giants in the promised land

Hello Everyone,This past week has been very full and intense in everyway imaginable. Overall we are doing just fine. Wemiss the good ole early days of our arrival with easygoing fun in the sun. It is quite strange because westill have our days filled with beach going but alwayswith our ears open and with a heavy layer of tension,worry, concern and sadness. Helicopters fly overheadthrough out the day and night. Israel has a fightingforce of 100,000 soldiers. Not too big. My brother inlaw, Gal, has a little brother who has now been calledup to Lebanon to fight. Today the sirens went on moresouth of Haifa(where we are going to live) butinterestingly enough we were on our way to a touristsight outside of Jerusalem. We did not hear anythingnor have to go to bomb shelters, but Kattie did!A few days ago Kattie and I had to go to Haifa. Weneeded to take our papers to the customs tobegin the process of releasing our big shipment. Thewhole port is closed so that isn't going to happenright now but soon enough it will open. I got an emailfrom an earlier immigrant who told me that hershipment was held for 9 months by a labor strike 15years ago! So, practice patience and remind yourselfthat it will be a good story for your grandchildren.'Patience' still is a skill that I am developing. Thelong lines of waiting are not making me so crazy. I amsure the heat tones everyone's energy down as well. Weare still in Netanya at my mom's house. She is nowfishing in Alaska. 140 rockets fell yesterday in thenorth. A total of 2200 rockets have been shot intoIsrael thus far and counting. I am listening to thenews now and sirens are going off in Haifa. Haifa is agorgeous city which is about 40 miles north of here.It is so challenging to describe what it feels like tobe here now. I haven't written in a while because I amnot sure what I feel yet alone put into words. I seemto be 'dazed and confused' with a dash of numbness. Idon't know what to say. I am not really scared but itis really stressful and very sad as to the loss of anysoldier's life as well as to anyone else. Logistically, in my head is where the inexperiencecomes to play. Getting to my mom's bomb shelter isbasically a pain in the ass. We are on the 7Th floorand the shelter is in the basement. Now that Zach canwalk on his injured foot I feel a lot more relaxed.So, like, do we run down the stairs or take theelevator? If it is in the middle of the night will Ihave time to get some clothes on? We do have a bagpacked by the front door. If, god forbid, Hezbollahshoots missiles this far south I would like to havethe first siren and run into the bomb shelter thingover with and then it will not be so foreign. I willno longer be a virgin bomb shelter dasher.I also am pretty amazed with how surreal andunfortunate that this has occurred so early into ourtrip/life here. Drew reminded me of a beautiful storyfrom the Torah today. It was when the 12 spies weresent into Israel to scope it out and have a good'look/see'. All but Joshua and Caleb returned with areport that the land was inhabited by giants and thatthey 'just couldn't make it there'. The Israelites dueto their lack of faith were then sentenced by Hashem(God) to wander in the desert for 40 years. We alsofeel that at this point there is an element of thesame test. This current situation is our Giants in thenew land. We don't want a repeat of the same storyand have to wander around in 'our Egypt' for another40 years!! We don't want to have nor show the samelack of faith as 10 of the 12 spies did. We werecertainly given a message to come to this land. Plus,we have Mr. Bling Bling Joshua on our side! He be sobaaaaad.I did know all along that there would be moreconflicts and suicide bombs but I did not think that awar would break out. War to me is so foreign andridiculous. It feels like it never helps anything andin the long run it does not seem to change anything.Kids (soldiers) die, people die and then we go back toCostco (actually here it is called Mega-deal) and buyjunk for our lives and our houses. I know that soundsso flippant but that is what is so strange. We don'thear any war going on. At night the parties rage righthere in Netanya just like always. The beaches arefull, swimming, surfing, smash ball and of course, icecream. What do you do? You forget and then the blackhawks and Cobra helicopters fly overhead. I don't knowwhat to say. It is really weird. Life goes on herefull force. People are very kind and gentle in manyways. they have lived with this their whole lives. Idon't believe that this is a conflict about land. Ibelieve it is about ending Israel as a country and forall human life here to be gone. With that as areality, I can't say that we plan to return in thenear future. I still feel that we want to stay andgrow our lives here. Don't think that i am nottremendously concerned and don't know what the futureholds. I am really sad about the whole thing. Personally and emotionally I feel quite displaced! Ihave never had such a time like this in my life. I amnot working and not traveling. Not working, with myhand still healing, is really really really reallyreally really tough!!! I miss you all, I especiallymiss your bodies! Sounds funky? Well, bodies speak tome and it is my dialog. I am less lonely that way. As soon as I can move my hand better I want to govolunteer with soldier rehabilitation. I am not sure Ican help much but I know that my goofball way of beingand foreignness will surely crack them up. So, pray for all of us and for this whole world. Praythat no one suffers, not one child, mother or father.I can say that life here is still very electric, aliveand full. Blessings to you all. Hugs and squeezes and smiles.Adele