It's not an easy task, but it's one that seems to occupy much of life. When school is in session we wait for the weekend, the next vacation, or for the glorious summer break. The last few weeks of summer are spent waiting (some people with eager anticipation, some people with fear and loathing) for school to start again. In grade school you wait to be one of the "big kids." Much of High School is spent anticipating college and much of college, anticipating life after school. We seem to be always looking to the next step, whether near or far.
"I can't wait for dinner!"
"I can't wait for summer!"
"I can't wait to make new friends!"
"I can't wait for my birthday!"
"I can't wait to graduate!"
"I can't wait to get married!"
"I can't wait until I know what to do with my life!"
"I can't wait until I have kids!"
"I can't wait until I have grandkids!"
Of course, we actually can (and do) wait, sometimes with more patience and contentment than others.
I have had, I suppose, my fair share of waiting, most often for school to transition to summer and then back. I generally enjoy both the school year and the summer, but that transition is a welcome change every year. Up until now, though, most of my waiting has had a certain ending point in sight: summer will begin on a set date, and school will start up, as scheduled, in the fall.* There is a sense of waiting and anticipation, but not a whole lot of uncertainty.
It's somewhat different this time around.
It seemed clear that God wanted me back in Israel this fall. Doors were opening. Even before doors opened I had decided that I wanted to go back. It seemed like a pretty clear next step with fairly clear timing.
It hasn't quite worked out as I hoped. The doors are still there and will still probably open fully in time, but I have no idea when that time will be, and there's really nothing I can do about it.
So what DO I do? I try to be content here, though many times I find myself longing for Israel. I try to find things to do here while not committing to too much time. I try to reconnect with friends and family while still staying in touch with friends from Israel. I'm not really sure where to strike the balance, so I pray a lot for wisdom, guidance, and patience.
I don't know why, in God's providential plan, I have suddenly encountered this obstacle. I know, though, that He has a reason. I just hope that I learn what He's teaching and/or do the job that He has for me here.
*I should note here that this sort of waiting differs greatly from the sort of waiting that involves other people. It is much more difficult to schedule when you will meet friends, get married, or have children (unless, of course, you are already engaged or pregnant - that usually makes the planning a little more certain).
Showing posts with label plans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plans. Show all posts
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Dear Readers,
I thought you all might enjoy an approximate reproduction of the conversation I had with several people at church today. If you were one of the people I spoke to, I enjoyed talking to you and I'm trying to include a few details below that I may not have mentioned in case you want to know more. If you were not one of the people I spoke to, feel free to ask these questions yourself in person later if you want. Otherwise, maybe this will help fill you in on my past, present, and future.
Church Friend (CF): Alana! You haven't been here lately.
Me: Nope!
CF: Where have you been?
Me: I was in Israel!
CF: Oh, how fun! What were you doing there?
Me: I was there for about 2 years total (it's been 11 months since I've been back here), working on a master's degree in Biblical History and Geography with an emphasis in Historical Geography.
CF: Oh, how interesting. Did you like it? What school were you at? What did you learn?
Me: (*How do I sum up what it took me 2 years to learn? Oh well, I'll try*) I liked it a lot. And I learned a lot. I was at Jerusalem University College (JUC - highly recommended). We basically try to integrate our understanding of the Bible with the history, geography, and culture of the land. So we studied a lot of Biblical routes and how people lived and moved and got food and fought and how the land affected life and how those images are used in the Bible. Uh...if you want more details, we'll sit down sometime and I'll give you some examples. :)
Me: (*How do I sum up what it took me 2 years to learn? Oh well, I'll try*) I liked it a lot. And I learned a lot. I was at Jerusalem University College (JUC - highly recommended). We basically try to integrate our understanding of the Bible with the history, geography, and culture of the land. So we studied a lot of Biblical routes and how people lived and moved and got food and fought and how the land affected life and how those images are used in the Bible. Uh...if you want more details, we'll sit down sometime and I'll give you some examples. :)
CF: That sounds really great. Are you going back?
Me: Well, hopefully. I finished my degree, but I'm hoping to go back to volunteer at the school and help out there for a year or two, if and when I get a visa. (So, you know, if you want to pray for me, you can pray that I'll get a visa sooner rather than later or never.)
