NOW IT CAN BE TOLD!--Chapter 10: Israel to Cyprus!
25/3/91
DO 2760
--Storytime with Grandpa
1. (Techi identifying the tape: This is March 25th, 1991, & this is Grandpa's Story Time of his travels!) Did you say troubles or travels?--Ha! It was a little bit of both, but mostly travel; we didn't have too much trouble. I think we were still in Haifa last time, weren't we? (David: Yes.) I was beginning to realise how wrong we were in thinking that the Jews were God's special & chosen people, & that this was the Holy Land, because they were anything but holy!--And they were definitely unchosen by this time!
2. I remember I was walking down the street one day & we were puzzling about what to do, whether we should try to ask for an extension of our visa or not, & I asked the Lord to show me what we should do. We hadn't even been to Jerusalem or any place but Haifa.
3. Well, we did go out to visit a farm one time, to meet a Jewish family. It was part of a Visitation Program they had for tourists. And all over Israel, the woman is the head of the house. (Techi: The women have seniority over the men?) Yes. (David: That's funny because back in the Bible times it was the opposite.) Yes, it's just the opposite of the old days. It shows you how far they've gotten away from the way God meant things to be.--Not only in that, but in practically everything.
4. And this farm, believe it or not, was right near Megiddo. The sign on the highway said Megiddo was only 14 miles from there, so it was out in the valley. The farm was in the Valley of Megiddo, but the Height of Megiddo, the Ar-megiddo was further out. So it was interesting to visit & we got to socialise a little bit.
5. Another time they took us to visit a family in Haifa. The man's name was Ariel, which means "lion," & he was supposed to be very special, because he was the seventh son of a seventh son!
6. They also took us to visit the Hebrew school where people of all ages, all immigrants--not tourists but all immigrants--had to go & learn Hebrew. You'd see old people & young alike sitting there struggling with Hebrew.
7. All the street signs & even menus & legal documents had been changed to Hebrew. I thought it was a terrible loss, because English is really an international language. You couldn't find anything unless you could read Hebrew, because all the signs were changed to Hebrew after the British left & Israel became a nation. (Techi: Don't you read Hebrew, Grandpa?) Well, I could read it, I could sound it out, but I didn't know what it meant! I had only learned a little Hebrew when I was in Bible college. But anyway, they'd changed nearly all the Bible names of the towns & everything to Hebrew. I think they did it deliberately so you couldn't recognise the Bible towns, especially those of the New Testament.
Applying to Join a Kibbutz!
8. So we visited the Hebrew school where all of the immigrants were studying Hebrew. We, of course, were just tourists, thank God! We had thought of becoming immigrants & joining a kibbutz, but even before we got there, while we were in New York, we found they didn't particularly appreciate what they thought were "goys" & Christians. They suspected us of being Christians, & they probably suspected us of wanting to be missionaries. And when we got to Israel & we applied in Haifa, ugh! Anathema (a person or thing that is utterly detested or condemned)! That was even worse! They gave us a big long interrogation, inquisition, & then they gave some excuse that I was too old. Good night, they've got lots of old people in those kibbutzim! They said I couldn't stand the hard work in the kibbutz. And they also didn't like the fact that Mama & I were not legally married.
People on the Street Turned into Demons!
9. So I was walking down the street one day asking the Lord if we should stay in Israel or not: "Have I really done my best? Should we apply for an extension to stay any longer?" I said to Mama, "We haven't even gone to Jerusalem yet. We haven't visited all the famous places where Jesus was," etc. And Mama hit the thing on the head, she said, "I don't think you should go to Jerusalem! First thing you know you'll be showing up at the Wailing Wall as a Prophet, prophesying their doom & whatnot, & they'd probably kill you!"
10. So again I asked the Lord to confirm the truth about the Jews, etc., & all of a sudden the Lord let me see how they are in the Spirit, & all the Jews passing by on the street turned into demons or devils, I mean, they just looked horrible! In other words, I was able to see their spirits! (Techi: They couldn't have all had bad spirits, could they? All the people?) No, maybe not all, but the ones that I was passing by on the street that day did! Without Jesus, people are always bad, & these people who actively hate Jesus & fight against Him are even worse! (Techi: Did Mommy see it, too, or just you?) No, just me. (See ML #66, "Breakdown!", paragraphs 46-52.)
