rae of hope: Update #8 (Israel)

Israel. Jerusalem, specifically. It was like stepping back in time. I absolutely loved it. I venture (cautiously) to say that it was my favorite country we visited. Of all the places, this would be the one I would choose to return to before the others. The land is so rich with history, Christian importance, and revelation.

Our hosts were a South African couple with a great fire and excitement for the Lord and for Israel. One of the first things they told us was that Israel was a land of revelation and that we should expect God for awesome things and to teach us so much. What an exciting thing to know that we were in a special place where we could experience and understand God in a different way.

We toured the holy land and visited many sites where Jesus walked, gave sermons, and just lived everyday life. It's a bit surreal. It's hard to really connect things while you're there. We spent time doing prayer walks, picked olives with some disabled people, went to the Holocaust museum, attended a parade, and a handful of other things. We did a lot of just walking through the Old City and observing. I LOVED this, because I loved people watching. It was endlessly entertaining to me. I knew absolutely nothing about Jewish people and their religion and heritage before I went to Israel. Watching them was incredibly fascinating. I thought they were so precious, yet so interesting and intriguing.

The thing that sticks out most to me when I think back on our time in Israel was the realization of just how ignorant I am. I know so little about the world: the Jewish people and heritage, general world history, Christian history, and social issues (local and worldwide). I felt so frustrated with my lack of knowledge, because I knew that I was missing out on appreciating the places we went to for all they were worth. Knowing the roots and story behind something is so crucial to really understanding it presently and how it fits into our world now. It helps us see things with a more accurate perspective.

I came away with such a desire for greater knowledge. God really opened my eyes, provoked new thoughts and curiosities, and enlightened me. He gave me the opportunity to observe and experience things beyond my own culture, my religion, my upbringing, and my Western way of thinking. It is my hope that I can return to Jerusalem, Israel with greater knowledge of history and Christianity and the Bible, so that I may appreciate things for what they are, and to really grasp in the depths of my heart what a special place it is and will ever continue to be for all Christians.

Just last month I was in Starbucks waiting for my drink at the bar, and looking for a place to post up for the afternoon. I asked the woman behind me if I could use the seat next to her, and it got us to talking. Somehow we talked about careers, where we were from, what we've done in our lives, and a handful of other things. I had the opportunity to share with her that I was a Christian and had recently returned from a mission trip where I traveled around the world. As I told her where I had been, she lit up when I mentioned Israel. "I am from Israel, you know!" she said to me. "Wow, really?!" I replied. We began to talk about Israel, where I visited in Jerusalem, what my impression was, about religion--both Christian and Jewish-- and we chatted for a good 15 minutes. (The barista had to remake my drink because she thought that I had left without my drink..haha!) She had to leave, and as we parted ways, I was smiling to myself at how cool God is to orchestrate little connections like that. To share a wonderful moment with a perfect stranger is something special. I knew God was smiling too.

Video and photos from Israel:

Update video