Day 14

Day 14: Bethsaida Dig (Day 2)

Hey everyone!

I am actually writing this blog while this very nice lady is lecturing on zoarcheology (which is the scientific look at ancient bones of humans and animals). With Sam sitting right next to me making small weapons out of leaves, the Doctor is giving us the history of zoarcheaology and how that relates to Bethsaida. I am really enjoying it (and am very thankful I can multitask) because of my work site today.

We woke up at 5:00AM today to head out to the dig site, where I cleared out our dig site of weeds for an hour and moved large boulders for the next two before the backhoe came in and dug us down to our paydirt. Once he got down to our paydirt, it was all trawl and bucket from there. We still had another six to eight inches to go before we had to mark off our site into sections and sift off each layer to find some interesting stuff.

I was working in the cemetery today outside the city wall. So far, they found one tomb with a couple in it, one of them with their arm wrapped around another (to be slightly vulgar, they skeletons were spooning). This was VERY odd, because even today, tombs are for one person only. We have NO IDEA why these two were buried together in the position they were buried in.

Because this was so odd, they wanted to uncover more. So they decided to expand the site and explore the cemetery. Today, we started to dig in that cemetery. It was really cool when we stumbled upon our first tomb. We only got to the top, and we not allowed to open it (even though we couldn’t because of the dirt) because the bones are so brittle. We needed our zoanthropologist to come in and look at them all as soon as we opened the tomb. We should open the tomb in the next few days (I will keep you posted on it).

I am excited about this dig! I know I have said it before, but I am really excited! I want to come back each year and help with this site. I have found a new hobby (because I know I can’t do this as a career; I would get bored). I know how hard work archeology can be, but that doesn’t matter to me. I am still fascinated by it. Being able to hold pieces of materials that are hundreds upon hundreds of years old—sometimes thousands of years old!—just fills me with wonder and awe. People just don’t make stuff like they used to.

I really need to pray about this and whether or not God wants me coming back each year. To me, this keeps my academic yearnings on high so I don’t lose it. At the same time, it costs money. I need to know if God wants me to use that money for something else (even though it is considerably cheap to go).

I look forward to the weeks ahead and I plan to keep you all posted! Love ya!

Following His Call,

Adam

Colossians 3:23

Sam

Hey everyone!

I am in a bit of a pickle. A war is waging in my mind on what decision to make. I’m not talking about a stupid decision like chocolate or vanilla ice cream. This decision could have dire consequences—eternal consequences.

Now that I have freaked you out a bit, let me back up. Our first day here (at the Kibbutz), one of the dig site directors walked up to our table at dinner and introduced himself and his son. The director was so nice and friendly, joking with us and telling us about how his eight-year old son is actually in charge of the dig site and that if we need anything, we should go to him. His son shyly hid behind him, but responded to our questions when asked. When I asked the kid's name, he responded, “Samuel.” (Pseudonym.)

“So what do you like to go by, Sam or Samuel?” I asked.

“Either one,” he said, smiling.

The next day we went to the pool for a little bit, and Sam was there. He quickly clung to me and we became buds (I have discovered kids tend to trust me right off the bat and want to hang out with me; this is a trait that honestly scares me to death). Sam followed me around the rest of the day.

After a while, he became acquainted with our entire group. We lovingly called him our “communal child”. Over a game of foosball, I started to ask him some questions about his life, to start to see where he was coming from. After the normal conversation of TV shows and super heroes, I asked him what he did on the weekends. He told me he normally stays at his friends’ house.

I casually asked him, “So you don’t go to a church on Sunday?”

“Nope,” he replied promptly, picking up the ball. “Never have.” Then he dropped the ball quickly on the table and kept playing like his answer was common knowledge and so obvious.

His answer for some reason set me aback. I have worked with kids before who have never been to church, but they have always been at a church-related event, like a Vacation Bible School or a church sponsored picnic or something when they told me they had never been to church. Normally, if a kid had never been to church before, I would share Christ with them right there (or at least start a conversation with them about it). These churchy places I could fall back on if the parent ever questioned what I was teaching their kid--which they have before (“I am very sorry, ma’am, but you did send them to a church-sponsored event. I can’t help but share Jesus with your child.” Most of the time the parent realizes we were just doing what we were called to do and storms off dragging the child away.).

This situation with Sam was different. I had nothing to fall back on. I had no reason or obligation to share the Gospel with this child who may have never heard it before, except my raw conviction. I had no failsafe, no back-up plan if things got bad. I was for the first time totally on my own when it dealt with talking with kids about Jesus.

I had started to allude to Jesus earlier that day when we were in the gift shop and I made mentions about the thorns Jesus wore (of which they were selling replicas on the shelf).  At that time, I didn’t give an all out Gospel message because I didn’t know where he stood. (Plus the gift shop was noisy, crowded, and distracting—not the place you want someone making choices that decided their eternity.)

As I stood there across the small table looking at him, my heart wept for him. Being eight-years-old and never having heard about how much Jesus loved him just broke my heart! There he was, smiling, laughing, having a good time, all without ever knowing the Greatest Love that could ever have loved him. As we continued to play, I made up my mind that I had to tell him. I could not miss this opportunity to plant a seed that could change his life forever.

This is where my problem came in. That night during dinner, while Sam was eating at another table with our group, I got to sit down with his father and talk to him. We talked about the dig and his career as he related to us how he connected his job with the dig site. Talking with him more, I asked him why he decided to come to the dig (a holy site).

“Ya know,  that a very good question,” he said, putting his fork down and leaning across the table. “I myself really want to know why most people come here to work and dig. We are actually putting together a survey asking that very question: Why did you come to this dig site to work? We want to know if it is for religious reasons,” he said with his eyes looking toward the ceiling and waving his hands around a bit, "or for the academic, archeological experience. The reason I say that is because many people think this is only some holy site that people make a pilgrimage to when it is not that at all. Well, not entirely.

“I came because…” and then he related the process of how he met the dig director and yada-yada-yada.  While his story was interesting and I listened to every word, I realized the background of his religious beliefs: he had none. He may have been an atheist or agnostic, but he sure wasn’t practicing anything.

My heart wept for him as well. The way he talked about religion seemed like he had been hurt by it before, or that he had run into some crazy fundamentals that turned him off. All I knew in that moment was I had an even bigger problem.

