Winter Doldrums

Snow. Jerusalem. Not a good combination.

It began to snow here Wednesday, continued through the day and night and into Thursday morning when the sun returned. Most has melted now, but there is still a little left. The snow was pretty heavy, probably several inches, and it was a dense wet snow. The temperature never varied much from freezing, so although it stayed on the ground it did so as slush. Two steps and the feet are soaked. Walking through a snowcone. No one here has galoshes because they're not needed, so everyone wraps plastic grocery bags around their shoes to walk about. Practical, cheap, but so lacking in style points.

Snow is rather rare here and it's quite an occasion. Everything closes.........no, really, everything. What was interesting to me is that there's not even a question about it. Snow = close; no mention of how much or if or whether to open later in the day. It's snowing, we're closed and will be till it stops.

Everyone seems to enjoy it. It's rare enough that many children have never seen it, so there are quite a few snowmen around and snowballs to dodge. The fun is all homebound, though, because many people are really sort of afraid of it....they're not about to drive or even walk far.

Take a look at the photos in the slideshow. The snow-covered Old City is quite a sight.

This event seemed to be a capstone for what's been a severe winter so far. It's been cold since November and I think it seems colder than the temperature suggests because nearly everything is built of stone which looks great but is cold and damp. Also, heating is yet another cost on an already embattled economy so very few buildings are heated much. I've been cold since November. I'm just now getting used to seeing people inside buildings wearing coats, gloves, hats, and scarves. The only places reliably warm are the hotels that serve Westerners.

Why don't the Gospels tell us how cold it is here?

As luck would have it my appointment for a new visa was on the day it snowed. Of course the Interior Ministry was closed, so now I have to go back and hope they will fit me in (not a guarantee here, by any means. Actually, nothing is a guarantee here). I am here so far on the 90-day permit that tourists get when they come into the country. It expires in 2 weeks and if I don't get an extended visa by then I'll have to leave the country and return in order to start the 90-day clock over, so I'll have time to continue pursuing the draconian visa process. If I have to leave, I'm thinking south, I'm thinking warm. There are a couple resorts in Egypt on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba that sound nice.

Ah, the life of a missioner. Never a dull moment. But...at least I don't have to pick leaches off Bogie like Hepburn did in "The African Queen".

Hope you're warm where you are.