Grow, go and Recycle

Since moving to Nazareth I have developed a real interest in plant propagation, our home environment is slowly beginning to bloom and grow with exotic plants. My new interest is a great relaxant and is also teaching me patience. I think it is also bring out my English eccentricities. I can regularly be found in the Hospital chapel with a can of leaf shine or a water sprayer, trying to create the right conditions for my newest cacti or palm tree, or new leaf cuttings that I am nurturing.
Another great thing about plants is that they are ‘presents for free’. Newly grown and divided plants can then able be passed on to friends. When I have run out of pots then I can recycle food containers, a prune box makes an excellent plant holder for a newly grown palm. Our environments are crucial places for our ministries. Plants can make a room seem calm and tranquil and can relax those who inhabit and come to our dwelling places.
Somebody at church has just offered me a 2 metre cactus, I wonder how I can get that home on the bus? J

Juggling

The number of balls we that are juggling has hopefully reached its peak. The variety of our work means that we are entering into both the Christian and wider community faster than most newcomers. We are getting to know people at the Anglican church, mid-week bible study (many attendees don’t go to church), school (English and music classes), Galilee Bible College, Nazareth hospital (children’s ward, 3 x chapel services, working in the grounds, helping the chaplain) Baptist Christmas choir, after-school children’s club, Taize service at local convent, English language Bible study, we are also attending a course, ‘Living in a Pluralistic Society’, at the Nazareth Seminary; and of course, how could we forget our Arabic lessons and more importantly, running a fantasy football team (currently top in the Devon & Nazareth Premier League). We are also regularly visiting other churches (Brethren, Orthodox, Baptist, Catholic etc) often at the invitation of friends and colleagues, this is one of the advantages of belonging to a middle of the road, Protestant-Episcopalian church (not sure what that means, but it sounds good). And all of this during a prolonged summer - 97⁰F today. P

The odd one out

Today we had our first day in school – with parents weeping at the school gate (not ours!). We are helping the students with their English lessons. It is a small school with one class for each year, and the ages range from 4 to 16. The school is located in the centre of the old town of Nazareth and is squeezed into the densely populated market (souq) area. The children obviously see many tourists in Nazareth, but it is very rare for them to interact with foreigners. The younger children found it very strange to have people with blue eyes, pale skin and fair hair sitting in their classes; at the start of each class we had 30 pairs of brown eyes continually staring at us. It is quite uncomfortable being the ‘odd one out’, but after we had started helping them with their work 'Mr Peter' and 'Mrs Jane' didn’t seem so strange. In the picture, which is the odd one? P