Letter Opened by Censor!
11. Then we got this letter from Joel, of all things, which was describing "Worldwide Strategy to Spread the Revolution," typed up nicely, a full page. And when we first got it, it said on the outside, "Opened by Censor." And sure enough, it had been opened & resealed with tape. I thought, "Oh boy, what is this going to be that the censor has read?" And I opened it & here was this letter all about how to spread the Revolution worldwide! Even though ours was a spiritual Revolution & didn't have anything to do with guns or bombs or physical weapons, still the terminology was a little too close to physical revolution to be wise. I thought, "Good night, they're going to think I'm some kind of diabolical terrorist!" And I'll tell you, that letter, if nothing else, convinced us to get out of there right away, quick! (See Dad's admonition to the folks back home regarding this letter in "Epistles to Pastors," ML #47:29-42!)
12. (Techi: What was the letter about, anyhow?) He was just proposing tactics of how to spread the Family, or Revolution for Jesus worldwide. (Techi: Like what?) I don't remember the details, all I remember is it was a dangerous letter to have a censor read! Of course, we weren't doing anything wrong, we were just talking about changing the World through Jesus & His Love. But worldly people who don't discern the things of the Spirit & can't possibly understand them, can get awfully scared at any talk of "revolution." And that's the only incoming letter we'd ever had read by the censor. There might have been some of our outgoing letters that were read by censors, but anyway, that did it! We left right away. (Techi: Why did they tell you it was opened by censors?) Well, they just did. (Techi: They probably just wanted to let you know to watch out.) Yes, that they're the bosses, etc.
Trouble at Bank "Gloomy"!
13. We had some banking trouble there too. In almost any foreign country, if you're going to stay any length of time, you open a bank account so that you can cash cheques. As you recall, dear Josh had sent us that $1,000 cheque that we picked up in Paris, & when we first got to Israel we deposited it in Bank Lumi, which is right there in Haifa, the main Jewish bank of all Israel, just like a government bank. And we kept contacting them every few days, at least every week, to find out if the cheque had cleared so we could get our money. And do you know how long it took that cheque to clear?--Three months!--Not until just shortly before we left!
14. Well, that's one thing I'll give dear Deb credit for! She was a pusher! We let Josh & Deb know that the cheque still hadn't cleared after two months. Two months! Normally, the World over, it doesn't take more than a couple of weeks for a cheque to clear. They claimed they had sent it to the New York branch of Bank Lumi to clear, so Deb went there & she created a furor over it! She finally went to the top man there at the bank who had anything to do with clearance of cheques & found it lying there on his desk! It was just the Devil holding it up! Well, the Devil sometimes outdoes himself, because the money came through just when we needed it most to pay our ship fares back to Cyprus, & then back to Venice again!
15. It was just like that money the Lord gave us in California before we left on that big caravan across the U.S. It was donated to us right before we left & it financed that whole trip across the country. So Bank Lumi--Bank Gloomy is what I called it--finally cashed our cheque & I finally got it, because Deborah raised hell back in New York about it! She told them, "My Dad is out there & he is waiting for this, & he needs it! Now you send it off! What's it doing here on your desk?"--And he made some flimsy excuse.
16. It's an old trick of banks. I remember reading about certain banks, that if the deposits or the cheques to be cleared are big enough, they can make thousands of Dollars in interest by just delaying it one day. Well, by that time he must have made at least a few hundred Dollars on mine. But I guess he figured he'd have to give it up now since my daughter was there screaming at him! And with that money we were able to get back to Europe, thank God!
Preparing to Leave for Cyprus--Shots!
17. So we went right away to a nice English-speaking travel agency--I think the owner was British, in fact, but of course now an Israeli--& we found out about the ships to Cyprus, which was the next country on our route, & which is also English-speaking as it had been largely under the domination of the British since the 1800s. It still had a big British base of communications there, etc., so we decided that would be the next best place to go.
