I have arrived home...

Shalom Shalom!

I am back from Israel safe and sound, having the best trip of my life. Its crazy, I felt like I was there for a month, and I am definitely still trying to digest everything. In the 10 days we were there we saw the entire country! We went along every border excluding Egypt and visited cities and towns that are mentioned all over the Bible. Even in the few days of being back, as I read my Bible I can picture the place and what it would have looked like when the authors were writing.

My favorite hike of the entire trip was the mountain of Qumran. It was crazy hot (well especially coming from snow) and at the moment you reach the top there is the biggest sense of relief and amazement. Up there is an Ebenezer (rock pile) started by the class who went two years ago. We picked up our stones and wrote to God something we have learned or want to remember and added them to the ever growing pile. It was a surreal moment to stand up there looking over the desert.

One morning we took a boat out into the middle of the Sea of Galilee and watched the sunrise. For a while it was just silent except for the few of us talking and taking pictures here and there, and then they started to play a couple worship songs. I absolutely loved being out there, watching that crazy beauty of the sunrise knowing that Jesus had been on this very sea, and here I am 2000 years later worshipping the one who saved me. After a few songs they played crazy fun Hebrew worship and dance music and we had an insane dance party right there on the boat. My heart had so much joy in that moment. I loved it!

Well we are getting ready to have a family meeting here in a few minutes before heading off to our last work weekend of the year... but I will definitely try and post more stories and hopefully a couple pictures this weekend.

Paul, Timothy and I are "on a break"...

So this is probably the most important post of the whole year...

I PASSED MY FINAL PHILIPPIANS TEST!!!

Yes that is right I just passed the chapter 4 Philippians test, meaning I know all four chapters through and through, inside and out, forwards and backwards... okay maybe not backwards. In any case am so relieved. Now I just need to pack for Israel tomorrow!

Leavin on a jet plane....

First and foremost I would like to say HAPPY EASTER! I am so thankful that God sent His son Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He has not only saved us, but given us freedom from sin. We are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness, and for that I am eternally thankful!

I cannot believe that in 3 days I will be boarding an airplane to Israel. It seems like just yesterday I was fretting about how I would ever raise enough support to go. But God has provided abundantly and all 53 students are going! Thanks to much of you reading this blog. I am truly grateful for everything. Continue to pray for us throughout our trip, because I know that God has much in store for every student, myself included.

Not that I update this often anyways (sorry Brandon and Chantelle haha) but I probably won't be posting until after Israel... But I promise pictures and a lengthy blog about everything when I return! I love you all and miss you all very much!

GOD BLESS!

and ps. check out www.joshuawilderness.org while I'm gone, they should be updating it daily with pictures and video!

The End Is Near!

Monday marked the beginning of the pine needle raking extravaganza! Though next week really picks up into full gear. One of our ways of raising money for the Israel trip is sending out letters to the lot owners up here at Hume offering to rake their pine needles (which has to be done for fire safety). This year we are doing 46 lots and it has truly made the difference in all of us being able to go to Israel.

Next week however because everyone will be out raking pine needles there needs to be someone to cook the food... And low and behold Ryan and I will be assisting Hilafree (aka Hilary) in cooking for our class, as well as the part-time staff that will not be at staff retreat, and for a guest group of 60 people. It should be crazy fun.

We have also started all of the end of the year stuff such as preparing for mock-rock, getting our quilt squares made, putting on the solo-initiative showcase, studying for Israel, memorizing verse numbers and concepts for our final Philippians test, etc... Needless to say we are a bit busy up here, but loving every minute of it.

That's the craziness of Joshua; and on a side note my friend Chantelle is amazing and just got 76th at the World Cross Country Race held in Jordan last Saturday!!! I am honored to know her; and not just because she is an amazing runner, but because she is an amazing person who challenges me in so many ways. Love you girl!

The LaHayes

This week we are privileged to have Tim Lahaye as our speaker! For those of you who don't recognize the name he is the author of the fiction Left Behind series as well as over 100 different books. His wife, Beverly, who founded the Concerned Women For America organization joined him for the trip. They are an amazing couple that has been married for 62 years! Yesterday I was able to share lunch with them and talk with Beverly and her wisdom and where she has been in life is really inspiring. She was so encouraging to me about my future and what God can do with a life if we are truly surrendered to Him. And for those of you who don't know it was the Lahayes that made the Joshua building possible. Without them I would not have the opporunity to be in this program that has transformed my lief this year. So thank you Beverly and Tim Lahaye :)

The 13th of March and its a FRIDAY!

Its Funday Friday! We just got done having 27 preview students come stay for 2 nights at the building and let me tell you it was crazy having 80 people at all the meals! Its funny how I never thought I would be this way, but I was so possessive over the building, it really has become my home here... And with that I cannot believe that it is almost over. With only 5 and half weeks until we leave for Israel, and only about a week when we get back, the rest of the year is going to fly! I want to take advantage of each moment from here on out. That's what I have been learning the past week or so. Its so easy to become comfortable with a place and let it go by without taking full advantage of it. So no matter whether you find yourself in Fresno, Hawai'i, So Cal, Oregon, or at Hume Lake really stop to look around and be thankful for everything you have, because whether we want to admit it or not, God has blessed each and everyone of us tremendously!

Time flies

Its been too long... Well we are back from Vegas and now we only have 6 weeks until we leave for Israel! We came home from sunny sunburn weather back to snow, and though I love snowboarding I am ready for summer again! That is what I am most stoked for right now, summer work at Hume. Staying present each and everyday without looking to forward to this summer is what I need to work on in Joshua right now.

Tonight Brittany, Julie, Tabby, Chelsea, Klark, Russel, Bryan, T.C., Jeremiah, and Myself all drove down to Clovis and are staying at my house, going to teazers (the best tea in Fresno), and going to the Well for church in the morning. It is so relaxing and fun to hang out at a house... Right now Britt is dying Chelsea's hair, I'm sitting here listening to Bryan play guitar, others are checking facebook, and Klark Russ and Miah are cooking themselves steaks... I love it.

Though tonight is super chill and relaxing, overall life has been pretty stressful the last couple of weeks. Joshua is getting tougher, in regards to being burnt out, and physically I am struggling a little bit. I am going down to the doctor on Wednesday and could definitely use some prayer for peace of mind during that day and the next few days leading up to it...

Other than that things seem to be going along at Joshua, and I am challenged each day to not take anything for granted. God has been so good to me this year and I am stoked for what the next 9 or 10 weeks have in store before summer. And I will try and be a more avid poster the next 6 or so weeks until Israel, I realize I've been slaking, sorry!