CF: So how long will you be here?
Me: Not really sure...It depends on when I can get the visa. Probably a couple months at least, maybe more. (So you can also pray that I will have wisdom to use this time well, especially as it is hard to plan since I don't know how long it will be.)
This brings me to the second main point of this post. I am not really sure how many people read this blog, between blogger and facebook, but I had a number of people tell me today something along the lines of, "Oh, I read your blog!" I am very glad that people read my blog (after all, I write it to be read), but if you are one of those people, I have two favors to ask of you. Ready? :)
1. Please forgive me if I don't know as much about you as you know about me. You might feel like you know me quite well and are familiar with my life, thoughts, plans, etc. I will probably not feel the same way about you, unless you are really good at emailing me or keep up a blog of your own. Which brings me to the second point.
2. Unless you are a creepy stalker, if you read this blog, I probably want to know you better. There are a number of ways for this to happen. If you live in Montana, maybe we could get together for coffee or dinner or something while I'm here. I even have a phone now and am willing to give out the number to people I know, so let me know if you're interested. If you don't live nearby and/or want to remain more anonymous and impersonal, you can still participate by leaving blog comments. If you are extremely lazy, I even added buttons below the blog which you can click to mark that you've read it. I mean, it's kind of no fair that you know all sorts of things about me and I don't even know who reads this...so some sort of response occasionally would be nice. :)
Thanks in advance! :)
And now, to conclude this eclectic post, here are a few more random observations and mini-adventures as I adjust to life back in the States.
1. Holy huge washers and driers and ovens! I was blessed to have all three of those things in my apartment in Israel, but the appliances here are about 2 or 3 times their size.
2. On the same note, I guess it's been striking me a lot how much we do have here. You always hear how people in other countries think all Americans are rich...and I can see their point a lot better now. Stores are huge and filled with so much...stuff... We have so much space - houses are bigger (to fit the larger appliances), kitchens, bedrooms, yards...So much space. So much stuff. We are so blessed, and yet we forget so easily.
3. I may have walked to and from church today. You know, just for fun, just to keep my "Jerusalem legs" in some sort of shape, just to remember to not take easy transportation for granted. Do you know how blessed we are to have cars? Admittedly, in Israel you could get by without a car fairly easily. Things are closer together and there is better public transportation. In America, cars are much more of a necessity...but they are still a huge blessing. I don't want to forget that.
4. Whenever I go to the bathroom in a new place, I have to remember that I CAN throw the toilet paper IN the toilet. Craziness. Is that gross? Sorry...I may have forgotten some social norms too. :)
5. Whenever I plug something in I'm still slightly surprised that I don't need to go find an adapter first.
6. Whenever I start a car I'm still slightly surprised that I don't have to punch a code in first (as was necessary in all the rental cars in Israel).
7. I do love the smells of Montana. Ah...fresh, clear, mountain air. Nothing like it.
8. Still SO GREEN. Still loving the greenness, clouds, even occasional rain. Hooray for variations in weather! Hooray for sunsets and rainbows!
8. Still SO GREEN. Still loving the greenness, clouds, even occasional rain. Hooray for variations in weather! Hooray for sunsets and rainbows!
9. My parents are great. Really, my whole family is great. Yeah. I'm pretty blessed.
10. I'm still processing...trying to keep the good and avoid the bad in both worlds, so to speak. So please be patient with me and I'll try to be humble and not bore you with too many tales of "In Israel, we..."
Thanks for reading and please click one of the reaction buttons below! :)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Purposes
“Perhaps we could succeed in vanishing without a trace if they would let us be, but they will not let us be. After brief periods of toleration their hostility erupts again and again.”
~Theodor Herzl (from Ideological Perspectives by Gideon Shimoni, p.10)
Herzl, one of the founders of Zionism, maintained that the main thing that defined the Jews as a people was their enemies. Others argued that shared history, culture, and religion were more important in defining this separate people. These things are certainly important, but Herzl discounted them as the most important. He had a point. Especially with the advent of the Enlightenment and the emancipation of the Jews, many Jews began to assimilate into the societies in which they found themselves, adopting the culture, and, in many cases, the religion. These adaptations did not end the persecution of the Jews, however. Indeed, assimilated Jews could even be considered more of a “threat” in the anti-Semitic propaganda that circulated. With all the different branches and schisms within Judaism itself, it is possible that the Jews as a cohesive people would have ceased to exist, if it were not for the persecution that lumped them all back together.
