Hola

  Currently, I am sitting on the back porch of Parsonage #1 and enjoying the bliss that is this Friday evening in Gratz, Pa. I cannot begin to explain how beautiful it is outside. It is 72 F and the warm sun is warming my face as all my troubles melt away in the quiet and tranquility of country life. You just have to be here to understand what I am not saying very well in words.

Sorry to all who follow my blog. I do not keep it updated on a regular basis. I am not a "blogger" and I live a very busy and demanding life. Sounds funny I know after my first paragraph. Basically, I do this to let family and friends know what is going on in my life.

Recently my life has been filled with excitement of all sorts. Of course the main excitement is my "Little Lady", as I affectionately call her. (There are many other names which I use to affecionately refer to her. ) My last blog gives some of the background on when we started dating, etc. Since then our relationship has bee developing well! We were able to see each other several times during the summer. After the first time she came here in May (see last blog entry) I got to see her three more times.

The first was the greatest surprise for me because I got to see her on my birthday! She was in Belsano, Pa. the day before my birthday for a service. Belsano near Pittsburg, about four hours away. My birthday was Saturday, June 28. That day they were headed to New York. So, if I wanted to have any time with her I had to leave early. I left Gratz at 1:30 A.M. so I could pick her up in Belsano at 5:00 A.M. That gave us six hours together. We had breakfast at a Cracker Barrel in Altoona, Pa. and then headed to State College, Pa. where we were going to meet up with her group. We had an absolutely amazing time together. Sorry no pix. We really weren't worried about taking pictures that day.

She was also able to come to Gratz two more times. Both of these unexpected, but very much appreciated!!! We had dreamed of being together July 4th weekend...and, our dream came true. She had a service in Sunbury, Pa. on July 2nd. I went to the service that night and brought her back here to Gratz. For the next few days we just hang out, watched movies (mostly chic flicks, don't worry I have always liked chic flicks), talked, drove around in my car (which is one of our favorite things to do), and went to a Senator's baseball game. On the 4th we went to Philadelphia. There is no better place to be on the 4th than Philly since that is where our nation was founded. Again, a wonderful time and many memories!!! We walked around Penn's Landing, saw a parade, and sat under an umbrella together at a John Legend concert that was free on the steps of the Museum of Art. It was raining, for the record (VERY ROMANTIC!!!)

@ Senators Game          Under the Umbrella!       @ Senator's Game       Bein' Silly before Good Bye :(

Before Good Bye :(

The next time she came to Gratz was July 14. Again, unexpected, but absolutely wonderful. She was here from the 14th to the 16th. Basically, we didn't do anything big on this visit. Just relaxed. She stayed at the Gessner's, some good folks in my church that are very special to me. We hung out at their house, watched moves, went to The Special Place for breakfast (a tradition when she is here), had a picnic lunch at the Gessner's lodge, a enjoyed every moment of being with each other!!!

That, in a nut shell, is what we did this summer. There is so much more to say but not enough time. Call me and I'd be happy to tell you more. Since we last saw each other we have been surviving by talking on the phone. I did get to see her on Skype last Friday night while she was at my parent's house. I am scheduled to see my sweetie next on Labor Day weekend (Aug. 29-Sept. 2). I can't wait! I'm already counting the days.

Other exciting "stuff" has been surving my church here in the absence of a Senior Pastor. All is going well, but five weeks ago Jonathan Heath left Gratz for Hobe Sound. Since then Pastor Winter and I have been "holding down the fort!" :) God has really been helping us! His presence has been very near in my life and in the life of Pastor Winter. Our services have been blessed with his presence as well. God is SOOO good!!!

Our school principal left at the same time. Ron and Shelly Coleman moved to Indiana to be principal at a school out there.

I miss everyone a lot! :( Below are pix of the moves.

Farewell Dinner for Heaths.....

Helping Coleman's load.....

Elisa Here With Me

Howdy everyone! As you all know a few weeks back Elisa and I started dating (May 11 to be exact). It's still all I can talk about and think about. If this is distraction I might as well go ahead and lose my mind! J/k After I was in Florida I came home for a week and then Elisa came here to Gratz to visit for a few days. We had such a great time!!! I would go through the litany of things we did but it would probably poor you. If you want to know call me and I would be happy to tell you. Basically, we just "chillaxed" a lot, watched movies, went to dinner, and spent one day at Hershey Park. All of it was amazing :) Below are some pix of her time here with me. Also, the video is from the Fahrenheit, a new ride at Hershey Park with a 97 degree drop.

