The Final Day.

July 10

Today was a pretty emotional day. Our last day together. It was a good day, though! We started off the day helping with an archaeological sift. I was surprised by how fun it was! When Bruce and Chris had first mentioned that we were going to be doing it, I was excited but I also was thinking it was going to be a little bit boring because I expected us to be just digging in the dirt and finding nothing at all. But that’s not how it was at all! First of all, we were sifting through Temple Mount dirt and we found all kinds of things! Mostly, we found a lot of pottery, but we also found glass, mosaic, metal, precious stones… we found a really pretty mosaic glass. I was teamed up with Heather and Priscilla and we had actually found a cool piece of copper with this green stuff on it and they said that it might have been a coin! We never found out though because they didn’t get it figured out before we left… but when we were all done we got to go through all the pieces that were found that day and date them which was pretty awesome. I mean, some of these things were pretty old!!

After we were done sifting, we had to the opportunity to go to the Temple Mount and see the Dome of the Rock. It really is a beautiful place. It was cool to imagine where the actual temple was, with the Holy of Holies, etc. But Chris made a really good point. He said, it’s a good thing that we don’t have the temple anymore, because we don’t need the temple anymore! The temple was there because the people needed to go and make sacrifices to atone for their sins. But guess what, Yeshua was the last and ultimate sacrifice! Our sins are atoned for through Him!

From the Temple Mount we went to the Garden Tomb. This was one of my favorite places. We got to see where Yeshua was thought to be crucified, which they said that He probably wasn’t crucified on a hill like tradition says. He was actually probably crucified by the main road because then people would be able to see Him. We also went to see the tomb where Yeshua is thought to have been buried in. This was a really awesome place to be. It was crazy to think about and it really just confirmed more the faith that I have because if Yeshua is not alive, then our faith is worthless. The fact is, He is alive! And now, in my faith, I need to go past the basics of the scripture and really start to understand the gospel in its fullness. There is more to the scripture then, He is alive, He lives in us! And now we must grow in the grace and knowledge and EXPERIENCE Him by allowing His life to grow in us. We need to rely on His spirit BY FAITH. We had communion here and I just started crying. I couldn’t stop crying because I realized that I forgot about Yeshua. I mean, everyone who knows me knows that I am a forgetful person. I forget about important things. I forget about birthdays. But I have no excuse for forgetting about Yeshua. I go through life without a thought, going my own way and little do I know I forget about the One who humbled Himself to come and live a lowly life only to die… but He has risen and He has left us with His Spirit who is here to guide us so that we not only can spend an eternity with Him, but we can live life with His presence right now! And I forget! I cried because I realized I was putting so many other things above Him. He was being put on the back burner of my life. And I’m sorry. All I could do was pray about how sorry I was. But the wonderful thing about our God is that He forgives. And He gives us chance after chance to come running back to Him. And He will catch us with open arms. Wow. What a God we serve.

It was really hard going to the airport and knowing this may be the last time we’re all together. It was a long plane ride, but the goodbye at the Philadelphia airport felt longer. These people have become such a huge part of my heart, I call them my friends and it was so sad to watch them go. Life must go on, but they have helped me to love Jesus more. Kaytra introduced us to a song called, “Will You Love Jesus More?” and I think it accurately describes this team. It says:

“I feel quite sure if I did my best, I could maybe impress you, with tender words and a harmony, a clever rhyme or two. But if all I’ve done in the time we’ve shared, is turn your eyes on me, then I’ve failed at what I’ve been called to do, there’s someone else I want you to see. I’d like to keep these memories, in frames of gold and silver. And reminisce a year from now about the smiles that we’ve shared. But above all else I hope you will come to know the Father’s love, when you see the Lord face to face, you’ll hear Him say “well done.” Will you love Jesus more, when we go our different ways? When this moment is a memory, will you remember His face? Will you look back and realize, you sensed His love more than you did before? I’d pray for nothing less, than for you to love Jesus more.”

Well, I can tell you all. This team has definitely helped me to love Jesus more, and every time I remember this trip, I will remember how they helped me to grow in my relationship with my Savior more than ever before.

And with this, I conclude my blog post. My goal for this trip was to share God’s love and I believe God worked through this team. I believe He worked through us with His love and I believe that we made a difference. We were able to be lights in the darkness. Like pink camouflage in a green world. Shining bright like the stars in the universe, like Paul says in Philippians. I also learned so much from the people of Israel, especially the members of the Kehila. They were such an encouragement and they were so full of love and joy. But God was also able to share more of His love with me. I have experienced God’s love in a way I never have before. And I have experienced love through this team. This team was abounding in love. There was never a day that I did not feel loved. I can’t even begin to explain this adventure of a lifetime. Love was everywhere. It was shared, it was experienced and it will never be forgotten. I have learned, I have been challenged and now that I am home I pray that I will keep learning and keep being challenged and that I will not go back to the way I was. I will keep striving to be better than who I was. I am so blessed to have been able to have this opportunity. God had a plan and I can only thank Him for this wonderful experience.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me and has been praying for me. Thank you for following my blog and caring for me. Thank you to my team who has changed me for the better. I could go on and on about my gratitude, but I don’t think it would ever end. So, thank you.

I leave you with these two thoughts.

