Final Thoughts

Monday

My flight home is today and hopefully there are no more hitches. Thank you for being part of my adventure, learning with me and praying for me. It has been interesting on multiple levels =)

Now that I have had a day to process the trip without any chaotic incidents, I am going to try and write a few of the important thoughts/favorite memories that I have had while being here.

Final Thoughts/Highlights:

-My favorite activity was doing the archaeological dig. Even though we were just digging up pot shards and random bones and objects, it felt like there was a window to past that I would have never experienced else where. Archeology in the states is not the same, just not enough history. But being that I once wanted to be an archeologist or a paleontologist, it was definitely a rare opportunity. Also, being able to go spelunking through cracks and holes in the caves was so exciting.

-The Dead Sea was a really fun experience that stood out as well. I was slightly paranoid about drinking the water and was pretty cold, it was awesome being able to try and swim. Plus my skin exfoliated as well, which made me laugh! As a guy, I should probably not mention that again =)

-As for what spoke to me, I would say when we went to the mountain of the Sermon of theMount and the Sea of Galilee. Just being in the place that served as Jesus' classroom was profound. Listening to the messages that we received really made me think about us as Christians and it challenged me.

-The way God spoke to me on the sea was pretty powerful as well. I felt as if he was telling me that I was going in the right direction, even though he challenged my current goal of getting into a PhD program. But the overriding thought that I had was that he loved me and that he was happy with where I am going.

This is big because I always trusted God because most men who tried to mentor me just wanted the validation of mentoring, which usually ended bad since I did not stroke their ego. So feeling affirmed by God and knowing that I am who he wants me to be was powerful to me.

-For those that do not know me, I am very much cut in the mold of Andrew and Barnabas when it comes to Biblical characters. Andrew was a quiet extravert who used his relationship with Christ to bring those that he knew to Christ. He was sort of a networker, as you can see in the book of John in which he introduced Simon, the boy who had the fish and bread, and the Greeks to Jesus. In short, he paid attention to every tree and in turn took care of the forest.

As for Barnabas, when you look at him, he was a utility man (to use a baseball term). Most people just think of him as an encourager, but he taught, prophesied, started churches, financed the church, and performed miracles to name a few. I fit that category as well because I can do a little bit of everything, and I felt God told me to embrace my ability and continue to follow these two role models.

-So that means pursue both ministry and academics, but ministry might take the front seat sooner than expected. I will be sure to check my options as I wind down my seminary experience (I graduate next year) and give due diligence to these options, and also honor my commitment to the Navy Reserves as a Chaplain.

-I was also overwhelmed by the way in which others helped me when I was sick. Again, I am not used to grace or people giving me grace for anything. Those that know me know that I am pretty hard on myself at times because of that. So being in a new country and being bed ridden was not something I wanted, nor expected I would get grace for. But I did, and a lot of people prayed for me and gave me medicine and things like that. It was really nice, especially since I did not know too many people on the trip.

-What also hit me hard was looking at the ancient church surviving in Israel. There are two Christian quarters in the Old City, and it was powerful to see these churches. I am not sure if they are thriving, but they seem unfazed by the trouble in the region. There is so much history, so much tradition, and cooperation between the Roman Catholics and the Easter Orthodox churches. It was so awesome to see the two sharing buildings and going into the different parts and seeing how they operate. I just wish protestants like me would stop and see the value of this instead of saying "we are doing our own thing!" We have a lot to learn from one another. Being led by a messianic Jew was powerful in Nazerath's village. As he spoke, our guides love for Christ and desire to bring others to Christ saturated the air. He was soft spoken, but his love was intoxicating and it made you WANT to listen to him. He did not rant or rave or try to convince you of anything, but he was secure and confident in Christ and it made you want to listen and want to be around him.

-Finally, the relationships made were what I will remember. As a quality time person, there was definitely ALOT of it on the trip. A lot of experiences to go through and a lot powerful moments that were shared. I have never been a "lets be friends forever!" type, but I know that I made some good friendships on the trip, and became closer to those I knew. I am excited to see what the next stage of life holds!

But it has been great, so thank you for letting me share! This is Jason Christafaris, signing off. God Bless you all!

JSC