noch acht stunden

ja, genau.. nun noch acht stunden gibt es bis ich am flughafen bin und fliege los. so unglaublich ist das und die Zeit ist wirklich schnell geworden.. trotzdem gab es Zeite als es noch so fern war...
*so.. only eight hours left before i am at the airport gone... it is so unbelieveable and the time has really gone by quickly.. though sometimes it was still a distant dream...

endlich aber steht es vor der Tuer, und wir uns so bald wieder sehen.
obwohl wir nicht genau wissen, mit wem wir uns treffen oder um wann wir nach berlin fahren.. ich bin so dankbar wieder dahin zu kommen und die Leute wieder zu sehen.
sooo, nur Jesus gehoert unser Lob, dass wir echt leben duerfen und nicht um die Welt leben. genau wie kathy und ich jetzt lernen wie man in einer gute beziehung zusammen lebt... sollen wir auch mit Gott umgehen... (tatsaechlich ist es den gegenteil.. aber durch diesen Beispiel lernt man praktisch wie eine Beziehung aussieht, und kann auch dann verstehen, dass die Gott erschaffen hat, zum Beispiel dafuer.)
Und ihr maenner soll eure Frauen lieben wie Christus auch die Gemeinde geliebt hat.. Er gab sein Leben um sie... versteht ihr???
*finally it is so near, and we see each other again. we don't know who we will be able to meet up with or when we go to berlin, i am so thankful to be on the way and see everyone again. all our praise belongs to Jesus that we are able to live and not for the world. in the same way that kathy and i learn to be in a relationship together, it is the same with God.. a relationship. (it is really the opposite, but through this we learn how a relationship looks like, and can understand that God made it as an example to understand how one way we relate to Him.) and you men should love your wives as Christ has loved the church.. He gave His life for her... understand???

also.. koennte ja doch noch schreiben.. aber gerne moechte ich einbisschen Zeit nach zu denken und irgendwann auch noch schlafen.
*so.. i could keep writing, but desire some time to just think and eventually sleep.

Auf dies Abenteuer, das Leben heisst, freue ich mich zu gehen... stueck fuer stueck... zusammen!
*i am excited to go on this adventure known as life.. step by step...
together!

viel liebe, israel

childish and hopful

with just a small bit before my brother and i meet up, i know i need to write something.

first off, praise God for all that He is doing. just taking moments from a busy schedule to climb a tree and reflect is so important... just notice the birds singing their songs of life...

and in the midst of this, i am becoming more aware of something... a greater love, one that was spend fully for me and is still being poured out continually.

reading emails, chatting with those i work with or who come in for a drink...

considering the last years of intense but subtle growth and that which will still happen that it may be more poured out from myself too... it is coming down to one thing.

Jesus.

a love He carried for those that would hang Him in shame and humiliation. a source of deep passionate strength He lived from that forced the world to rethink their own motives and source.

a friend just wrote about struggles they have been going through... deep struggles that i dont believe i could start to comprehend.. and through it all, he was shown that he was fought for.

he wrote.. it doesnt matter whether i read my Bible and pray, or not because i have an occasion severely neglected them both.. He is with me because He wants to be.. because He fights for me.

paul writes in the first chapter of galatians.. He became the offering according to God, our Fathers will, and died for our sins to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.

i suppose it would be stupid of me to carry on more and more.. but i can say that it is becoming more and more real to me and my heart is undergoing some serious surgical reconstruction.. removing gunk and scum that have build up in its chambers to which the world belongs, that the world has filled up with several dogmas, religions, requirements of the law and opinions from those who misuse authority to oppress.

what child could fulfill such a life that the world asks of it..

what child could fulfill such a life that Jesus asks of it......

who are we trying to live up to...

each email i receive has given me joy and shared love because of the friendships that i have been blessed with in this life. i thank God for you all.

i am looking so forward to the time with kathy, her family and all who are so dear to me in germany. may His will be done in our meetings and time together.

and to all those in india, keep the courage to love and may His grace continue to fill all that He leads you in. He created such creative hearts in everyone.. but most dont know we are allowed to use them. become who He made you to be.

much love, His

12 days, warmer weather... and a dentist

as the temperature is starting to rise, a new season is obviously on the way. and as spring starts to show itself, so is it with the steps in what is to come regarding Katharina and myself.

He blows me away how He knows...

He knows everything.. before we knew.. even as we ran after other plans, goals... people.. He, the entire time, knew.

our wedding date is still set for July 14th, and though this is still not the formal invite, all of you are more than welcome to join us in rapid city, s.d., for the smaller celebration of becoming even more a team for Him!

the time has ticked down from some 30 weeks to less than two.. about 700 hours.. hehe

we can only hold close to Jesus and the hope and love that He has continually built inside of us over the last several months.

Lord willing, a week from saturday i will fly to switzerland. this marks the beginning of the next season for us. we are not sure of what will take place over the next couple months before she flies to america, but look to spend a lot of time just seeking God together and talking all of this over together. how great it is to be learning to function as a team. learning to trust Him together, learning to hope together.

He continues to reveal glimpses of a future that He has assured us. though the jist of it is still beyond what is visible from this point, each valley, each river and each step takes us closer to something much bigger and it is from Him that we gain strength.

please pray for us and with us for wisdom in these next steps, and a deeper knowledge of how great that power that lives inside of us, the same one that raise Jesus from the dead, removing our hopelessness and own self-righteousness from us, and giving us true life.

last week, shortly after getting my dental insurance, a filling fell out. ha!

talk about continual provision.

through a few visits to the dentist, things are getting worked out, and possibly prepared for another long stretch.. or adventure in which dental work would create a burden.

none the less, i am thankful to get the work down and see another way that He provides for us on a very practical level.

work, stressful for a few weeks, has been again a place of desired ministry and opportunity to bless those who come in through genuine interaction and a humor that carries through the drive-thru....

within the next couple weeks, my father will go in for back surgery. i just learned about this today, and have not had the chance to talk with him. thank you for every prayer for him, and i will update as i also learn about whats going on.

12 days... :)

Danke sehr Jesus um was Du mit uns machst.

after the three weeks with katharina, i start the parks dept. job again in hopes of paying a massive chunk of the loans gone. this will also mean that i will be working a lot. the schedule is not worked out yet, but i know it will be good.

it may be possibly that i move into what could be kathys and my first place together too when i get back. it has been a blessing spending so much time with my mother and staying at another friends place, but this step i look forward to.

thank you all for the prayers and support through encouragement finance. the months ahead, i believe, will be a very new adventure and i hope that the things He is doing through us will bless you too, or even encourage you to do something outside of any possible sanity that the world claims. lets live!

thank you really for the love and time to read what is happening in the life He blessed me with...

much much love, israel