How am I to address Sam with the Gospel when his dad seems so against it already? How would I feel if someone started talking to my kid about a faith I don’t believe in or practice? How arrogant is it of me to just barge in and tell his son how my religion is right and all the other ones he has heard about are wrong?

But how can I NOT share the Gospel with him?! How much do I hate Sam to not tell him about the cure that could save his life? This may be the only time he hears the full Gospel clearly explained to him. What am I to do?!

Can you see my dilemma? Can you see why a war wages within me? Do I tell him and then risk losing that relationship with their family forever? Do I bide my time and witness to his dad through Facebook over the next few months to try to help him come to know Christ so he can then share Christ with his son? How do I witness to Sam with the full Gospel without his father yelling at me and tell him he can never talk to me again?

*le sigh* I need to just pray about this a lot and be open for when God moves. Because I know Him; He will move when I least expect it. Until then, I need to be ready to preach the Word, in season and out of season. I can only pray that God opens a door so I can witness to their family and tell them just how much Jesus really loves them.

Following His Call,

Adam

1 Peter 3:15

Day 13

Day 13: Kibbutz, Bethsaida (Day 1)

Hey everyone!

Today was our introduction day to the dig site, and I have to admit, I am freakin’ excited! WE GET TO WORK ON THE ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG SITE OF AN ACTUAL ANCIENT BIBLICAL CITY THAT HAS MAJOR HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE! (Can you tell I’m just a little excited?)

Our dig leader is very passionate about the site, which is really nice… except when he wants to tell us every detail… then he takes forever telling everything about what is going on. It gets rather old. I do understand how the dig works and its significance, but I don’t need to know that this stone was specifically used as a step (I can kinda see that; it was pretty obvious).

Thus, the orientation took longer than needed (way longer than I would have liked). I was hoping we could start digging, but alas, no avail. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. I am looking forward to what we may find.

On a totally different note, as we were walking to dinner together tonight, a few of us expressed how much we really didn’t need technology. It was nice to have internet, but we realized that we really didn’t need it the past few weeks. A few people confessed it was relieving not to have their cell phones and texting all the time. Nobody admitted to having withdrawals. Nobody complained about not having internet. (We did complain that when we did have internet, it cost, because that was like waving food in our face and then telling us it was worth more money than we owned.)

I had to agree with them. It is very nice not having my Blackberry going off every few seconds for an email or text. I would have been just fine without internet if my parents weren’t so concerned about me and I needed to talk to them (and the fact I promised a bunch of people I would show them pictures and updates of my trip). I was really enjoying the lack of technology and really appreciate the blessing it is.

This can be considered the end of my post if you don’t want to read on. But, you know me, I can’t help but put in my two sense about this topic because I have been offended by people who have said stuff against my generation and technology. For example, a lady on the plane was jokingly harassing me about my inability to decide on a drink because I didn’t know what drink we were getting for dinner (if we were not going to have water at dinner, then I wanted water presently so I didn’t get dehydrated, but if we were getting water at dinner, I would’ve grabbed a Coke or something). She went on this mini-lecture about how our generation doesn’t know how to communicate anymore because all we do is text and talk on the computer.

In a way, she is right. Many people in my generation do not know how to communicate--but that is not all of us. Actually, the vast majority of people in my generation DO know how to communicate very effectively and use social networking as an added bonus to their regular interactions. What I find even funnier is how everyone blames my generation for lack of communication skills because of texting, but the two generations before us use texting just as much (there are studies on this that show it is true). I don’t think people realize that kids can’t afford texting plans for their phones, therefore, their parents pay for it, therefore their parents have texting and many times are texting just as much. So… why is everyone pointing all the blame for our generation’s lack of communication skills when it was supplied to us? That’s like giving a baby a spoon and a pot then yelling at him when he hits them together. I am just very angry when people start bashing my generation about stuff like that when they themselves gave it to us and are using the exact same technology they are criticizing us on themselves.

In addition, I want to tackle the myth that our generation is addicted to technology. We are not. We have had technology so long (especially things like computers and cell phones), it is a part of our worldview. Yes, it is hard to imagine a world without technology. However, I have been told that our generation wouldn’t know what to do if we didn’t have phones or computers. This trip to the Middle East has proven in my mind that my generation would be just fine. Nobody has missed their technology to the point of hysteria. Yes, I will admit like everyone else that it is nice to have a cell phone to call people and a computer with wifi access to stay connected, but we all understand it is not necessary. We do not demand our right to free internet or cell service.

I am just tired of people saying things like, “If all of your technology was taken away from you, if all your computers suddenly failed, you wouldn’t know what to do.” Well, I think that is a load of crap because if all the cell phones and computers died all around the United States, EVERYONE would be affected, not just those who are technologically wired all the time. Even those people who live very simple lives will be affected by it. So, I find the argument moot.

Anyway, I’m done. Soap box put away. Goodnight!

Following His Call,

Adam 

Mark 8:22

Day 12

Day 12: Nazareth, Calpernum, Mt. of Beatitudes, Cana, Tiberious

Hey everyone!

Today is Pentecost. How freakin’ cool that I am in the Holy Land during Pentecost! It is just awesome that we get to go around the city of Nazareth of all places during Pentecost. Not just that, we also visited Cana (the place where Jesus turned water to wine, and consequently, became the tourist attraction of Cana: The Wine Place, thus, I bought some wine while there). I promise I will explain my thoughts thoroughly in a later post on Israel.

I just want to make a quick clarification. Ever since I made that post on Day 7, everyone has been misinterpreting what I have said, have read into what I have said, or have taken what I said way out of context. I do NOT hate Israel or Jewish people. I love Jewish people; they are the Children of God, His elect, His chosen, His beloved. I never denied that. I never bashed the Jews. I do love them. Really.

What I didn’t love was the way the current political Israel became a nation and is currently treating those around them. I do not like the mindset of current political Israel and do not believe they are following the line of the Jews of the Bible (because God seems totally removed from everything in this country). I am just upset with what is happening over here, just like people in America can be upset with our government and/or president. People can still love the land, the people, and the nation as a whole and still be really upset with it to the point of rage. Am I right?

