Next Year in Jerusalem!

One year ago today I was at the airport in Charlotte waiting to board the plane that would take me to New York to then board the plane that would transport me to a place that would carve out a spot in my heart like I never knew a place so monotonously colored could.

Israel.

Sometimes I recall it so vividly, when I wake from my daydream I am stunned I am not actually there. Sometimes it seems so distant I wonder if it really happened. I often think about the delicious food and the interesting art, hoping that someday I will see and taste it again.

The past year has been an interesting year.

The past year has taught me many things. But one thing it has not done is lessen my desire to return to that land where so much of history centers.

After a year, looking at the pictures still fills me with deep longing for something I cannot place. I stumbled upon a blog today that someone else wrote about Gethsemene and it immediately brought tears to me eyes.

So rich, so full of story and life and things that I will never understand.

Dad, Uncle Paul and I have talked of plans to return next year, in 2014. I do hope it happens.

So maybe next year in Jerusalem we will be, but for now I will just hold tight to the memories and deep longings that I cannot place until I can return again to such a beautiful land.

was it worth it?

worth: having value, merit, appeal, significace, attraction, importance, meaning

so, was going to Israel worth it?

was it worth the money, the time, the jet lag, the experience, the packing, the pondering, the etc.?

did it have value, merit, appeal, significace, attraction, importance, meaning?

yes.

absolutely.

the money? i am a person who keeps a tight fist around my money. i budget well. i spend well. i like to think that i give well. i do not blow a few thousand dollars well. heck, i don't even blow $5 well without feeling a bit of buyer's remorse for that silly thing i passed and thought was a good idea at the time and now sits collecting dust. my mom sometimes refers to me as 'the bank of hannaH'. so for me to drop a few thousand dollars on something that lasted 10 days was sort of a big deal.

but having been there and back, i would do it again, maybe not in the same calendar year, but i would drop that money with no regret.

was the time off work and being away from things of familiarity worth it? 110% yes.

the jet lag? it was terrible. but i would do it again tomorrow to see a new place.

the experience? i have learned that all experiences are worth it. not just the feel good ones, even the ones that hurt and leave you with no understanding of why it happened. i believe all things are meant to be and somehow and some way, maybe small, maybe huge, they affect your life. so, yes, although likely more significant than other experiences, this experience was entirely worth it.

the packing, pondering, the etc.?
of course.

but why? why was this trip, at this time, to this place so worth it?

part of me can't put my finger on it and part of me could list 10000 reasons why this trip was worth it.

this week i was reading and working on a Bible study and had a question about the timeline of events, so i called my dad. and as we were talking he said 'you know that tunnel we were in under the wailing wall, that walked on the 1st century street? that is the temple that is referring to.'

this experience made things real. tangible. touchable.

that is why it was worth it.

 sunrise over Jerusalem

the last morning before parting ways

Jerusalem

i think i could write a series of posts about Jerusalem alone. i am going to try and keep it to just one however.

we did a lot of things in Jerusalem as we were there for 3 days.

we stayed in a downtown hotel plaza which was super nice and had super good food. it was also walking distance from the market and the downtown strip. after touring each day we went for a walk around the city on our own.

during the day we went at a pretty fast pace to get to see all that was on our list.

we visited:

• the wailing wall
• the underground temple corridor where the 1st century road has been uncovered
• st Ann's church which has perfect acoustics
• the pool of Bethesda
• the Israeli museum where part of the dead sea scrolls are kept
• the holocaust memorial museum
• the only christian kibbutz in Israel
• a ministry known as Revive Israel
• the christian Arab market
• places believed to be Golgotha, the Garden Tomb, the Garden of Gethsemane, ciaphas' house, and the pit in which Jesus would have been held in before crucifixion
• the temple archaeological park

many of the things we saw are places that are definitively what they say they are.

many of the places are what could be the places that they say they are.

one of our guides made the point of telling us that he thinks a good reason for the speculation and not knowing definitively if that really was the place that Jesus was buried is that we then would begin to worship the place and not the Lord. He knows us well and will reveal what we need to know as we need to know it.

also in Jerusalem i was able to meet up with an old co-worker who is native of Jerusalem. he and his girlfriend took me downtown and showed me some of the non-touristy local places. it's funny with old friends how 3 years can pass without speaking or seeing each other and it's as if you saw them yesterday.

