David is 17!

Dear Jonathan,
Our baby brother is SEVENTEEN. I can't believe it. I called him on his birthday. Mom answered the phone and I asked to speak to the birthday boy. Dude - I should have said birthday man. When he first said something on the phone, I thought it was you. He sounded exactly like you. All grown up and mature. I wish was there to celebrate with him. I wish you were here as well.
Love you!

Earthquake

Hey Jonathan -
So do you remember all those earthquake drills they had us doing back in elementary school? I don't remember what year it was exactly. I think I was 5th or 6th grade. We had to bring bottles of water and snacks into school just in case. And we practiced getting under our desks. I distinctly remember drills at both McLeod and APAC. Apparently there was supposed to be some huge earthquake with an epicenter in Memphis or maybe it wasn't Memphis. Does anyone remember?

Anyway - I experienced my first earthquake today. It was around 12:30pm. I had gone to the store this morning. And then I was back at home sitting on my bed working on a paper. All of a sudden the wall and the bed and everything started shaking. At first I thought Irene, my roommate, had just banged the wall. But then it kept shaking. Whoa! It was crazy!!!

I read online that it was a 5.3 on the earthquake scale with the epicenter in Tyre, Lebanon. Apparently it was the strongest quake in Israel in the last ten years. Next time I will be ready to dive under my bed... Of course I have to clean it out first!! :)

Love you!

JD,

Why is it that when we try to say the most important thing we just can't formulate the words? I feel like every time I think about you and know that there is something to be said, saying it just won't do it justice. I suppose not saying anything at all is worse...so I'm writing, just trying to get some of this stuff out. I know in real life you would probably be terribly uncomfortable about this conversation. Who knows if you hear this stuff? If you do, sorry for continuing to make fun of you over the last several years...not really...it makes me feel better about you always getting the best of me. Anyhow, I see you, think of you, and miss you every single day. I talk about you all the time to my students...you rocked my life like few people ever have. I'm a better man because of how God used you. I try to keep the thoughts about you surface level...I cry less that way. I went out and bought a roll of duct tape and new set of Sharpies in honor of you the other day. Oh yeah, there's this girl in the youth group that wears about 5 or 6 different colored detachable Sharpies on her carabineer...pretty sweet. Anyhow, most of my adventures just aren't the same without you here...seriously, why did you have to make our times so good that I'd never enjoy anything the same way again?! Of course I have had less bumps and bruises and other injuries since you've been gone...mainly because you're not here to inspire or convince me to do something I never would have by myself. So tonight I challenged our students to truly see the broken world we live in, to live honestly, and walk with those hurting. So we're celebrating Valentine's a different way...the way I think Jesus may have celebrated it. The message and picture are based off of that and the organization it promoted...you would've liked what they are about and the way they go about it I think (www.twloha.com). So here's to writing love and hope on my arms in a way that you helped do on my heart years ago.

Wes

How Not to Get a Date

Dear Jonathan - I had the craziest phone conversation last night. I know you would find it hilarious...

Kirsten: Hello.

Mr.Israeli: Hallo.

Kirsten: Hello.

Mr.Israeli: Hallo.

Kirsten: Hi.

Mr.Israeli: Mi zote? (Who is this?)

Kirsten: Kirsten

Mr.Israeli: Mi? (Who?)

Kirsten: KIRSTEN

Mr.Israeli: Mi?

Kirsten: KIRSTEN!!!!!!

Mr.Israeli: speaks in Hebrew to someone off the phone.

Kirsten: Who do you want?

Mr.Israeli: At medabarit ivrit? (Do you speak Hebrew?)

K: No.

MI: At medabarit anglit? (Do you speak English?)

K: Yes. English.

MI: Where did you get this SIM card?

K: The store.

MI: What store?

K: The cellcom store.

MI: It’s my number.

K: Ha.Ha. No it’s my number.

MI: No. I lost it like two weeks ago.

K: Sorry but it’s my number and I have had it for a year and a half.

MI: Oh. (short pause)

MI: Well can I see you?

K: WHAT!?

MI: Can I see you?

K: No. (laugh laugh laugh)

MI: What I don’t understand you?

K: You don’t understand NO.

MI: It is hard to hear you.

K: I said NO.

MI: Where are you right now?

K: Excuse me.

MI: Where are you?

K: Israel.

MI: Where?

K: Israel.

MI: says something in Hebrew to someone off the phone.

MI or possibly Mr.Israeli2: Where are you again?

K: Israel.