Despite all of that, this land is still the Holy Land. This was the land God chose to come down into and take on human form, walk as a man, experience life with us, then ultimately give that life up on our behalf. For that, I have a great respect for the area. There is something very deep associated with this region; something just humbling and profound. In America, we really can’t experience this feeling because our country is so young. We are less than 300 years old, and while the Native America’s before us have some very fascinating structures, they are not as common and close together as there are over here.

We have traveled so much, and just in a fifty mile radius, there are hundreds—and I literally mean HUNDREDS—of ancient sites that are historically significant. They could be castles, cities, settlements, small villages, churches, mosques, monasteries, etc. Sometimes, these sites are all of the above. Many times cities were destroyed and rebuilt—often times over and over again. There are literally LAYERS of history we can explore for decades. HOW AWESOME!


I just eat this history up! I love it all. The fact that it is so closely connected to what I believe really brings it home. I can read about this cities in the Bible and literally stand in the places where people two millennia ago walked. I can actually stand at places where Jesus has taught, where he did miracles, and where he interacted with everyday people. The places here bring the stories to life; they are not just fancy spiritual stories.

They remind me so much that Jesus was a real human. I know that sounds weird to say, but in the modern church today, we tend to deify Christ more than remember His humanity. Don’t get me wrong, that is not a bad thing, but sometimes it may be hard for us to remember that Jesus really was a man and walked, talked, and acted just like us. It is hard for us to relate to Jesus because He was so perfect and He was God.

Being on these streets brings history to life. It shows me that Jesus really was here, that He really did interact with people, and on the outside he looked and acted just like us (sans sin).  I can envision Jesus walking on these streets, talking to shop venders, visiting with people in their houses, and just carrying on business as normal while still showing them the love of God.

Anyway, I am inspired. I am loving this trip. I will continue to keep you posted.

Following His Call,

Adam

John 14:27

Day 11

Day 11: Jerash, Kibbutz

Hey everyone!

After taking a tour of Jerash in Jordan (a very famous city that housed the Temple of Hercules), we finally arrived in Israel. After some hold up at the border crossing from Jordan to Israel (go figure), we crossed and made our way to the Kibbutz in Ginosar (which sounds like a Pokemon to me, but whatever). The security people were nicer at this gate than they were at Taba, but still was a headache to go through. *Sigh* I can’t wait until there is peace over here, but it is going to take generations to end this millennial old hatred.

As it turns out, I am not only learning things about the Middle East; I am learning more than factual information and cultural differences. I am learning more than life lessons from the people I meet here. I am learning more about myself.

My wonderful girlfriend and I had a deep talk tonight about myself and our relationship. After discussing my past a bit and confessing the many mistakes I have made, she picked up on something I had never even thought about before: I haven’t forgiven myself for my past mistakes in life.

I learned something about myself: I tend to be 100% totally independent. I mean, when I struggle with something, I go off on my own and try to fix it. I don’t want anyone else to be burdened with my issues, so I just go fix it myself. Most of the time, I don’t even ask God to help; I just tell him that I got into the mess so I will get out of it (I know, selfish and stupid, right?)

For me, I don’t ever want to put anyone out. When we got to the Kibbutz, my bed did not have a mattress, just a hard wooden bench. I didn’t really care. I joked about not having one, but I would rather me not have one than anyone else. Other people offered me some of their things to fix it, but I refuse. I didn’t want anyone else to have to be uncomfortable on my behalf. I would just rather be uncomfortable instead. (We ended up finally getting a mattress, and all was well.)

The same went for my sunburn. I really burned myself a few days ago (even though I put on sunscreen three times!). The only shirt I had clean was a sleeveless shirt which exposed most of my sunburn to the sun again. Everyone was so nice and offered sunscreen and offered to trade shirts with me, but I refused (well, I took some sunscreen because I’m not stupid, but still refused the shirts). It worked out alright. But still, I didn’t want to put anyone off.

My girlfriend pointed out to me that my attitude, while it seems noble, is still screwed up. I am still being selfish, but in a different way: I am hurting myself to the point where I am in constant turmoil. Not really to the point of depression or anything like that, but I am at a point of discomfort that really starts to affect everyone around me whether I like it or not.

This attitude is similar in my unforgiveness of myself. Because I don’t want to ever hurt anyone again, I will punish myself over and over again to remind me to never make that mistake again. It is a humbling experience for me, but it is also harmful to me. While I do understand and remind myself that God has forgiven me, I tend not to forgive myself because, in my mind, I feel that forgiving myself is like saying what I did was okay. While I know that is not true, because I know God forgives me and I can forgive other people, it still is hard to fight the mental attitude in my own mind that seems to excuse the unjust behavior. 

I think God is really trying to get my attention because after our talk, I went to the bathroom (affectionately named “The Water Closet” by nearly every other country in the world except America) and inscribed in the wall next to all the graffiti is the phrase “u cant be happy with others until ur happy with urself”. Oh Wise Water Closet Proverb! How true you ring in my life right now!

I really can’t be truly happy with others if I am constantly beating myself up for past mistakes. I know that pastors say over and over again that you have to forgive yourself first, but I don’t have any clue of how to do that or where to start. Looks like I need to start taking to God more about it and have the Master of Forgiveness teach me what I should do.

Wow… I am learning way more than I expected to on this trip.

Following His Call,

Adam

Proverbs 19:8

Day 10

Day 10: Desert Palaces, Castles

Hey everyone!

Today we are doing as lot of stuff in the desert. While most of it is Islamic stuff that doesn’t interest me as much, it is still interesting and I am learning a lot. I have a new appreciation of desert dwellers. Between the heated wind and no water, I wonder how people even survived out here at all.

We have been following the trail of the life of one Islamic Califf (whose name I cannot pronounce, so I won’t even attempt to spell it). I have to respect this man: he built palaces and castles out in the middle of the desert where nobody would go. It’s pretty smart to put them in places so off the beaten trail nobody would think to look for them.

This Califf was known as the Crazy Califf because of his love of art and high living. He built a palace/bathhouse out in the middle of the desert for his honored guests. When his guest would arrive in the city with him, he would show them around and then offer them to go out in the desert to get away from the busy life and enjoy the bathhouse. This house was decorated with many murals and paintings over all the walls and ceilings.

