that never stopped her from ministering.

I was wide-eyed and tried to capture every sight, remembering to register the memory and place it in the porticos of my mind.

Joanne had the gift of prophecy and generously bestowed this gift on every person who came to her for prayer. I remember Gina and I had to write the names of the people who needed prayer. This list was extensive and the people could not get enough of what Joanne had to offer. Sometimes we would not get back to the hotel until midnight. Much fruit was poured out on their behalf.

Yes, this mighty woman of God captured the hearts of many South Koreans, and it was a pleasure being part of this missionary trip.

Nepal/Tibet Border

Have I seen the tallest mountain in the world? Yes, I have. Mount Everest’s peaks can be seen through the meandering roads going up to the Tibet Border.

Before visiting Tibet, we were ministering in Nepal. This is where I met Pastor Brian and his beautiful wife Ruth, who were hosting our visit. This trip was a battery of one meeting after another. Joanne had purchased over 100 red duffel bags to be  filled with medicine to be handed out to the pastors from Nepal and the Tibet Border. Oh, how I remember asking friends and family members to donate medicines for us to take to Nepal and the Tibet Border. Joanne was strict about this, making sure we each had a large suitcase filled with medical supplies.

The President’s Palace

Did we get to meet the president of Nepal? No, not this time.  But we did have a meeting with the Secretary of State at the residence of the President of Nepal. We were traveling in a white passenger van with our team of about eight, plus Brian and Ruth. We received a warm welcome and were ushered into a meeting room upstairs. Though we did have a scheduled meeting with the president of Nepal, he was called to an urgent matter.

Hebrew Teaching and Traditions

As a team we understood many of the Jewish customs. Once a year around Passover we would reenact a traditional Seder Dinner. Everything had to be perfect or else someone was going to receive the wrath of Joanne. I remember the hardboiled-eggs, dipping the bitter herbs into salt water, and the lamb shank bone that represented the Paschal sacrificial offering. The diced apples with raisins dusted with cinnamon, represented the bricks that the Egyptians forced the Israelites to make while in slavery. Joanne went to great lengths to teach us this rich lesson on the Jewish Passover.

Gaza

Not too many Americans  can say that they have been to Gaza. I have been there. We were there to minister to the Missionaries of Charity (Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s organization). Joanne ministered to Palestinian Christians and to Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Missionaries of Charity.

I love to walk, so the following morning Millie, a team member, and I decided to take a stroll down the beach on the Gaza strip. Suddenly a hotel worker came running out and yelling, “Do you want to get shot to death? You can’t walk on the beach here!”  Millie and I quickly made our way back to the hotel.

Bethlehem

Bethlehem is located on the West Bank. In all our  years of traveling to the Holy Land, Bethlehem was always part of the trip.

One year we were scheduled to perform a play in Bethlehem. Even though only 2%  Palestinians are Christians, we were going to share the love of Christ.

With only a few hours of rehearsal, none of us knew our lines, let alone when to get on stage. As a group we went up to Joanne and asked if she could give us better direction. She yelled, “At the last minute you want help! Sorry, too late!” We looked at each other and laughed. Even though we did not know our lines, the show must go on! So we did our best to perform a play in English to an Arabic- speaking group.

Croatia

We were invited by Christofori, a powerful group of Catholics in Croatia. I will never forget the beautiful welcome we received from our Croatian family. They are deep-rooted in the Doctrine of the Catholic Church whereas we  love our Catholic roots. These days were filled with traveling to different cities in Croatia as Joanne ministered to them. We, as a team, prayed for so many individuals. I will return to this country soon!

Paris, France

Joanne transferred the responsibility of planning a Marian journey to me. We were to visit the sights in Europe where Our Blessed Mother Mary had appeared. Although I thought I was an experienced world traveler, on the second day of the trip I was the victim of a pickpocket on the metro train in Paris. My wallet with all my Euros, American money and credit cards were gone!

Joanne had given us a stern warning not to travel by that means. I was the ring leader of that rebellion and a group of us, including Father Leonard decided to save a lot of money by using the metro. At dinner I had to come clean.  Joanne raked me over the coals for not heeding her godly advice. This rebuke lasted until dessert. Yet the worse part of this terrible situation was that I had to phone home to tell my husband Mike about the incident.

Saying Goodbye

I praise God that He allowed me to visit Joanne while she was in her frail state. I reminded her of some of these stories and she laughed and asked me to tell her more. Sometimes we don’t always get along with those we love, and Joanne and I had some of those days. In spite of this I can share that she showed me the world through the eyes of Jesus. I will miss her sarcastic sense of  humor and her beautiful, loud laughter. but mostly her kind, motherly advice.

On one of my last visits she said, “Lynda, I love you very much and I want you to know that I lived a very happy and fulfilled life.”

My Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for all that Joanne has accomplished in her lifetime. All the souls that she redirected, all the leaders that she brought from the ashes. Every one of us who sat under her teachings is richer in the love of Christ. May my precious friend rest in Your loving arms. Amen.