Shama, Jerusalem

After devouring another delicious breakfast (where cheesecake and unlimited amounts of bread are accepted) we met outside to hear from our leaders. Ben shared with the group a Hebrew word, Shama, meaning listen and obey. Not just simply listening but carrying out the command that was given to you. Shama was to be the theme of our day. Two biblical stories were shared in the morning, one where Samuel did not carry out Shama, and another where David did carry out Shama. There is something so impactful about reading the word of God in the place it occurred. Looking out over the hills we are seeing what they saw and having the same experience they had. The bible comes to life in that moment. No longer do we experience stagnant words on a page but, we can picture the characters in these places and these scenes have a whole new meaning when related to the culture. The second half of the day we changed things up and instead of hiking we got on the bus and headed to two museums. The first, Yad Vashem, focused on the horrific events many Jews experienced during the holocaust. The Israel Museum was the next stop where we saw a replica of the old city of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea scrolls. Our last destination of the day was at a beautiful overlook over Jerusalem. Group pictures and countless selfies were taken as we awed over the picturesque landscape in front of us.

Today the reality of being in Israel has begun to set in. At breakfast this morning Ben and I had a conversation about walking in the desert and feeling the intensity of the heat and land. Before coming to Israel hearing about groups traveling through this land was easy to overlook. I have a whole new understanding of how to be faithful even through really difficult times. What a gift this will be in the future in hard situations and when questioning God.

Bethshemesh, “House of the Sun”, is located in the low valley region (Shaphelah) of Israel. This land looked completely different than the other areas we have hiked through. It is agriculturally rich, more vegetation, water, and much more flat. This region is also important since many people groups have fought over this area. By controlling this place, the “land between” was also controlled. In Judges 13, 14, and 15 the story of Samson being in leadership is told. This is a story about being given much power and influence by God yet, not living into the call He has given. Samson took the power of leadership and did not use it for the glory of God. God’s will was ignored and Samson went about his own life without acknowledging how destructive he was being by not choosing to listen and obey God. What a shame it would be to take the gifts God has blessed us with and miss out on using them to glorify Him. Hiking through the Shaphelah conversation came up between two new friends and I. We encouraged each other in our strengths and how to use these qualities to glorify God. How amazing it was to connect so deeply with girls who I just met earlier this week.

Next, we had the privilege of going to the place where the story of David and Goliath occurred, The Elah Valley. The story, as told in Numbers, was acted out by our group in the location this story took place. Even though we read straight from the text, our group incorporated our own theatrical interpretation, while Noah (of course) filmed the entire thing. Samuel and David were similar since they both received a call from God. However, it was only David who completed Shama, listening and obeying. God used someone who did not seem up for the task of defeating Goliath to prove that everyone has something to give through the glory of God. We are all created with skills, passions, and qualities that are unique to who we are. Although David did not feel worthy of such a large task he was able to complete it since God had prepared him for this day. Tonight, I will rest assured that God is using my current situation to ready me for bringing him glory in the future. What an honor it is to be used by the King of the Universe!

-Christen Dominski

After our long hike through the Elah valley in the shephelah region of the desert, we had the opportunity of visiting the Yad Vashem. For many of us, myself especially, this experience was a very emotional one. Although I've learned about the holocaust in school for years, somehow this time was different. Being in the holy land these past few days, the land of the Jewish people, I have already learned quite a bit about Jewish culture and Jewish ways of life. I am also starting to understand Jesus in a new way: Jesus as a Jew. I walked through the holocaust museum with a different view of this horrific genocide. The weight and reality of it hit me like a ton of bricks. I left the museum sad and depressed, but it reminded me of how broken our world actually is and how much it needs Jesus. Our fallen world desperately needs to know and see the unconditional love of Christ, which brings purpose to my life and to all of our lives. The second museum we visited was the Israel Museum. There, I stood amazed at the model of the old city of Jerusalem and what it would've looked like during the time of Jesus. The model itself blew me away, but what was even more exciting for me was the fact that I would be walking those ancient streets for the next few days. The mere thought of exploring the place where Jesus spent most of his time gave me chills. To end our brief experience at the museum, we were able to see the original copies of the Dead Sea scrolls. Yesterday we hiked up to cave #1 (which almost no one ever does)where some of the most important scrolls were found, and after that point I could not wait to see the scrolls in person. Our time marveling at the scrolls was very short, and I could not believe how much it impacted me. I was looking at original writings of Gods word. God spoke, it was written down, and I was looking at it. It brought me to tears. The faith that it took to write these documents, and the preservation of them for thousands of years shows how powerful our God is, and the perfect plan he has for those who love and trust him.

- Aubry Patrosso