“I pray that out of His glorious riches, He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19).

“I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go the house of the LORD.’ Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up- the tribes of the LORD- to praise the name of the LORD according the statute given to Israel. There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.’ For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity” (Psalm 122).

 

I Once Was Blind but Now I See.

July 9

Today was definitely jam packed. We started by going back to the Western Wall, except this time we went under it! It was the Western Wall Excavation Tunnel It was really cool being able to learn more about Herod’s Temple. We got to stand on first temple period ground!

Afterward, we went to the Pool of Bethesda where Yeshua healed a man and we went to St. Anne’s church where Catholic tradition says is the home of Mary’s parents. This church was a beautiful place (and sadly, I can’t remember much because there was a really cute kitten that was terribly distracting.) But I do remember going inside and singing because it had wonderful acoustics! We sang Amazing Grace and Bruce, Kaytra, Danielle and Suzanne sang “Wonderful, Merciful, Savior” and I will never forget how beautiful it sounded.

From there we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which was a really interesting place. I wasn’t a huge fan of it. It was just so gaudy! They had huge decorations where traditions says Yeshua was crucified and had a huge ugly tomb where tradition told them He was buried. It was just sad because there are different religions that own the church and none of them can agree over anything and they all argue over everything. That is the exact opposite of what the church should be. It was just very sad.

After grabbing some lunch (pizza!) we went to the City of David! We got to see a neat little movie in 3D about Hezekiah’s Tunnel and then off we went! The water was pretty cold, but you got used to it after a while. It usually didn’t go past your ankles. It was really neat being able to go through and sing songs (as usual!) We even got to be at the place where Solomon was anointed! It was also cool because we got to see an exact replica of writing they found in the tunnel that proved that the way the tunnel was made was people dug from either side and met in the middle!

We came out of the tunnel by the Pool of Siloam where Yeshua healed the man who was born blind by putting mud on his eyes and telling him to wash at the Pool of Siloam! It was crazy to think about the faith this blind man must have had to walk all the way to the Pool of Siloam after "some man" puts mud on your eyes. But it was by his faith that he was healed! We also got to walk on the first temple road which was by the corner of the temple at the western and southern part of the wall. This was the first time that an ORIGINS team got to do this because the road had just opened up, so that was pretty cool! A lot of it was actually in the sewer, but it was still a lot of fun. 

We ended up at the southern part of the temple wall where they still had original stairs where Yeshua and His disciples (and a lot more people!) would have walked up to get to the entrance to the temple! So, that was pretty cool. I mean, there’s not a lot of places where you can KNOW you are where Yeshua was, but this is a place we know He would have been! He preached at the temple all the time! That is where He would have entered! So crazy!

We ended the day by watching a movie with a weird guy who had really bad facial hair and was holding a random lemon. I get distracted very easily, in case you couldn’t tell. 

The end of the night was very hard. It was our last night spending together at the hotel so we had a “farewell meeting.” We played “Never Have I Ever” and beat each other up ;) and then “Four on a Couch” which was tons of fun. Then the tears came. We watched a slideshow of our trip and then we went around and told Bruce all the things we appreciated about him since it was his last year. We also went around and told each other everything we appreciated and learned from one another. I can’t even begin to explain how much this group has encouraged and challenged me. Each and every one of them has taught me something different about myself and have challenged me in so many ways to grow in my relationship with God. It’s very hard knowing that after this trip we’re all going to be in our separate lives again.

Sorry I can’t remember everything in great detail, but I’m writing this back at home after a long plane ride and jet lag. It’s the best I can do without getting emotional all over again!

A United Jerusalem

July 8

So, today was yet another wonderful day. To start off the day we went to the Mount of Olives which was pretty awesome. It was pretty great to be at the place where Yeshua ascended to Heaven and will be returning for His Second Coming. We also talked about how God is doing all He can do in order to go back to the way things were at the Garden of Eden. The craziest thing to think about is how God’s PHYSICAL presence was in Eden. I mean, just imagine, God is with us obviously now in Spirit, but can you imagine if His actual presence was with you all the time? I mean, that just blows my mind.

I also got to ride a camel for the first time. That was pretty fantastic. Tyler and I got to ride together and almost everyone else got to ride as well. It was so much fun. The poor camel didn’t like getting up and down for everyone to get on and off of him!

One of the most interesting things we did I think was go to the Garden of Gethsemane. We got to see olive trees that were so ancient they were hollow inside! This is where Yeshua agonized in prayer and was betrayed by Judas and arrested by the soldiers. We talked a lot about Yeshua praying. Gethsemane means “oil press” and Yeshua’s soul was definitely being pressed… just like an olive. I mean, for the first time He was going to be separated from the Father. Seriously, I am in awe of the fact that the Son of God gave up everything to humble Himself and die… He knew what the pain was going to be… but we were worth it to Him. WE were worth it to HIM! Think about that! It’s insane!

After that we went to the Holocaust Museum. This was very hard for me. The thing that made this museum harder for me than any other was the faces. They had a children’s memorial and they had pictures of children and there were names, ages and where they were from of children that died. There were some candles in a dark room, but there were mirrors so it looked like millions. I think they said 1.5 million children were killed. Children! Then, in the regular museum they still had so many pictures… so many faces. They had testimonies playing and movies playing… it was their eyes I think. Their eyes that made my heart break. The emptiness I saw… my heart is literally in pieces.