In Jewish and Christian circles the question is often asked, “How could a loving and just God have allowed something as terrible as the holocaust?” It is a valid question to wrestle through and has no simplistic answer, in part because our finite minds cannot grasp the infinite purposes of God. However, I wonder if, in part, God allowed the holocaust to preserve the Jewish people. It sounds contradictory, but the holocaust brought Jews all over the world together as nothing else would have.*
The next often asked and debated question is then, "Does God have a plan for the Jewish people?" I would argue that their survival in spite of the odds, and the existence of a Jewish state, clearly indicate that God has a plan for the Jewish people. It is less clear what that plan is and how it fits into the Biblical account. There are passionate opinions on both sides, which I don't want to go into in this post. I merely wanted to pass along the thought that, in a round-about-way, perhaps the holocaust offers evidence that God has a plan for the Jewish people.
*Please know that I am not at all defending the holocaust. It was a horrible thing. I am simply stating that I believe that God is sovereign and good, and therefore, maybe this was one of His purposes in allowing this event.
Herzl, one of the founders of Zionism, maintained that the main thing that defined the Jews as a people was their enemies. Others argued that shared history, culture, and religion were more important in defining this separate people. These things are certainly important, but Herzl discounted them as the most important. He had a point. Especially with the advent of the Enlightenment and the emancipation of the Jews, many Jews began to assimilate into the societies in which they found themselves, adopting the culture, and, in many cases, the religion. These adaptations did not end the persecution of the Jews, however. Indeed, assimilated Jews could even be considered more of a “threat” in the anti-Semitic propaganda that circulated. With all the different branches and schisms within Judaism itself, it is possible that the Jews as a cohesive people would have ceased to exist, if it were not for the persecution that lumped them all back together.
In Jewish and Christian circles the question is often asked, “How could a loving and just God have allowed something as terrible as the holocaust?” It is a valid question to wrestle through and has no simplistic answer, in part because our finite minds cannot grasp the infinite purposes of God. However, I wonder if, in part, God allowed the holocaust to preserve the Jewish people. It sounds contradictory, but the holocaust brought Jews all over the world together as nothing else would have.*
The next often asked and debated question is then, "Does God have a plan for the Jewish people?" I would argue that their survival in spite of the odds, and the existence of a Jewish state, clearly indicate that God has a plan for the Jewish people. It is less clear what that plan is and how it fits into the Biblical account. There are passionate opinions on both sides, which I don't want to go into in this post. I merely wanted to pass along the thought that, in a round-about-way, perhaps the holocaust offers evidence that God has a plan for the Jewish people.
*Please know that I am not at all defending the holocaust. It was a horrible thing. I am simply stating that I believe that God is sovereign and good, and therefore, maybe this was one of His purposes in allowing this event.
Monday, January 26, 2009
In other news...
I will be leaving for the airport in about 2 hours to start my journey back to Jerusalem. I've pretty much decided that it's not worth sleeping tonight. So hopefully I'll be able to sleep on the planes. :) I should arrive in Tel Aviv around 3 pm on Tuesday.
It's been a good break -- really long! I've enjoyed seeing many friends and family, though I haven't seen them all. If you're one of the people I missed (or if you want to see me again), I tentatively plan to be back mid-May-ish. So give me a call then and we'll party. I've also enjoyed seeing mountains and eating pizza and cookies, but I'm also excited to get back to school - my "home away from home." I'm going back a few days early to have a little extra time to settle in AND especially to have time to visit museums that I don't have time to visit while school is in session. It should be fun. :)
Over the break I also purchased a new camera, as the old one has been slowly dying. It's been pretty fun to play around with. As hard as it is to believe from the lack of comments, quite a few people have told me that they read this blog and enjoy the pictures. So for you silent readers, I will try to put that new camera to good use and post a few photos now and then.
