Daniel!!!: It feels nice to finally get this blog on the go-go! I’m thinking this will be a good tool to use to keep friends and fam updated on life over here in Israel! I think first things first, it’s good just to let you in on a little insight: Israel is not America. Now… I know that I am stating the obvious – but I think it’s ONE thing to know that in America and a totally different thing to be in Israel experiencing it! It’s going to be a big challenge to try and literally put you in my/our shoes and give you a taste of what we’re experiencing, but hopefully you can at least have some idea!
Some stuff that we’ve been able to do so far is: visit the Old City (on a number of occasions) and venture through the Holy Sepulcher where Calvary is located, trek through The Temple Mount area (and get in trouble for being too loud on holy land), view The Garden of Gethsemane, walk up the Mount of Olives (get big leg calfs like Jesus and the disciples), visit the City of David, crawl through Hezekiah’s tunnel (while all 40 of us belted a Little Mermaid’s “Part of Your World” – Ibex style), visit the traditional spot for the Upper Room, watch orthodox Jews pray in front of the Western wall, sing hymns in crusader churches, visit the Pools of Bethesda where Jesus healed a man in John 5, the Pools of Siloam where Jesus healed another man in John 9, sift through the rubble from the City of David looking for pottery and other treasures, and much, much more. On top of all these field trips, we’ve got to experience the dorm life within the Moshav, which has been an all-together different experience!
Me and Jordan – though not nearly as crazy as room 17 in the girls dorm (Rach, Kristine, Abs) – have had a very enjoyable time getting familiar with room 25 (our room). Fortunately we have managed to find no rat-hair-ball looking things anywhere, our electricity has stayed faithful through the 2 weeks, our fire alarm has remained asleep, and with our heater and 6 night lights (the fluorescent lights remind us too much of the doctors office), we have been able to create a “home-like” atmosphere that is welcoming to all who choose to knock on our door. As well, we have what we like to call the “welcoming nindow”… the nindow (window) is a our window that looks over the main walkway that outlines the dorms – our curtain is almost always open and people seem to have made a habit of either: A. Coming to our window just to have a sanctifying chat and or make plans for the coming day or night or B. Sneak up on us when we are doing homework peacefully and slam on the window really hard – nearly shattering the glass and almost managing to successfully give us both heart attacks - then briskly run away. It’s been quite the experience so far!
Apart from all of this, there are a lot of specific things we have seen, learned, and heard that have given me a greater understanding of my Lord and His love. God has really been showing me His omnipotence and His greatness. Learning about His redemptive plan for Israel and how he has orchestrated His will to bring forth salvation to those who believe in Him has really been humbling. When we were sitting in the Garden of Gethsemane and reading Matthew 26 when Jesus prayed, “"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Knowing that Jesus would have seen Judas and the large crowd approaching Him and thinking that Jesus loved us so much that He didn’t fight, but submitted to the will of the Father in order that salvation may come to those who believe – was really humbling. I know myself: I know I’m prideful, selfish, arrogant, annoying, wretched, and sinful – I know that I offend God daily and am really hard to love. To think that God initiated His love on me while I was still an enemy and in a state of total depravity destined for hell and how He chose to love me. How He chose to die for me and show grace and mercy to me. And how he continually forgives me day after day even though I prove myself unfaithful to Him. Thinking on this while being in the spot where Jesus submitted to the will of the Father to be taken away, beaten, mocked, crucified and ultimately raise again and defeat death was indescribable. I look forward to what else the Lord has to show me!

P.S. I haven't thrown new photos on my computer so I'll try and post them asap!