First Day of Class - Sunday

Today I worshipped in the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. A group of us from Taylor went there. I am already plugged into church volleyball games and children’s ministry at the church. I am excited to be able to worship in this place. After the service we had a birthday party for one of the members of the church, we all had cake and tea for a time of fellowship. The whole congregation was about 50 people. It is so small because it was the English speaking service. Other services in Arabic, as well as German took place in this church. After not attending a Lutheran church in a long time, I was drawn to the very literal and liturgical style. Before my heart was not into worship and I did not like Lutheran services when I was younger, but now this sacred style of worship is appealing. There is a sense of more respect for traditions and verbal confessions. This struck me as very important today. It was most incredible when the pastor began to talk about Jesus walking to Jerusalem, and I was sitting in a church in Jerusalem right next to the place where he would have walked to.

After lunch, I had my first class. It was my Physical settings class. We had our first tour/walk; we walked a lot around the old city. In all it was 5 hours long. It did not seem so, though, for we saw many sights and learned a lot about the geography of the land. We literally experienced the valleys and mounts with our feet. Our teacher stopped every so often and explained what we were looking at or standing upon. It was pretty incredible to compare that with what was there now. One of the cool things we talked about was the different walls and when they were built. There are many layers of city wall, and there is quite a bit of different rulers that contributed to the walls Jerusalem has today. Another thing we saw and talked about was the pools at Bethesda. This lines up with the story that John tells in his gospel. There was an archeological dig that revealed this place. Another place we saw was the western wall. It was incredible to go down by the wall. I joined in with many others as I prayed against the wall. It was quiet and experience to pray to the Lord who once resided in entirety on the upside of the wall I was touching. Lastly, we visited St. Ann’s Church. This is a crusade church that was built in the Byzantine period. The church had incredible acoustics. We paused for a while and sand a few worship songs in this place. I felt like I was part of a huge cathedral choir. I couldn’t help but think that this is the way that church was supposed to be experienced.

I definitely am learning a lot here. Going on all the walks, seeing parts of history that I have heard about for so long, and talking to the other students have brought a lot of insight. There are so many smart kids here. I just listen and take it all in. My first official day of full classes starts tomorrow. I actually have 4. Monday’s are my busiest days of the week. Hopefully I’ll get some time to start my Greek for the semester also. As for now, I need to rest, for it has been a very exhausting day. I’m sure that the jet lag hasn’t worn off either. Shalom.

My First Jerusalem Expiriences

Last night and today has been an adventure. A group of us walked around and toured the old city last night. It was Shabbat, or the Jewish Sabbath, and many shops were shut down. We visited the Zion Gate, the Western Wall, the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, and the Holy Sepulcher to name a few. As we visited the Western wall, there were a group of Jews worshipping and singing in unison. This could be heard from many blocks away. This view was very intriguing to me. Also, last night, we went to the top of a church nearby to get a better view. The whole of mount Olives as well as the Dome of the Rock could be seen from this roof. It was incredible. As we returned from our walk, there was a bon-fire that the student life people had put together. I met many new faces here. It is so hard to remember people’s name. haha. I feel bad at times. As we were around the fire, a guy named Tom asked me if I liked baseball. This was a rhetorical question, for of course, I live baseball. We played catch and he asked me to play in a minor league here in Israel. They play on the nicest fields in the country at night. It is compared to the minor leagues from the states. Although, this was an honor, and I would have loved playing, I know that this is not my purpose here in Jerusalem.

Today, we had an orientation day. It consisted of registering for classes, getting photo ids and going through the rules of the college. After lunch we had a scavenger hunt through the Old City of Jerusalem. We had many tasks to do including taking a picture with an Israeli solider, a picture with a shop owner, a picture of certain churches, a picture of us eating a fulafel, and many more like this. The kids were very quick to help us and play with us, but we found out that it was because they wanted our money. Other shop owners and men on the streets called us Mormons, and stared at us. I’m not going to lie, I feel much more out of place than I thought I would. People know that we are foreigners, and it was very awkward taking pictures. All in all, I met more new faces and saw more of the city on this scavenger hunt.