I didn't get out into the mountains much over the break (sadly) but I did make it up Hyalite once... Here's a picture from that expedition. :)
I don't have a whole lot more to say at this point. I'm looking forward to this next semester and will try to keep y'all updated on what I see and learn. I'll close with a big thank you for all of you who are praying for me. I really appreciate it, and I hope that you will have a good "semester" too, whatever you may be doing! God bless!
It's been a good break -- really long! I've enjoyed seeing many friends and family, though I haven't seen them all. If you're one of the people I missed (or if you want to see me again), I tentatively plan to be back mid-May-ish. So give me a call then and we'll party. I've also enjoyed seeing mountains and eating pizza and cookies, but I'm also excited to get back to school - my "home away from home." I'm going back a few days early to have a little extra time to settle in AND especially to have time to visit museums that I don't have time to visit while school is in session. It should be fun. :)
Over the break I also purchased a new camera, as the old one has been slowly dying. It's been pretty fun to play around with. As hard as it is to believe from the lack of comments, quite a few people have told me that they read this blog and enjoy the pictures. So for you silent readers, I will try to put that new camera to good use and post a few photos now and then.
I didn't get out into the mountains much over the break (sadly) but I did make it up Hyalite once... Here's a picture from that expedition. :)
I don't have a whole lot more to say at this point. I'm looking forward to this next semester and will try to keep y'all updated on what I see and learn. I'll close with a big thank you for all of you who are praying for me. I really appreciate it, and I hope that you will have a good "semester" too, whatever you may be doing! God bless!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Public Service Announcement...of sorts
Another year, another chance to blog...not that I've made use of that opportunity thus far. Until now. Probably because I haven't really had anything to say.
However, since being home, I have been asked a number of questions, many of which were more or less the same. So for those of you who haven't had the chance to ask me those questions or for those who I didn't have time to give a complete answer, I will include here a list of questions and answers. Please feel free to skip to the ones that interest you. :)
Q. How was your time in Israel?
A. Great. Wonderful. Interesting. Life-changing. Etc.
(Note: I understand that this question and ones like it must be asked, but I hope you will forgive me if my answer is somewhat unsatisfactory. I mean, I really have a hard time fitting 3 months worth of descriptions into a 5 minute conversation. If you want to know more call me, we'll hang out and talk and I'm sure I'll be able to think of more stories or even show you pictures. If not, well, it really was an amazing semester.)
Q. Are you going back?
A. Yes, I am going back. Yes, in spite of the war with Gaza and the conflict with Lebanon. While there is some added tension (especially in East Jerusalem - the Palestinian section) it is not likely to affect my life in West Jerusalem very much. At least not at this point.
Q. When are you going back?
A. Lord willing, I will head back on the 26th of January and arrive in Tel Aviv around 2:30pm on the 27th. I'm rather looking forward to NOT arriving at 3 in the morning!
Q. How long will you be there?
A. Yeah, I'm never sure how to answer this one...it kind of has a couple different answers. So I'll give the full explanation here. For now I am heading back for another semester. Which means that I will probably return to the states sometime in May. However, the program I'm in is a two year program. Which means that I will be returning to Israel for my last two semesters probably sometime in August.
Q. Oh yeah, what program are you doing again?
A. I am getting a masters degree in Biblical History and Geography (though I haven't yet decided on my emphasis - Archaeology, Old Testament, Second Temple, or Geography - and I also haven't decided whether or not to do a thesis.)
Q. What's the school like? Are there students from all over? Do you have any classes in English? Are there many believers there?
A. Ok, the school itself is basically American. It is known as "The American Institute" over there and it is associated with a number of Christian schools in America. So all the classes are in English, and almost all of the students are from America (except a few from Korea and one from Nigera...I think that's about all). As far as I know, all of the students and full-time faculty are believers. However, some of the teachers are native to the land (Jewish and Palestinian) and some of the Jews are Jewish in religion as well. So its interesting to get their perspective. If you want to know more, I think I have a link to the school on the right side of this page. Check it out. :)
Q. What was your favorite part?
A. Oh, that's another nearly impossible question...um...
Short answer: I really liked seeing Petra. And the Pyramids. And....now we'll switch to the long answer.