the last night in Jerusalem dad, mike, and i went for a walk to the downtown area and had what my local friend told was the best pizza in the city. and it was very good. we then got our last bit of souvenir shopping in and headed back to get some needed rest.

the last morning dad and mike departed for Jordan and i packed up and went for a walk by myself around a place my friend recommended. i found myself ending up at the market as it was opening for the morning. it was a very different feel than arriving in the middle of the day. i liked it. as i walked around i thought to myself that it would be pretty fascinating to live in a foreign city for a time. maybe someday.

when preparing for the trip i wasn't sure i would be ok navigating for myself in the airports and around, but having been there im pretty sure i could do it anywhere.

my friend asked me if i felt safer in an American city or in Jerusalem with the heavy military and police presence. i told him i felt about the same i think. maybe safer in Jerusalem as a tourist than an American city as a local.

although i have not been to many big cities, i think Jerusalem will stay pretty high on my list of favorites for a long time. so much rich history and culture to absorb.

the western/wailing wall

 

the market. so colorful! 

overlooking the old city

garden of Gethsemane

 

best pizza in town

 

the southern steps of the temple

young IDF on an educational visit. take away the uniforms and weapons and they are no different than any other group of 19 yr olds hanging out.

the market as it was opening.

i think i will have one more post to wrap up the trip and my overall thoughts on it. then it will be on to the craziness that is working at a summer camp in the middle of summer.

Masada and Beit She'an

on our trip we got to experience a lot of ruins and old things.

these things might have been my favorites.

2 of the places we got to see were Masada and Beit She'an.

Masada was a mountain top fortress mostly built by king Herod around 37-31 BC. the entry to the front is a winding snake path that would make for a very difficult climb. the one in the back is not as difficult, but still would be a challenge. we went up via a cable car.

the amount and quality of things on top the 1500 ft fortress was of the highest standard which would be expected of anything Herod was responsible for.

after the Herodian period Jewish extremists found refuge on Masada but were under attack of the Romans. the story the tour guide told us was that it got down to about 9 people left and rather than surrender or be captured by the Romans they killed each other or committed suicide.

Masada has a very interesting history. it is unlikely that Herod spent much time there. as it was in the middle of nowhere near the dead sea. but it was stocked and ready for any amount of time he would need to be there with cisterns and huge store rooms of food.

sake path entrance, yes there are people hiking it.

a doorway on the edge of the fortress

canon balls shot by the Romans

beit she'an is a city with evidence of occupation since ancient times. which is fascinating. but the more fascinating thing to me was the city that was left of the Hellenistic period. it was part of the Decapolis and would have been known as Scythopolis to the roman culture.

in 749 it was destroyed by an earthquake and abandoned. this is why the ruins were so intact in the Hellenistic/byzantine period.

they have uncovered 400 acres with more than that still buried.

the life style of those living here in the times of Paul would have been similar to those that he was writing to.

the construction and detail of carvings and mosaic tile floors were amazing. i could have explored there the entire day.

overlooking the bathhouses and main street

the theater, the seats are 1/3 the height of the original

column at the theater, things were very big

column topper carving of Dionysus, the Greek god of partying

original mosaic tile floor from the Hellenistic period

Floating and Camels

one thing i did in Israel i could do nowhere else and another i could not do all that frequently in this part of the world.
and those things were:

float in the dead sea uncle paul

and riding a camel with 'uncle' mike



we stayed at a hotel on the dead sea for a night and had the next morning off to do as we wish. i opted for a dip in the dead sea. they recommend that you only stay in it for about 15-20 minutes because of the saltiness of the water.

the first few steps were pretty normal as far as walking into a lake go. then when it got a little above the waist it became difficult to keep my feet on the ground. so, i decided, why fight it? and let my feet come up.

while floating i was thinking to myself, 'is this really all that different from a regular lake?' having not swam in about 9 months i really couldn't remember.

since being home i have swam in a couple lakes and have dually notedto myself, 'yes, it is that different.' i tried to float, face and limbs out of the water as pictured below, but i was not successful.

in the dead sea i could more or less lay on, not in, the water on my stomach and keep all limbs entirely out of the water, effortlessly. in the lake at Look Up i can do that with the help of a life guard tube or two.

i think it was the next day that we got to ride the camels. i am not a huge fan of horses and the like, so this was a little out of my comfort circle. our camel was a bit hesitant to stand up, but eventually he did. and we rode for a little ways. and i sang the song sally the camel. it was only appropriate.

