So far, so good!  Group 1 left Thursday morning from Minneapolis, connected with 4 people from 2 other cities in Philadelphia and were welcomed in Tel Aviv by 4 early arrivals: Rachel from Seoul, S. Korea (a returning volunteer), Will and Eric, who are first-timers and part of the LARGE contingent from Concordia, Irvine, and Arny, seasoned veteran of 4 years from St. Louis.  The Irvine group arrived about an hour later.

I had another whole day at home and got lots of stuff done!  At the airport Kristina mentioned that her arm hurt from the tetanus shot she’d gotten the day before.  TETANUS SHOT! Oops!  I had forgotten to get that task on a list.  So I spent an hour and half on Thursday at a walk-in clinic to get one.  Thank you, Kristina!  The doctor asked what kind of degree I had to go on an archaeological dig.  I told her the truth: I have a doctorate but am going as unskilled labor.  

I’m writing from the Philadelphia airport.  Six of seven of us are here by our departure gate; Anna is due in from O’Hare shortly.  Perhaps another day I report on “lucky Carl” and the first leg of our journey!  No internet connection from here, so I’ll have to wait until I get to Israel to p …

At that moment, I heard a voice say, “Dr. Schuler!”  I looked up, and there was Anna, whose flight got in early.  We all had a safe and uneventful trip over the pond by air and up to the Galilee by taxi.