Saturday, May 8, 2010

Report from Israel #12 - A Last Day of Surprises

By Janice Beurling

Shalom from Israel!

Yesterday was our last day with Dov and it was something to write home about!

We rose very early and met Dov at 7:30 am halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Krista joined him in his car again and they led us in our car to downtown Tel Aviv where the Israel Air Force Headquarters is located. Our goal … a personal meeting with the Major General of the IAF.

Again going through a series of security gates and doors, we arrived on the floor where the chief officers of the IAF have their offices. Our interview was delayed because the Major General was meeting first with a chief military officer of another government. So we drank the espresso the assistants offered and chatted with Dov and the commander of the 100th Squadron who was joining us.

After a short wait, it was our turn. We were ushered into the modest office and introduced to the Major General. We all sat in a circle and chatted about Uncle George and Israel. It was an informal meeting, but we were very honoured to have this opportunity to express our love for Israel to these men. As the meeting drew to a close, the Major General indicated that he had a gift for us. He pulled out a boxed Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament in Hebrew). It was beautifully bound in leather and impressed with the logo of the Israel Air Force. He had personally inscribed it to the Beurling family. Bibles like this are given to Israel Air Force pilots when they graduate. No one else has access to them. They all felt that, because of our professed love for the Hebrew scriptures, this was an appropriate gift for us.

Then the Major General pulled out a larger blue box. When he opened it we found that it contained a blue pillow with a number of insignias and medals pinned to it. These are the things Uncle George would have worn on his uniform if he had made it to Israel. Whew! We were blown away by this! Dad could hardly speak. Mom and I were moved to tears and Krista burst into tears!

Israel has done nothing but bless us on this trip. Dov’s efforts to make our visit memorable, pleasant and comfortable have gone beyond every expectation. We’ve been entertained and educated. We’ve been warmly greeted by every officer and enlisted soldier (or “warrior” as they call them here). We’ve been made to feel that we are part of the family of Israel and that we belong here.

In something of a daze, we left the Major General’s offices and followed Dov through Tel Aviv and on toward Be’er Sheva in the Northern Negev. Our destination was the Israel Air Force Museum and one last air base. As we headed toward the desert, the countryside became somewhat less lush, but continued to show us full cultivation -- crops of hay/wheat, orchards, groves and many other evidences of fertile agricultural land.

The highway south was, like all main roads in Israel, spectacular. The highways are clean and smooth. The road system is excellent. Yes, in towns the roads tend to be narrow and confusing, but that’s to be expected when modern streets are imposed on ancient cities. All in all, we found the roads to be better than many of our roads in Canada where we struggle with frost and winter weather. We did find that street signs were non existent or inconsistent, but most road signs are written in Hebrew, Arabic AND English. We got ourselves quite lost on a number of occasions, but always managed to find a way to our goal.

The Air Force Museum was delightful. Because our interview with the Major General had been delayed, we didn’t have as much time here as originally planned. I’ve never seen so many planes parked in one place! Our guide showed us spitfires such as Uncle George flew in the RAF during WW 2. She also showed us the ruin of a Norseman, the kind of plane he was killed in. But they have examples of every other plane Israel has used in their air force up to, but not including, those currently in use.

After the Museum, we drove a short distance away to another air base. This one was the most secure base we’ve visited; we left all our cameras in the trunk of the car. Our guide at this location was a 26-year-old man who flies F15s. He gave an audio-visual presentation that described the capability of the planes and their weaponry. He showed videotape of actual attacks -- I would not want to be on the receiving end of such an experience. Next, he showed us his plane, complete with bombs and missiles. He described their procedures -- in case of attack, they can be in the air within five minutes!

We commented on the differences between Spitfires and F15s. I was interested to see the envy on his face. He said that he and all his fellow pilots would much rather be flying Spitfires. I guess the smaller, older planes are more personal and responsive in ways that the souped up F15s cannot be.

After another lovely lunch in the officers’ dining room, we headed north again -- Dov to Tel Aviv and we to Jerusalem. We hope to see Dov one more time at the Ben Gurion Airport when we leave Israel.

During our last few days in Jerusalem, we planned to stay pretty close to home, resting up and packing our suitcases. We made a last walk through the Old City, stopping at a sidewalk café for dessert and doing some serious people watching.

We also took an hour to visit Chosen People Ministries’ Jerusalem Messianic Center. Myer, the Assistant to the Director of the work in Israel, showed us around and listened to our stories.

As I write this, our bags are packed and waiting by the door. The noisy street outside our windows is quiet because it’s Shabbat. We continue to feel overwhelmed by the welcome we have received here in Israel -- not just from Dov and the Israel Air Force, but from everyone we’ve met. Whether Jew or Arab, Orthodox or secular, every individual has greeted us with a smile. They’ve tried out their English on us. They’ve gone out of their way to help us. And everyone has said, “Welcome. Welcome to Israel!”

