And we're off, but not to Israel

So we’ve been counting down the months, the weeks, and then the days. At the beginning, we went through a day of doubting whether Israel was actually going to happen. We worked through that and carried on. About two to three weeks ago, we had that feeling that the cloud was about to move (think Exodus), and that we needed to start preparing. But for what? My passport is still not in my hands, as the South African Embassy has shut its doors and seems reluctant to reopen them. On top of that, because of COVID-19, Israel’s borders are still closed. I started cleaning the caravan and, unbeknownst to us, dear friends of ours asked a farmer they know whether he would allow some campers on his farm for four to eight weeks.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: John10:27

We also knew it was time to vacate our friends’ caravan that they had so willingly let us use. We have had an amazing time. Being in lockdown together for three months is, in many ways, a really scary prospect. Pete is a lot more easygoing than me, and I am definitely happier indoors, looking after children and preparing meals—and perhaps not as sociable as I could be. But God’s covering and grace lay over us like a comforting blanket, and we knew that He was with us.

Our thirteen children (between the two families) played and played and played, day in and day out. We learned about animals and even saw some born. We helped where we could and shared the cooking. The boys spent a lot of time on bikes—some learning how to ride, some learning how to jump! My friend’s two oldest boys spent time with the littlies, built things for them, and let them get involved in what they were doing. Really special times.

But then the cloud lifted—it was time to move on. We have the greatest respect for our friends, who have been sleeping in a small yurt for three months. I don’t know if we could have done that. It has been an amazing blessing to us, and we have truly learned and grown from this experience.

So the question we had was, “How is God going to do this?” The farmer whose land we are meant to go to will only be ready sometime after the 6th of July. We would also like to go and see friends and family down in Cornwall, which would leave a gap of about seven to ten days. Where would we stay? With everything opening up after COVID on the fourth of July, places are fully booked, and it’s not very easy putting up nine people for even a night.

Interestingly enough, last year Pete had come across a five-berth caravan that was potentially for sale. He mentioned it to me, but it really wasn’t what we needed at the time. With the uncertainty around when we will go to Israel, Pete has been toying with the idea of buying the caravan, as we could all just fit into it and it would make life a whole lot easier. We do have a two-berth caravan, but that means we can only camp when we also have the bell tent. If we’re moving around, it becomes far more difficult with the amount of gear to set up and break down, and we can’t use standard camping pitches.

So yesterday (Friday the 26th of July), we decided the best course of action would be to leave on Tuesday and head down to Cornwall for a few days, then slowly make our way up to the farm while visiting friends and family. Pete’s parents were willing to let us park the caravan on their drive, and it would be lovely for them to see the children after four months of lockdown. The caravan is also available—so all perfect.

But as we talked after our meal, we realised that nothing was stopping us from going on Monday. More time in Cornwall, and our friends get to move back into their lovely warm caravan with sofas and beds. The most exciting thing is that packing now only takes a day, not weeks, and the caravan is so much easier to clean than a big house was. Job done.

Father always amazes me with His timing and provision. The time is right to go, the country is starting to open up, and movement is now possible. There is also the provision of a caravan. And what a blessing it is to be able to go and visit friends again, to bless and encourage one another in these difficult times. It also gives me the opportunity to apply for my British citizenship. I can kick myself now—I should have done it years ago…

Some highlights of our time here:

A few days after our arrival the police turned up. That was a bit scary. We weren't quite sure what to expect. We just explained the situation to them, anThey were very understanding and very kind. One was a real fan of large families, and the other one’s parents had just returned from a Holy Land tour. They sent us on our way with their blessing.

Behind one of the barns is the “orchard”—without any fruit trees! It’s a small triangular piece of land with trees on two sides. My friend bought a fire pit, an old steel tractor tyre, and we’ve spent several evenings there cooking on the fire or having a BBQ, roasting marshmallows as the flames flickered.

It took me three weeks to get accustomed to our friends’ eating habits. Because they work so hard, they have snack time every morning at ten and always have pudding. I resisted snack time for weeks, but finally decided that if you can’t beat them, join them. It’s been years since we’ve had so much pudding and baking. I think both Pete’s body and mine are now in serious uproar about this—we need to get back to our limited-carb diet, or we might end up in wheelchairs…

Our friends have chickens, ducks, geese, cats, goats, sheep, cattle, and ponies/horses. We saw goats being born and learned how to milk them. The two geese are Toulouse geese—beautiful, but BIG. It took a while for Reuben and Faith to get used to them. The male is very protective of the female and not scared of anything. I did go through a phase of trying to stroke him… they do bite quite hard! We also saw ducks and chickens hatch, newborn kittens, the arrival of a birthday puppy, and our friend even took the girls horse riding. Really special times.

Something that has been particularly lovely about this season is that Pete has been at home with us. We truly love having him around, and not having his work encroach on our family time has been such a gift. This is another area where God has blessed us. His business is now able to function without him needing to be involved in the day-to-day running, which means we can be free to go where Father calls us—without being completely penniless.

We also managed a few excursions and met up with some of our Shabbat friends, which was such a blessing. We’ve really missed them. We used to see each other every two weeks, and sometimes every week.

We are so thankful for, and blessed by, this journey of faith. Of course, some aspects are harder than others, but we are enjoying the freedom that this lifestyle affords—COVID aside. The children are wonderful and very adaptable, and our desire right now is to encourage those who need it, that their lives too may be re-ignited by our amazing God.

Then shalt thou delight thyself in theLord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isaiah 58:14