Concluding Remarks

            Well, I’m on the plane ride home.  As of right now, I am 4 and ½ hours away from Newark, NJ.  It is both 12:22 p.m. and 7:23 a.m.  My sleep schedule is so screwed up right now that I don’t even know if I should sleep or not.  I guess I am tied, but I don’t remember a time in the past 2 months were I was not tired.  I left JUC this morning at 7:00 a.m., Jerusalem time.  I only got 3 hours of sleep, after only getting 2 the night before.  Needless to say, I am a bit whipped.  I will sleep gobs of hours when I get home. 

            I’ve just finished both my semester, an 8 day trip to Egypt, and a crazy airport experience.  First, at the airport we had to go through mass security.  The Israeli security searched each of my bags thoroughly, taking each item out and rubbing it down with a wand that my mother would love to dust with.  One of my bags passed easily, they didn’t even look though it; the other two were searched.  Because, so I thought, they took everything out of my bag and it took me a long while to put it all back in order, the airport escorted me to the front of the line at the baggage claim.  In the end, I realized that I was not escorted out of courtesy, but because I was suspected.  Apparently, because I had packed some of my bags before my Egypt trip, and because I was trying to even out weight, I placed all my desk supplies in my carry on luggage.  In this carry on was a pair of scissors, a Leatherman, a sewing kit, and all of my rocks from the semester that I had collected.  The security guards were trying to be nice.  They asked me many times if I had sharp objects in my bags, and as far as I could remember I did not.  They asked me very pointedly once if I was sure if I had any sharp objects in my bag. At this time I thought they pointed to my book bag so I mentally listed everything in my bag, and I did not have anything in there unusual.  Sure enough, they asked me to re-consider.  Next they walked towards me with the objects in my carry on and began to question me heavily as to why I would bring them if I knew they were illegal and why I would lie to them.  It was hard to explain my stupidity and brain lapse.  Before I knew what was happening, there were 5 people looking at the monitor picture of my bag, 3 security guys, and the head of security for the airport questioning me.  It was crazy; all I wanted to do is go home! All was okay after an explanation; I just decided to leave the airport a few gift from my luggage. 

            My trip to Egypt was incredible.  It was a trip of a lifetime.  I cannot even describe what kind of  cultural experience this was for me.  Egypt was much different than Israel.  The land was considerably different.  The people, the clothing, the way of life, all different.  While we were there, we saw something like 5 temples, the Valley of the Kings, the pyramids, the sphinx, some Coptic churches, tel El-Yehudia, the Egyptian History Museum in Cairo, an alabaster factory, Deir el-Medina, Hatshepsut’s temple, and many, many other things.  Also, we got to ride a boat on the Nile River, ride camels into the Sahara Desert, play with Nubian children at a local village, and climb Mount Sinai by moonlight for the sunrise.  I cannot even remember everything that we did.  We did so many things.  We were treated so well while we were there as well.  Our hotels and restaurants were first class because if they were not more than likely we would get sick.  It was on very long week, however. Twice we rode in overnight sleeper trains.  Another two nights we got less than 4 hours of sleep.  I have so many things to tell everyone, but this shall suffice.

            This semester has been a godsend.  Only the Lord knows what would have happened to me back at Taylor, but I am sure that it was in the Lord’s will for me to be in Israel for this semester.  I have learned so much about myself, the way I relate to others, the importance of relationships, what it means to rely on God’s strength, and to fully adore Him.  Not to mention, I learned so much academically.  My classes were great, and it was all information that I have never been in contact with before.  It was such a blessing.  I cannot even begin to describe all of my trips this semester.  It was hard leaving Jerusalem; it was my home.   It was hard to leave the others at JUC; they were my family.  I’ve never had such a hard time saying goodbye to other people in my entire life.  It was pretty emotional, but it was easier than expected because I know that my time at JUC was over.  God is leading me from that place to more incredible things.  I’m excited to discover just what He has in store for my life.  I thank you all for your prayers, your thoughts, and your replies.  It was good to know that I wasn’t alone over there and that I was missed.  Be that as it may; I’m comin’ home!

