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. . .