The Desert

The desert in Nitzana is the place where The Lord spoke to our hearts. Isaiah 35:1-2 states, “the desert and the parched land will exalt… they will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song.”

Upon arriving here at this “educational community” on Monday afternoon we had some time to unpack, settle into the dorm rooms we would be sleeping at, and just relax for a little while. Afterwards, we went down to the cafeteria for dinner and prayed night prayer as the sun was setting over the desert horizon. We had some time in silence following, to enter into the desert atmosphere and allow God to open our hearts and minds to be open to Him more during this time…

We were blessed with an early night and the next morning got busy working in the Biblical Garden. A French family of volunteers made this Biblical site, filled with replicas of Abraham’s tent, altar, and other various Old Testament structures. A few of us were raking up leaves while others started pulling weeds along the community’s own small “Mount of Olives.” After we finished, we had Mass in Abraham’s tent and upon his altar. Later that afternoon, we had some free time and then study time right before dinner. Then, we got a tour of the garden from the three women who help keep the grounds. We sang some songs with them and then ended the night with some tea and chocolate :)

Wednesday morning we woke up a little bit earlier and went for a walk around the outside the fence of the community, along the 100 pillars running perpendicular into the Egyptian border, each one with “Peace” written on it in different ancient or modern language. Once we got back, we had breakfast and started working pulling out weeds all along the Mount of Olives. Then came a miracle! A rare sight between March and October, it rained for almost 10 minutes! We were all so grateful for the clouds and rain that day! After dinner that night, David Palmach, the director of the Nitzana community took us for an adventurous bike ride around the desert ruins of and agricultural attempts of the surrounding areas.