I'm Done.

Well, I’m done. . . . kind of; I am leaving for a trip to Egypt tomorrow, and then I’m done.  All of my classes are done.  I finished exams this week and I have had two days to do nothing and enjoy the last few days in Jerusalem.  The last few weeks have been a whirlwind.  Ever since the trip to Jordan, I have been on the go.  It has been a rush to finish some large papers, and study for some exams.  The work is so much different here than at Taylor.  At Taylor my whole semester is building up my grade, and the last week’s assignments have a little less weight on my grade.  Here, at J.U.C. my whole semester’s grade is based on the mid term and the final, and sometimes a paper.  To say the least, this last week has been a lot of work; it had been very stressful but then again, it is the end of the semester and the ends are always stressful.  I have nothing to complain about though, for Taylor would have been a lot more work, and I got to be in Jerusalem.

            It will be hard to leave Jerusalem.  I have come to love and enjoy this city.  I have never been in a city before.  I’ve went from Archbold to Upland; those aren’t quite large “cities.”   I will miss all the walking to get to the New City; I’ll miss all the car horns and the lights of the city; and I’ll miss looking off the roof, over the city.  As an ancient scholar once said, “When God gave ten measures of beauty to the world; He gave nine to Jerusalem and one to the rest of the world.”  I don’t know what my future holds, but I would really like to come back to Israel.  I wouldn’t mind living here; it is a place of such strife and conflict, but at the same time such love and peace.  One cannot fully understand this unless he or she has spent significant time in Israel, but it is true. 

            It will also be hard to leave everyone at J.U.C.  The people here have become my family.  There is only 45 of us here, and we see each other everyday.  Sometimes when I wake up and I don’t see Laura, or I don’t give Ashley a hug, or I do not say “Shalom” to Alex, or I do not have awkward moments with Seth, or I cannot poke fun at Christina, or I do not see Willy walking barefoot, etc. my day isn’t really a day.  This semester, I have learned to love the people here as brothers and sisters in Christ.  In this way, I believe this semester is just what the Doctor, or God, ordered.  Coming off of the summer and the hard relationships of the past semester, I needed people to love me.  I needed real, physical display of God’s love.  I have gotten that, and more.  At J.U.C, my faith has been tested, stretched, and shaken, but I have not fallen.  I don’t exactly know what things I have learned here yet, it will take sometime to process and reflect to know this, but I would place this time in my life as a third “standing stone” in my life.  God met me here, differently than I had expected, and differently than I would have liked.  I should have known this, however, for when have my plans been carried out; the Lord directs my steps, and His way is a way of life.  Mine are only fleeting. 

            I have learned so many things academically this semester.  My knowledge of the land, the things I’ve seen, and the different perspectives that I have encountered have grown and expanded my intellect.  If one would ask me, though, I think what I have learned most is none of this knowledge that I came here for.  I have learned how much I do not know.  Immediately upon arriving at the college, I realized the limited views that I carried and the little amount of intellect I actually possessed.  I realized how different my background has been from those around me.  I had to go through a process of humbling myself; much of my speech ceased, and I tried my hardest to listen to those around me, to glean from there intelligence.  A lot of my reading this semester has been in the book of Proverbs.  As I began to think about what wisdom actually is who possesses it, and how these people carry themselves, my mind was blown away by the simple truths that the Lord provided me with. 

            Overall, this has been one of the best experiences of my life; I would not trade it for anything.  The Lord has blessed me in so many ways upon coming here.  I think I needed it more than I though; to get away from Taylor, home, and see what more the “world” has to offer, or not offer.  I am excited to come home, though, not until this trip to Egypt is over.  I am so stoked for this trip.  It’ll be a good way to end the semester.  The hard part will be going from weather in the 80’s to being in the 20’s.  Owell, though, I guess I do miss the snow and the cold.  In some ways I feel like I’ve been stuck in this never ending summer season.  Please pray for my trup to Egypt and my trip home. . .