Friday, June 01, 2007
Minutes with Marylou
Pastor and I had the privilege of going to the Holy Land in January.
For the last few months I have been telling you about that trip. Now, we continue.
Located 10km from Tiberias (6 miles) on the shores of the Sea of Galilee is the Nof Ginosar 4 star hotel. This hotel is a Kibbutz. Remember I said I would tell you what a Kibbutz was?
A Kibbutz is a commune where people live and work together. They share responsibilities. They share in the ownership of the commune. In the 70's the Jewish people bragged that the men and women could live together, sleep together in the commune and there was no immorality. I didn't ask if it was still the same here in 2007. No one receives a salary. The Bible tells us "The Laborer Is Worthy of His Hire." Most of us enjoy getting a paycheck. So, to me, this is a little unusual. It is similar to a large farm. The people grow their own fruits and vegetables. They raise their own cattle and other animals. This is a country with mostly rock, so it is quite a surprise to come upon this valley by the Sea of Galilee with everything so green with grass and flowers. This was a very rare and beautiful site. What a wonderful place for us to visit. The Kibbutz can be religious or otherwise. This hotel..............Kibbutz was also home for the people that live and work the Kibbutz.
A commune or Kibbutz is a normal place in Israel. It certainly does seem unusual to us but, maybe some of our ways seem unusual to people in other countries also. One thing does not change and that is the Bible. It applies to all----Jews and Gentiles alike. All need to be saved. Romans 3:23. "For All Have Sinned And Come Short Of The Glory Of God." Hebrews 2:3 "How Shall We Escape, If We neglect So Great Salvation......"
The guide told us the people in the Kibbutz come and go often. Naturally, this way of life is not for everyone. We stayed two nights in this area. Their buffet of food each night was very nice and everyone was nice and cordial. There were many tour groups besides ours. The people certainly stay busy cleaning hotel rooms and preparing food for all the guests each morning and evening. And, I am sure there is much more work they do that we don't even see. On the surface everyone seemed to like what they are doing.
We appreciated the opportunity to visit the Kibbutz and see a different way of life.
Pastor and I do now and will continue to pray for the salvation of all those we met. We gave each one a tract praying that they will read it and believe what it says.
God bless all of you. See you next month.
Marylou Dean,
Pastor's wife
