Sinai Sky

I have never caught a firefly. I’m sure the feeling is thrilling. What else could a kid dream for then a bug that lights up? Until I experience the moment first hand, I will only be able to dream. I picture myself in a field. A large, very large field. No need to dress warm, for it’s a warm summer night. My feet are firmly planted around uneven, overgrown weeds. I am holding a single glass jar in my left hand and I’m wearing a face of anticipation and determination. Looking up towards the open night sky, thousands of swarming fireflies bring light to the evening darkness. Taking in a breath of fresh air, my lungs are satisfied with the taste of adventure.

Sitting in my usual spot on the bus, all I could think about were fireflies. It’s an odd thought considering we were driving through the Sinai at the time. However, it wasn’t all that odd to me, because looking out of my window I didn’t see the heat of the sun on the mountains. Instead, I saw the dark shadows of the night sitting on the perfectly rugged, unleveled land formations. Just above and slightly brighter than the mountain range was the evening sky. Positioned so gracefully and perfectly, as if it were waiting for my arrival, all I could do was marvel. Back on the bus, a curious 21 year old girl sat in her seat like a 7 seven year old child awaited their chance to catch their first firefly. While I have still never caught a firefly, and it is most certainly on my “to-do” list, I have caught my first Sinai Sky. I didn’t have a glass jar to store the stars, but I do have a picture imprinted in my mind. It is an image of a thousand fireflies. Each lit and each flying still. It is as if they were inviting me to capture one and take them home with me. So, this is me taking them home with me: me telling you.

[Sunrise on top of Mount Sinai. Feel free to Re-read the last sentence, because its kind of unbelievably true.]

Rabbincal Thought

I’ve told you so much about my trips and great adventures, but I have failed to mention all of the classroom action. I am taking 5 classes here at JUC: Rabbincal Thought, Physical Settings of the Bible, Prophetic Landscape, Arabic, and History of Ancient Israel. Each class differs from the other, but all provide challenging questions and excessive amounts of studying. If you know me at all, I remain relatively quiet in a classroom setting. Much of which is because I fear being wrong or saying something completely stupid. But, what is an experience if one is always comfortable? So, over here I've been enduring the uncomfortable aspects of asking questions, suggesting answers, and... oh yes... reading aloud in class [one of my biggest fears]. To my surprise, much of my fear has rooted in pride, but thats another blog.

Join me in my Rabbincal Thought class for a while... This is class base off the studying of Midrash and looking at sacred scriptures of Judaism. Rabbi Moshea is an energetic, lively and outgoing older man that always finds a way to make his class laugh. If it isn’t through his unintentional puns, then its through his intentional corny jokes which is followed by a delayed sympathy laugh. [so funny]. Anyways, last night is a night that will go down in “Amy’s Classroom History”.

We were going through a story on Rabbi Akiva and his relationship with his wife. Their story is one that is valued among Jewish culture and seen as pleasing to God. Briefly, Rabbi Akiva and his wife spent most of their time away from each other as Rabbi Akiva left to study Torah [24 years to be exact]. During that time, Akiva’s wife received flack from neighbors and friends... but she never bashed her husband or her God.

Rabbi Moshea then asked the class a series of questions. One, which goes down in my “classroom history”, “What doe you think is the ultimate meaning of this story?” A few people answered the question, but none were sticking with Rabbi Moshea.

My mind was saying: “Uggg... I kinda think I know. Crap, what if it's wrong. FML, I hate this. But, maybe what I have to say is right. Oh whatever! I’ll just....”

Rabbi Moshea, “OKay we..”

I interrupted, “What about,” and then got quiet.

Rabbi Moseah, “Oh, yes amy.”

Shyly and shakily, “What about commitment.”

With a grin, Rabbi persuaded more out of ms, “what about commitment amy?”

Thinking I was on track and filled with a bit more encouragement, “Commitment among Rabbi Akiva and his wife. As well, their commitment to their God.”

Rabbi Akiva, “EXACTLY! Perfect.. Alright class, align with what Amy was saying...”

[I was so excited! It is totally worth every penny when speaking up in class.]