what was possibly more entertaining than the camel ride itself was dad running along side the camels trying to get good pictures of us on them. if you don't know my dad and can't get the mental image for this, i apologize, he had my camera. i do however appreciate his efforts and taking the above pictures of the camels and us.

both were touristy things to do. and i am ok with that. because they were unique and fun and good memory makers.

i think i have about 3 post left to finish up the trip.

then it will be on to summer camp and the craziness that entails. which started last week and is going rather well.

the Sea of Galilee

the sea of Galilee is actually a lake. it is 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. there was not sand around it that i could see, but rather volcanic rock and other large rocks lining the shore.

it was some of the most beautiful water i have seen in person. the color was such a wonderful deep blue.

during our stay near the sea of Galilee we traveled to Nazareth, Tel Dan, Laish, Caesarea Philipi, the Jordan River, Capernaum, and the Mt. of Beatitudes. there were many interesting things to see and learn. (for a little more info and pictures on these, check out my facebook album)

we took a boat ride across the sea and while on the boat our guide pointed out to us that 2/3 of Jesus' adult ministry took place on the NW area on the sea

this and to the left and right a bit span the majority of Jesus' ministry

these are the places of many miracles and parables and things that i pictured entirely wrong in my head as i learned about them on the flannelgraph.

but now having seen them, re-reading and re-learning them it is much more clear to understand the significance of some things and the simplicity of some things. many of the places we saw are the place believed for certain events to have happened. they may not be accurate, but with the evidence given about the locations, they make up the best bet for the location.

things like the sermon on the mount, the feeding of the 5,000, the healing of the paralytic, Jesus telling Peter 'upon this rock...' now i have a mental image for them. and for me a mental image and hands on experience make all the difference in learning. i cannot be told how in just words. i need to see and touch things.

on our boat ride i was able to see the shoreline of the sea where Jesus and the disciples spent much time. we learn about the teaching and the ministry that happened. but i wonder what their recreation was like. did they take boats rides for fun or was that too much like work? did they have picnics by the water or was life then more intensive so they didn't do those things? did they go for hikes for fun or since they walked everywhere anyway, they didn't enjoy a good hike like we do? maybe i'm naive, but i can't help but wonder more about the mundane details of their lives.

this was in the middle of the sea of Galilee.

the water was sooo deep in color and beautiful. just think this is the same body of water Jesus walked on and calmed the storm. this was a little more than amazing to me.

aunt cherry, dad, me, and uncle paul on the Galilee boat ride

Yad Vashem

While in Jerusalem we had the opportunity to visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was an overwhelming experience to say the least.

"And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (a "yad vashem")... that shall not be cut off."

(Isaiah, chapter 56, verse 5)

As the Jewish people’s living memorial to the Holocaust, Yad Vashem safeguards the memory of the past and imparts its meaning for future generations. Established in 1953, as the world center for documentation, research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem is today a dynamic and vital place of intergenerational and international encounter.
(taken from the about page on the website.)

for some reason, i have always had a fascination with the history and stories of the holocaust. i think it started with reading the diary of anne frank and then number the stars and then other less known stories, as i could read about it all day long. so to visit this museum was a highlight (i feel weird calling it that) of my trip. i have been to the one in DC, but to visit this in the land of the Jewish people is so much more a privileged opportunity.

we were given an hour or so to move through the rooms at our own pace. you could spend days there and not even finish reading and hearing all the stories they have collected. so an hour, though a small amount of time, seemed good to skim the surface of each room.

this is looking down the main hall.

you zig zag through the building as it recounts chronologically the events that occurred during the holocaust. the building was all concrete and very cold and uninviting which adds to the experience as the holocaust was such a terrible time.

to think that one people group thought it best to exterminate another is unfathomable to me. and to think that we still do it is even more so unfathomable.

there were many quotes and stories to read and i'm sure many more that could be told.

the thing that touched me the most was the writing of the prisoners and victims that were found and preserved. they were in the most disgusting and horrifying conditions i have read about, but somehow, they still had hope. they still wrote beautiful poems. we were not allowed to take pictures in the museum (the ones i have shared are from google images) so i wrote a few of the quotes down in order to better remember the experience.

one quote that i found profound was from Kurt Tucholsky -

'a country is not just what is does, it is also what it tolerates.'

this has made me think more internally about life and not just what i do, but what do i tolerate that i should stand up against or for? how many things to do we let slide by and think someone else will handle?

