ISRAEL
TRIP - MARCH 2002
A Bit of News and Schedule
April 15, 2002
Dear
friends and family,
We've just recently returned from Israel and have already heard from
many of you, asking about our experiences. Our time in the war
zone, that is the reality of Israel and Palestine these days, had an
effect on us that neither of us anticipated. We needed to take a few
days in a quiet space to both integrate and reenergize before sharing
with you some of our experience.
Before
we do that, we want to thank each of you who prayed and supported us on
this journey. Because of you, we found the strength and courage to
"keep showing up and saying yes." Thank you!!
Although we've been in places, like Croatia, where war had recently
taken a devastating toll on the people, neither of us had ever been in a
"hot" war zone before. And, though we were only in the Middle
East three weeks this time, we each have a clearer understanding and
better appreciation for anyone who lives with this kind of emotional
turmoil on a daily basis. The air was constantly thick with a tension
that clung to everything, and drained our energy in unexpected ways.
We learned that most everybody, whether they admitted it or not, was
frightened, depressed and on edge. Part of what we brought them was
hope. They told us that just our "being there" at a time when
most others have stopped coming to Israel helped them feel like they
were not alone.
We were also told that the teachings about the use of sound that we're
bringing (in our workshops and concerts) is helping them to remember
something long forgotten. We were told that what we teach about the
vowel sounds is actually written into the ancient mystical teachings of
the Kabbalah. And that the "spontaneous" way of singing, is
what they believe was meant in the old testament teachings when the
people were told to "Sing to the Lord a new song." In
fact, one woman excitedly told us about a prophecy that she believes we
are fulfilling (!). Apparently there is a prophecy that says that the
people would forget how to work with the sound to connect with the
Divine, but teachers would come one day to bring back the techniques and
help the people remember. ... Frankly, nobody was more amazed than about
this revelation than us. We just continue to "listen, show up, and
say YES." The outcome, we leave to God.
For
the full story, click on "Newsletter" at the top left.
We will be in Pennsylvania this coming weekend, sharing experiences,
doing a concert and workshops. If you're anywhere near and are
interested in being with us, please contact Kristen Bissinger at Krisbiss@aol.com
We go to England and Scotland for the month of May.
We
love you,
Jeanne
and John
Please click here for the Schedule