Negev Field Study: day 2b

There was way to much to talk about on this second day, so I had to split the blogs in half. Here is the end of our incredible day:

Matkhtesh Ramon (Super Bowl)

Back on the bus and then off the bus, we arrived at God’s natural Disneyland. Once you minus Mickey Mouse, the rides, and basically everything that looks like Disneyland, then you are standing before God's version of the happiest place on earth. Like when a person dips their finger into a jar of peanut butter, so God placed his figure in his earth and pulled the land away. Laying on my stomach and overlooking the edge, I wrote in my journal. I prayed. I sang. Then I cried. The earth which God created, was [in my perspective] bowing to the Lord in sincere reverence. There are instances in life when time becomes only a word, life blurs, and our eye focus on a single moment. Like when a husband-to-be locks eyes with his one true love as she gracefully walks towards him, or the moment shared between two parents as they witness their child’s very first step, or when a Jr. High student realizes that all their desire for Jesus overpowers the need for the world. There are moments in time that we cannot describe. They do not come often, but when they do... they are sacred, prized, and protected. Back on the bus, I was quiet. My friend ask me, “Ames, you alright?” My answer, “Ya, I.. I... I think I’m stunned. I’m stunned by God’s creation.” A moment where time was but a word, life blurred, and my vision was centered on Gods craftsmanship.

[Betsy contemplating life]

[Journal Sesh]

Negev Field Study: day 2a

[Abraham's Land]

Waking up to my first night in a hostel was... oddly, great. We had our own bathroom that lead into our room. Which was excellent, considering back at school the bathroom/showers are down 2 flights of stairs. What a great feeling to shower and walk out of the bathroom in a towel and not worried about a modesty policy[never thought I would miss that].

Back on track, the day began with a good old fashion devotional time, a great hostel breakfast, and a quick trip on our “Future Tour Bus” to Tel-Bersheba. From the top of a lookout, you can see the incredible building execution of David as he constructed this community. Bersheba is a site to see for it’s first recorded site to have homes built in a circle, boarding the prevention wall, and encompassing a central meeting place. Not only is her blueprint detailed beyond belief, but her location is one for the books. Looking at the pictures, beyond Bersheba theres... well.. theres... nothing. This is the land of Abraham. Why would he want such a place? Let me tell you. Beresheba is in the center of travel and trade. Ownership over this land gains the owner access into Jordan, over towards the coast, up towards Hebron, which then opens the door to Jerusalem. So, while she is not in the greatest location for agricultural favor, her economic resources are worth the ridiculous lack of water.

[Bersheba Herself]

[Sacrificial Offering]

["Come on into my Governor's Place]

I’ll try my best to describe the beauty of our next stop, but I’m not sure if I can. Unlike anything I have every seen, it still feels like am dream. As we got off the bus and walked towards the path, layers upon layers surrounded me. Beginning at my feet and looking to my left, my eyes followed upward. Up,up, and still up, the height kept stretching farther until my eye caught the sun's glare...

“Ah, blinding. Blink. Blink. Okay, now I can see.” I’m walking in a Wadi. This wadi’s coloring was like a wedding cake’s distinct layers of strawberry and vanilla filling. As the baker cuts away the edges of the fluffy white cake to fit the bridal regulations, so God perfectly constructed the sides of these cliffs [but to his regulations :)]. Looking up, I see the polar opposite coloring in the rocks creme base and the radiant steel blue sky. Depending on my location on the path, I see my reflection in the running river, a stunning cliff that would easily take your life, and/or the perfectly inconsistent rock pathway.

Hiking through and finally reaching the top, I place your hands on my hips and turn back around. Completing the 180, I stand in awe. Looking onto such incredible beauty, all I could do was hold my breath. Thinking, if I breath then it will disappear. Speechless. Breathless. Greatness.

Negev Field Study: day 1

[Sorek sun]

As I sat on the edge of the Sorek Canyon, I heard the wind whisper into my hear, watched the wind lead the trees in a rhythmic dance, and witnessed the clouds racing towards the eastern entrance of Jerusalem. Once home to those under Solomon’s rule, the Sorek Canyon knew of the greatly desired peace among the world. “During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety,” (I Kings 4:25). Sanding on her ledge, I could sense the peacefulness of the canyon. As the sky radiated with a photoshopped blue, the land was eager and strong to fulfill its duty as crop bearer. After all, Sorek means, “Best Vine.” The people of this land knew they were among the best of the best. Thus, they were content with whatever the Lord bestowed upon them. If I could only have that same amount of gratitude and appreciation for the Lord, I would be under the same amount of peace as them.