18. So we made our reservations for a certain ship that was sailing one morning, an all-day trip. We got our tickets & the man said, "Of course you know you'll have to get your shots. Cyprus requires smallpox & cholera shots." I thought, "Oh no! I got so sick in the Army when they gave me a cholera shot. It was just like having the disease." And the Jew said, "Oh, yes, you must do that!" So we went to a clinic & asked if it was true, that we really had to have shots, & they said, "Yes, yes, you must have shots to go to Cyprus!" I figured, "Well, even if it kills me, we've got to have the shots. One or the other. It's damned if you do & damned if you don't! We can't stay here in Israel."
19. So we went to this little clinic, like a small hospital, & they gave us the shots, along with a little Inoculation Card that proves you had them. And sure enough, I got deathly sick! The smallpox shot didn't seem to bother me so much, but the cholera shot, oh, it gave me the runs & I was so sick! I had a high fever. (Techi: Did Mommy get sick?) No, she didn't, thank the Lord, but I seem to be allergic to cholera shots. I had a high fever & was real sick in my stomach & with griping & the runs & everything else. But thank the Lord, it only lasted a couple of days & it still wasn't time for our ship to leave yet. I was much better in time to leave & we got packed in the meantime.
20. I can remember lying in bed so sick while Mama was doing the packing, poor Mama! I didn't feel much like eating, but she would go out & get me something to eat. God bless her! She was such a blessing. (Techi: Amazing! Grandpa & Mommy running around in a place all by themselves.) Yes, can you imagine? (Techi: No! Can you imagine if Mommy right now said, "OK, Grandpa, I'll go out to get you something to eat" & she went walking out the door all by herself!) Ha!
Cruise Ship to Famagusta!
21. When the time came for our ship to leave we were packed & ready! We paid our bill & checked out of the hotel. As I recall, we got a taxi to the port, the actual wharf where the ship was docked, & we checked into the ship & got on board. We were shown our stateroom, & to our shocked amazement, this ship was nothing like the other old tub that we had come on. This ship was luxurious! And our stateroom was a real stateroom! It was just like a hotel room, it had twin beds & was just beautiful! We were just amazed!
22. So we really enjoyed that trip. I was still not feeling too well so I think I slept most of the way. That's the best way to treat sea sickness or any kind of motion sickness, is to try to relax & go to sleep. (Techi: Did Mommy have problems with sea sickness?) No, I don't remember her having any. It was a pretty smooth voyage that time. They keep feeding you so you can keep your stomach full. In case it's emptied, you can tank up again! And they served delicious meals on that cruise! It was really more like a cruise ship. The other one, the Pegasus, was really more second rate, but this one, oh, it was just delightful!
23. So we sailed early in the morning & arrived late in the afternoon at the Cyprus port of Famagusta. We pulled up alongside the huge dock & there was this enormous walled city!
Israeli Army & Their Uzis!
24. I remember when we sailed into Haifa, the Immigrations & Customs officials came right on board the ship! They wouldn't even let you off the ship into their precious little Israel until you checked through Customs & Immigrations, & they checked & stamped your passport! (Techi: They're probably so worried about Palestinians.) Yes. And there was always somebody standing around with one of those automatic "Uzis" hanging on his shoulder!
25. Almost everywhere you went in Israel, the soldiers, boys & girls, were all carrying Uzis with a strap over their shoulder. You know what an Uzi is, don't you? That's one of the most popular models of machine guns, & it's made by the Israelis. They're about a foot-&-a-half (half-a-meter) long. And there were all these pretty girls in uniform carrying machine guns! In Israel, most girls are required to serve in the Army just like the boys. (Techi: Really? The girls?) Yes, all the unmarried girls that are of military age, 18 to 20, have to go through the Army, & when they're home, around the cities, they're always carrying guns so that they're always ready to fight & shoot the Arabs whenever they cause any trouble.
26. (Techi: So in case of a war, do they draft everyone?) Everybody!--Even older men up to 55. (David: I've seen on the news when the Arabs cause trouble, all of a sudden everybody appears with all of these guns everywhere & you wonder where they get them!) Many soldiers & settlers carry them all the time. Believe me! On the buses, everywhere they're carrying them. You go shopping in the stores & they're walking around shopping & carrying a machine gun. (Techi: So do they wear normal clothes & carry their guns?) While they're in the Army or on reserve duty they wear their Army uniform, but some settlers & ordinary Israelis also carry guns.