In addition, he had a guesthouse in the middle of the desert for some of the Bedouin kings to stay in as guests when he went to visit them. This castle looked like a huge hotel and is so beautifully preserved in the desert sand. The lack of rain and water erosion preserved the castle for us to see in modern day.

However, the heat and sand has started to affect our party. The complaining machine has taken over. I have been fighting it with all my strength, and so far, I have been doing pretty well (if I do say so myself). I think I am helped by the fact everyone else around me is complaining so much that I don’t want to sound like them, so I just shut up (even though I am thinking the same thing in my head).

Don’t get me wrong, the entire party is not complaining, just a few people. One of our team members tends to complain about EVERYTHING we do, and I just want to slap them most of the time. Other people have said things like, “I can’t wait to get back to America where water is free.”  “When I get back to the states, I am going to a restaurant and getting so many refills I have to pee just because I can.” “I can’t wait to get back home so I can eat lunch at 11:30 when I am used to, and not a 2:00.” “Why does the internet cost here? It should not cost when it is free in America.” “Why the desert?! Why would people choose to live in the desert?!” “What?! We have to pay for our water here!” “I’m tired of riding in the bus!” “Why do we have to get up so early? I just want to sleep in!” “There is no air conditioning in my room!” “Is this all they have to eat for lunch? I want a real meal.” “I really miss McDonald’s right now.” “Do we really have to stop here? I really don’t want to stop here now.” “Ugh… this is just another famous place… I really could care less to see this right now…” “This water here isn’t even cold.”

Honestly, I am getting pretty tired of all the complaining from everyone. This is a Study Abroad trip to the Middle East, not a vacation. The life over here is tough. Water is hard to come by. People do smell. Most people don’t take a bath. Guess what? These people have a lot less than we have in America.

I don’t know everyone’s heart and mind on this trip, but I’m pretty sure many people on this trip are missing the point. This could be a huge learning experience for them, but instead they can’t see past their own discomfort. They can’t see past the experiences that cause them agitation to see that other people live in this environment every day. These people struggle with the same things we are struggling with while we are here. They don’t complain about it; they accept it as life. They move on. They adapt. They thrive.

Americans are so spoiled rotten. I mean ROTTEN rotten. We go over to another country and demand that it be like America. Maybe not directly, but we demand. We may not say, “This should be like how we do it in America,” but we complain when it isn’t like it is in America. 

*Sigh* Oh well. There is nothing I can do about it. I can’t voice my opinion on it because I have no authority these people will listen to. I am just their peer who then comes across as arrogant and condemning. I hope they don’t see me that way.

When it comes down to it, I am just as guilty as everyone else; I just don’t voice it as much. Most of the things they have said out loud I have thought in my head. I can’t see their hearts, but I do know how God is working in mine. My heart breaks for these people. I understand and appreciate them so much more. I see them as allies and friends, people who I can empathize with now. While most of them are not Christians, they are still God’s creation, and He still loves them just as much as He loves me. I hope that through this experience I can learn to show everyone just as much love.

Following His Call,

Adam

Colossians 3:14

Day 9

Day 9: Karak, Madaba, Al Qul'at ah-Shawbak, Mt. Nebo

Hey everyone!

I just got back from doing laundry in my tub—by hand. If you have never experienced this before because you have a very nice and fancy washing machine that does this all for you, let me encourage you to try it. It will humble you considerably and make you appreciate the things you have so much more (especially if all the clothes are filthy with sweat and sand).

It just keeps nagging at me how so uber rich Americans are! Even those who consider themselves in the lower end of the Socioeconomic Status are still a BILLION times richer than the people who live in these countries! It has really been an eye opener for me to see how people live on day to day life.

People (especially pastors who are preaching on tithing) talk about how rich we are and how we are the richest country in the world. You know, the normal, “Wha-wha-wha-whawha-wha.” I always listened to it, and believed the people telling me it, but you really don’t start to believe something until you see it for yourself.

I have been hanging out a lot with some of the Bedouins here in the Middle East. They are some of the most interesting people in the world. Honestly, I believe many of them are some of the most intelligent people in the world.

If you don’t know what a Bedouin is, a Bedouin is a modern day nomad. Literally, they travel around, taking their herds of goats or sheep, and live around the desert looking for more water or grazing land for their herds. They dig wells and my stay in one spot for a while, but over time the well dries up and they move on. Most of the Bedouins live in tents. Sometimes they stay long enough to build nice mud-brick houses, but those are too abandoned when the water runs out. (As we drive through the desert we pass HUNDREDS of abandoned mud-brick houses.) 

These people can be some of the most annoying and some of the kindest people all at the same time. Most of them in modern days have picked up tourism peddling, trying to sell trinkets, bracelets, souvenirs, or necklaces for, “One dollar!” or “One dinar!” or “Five Egyptian pounds!” In this sense, when they are following you around and constantly shoving stuff in your hand to try to get you to buy it (totally ignoring western social boundaries), they can be some of the most irritating people in the world. I was so frustrated at them, I wrote a rant about it here.

However, once I sat down and got to know them, I really see why they are so pushy. They are really not trying to get rich. They are trying to get enough money for the day so they can buy clothes for their kids, food for their family, or (what make you feel so ashamedly blessed) water for the next day.

Here I am, a college student on a University Study Abroad trip, carrying my bottled water, wearing my sunscreen and sunglasses, taking pictures with my fancy, everything proof camera, and then complaining about how hot it is and how I now have sunburn on the back of my neck…

How embarrassed and ashamed I felt after meeting Mahmaud (I’m not sure how to spell it, but it is pronounced “Ma-*phlem*-mood”). Mahmaud was a very tiny, ten-year old Bedouin boy. I made a video about him here (coming soon). He followed us around and just talked with us, offering to take our picture and show us around the ruins of Petra. He lived there on the site of Petra with his father and sister (he may have had a mother too, but he never mentioned her and I never saw her). Mahmaud was the cutest Bedouin boy we met so far.

“You want to see the camel?” he would ask us, and before we could reply he would say, “Come come! Come here! I show you! Follow me! Come on!” Mahmaud took us up to show us his goat herd he was watching while his dad was tending their stand in Petra. (That is also in the video). After walking through more desert, he showed us the well where he got his water. He offered us some, but we had to decline. (Jordanian water and American water are just different enough to give us… well… Herod’s Revenge.) Hugging the rock face, we climbed some more rocks to a small shrine he showed us with a carving of a camel and two men on the outside of it, weathered away my millennia of erosion.