From there we went to the Knesset which is the Israeli Parliament. The Knesset building houses the Israeli’s government body. We were able to get a tour and learn more about how the government worked. I have to be honest with you, some of the things didn’t stick with me because it’s a little bit harder for me to understand government stuff and I was really tired, but one thing I do remember is that in the Declaration of Independence, they couldn’t agree on whether to use the name of God, so they settled on using “the Rock of Israel” because then it could be interpreted as the strength of Israel, or the strength of Israel comes from God! I thought that was interesting.

After the Knesset we went to Shalom Yerushalayim which is the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus. It was so interesting! Actually, the man Josh is known as one of the top 50 influential people in the world! And I can see why. He has such a dedication to keeping Jerusalem united and a huge love for Israel. He told us about how everyone is against Israel even though it is the only country out of the twenty two Middle East countries that has more freedoms. He also talked about how a lot of Christians today are against Israel because of their Replacement Theology. But, the important thing is, is that the more prophecies that are being fulfilled, the more threatened these other theologies become! (That could also be a bad thing I guess because who knows what people do when they feel threatened.) Anyway, he really emphasized the fact that Jerusalem is extremely important, and it is very important that it remains one and undivided.

It was pretty cool because we got to sign the Jerusalem covenant which is a doctrine signed by leaders of Israel that confirms their commitment to Jerusalem. We need to never forget and always be binded with love towards Israel. We need to support Israel and Jerusalem being holy and UNITED.

One thing that I’m going to try and commit to is praying for Israel! Specifically for Jerusalem since so many people are trying to divide Jerusalem and it is the only place that the Bible tells to specifically pray for. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is actually one of the safest places in the world, so if you’ve ever thought about visiting, do it!! It’s such a neat experience!!

But not only is it a neat experience, I’ve learned so much about the ignorance of America. People just don’t know and are unaware of what things really are. That’s why anti-Semitism arises. Because of ignorance. And it is our responsibility to raise awareness. Whether it’s promoting this organization on facebook or youtube or signing the covenant or just recognizing Jerusalem, every step counts! Their website is iacf.org if anyone wants to find more information about it!

I mean, seriously, if they divide Jerusalem, things would be much different. A united Jerusalem is better for everyone because of the freedoms that Israel provides. So it’s not only just Biblically important! But it is a Biblical basis to support Israel and a united Jerusalem no matter what the news propagates. Just read Isaiah 62:6-7. God is going to bring back to Him the things that He has promised. We must not give Him any rest, we must keep knocking and reminding Him until He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. When He fulfills His promises, God will get all the glory!

That’s why Friends of Israel is not too political, because it ties in hand in hand with the Bible! You can’t have either or, standing by Israel is a “both” and “and” because it has such a strong Biblical basis and glorifies God. Israel is not a living museum, it is God’s Land and His people have come back to it!

From there we went back to the hotel and we met up with Gal and Sonia and some other people from the Kehila and ORIGINS alumni! We all went to Ben-Yehuda street for some shopping!! Heather and I were pretty excited because we got some pretty good deals. (We think anyway…) It was so much fun to shop and get ice cream and just be surrounded by these people. We got to dance with strangers and it was just a really good experience and memory.

Just Another Day in Jerusalem.

July 7                      

Another wonderful day in Jerusalem. It’s so surreal that I’m actually here. It literally blows my mind every time I think about it. We got to sleep in a little bit today which was really nice, we didn’t have to leave for Kehila until about 10am. Kehila was really awesome because it was Meno’s kehila who is the son of Zvi! It was really cool to be able to see him.

We talked about how you have to choose to be a slave to righteousness or sin. It cannot be one or the other and it cannot be neither. There are people out there who think they can just do whatever they want and it’s ok… they’re in control of their own lives. But in reality, they’re not. They are a slave to something and I don’t know about you, but I would much rather be a slave to righteousness. Yes, that is the harder one because you can’t just follow of the desires of your flesh, but it is the better one!

After Kehila, we got to have a picture with Meno and then we were off to the next adventure! We got to stop at a point and see Bethlehem which was pretty cool. I mean, to see one of the most important places! It’s a little town, but it is definitely not insignificant! We couldn’t go in because it’s Palestinian territory, but just being able to see it was awesome.

From Bethlehem we went to the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book. The Shrine of the Book is where the original Dead Sea Scrolls are. I talked more about the Dead Sea Scrolls in my last blog post, but it was so cool being able to see the originals! In the middle they had an exact copy of the Isaiah scroll. It was so interesting and you just read so much information in these museums that it’s hard to contain all the information in your head!

Right near the Shrine of the Book is the Israel Museum. We didn’t have time to walk around the whole thing so we just walked around the archeological part which was awesome. We got to see the stone that mentions the House of David and we also got to see the originals of other things that we had seen copies of. Another thing the museum had was a model of Jerusalem in AD 68 I believe.  Don’t hold me to that… but it was the year that Josephus described. This was only a few years after Yeshua which means that it was probably almost the same as when Yeshua knew it. It was really interesting being able to see Jerusalem as Yeshua probably saw it!

