UMHB Israel-Jordan Study Tour: March 2011

Friday, March 11, 2011

Arrival Home

After receiving a deadline extension from the travel agency, my faith was refreshed and further encouraged as the second round of checks came in over the next two weeks. But as November 19^th approached only $1,100 more had been provided, leaving me still $2,400 short of the total trip amount. I was certain that the travel agency could not make special accommodations twice, so I decided that I would call to cancel my reservation completely. This time, I wasn’t just reluctant and a little bit worried as I had been before. I was mad, and mostly at God for feeling as though He’d led me into an amazing opportunity only to see it fall through.

The Lord was gracious to me, and mercifully redirected my irritated complaints for His 'lack of provision' as I phoned the travel agency. I explained that I simply did not have the money that I’d expected to receive and told the agent that I believed I would need to cancel my trip reservation, to which she replied, “It’s ok if you still don’t have the full amount! At Dehoney, we like to see that all of our customers get to travel, so just send us what you have this time and we’ll go from there.”

Since travel agencies are a money making business, it seems highly unlikely that they would offer a travel spot to a girl without sufficient funds -- TWICE. I was once again reassured of the Lord’s hand over my trip plans. Despite my lack of faith, and even an impatient and questioning heart, He remained faithful.

“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:11-13)

Praise God for His promises. To me, the Lord did remain faithful! Over the next couple of weeks, the entire trip fund was paid in full by friends and supporters. With only $315 more to go, I had one last freak-out moment knowing that my contact resources for more funds had been completely exhausted. At the last minute, I received more checks in the mail, one from a person I have still never met. The total equaled $316 exactly, and in God’s perfect timing and sovereignty my trip was paid off!

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This trip not only fulfilled a life-long dream of mine to visit the Holy Land, the experience I received through a study abroad program far surpassed any sight-seeing trip to the Near East I could have joined on my own. Having the option to travel with an authentic archaeologist from my own university allowed for a rich and unique environment of hands-on learning that simply cannot be matched in the classroom. With a traveling group of 45 people, including 6 study abroad participants, Dr. Wyrick focused on developing and maintaining personal relationships with each of his student travelers before, during and after the tour, which is the trademark of a Mary Hardin-Baylor education. I’m confident that I gleaned more knowledge through this tour experience than I could have hoped to retain from any 16-week course. Study abroad opportunities should be utilized by every student!

DAY 10 - Jerusalem (Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre)

Of all my incorrect expectations about Israel, the Via Doloros was the biggest shock. I had always imagined a long, dusty road leading towards Calvary, located a distance outside of the city and removed from large groups of people or gathering areas. Our guide explained to us that the scenery had probably been the exact opposite – busy, bustling streets leading through a heavily populated and crowed part of town towards the place of crucifixion. Contrary to my 3^rd grade Sunday school imaginations, we were further informed that the crucifixion of Jesus had most likely not taken place “on a hill far away”. Jesus traveled through the heart of the city in plain view of the people, and was nailed to the cross in a more public area on flat ground, at the eye level of his beholders. We walked 12 feet below the buildings of Jerusalem to see the original street of the Via Dolorosa. Initially, I was a bit flustered to stand in what should be the most significant street in the world surrounded by commotion with mobs of people pushing past me. But I realized that this scene was a picture what Jesus was all about. In complete sinlessness, the creator of the universe became one of us so that he could stand in the midst of sinful people – souls in need of saving grace -- and with them brushing past Him, his offering of grace remained unaltered.

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After two weeks of visiting places of such deep biblical significance, I was surprised that my first tearful moments came only in the last few minutes on Israeli soil. With our jet barreling down the runway towards takeoff, an unexpected mixture of emotions suddenly emerged and I cried as I watched the lights of Tel Aviv disappear below the clouds. I wondered if that final glimpse of Israel would be my last sight of the Holy Land before the coming of the new heaven and new earth. I dried my eyes and quietly began praying for the peace of Israel (Psalm 122:6).