From Thoughts to Truth.

Time passes by quickly. Days become blurs and is punctuated by hours of sleeping that feel more like naps. It seems that the only refreshment available come with the sip of a Chai Tea Latte or a walk during the first hours of the morning.

Yet, God is good.
Though our time seems as if it flies over our heads, God continues to purge Matt and I’s hearts. We continue to learn what it means to walk in the Spirit, to be a representative of Christ and each other, and are being taught by the Holy Spirit personal lessons for our own reflections.

Our days have been compiled with vulnerable moments, travel days, and a sifting of our hearts. We went to Tel Aviv's beautiful beaches, where we took a dip in the warm Mediterranean, and where the water was calm as the sun shone brightly. The sand was softer than anything we've known, and the experience of pure beauty.

 

Towards sunset, we stopped to read the account of Peter getting the vision from God that told him that he, as a Jew, was able to have meet. We just happened to be in the same town it occurred. 

On Yom Kippur we hiked from our hotel to the Mount of Olives at 4 in the morning. There we did class, worship, and saw the sun rise.

Though we do miss home and love every person that's supported us, we apologize that we haven't updated more often. We have an extremely busy schedule coming up. This week we will be visiting a couple different cities, there will be a boys and girls night, and then we will be doing archaeological excavations at what is believed to be John the Baptist's home and Solomon's temple. After that we will be traveling, and we do not know another day that will be free.

Jerusalem is truly a place that is a Refiner's Fire. God is teaching us vital lessons and exposing our hearts; He calls us to obey as He purges, and we must take it all stride by stride, hand in hand. Please pray for us. Often our hearts are heavy, but our burden is light. We long to glorify God, and not think of ourselves or of men. May we gain eternal eyes and the right heart. We want the Consuming Fire to burn us until we perfectly reflect our Maker. We pray for the present, and we pray for the future. 

Great is His faithfulness.

May this Consuming Fire in Jerusalem refine my heart to produce pure gold. May that gold be the substance that ties my heart to Matt’s, and may we only be dependent on a connection that is purely from God. Prayerfully, I want to see him as a ministry in which I give all efforts to- not because I believe that he deserves it or I am obligated, but because God has called me to love. God has called me to love without fear, to love with myself abandoned, with my thoughts not even encircling my own self. God has called me to live, to live a life that has unrestrained freedom because it stems from an unfathomable Source of Love. God has called me to a life that has no boundaries. No walls, no barriers, no fears, and no restrictions. I am to be flexible in circumstances, and pliable in heart. And may the Truth that I know and Truth that has given me opportunity to live in such pure and undefiled religion- may these Truths teach me to love; a love that is both firm and free. 

From Yom Kippur to Succot

So so very much to say,

certainly too much to articulate at a single point.

We here in Jerusalem are certainly blessed.

We here in Jerusalem are certainly tried and tested.

and the two are not mutually exclusive.

If this city's namesake really does mean Peace,

then it surely fits.

Not that the city is peaceful, but rather, that the peace of God, surpassing understanding, is that much more necessary.

Necessary to maintain a joyful disposition.

Necessary to see through the fog of disguise, to see the blessing beyond.

My test has been to set aside my preconceptions of what is best.

If i ask God for a fish, and He gives me a piece of bread, am i to argue?

of course not.

i trust the omni- benevolence and sovereignty of God.

I trust His transcendent wisdom.

22 people all with the same schedule, all with unique and individual walks with the same Saviour God.

It is beautiful.

We were blessed the other day to take a trip to the Jerusalem Holocaust Memorial and Museum (name?).

I had previously been to the Holocaust Museum in New York, giving me a certain frame of reference.

We were there, without rest, for ~4 hours, and still were not exhaustive with the available material.

One facet emphasized by our guide before we began, was the distinction in perspective this museum takes when contrasted with the others around the world. He said that most often the history is taken from the viewpoints of the Nazis: that their own history and brutality is told through a cold lens of objectivity.

However, this Museum focuses rather on the perspective of the victims.

While exhibits detailing the torture and mistreatment of the Jews are present, they are precluded by half a museum dedicated to testimony, personal artifacts, etc.

In essence, I concluded that while other museums focused on the inhumanity of the Holocaust,

This museum rather focused on the humanity of the Holocaust's victims.

It was very powerful.

In fact, the Israeli government requires all foreign dignitaries to take a trip to it, before beginning their other business. Evidently, Chondolisa Rice was turned away because she refused to go through the exhibit.

Just a short time ago, Yom Kippur was celebrated here. and today is Succot, the feast of Tabernacles. The feasts are very interesting, and are worthy of their own posts (perhaps sometime in the future).

Suffice it to say, we as 3 month fixtures get to see the waves of religious observers: orthodox Jews in peculiar hats, Loud and obnoxious Pentecostals from the American Mid West, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Priests and Nuns, Chinese Christians pilgriming to Israel to preach the Gospel back to its source; even most obscure "Christians" who dress as Jesus and wander around like vagrant Hippies.