MI: Okay but where in Israel? Tel Aviv? Petah Tikva?

K: Sderot (which is the town near Gaza where the rockets have been landing for the past year. )

And the call disconnects…

So I'm left wondering if he has had success with this method in the past... or was it just a spur of the moment thought... you know, "Hey, while I've got this girl on the phone I might as well ask her out."

Monopoly

Dear Jonathan,
Do you remember the countless days/nights we spent playing monopoly? We had week/month long games where we just slid the board under the bed so we could keep going and going and going. There was no such thing as a 'quick' game of Monopoly. And I don't remember anyone ever actually winning but I do remember arguing over who got to have the DOG moving piece every game. Anyway - Monopoly is coming out with a new edition called "Here and Now." They want people to vote on which 22 cities should be on the board. I voted for Jerusalem, Paris, and Chicago. There are three cities from Canada in the top 20 and that just doesn't seem right.
Love you...

Here's the link for anyone who reads this and is interested in voting.
http://www.monopolyworldvote.com/en_US/world

Snow Skiing

Hey JD,
I went snow skiing this weekend minus the actual skiing. :) It was amazing. Snow in Israel!! It reminded of the ski trips we took in college. Of course we only had to drive 3 hours not 22 straight!!! I opted not to ski and to just enjoy the snow because I still have unpleasant memories of being pulled down the mountain by the ski patrol guy after I gave up trying one year.
Love you!

Sharpies On Demand...

We have a girl in our youth group here in Illinois who loves sharpies and duct tape. She always has some whereever she is and I can count on her to whip out her sharpie when I have a sudden need. I've told her about Jonathan briefly but more than anything I have the overwelming desire to tell him about her. I think he would get a kick out of it.

Jonathan, I think about you all the time, I have a reminder in my youth group. She reminds me of you in these little ways, but in those moments I want you to know that I think of you and knowing where you are-I pray for your family.

Brittany Durham Bonner

I was walking into the Georgia State Arena the other day to tutor. I passed by this girl and had to do a triple take. She looked so much like this girl Robin from college who went to France with me and with Jonathan. I grabbed my phone, opened it, and then realized that he was the only person who would get it. It's been a while since I habitually grabbed my phone to call Jonathan, and it didn't even hit me that he was who I was grabbing my phone to call until I had opened it to dial.
-Elizabeth Crews

Beepers...

So I have a new favorite show now.... 30 Rock... Tina Fey's new sitcom about what goes on behind the scenes of a show similar to SNL. It is hilarious. Amy recommended I watch it ages ago and I have just now gotten around to it. I think you would find it hilarious. Anyway, the last episode I saw was about Tina Fey's character reuniting with an old boyfriend who works at a beeper store called Beeper King. Everyone gives her grief for dating a beeper salesman and she keeps making the point that he is not just an employee but is not the Beeper King. Very funny stuff... and it totally reminded me of your days working at the beeper/pager store in Clinton. I can't even remember the name of it. But they had those horrible, horrible commercials that were just beeps. Ugh.

Meeting Kay Arthur

So I started a Kay Arthur Bible study this week. It is really cool because she is teaching through Matthew and all of her teachings were recorded when she was here in Israel - so I can totally visualize most of the places she is discussing. Anyway - starting this study reminds of that weekend when we were in high school and we went to a Kay Arthur retreat with the church. I don't remember everyone who went. I think Amy. And I know Ric White. I distinctly remember him because he spent the whole trip to Chattanooga teaching us those crazy mind games and pulling practical jokes on us. I specifically remember one really long story where most of us girls were crying about how he reminded some poor women in the mall of her dead son and then it was all a joke. At any rate - at the very first session with Kay, she asked us to all take out our Bibles. You were sitting on the front row. And I think this retreat must have been during Spring Break because Mom and Dad had given you a new Bible for you birthday. Although now that I think about it, it could have also been just after Christmas. OH well. Anyway - you were very very proud of that new Bible. So Kay starts teaching. And she asks us to open our Bibles to a specific passage - and then as she scans the crowd - she totally calls you out for playing with a computer game instead of opening your Bible. I think I remember you trying to protest but she kind of went off for a minute about bringing your Bible and how important this time was and that we weren't here to play games. That this was serious business. Eventually you were able to tell her that it was an ELECTRONIC BIBLE! And that you were paying attention. She was shocked. I remember everyone laughing about it. And how you sat on the front row every session - and every session she made some comment to you about your fancy shmancy Bible. :)