[View of the Sorek Canyon, Ruins, vineyard, and a ISREAL hat (emphasis on "real")]

Would you believe me if I told you I stood in the homeland of Samson. Didn’t think so. Stepping away from the group, I journeyed to the end of the hill. Situating myself upon a white-capped stone, I looked out onto the surrounding hills. To my right, lay the hills which Samson unleashed 300 lit foxtails to ruin his enemies crop season. Straight ahead, the sun devourers the shade and she moves towards me. Samson was here once. Him and his people lived in Bet-Shamesh. Is is possible that Samson witnessed the same picture as me? Did he watch the sun devour the shade? did he ever remove his sandals to feel the texture of the ground? I was sitting in the middle of a buffer zone for the Eocene Shephelah. Listen to me as I tell you... I was witnessing history pirouette before me.

[Below: the sun devouring the shade and the sun coming out to say "hey.]

Historically, presently, or futuristically, a running theme in life is life itself. A longing for a better life, wanting a radical life, trusting God for guidance in our lives, in need of water to give us life, and/or searching for the meaning of life. Winding down the first day of our three day field study, the concept of life could not escape my mind. We spend most of our field studies prying the minds of these historical people, trying to understand their means of living, and their ways of creating resources out of nothing. I came to the conclusion: much of their goal in life was the survive. Some survived, but many died. They lived in times that were not ideal for that of Orange County. They had to find ways to build wells, cisterns, retaining walls, and towers to give and guard their lives. They disperse into armies to increase their ownership of land. They created routes and walked long hours to protect their land that possessed their lives. How true is this for us today? We want to live, but we end up trying to survive. Biblically, those that depended on God not only survived, but lived. They lived along the side of God. Historically, presently, and futuristically, the theme for ultimate life is dependency upon God, not on ourselves.

[Ending our day with the company of the Med Sea and great friends]

Fat Camp

I have now been in Israel for over a month and one thing I know for certain is that I may have signed myself up for "Fat Camp". Before coming to Israel, I knew that I needed to be in a healthy, strong, and relatively fit condition. About 3 weeks leading up to my departing flight from the states, I created my own "Two-a-day" workout routine. I got in what could be called a "good" physical condition, and I was comforted that I could walk up a flight of stairs without feeling winded... well my friends, my "two-a-days" didn't do much justice for my Israeli experience.

I have already explained the immense heat that my body has had to adjust to, and the best way to adjust is to walk in it. In my Physical Settings class, we traveling, hike, walk, and sometimes crawl under the Israeli sun. So much so, it's as if they have coordinated subliminal workouts for us "fattie-cakes" to follow. So, as we walk/work out, myself and fellow girls in the group laugh terribly. Picture a group of ten girls attending a "Last Minute Workout" at a 24 hour gym. Usually you are always ten seconds off from the instructor and whispering sweet nothings under your breath, such as: "What are they trying to do to us?! Ah, clearly I can't do this!" or, my favorite, "I hate this. Wana go get something to eat?" Then the chiseled and barely sweating instructor says, "Almost there! You got this! If you want results you have to work for it. Nothing is free!I BELIEVE in you!" Having someone tell you that they "believe" in you as you are sweating your brains out and your legs are starting to cramp, is not exactly picturesque. Back on site with my field study and still keeping the picture of a 24 hour gym class, I say this all because, a prideful 21 years old only dreads admitting the fact that her 60 year old professor, in a tan safari hat, is presently kicking her butt. Something is seriously wrong here.

Needless to say, whether they know that we feel like we are attending a "Fat Camp" or not, I have seen the results. Whatever it may be, walking all day long at our field studies or simply cruising about the Old or New City, we are constantly working out. As it would happen, the classes will continue and the sites we visit will increase. Slowly but surely, I laugh more and more with having to constantly pull up my pants. I just want to be able to jump in all the "jumping pictures" and not have to hold my pants up to keep the world from seeing things they don't need to see... I'm sure they WANT to see them, obviously, but we have to stick to our "Modesty Kits" people... And luckily for me, I forgot to pack my favorite belt. It has gotten to the point to where I have already passed on a pair of pants to a friend of mine down the hall. Another 3 pairs are pointless for me to try on, because they were relatively loose before I left. If things continue at this rate, I'll have to stick to leggings/jeggings. This has been rather unexpected with my venturing over here, but it's simply all apart of the experience... You always have to expect the unexpected:)

I can proudly and confidently type that I have successfully survived 45 days of Fat Camp.