It was in this moment that I realized how different our lifestyles were (especially the lives of him and other American kids). He doesn’t go to school. He probably will never go to college. He will probably grow up and take over the peddling business when he gets older. He probably can’t read or write (but I don’t know this for sure). He will probably never get to travel to a foreign country or even take a vacation for that matter.

However, he is very intelligent, in many ways more so than America kids. He speaks at least four different languages fairly fluently (I know this because he spoke Arabic to his family, English to us, German to another group who was passing after he realized they spoke German, and gave directions to another couple in French after they asked him where to go next). He knows how to relate to people. He is optimistic about his future. He has no fear. He isn’t worried about “What do you want to be when you grow up?” He doesn’t have a slew of health problems and psychological disorders he could possibly be diagnosed with. He doesn’t worry about greed. He isn’t envious of his fellow Bedouin friends (because they all have to worry about food for the next day). He doesn’t have to worry about “what’s in” with the latest gadgets and apparel. He doesn’t worry about texting or whether or not Johnny has a crush on Susie, who he wants to be his girlfriend. In so many ways, he is happier than most American kids.

As I sit here in my five-star, air-conditioned hotel sipping on wine and typing on my fancy computer, I am ashamed about how blessed I am and how I am worrying about money because I had to take out loans for this school trip. I have a suitcase full of luggage: one dress shirt and pants for fancy dinners, multiple clothes for different days (meaning I am not wearing most of the clothes in my suitcase most of the time), shampoo and body wash to keep myself clean each day as I take a shower, deodorant to cover up my body odor, and several books I am reading for leisure. How spoiled am I?

I once read in a book written by an Indian (in Asia, not America) who talked about how Americas are so rich they have entire rooms full of clothes they only wear occasionally. He was saying that in the same walk-in closets in which we store our clothes, some husbands cram their spouse(s) and children in the same space. After looking at some of the caves and tents I’ve seen the Bedouins live in, he is totally right.

I really started to feel guilty until I realized that I can do something about it. No, I may not be able to help every Bedouin out there by giving my money to them. (Which I honestly think is a stupid idea anyway because all we are doing is teaching the Bedouins to accept handouts and to become dependent on handouts. Any organization that just goes in somewhere and gives out freebees is totally well-intending, but totally doing more harm than good in the long run. Being over here has really shown me that. Anyway, end of soapbox.) God wants me to be responsible with the money I have. He wants me to use the money He has blessed with wisely, as a good steward of His kingdom. If He wishes for me to help out the Bedouins, than I will. I will buy many of their trinkets they make in order to give them some money. I will spend some time with them and help them sell stuff, herd goats, or carry water—whatever they need me to do.

Mahmaud has taught me so much. I started to feel guilty that I had spent so much money to go on this trip until I realized that I am learning important life-lessons—lessons that are invaluable and cannot be bought with any self-help book. Even though I have paid more money for this trip than Mahmaud will probably ever own in his lifetime (and I’m not exaggerating, this is probably true), the lessons that kids like him have taught me, as well as the pure facts of the archeological sites, are priceless.

Following His Call,
Adam

Matthew 5:3

Day 8

 Day 8: Petra

Hey everyone!

Today, we toured one of the places I was most excited about this entire trip: Petra! Our tour guide said it would take months to go through all of Petra—and he was totally right! We were there for only a mere eight hours and we only saw a fraction of the fraction they have uncovered (only seventeen percent of Petra has actually been unearthed).

Traveling down the Sig (the long, narrow entry into Petra), we finally emerged to the Treasury building (which isn’t an actual treasury building, it is a tomb of a very famous lawyer in Petra, but Bedouin legends said that the treasures of the Pharoahs were sealed inside, so they called it the Treasury). I made a video of Petra (here) so you can follow along.

From the Treasury, we went to see various tombs and dwellings, which happened to be the same buildings most of the time. Yes, people back then lived in the same places they buried their dead. Strange, right? But apparently the tradition continues. Our guide was saying that many Coptic Christians in Egypt are the same way. Looking back, it makes sense. The churches in Egypt were right next to the cemeteries, and their tombs looked like houses. Our guide said when he visited, the Coptic man invited him in his house, offered him tea, and told him he could sit anywhere, but not in this one spot because that was where his mother was buried.

Why did people live next to their dead? It is just a culture thing. The people believe they are keeping their families safe and are still close to their families. Might I point out at this point that they are not gross about the dead stuff. They don’t mess around with the dead bodies, they don’t mummify them, they just bury them in stone tombs in or next to their house. Sometimes, they will perform the burial ceremony, place the person on the main floor, and then build a stone floor right on top of the dead family member to form a new floor to the house.

The way people in Petra do their stone work is amazing! They seal everything so well that the people couldn’t smell the dead person beneath their own feet. The way they ran water through their cities was also unbelievable. Our guide said that there were millions of miles of man-made aqueducts that all led into Petra. Considering it only rains on average about seventeen inches per year, they need all the water they can get. In addition, since they shaped the landscape to pour all the water into Petra, flash flooding became a problem. Well, to them it wasn’t a problem, they were ingenious and built series of dams to control the water flow so they would always get what they needed.

Petra was a huge city, supporting up to 100,000 people at a time. For an ancient city, that’s pretty dang big. As we moved through the city, we saw in every rock face dwellings carved. The beautiful stone acted as natural wallpaper.

Some of the most elaborate buildings with some of the most beautiful carvings were the tombs.  In Nabatean culture (the people who lived in Petra), it wasn’t your position that was important. Most everyone was equal (well, at least more equal than other ancient cultures). However, they believed that your afterlife was directly related to how much time you put into your tomb and how much stuff you put in your tomb (just like the Egyptians; in fact, the Nabateans were traders and traded with nearly every culture; their architecture and sculptures represent Greek and Roman influence as well as Egyptian).  The desire for a good afterlife led to their elaborate tombs.

We ate a small lunch next to the church at the top of one of the hills (I will get to the church later). Afterwards, we hiked 800 steps to get to the Monastery. While early archeologist believed this place to be an actual monastery, it turned out it was more of a political and religious gathering place where people of all different religions and practices could worship their gods.

