Greetings and salutations!

UPDATE: In typical Blogger style, they've gone ahead and made changes without saying anything. The RSS feed for this blog can now be found here.

Here it is; my first post live from the Holy Land! What a thrill! (Insert Wayne Campbell voice here) Let me bring you up to speed.

Having finally completed the required visa processing, I left Canada on August 30th. I had a great time there and really enjoyed visiting friends and family. I want to especially thank my brother, Jeremy, and my father, Wayne, for their support.

After spending an excessive amount of money to fly home from Japan, I was hoping I could arrange cheaper transportation to Israel. Most thankfully, God did provide and I was able to get excellent fares to Frankfurt/Cologne and on through to Tel Aviv! That said, I did have to pay some extra baggage fees in Germany but, overall, the costs involved were very reasonable. Yes, the flights were long, as were my waits in the various airports. I can't count the number of times I went through various scans and related security procedures. I did end up losing something - a tube of toothpaste I had kept in my shaving kit.

Eventually I arrived in Tel Aviv - and that was really the crucial moment. I've written previously about how I feel being in Israel. When my feet touched the floor inside Ben Gurion International, I instantly felt that old connection - what a wonderful confirmation and sense of relief! Shortly thereafter I hopped a train to Akko where I have been living for the last week. Eli, a former police officer and fellow Yad Hashmona volunteer, has been tremendously kind in allowing me to stay at his home there. He actually picked me up from the train station in a police vehicle which was certainly entertaining!

Akko is one of the oldest and most historically significant cities in Israel, and one of it's major Arab residential centers. I find the city (both the old and new parts) to be immensely charming and there is a great temptation to live here permanently, however, due to a long list of factors, I am sticking with my originally stated plan to move to Haifa. I have actually found an apartment in the Bat Galim area there and am simply waiting on some final arrangements related to taking possession.

In regard to my work here, I met my boss and visited the company's offices in Karmiel earlier this week. What I will be doing, specifically, is still being arranged but I am certainly both tremendously excited and anxious about what lies ahead. I have a lot of work to do and even more to learn, but I am confident that I will be successful and that God remains faithful.

On Recent Losses

It was announced today that, after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer, famed Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti has died. It's always sad to see the passing of great creative and artistic personalities, and Pavarotti will remain an inspiring figure of operatic history.

This month has also marked the 10 year anniversary of the tragic death of Princess Diana. Now I'm well aware of the general ignorance or even hostility shown towards the British Monarchy in North America, but you have to understand how many Britons value their sovereigns and how much Diana truly changed the face on the monarchy. Aside from the many charitable or humanitarian causes she brought to the forefront, Diana reached out to the British public in a way that had not been seen before, and in doing so she became entrenched in the hearts of many. When I see the tributes played out in the media, or especially listening to the words of her sons Princes William and Harry, I can't help but feel some sadness at the untimely dimming of such a radiant personality.

With Hope,
Joseph

Holy Land | Luciano Pavarotti | Princess Diana