another was from a boy named Abramek Koplowicz, he was killed in auschwitz at age 14 -

when i grow and get to 20, i'll travel and see this world of plenty,

in a bird with an engine, i will sit myself down,

take off and fly into space, far out over the ground,

i'll fly, i'll cruise and soar up high above a world so lovely,

into the sky...

for obvious reasons, this poem brought tears to my eyes and still does now. he thought the world was lovely, even though he was in a prison camp. he never reached 20 or saw a world of plenty. he died in those terrible confines. but still. he had hope.

and i guess that is all he could have.

one last quote that brings me to tears every time is from a Rabbi who was being taken to his death -

'do not think you will succeed in destroying the Jewish people. the Jewish people will live forever...when he had finished...he cried out emphatically "Shema Yisrael!" and all the Jews cried out with him "Shema Yisrael!"

i'm not sure why this touches something deep inside me every time i read it. it could be that we recite the Shema at my church. it could be the solidarity that the Jewish people kept during the holocaust. it could be the power with which i imagine him crying out. whatever it may be, the Jewish people are more beautiful and resilient a people than i could ever imagine and i think this quote gives that thought life.

the last two rooms at the museum were profound in a different way than many of the others. one had a display of names. these names and stories are known as 'Righteous Among the Nations'. they were people who risked their lives, families, and communities in order to save others. i was struck with the thought of: if i lived then and had the ability to hide Jews and others, would i have had the courage to do it? i deeply hope that i would have.

the last room, pictured below, is the Hall of Names. the room is two stories tall and lined with shelves in a circular room filled with binders containing all the known names of those that lost their lives during the holocaust. there is a cone in the middle of the room with photos as well. they had a room off of that room where you can access a database and find names that you might be looking for. although this room was a book recording deaths, it made me think of the book of life that is told about in the Bible. here, in this room, a list of all the people that have died a terrible death. but God has with Him a book of life for those that live by His word and who love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and might.

the Hall of Names

 

this must be out in the courtyard area. i did not see it in person, but found this picture when i searched google images. it is a tree with branches and leaves made of people.

they had a gallery of holocaust art as well. as i have written before, the art in Israel was fantastic. so many stories and things to be told. even at the holocaust museum, the art was so beautiful.

our guide shared with us a few thoughts about the museum and the holocaust. (his grandfather was a holocaust survivor)

he told us that you will see many school groups and the young military groups often at the museum. they are there to learn about what happens to a people group when they do not have a nation/home.

he also shared the thought that although this seems horrible to us, it is all part of God's ultimate plan and that the Holocaust itself could be the catalyst to bring true the prophecy of Ezekial 37.21

then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from every quarter, and bring them to their own land.

Airports, Plane Rides, and Security

on both ends of the trip, of course, were plane rides and airports. the 3 airports we had the pleasure of using were Charlotte, JFK, and Tel Aviv. Of the three, the JFK was the most troublesome. The others weren't bad at all.

i met the three guys from Charlotte at the airport and they recognized me by my work shirt that had the town name on it. i hadn't thought of that perk to wearing the shirt, i had just thought it was comfy. but note taken if ever meeting people in the airport again.

the plane ride to JFK was full. there were zero empty seats. i sat next to a rather quiet individual who was on his way to Prague. we were the very last seats in the plane. next to the bathroom. and having this seat gave me the great pleasure of being the bathroom monitor. i didn't really mind, but the door does have that little sign that says occupied and vacant. i was an unnecessary link. after sharing a laugh or two with my seat buddy about how we couldn't hear a word the flight attendant said we parted ways and headed to our connecting flights.

once in JFK i lead the pack to the next gate. i think they were a little taken back that they didn't need to watch out for in the airport and rather i watched out for them.

after our almost mile long walk to our terminal we settled in for about a half hours wait to load the again totally full plane.

i started in the middle of my isle, but after the people next to noticed i was traveling alone i was asked to move and ended at the window seat. where i stayed for the entire flight. i did not get out of my seat for 12 hours.

we had 2 meals, one i got the chicken. i will not do that again on a plane. the other i accidentally got the kosher. that i would do again. it was pretty good.

on this plane there was one screen for each section so we all had the same movies. i slept mostly, but i watched one movie. the ides of march. it was terrible. i mean it was entertaining, but the story line was highly depressing. i just don't see how that is a good choice for a plane ride.