Long answer: Wow, it might be easier to answer what my least favorite part was. That was probably getting sick on the way home from Egypt. Other than that, wow, it was all pretty great. Honestly, though, I have to say, even though it sounds incredibly geeky, that I probably enjoyed learning the most. And trying to fit everything together. And thinking through what I've always been taught and what some of these more "liberal" teachers at the school taught and trying to draw my own conclusions. (And I've used the word "and" far more than it ever should be used.) Anyway, as ungrammatical as this paragraph may be, it really was a very interesting and stretching semester.
Q. Any nice young men over there?
Q. (Alternate) Ain't you datin' no one yit?
A. No, no, no. No. I mean, fine, there are some young men who are nice, but...no. (Kimberlee, do you hear me??)
Q. What are you doing after you graduate.
A. (short answer) I have no idea.
(long answer) Really, I have loads of ideas, it would just take too long to explain them all in a 5 minute conversation. So I don't try. But here, in the quietness of my blog, I will try to take a moment or two to outline a few of my thoughts on the future, in case anyone wants to know. Let's see...where to begin.
1. I am not uninterested in being a wife and mother someday. However, as that is something completely out of my control and therefore rather unplannable, I'll leave this option out of the picture as I list the other options.
2. I have to say that I really miss teaching. So maybe after graduating I might seek out another teaching job. Maybe I'd try to go back to Petra. Maybe I'd go somewhere else. Maybe I'd even try to teach at an MK school.
3. Speaking of MK's, I'm still interested in full-time ministry, especially overseas. Maybe I'd pursue something in this area.
4. As I've learned more about, well, a lot of subjects, I've begun to see more and more of a need for good, conservative, Bible-believing, Christian scholars in all areas. (See previous post.) Anyway, I do like school, though I'm not sure if I like it that much, but I'm wondering if I should pursue a further degree in something and maybe attempt to meet some of those needs. Probably not, but it is a thought in the back of my mind.
Ok, I think those were the most "burning" questions. Let me know if you have any further ones you'd like to see addressed and then tune in next time for another Q&A with Alana. ;)
However, since being home, I have been asked a number of questions, many of which were more or less the same. So for those of you who haven't had the chance to ask me those questions or for those who I didn't have time to give a complete answer, I will include here a list of questions and answers. Please feel free to skip to the ones that interest you. :)
Q. How was your time in Israel?
A. Great. Wonderful. Interesting. Life-changing. Etc.
(Note: I understand that this question and ones like it must be asked, but I hope you will forgive me if my answer is somewhat unsatisfactory. I mean, I really have a hard time fitting 3 months worth of descriptions into a 5 minute conversation. If you want to know more call me, we'll hang out and talk and I'm sure I'll be able to think of more stories or even show you pictures. If not, well, it really was an amazing semester.)
Q. Are you going back?
A. Yes, I am going back. Yes, in spite of the war with Gaza and the conflict with Lebanon. While there is some added tension (especially in East Jerusalem - the Palestinian section) it is not likely to affect my life in West Jerusalem very much. At least not at this point.
Q. When are you going back?
A. Lord willing, I will head back on the 26th of January and arrive in Tel Aviv around 2:30pm on the 27th. I'm rather looking forward to NOT arriving at 3 in the morning!
Q. How long will you be there?
A. Yeah, I'm never sure how to answer this one...it kind of has a couple different answers. So I'll give the full explanation here. For now I am heading back for another semester. Which means that I will probably return to the states sometime in May. However, the program I'm in is a two year program. Which means that I will be returning to Israel for my last two semesters probably sometime in August.
Q. Oh yeah, what program are you doing again?
A. I am getting a masters degree in Biblical History and Geography (though I haven't yet decided on my emphasis - Archaeology, Old Testament, Second Temple, or Geography - and I also haven't decided whether or not to do a thesis.)
Q. What's the school like? Are there students from all over? Do you have any classes in English? Are there many believers there?
A. Ok, the school itself is basically American. It is known as "The American Institute" over there and it is associated with a number of Christian schools in America. So all the classes are in English, and almost all of the students are from America (except a few from Korea and one from Nigera...I think that's about all). As far as I know, all of the students and full-time faculty are believers. However, some of the teachers are native to the land (Jewish and Palestinian) and some of the Jews are Jewish in religion as well. So its interesting to get their perspective. If you want to know more, I think I have a link to the school on the right side of this page. Check it out. :)
Q. What was your favorite part?
A. Oh, that's another nearly impossible question...um...
Short answer: I really liked seeing Petra. And the Pyramids. And....now we'll switch to the long answer.