The story behind these pix is so funny. We had just eaten lunch and we were heading out again to ride some more rides. While we were eating an old lady named Hellen who worked for the park sat down by us and started talking to us. We had a good conversation. We headed out and then thought we should take a picture. I thought we could go back and have Hellen take our picture. We hadn't gone very far so we turned back and found Hellen. She was probably in her 70's and had NO idea how to operate a digital camera. I gave her the camera and we sat down on a bench near by. It was so funny when we looked up and Hellen had the camera turned around backward. She had the lense very close to her eye so Elisa and I could see her face in the view finder which was facing us. IT WAS SO FUNNY!!! I helped her get it turned around and she took a picture but she would move the camera before it finished focusing so the pictures were turning out blurry. Every time she went to take another picture she would turn the camera backward and hold the lense to her face and the view finder toward Elisa and I. There was her face filling up the view finder  It made a good laugh and a very memorable photo session.

Check out the video by clicking on the video tab. 

Lovin' Spring

After a long and driery (sp?) winter the sun has finally decided to show its face again. YEAH!!!! Spring has finally arrived. I know this sounds a little weird but when you spend 3-4 months in a hole (my basement apartment) with no sun you get a new lease on life when the sun appears again and its warm enough to be outside. Right now I am sitting on the back porch, eating breakfast, and writing to you all, my family and friends. Not much to say other than what I have already said. Life is normal, which normal is good sometimes. I just got back from ACE Regional Student Convention. Actually that was all last week. I had a great time. Check out the pix.

Well gotta run. Love to all!

Upcoming Events-

May 8-12 - Trip to Florida for Phil's graduatin party

June 28 - My birthday. It's never too early to celebrate. J/J  I'll be 25!!!! A quarter century.

Thanks for the Video

Hey Gratzers, thanks for the video! Wow, that was a real nice suprise.

I can't post video the rest of the trip because the internet is very expensive here at the hotel ($6 per hour!!!). So, let me tell you about the last two days.

We arrived in Jerusalem last night. After supper a group of us walked around the old city of Jerusalem. This would we the city inside the walls that we commonly know as  Jerusalem today. The city is amazing. I did have a scare. Since I am a "Chosen One" I have been wearing a yamaka, the little head pieces traditionally worn by the Jewish men. Since I am a Jew, well maybe, I thought it would be good to indentify with my roots. Last night on the way into the city two Arab boys boxed me in on the street and started pulling on my arms and talking to me kind of threateningly. I told them I only speak English. They pointed to my yamaka, acted like they were going to tear it off, and made hand gestures like they were shooting at me. Kinda scary!!!! OK, really scarry!!!!!!!!!!!!! We got through it fine and on the way home I took my yamaka off to walk through the Arab quarter. They play for keeps over here.

Today we saw the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, the house of Ciaphas, and soooooooo much more. The tales are endless. The most amazing site we saw today was the house of Ciaphas. They are 100% sure this was his house, the place Jesus was taken to for trial after being arrested in the garden. There is a cistern under the house where Jesus was held, 100% sure. Our whole group crambed into this tiny dungen cistern and turned out the lights to get the feel of what is was like for Jesus the night he was arrested. Then we had a moment of silence for prayer and sang "Jesus Paid It All." The presence of God was so real! I can't begin to explain the feeling, you'll have to do it for yourself one day. I was almost in tears and the rest of our group was. I am almost crying right now. That is the floor, the dungen, the place where Jesus, beaten and bloody, waited his sentence. There is no feeling like it. Think about it, it was there he waited to die for you and me. Yes, you, me, everyone!!! The awareness of what Jesus did really began to settle in on me. We still have to see the Garden tomb and Golgatha (Sunday).

Well, I must go my time is up.

Love to all!

Shalom,

Mark

Day 2-4 Continued

I'm back. Supper was great! The food here is wonderful. Every breakfast and supper is a buffet. I love to eat and they food is good so everything is working out just great.

Today was the best day so far. We spent the day seeing the towns around the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum, Magdala, Bethsaida, the Gaterenes, etc. What is really amazing is how small the sea is. You can see all the way across the sea. The distances Jesus traveled from town to town were short. In a bus a five minute drive. This explains how the people of Galilee would know about him. News could travel fast.

The Mount of Beatitudes came to life today as we stood on the top of the mountain and looked down on the natural ampitheatre where Jesus delivered the sermon on the mount. More than capable of seating a large crowd, and the natural acoustics of the side of the mountain make speaking to a large crowd possible.

Capernaum was by far my favorite stop. This is the town Jesus makes his home town after leaving Nazareth to begin his ministry. Peter also lived here. Here he speaks in the synagoge and prnounces a curse on the village for its pride (Capernaum was an up and coming village located on the Via Mari, a major trading route). Today the village lays in ruin. Watch the video below. It gives a view of the synagoge where the Jesus read the Torah and taught. What is also cool is walking the streets of the town knowing Jesus walked the same streets. This is the town where he heals Peter's mother.