then, we landed. and i stood up. my legs still worked.

coming into the country was pretty easy. they looked at our passport, stamped it, and sent you on your way. we picked up our luggage, all of which was there, and headed to be picked up by pilgrim tours.

we had to call the tour company to find our guide as he was already with uncle paul's group. once we found them we promptly loaded the bus and headed to the hotel.

now fast forward 9 days to leaving the Israel.....

we were dropped off at the airport pretty early, but that was ok with us. while waiting to check in we participated in the memorial day moment of silence. at 8pm in the whole country a siren sounds and everyone stops what they are doing to have a moment of silence remembering the lives lost. it was a strange but beautiful moment.

about an hour later we went to check in.

i thought that i had made it through a trip without being thought suspicious. i thought wrong. they go through every item in your suitcase. no matter if you are suspicious or not. every item. (i could hardly close the bag back) apparently there was something in mine that they thought should not be there so they checked it extra close and kept it til the check in opened and escorted me to the security check in. where i went through a special line.

once we were through we then waited.

this airport was not as crowded as JFK. which was a good sign for the state of the plane ride.

we boarded. i was all the way at the back on this flight. i thing the plane may have been longer than my house. but this was a blessing if i have ever had one. the back of the plane was practically empty. everyone got there own section. so we all did a little victory dance when the flight attendant informed us that the doors were closed and spread out to our home for the night.

this plane also had individual screens in the seats! i spent about 20 minutes overwhelmed with the choices of movies. so i watched a few and listened to some music. (i was very excited to see the steep canyon rangers on the play list as they are local band to brevard, NC and i have seen them a few times at local festivals.) and slept here and there in between.

this was a fantastic plane ride. i didn't make the poor choice on the food, i remembered my note to self. i got up and moved around a little. i watched pleasant movies, not depressing ones, and i didn't need to worry about drooling on my neighbor as i slept.

then we go to JFK.

not so fantastic. customs took an hour. then you have to recheck your bag and go back through security. this took another 45 minutes. then we had to catch a bus to our terminal. by the time a bust showed up, it was the wrong one, but close enough. so i opted for this one and left the guys i was with behind. i ran through the terminal home alone style and made just as loading started. i would have missed the flight had i walked. the guys made it just as the final boarding call rang over the speakers. if i never have to fly through JFK again, that would be fine by me.

this plane ride however was also pleasant. everyone had their own seat. i caught a nice nap and we landed safe and sound in charlotte as planned.

again, our bags all showed up just fine and we parted ways and went home to our usual lives.

airports are a weird place. but an interesting place. hopefully my life will allow me to use them more often to find new ways to see the world and those that live in it.

Mt. Carmel, Jezreel Valley, Mt.Megiddo

After Caesarea by the Sea we went to Mt. Carmel where we looked over the the Jezreel Valley (also known as the Valley of Armageddon from Rev. 16.16) and then went on to Mt. Megiddo.

Mt. Carmel is the place where Elijah called on God to beat the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18.

i think one of the things that really stood out to me about this story is that they were on top of the mountain without flowing water and Elijah calls for his alter to be soaked in water. so not only was he calling on God to prove Himself, he was putting a whole lot of extra effort into doing so. it was not a small hill.

there is now, with most traditionally holy places, a catholic church located on the mountain top.

me and dad atop mt. Carmel

after mt. carmel, we went on to eat lunch at little place where i had my first ever falafel.

once we had eaten lunch we loaded the bus and went on to Tel Megiddo. this was a little more of a hike than anything else we did. however, after this location we ended up editing a bit of our trip as one of the sweet ladies from uncle Paul's church had a spell and passed out at the top.

a Tel is a place where civilization has been built on top of civilization. there are a many layers to Tel Megiddo. there were more than 25 different civilizations on top of each other here.

view of the Jezreel Valley from Megiddo

multiple layers of civilazations are visible here.

the round stone work in the middle is an altar used to sacrifice to pagan gods.

according to a sign at Tel Megiddo: 'Due to the unique continuity of its occupation, and the scope of its excavations, tel Megiddo is considered the ‘cradle’ of biblical archaeology and the ‘laboratory of modern research methods.' so much history in one place.

to look over a place that is a natural crossroads and battlefield through all of history and prophesied to be in the future is rather overwhelming. to think of all the lives that have been lost and changed because of this site is unfathomable.

what's even more unfathomable and overwhelming is to think that God loves us so much that He is going to come back and defeat all the powers of darkness in that place.

again, i can only begin to imagine what this valley would say if it could tell it's story.

