Israel: Day 1, Caves and Bet Guvrin and Caves and the Sea

Caves of Adullam (This was one of my favorite places.)

Made of limestone-type rock. Narrow tunnels. Upward and downward turns. Open into caverns. Mostly crouching size. Used by people in hiding. Mainly from soldiers (because the couldnt crawl through in their armor). David hiding from Saul. (Biblical reference: Psalm 57.)

"April 4: Crawling through the tunnels. Reaching the end. Stepping out of the opening and standing up. Looking to the sky, feeling the breeze. My eyes adjust. I appreciate the sunlight. I had been in the caves for minutes. But they had been in them for days... weeks... months... David and his men had been in and out of them for years..."

Bet Guvrin (Hebrew): House of Power

(Micaela)

Collumbarium
(a postal pigeon storehouse)

We thought we were walking through a small deserted city. (Surprise!) We were, in fact, walking over a large underground city. 

Sunlight

"Work rooms" (for farm animals, olive presses, etc.)

Bell Caves (a quarry)
Sidenote: Acoustics were incredible

 The Dead Sea

from the room window

Israel: Day 1, Azekah and the Creek

Hike to Azekah

(Matt Lindly), Shiloh, Jessica, Jordan

The Valley of Elah behind is now a farm land. 

For the centuries before, it was a battlefield.

The Creek

Israel is dry. There is not much rain. There is not much water. 

Some places that do contain water evaporate seasonally and are left empty.

Like this creek where David collected the stones to sling at Goliath. 

(Biblical reference: 1 Samuel 17.)

Israel: Day 1, Bet Shamesh

Bet Shamesh (Hebrew): House of the Sun

Logan and Joey (the Medic)

Little foxes caught on fire running through this field... (Biblical reference: Judges 15:3-4.)

We determined that Samson made big ("dumb") mistakes because he had earlier made little ("dumb") mistakes. The small compromises he made earlier led him to the big compromises later (and thus, the big consequences).

"Oh how easily we stray away..."

Cistern (with Kelsey)

Israel: Day 1, Kiriat Jearim

There is a college campus here (Masters/ Ibex) that recreated locations that would have been common in Israel during the B.C. (There was a tomb and an olive press and a vineyard and such things.)

At every location we visited, our group (of 70 or so) would gather and be told the historical reference of what we were looking at. (Or rather, we were reminded. Because as Joshua students, we had already studied the historical context of these locations. Visiting Israel was a "field trip". This was hands on learning.)

Rich, the Director of Joshua, is in the center.

Shiloh

from inside the tomb
(Tim, Jenae, Alli)

On the hill in the background was a small house. In this house was the Ark of the Covenant, which represented and "held" the presence of GOD. The Ark stayed in that house for twenty years. (Biblical reference: 1 Samuel 4-7.) It's a pretty neat story. I hadnt heard it before. Check it out.

Rich. Wine Press.

"All the Single Ladies!" Culturally, the young ladies of a town would come to the wine press and stomp the grapes, while all the young men would look on and take note of who was eligible.

with Kelsey

Israel: Day 1, On the Bus

Do you speak any Hebrew? Well, let's start with this one: "SHALOM!" 

--Ronan (the tour guide)

"April 4:
Woke up this morning early.
(Factoring time zone change.)
It was raining.
I slept very well last night.
I tried new things at breakfast.
We had our first stop.
Now on the bus.
Thoughts. Thoughts. Thoughts.
Eyes and hands open."

Israel: Pre-Adventure

"April 1: The trip has begun, I suppose. We are still in the United States, but are progressively making our way towards the airport. A small caravan departed from Hume Lake this morning. The rest will meet us at the airport tomorrow. It was a more leisurely drive today. I seem to be getting used to the road trip from Hume to LA, as we have driven it several times. And I am a littler eager to be a complete Joshua class once again. There is a certain comfort in community, and I have felt the lack of it..."

(The Israel trip came directly after Spring/Easter break. We had not seen each other for a week or so.)

In Bakersfield, CA.

 

by Alli

 

A Few Missed Things and the Time in Between.

Time is short, people.
There has been a seemingly ridiculous amount of things-- of the large and small varieties-- that have happened since I posted anything here. (And even more so since I wrote anything with... substance.)
I can try to explain my way through it. I could list several "whys" and "buts" and "because of"s. But they arent really relevant. They dont matter much to me, or I expect, to you either.
All that needs be said is that I havent shared in a while.
Id like to change that.
Starting with the next post, which is about our Joshua trip to Israel (from April).

Thank you for "following", or at least checking back in on this page.
I appreciate it. Very much.

While You Wait...

Hello, again.
Life has progressed. Things have changed. There is a lot of transition.
But before I write about it, here is a video for you to watch.
It was made as a "promo" for the summer (of which I spent on staff at Hume).
Because everyone wants a champion tee...

This is made by the same crew from last summer's video, which was mentioned in an earlier post on this blog: A Video (See 2012, June)

A Frequently Asked Question

"When are you coming home?" is the question coming from homeside.
"How long are you staying for?" is the question coming from here.
Really, they are the same question, aren't they?
The answer is the same: a little while.
I'll be home soon, after I stay here for a short time longer.

No worries. I have an intent of explaining things.

End of Summer

They tell me that my heart hurts like this because I loved well.

... I believe them.

Lainie is Still Here.

I am checking in.
Just for a moment.
To let you know that things are good.

Summer has just a few weeks left.
(Three and a half, about.)
I am learning new things.
(Like the science of milkshakes.)
And I am re-learning things.
(Applying "Joshua" to the almost-real world.)
I am meeting new people.
(Lots of them. Lots of neat ones!)
I am eating and sleeping and working and smiling and playing kickball and taking walks and crying and
praising the LORD that HE has been so, so very good to me.
(It took me a longer while to see it.)

All that to say, things are very busy.
And things are very good.
I am glad that I am here.
And I would like to share that with you.

The Road Trip of Returning (to begin summer)

Oregon City to Hume: 812 miles

Time: 13 hours (or 2 days...)

Status: Completed

Somewhere in Oregon with Heidi and Alli

Only a Little Unavailable

Hello, there, you who reads this blog.
(Thank you, by the way.)
I am still here, at Hume.
Summer camp has started.
This is officially "Week #3".
And I have not posted onto this page for quite a while.
In part, because it has not been a priority.
But also due to the limited access of internet.
I will not be posting as frequently as I have been over these last months.
Thank you for being being patient.
I will attempt to continue; as needed and as available.
Thank you for continuing to follow.
--Lainie

A Short Update on This Upcoming Time

"Summer Orientation" starts tomorrow. (That means approximately 250 additional summer staffers will be arriving. Jobs will officially begin, and then come the campers.) And here we go!...

11 Ways for 11 Days: The Best of the Rest

All the coordinated picture-taking was done by Shiloh. I appreciate her. And we had quite some fun in the time surrounding the taking of the "official photo". Here are a few of the extras, because we had a good time!

11 Ways for 11 Days

Several years ago there was an article in the Oregonian about a motivated young woman who wore the same dress 100 different ways for 100 days in order to raise awareness for orphans in poverty-ridden countries. (Her blog is here.) I was inspired and have kept the movement she started in mind. And I wanted to try it. Now, I didn't have a charity to fund for, nor did I commit so extensively. But here is my small attempt. 

11 ways for 11 days.

(it's underneath)

with Kelsey the Student