Jump into the water

Today we learned a lot about where the disciples of Jesus came from and their relationship to Jesus. The first location we visited was a ruin of the town Bethsada where it is said Andrew, Peter, and Philip are from. From there we traveled 20 miles north to Causarea – Philippi where Jesus took his disciples to show them how and where He wants the church to be built. After having lunch there, we went to the Jordan River where we prayed in our family groups and got a little wet. For our last adventure of the day, we walked around the Sea of Galilee occasionally stopping to hear a parable. We were able to get back at a good time to play in the Sea of Galilee one last time before heading out tomorrow morning.

"People need Jesus more than I need to feel comfortable."

These words of a friend I have come to know and love on this trip, Aubry Patrosso, were quoted today by Ben Post at a place called Caesarea Philippi. This place is talked about in Matthew 16, when Jesus takes his disciples here, to this dark place of pagan worship and complete immorality. At first, this place felt eerie, as if we could still feel the tension and separation from the true living God that once was here. But soon, that feeling was gone. We talked about the importance of engaging the Caesarea Philippis in our own lives - the places where it's hardest and scariest to share the truth of the gospel, but also the places that need it most. We talked about how Jesus told Peter he was going to build his church upon a rock, and how the gates of hades would not overcome it. A rock is unmoving, and unshaken, and I think we all walked away empowered and ready to engage these dark places in our lives - including our campuses - knowing that if God is for us, NOTHING can be against us. We don't get to stay in our comfort zones when there are people dying everyday without knowing the love of Christ. He has called us to go out into ALL the world, even when all of the world does not think or behave as we do.

On a similar note, we had a chance to talk about boldness today while we sat next to the Jordan River. We talked about the story of Joshua leading the Israelites into the land that The Lord had promised Abraham, and how God asked them to take a step into the river during the flood season and to trust him to calm the waters and let them pass through. We prayed for each other with our feet in the water and asked God where we need to trust Him enough to jump into something with both feet before we know exactly what it looks like. We prayed courage over each other to be brave enough to be obedient to The Lord even when we cannot see the bigger picture. Then, a few of us praying tripped over a rock and went flying down the gushing river. Luckily for us, my new friend Michael jumped in the water to help us before the current took us to the small waterfall up ahead. Although slightly terrifying, it was a tangible picture of how much God was asking the Israelites to trust Him with everything. Even when the rivers of our lives are strong and wide and scary and seemingly uncrossable, we have a big and faithful God.

As we near the end of the trip, I have been taking time to ask some of my 32 new friends what they will be taking from this trip back home. More than just the maps and the souvenirs and the sunburns . . . I want to know how this trip has changed each of us. Today, as I stood in the Jordan River, I figured out the answer to my own question. This next year for me is full of uncertainty, and today, as I stood in the rushing river, asking God to guide my steps and to give me feet that jump into the water before I have any clue how I'm going to cross it, I felt peace even in the midst of that uncertainty. I felt joy in that journey. I love the answers I have been hearing to this question - and I love that all these answers are different. God gives us all exactly what we need. He knows. He cares.

Today, we walked, we sat, we ate, we listened, we spoke, we learned, we prayed, we laughed, and we shared. And through it all, God showed up.

- Clare Porter