Favorite Things (or lack there of)

upon returning, the first question many people ask is, 'what was your favorite thing that you saw or did?'

to them i have just been shaking my head and responding, 'i don't know.'

we saw and did so many things, that it is very difficult to choose a favorite. so the things i have narrowed it down to would be:
- seeing the various landscapes and ruins in general so the stories in the bible will be more accurately imagined in my mind
- watching a different culture live their every day life
- the art that was all over the streets of the cities and the museums

so as a lover of art and creating things, i will share some pictures with you of a few of my favorite sculptures and mosaics:

 mamila ave, jerusalem

 mamila ave, jerusalem

these dancers twirled together are very contra-esque

 mamila ave, jerusalem

sea of galilee

this entire bench is a mosaic, done by a kibbutz member and visiting youth

netanya, mediterannean sea

 this is a mosaic, about 6 feet tall

 tiberias, sea of galilee

the leaves are the hebrew alphabet

masada, near the dead sea

there was a small art gallery at the entrance

Caesarea by the Sea

the first thing we did on our first full tour day was visit Caeserea Maritima, or Caesarea by the Sea.

an aerial view of the ruins that i took from the plane....or wikipedia, whatevs.

there we sat in the renovated ruins of the theater that Herod the Great built to the highest standards of the day. (you can see it in the bottom right of the aerial photo above) it is still used for concerts today. the foundation is old, but the seats are new. the theater is believed to be the place where Herod Agripa I was smote by God and eaten by worms (Acts 12.19-23).

backstage at the theater

this archway is called a vomitorium in Latin.

derived from the Latin word which means to spew forth.

many people could push through it at once.

this town was a significant site in the spreading of the gospel. Peter visited Cornelius here (Acts 10). Paul gave his testimony to Felix, Festus, and King Herod Agrippa II (Acts 24-26).

the Caesarea harbor is now under water, but the ruins still speak to the building style of Herod the Great. i think that was one of the most fascinating things to see throughout the country. Herod built many things and by no means did he do it small. the foot print of the palace by the sea was extravagant as were many of his other buildings. he had a personal pool in the courtyard of the palace. and located right next to the palace was a place for chariot races, a hippodrome i think is what it was called. (in the aerial pic above it is the long narrow pill shaped area near the coast.)

the palace would have been to the left in this picture

Herod's pool, or what's left of it

this is original tile that was uncovered, the tile work is beautiful

long after the Herods, the crusaders lived in Caeserea and were taken over by Muslims who destroyed the city. if only these ruins could talk, i can't even imagine the stories that they would have to tell.

the wheels on the bus

starting at the airport we rode on this purple bus the whole time we traveled in Israel:

there were often 2 or 3 more at the places we stopped as Pilgrim and Sar-El Tours are popular tour companies. our group was small so we each had our own seat. i met the bus driver, Zion, at the airport as he so kindly helped me with my luggage. from there i could tell that he would be a good pal to have for the trip.

let me back up a little and tell a little of my history with busdrivers...i have always loved them. and respected them. especially the ones that put up with all the students that i ever rode the bus with.

in college when i played volleyball and we had 5-10 hour trips for games, i would often sit up near the driver and chit chat with them as we made the trip. i learned a lot about them and heard some pretty great stories over the years.

when i did buid-a-thon with americorps in 2007 my friend christine and i made sure to ride the same bus each time we went to the work site because of the particular bus driver. she had great stories to tell of her experience on the gulf coast and gave us each a parting gift of a plastic butterfly because after the hurricanes she considered them a sign of hope.

and the same experience was had on this trip. the bus driver was fantastic. he has been driving a bus since completing his time serving in the military for the past 25 years. if ever i were stuck in a parking situation that i could not get out of, he is the person i would want to call.

the roads in israel are crowded and narrow and everyone is an aggressive driver. (mom, you would never get anywhere)

but our bus got everywhere it needed to.

not only was he one of the best drivers i have ever ridden with, he was also a very sweet man. he is a believer. so he appreciated and supported why we would visit israel. he is a family man with a wife and 2 daughters at home, he lives near gaza. and he was very funny. he and the tour guide had many conversations in hebrew. many they were laughing, some they seemed to be arguing. i always wondered what they were talking about.