We’ve also been delighted by the many opportunities we’ve had to share our faith in Yeshua with a variety of people.

Before we left Canada, some people said, “Are you SURE you want to go to Israel now? Isn’t it dangerous?”

It’s true that Israel lives every day precariously because of her enemies. At Passover, I chatted with a Jewish acquaintance (who doesn’t yet know Yeshua) about this. In broken English and using her hands to demonstrate how Israel is surrounded, she said, “Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Jordan.” Then I brought my hand down over hers and said, “And God!” She smiled and nodded, “And God.”

We have felt completely safe during our trip. We’ve not felt at serious risk from pickpockets or other forms of robbery. Although the driving in Jerusalem, as we’ve described, is chaotic at best, our cars survived without any new scrapes or dents. And we’ve said from the beginning, if God calls us Home during this trip, what better place to leave from that the Land of Israel?

Shalom in Messiah Yeshua!


Here are some of the photos Krista and I took during the last few days (click for bigger):

One of the great roads in Israel -- this one heading south to the Negev.


The Air Force Museum near Be'ev Sheva.




A ruined Norseman, like the plane in which Uncle George was killed.




A Spitfire like Uncle George flew in WW 2.




A last walk through the Old City of Jerusalem.


Dessert at an outdoor cafe in the Jewish Quarter followed by some serious people watching.
















CPM's Jerusalem Messianic Center.




We spent an hour at a nearby public garden.


















The view from our balcony. Although it was a busy, noisy street, we found the Israeli drivers constantly entertaining.




Sample dented cars. Dad counted nine out of ten cars with dents and scrapes.




Perhaps this driver is trying out for an IKEA commercial!


A peaceful end to an outstanding stay in Israel.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Report from Israel #11 - The Memorial Service

By Janice Beurling

Shalom from Israel!

Our first task yesterday was to return our defective rental car and request a replacement. The rental company was very cooperative and, without batting an eyelash, turned over the keys to a nicer, slightly larger car. Wonderful!

Krista and I left Dad with the new car and we began walking across the Old City from the Jaffa Gate to the Zion Gate. One of Krista’s goals was to visit the grave of Oskar Schindler (of Schindler’s List). He lies in a Catholic cemetery a short walk from the Zion Gate. We found it without too much trouble, paying our respects to this hero of Israel.

We soon returned to the Old City and hung around the Jewish Quarter for a while, watching the tourists and locals and enjoying the warm sunshine on this cool day. All in all - a quiet day. However …

… today has been a whirlwind! We can hardly take in all that has happened.

Early this morning, we drove in our lovely new rental car to a spot halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv where we met Dov. Krista joined him in his car and we followed closely behind, driving north about 1½ hours to an airbase in the Jezreel Valley.

Before entering the base itself, Dov stopped at a small hillside cemetery to show us Moshe Dayan’s grave. It is also where the Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, is buried. This beautiful spot looks out over the Jezreel Valley.

Soon we headed to the nearby airbase and went through security gates. We were met by some young female soldiers assigned to guide us and keep us from taking photos of any classified items. We’ve been shown many classified things during our visit to the airbases, so we really haven’t taken many photos at these places.

After giving us a chance to relax for a few minutes with a cold drink and pastries, we headed into the briefing room and a young airman told us about the activities of this air base, the closest one to Israel‘s northern borders.

He also showed us an amazing film about an event in Poland a few years ago. The Polish people were celebrating the anniversary of the creation of their air force and invited representatives of air forces from around the world, including the Israel Air Force. The IAF took this opportunity to fly in formation over Auschwitz and proclaim that from the ashes of the concentration camps a strong nation has arisen. It was a remarkable and moving film.

Next we had the incredible opportunity to go outside and watch many F16s take off and land. The staff even took us up into the control tower. This was just amazing. Those manning the air traffic control on this base all looked about 19 years old -- and most of them were. But they were managing all the flights in and out of this base. They were sitting and standing like 19-year-olds around the world -- quite casually, entirely laid back. There was nothing military about them except their expertise and their uniforms. Actually, their supervisor was just a handful of years older than they were and he was dressed for the beach in a pink t-shirt, orange shorts, track shoes and sunglasses (he’d been called in last minute). It was the strangest thing to see! This young man asked one of the F16s to do a special take off for us. So, the pilot began down the runway, in a moment hit his speed, took off nearly vertically, banked and practically disappeared! Wow!

After a great lunch on the base in the officers’ dining room, Dov led our small convoy from the base to the Haifa Military Cemetery where Uncle George is buried.

I hardly know how to describe what followed.

When Dov originally corresponded with Dad in Canada regarding our visit to Israel, he offered to arrange a memorial service at Uncle George’s grave. He gave Dad the choice of having either a Christian or a Jewish service. Dad selected a Jewish service for two reasons. First, he wanted any Jewish person who attended to be able to identify with the service. Second, he wanted to bring glory to God through the Old Testament scriptures we’d have an opportunity to read and hear. Whether Christian or Jewish didn’t matter to us, because the God we worship is the God of Israel. In addition, this service was not a time of great sadness for us because we know that George was a believer in Messiah Yeshua, is present with Him now and his body will be resurrected to eternal life one day.

