Jonah Mancini

My older brother Jason and his wife Amy have just compleated the very long and dificult process of adopting my new nephew Nathanael from China. My family is amazing! Have you ever wanted to grow up and be like your older brother? Who wouldn’t want to do that if this man was your brother!

I have began a new section that I hope will become rich with all the wisdom that I encounter. As I continue through life, I will keep my ears open for brilliant and relevant sayings that might help composite a collected sayings of the wise. As often as possible I will credit whomever I quote.

I encourage anyone who comes and enjoys this new section to comment on the proverbs as they see them fit in their own lives or perhaps if one of you might have a great interpretation on a posted proverb.

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An impression is made
Like footprints in the sand
impression in the sea side shore

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Growth begins
Like a sapling taking root
a young tree well established in rich soil

Too much time has passed since I last added a post, and if any more time passes I fear I will not be able to share with all of you the amazing event that I had witnesses several weeks ago. It all began with my good friend Duane who now lives in Jordan and came over to Jerusalem to visit for a short while and also begin the long process of ordination. This is as best I can remember that which he told me: While he was waiting at the border crossing, he met a beautiful young woman, who in a room full of Arab Jordanians, stuck out like a sore thumb. She was tall, blond with fair complexion. While both he and she sat there for the hours it can take to get through customs he spoke with her about all manner of things. At some point in time the conversation moved to matters of faith and more specifically, baptism. The young woman he was talking to had never been baptized and so he asked her if she was interested. I don’t really know what or how she responded to this question, but this I do know, she wasn’t going to do it there as they crossed the border sitting in customs lines. So my friend got her phone number in order that he might be able to contact here while he was in Jerusalem. Interestingly enough, she was working/volunteering for an organization in Jerusalem where she worked with children at the hospital (as to which hospital I do not know). As time progressed on my friend Duane got a hold of me and we made plans to rendezvous at the Gate Shechem (Damascus Gate) on the north side of the Old City where the Arab shook is. We never actually managed to meet up at this point but other amazing things took place instead (see the post “Worship in Jerusalem”). So after waiting around for about 2 or 3 hours for my friend I decided to walk home and meet up with him the next day. This meeting was much more successful and we went walked around the Old City as I did best I could to be a pseudo-tour guide. We had a wonderful time as we walked to the Kotel (Wailing Wall) and examined the both fascinating and spiritually stimulating structural remains found at the archaeological park at the southern end of the Temple Mount. From there we moved up on top of the Temple Mount where we paid an Arab fellow to explain to us all that we were looking at. He was great tour guide and had a wealth of information. We enjoyed our time and took pictures next to Qubbat As-Sakhrah (the Dome of the Rock). After this he and I ended up being very hungry and had a desire to eat in the Armenian quarter. It was at this time that I learned of his encounter with the young woman at the boarder crossing, and that she was in Jerusalem and also that he had asked her if she would like to eat with us. Well, she was unable to join us at the Armenian restaurant so we caught up with her at her hotel just inside the Jaffa Gate in the Old City.

This is where things become amazing and exciting. When we all joined up together, Duane’s friend said this, “I have been thinking about what you said and I would like to get baptized!” So what we did was since we were in the Old City already, we went down to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and went down to the chapel of the true cross where tradition has it, is the place where the “true” cross of Christ was found in the midst of many other discarded crosses. We found ourselves a quite little corner for which we decided to baptize our soon to be born again friend. The three of us carried on a short and sweet liturgical service where Duane and I both recited parts of scripture. Some from the old and some from the new. With this Duane took out a newly purchased bottle of water and baptized “Irene Ludolphie” as a new sister in Christ.

This was a first for me in many ways, this was the first baptism where I was the primary witness to the event not to mention the first baptism I had seen in the Holy Land. Also this was a first for Duane. Irene was the first person he had baptized. And I imagine this unique experience will stay with him for the rest of his days in ministry. Irene I’m sure will never forget it either. This was one of her last days in Israel before she returned home, so what a surprise and blessing to have had this done before she left.

After this the three of us went to a local bar where we could sit down and order a bit of wine where we honored the LORD through the break of bread and drinking of wine, Just as our father Abraham did, as did Moses and also Jesus. In His name we gave thanks and shared in these blessing with our new sister! The rest of the evening was filled with celebration and deep conversations with the folks in the bar about Christianity, the Temple Mount, and all manners of other wonderful topics.

Bless the LORD all you people of the earth, Bless the LORD!