After the Israel Museum we got to go back to the hotel to hang out. It was a free night so we could either hang around the hotel or a small group of us went back to the Western Wall so that we could wave to our parents over the cameras! It was really fun. We got to embarrass ourselves by looking like huge tourists waving at a camera that you can’t even really see! But I know we were seen because Matt was able to get a hold of his parents and they saw us! Gabby’s parents also said they saw her. I haven’t been able to get on the internet so I don’t know if my dad saw me yet! Anyway, it was fun to just hang out with them and dance and laugh… you know, the usual! It was also really neat being able to see all the Jewish people there still celebrating Shabbott. It was definitely not as crowded as Friday night but there were still people there! The boys went in to pray at the wall again… the girls spied on them and took pictures. Anyway, we were able to have a good conversation with each other and Chris about all kinds of different things about what different people believe about Israel. It’s really interesting to hear about because it just blows my mind when I think about all the people that are against or even just indifferent against Israel. It’s such a huge part of Christianity I just can’t even believe what some people think about Israel sometimes. It’s just a really sad thing.

But yeah, we didn’t get back until a little later and then we walked and got ice cream before bed, nothing too eventful… just spending time with these people as much as I can because the day is coming too soon that I have to leave them! It’s crazy to think that I have seen these people every day for a whole month and now I’ll just talk to them every so often over the internet… ok I can’t talk about this, it’s making me emotional. Good night!  

Surviving Masada.

July 6

Well, we got up bright and early at 5am and then I climbed to my death. I can’t even imagine what that would have been like if we had went later in the day! I seriously felt like a fat old woman. Heather, Gabby and I were all in the back with poor Chris who had to make sure we didn’t die. I think Kaytra saved my life by giving me an electrolyte packet to put in my water! Not only did I hike up a mountain, but I walked up 700 stairs. Take that JBU’s 100 stairs!! I seriously have never put so much physical exertion on my body. It was terrible. But it was great. It was really hilarious actually because when we got to the top, there was like two more staircases and I was tearing up while climbing them and when Heather and I finally got to the top we started crying and laughing at the same time because we were so happy. It was great.

After being delirious for a few moments and refilling my water bottle, we calmed down and were able to start our tour at the top. (Rachael and Tito met us at the top… they got to take the cable car up!) The tour was awesome of course, as we got to learn all about Masada. We got to scream things in this one spot and there was an awesome echo! We got to see a giant cistern that they kept the water in and all kinds of things that you will see pictures of on my facebook page! Tito also talked to us about a lot of the history that went on at Masada. The one story that really stuck out to me though, was when the Romans were going to kill everyone there, they realized it would be better for them to kill their own families than to let them be tortured under the hands of the Romans. The Romans sought for three years to get to the top, they built a ramp up one side. After reaching the top of Masada, they found that all but 5 had taken their own lives rather than becoming slaves to them. It’s just crazy to think that they had to kill their own families and then themselves as the only way to escape a more torturous death.

By the way, I also thought it was cool that he mentioned, even though Israel lost all those wars, Israel has been victorious because it’s still here and all of those nations are gone!! 

We also talked about how we tend to make fortresses in our own hearts but we have to remember that our own fortresses don’t protect us. The only fortress that will protect us is God’s. God is our fortress and our refuge. We must run to the Lord. Sometimes we just want to blockade our hearts from everyone, including God. But in the end, that is not what is going to protect us. Only the One who is our Refuge will be able to truly protect us from anything that comes our way.

After we got our tour we were able to take the cable car back down (thank goodness!). We got to shop and I ended up buying a ring… which was a little bit out of my price range… but it’s what I really wanted. And I won’t buy anything else for myself! But it’s really pretty with real silver and gold and it has the Hebrew inscription, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”

Now, I know this is from the Song of Solomon and between a man and a woman. And I don’t think that whole book is an analogy between man and God. I do believe it was written to be about men and women. So, when I wear this ring, it is representing my dedication towards my future husband. But also, one of the reasons I love it so much is actually because of a Tenth Avenue North song called “Beloved.” It’s a song that is from God’s point of view. It says, Love of my life, look deep in my eyes. There you will find what you need. Give me your life, lust and the lies, the past you’re afraid I might see. You’ve been running away from me. You’re my beloved, lover I’m yours. Death shall not part us, it’s you I died for. For better or worse, forever we’ll be, our Love unites us, it binds you to me. It’s a mystery. Love of my life, look deep in my eyes. There you will find what you need. I’m the Giver of Life, I’ll clothe you in whine, my immaculate bride you will be. Oh, come running home to me. Well you’ve been a mistress, my wife, chasing lovers it won’t satisfy, won’t you let me make you my bride, you will drink of my lips and you’ll taste new life. Cause you’re my beloved, lover I’m yours. Death shall not part us, it’s you I died for. For better or worse, forever we’ll be. Our love unites us and it binds you to me. It’s a mystery.

It’s really a beautiful song and a beautiful verse so I love my ring!

Also, if I remember correctly, my dad’s wedding band has this inscription on it, and one of the things on my bucket list, if I ever get married, I aspire for my marriage to be like my parents. I admire their love, dedication and commitment to each other and I love the way they work together in everything. They are a team and I can go on and on about how much I admire them. Anyway, this ring reminds me of what a wonderful marriage my parents have and it’s a reminder to me to aspire for a marriage one day that is as wonderful as theirs.