In other news, Kristin and I do our best to involve ourselves with our peers, staying a social couple that doesn't distant ourselves. we have been blessed with the encouragement of others about our relationship; we have been graced with the respect, appreciation, and support of those here.

Yet we still try to find time regularly to meet and convene with one another, to stay on the same page, and enjoy one another's company.

Through it all, Kristin and I count ourselves blessed, and prayerfully and pensively consider our future; educationally, vocationally, locationally, romantically, etc.

Pray for our time, and our campus, as we seek to find and learn that which has been prepared for us by God.
- Matthew

From Then to Now.

Last week we drove to Bethlehem and had class in the caves of the Shepherd’s Fields, where the angel appeared to the shepherds.
Twas astounding to imagine seeing it at night, with a thousand clear stars, two thousand years ago. 

 

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them,”Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Chris the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
-Luke 2:8-14

From Their Pace to Ours.

A Day at Our Pace, and then some.
Home:

 

Faces:

 

Dates:

From Huff to Puff

Jerusalem's campus is much more involved than other campuses.

That is to say, time is a bit more precious, and things take a bit more of it.

Getting to class is a five to ten minute walk, depending upon personal brevity.

Preparing a meal must be done while circumventing 10-15 other people in a very small kitchen.

Finding a place of privacy is often an issue of chance, not diligence.

But sparing more,

i must say that we are indeed blessed, and for 20 people to store their week's worth of food in just a few fridges, and one medium sized cupboard, is something of a miracle in itself.

Everyone has personal struggles; and everyone deals with those struggles in their own ways.

But everyone is recalled by their God, broken, and healed.

in but two short weeks time, i'd say about half of the campus population has been broken and renewed in some way.

Kristin and I included; more than once even.

God is faithful,

and it's beautiful to see Him render individual lessons to individual hearts, even when 22 of them are all on the same exact schedule, all living within a dozen yards of one another.

Yet we still find time to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings.

As Kristin wrote, our first "Block" of classes has officially ended, with a formidable final exam.

an exam leaving much of the student body feeling defeated; though for me a certain refreshment at the clever difficulty imposed; it's humbling and i enjoy that.

Also as Kristin wrote, John and Lori Steward are on their way elsewhere from us, and we were blessed to have them.

beautiful insight into our hearts and future was birthed from conversing with them.

In some ways, this marks the end of our "settling in" period; patterns are forming, habits are adapting to culture (some more than others), etc.

We count our blessings here, and already see the cultivation of our hearts; and here we are less than a fifth into our time here.

pray for us, and pray for Israel.

We desire God's will and sanctification.

From Time to Time.

It seems as if time has been our enemy,

but bending it is a learned art. 

Our days are filled to the brim, 

and there are moments where I feel suffocated, 

but as Matt emphasizes- our circumstances are circumstances that God has given, and thus we must rely on Him for strength, hand in hand, day by day.

This week has been eventful, not only in schedule and time, but in politics and news. It is frightening to see how extreme these cultures are. For the first time, I am an American not being integrated into the cultures and welcomed warmly, but consistently aware that I am a foreigner and treated as so. 

Matt and I have had the grand opportunity, privilage and blessing, to be spending the past two weeks under the teaching of John Stewart, a lawyer with a PhD in Theology, and his wife, Lori Stewart, with a law degree and thorough studies of Biblical Peacemaking. Both are an inspiring couple to us, who have been through a lot to be where they are today, as they travel the world and consider Africa their second home, relentlessly teaching the Bible and Gospel worldwide. We have been able to bring them to dinner, have numerous conversations regarding present day politics, advice for the future, and have been reduced to tears over God's blessings in their lives. 

John has lead the class in teaching church history and inter-testament history, and ended with a Master's Graduate degree test (which I failed and Matt got the second to highest score in the class). They have both given us background information on Palestine's history and have helped all of us understand the present day situation better so that we can communicate better with these cultures. We have seen Hamas' declaration of the "day of wrath" to cause Israeli Defense Forces to fly planes over the city, ten officers at every street corner, Palestinians feel betrayed by Obama and show it, men walking around with hands clutched to their guns, Jews not revealing themselves in the streets as tourists replace them, and the school taking extra precautions of sleeping next to packed backpacks and practicing our escape route to the bomb shelters.

Matt and I feel as if we are here at a significant point in International Relations, 

and I do not know what to think.

But I will say and declare that the Lord is good,

and will have confidence in His sovereignty.

The children here grow in hostility;

I have witnessed10 year old boys hit, kick, and threaten the girls with scissors,

as the boys assert authority to each other by violence,

and our walks to school pass through children threatening to stab each other with sticks and stones.

It is rare to receive a smile from a child.

instead, we are given untrusted glares.

"Jerusalem- built as a city

that is bound firmly together,

to which the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD,

as was decreed for Israel, 

to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

There thrones for judgement were set, 

the trones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

May they be secure who love you!

Peace be within your walls

and security within your towers"

For my brothers and companions' sake

I will say, "peace be within you!"

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,

I will seek your good."

-Psalm 122: 3-9

From Day to Night.