Long answer: Wow, it might be easier to answer what my least favorite part was. That was probably getting sick on the way home from Egypt. Other than that, wow, it was all pretty great. Honestly, though, I have to say, even though it sounds incredibly geeky, that I probably enjoyed learning the most. And trying to fit everything together. And thinking through what I've always been taught and what some of these more "liberal" teachers at the school taught and trying to draw my own conclusions. (And I've used the word "and" far more than it ever should be used.) Anyway, as ungrammatical as this paragraph may be, it really was a very interesting and stretching semester.
Q. Any nice young men over there?
Q. (Alternate) Ain't you datin' no one yit?
A. No, no, no. No. I mean, fine, there are some young men who are nice, but...no. (Kimberlee, do you hear me??)
Q. What are you doing after you graduate.
A. (short answer) I have no idea.
(long answer) Really, I have loads of ideas, it would just take too long to explain them all in a 5 minute conversation. So I don't try. But here, in the quietness of my blog, I will try to take a moment or two to outline a few of my thoughts on the future, in case anyone wants to know. Let's see...where to begin.
1. I am not uninterested in being a wife and mother someday. However, as that is something completely out of my control and therefore rather unplannable, I'll leave this option out of the picture as I list the other options.
2. I have to say that I really miss teaching. So maybe after graduating I might seek out another teaching job. Maybe I'd try to go back to Petra. Maybe I'd go somewhere else. Maybe I'd even try to teach at an MK school.
3. Speaking of MK's, I'm still interested in full-time ministry, especially overseas. Maybe I'd pursue something in this area.
4. As I've learned more about, well, a lot of subjects, I've begun to see more and more of a need for good, conservative, Bible-believing, Christian scholars in all areas. (See previous post.) Anyway, I do like school, though I'm not sure if I like it that much, but I'm wondering if I should pursue a further degree in something and maybe attempt to meet some of those needs. Probably not, but it is a thought in the back of my mind.
Ok, I think those were the most "burning" questions. Let me know if you have any further ones you'd like to see addressed and then tune in next time for another Q&A with Alana. ;)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Jerusalem
Well, it's official -- I'm going to Jerusalem (Lord willing, of course!)
I enjoy teaching, but even before I started, there was always this thought in the back of my mind that someday I'd like to go back to school. For a variety of reasons (which I don't have to go into at the moment) I decided that this is probably the year. I consulted with my parents and began the process of applying to Jerusalem University College (JUC).
JUC is located on Mt. Zion, right outside the walls of the Old City. Can you blame me for being excited to study in such a location? My family went on a two-week tour with them when I was in high school, and I've wanted to go back ever since.
(This is a view of the school from across the Hinnom Valley)
I received my acceptance letter a few weeks ago, and have spent that time making up my mind and informing the right people. It has been a hard and long decision. I will really miss my students and Petra. However, I am excited to take this next step and see what God has for me there.
This summer I'm planning to head back to Clydehurst for one more summer as a cook. I am supposed to arrive at the school on August 29th, and we'll go from there. You all are, of course, more than welcome to visit me. :)
If you want to know more about what I'll be doing over there you can check out the web page though it doesn't seem to be working at the moment, or you can just ask me. :)
I enjoy teaching, but even before I started, there was always this thought in the back of my mind that someday I'd like to go back to school. For a variety of reasons (which I don't have to go into at the moment) I decided that this is probably the year. I consulted with my parents and began the process of applying to Jerusalem University College (JUC).
JUC is located on Mt. Zion, right outside the walls of the Old City. Can you blame me for being excited to study in such a location? My family went on a two-week tour with them when I was in high school, and I've wanted to go back ever since.
(This is a view of the school from across the Hinnom Valley)This summer I'm planning to head back to Clydehurst for one more summer as a cook. I am supposed to arrive at the school on August 29th, and we'll go from there. You all are, of course, more than welcome to visit me. :)
If you want to know more about what I'll be doing over there you can check out the web page though it doesn't seem to be working at the moment, or you can just ask me. :)
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