Mary Letter Day Thirty

1 Happy are they who 

have not walked in the 

counsel of the wicked, * 

nor lingered in the way 

of sinners, nor sat in the 

seats of the scornful! 

2 Their delight is in the 

law of the Lord, * 

and they meditate on

his law day and night. 

3 They are like trees 

planted by streams of water, 

bearing fruit in due season, 

with leaves that do not wither; * 

everything they do shall prosper.

4 It is not so with the wicked; *

they are like chaff which 

the wind blows away. 

 5 Therefore the wicked shall 

not stand upright 

when judgment comes, * 

nor the sinner in the 

council of the righteous. 

 6 For the Lord knows 

the way of the righteous, * 

but the way of the wicked is doomed. Psalm 1

Dear Auntie,

This city is no place for us. This city, the city of David, the place that so many refer to as royal and holy, seems defiled and violent to me. I know God has brought us here for a purpose, and will bring us home safely, and yet, I am tired of the noise, the stench and the rudeness. Most of the time I stay out of the public with the child. Yesterday, Anna offered to watch the baby so I could go to the market and get to know the city better. It was a disaster. People were pushing and shoving, shop owners yelling, and I could not stand the crowds. Twice my bag of groceries was knocked over, and I almost fell down. Noone even noticed and no one helped me. I came home in tears and Anna hugged me telling me the city takes some getting used to. I don't want to get used to it, I ache to be home in the country, in the hills, where I belong.

We are hoping to be homebound in a few days. Joseph has been trying to devise a good route and a good timetable so that we can make a safe exit. The occupying soldiers are everywhere, and they seem to stop people on a whim. Joseph has been stopped multiple times for no good reason. He has gotten through it all right but her fears the next time he could be arrested, just for being from somewhere other than the city. They think outsiders must be rabble rousers of some kind of terrorist! It's ridiculous, but it is the time and place we live in. I didn't expect saying yes to the Lord would put me and my family in such a mess. Yet, here we are, praying feverishly that a way home will be provided. When there is no human way out of the situation, we have to put our whole trust in God. I have been praying the psalms, as you taught me, and that has provided great comfort. Hopefully our time here is coming to an end. Please pray for our quick and safe return.

Love,

Mary