Tonight we took another walk around west Jerusalem, or the New City, and roamed around a little on our own. The New City seems more like a real city and has many shops, coffee shops, and eateries that are familiar. By this time I was very tired. My legs ache and I just found out that we are doing another 5 hour walk tomorrow. I don’t know if the heat, the lack or sleep, or the walks are making me tired. I’m guessing all of them are contributing to my aching body. One cool thing is that we can see the Gahanna (sp) Valley. This is the Valley that is referred to in the Bible as Hell. The valley is actually very green and is a great park. They say that in the winter the valley freezes over . . . so Hell actually does freeze over

For those of you that are wondering, the food here, at least the food provided by the college, is really good. Today we had a chicken sandwich on pita break, French fries cooked in olive oil, cake, fruit, and a good salad. For dinner we had rice with vegetable and a red sauce over it. All of the food seems pretty normal so far. I think that the college tries to make us American food while we are at the college.

I can already tell that the time here will be very busy, and pressed spiritually. I feel like being on the go so much, and even seeing sights will not allow me proper quiet time. Now, it is more difficult to have personal time because I really want to continue to meet people and make friends. I don’t want to be unsocial. After I meet some people this next week, and when the schedule is more fixed, it’ll be better. For now I’m just staying up late to get time in with God.

P.S. – I took many pictures today that I will somehow get up to they can be viewed.

A-Day

Well today is A-Day; arrival day that is. I have to admit, it was pretty sad leaving my family. My mom started to cry, and I almost did when I saw the note that my sister had hid in my bag for me to find. These were all tears of joy, though. They were tears of another beginning. I was reminded by my sister’s note that “The Everlasting God is my place of safety,” and nothing else. God speaks through the little things, even if they are notes that are written by your little sister.

I just got my room all situated, and have a couple hours to relax before dinner at 6. It is now 3:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. at home). It is hot here; not just muggy-hot, but a real dry-hot. It is hard to describe. I have never felt anything like it before in my life. My room is actually pretty large, and pretty nice. Dan and I have plenty of room. I will admit it is a change from living at the house at Taylor last week where we kept the temperature at 70 degrees. Our room now is 88 degrees. Fortunately, we are on the first floor, and the closest room to the bathroom and showers.

I only got an hour a best of sleep last night. I boarded my light to Tel Aviv at 6:00 p.m. NJ time. I arrived in Tel Aviv around 10:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m. at home). The flights were actually a lot of fun; I met up with Dan at the airport in Newark. The flight from Newark to Tel Aviv was a little over 9 hours. I didn’t move from my seat the entire flight. I was at a window seat which was awesome. We got to fly over New York City, the Atlantic Ocean, many European cities at night, and finally Italy and Greece. There were some absolutely breath-taking sights. My favorites were the sunset and sunrise while in the air. The plain that I rode to Israel was a 777. There was over 600 people on the flight. On the way there I watched 4 movies, some TV shows, played arcade games, and listened to music on the interactive entertainment screen on the seat in front of me. I’m guessing this was the cause of no sleep, no study, and no reading on the way to Israel. All in all, the flights all went smooth, were safe, and were pretty enjoyable.

Once we landed in Israel, we met another kid , Isaiah, who was also going to the Jerusalem University College. We teamed up with him, got our bags, and got a large taxi van to take us another hour to Jerusalem. This was one of the most fun drives I’ve ever had. The driver was a crazy man, flying back and forth through traffic. I felt like I was in a race car, but a roller coaster at the same time. The style of driving is much different here. Anyways. . . when he dropped us off, we ended up in the right spot but on the other side of the old wall. We had to take a 10 minute walk with our 150 pound plus of luggage. Haha. That was an experience; there were hills, many cars, and cobble stone pavement. These factors mixed with the heat made for quite a rememberable experience. We finally got to the location, though. The place is actually pretty awesome; much larger than I thought. It is definitely old, though, and well gated.

Once we arrived, we immediately went for lunch. Lunch was pretty normal I guess. We had a kind of noodles covered in a Sloppy Joe sauce, salad, fruit, and a tangy juice drink. Dan and I did meet some new people at lunch, but none that I can actually remember their name. Everyone seems to be nice. They knew us by name before we even entered the gate. Later tonight we have a bonfire and a chill time with other students. Dan and I both helped Tim, a RA type gather fire wood from the protestant graveyard that lie right beside campus. It was a little eerie to say the least. In the graveyard I also encountered 4 stray dogs that started to chase me. It was a thrill, let me tell you. After gathering firewood, I went exploring on the campus and found many rooms were classes are held, as well as places that were good to see the city. The campus is beautiful with flowers, grape vines, and pomegranate trees. Tomorrow, we have an orientation day, and we have a tour of Jerusalem. Since I’m here I might as well speak the lingo . . . Shalom.