At the top of this place, we met Mockmood, a ten-year old Bedouin boy who offered to show us around. As payment for his help, one of our group members gave him his sunglasses. Mockmood was thrilled with them and kept wearing them, taking them on and off. Mockmood taught me a lot, I ended up writing about him (here).

While the Monastery was interesting, it wasn’t a cool as the church. After Petra was abandoned by the Nabateans, early Christians who were persecuted hid in Petra to stay safe. While there, they made a church (or possibly churches, we have only uncovered  a small section of Petra). At this church were beautiful mosaics all over the floor. Weathered away by sand and sun, the mosaics were dull, but still were clear and beautiful. Near the back of the church was the Baptistery, another thing I found fascinating.

Looking and touching these ancient artifacts took me back in time to see how the early followers of Christ lived out their lives. I felt connected with people who haven’t lived there in thousands of years. The same people who lived in that city and worshiped in that church followed the same Jesus I follow today. Were our rituals and beliefs the same? Most likely not. Yet I still felt connected to these early Christians, those who were not divided by denomination argued over whether or not to change the carpet brown or green. These people were trying to survive, to live, to worship Christ no matter what the cost.

We in America just don’t get it.  We argue over whether or not alcohol should be banned or whether or not men should wear hats in church. We argue detailed theology like whether or not someone can lose their salvation. Why does that matter? People back then didn’t argue these issues. Losing their salvation wasn’t even considered because when they accepted Christ, that was it. They left their homes, their families abandoned them sometimes, and they had to flee because they might be put in jail, or in some cases, even death.

I think it’s time we refocus our energies on things that really matter. But that's just my opinion. 

Following His Call,
Adam

Colossians 3:2  

Day 7

Day 7: Mt. Sinai, St. Catherine's, Taba

Hey everyone!

I’ve found that the more raw facts I learn about Israel combined with personal experiences I have had with Israelites, the less I am respecting Israel as a nation. Consequently, because I am respecting it less, I like it less.

Now before you go criticizing me and defending Israel, PLEASE read the whole post and let me explain. I do NOT hate Israel. I am NOT allied with the Arabs who want Israel gone. I do NOT think that Israel is a bad nation.

However, I do think that there are many things about Israel itself and its founding that are not right. For example, let us start with Israel’s founding as a nation (in a nutshell and greatly watered down). We need to go way back. Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Jacob, Jacob had Joseph. They lived in Mesopotamia, many believe where modern day Israel is now. Joseph was sold into slavery and ended up in Egypt becoming the right hand of Pharaoh. 

Through dreams, Joseph new to store food for the coming drought. Eventually, his family moved in with him in Egypt. Fast forward a few hundred years, two million Israelites are living in Egypt. Moses comes, sets them free. They cross the Red Sea, wander around for 40 years, then invade the place where modern day Israel sets. They conquer and destroy everything in the land and claim it as their own. 

Fast forward another few hundred years. After King David and King Solomon, the empire finally falls to the Babylonians. The Israelites are brought to Babylon, while some stay in Israel. After some more years, they are finally allowed to return and rebuild. 

Big bad people take over the area, people revolt and to settle the revolt, the people invite the Roman Empire in settle the dispute (again, this is a really fast nutshell of history). Everyone knows that when you invite the Romans in, they don't leave. They rule through the time of Jesus. Solomon's temple (that was rebuilt) is destroyed again and the Israelites are once again dispersed all over the world (known as the Diaspora). 

Fast forward another few hundred years. It is the late 19th century. Many Jews are making their way back to Israel, so they move in and buy mass amounts of land from the Arabs owning the land. During this time, the Jews develop the Zionist movement, that basically says that the land of Israel rightfully belongs to the Jews and tries to make the Holy Land a Jewish land. Obviously, Arabs do not like this concept because they have been living on this land for over a millennia. 

Before the break of WWI, the Zionists and Arabs were each pushing for their own separate states, naming one Israel and one Palestine. However, because of what is now modern day Israel's strategic position for the war, Britain quickly scooped up the Middle Eastern coast and allied with the wealthy Jews in the area. For promise of a new country, the Zionists were thrilled at the plan. 

What people fail to remember was that Britain has already promised to help build an Arab state through their ties in Egypt to Sharif Husayn, an Arab world leader. Thus the Arabs felt betrayed, sewing the first seeds of discord. Britain then helped move Palestinians off their lands during WWI, establishing their rule over the land. 

All of these broken promises, relocations, and political alliances, divided the Arab world. Most of them didn't know what to do. What is even more baffling is that the immigrating Jews still bought land from the Arabs and continued to move in, and the Arabs let them. It wasn't that the Arabs were so mad at the Jews, they were more mad at the West and Western civilization in general. The Jews were actually very helpful, bringing in new technologies, opening schools and hospitals.

Skip ahead to WWII when many Jews fled Hitler's persecution. Many of them fled in neighboring European countries, but many also made a trek down to Palestine to stay safe. So many Jews immigrating into Palestine caused the Arabs to become angry. They revolted and tried to halt Jewish immigration.

Britain had to step in and settle the conflict (since they had all their assets in the Middle East). Their solution: make two countries, one Arab and one Jewish. The Jews were not happy with the decision, but went along with it. The Arabs hated it and rejected it.

Britain tried again with the White Paper document. The document allowed a Palestinian state to form in ten years with full government. In additions, the Arabs could control how many Jews immigrated into the area and could severely restricted land sales. This time the Arabs were not happy, but okay with it. The Jews were heated.

Winston Churchill had to impliment the White Paper document after Italy entered the war in order to protect the Middle Eastern investments. By doing so, it greatly restricted Jewish immigration at the time they needed it most to escape Hitler. One boat full of Jews tried to get into Palestine, but was denied admittance. When it went back out into sea, it capsized, killing all but two members of the ship.

Jews in Palestine heard of this event and were enraged. They formed an underground defense force to attempt to kick the British out of the Middle East during the middle of WWII. The militia went as far as to assassinate a British politician in Cairo (who happened to be a good friend of Churchill).

Britain's division to the Jews only increased. Despite this, with the world now learning of the horrors of the Holocaust, many people became sympathetic with the Jews, wanting to help. The Jews themselves seemed to unite together, with Zionism as their main flag of honor.

