3 days, 3 regions, 3 water sources. Need I say more. . .

I’ve arrived home from my 3 day field-trip.  Our days were packed with visiting sights and long bus rides.  In all, we visited Bet-Shemesh, Azekah, Lichish, Ashkeloh, the Mediterranean  Sea  the “Super Bowl,” Avdat, Beer-sheba, Arad, Masada, the Dead Sea, En-Gedi Springs, and Qumran.  In doing so, we visited the Israel’s Shephelah (region between the Judean Hills and the coastal plains), the Biblical Negev, the Greater Negev, and the Dead Sea region.  There is just so much I could tell everyone, but without visiting it also, most of it can be very hard to picture.  I had an absolutely amazing time. 

Some of the highlights of the trip were watching the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea, looking over the edge of the “Super Bowl” (a large depression in the rock) at night, swimming in the Dead Sea, racing up the Roman seize ramp at Masada, hiking in the Wadi Zin, and the nights at the youth hostel.  Each day we woke up and left by 7:00 am, and where back to another place to sleep by 7:00 p.m.  Today, my body is so sore.  3 days of running, hiking, climbing, and lots of walking in the hot sun has taken a toll on my body, but it is so worth it. 

One of the best, and worst events of the weekend was running up the Roman Seize ramp of Masada.  Masada is a rock fortress right on the edge of the dead sea.  This is where King Herod had a palace, and is referred to as a floating city.  The Essenes lived in Masada, and it was the last location taken in the Roman invasion of 70 A.D.  Anyways. . . The seize ramp is still there.  Out teacher told out class that the record was 3 minutes from the bottom to the top or the “fortress.”  8 of the guys decided to run and challenge the record.  I ended up being in first the entire time, but got passed on the last snake turn with about 15 yards to go.  I finished in 2 min. 28 sec.  I’ve never been in so much pain in my life.  We straight sprinted for almost 3 minutes, it was our first stop in the morning, I hadn’t had any breakfast, my stomach was already upset before the run, it was steaming hot, and apparently I’m not in shape any more.  Ha.  Out of all football training, I’ve never felt as bad as I did after the run.  My legs were numb, and my head was throbbing; I swear I almost passed out.  All that to say that I did sprint up the entire ramp, and I shattered the record!  It was so worth it, now that I think of it now. 

The Dead Sea was insane.  The water was so warm.  I could only stay in for literally 15 minutes.  Our teacher told us to take off all jewelry because it would be corroded, not to go under the water, to taste the water, to be careful not to cut our feet on the salt deposits, and that a good time to get out is when it starts to burn and you can’t stand it anymore.  This sounded like a crazy thing to do, but it was the freakin’ Dead Sea.  You really do float.  It was one of the weirdest feelings in the world.  Eventually, yes, it did burn, and yes it did really hurt.  After I got out, my skin was just covered in salt.  To wash off, we drove down the road to the En-Gedi Springs.  This was a nice change in water and was very refreshing.                                                                                                                                                                                                            I’m really starting to get close with a lot of the guys here.  There are some really cool people who I really click with.  It has been hard, however, blending in with one specific group of friends.  I’ve been kind of a floater from group to group (it sounds like middle school, I know).  I think, now, though, the Lord has been showing me a lot with the friends that I choose and hang out with.  Although this is a Christian university, it is not the same as Taylor.  There are many nights that my friends go out on the city when I’m torn on to go or not.  Many times I have gone, and hung out with everyone, but have not participated.  Other times I have just stayed on campus.  I think I am more of an introvert than I think when I’m not surrounded by solid friends like the guys at Taylor.  I’ve always been upset at Taylor because I feel like it has never given me the real view of a normal college life.  I haven’t been upset because I’ve wanted to join in, but I’ve been upset because I fee like many of my friends from secular universities have a tried, true, and tested faith.  Many of them come away from a school-year with more spiritual growth than myself.  As I am here, at JUC, this is the Lord’s answer to my prayer, and I didn’t expect it to be easy.   Because of this, I often miss a lot of my friends from home.  This is good, though, for I will not be able to live with my friends at Taylor forever.

As I continue readying OT Scriptures here, it seems whatever I read is immediately worked through each of my days.  Whether it be in class, in a discussion, or read on one of our field trips, the passage that I read somehow is mentioned.  There is no way I could say that this isn’t God’s doing.  The Lord is definitely watching over me here.  I think it takes us, many times, to get out somewhere we aren’t usually for Him to get our attention. 

The best part of this trip was definitely time spend with friends.  The youth hostels at night were actually really nice.  It was like a hotel.  Dan and I shared a room both nights.  The first night they messed up out room, and we got put in a room that reminded us of a honeymoon sweet; it only had one bed. Haha.  For the first time in a long time, I was forced to do nothing.  I didn’t bring any homework on the trip, so each night was spent reading or talking with people.  It was a great change in events.  Also, returning “home” was great.  As we drove back into Jerusalem, I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, this is my home.  It’s so crazy!” 

P.S. - in case you're wondering one of the pictures is me slinging a stone (like David).  And in a picture Dan is Shouting Lamentations off the large cliff, and I'm putting the curse in physical form with a rock (don't ask . . .lol).  And in another shows the large ramp that I ran up.