When we arrived at the cemetery we were amazed at the lush landscaping. Although we’ve visited the grave before, the first time was in the 1970’s when the landscaping was minimal and the second time was two years ago in August, the hottest and harshest time of year. Today, every grave was covered with small purple flowers and the fragrance met us as we entered. We were only in one corner of the cemetery, but the graves stretched out of view. Uncle George, of course, is buried in the oldest portion of the cemetery. Not far from his grave is the grave of Leonard Cohen, the pilot who died with him in the Norseman crash in 1948.

Not long after our arrival, others began to appear. As we think back, we come up with the following list: 10 servicemen, five officers from Uncle George’s squadron (the 100th), a senior armed services rabbi and a couple of photographers. But we were also tremendously honoured by the presence of His Excellency Jon Allen, Canada’s ambassador to Israel and the Canadian Military AttachĂ©, Jordie Elms.

After a few of the servicemen set up the sound system, the service began. The rabbi started with prayers and readings (including Kaddish), the commander of the 100th Squadron spoke and Dov read the well-known poem, High Flight, by RCAF spitfire pilot John Magee who died in Britain during WW 2.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew --
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.


After the service I thanked Dov for reading this poem -- one I’ve always loved and that has always made me think of Uncle George. Dov answered, “Me, too!”

After Dov read the poem, the Ambassador spoke briefly and very kindly. Dad followed with comments regarding George‘s upbringing, quoting some words from a song that has become our family‘s theme song:

As you journey through life to the grave you pursue
There’s one thing in earnest I wish you to do
Oh, listen, my boy, while I say this to you:
Oh, cling to the Bible, my boy.


Dad also highlighted a number of scriptures in Genesis that referred to God’s love for and faithfulness to Israel. He ended by reading Psalm 118.

After Dad finished, I stepped forward and sang two favourite songs in Hebrew. In English they say:

Comfort my people
Comfort my people
Speak tender words to Jerusalem
This is what you shall say to them:
Your hard work
Has been done
Your atonement is won
You’re received from My hand
Twice for all you’ve done
Comfort my people

(Isaiah 40)

and

Establish peace, goodness, blessing, grace and mercy

Father, may You find it to be pleasing in Your eyes
To bless all of Your people Israel
Bless us with peace each moment and in ev’ry hour
May Your peace be with us in ev’ry hour


[I believe both songs were written by Steve McConnell.]

Krista said later that a number of the Jewish men listening looked us with amazement and tears in their eyes. It brought her to tears to think of how these words affected them. I’m just glad they could understand my Hebrew!

After a few moments of silence and contemplation, the service ended. The rabbi came right over to me and told me how deeply touched he was by the words of my songs. I thanked him and reminded him that the Word of God is powerful. The ambassador also told us how touched he was. Dad -- all of us -- had prayed often that, during this service, we would reveal Yeshua and bring glory to God. I think He answered our prayers. All these Jewish men were clearly moved and touched, some to tears -- not by us, but by the scriptures we read and sang. Baruch HaShem! Praise His Name!

After everyone else had left, Dov and we stayed a bit longer and walked over to the grave of Leonard Cohen, the young pilot who died with Uncle George. It is sad to reflect on the loss of so many young lives.

One of the pleasant surprises of the day was receiving a personal invitation from the ambassador to attend a reception at his home this evening. The occasion of this event was the official unveiling of the new joint international rate commemorative stamp issued by Canada Post and Israel Post. It had become available on April 14, the day we left Canada. Dad was able to purchase several small books of these special stamps in Toronto and had presented one to Dov as a gift earlier in the week.

We were very honoured by this kind invitation and so pleased to be a part of this small historic occasion.

After this very long and emotional day, we were happy to turn our car toward Jerusalem and home. Tomorrow will be another long day!


Here are some of the pictures Krista and I took during the last couple of days (click for bigger):

Visiting Oskar Schindler's grave, just outside the Old City walls.












Walking toward the Western Wall for early prayers.

Baking bread in a fired oven in the Old City.




Early morning in the Old City.




Israel Air Force personnel at the Western Wall Plaza.




Enjoying the morning sun in the Old City.




Moshe Dayan's grave.


Overlooking the Jezreel Valley.






Posing in front of an F16.


You have to be fast to catch one of these birds on film.


Views of the Haifa Harbour on the Mediterranean from the Carmel Mountains.




Entering the Haifa Military Cemetery with Dov.












Uncle George's grave.


Dad and Dov chat before the memorial service.


Janice and the Canadian Ambassador during the memorial service.


Dad reading Psalm 118 during the memorial service.




Visiting Leonard Cohen's grave.


Krista has discovered espresso coffee!


Sunset over the Mediterranean as we head for the receiption at the Canadian Ambassador's residence.