27. Every man has to spend at least three years in the Army & they have annual Army training. The women serve two years, & they're required to be ready to fight just like the men. So we were really glad to get out of that country, I'll tell you. Israel, ugh! (Techi: That's crazy, everyone running around with Uzis!) Well, you see, they're at war with all the Arabs. They haven't signed any peace treaties with any of the Arabs, except after we were there they later signed a peace treaty with Egypt. That's the only Arab country they've signed a formal peace treaty with.
28. (Techi: Are they still at peace with Egypt?) They're supposed to be, yes. President Sadat went to Jerusalem around Christmas time, 1977, to sue for peace. So they were very happy to have him endorse peace because they were hoping that the other Arabs would follow suit, but they never did. None of the other Arab countries have ever signed peace treaties with Israel. (Techi: Ever, in the history of the World?) Not in these modern times.
29. (David: The other Arabs probably thought he was somewhat of a traitor.) Oh, they did! They threw Sadat out of the Arab League & they ostracised Egypt. They did all kinds of things, & Arab radicals eventually even assassinated Sadat. They almost declared war on Egypt. (Techi: I don't get it! Here is this little Israel, & all the Arabs except maybe Egypt totally hate their guts, & yet Israel is "all powerful"! It's really crazy.) But the big bully who's behind Israel, the U.S., is not just powerful, but a Super Power, & they back them up. The U.S. loans Israel billions of Dollars every year, which Israel never pays back. That's about the only reason that Israel hasn't been wiped off the map by the Arabs, because the U.S. is backing Israel. The Arabs know that if they fight Israel, they'll not only have to fight Israel, but they'll have to fight the U.S.A.!
30. Anyhow, while we were there, everybody was under suspicion, all the tourists & foreigners, because relations with the Arabs were pretty tense. I told you before about that 75-year-old man they put in jail because in some snapshot he took he happened to catch a military installation in the background. That really concerned me, because Mama & I would go around town taking pictures of each other, etc. He was in prison for six months in Israel for spying. (Techi: And he was just a tourist?) He was just a British tourist.--So he claimed. How are you going to disprove it? They put you in jail there first & ask you afterwards, more or less.
Arrival in Famagusta!
31. So thank God, we were so relieved when we got on that boat & were on our way to Cyprus! And we were just hoping we would be able to get into Cyprus without any trouble. I don't recall if their people came on board like the Israelis did, but the thing that astonished us was that when we went through Customs they didn't even check inside our suitcases or anything! You see, they're not at war with the whole Arab world like Israel is! And we went through Immigrations & they passed us on through without even checking our shots!
32. So here was the big city of Famagusta, a huge walled fortress, beautiful! And the taxi drivers were waiting right there. The first people that besieged us, however, were the Black Marketeers! They'd come up & whisper, "Have you got a camera? Have you got cigarettes? Have you got U.S. Dollars? We'll give you so much more than the banks will give you for your Dollars." That sounded almost too good to be true. They said, "Come this way," & they led us up this little alley.
33. They were offering us much more local cash for our Dollars than the banks. (Techi: What's in it for them?) Money, money, money! (Techi: But why do the Black Marketeers want American Dollars?) They would offer to buy them from us for about half again as much as the bank would give you, but then they can sell them for even twice as much to other people. (Techi: So why would other people want American Dollars?) Because it's a stronger currency & they could buy so much more stuff. And if they're going to go abroad they want Dollars. Savvy? (David: And there are probably duty free shops there too, like for tourists.) Oh, yes, yes, that's the same thing they have in almost all countries. There are even special shops where they will only accept American Dollars, duty free shops, & where you can buy a lot more goods & different kinds of goods that you can't buy in the normal shops.
34. So they led us up one of those dingy, dark alleys & I was praying, "Lord help us," & hoping they weren't going to rob us or something. I decided I'd try it & I took out maybe only $100 & they gave us back about half again as much in Cyprus money. (David: As the bank would have?) Yes. So we felt we had a pretty good deal. (Techi: How much more did they give you than the bank did?) About half again as much. (David: $150.) Yes. (Techi: So the bank would have only given the equivalent of $100.) And these guys were all besieging us: "Have you got a radio? Have you got a camera? Have you got cigarettes?", because they figured you'd sell these items cheaper than they could purchase them in their own local stores, if at all. And they especially wanted Dollars.
The Ruvic Hotel!