Ben-Jamin

What would it feel like to live within a picture? The greatness of your world would extend only to the outer perimeter of the photograph, life would only reflect the exact colors captured, and the your reality would be only that of a 4X6 exposure. If this were life, what photo would you choose? The business woman may choose a picture of herself on Wall Street. The sports fan, may want to live within the edges of a world series baseball game. The five year old boy would most likely choose a photo of himself winning an intense game of pogs (obviously this kids is stuck in a picture taken in the 90’s). What would have the Israelites chosen? I highly doubt that the Israelites would have chosen the photo below.

This picture is of the Wadi Qilt between Jerusalem and Jericho. The hills and valleys dig deep into the earths crust, the color is dull and lifeless, and the main reality is: if you are stuck here, you will surely die. What poor person would dwell in this l wilderness? Better yet, who would cast a people group into such a wilderness? Answer to question #1 many (Israelites were lost for 40 years with Moses, David, Jesus’ 40 days of temptation, and more). Answer to question #2, God himself.

I found myself in this exact location last Sunday. My Thoughts? I would never want to live here. It would completely suck. However, my professor offered a Biblical interpretation of the Wadi Qilt that offered hope instead of despair, life rather than death, and joy as opposed to numbness. Dr. Wright read from Deuteronomy 32:10, “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye.” The ending of the verse is the exact reason for the hopeful aspect of the wilderness. When we look up close and personal in the eyes of our neighbor, in return, we see ourselves. It's the same when we look into the eyes of God, we see ourselves and He sees himself. He had made us in his image. Following down to verse 12, “The LORD alone led him; no foreign god was with him.” And so, maybe I would be a bit unwilling, but if I could have the one true Lord pick me to live in a photo taken of the Wadi Qilt,so be it. In the words of Dr. Write, "Theres something about the wilderness where we have nothing, yet lack nothing." Or... maybe ill just live with this guy...

From the Qilt, we ventured down to the land of Jericho, also known as, "The Land of Palm Trees" (im learning dad, money is being well spent). In this Oasis, we visited palace Herod built for himself. Leave it up to Herod to build himself an elaborate, pleasurable winter getaway. The location of this palace is the center of economics, special trade, and the very fist bridge. Standing in the supposed “Great Columned Reception Hall”, we can see the Wadi Qilt’s drain into the Land of Jericho. I hope Herod doesn't mind that we stood on his Great Columned Reception Hall pillars,which were probably worth more then my life in that time, and spelled out "Santos" (one of the guy's last name in the group). well, too late now.

(Slightly dyslexic... look a the "S")

After peacing-out and Herod's palace, the group made their way onto the bus. Hot, sweaty, and hungry the group started to zone out. Dr. Wright grabbed his mic and with his tour guide voice, he offered band-aid assistance to anyone in need. Unwilling to move, the group stayed quiet. Until, the clever and witty Dr. Wright chuckles at his purposeful "mistaking" of band-aids for homemade chocolate cookies. The once glazed-eyed group switched into a bundle of pregnant women fulfilling a midnight craving. Those cookies tasted so good that I literally cannot describe them. I want to personally thank whom ever put so much love and care into the creation of those lovely cookies. Thank you!

(Pitstop at a well on our way to Gezer. School is so much cooler outside)

We ended our Benjamin adventure in Gezer. Gezer is know to be the home of the main entrance or “Front Door” when moving from the coast towards Benjamin territory. Her land is immensely popular due to her connection with the coastal trade and escape route. Following the tell up and over, the agricultural beauty of Gezer allowed me to see the value in her land and her desirable cooling breeze. As the day was ending, the sun created a barrier of color around the plateau. Continuing down the page you will see what happens when you add 20 year old girls and a sunset: picturesque silhouettes. oh, and how could I forget... I can honestly say that I had my first and last fig in the land of Gezer (proof is down below).

(left: pathway on the Gezer Tell; Right: proof)

(Left: Standing Stones left behind; Right: my sassy friends)

(Im the one sitting)