After the war, thousands of Jews across Europe were demanding a place to resettle. To try to solve the issue, Britain went to the United Nations for help. The UN agreed to divide up the land into several Jewish and Arab states, unify their trade and currency, and make Jerusalem the center of it all. The Jews accepted the principle, the Arabs did not.

Lines were drawn. With the US removing itself from the situation and first and Britain siding with the Arabs, the conflict grew. Eventually, the US joined Israel's side and worked to help them. On May 14, 1948, the Jews declared their state Israel. The US acknowledged them the day after, and Russia did later. Soon many countries acknowledged the state until a year later, Israel joined the UN.

Enraged, the Palestinians attacked, but the Israeli forces held their ground. In fact, the held ground they claimed that way extended beyond their UN allotted land. Thus, the land was divided. Jerusalem was split in two; Arabs moved into the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Years later, after much tension between the Arabs and Jews, the Six-Day War broke out on June 5, 1967. Egypt, Syria, and Jordan were gearing up to wage war with Israel, but Israel thought the best defense was a good offense. They captured all the lands belonging to the Arabs (including the West Bank, Golan Heights, and the Gaza Strip) and the Sinai.

The policy then became a "land-for-peace" agreement: the Arabs wanted peace if they could get their land back. The Sinai was returned to Egypt twelve years later. The Arabs still have not gotten back the Gaza Strip or West Bank to this day.

This is where we are today. While Israel lets the Palestinians run their own land (somewhat, but not really if you look into it), they still own it and have their own power over it. Thus, in 1987, the people started to rebel. What started as strikes and civil disobedience soon led to martyrdom and suicide bombings. Thus, the conflict started again...

Until today. Now they are taking peace with Israel again. Talking with some of the older Jews here, they actually want peace with Palestine and to give them their land back. Some of them are Holocaust survivors, so they know what it is like to live under oppression. They are sympathetic to the Palestinians.

I am not against Israel, but how they became a state makes me uneasy. I don't a problem with people moving back to their homeland, but not taking it by force and kicking other people out. There wasn't a problem between Jews and Arabs at first when the Jewish people were just buying land. But then the Jews developed a sense of entitlement and forced their beliefs on everyone around them. I don't agree with this.

While the people here are nice and all, and Israel is the most Westernized country we have been in, I can't say I like it. Let me tell you why.

I have been through Israeli security today, and honestly, I felt defiled and hated. I felt like I did something wrong when the lady looked down at me and talked down to me like a little kid as she opened up my suitcase and pulled everything out. She looked through my Bible like it was some kind of bomb with a sour look on her face. She kept asking me questions like, "Do you have a bomb?" "Did someone give you a package?" "Are you making a delivery to anyone?" I felt like a criminal when I hadn't done anything wrong. Two of our group members were flagged because they looked suspicious (one was Black and the other was Asian; racist are we?).

I understand tight security. I totally agree with it and support it. However, HOW you treat people in security says a lot about how you view outsiders and a lot about your country. I was very upset with how they treated us, a student group from America (their biggest ally!) on a learning experience of the Middle East. We were even going to help excavate part of their history of the nation for free (well, it was more than free, because we had to pay to come over to work for them) at Bethsaida. I just don't understand how they could have treated us that way. It wasn't just me. In fact, I was one of the nicer ones they treated. You should ask some of our other group members how they treated them.

In addition, I have been talking to other Arabs not in Israel and hearing their stories. Apparently, Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel. In return, Israel would supply water to Jordan, one of the poorest watered countries in the world. It seemed great for the first year. Then the Israelis started sending them polluted water they could not use. Jordan, not being able to do anything, cut their loses and moved their water consumption to Syria.

I could go on and on about what I have read about Israel in "I Am a Palestinian Christian". This is such a good book to see a different side of the coin on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I think many times Americans (especially American Christians) side with Israel because they don't know any better. When you really learn the facts, it is hard to side with Israel when it comes to that debate, especially after how bad they have treated the Palestinian Christians. I won't go into detail now (because this post is SO LONG) but you should read it sometime. It will change you life.

Anyway, I have said my piece. I hope this starts to helpful dialogue into what is actually happening over here. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask. I will try to answer it as best as I can. Until next time, love ya, and God bless!

Following His Call,
Adam
Romans 12:18

Day 6

Day 6: Mosque, Mara, Suez, Sinai

Hey everyone!

Today was mostly a traveling day through the desert. While it may sound rather boring driving through the desert, we made it interesting with the many stops we made. We drove from Cairo to the Suez where we crossed the Suez Canal. Actually, we drove under it, which was pretty cool.

I never really realized how awesome our guide was. At first, I was rather turned off by Izzat because I thought, “We are college students and we have two professors with us. Why are we paying for another person to tell us stuff we already know?” Oh how arrogant and wrong I was!

Apparently, in countries where history is so rich and so vibrant (and one of the main sources of income for the country is tourism), a bachelor’s degree in Tourism and Hospitality is required to do anything in the tourism industry. In America, we don’t know anything about tourism, really. Our country is only about 225 years old. We don’t have that much of a history yet. We don’t know anything about monumental structures and history that was built thousands upon thousands of years ago. (You can argue for the Native Americans, but still, people don't flock to America to see the Indians, come on now.)

After being with Izzat, I have concluded that professional tour guides are some of the smartest people in the world. They speak multiple languages and are experts on pretty much everything in their country. I can only recall one question that Izzat couldn’t answer (I don’t remember the question specifically, but it was something really specific like “What does this symbol mean?”), but that wasn’t because he didn’t know, it was because nobody knew (by “nobody”, I mean professors and people who know stuff).

Overall, I was really impressed with Izzat. I took time to thank him very much for all that he did for us. He really connected with us and was very informative the entire way. He even said he would find us and friend us on Facebook (which I thought was pretty cool).

Izzat was not only our guide, he was our translator, cultural expert, etc. One time we went to dinner without him but before he left he told us exactly what we should do. But then we ran into a snag. There was some miscommunications at the restaurant and we were forced to leave (not because of anything we did to offend them, but they were under the impression that we were not supposed to eat there, but at another restaurant they sent us to). Arriving at our second restaurant, we were confused. We realized just how much we needed Izzat in that moment and how ignorant we Americans were with Middle Eastern affairs. If Izzat was there, he would have had that whole thing resolved in a few minutes.  But the night did end out working well. We ate and had fun.