After surviving Masada, we went to En Gedi springs for a nice treat. Swimming in nice cold water!! It was a bit of a hike to get up there and I was stylin’ in my hiking boots, bathing suit and towel wrapped around my waist. But it was so worth it when we got there! It was absolutely wonderful. We had a lot of fun under the water falls and Bruce throwing moss at everyone…

En Gedi is also a really interesting place because this was where David fled from Saul. It was also where David cut Saul’s robe and did not kill him because he knew that even though Saul had wandered from God, he was still the king that God had anointed. David is another perfect example of what we’ve been learning about and about letting God being his fortress.  

In 2 Chronicles 20 it Jehoshaphat says, “LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.” He’s got the right idea.

From En Gedi, we all napped on the bus until we got to Jerusalem!!! I can’t believe we’re really here!! We stopped at Mt. Sculpus so we could get a view of it before entering in and then we went to our hotel where we’ll be for the rest of the time. Tonight started Shabbott so we all walked to the Western Wall. Talk about culture shock!! This city is crazy! There were Orthodox men RUNNING to get the Western Wall. It was a really neat experience, but it was actually really hard. I mean, all of these people were praying to a wall… hoping that God’s presence was there when really, their prayers weren’t even being heard. They were praying so fervently, but yet, they were so empty. There were so many people there dancing and singing, but there was still some kind of chaos… and sadness in the atmosphere. It literally broke my heart. We all went to the wall and we got a chance to put our hands on it and pray. Pray for these people and for the peace of Jerusalem. 

Anyway, we didn’t have devotions because it was a really long day, so Heather, Gabby, Rachael and I all watched “Get Smart” to just relax and laugh with each other before going to bed. All in all, it was a long but very good day!

A Good Kind of Exhaustion.

July 5

Today we started out with a very nice baptism at the Jordan River! Rachael Hall and Gabriella Yanga both gave their testimonies. I love testimonies. It just makes me so happy to hear how each person has their own individual story of how they came to give their lives to Yeshua. After their testimonies, they each got immersed into the Jordan River by Chris and Bruce and they got to choose a song for all of us to sing. We sang “How Deep the Father’s Love” for Rachael and “As the Deer” for Gabriella. It was absolutely beautiful.

After the baptisms were over we went to the ancient city of Beth-Shean. It was awesome!! This city dates back 4,000 years and contains the remains of 20 cities. We got to go to the amphitheater where lots of violent games would take place and Gladiator games. Brett and Matt got to reenact a “fight to the death” which was pretty fun. It is sad to think about, though, all the violence that went on in that arena. We got to explore the ruins and we got to learn a lot about the culture by seeing the theater (and what they used for bathrooms!) It was sad to see all the immorality that went on there, such as brothels and learning about what they did for entertainment. But, it was beautiful. They had really pretty mosaics and it was just so crazy walking on the streets that these people walked.

We also looked at James 4 and 1 John 3 while we were there and we talked about how the things on earth do not last, but the Word of God and our souls last forever. God loves the world but not our system. So, we cannot invest our lives into the system of the of the world, but into the will of God because only then can we invest in our souls. So, we must honestly ask ourselves, what are we investing our lives into? The things of this world, or into God?

From Beth-Shean we went to Qumran, which is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found! We learned about the Essenes who would purify themselves by washing twice a day because they were constantly expecting the return of the Messiah. They were scribes, so they wrote copies of scripture. It is amazing that these scrolls were preserved for so many years and they were found when Israel needed it most. Critics were saying that if they found a copy of scripture from Yeshua’s time, it wouldn’t match what they had. Just imagine what went through their heads when they found the Dead Sea Scrolls and it matched almost exactly! It also confirmed the land of Israel because it says in scripture that this land is for the Jewish people. It was so interesting being able to learn about them and what an important discovery they were!

After getting to see where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, we got to go to the actual Dead Sea!! Which was AWESOME. First of all, we got to put a whole bunch of mud all over ourselves. Second of all, you cannot sink!! I mean, Heather was laying there reading a magazine while floating in the water! It’s so weird. It was so funny being able to stand without touching the bottom… just floating there. Anyway, it was a really good time as well as just crazy that we were in the DEAD SEA! It’s jut mind boggling.

After swimming we went to the hotel to relax and I was EXHAUSTED. I could barely make it through devotions, but luckily Chris is good at holding attention! We were reading more into Philippians and finished Chapter 2! We read about Paul and Timothy’s relationship and we talked a lot about discipleship and how important it is. Paul discipled Timothy and he grew into a wonderful young man who knew about all the things Paul wrote about. Everything that we’ve been reading about… humbleness and humility, shining and not grumbling or complaining… this was what Timothy exemplified! Chris challenged us that if we are not being discipled or discipling somebody, we should definitely pray about it because it’s a huge part of the Christian life. I have never really done anything like that, but who knows what will come up! Just pray for an opportunity and who knows what God will open up for you. J

Tomorrow is a really early morning because we’re climbing Massada. 5am. Oh boy, this should be interesting.  

Leaving Galilee.

July 4

First off, I’d like to add a few tidbits of things I forgot to add in the past few days.

