Life Lessons from Israel.

Praise God! My house is safe. The evacuation order was lifted a few days ago.
I'm also getting much better, and can now eat meat, which is exciting. Food is so good! I went to Disneyland today with my pastor's family and some friends, and it made me so happy. Now I'm just super tired - but hopefully this will help me finally sleep the whole night through, instead of waking up at 4 am because my body's clock is still off.

Yesterday, I was talking to Keo on the phone and processing with her helped me realize what important lessons I learned from Israel. More than just all the information that I acquired about archaeology or geography, I realized the lessons which I really will take with me were concerning my own brokenness and God's healing power. Sitting in the middle of the wilderness, I realized that in many ways I'm just like an Israelite - seeing God's power and provision time and time again, yet still lacking faith. As I lay on my bed near the Sea of Galilee when I was sick, I meditated on the fact that Jesus came for the sick, not for the healthy - and it was a humbling experience thinking about this while not being able to control my bowel movements. God broke me in many ways - helping me not to rely on my own physical strength, intellect, or academic ability. I experienced a range of emotions during this trip from extreme joy to extreme sadness and I learned what it means to be honest with God through all these emotions. So many lessons which I'll continue to learn through my lifetime.