A Change in Thoughts

I am now 3 full days away from my departure. I sit in my off-campus house at Taylor University as I type this update. I decided to visit Taylor for 5 days before I head off to Jerusalem. In many ways this has been very exciting to see all of my friends again, but at the same time it has been a time of emotional hardship. My emotions in the past three days have been incredibly hard to decipher and understand.
As I came into this week, as I have finished up all the school work from the summer, I was unsure about my desires to leave the country. I have always known that this is something that I want and need to do for I believe God has prompted me, at this stage in life, to go overseas. But as I have pursued this avenue, I have found it difficult to release the thought of leaving my life here in the states behind. As I’ve had these thoughts, though, it has not been hard to continue with my plans for I know that it will be an opportunity of a lifetime. No matter what happens here in the states, I know that my time in Israel will be much better for me because it is God’s plan for me. As I operate under this understanding, it doesn’t mean that it is always easy to operate under my convictions from the Lord.
Coming to Taylor, I’ve sensed a unique tension between wanting to leave and wanting to stay at Taylor. As I’ve come back to visit all my friends, I have gotten caught up in the Taylor events. Not to exclude anyone reading this, but anyone who has not been to Taylor cannot understand the amount of community that is felt in this place. This “comfortable” feeling had continued to affect me until lately. As I’ve returned to my guy group of friends and seen other teachers and familiar faces, the same excitement that begins every school year started to be sparked. Today, this began to haunt me. Do I really want to go to Jerusalem? I believe that many people in my situation would question this in the same ways I have.
If you would have asked me if I was ready to go to Jerusalem yesterday, or even this morning, I would have told you, “I don’t want to go today or tomorrow, but I’ll be excited and ready when the time comes.” Truly, I just wasn’t ready to go, not much in me wanted to go. But there it goes again, that tension, I do really want to go. I believe it comes down to realizing that Taylor is bigger than me, and this community will go on even though I’m not here. I don’t want it to go on, though. I’m scarred that my friendships I have now will be weakened. I’m afraid that I’ll miss out on events and fin times with my friends. I’m upset that I’ll miss some of the Taylor classes that I have really wanted to take. But there in lies the truth. This place will go on, and so will I, but in a different place.
Tonight’s Community Communion service gave me a lot of sound thoughts. The Lord has worked on my heart tonight to free me from some of the oppressive emotions that I’ve been feeling. Even here at Taylor, I’ve had some rough confrontations. I don’t know why, but part of me is so overwhelmed from all of the people. Even my freshman year, I never was overwhelmed from all the students; only this time. I just don’t feel comfortable around so many people. Socially, it has been a burden to see so many people. Once again, I’ve been torn, though, because I have enjoyed seeing to many people. Also, certain relationships have been tough and emotionally demanding, here, at Taylor. As I think this through, I can only be completely confused.
During the communion service, I prayed to the Lord in such a way that I have not lately. (As soon as I was in the gym with 1,500 other God-loving and God-fearing students my age, I began to crave the atmosphere. I will surly miss this part of the Taylor community. I miss having community chapels three times a week.) Worship through singing brought goose bumps to my skin even though the gym’s temperature rose to a sweaty and smelly 100 degrees. As I left the service, I was at a time of peace. I need to get out of this place. Taylor is great, but I need to get away for many reasons. I need a spiritual retreat with the Lord. I am slightly scarred, and nervous for the trip. But, there has never been a time when I have been more ready to place myself in a more vulnerable and uncertain situation. I am soo excited to go to Jerusalem. I need to go to Jerusalem. It will be good for me to go to Jerusalem. As I’m here, though, I will soak up the friendships that mean more than the world to me.

Summer: Oh The Memories

As of yesterday, I have finished up my practicum for Taylor. I worked with the youth pastor this summer at Archbold Evan. At the church, I was an intern under Jesse Kahler, helping out with the junior and senior high youth groups. I, also, was an intern for Impact Basque at the Archbold church. Impact Basque is a missions organization that brings high school students to the United States. It is kind of like a foreign exchange student. Many of these students have never heard the name Jesus Christ in their entire life. As you would understand, this is a very exciting and difficult task to expose these students to Christianity. A total of 8 students stayed in Archbold with different families in the church. Through talking with them and having a week at Miracle Camp with them, these students began to work on my heart.
I have been challenged a lot this summer. First and foremost was the challenge of being home after almost 2 years away. My family and I transitioned smoothly and i realized it actually wasn't a big deal at all. I enjoyed being home this summer to spend time with my sister and parents. Between my practicum and a summer course, however, I was not able to see them more than a meal here or there. I definitely wish I could have had more time with them this summer. They are such a large part of my life, yet I hardly ever see them now or during the school year.
Like I just mentioned, I also took a summer course. It was an independent study of a Christian Ed. leadership development. For this class, I had to write 18 papers and read 9 different books! To say the least, this wasn't too enjoyable. Yet, God seemed to work this class out for the best. At times the topics I was covering matched up best with what I was going through at the time. When I was struggling with my future and an occupation, I was to read a book titled Decision Making and The Will of God. A perfect match for my emotions. Another time, when I was struggling with the idea of the church, its purpose, and how effectively it is carry out its mission today, I was to read a book on church leadership. This book was the exact topic that I had been struggling with. This continued 3 or 4 times throughout the summer. I know that through my great amount of work, the Lord still had a purpose for this class. God is so good!
Between this class and my work at the church, I would not have any times for my friends. I was so excited to be home with them this summer, like my family, but i never saw them. When I would get done with the church, the rest of the time was automatically study time for my class. Sometimes i would be doing work until midnight before i could take a little time and rest for the day. I made some promises to see some friends more often this summer, and I did not follow through, for this is am greatly sorry.
Also, this summer emotionally and spiritually was a roller coaster. At times I would feel so close to the Lord, and at others I would feel so distant even though I was studying His Word or doing ministry at His church. In a lot of ways this was one of my toughest summers to date. It does make sense, though, for I am at that age where future definition is being made. What I decide today, the hard decisions will define me for the rest of my life. What do I stand for? What is important to me? And who are the people I can count on in my life? These were just some of the things that I wrestled with this summer.
Emotionally, I had to face a hard fact. I have been teaching students for the past couple years to put all their worth and value in God, yet I found myself not doing this. It had to go from an abstract thought to a concrete action for me. At times this summer I felt very let down and disappointed, for earthly relationships that I thought were so strong were broken. I needed to rely on the Lord more than every, and yet I didn't even know how to. Although this is one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I'm not finished yet, I am glad to be pursuing the Lord passionately for the first time in my life.
In a lot of ways this might sound like an awful summer, but it has been the best of my life. Working with the students at the church was so rewarding. Studying with and under Jesse was incredible. He was with me every step of this summer. Many days he would be the only one I interacted with. Except Katelynn Muntz, who is an incredible girl, had to get that shout out . . haa. God has and is teaching me so much. I feel blessed to even feel his presence in my life. The fact that He cares so much for me that He wants to rectify areas of my life blows my mind. He is an incredible God! I am blessed to be called His child.
Other highlights of this summer include going to Cedar Pointe 4 times this summer. Ya, I said 4!!! The week of camp was so powerful and honestly the best place I could be at during that time. Once again, God had my best interests in mind. Probably the most memorable time, though, was marrying my best friend off two weeks ago. I couldn't be happier for him. The wedding was a great time of celebration, and fun. My heart goes out to you Zac.
Now in the last couple weeks before I leave for Jerusalem, i still have a lot of school work to finish up and paperwork to do. I'm looking forward to a time down at Taylor, also the week before i leave. We are actually going to see a Hillsong United concert then also. I miss those guys so much. It is weird not living with them. They are such a part of me, I love them like family.
I wanted to write these things so that you know what’s been going on in my life this summer, and to ask for you to start praying for me and for this fall. I will continue to update and add more once the time gets closer to my departure.

My First Words

Upon request . . . Here is a blog to inform everyone of all my happenings while I am in Jerusalem. I'm sorry, but I didn't think it would be the best use of my time to e-mail 20 individual people about what is going on every week. Hopefully this will help us stay in contact a little easier. While I am in Jerusalem, I won't have my cell phone, but I will have a phone. It will be free to call me and you can call it at any time. It is like a house phone that operates through the internet. The number is 216- 759-2045. Call me sometime this fall . . . Enjoy!