Ashalim - our last night in Ashalim for this time. We feel that the time has gone too fast! It is hard to believe we have already been here for one month!! We could have been here much longer, but our family and special our grandchildren is longing for us. 4 years old Evelyn said to me today: Now I should stay in your house as long as you have been in Israel....she is so cute!

Thanks to all the wonderful people we have met and all the good experiences you gave us! It is really a hard time for the Israeli people nowadays and we can only pray for you and try to comfort you. You are not alone although you feel like you are. Many people support you, also in Norway!!

Lots of security in Beer Sheva today

 But we feel peace and relaxed in the Exodus North garden

The first lemon this year

The garden is full of Biblical plants

This is named Louisa, like people in Israel call me because I have too difficult name

passion-flower.. The hummingbird loves them as well. There are lots of cute hummingbirds in the garden.

The garden got lots of tiny sweet flowers because of  some few raindrops.

The gardener in duty

Today was the day of preparing the olives so I went out in the garden and found all I needed of herbs. What a garden!! :) Have a look what I found:

-and what I made!!

I am so proud - my first home-made olives!!!

The last "project" was to prepare and paint the cozy chairs outside - look at Alv's fancy gloves

I had to harvest olives to take with me home tomorrow. I hope I will get them with me on the plane!

Visit from friends
Today we got a visit from our dear Jewish son Yadi and his two cute and beautiful friends. One had traveled all the way from Haifa to visit us! It was a great honor to have them here in Ashalim. The first time we met Yadi was when he hitchhiked with us 9 years ago and after that we had contact and are very close. He also visited us in Norway two years ago. We usually say that Yadi is our dear Jewish son !! He has given us so much and taught us so many things. We are very grateful and proud "parents".
The same can be said about the friends he had with him here yesterday. You teach us so much and it is so exciting to be with you !! Thank you for your beautiful songs!!Thank you for taking the time to spend a whole day with us taking this long trip to visit us. It was also really nice and funny to get to "guide" you!!
I want to share with you some words given to us - and I send especially those words to all the Israeli people today: 
 Exodus 14.14:

יד  יְהוָה, יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם; וְאַתֶּם, תַּחֲרִשׁוּן.  {פ}

14 The LORD will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.'

and from Jeremiah 29.11:

יא  כִּי אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת-הַמַּחֲשָׁבֹת, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי חֹשֵׁב עֲלֵיכֶם--נְאֻם-יְהוָה:  מַחְשְׁבוֹת שָׁלוֹם וְלֹא לְרָעָה, לָתֵת לָכֶם אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָה.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

O se shalom bimromav.......

it was quiet at the bus-station today but we honored the Israelis who died

our dear friends at "the white house"  - "the prayer house"

 visiting Shivta for the first time...

with the magnificent church, one of the first churches might be

surprise, surprise - we found Lars - Alv's cousin, hidden in Shivta-camp..... 

of course we had to go to Ezuz to see the fascinating paintings

 We met our first snake today!!! -But of course - it was not dangerous!!

amazing stones

teem-work at the white house....

I felt like we always had worked together!! - Together with our two new daughters!!

bet-a-von...vegetarian  Israeli food, the most healthy in the world!!

Yeroham Lake
If you meet Israel with an open mind, there will always be some positive surprises so also today.
I finished cleaning the kitchen and Alv worked hard with oiling a wall. After we finished, we decided to take a brake and go to the city Yeroham  not that far away. On the way we drove through the park with a beautiful lake, Yeroham Lake.
Here we met a bride and her girlfriends. It was sad to hear one of the girls tell about her visit to Norway two years ago. She had never been so scared in her life as when she walked around in our capital. We could comfort them that there actually are many in Norway who support Israel even if they do not hear so much about it. There are several organizations in Norway that support Israel completely, also the organization Exodus North as we volunteer for this time. We'll be with and bless Israel on our way by meeting people like today and might be involve and to comfort and give them hope. May G-d bless these girls and the young bride, her future and future family !!
Might G-d bless Israel in those days!!

When we came home, we could read about the awful attack that took place in Beer Sheva at the same time as we went around in Yeroham. It is hard to see all the wickedness that the Jewish people has to go through. 
We are all looking forward to the day Sakarja is speaking about: Zechariah 14. 9: 

ט  וְהָיָה יְהוָה לְמֶלֶךְ, עַל-כָּל-הָאָרֶץ; בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, יִהְיֶה יְהוָה אֶחָד--וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד.

9 And the LORD shall be King over all the earth; in that day shall the LORD be One, and His name one.

The beautiful Lake Yeroham

and the beautiful bride - the future of Israel!!

a forest is surrounding the lake

nai meod leakir oter!!!

Might G-d bless you!!!

you really gave us a lot, the few minutes we met!!!

Toda raba - and G-d blesses to you all!! You will live in our hearts forever!

we will never forget you!!!

from the square at the beautiful small city Yeroham