he gave me 2 necklace charms during the trip. one a corral-ish colored stone heart (which i was the only recipient of) and one a charcoal cross (which he gave to a few people). i think because he saw the interaction between my dad and i he felt a connection that he would have had with his daughters. and because i always talked to him when getting on the bus and when he was out and about with our group.

he gave me the cross on the last day. i was having a small emotional break down (which is typical for me at that point in any long trip) and he was handing out the crosses to the few people that were on the bus. dad and mike had left for petra and i was left with 8 other people and not quite ready to go home. he noticed i was crying and in his broken english accent asked, 'you ok?' to which i just shook my head no. and he replied, 'you not want to leave?' to which i again just shook my head no. and he replied, 'that's ok. you come. come live with my family.' to which i smiled and said, 'thank you'.

when he dropped us off at the airport and was saying good bye to everyone and shaking hands, he turned to me to shake my hand, but then stopped and gave me the only hug he gave to his departing guests.

i think that often on a trip the bus driver is forgotten about by many. in my experiece, however, getting to know the bus driver is often one of the highlights.

so to our fantastic bus driver, Zion, (pictured above) i say thank you for making the trip that much better with your warm and funny personality and mad driving skills.

why Israel?

i returned to the states about 48 hours ago. and spent 2 hours getting through customs and security at JFK and almost missed my connecting flight to Charlotte. i legitimately had to run through the airport 'home alone' style to get to the gate in time. having returned i have a list of things to write about from the experience that will be posted over the next few weeks.

but first things first, i want to start with why Israel?

i met up with my old friend, benny, in Jerusalem to catch up after 3 years of not seeing each other and see the city from a locals perspective. he asked me, 'of all the places you could have visited, why israel?'

i honestly can't remember what my answer was. i think i said something along the lines of education or something. but i have since contemplated the question a little further.

so some reasons for this particular trip before going:
- it was already planned and my joining the group fell into place so well with circumstances and assistance that were out of my control, it would have been foolish to pass up the opportunity.
- i would get to spend quality time with my dad and aunt and uncle.
- as someone who is a very hands on learner, it would be highly useful to my understanding of the Bible people and places.
- it was a much needed break from every day life.

after having been there the reasons include:
- to see another culture, so different, yet so similar
- to taste and eat and try new foods and flavors
- to see an old friend and although we haven't seen each other in 3 years and hardly communicated in the past year there is just something about the connection you make with a fellow camp worker that no matter the amount of time that passes, it's like you left off yesterday.
- to see the beautiful art and colors that surround the monotone colors of all the buildings, but bring life to streets as you walk by.

but the real reason i would recommend anyone go to Israel:
- to know God better and make Him known.

so much of the story of His creation centers on that place. and it all comes back to center on that place whenever He sees fit to bring about His triumphant victory over darkness fully and call His people home.

sometimes in the states it seems as if we think we created Christianity.
- we didn't.
not in the slightest. and if anything, i think we mess it up more times than not.

but to go where it was all birthed and came to be and walk on the places that are likely where Abraham, David, Elijah, the disciples, and Jesus walked. you can see that this thing is so much bigger than yourself. so much bigger than my small little corner of the world. so much bigger than i could ever think or imagine.

Christianity is rooted in Judaism. yes, Jesus is the new covenant and faith in His life, burial, and resurrection are what bring you to God. but to not consider and understand what the Jewish culture of the OT was and what the Jewish culture currently is, i feel, leaves you a little cloudy on what many of the NT teachings are talking about. to see what things would have been like first hand and to learn about what the Jewish people have experienced over the years as a culture brings so much light and understanding to the things i thought i knew (and things i had no knowledge of to begin with).

to think, we often think it is ok to give someone just a copy of the NT...when so much of the story isn't even there, seems so foolish to me now. you can't understand the end if you have no knowledge of the beginning.

reading romans 11 and psalm 122 hold much more meaning to me now than they ever could have before. pray for the peace of Jerusalem that God may be glorified there. and thank Him even more so that we were grafted in like new branches on an old olive tree to join His chosen people.

miss sherry, one of the kitchen staff at look up asked me yesterday, 'so what's the biggest way this changed your life?' (she also has been to israel) i just shook my head and said, 'i don't know yet.' i think that the experience there, although only 10 days, will be a long time coming to fully see how it is changing and will change my life.

so why israel?

because it brings me closer in knowledge of and to the heart of God.