Preparing to leave for Israel

It was good to return home to PA ever so briefly to prepare for our Israel departure this afternoon. Bev and I along with 7 others are being delivered to JFK airport by Landis Luxury Coaches and fly Delta airlines for 12 hours and 5,666 miles non-stop from JFK to Tel-Aviv, Israel and Ben-Gurion airport. 

We spent the day yesterday doing laundry, getting packed, catching up on bill-paying, yard-work, banking, etc. Though the congregation has contracted with Wolgemuth Landscaping to mow the parsonage lawn while mowing the church property during my Sabbath Rest, our gracious neighbor, Dave Gerberich has been mowing our lawn each time he mows his own. I have a great crop of rye growing and going to seed where my usual vegetable garden is located. I actually had to pull some out yesterday to open up our raspberry bushes, rhubarb, and our compost container. It feels really strange not vegetable gardening this spring but it would have been inconceivable to try and pull that off as much as I/we are traveling. 

I'm hoping that Valentina Satvedi (May 17) and Sherri Weaver (May 24) provide the same caliber of preaching that Phill Carlos Archbold and Bill Longenecker have provided in the first four Sunday's of preaching during my Sabbath rest. My thanks to the congregation for providing Lisa Breneman with such a nice surprise for Administrative Assistant day a few weeks ago.