Traveling through the Sinai was very interesting. I felt like we were following the Israelites as they left Egypt a few thousand years before us. Especially after we stopped at Mara, the place of “Bitterness” where Moses turn the bitter water into drinkable water. Seeing the two wells there really brought the history to life.

I learned something else after this event: Izzat seemed to really know his Bible history. After asking him, I found out he was a Coptic Presbyterian. How cool, being guided by a Brother from another culture! I talked to Dr. Appold about Izzat being a Christian, and he said, “Of course he is a Christian. Those are the only people I work with over here.”

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Besides it being my preference,” he said, “It is easier for the tourism groups to get along with the tour guide and get to know the country if everyone starts with the same presuppositions. When we try to tour over here, the travel agency asks us what our belief system is so they can pair us up with someone of the same background. That way, there is no dispute.”

How cool! Every one of our tour guides from here on out are going to be Christians. I am so excited about it. I can’t wait to tell you more.

Following His Call,

Adam

Proverbs 18:24

Day 5

Day 5: Coptic Church, Mosques, Market

Hey everyone! 

Today was a fun and very interesting Sunday. Normally, I would wake up and go to church. Well, we did, but not in the same way. We got to sleep in a bit, but then we went to a Coptic church to see what Coptic Christianity is all about. The church was very old in the Coptic section of town, so we had to do some walking through a series of alleys in order to get there.

One thing I found interesting in Cairo is how everything is contrasting, but still living in harmony. I know that sounds confusing, but our guide kept talking about how Egypt is a country of contrasts living in unison. Let me explain: the old and new live side by side (literally in the same building at times). For example, we walked down a very new looking corridor to get to this VERY old church (it was over a few centuries old). Across the street from this very old church, was another old building right next to another newer building.

 

Not only was the architecture mixed, but the people were too. People young and old (which isn't that rare; it is common in most every country), rich and poor, white and Arab were living right next to each other. Modern day Bedouins live small tents they made in the city but still sell their wares to the men in fancy business suits walking by. 

Not only that, but the landscape itself is beautiful, and trashy. The desert scape right next to the green Nile is gorgeous, especially at sunset, but the streets are littered with trash. People live in the middle of this trash and just toss their bottles of stuff in the streets when they are done with them. Yet somehow, the city looks so beautiful. 

What I find the most fascinating is how the Muslims and Coptic Christians manage to live together in harmony. I have seen Coptic ladies walk up to and talk to some Muslim women and carry on like they are best friends (and who knows, they might be; I can't tell what they are saying). There doesn't seem to be any hatred or anger towards the other religion. Sure, I felt some tension between them, but it was no different than the difference some Protestants feel to Catholics and vice versa. But they were not hateful to each other as most people are led to believe. 

All I know is that I felt safe and comfortable there. Even though I didn't speak the language and the culture was totally foreign, I didn't feel uncomfortable or afraid. I felt like these people liked me and had my back if something went wrong. If somebody tried to hurt me, I honestly felt like these guys standing next to me in the streets would step up to my aid and defend me. 

I think we can learn a lot from the mentality of these people. 

Following His Call, 

Adam 

Psalm 133:1

Day 4

Day 4: Relaxation, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple

Hey everyone!

I feel like the last few posts have been very preachy, and I am sorry for that. I don’t mean to be, I have just faced so much opposition trying to get here that I feel I need to justify why it is worth it. (You can read about my opposition in the post: Pocket-Dial). I thought I would fill you in on some things I have learned so far on my trip.

1. 1)      It is harder to pee on a moving train than an airplane.
2. 2)      It is harder to pee on a moving bus than a moving train.
3. 3)      Peddlers are REALLY annoying.  You can read my rant (here).
4. 4)      Egyptians eat with forks and knives, not chopsticks. (Yes, someone I know in America asked if they used chopsticks in Egypt.)
5. 5)      Egyptian food isn’t that much different from American food; only different in flavor and spice. (They eat LOTS of chicken.)
6. 6)      I have not had to use any Immodium or laxatives (thank God!).
7. 7)      Our tour guide, Izzat, likes me and makes fun of me occasionally; he has a great sense of humor.
8. 8)      King  Hapshetsut  can be remembered as “Hot Chicken Soup”.

Right now I am writing on the train as we ride back from Luxor to Cairo. Today, we visited the Karnak Temple and the Luxor Temple. They were very impressive! I posted some videos you can watch here (Coming soon). I found out that the trains we are riding on are the same ones they used back in WWII. Wow! This whole country is just loaded with history from all over!

One of the nicest things about today was our ability to relax. We didn’t have to be anywhere until 1:00PM. It was so nice to be able to sleep in and relax. My girlfriend and I stood on the dock next to the Nile for a while just talking and enjoying the night air as we watched boats go by. We ended up going back to my room to watch The Mummy Returns, which although does mention Luxor, doesn’t follow ANYTHING CLOSE to Egyptian mythology or archeology.  But besides the horrible ‘90’s plot and cinematography, we enjoyed the film.

I felt so accomplished today. Even though we had time off to relax, I still managed to work. I managed to wake up late, take a shower, do laundry, and read some chapters in my books. I also managed to catch up on journal entries and get them all taken care of. After that, I headed down to the pool for an hour while my clothes dried on the balcony. I swam for a bit, sunbathed for a bit, then went back to the room.

I was reading some more when my roommate walked in and we started to talk. But we didn’t just talk about our trip; we got into some deep conversations.  We talked about our lives, our beliefs, and who God was to us. It was a very interesting and good heart-to-heart conversation.

In fact, today was full of interesting conversations. In between the tour guides, we ended up discussing deep topics such as politics, international policies, historical controversial events, foster care, and transsexuals. There was some "bloodshed" in the conversations, but overall, nobody killed each other. At the end of the day, we all laughed together and generally enjoy each other’s company.

At first, I was worried after the topics of today’s conversation. We are supposed to spend five weeks together here… this could end up bad. However, I am optimistic about the future and believe we are becoming more and more like a family, learning to rely on each other and build each other up.  I am looking forward to the weeks ahead! But tonight, I am going to let the sway of the train lull me to sleep.

Following His Call,

Adam