July 1, 2009

It's 9:35pm on July 1^st here and Dad and I have made it back to my homeland here in Israel…Kibbutz Ginnosar.  I have found my self once again sitting by the Sea of Galilee for a final hour of Seaside Philosophy.   It is definitely the perfect way to spend my last full night in Israel.  We checked out of our hotel one night early to spend one final night here at the Kibbutz so Dad could get a better feel for where I’ve been.

For the first time in his life, Dad walked into the water of the Sea of Galilee.  Not ON the water…but hey it's a start.  We have had a great last few days here.  It has been an incredible experience and we are so grateful that we got to do this together.  We are already brainstorming about how to come back.  So far our best idea is...ah hem... "EXPERIENCE ISREAL 2011".   It will be a 3-part trip.  There will be sometime spent at a dig, time touring the country, and time teaming up with a ministry here.  I’ve come across so many unique ministries that could easily use volunteers.  Any takers?

And back to reality…we're gonna get up and do a quiet time by the sea tomorrow.  I have found that this place creates a deep desire to do just that anyway.  After breakfast we’ll head to a few more sites: Capernaum, Caesarea Philippi/Tel Dan? , and of course Bethsaida.  Then we'll drive back over to Tel Aviv to drop off our car and hang out til our flight leaves at 12:40am (Friday).  

Dad and I have learned a lot about ourselves on this trip:

I for one have learned that I get a little testy when under a hot sun for many hours a day. 

Dad finally learned, on our last day in the hotel, that our room is to the right when stepping out of the elevator, not the left….although every other day left seemed to be a first choice for him. 

I learned that my dad is more protective of his 22 year old daughter when walking through foreign streets where everyone looks like “terrorist”  (and I mean that in the most PC way possible…seriously, don’t be offended) and speaks a language other than ours. 

Dad learned that the amount of coffee he can consume in one sitting at a coffee shop here worries even the servers.   As one waiter asked, “Is your blood ok?”  To which he answered, “Oh, yeah.  Can you make the next pot stronger?”  (yes, he did ask for another pot, not cup)

I learned that modest clothing by American standards can be offensive to the orthodox Jews and their cousins, the Muslims.  (Don’t worry I didn’t get spit on or stoned, just some very pleasant looks.  What can I say? When it’s 106 degrees F, I’m gonna wear shorts.  I only did that once.)

Dad learned that the Dead Sea is not a refreshing dip…ever.  Nor does it taste even a little bit good.

I learned (as did Dad) that while the extra buoyancy of the salt-saturated water is a lot of fun, the burning sensation that every pore on your flesh experiences after about 10 minutes is not so fun.  (PS-DO NOT shave the day you are going to the Dead Sea.  Just don’t. )

We learned that kids are kids everywhere.

We learned there is not a person who doesn’t have a story to tell.

We have come to understand that there is no simple way to explain the conflicts of Israel.  They are complex, deeply rooted issues with many sides to each story.  It would be arrogant to think that we could leave this place with a political solution to the problems.  The real need is for the people of this land to know Yeshua as the Messiah…not merely as a prophet, not merely as a confused rabbi but as the Lord and Savior of the world…the God of Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac.