It was my first full day in Israel. To make my stay safe and comfortable, I would need a cell phone.

Since I had an appointment in Bnei Brak, I decided to take care of the cell phone there. After an hour bus ride to get to the city, I went into a cell phone store and requested a monthly plan SIM card. The man there told me I had to go down the street and purchase the SIM card.

After walking in circles, I found a shopkeeper who said he had the SIM card. I paid cash because the shopkeeper wouldn’t take my credit card. The shopkeeper told me I had to go back to the cell phone store to cut the SIM card for my phone. This required a specialized cutter, but I wouldn’t be charged for the service.

So I went back to the cell phone store and the cell phone guy cut the card and put it in my phone. Unfortunately, we couldn’t activate it because my battery was dead. I travelled home on a bus (over an hour), and tried to activate the phone. I tried all different ways to follow the steps written on the package, but the same error message played over and over.

There are all kinds of ways this could have been easier. Being from the U.S, consumers have power. But when folks complain about the everyday stupidities in Israel, the traditional answer is: “You’re not in America buddy!” That is so true! Americans haven’t fought a war on our own soil since the Civil War. Although we have crime and violence, it isn’t the same level of threat as a war.

I took the bus back from Bnei Brak to Karnei Shomron. When the bus turned off the road and entered my family’s community, I was grateful to be home safe.  My sister witnessed a terror attack and the aftermath the day before I arrived. I made it to the city and back without being stabbed or shot. I didn’t witness a stabbing or shooting either.

My heart goes out to  those in the world who live under constant threat of attack. You deserve safety and security. May it come soon.