35. It was beginning to get dark so we grabbed a taxi. And since we didn't have anything listed on Cyprus in our Europe on $5 a Day book, we asked the driver to take us to the cheapest hotel he knew. So he did, & we landed on the steps of Mr. Jean's hotel, a very nice little hotel, nice & clean & very inexpensive. Cyprus uses what they call Pounds, after the British Pound, & we got a room for two there for only five Cyprus Pounds a night, which at that time was about $10 a night, & for two, that was not too bad.
36. It was a very clean hotel & it included breakfast, a Continental Breakfast, which they would bring to your room in the morning on a nice tray when you phoned them that you were ready for breakfast. It was usually a croissant & butter, a pot of coffee or tea, whichever you preferred--we usually got coffee & a little pot of milk--& sometimes they would give you a little tiny glass of orange juice. With a little butter on the croissant & a little tiny bit of orange juice, & lots of milk in your coffee, it was enough to hold you till your next meal. It would hold you very well until you could get something else to eat.
37. So that's where our story tonight will have to end, at Mr. Jean's hotel. We called him Mr. Jean. ("Jean," pronounced "zhan," means "John" in French.) And he was very hospitable. He was a very tall man, he looked to me like he was almost seven feet tall! He was a French Greek, mostly French, & he ran this cute little hotel that was nice & clean. The name of the hotel was the Ruvic Hotel, which Mr. Jean had named after his German wife, Ruth, & his little boy Victor, Ru-Vic! Besides breakfast, he also served lunch & dinner at very reasonable prices. Since we usually got up late & got our Continental breakfast, we would eat a late afternoon or early evening dinner there.--Or we'd walk into town some place else & eat.
38. So that was our arrival in Famagusta. Actually, Famagusta was not where we stayed because that was the big walled Turkish city. You could see little red flags flying from every turret around the city. It looked like it was Communist! The Turkish flags are red with a star & crescent, a crescent moon with a star right in the middle of the moon. I thought, "Good night, the flag looks more Communist than Turkish!"
39. Actually, the city there beside Famagusta is called Varosha, the Greek city. The main city where most of the population lived & which had the hotels & resorts & all that sort of thing was the Greek city of Varosha just across the river from Famagusta. Famagusta was Turkish, Varosha was Greek. And that's where Mr. Jean had his little Ruvic Hotel, & with that, the story will end for tonight!
40. We were so thankful to get there & get in a room. I think we had eaten supper on the boat, so we went right to bed. We were really tired after all the strain of being sick & packing & boarding & going through two kinds of Immigrations & Customs & the long ride & finding our way to the hotel. Travel is tiring, you know, so I think we went straight to bed.
41. So our next story will start with the next morning in Varosha. In the books it's called Famagusta, but it really isn't Famagusta, it's the Greek town of Varosha. I've run a little bit over my time, so I guess you'd better close in prayer, OK?
42. (David: Amen! Thank You Jesus! Thank You, Lord, for this time we had with Grandpa. Thank You for how it's been so interesting & for how far we've gotten already, Jesus. We pray that this time will be a blessing to others, too, who will be able to read it. Thank You for Grandpa taking his time to teach us about this very interesting part of his & Mommy's life that we've never heard before, in Jesus' name.)
43. Amen! It's fun, thank the Lord! And actually, I'm remembering it pretty well even though it's 20 years ago! Think of that! That's longer ago than you kids have lived! So praise the Lord! Amen! Thank You Jesus! God bless you all! I'll see you tomorrow night for our next story, Lord willing!
Picture captions & text boxes:
Page 9:
* Green crops flourishing in kibbutz fields. Over half the land in Israel is a desert called the Negev. It is not a sandy desert and although the soil of the Negev is dry & cracked, it can become good farmland if enough water is brought to it.
* Young children in the classroom of a kibbutz children's house. Lessons are held from Sunday to Friday.
KIBBUTZ, (pronounced kih BOOTS), is a special kind of farm which is found only in Israel. The word "kibbutz" means "come together," & that is how the people on the kibbutz live. Although they have separate houses, rooms or dorms, they work together & eat their meals together. All property belongs to the kibbutz, & the kibbutz meets the needs of all the members & their families. All the members work for the kibbutz & receive goods & services for their labour instead of wages. These goods & services include food, housing, education, childcare, & medical care.
