Time for an update from Israel. Sorry guys, for letting you wait this long. I have been battling a bad cold now for several days, feverish and coughing up whatever is in my lungs.
I do work every day as most of it is not a very heavy load.
Yesterday and the day before I was part of a group which pruned tomato vines. The objective is to take the leaves out; this enables the light to maximize on the fruit, which makes them turn red quicker. It is not hard work, but the plant leaves hard stains on your skin which is quite persistent when you try to remove them. The solution: pick a small green unripe tomato, squeeze it so the juice comes out, and rub this on the stain. And it works!
This farmer is Sharon. He told us how he settled here with one friend sometime around the year 2000. The two of them built up the farm we were working on. Once that was set up, Sharon continued with this farm while Yiftach moved a little futher to start a dairy. By now the place has become a village with seven families. Yiftach was a very motivating person, Sharon said. On October 7, the local commander of all the village defense forces (= those who have firearms) ordered half the men to go with him to meet the terrorists in the west, while the other half was to stay behind for security. Nobody had an idea of what exactly was going on. Sharon told us that Yiftach was killed in the ensuing fighting. Besides the dairy and a flock of 200 sheep, he had a wife and five children. So now Sharon is tending both farms. He told me: If I could turn back time I would have gone to Gaza immediately. He probably sat and waited, not knowing that his comrades fought to save them as well.
So the farmers appreciate our coming and what we contribute in a practical sense. But most of all they appreciate a listening ear. It gives them an opportunity to process the events for themselves. And they are very good to us: treat us on lots of goods with coffee, and, of course (how could I forget), tomatoes! They are really good.
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