1. I ate cow tongue.
2. Long bus rides are tons of fun. Gabby and I performed the Bohemian Rhapsody for everyone. (We were the only ones who knew it!)
3. Jewish Cowboys exist.

But anyway… Today was definitely my favorite Fourth of July! Even if it wasn’t spent in America… First we went through Tiberius to Mt. Arbel. We got another amazing view, and had a really fun hike down! (Pictures on facebook, of course.) It is just truly amazing to be in a place where Yeshua may have walked. And even if He never walked in the same place I did, the typography is the same!! We are seeing the same things that Yeshua saw!! It’s so awesome!!

The hike was fun, and I got the nickname “Boots” because apparently I have the best boots here and are really intense… I mean, they were only from Wal-Mart! But hey, I’ll take it. ;)

When we finished hiking, we went to a museum where the “Jesus Boat” was and also had some lunch and ice cream. We got to see the actual boat that was found years ago. The story of it is really a miracle. I mean, this boat is WOODEN and it managed to stay in tact, under the water for 2,000 years!! Eventually, it was found and it took a lot of work to dig it up while keeping it in tact and then moving it. They had to put it in this water solution stuff for fifteen years before they could display it so it wouldn’t fall apart!! It was really cool being able to see a boat that Yeshua may have used!! I mean, it was hard just to picture Him sitting in there, fishing with His disciples… It’s pretty crazy stuff. We also got to go to a gift shop where I was able to get a good deal on some Dead Sea lotion. That stuff works wonders!!

From the museum we went to Capernaum which was absolutely wonderful. I mean, this was Yeshua’s headquarters!! In John 6 it talks about Yeshua preaching the sermon about being the bread of life in the synagogue in Capernaum! And we were there!! Another thing we talked about while in Capernaum is not only the surrealism that we were experiencing, but we were able to talk about the story of the Centurion. The Centurion didn’t require Yeshua to give a sign or His presence for His healing; He believed He could heal with just a command. And we were able to ask ourselves, in order to believe what Yeshua can do in life, do we require a sign?? I mean, God has given us a text!! “Shema”: HEAR oh Israel… This word means hear and obey. Whether God gives us a sign or not! We have His WORD which should be enough. And if that wasn’t enough, He gave us His SPIRIT. He lives in us and is guiding us for our whole lives as believers!  But is that all we require in order to trust God?

I have been challenged by something new every day on this trip. I have a lot of work to do! 

After Capernaum, we were able to go on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee!! This was just an amazing experience. We learned Hava Nagila! A very fun Jewish dance. Bruce also read the story of when Yeshua calmed the sea during the storm. The disciples had little faith and they were afraid, but Yeshua stopped the storm at His command. Through Him, there was peace. This was very convicting because as he was talking, I was filled with worry and stress because I realized my wallet wasn’t in my backpack and I didn’t know where it was. He’s talking about how even in times of trouble, we must have faith that in Yeshua, there is peace. It wasn’t until they started playing, “It is Well” that I started to calm down. I knew that Yeshua was taking care of me, no matter what kind of trouble I get myself into. In Yeshua, there is peace!! And guess what, my wallet was on the bus.

We came back for the last night in this beautiful hotel by the sea and we were able to go swimming and watch the sunset. I seriously love swimming. And sunsets. So it was a good night even though I am totally exhausted!! We also talked more about Philippians and we read the passage that says, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the Word of Life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.” Wow. Paul got me after the first sentence! Do everything without grumbling and complaining!! Obviously, this is an extremely hard command to do perfectly, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to be the best. If we find ourselves grumbling or complaining, we need to catch ourselves and take on the attitude of Christ because it is only then that we will shine like the stars in the sky. Across the sea, we see Tiberius and it is filled with lights. That is us! We need to shine so that we don’t look like the rest of the world and it is through that, that people will be able to see Yeshua. It is a part of working through our salvation. And when we die, we will be able to stand before God and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

It’s about sharing God’s love with a servant’s heart. Take on the attitude of our Messiah. We need to be the pink camouflage in a green world!

PS: My runny nose was OK this morning, but as they day went on it got worse, so your prayers would still be much appreciated!! Thank you all, I love you and good night!

Indescribable.

July 3

Wow. I really don’t know how I’m going to remember everything that I want to, but I guess I’ll give it a try!!

First, we went to Golan. The Golan Heights were amazing!! It was so close to the Syrian border, you could see it! We got to pass old Syrian barracks and you could see a whole range of volcanoes. It was absolutely gorgeous. We were able to go up Mount Gamla, where people used to live and hike all the way down (and back up again!). It was really cool though because we were able to go to an old synagogue where there’s a good chance that Yeshua would have preached there! How crazy is that?! Anyway, it was awesome to be able to see and learn about so much history!

After we eventually made it back up the trail, we got back on the bus and headed to the Valley of Tears. This place was another amazing place. We were about 40 minutes away from Damascus on the border of Syria. (All the signs that said “Danger, Land Mines!” was pretty freaky!) It was really nice weather up there, being like 4,000 feet off of sea level! But I got to learn so much at this memorial about what the Israelis had to go through. I mean, they were attacked on the most important holiday, Yom Kippur and by the end of the war they only had about 2 tanks left! But the important thing is, is that now that border is the quietest one! We got to meet Israeli soldiers and get pictures with them which was really cool, because this is a good army!  I mean, the guys have to be in the army for three years and the girls for two. You better believe they are trained well!