There are about 260 kibbutz farms all over Israel. Some are large with 1,000 people or more. Some are small with less than 100 "kibbutzniks" (the name for people who live on a kibbutz.) The best known kibbutz crops are cotton, avocados, pears, oranges, bananas & mangoes. The kibbutzniks raise chickens & turkeys & breed fish in specially constructed ponds. Kibbutz farms also have factories. They make everything from plastic bags to computers, from shoes to furniture.
Children on a kibbutz live a special life. From the time they are babies, they spend the day with other children of their own age in a children's house while their parents are at work. When they are 13, children move out of their parents' homes & into small houses nearby, which they share with friends of their own age. At about the age of 18, they can become adult members of the kibbutz.
Once a week, the members of a kibbutz gather for a general meeting. Kibbutzniks set the rules for their community, elect leaders & decide how to spend the money they have earned. Should they build a new school building? Should they buy a TV set for each family? Is it time for a new tractor? Each person has a chance to speak, & at the end of the meeting a vote is taken. The kibbutz is a democracy.
You don't have to be an Israeli to live on a kibbutz. People can go as volunteers for a few months & share in kibbutz life. Volunteers come from all over the World & work in all parts of the kibbutz. Most volunteers find life on a kibbutz hard work.
Page 10:
* Crowds praying at the Western Wall. The Western Wall--sometimes called the Wailing Wall--is the Jews' holiest of all holy places. The Temple destroyed by the Romans and the earlier temple of Solomon both stood on the levelled hilltop above.
"Are these people good or bad? If I judge them in the flesh, I like them--I want to stay. But how do they look to You in the Spirit, Lord?"
Page 13:
The Citizens of Israel
Next to the human population, the most noticeable inhabitants of Israel are prickly pears. Called sabra by the Israelis, the prickly pear is a big cactus with flat, prickly leaves and reddish fruit whose tough skin is also prickly. It can look after itself and give a good crop of tasty fruit in poor growing conditions, and so was very useful to the pioneer settlers of modern Israel. They thought so highly of it that they began using the word sabra as a pet name for their children. Now, sabra has become the general name for any Israeli who was born in Israel.
Nowadays the sabras--nearly half of Israel's population--say that the name suits them very well. And visitors are inclined to agree. Like the sabra fruit, sabra Israelis are rather rough and tough on the outside. Visitors at first find them pushy, not very considerate, and a little curt in their manners.
By contrast, their parents & grandparents born in other countries are often friendly, kind & considerate, due to their European upbringing. An immigrant Israeli would probably stand back to let you have the last seat on a bus. His sabra grandson would probably shove past you & grab it for himself.
Armed settlers walking through Hebron with their Uzis
Page 15:
Turkish Cyprus
Greek Cyprus
Page 16:
(Excerpt from a tape Dad made in 1971, describing the slides of his trip to Europe & the Mideast:)
Famagusta is one of the World's most famous & best preserved walled cities, & one of the few in the World which are still occupied by a population--in this case, entirely Turkish! Totally Turkish! This walled city has a population of about five to six thousand, all Turks, due to the fact that they had a war in Cyprus some years back. First of all, the Cypriots fought a war against the British--who at that time ruled Cyprus. Queen Victoria obtained it from the Turks in 1878, & it was inhabited at the time by about 80% Greeks & about 20% Turks.
As long as the British were there they kept peace between them, but when the Greeks began to fight against the British being there at all, trying to throw out the British & get their own independent government, they finally succeeded. But in the meantime, when the British began to lose control, the Turks & the Greeks began to fight amongst themselves & they had a terrible war. It was like neighbours fighting neighbours, because it's such a small country & almost everybody knows everybody!
Incidentally, it's difficult to tell a Greek from a Turk by the looks of them, only by the language. They look very much alike!
These areas where you see the red flags flying are strictly Turkish & no Greeks are allowed to enter. In fact, they might get shot if they do! The war has not ended, but there's a kind of a truce between the Greeks & the Turks in which they have agreed to stop fighting. But the Turks within these walls are a law unto themselves. Even the Greek police cannot enter, not even to chase criminals!
* Turkish flags signal off limits to Greeks at the "Green Line" border between Greek and Turkish districts of Nicosia.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family