From Burnout to Restoration - A Place called Ir Ovot

“Behold, I will do something new, now I will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it?  I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).

Hey Gang:  We were totally consumed with the development of the ministry that God called us into and did not have a clue what was happening in the outside world.  After several years, we discovered that we were experiencing what many, who are in full time ministry and totally consumed with that ministry experience –call “burnout”.    

Now, if you asked Dr. Dewayne Coxon, if he was a real live miracle the day he visited our campus and told me of a project he was developing in the Arabah, he would deny it.  My question?  What is, and where is the Arabah?    The attention getting answer? "A wilderness in Israel, South of the Dead Sea, four miles for Jordan. Our project-a place called Ir Ovot."

The purpose of the trip – to prepare a very worn and beaten down Kibbitz, that pad gone through some very hard times and badly in need of some tender loving care.   In simple terms - our task was to restore and prepare habitation for work crews that would follow.  But the real purpose of our traveling half way around the world in 1984 to a place in the middle of miles and miles of nothing by miles of sand -was restoration of two very tired and burned out servants.

There are far too many wonderful experiences to share here, and that is not really the purpose of this epistle. But one short story will give you some idea of the primitive setting which our group of about 50 wilderness troopers encountered when we arrived at Ir Ovot.     

Thursday night Dewayne had a special surprise for the troops. He had located a meat market (Now that is a separate story) and bought out what was probably their full supply of chicken. Then he announced a banquet night to the volunteers.  Problem! After searching the premises, we found nothing on which to barbeque the chicken!  Problem solved! With torch in hand an Egyptian tank, a victim of war, provided a very nice grill from its bottom.

While Exalted Ruler of the Village, we returned to Ir Ovot several times and had the privilege of getting our hands dirty blessing Israel.  It was discovered that this was an ancient tel – living areas built one on top of the other - and the Israeli Archeologists soon became involved. After years of digging with professional and volunteer labor, the name is now called Biblical Tamar Park, the Jewel of the Desert. (Check it out www.biblicaltamarpark.org).

 











We have learned many lessons and have become very good at building sand-bag walls.  We have been truly blessed on each of our ten tips to see the ‘blossoming of the desert’ (Isaiah 35:1).  Our first trip we drove for miles before seeing even one orchard; today there a many beautiful villages (moshavs), large areas of small farms, and fruits, vegetables and flowers are abundant!  

Now I confess, in my first several trips, I enjoyed getting my hands dirty in manual labor.  We had a saying that it was neat to take two pieces of junk and make one piece of junk that worked.  But my attitude about the desert, being just so much sand andwasted space, was abruptly changed one day when a guy, who happened to be an entomologist, showed up to visit then Tel Tamar.

In one short walk into the desert, he showed me the desert was not just arid as people believed-  thousands of different plants thrive here.  He also showed me that what characterizes them is their great adaptability, without which they would soon perish under the harsh conditions.  I not only learned about trap-door spiders that day but saw them in action!

Well, I could go on for days about the Arabah, Tel Tamar, and my love for Israel but that will have to wait for another day.  What is the message I pray you will see in this epistle? Sometimes we can get so focused on the ministry, we believe God has lead us into, and forget to feed our body and soul and dry rot is permitted to set in.  Thus, we need a trip into the wilderness. 

Lesson two:  When we arrived at Ir Iovot, it was nothing but waste land, destruction and miles of Constantinou wire -so a wrong move could make your body look like it as run through a meat grinder.  But, in that the week, we learned that God truly does “…supply for our every need” (Philippians 4:19).  Today, Tel Tamar, now Biblical Tamar Park, is a very well know place in Israel and visited by all middle school students and many others since it is half way between Jerusalem and Elat.

Blessings,

Gramps