From there we went to Caesarea Philippi which was a really interesting place. This is a place where they worshiped Pan, the god of shepherds, flocks and forests. It was a place that couldn’t be bypassed because of its water. This is also the place where in Matthew 16, where Yeshua asked His disciples who they thought He was and Peter answered, “The Messiah, Son of the LIVING God.” Oh, death, where is your sting?! Our God is living and will always answer, unlike all of the gods of the pagans. Death will never be able to conquer our living God. In this passage, Yeshua blesses Peter for proclaiming Him to be the Messiah. So, there is no way that Yeshua could only be a good teacher. He claimed to be the Messiah! This means that He was either a liar, a lunatic or Lord. And I believe the Bible is true, Words of our living God, which means, Yeshua IS the Lord our Messiah.

Anyway, it was a super cool place to explore. (Remember, all my pictures are up on facebook!)

After we finished there, went to Tel Dan Natural Reserve. Awesome place. Again, all the pictures are up. Here is the place where Jereboam makes golden calves into his own religion and brings his kingdom with him. It’s just crazy to think about because in the story, God PROMISES Jereboam that if he follows Him, He will make a dynasty for him! And yet, Jereboam forgets to fear God and instead fears man. He was afraid that if he let his people go to Jerusalem which was in the southern kingdom, he would lose them! So, he made other places of worship so they wouldn’t have to leave. He feared man more than God and that is what can cause you to fall into sin. It’s so easy to judge Jereboam, but how often do we do this in our own lives? I mean, I am a huge people pleaser. I will do anything to make other people happy and sometimes I give in too quickly to please man despite the promises that God has made me. It’s as if I don’t trust God to keep his promises and I try to control it myself by pleasing man instead of God.

We talked more about this in devotions tonight when we read more into Philippians chapter two. Hannah gave a good analogy about fearing God that really helped me to understand it more. She said at work, her boss came in. As soon as the big man came through the door all the workers went on their A-game. That is what it is like to fear God. It doesn’t mean cowering in the corner with fear. It means, trying your best to obey Him at all times, because He is always with you. He is always there. You can’t hide from Him. And this type of fear is a GOOD thing! Just like you fear your father. It’s a matter of respect. People nowadays, are very disrespectful toward people. Our God deserves our respect. We must be working in our salvation. God has given us a wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us. We are partners! We need to work together. We can’t just sit around and wait for the Holy Spirit to just DO something within us. We have to work together!

But anyway, after we got back to the hotel, we were able to swim in the Sea of Galilee which was AWESOME. I mean, to think that Yeshua was in this same lake… He walked on water here! It’s crazy to think that I was there!!

Today, the song “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin has been running through my mind because I was thinking about how to describe this trip, and that’s all I could come up with. My God is indescribable. He is too great for our words to describe. His creation is indescribably beautiful. God is indescribably gracious as He knows the depths of my wicked heart, yet He loves me the same. There are no words to describe what I’m feeling right now. This joy that is in my heart. This love for my Savior. He is so gracious and yet so powerful. He is merciful and just. He is PERFECT. His love for us is perfect. Everything about Him is perfect. And it is just so indescribable that such a wonderful God could care so much about sinful people like us. Praise be to God.

PS.

If you could shoot out a quick prayer for me, I think I am getting a bit of a cold. I just started getting a runny nose and it’s not a big deal, but it’s just a little bit annoying having to worry about it. Thanks!

God is Good.

July 2

First of all, look at the view from my room!!! This is so beautiful and exciting, I just want to scream and dance. I mean, this is the Sea of Galilee! Yeshua saw this SAME sea. This same view. This same sunset. I am in absolute awe. I mean, I’ve been in awe all day so it’s nothing new, but wow. I am pretty excited. We get to stay here for three nights!!

So, the first place we went to was Mount Carmel which was really exciting. We focused on the fact that this is where Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal occurred. What a powerful God we have, right? This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible because it really goes to show who our God is. He will answer us when we call, unlike any other idol we may have in our lives. The view was breathtaking. I mean, I really don’t know what else to say. To be able to see all of these things and know exactly where I am just really puts the Bible into a whole new perspective. We were also able to see some cool mountains such as Mount Tabor and Mount Gilboa.

From Mount Carmel we went to Megiddo. Megiddo is just an amazing place in general, let alone how important this place has been in the past, present and future! This is where Josiah was killed and where many battles have taken place and it’s right on the south edge of the Jezreel Valley. We also read Revelation 16:13-16 and Joel Chapter 3 because this is where the battle of Armageddon will be fought! It’s just amazing to think that the next time I’m at this place might be when Yeshua returns! We also talked about how God is preparing an ultimate judgment for all of the nations because at that point, all of the nations will be against Israel. God keeps His promises and He promised Israel that He will bless those who bless them and curse those who curse them. This covenant still goes on today, and that is why we can only pray that America keeps supporting Israel!

