Христос воскрес! That was tanning lotion? ISRAEL!

What a glorious day it is here in Moscow as I sit in the corner of a McDonalds gleefully getting caught up on all things electronic. The sun's been shining brightly, and it's my favorite kind of weather - the kind where you don't have to wear a coat :)

After having another good week of school (the highlight was the cardboard marble construction projects that the kids made and raced for our physics unit) and a rip-roaring time at the middle school retreat last night, I was really feeling energetic. So I stayed at the school and cranked out a bunch of work, entered the sunshine once again on my walk home, went "below" the city to catch the metro home, spent a bit of time with Ira my cat, went for a three-mile run, and then headed out again to get some quiet time alone. What a great day!

Just last Sunday we celebrated Easter here in Moscow, and it was quite the occasion. The whole city seemed to erupt with excitement, at least from the billboards and banners. While living here, I have been struck by how little censorship there is and the kind of junk that is placed in the wide open as you walk down the street or through a mall. That's why it is so sweet, so atypical, so wonderful to see huge banners throughout the city all proclaming "Христос воскрес!" ("Hreestos Voskress - Christ is Risen"!) Our celebration at Moscow First was exceptional, and I'm so thankful to have been in the city for those services this year. The picture below is of an amazing gift that was given to me from my friend Irina at church...she made it completely by hand from paper and ribbon!

What about the tanning lotion? Well, I've added yet another hilarious story to my repertoire of culturally ignorant situations. A few weeks ago I ran out of lotion (very helpful for application on potentially dry areas...yes, I'm a man who proudly uses lotion!), and I didn't know where to go to get more. You see, I had always previously bought lotion at the store near my old apartment. At my new location, we have a different supermarket, and the selection of lotions just isn't as vast. Plus, I understand next to nothing when it comes to the technical Russian that is written on the bottles. So, I searched all the shelves to find some good old lotion...and the best I could find was some that came in a yellow bottle. If only I'd made the connection that yellow typically symbolizes the sun! Why? Well, about a week after using the new lotion each morning after my shower, I suddenly discovered a weird discoloration on my hands. The kids in my class noticed it at the same time. "Mr. Hays, this question has nothing to do with class, but why are your hands all brownish/orange? What's wrong with them?" I told them that I was wondering the same thing! After closer investigation and thought about this development, I realized that I had been using tanning lotion! I asked Max to verify that the bottle did indeed say that, and he said yes! Oh the stories of living overseas!

(I'm still looking for some new lotion...my hands are getting slightly chapped, but I think I can remedy that in a couple of weeks by purchasing some lotion when I return to Michigan for my sister's wedding on May 17 - oh will it be sweet to be home, even if only for 50-some hours!)

Now for the part you've all been waiting for: Israel pictures! I've decided to post all 78 pictures and comments on another website, and here's the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/lukedanielhays/Israel. Check it out! Click on the album entitled "Israel", and you have the option of watching the pictures in a slideshow.

I could write for a really long time on what I learned and experienced in Israel four weeks ago, but I'll share a few highlights. I can say that the trip (in which some of us friends from Hinkson met up with some former teachers from Hinkson who now teach at the Anglican School in Jerusalem) was unforgettable. It added such a dimension of tangibility to my faith to be in many of the same places that Jesus once was.

Scriptures such as Psalm 125:2 now make so much more sense after having seen Jerusalem in person: "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore". I saw all those mountains! I can more fully understand Psalm 24:3-4 - "Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false." Why is this so? Because I've seen how the Temple Mount (which was constructed on Mt. Scopus and which is now the site of the Dome of the Rock) is the highest point in the city, and one would have had to ascend the hill to approach the temple. Wow!

A few other highlights of the trip that were not captured in the pictures were visiting the powerful Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem; eating an official seder (passover) dinner; and seeing the city of Jerusalem (especially in the Jewish quarter) shut down for Sabbath from Friday sundown until Saturday sundown...all businesses close on Friday between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. and don't open again until Sunday!

My friends and I surely did not want to leave at the end of our trip, and each of us has expressed a deep desire to return again. I highly recommend taking a trip to the Holy Land at least once in your lifetime. Words cannot adequately convey the ideas and experiences that are inspired there.