Day 3

*I wrote this last night, at the end of Day 3. It's definitely easier to write posts at night and put them up in the morning, so that's probably what I'll keep doing...*

Shabbat Shalom!

I’m so frustrated with my exhaustion level, because it’s starting to affect my ability to write and process and journal and pray about what I’m experiencing. But my body is making it clear that traveling across eight time zones and hitting the ground running with nine-hour-long touring days is not cool. Hopefully I’ll get to bed a little early tonight.

But if you’re interested in a prayer request or two, my tiredness would be one. Also, my ankles have stayed swollen since we got off the plane, which never happens to me. I’m trying to drink more water. Shmulik, our delightful tour guide, could use some prayer as well, because he’s guiding despite a perpetual fever. Other than that, I don’t think we have any sickness in the group, thank goodness!

With three days down, we are all starting to get to know each other pretty well. We basically spend the bus rides laughing and listening to Shmulik’s imitations of past tourists. Meals are a blast. There are some absolutely delightful people on our tour, and I’ll be sad to see so many of them go back to South Carolina in just six days.

Other random side notes:

1) THANK YOU Steve Jobs for making MacBook chargers 220-volt compatible! You rock!

2) Since it was the Sabbath today (before sunset), one of the elevators did that whole stop-on-every-floor-so-no-one-has-to-push-a-button thing. And also breakfast wasn’t as good because they couldn’t cook. The shops were all closed down, the planes weren’t taking off from the runways, and people could be seen sitting with the Torah muttering Shabbat prayers under their breath. I’m amazed at the Sabbath here. I don’t know why Christians don’t do it. I really wish we did.

3) The water here tastes absolutely horrible. I think it has to do with the high pH levels giving it a metal-y taste, but whatever it is, it’s nasty. Reason number one why I’m dehydrated! :)

4) The weather has been incredible. Incredible. It was hot the first two days, maybe 90 in the sun, but today was cloudier and cooler and windier. It’s just a beautiful time of the year for Israel. Post-rainy season, but pre-summer when everything will turn brown and baked in the 130 degree sunshine. We have been blessed so far with the 60s/70s/80s/90s. (And yes, it is that big of a range)

5) When I get home and you all don’t recognize me because I’m obese, thank the freaking delicious Israeli food. Can’t stop eating.

6) If I have to go to jail, so be it, but I might have to steal a small Jewish boy I saw in the lobby with one of those little Jewish hats on his little Jewish head. CUTIE!!!!

7) These South Carolina folks are bringing out my southern accent. Prepare yourselves, Nashville.


Okay, onto the serious reflection.

Today was Caesarea (WHOA), Mt. Carmel (WHOA), Megiddo, and Mt. Arbel. Caesarea really blew my mind (do I say that a lot? I feel like I say that a lot), just with the history of the place alone. Herod the Great was one crazy dude. I can’t wait to show you pictures of this place. If only the Muslims and Crusaders hadn’t decimated it...but with that kind of history, you can just FEEL the significance when you’re standing in the Caesarean Theatre or the place where the chariot races used to be. I still can’t really believe I was there today.

Mt. Carmel, though...wow. Dr. E and Shmulik tag-teamed to show us one of my top fives of the trip so far. Elijah was there. With certainty I can say he was within 30 feet of where I stood when he called down fire from heaven. Dr. E read the story as we stood there looking down on Bethlehem and Jerusalem and all many places you can see from that mountain. Elijah was a man of few words, but every time Michael read something the text records Elijah saying, I got goosebumps. He followed the Spirit so closely. Please just go read the story in 1 Kings 18-19! And the fire isn't even the best part to me -- it's the rain. Look at how many times he sent his friend to look for rain, just praying and waiting for the Lord to send it. He knew He would. He knew God that well.

And you know, the cool thing is that it wasn't even the fact that his FAITH was so strong that made that rain come. He didn't "just believe" and see that cloud appear. All he did was follow God's Spirit and cultivate that relationship enough to KNOW God was about to bless them with rain. He prayed for it, and believed God would send it, but that's not what made it appear. It was God who made it appear, and Elijah was close enough to Him to know He would.

At Tel Megiddo Shmulik showed us a pagan temple that was over 5,000 years old. Unbelievable. Remember a post or two ago when I wrote about Dan and the false temple? And all those rules they broke? Well, Shmulik helped me understand what was going on with all those rules.

"It seems like God was just bored, right, making a list of over a hundred rules for the Israelites? But look at this pagan temple. God was telling them NOT to do ANYTHING the pagans did. They had stairs to the altar. God said make a ramp. They offered sacrifices to their gods with meat and milk cooked together. God said don't mix meat and milk. God knows us Jews very well, and He knows we like to be like the people around us. He's saying BE DIFFERENT. Be mine."

1 Samuel 8:19-20. Go read.

Even though the intense wind at the top of Megiddo was blowing rubble and sand at painful speeds onto my skin, and I was freezing and trying not to fly away, those words are etched in my mind. Just like the terrifyingly high up view from Mt. Carmel. Because for some reason God has been practically screaming lessons at me in these places. Amazing how place can connect things in your mind and heart so well.