From Megiddo we went to Nazareth. Nazareth was a really awesome place because it really put into perspective… this is where Yeshua grew up!! I mean, it is so much hillier than I expected… He must have had pretty strong legs walking up and down all those hills every day! We were able to go to a place called Nazareth Village which brought to life a Galilean village so that we could really see what it may have looked like in Yeshua’s time. This was also where Yeshua preached his first sermon from Isaiah and the people in the synagogue tried to throw Him off a cliff!! Crazy stuff.

From Nazareth we went to Cana. Cana is an awesome place because this is where Yeshua’s first miracle of changing water into wine took place. Chris talked about this more in depth and I realized some things I never thought before!! Now it doesn’t matter if you believe if it was real wine or if it was non-alcoholic or if it was grape juice. Whatever. I mean, I personally believe it was real wine but I’m not going to get into some big debate over it. But anyway, Yeshua made the BEST wine. The host came back and said, “You saved the best wine for last! No one does that!” I mean, this was THE best. It was a HUGE miracle!! Chris made a wonderful point also, that I had never thought about before that, Yeshua’s grace is abundant. Meaning, there is BOTH quantity and quality. We don’t have to pick and choose like we do in America! His grace is abundant in quantity AND quality! It never runs out and it is the best thing you can have. 

But yes, if you want more details, I posted pictures and descriptions on my facebook page, so you can check them out if you desire.

This trip has made me realize so many things about God. I mean, I already knew these things about God, but sometimes you just need a wake up call! When I got back to the hotel, after getting settled in and eating dinner, I went out to the sea and read the last few chapters of Job. Where God is challenging Job with questions about Himself. God is POWERFUL. And that is so clear here!! Everything here has a purpose and everything I see and breathe and hear… its all evidence of His holiness and power! I don’t have a right to question God about anything, because He IS.

Which brings me to my next point. Some tough things have been happening to some of the team. Really tough things. But one thing I have learned is, God is good. No matter what disasters come our way, God is good. We can’t forget that. Being here is a beautiful blessing and all I can do is thank God over and over again. But sometimes it can be hard to thank Him when things aren’t so beautiful. It can be easy to question Him. But the fact is, you may never know why. But one thing you can know is, God is good.

We also read some into Philippians, more into chapter 2… which is also one of my favorite passages of the Bible. It continues to talk about the humility of Christ. We talked about what humility is exactly. Humility is knowing yourself and knowing that you are below God. That is not to say that you have to wear a “kick me” sign on your back. Not at all. But humility is SUBMITTING yourself. Not being in control of your own self because you are holding nothing back. You are a bondservant to Christ. Yeshua knew humility all too well. He put aside His Godly privileges to become fully man while remaining fully God. I may never understand how it works, but I have faith that this is true. Yeshua knew humility more than anyone else because He died a torturous death for me and you. Am I willing to die a torturous death for Christ? Am I? It’s something I don’t like thinking about. But that is humility. That is how we all become a true humble servant of God. And God deserves are humbleness. God is good.

Starting the Tour

July 1

Wow, I can’t believe it’s July already!! I don’t know how many times I’ve said this already, but time is flying!! Today was our first day of touring. It’s definitely a change of pace!! Always moving and I definitely FEEL like more of a tourist instead of being immersed into the culture like I’ve been for the past few weeks!!

It was amazing though. You can see all my pictures that I’ve posted to see all where I’ve been. Pictures can say it much more than words. But we went to the Independence Hall and got a little tour there which was really interesting! Israel has been through so much, it’s insane. It was really cool to be at the place where it all began. After that we went to Cesaria (sorry if my spelling isn’t on my game, I am trying to get this done really fast so I can get to bed!) and it was amazing. I mean, just to be at the place where all these historical events and where all these people that I admire have been is just… I don’t even know what word to use!! I am just in awe of the opportunity I have been given by being here. It is absolutely amazing. I’ve really been learning so much history and there is so much application as well!! For instance, I was at the place where Herod was eaten by worms because he did not give the glory that God deserved. And it just really makes you think, wow. Do I give God the glory that He deserves?? When people compliment me on a job well done, or even when people critique me… do I give that all up to God? Or do I take it upon myself?? It’s a tough question to ask yourself!! And honestly, yet another thing I have to work on in myself!

We got to our lodge which is really nice, its right along the sea so we got to do some swimming! It was super nice because it was really hot today!! Sadly for my roommate Kaytra and I… our air conditioning in the room is broken!! And no fan!! It’s going to be a hot night… I just took a freezing cold shower. Who knew a cold shower could feel so good!! Anyway, we had buffet for dinner which was really good and then of course had devotions, continuing on in Philippians. We talked about imitating our Messiah’s humility. In order for all of us believers to be united into one body, we all must be humble and selfless. As in, SELFLESS. As in, we must put ourselves below others. We cannot think of ourselves as superior to anyone, which can sometimes be easy to do… This is not to say that we can’t pursue our interests and be proud of the things we accomplish, but whatever we do we must give all the glory to God. And we must never prioritize ourselves and our selfish ambitions over others. Simple as that! Ha. If only it were as easy said than done.

Anyway, it’s only been the first day and I’ve already been learning so much! I wish I could write every single detail down, but I really have to get to bed so that I can be just as awake tomorrow!

As usual, I love my team. They’re still amazing and I get emotional every time I think about saying goodbye. But as I said before, it’s about living in the here and now. Enjoying every second as it comes.