October 24th, 2022 – 9:35pm – Hostel In German Colony, Haifa, Israel:

So much has happened these past two days how to convey it all. Each day is filled to overflowing with conversations and connections, with possibilities and disappointments… but all these I see as His hand moving around me. Perfectly positioning me in the path I should walk. It is quite an amazing thing to hear, “This is the way, walk in it.”

So for you who have blessed my journey by giving financially to the Lord… I want to tell you what your gifts have made possible…

The Whys of this journey so far… The man on the plane from the lake. The man in the airport. The family who showed me the city. The church who sang as a choir. So many Germans. The boy who received the laptop, a gift that will forever change his life. The Australian in the airport. The four Russians… so many Germans… a girl from Brazil… the girl from Germany… the woman on the bus… the Danish… the Israelis… the Palestinians… the Americans. All these in less than a month since I’ve left Dallas. All these moments and conversations and connections… that seem to span the whole wide world.

What does your gift allow? The whys.

I was thinking about how we were created to be. We are alone in our bodies. Apart from others. They are there sure… but they are separate. Other but the same. They live their lives and we ours. Sometimes we walk together and sometimes apart. But always our thoughts are ours and theirs are theirs. By design. Yes…

We were made for Him. Made in the image of the Living God. Made to be one with Him. This amazes me every single day. My connection with Him… always here. Always with me. If I listen He speaks… always. Never a moment where He is not there holding me tightly. This is the driving force of my life… that others should know Him as I know Him. That is why He has asked me to learn Hebrew… it is part of His plan for my life. That I should express Him through Hebrew to the world. And so I obey… because He asked.

Today I got my student Rav Kav card… basically a discounted bus pass for the next four months I can ride any bus in all of Israel for free… and it only cost me $152. I also got my book for my class… some notebooks and pens… and got an email from my professor telling us that our class would be on Zoom this week due to an outbreak of Coronavirus in the University Dorms. I was very disappointed at not having in person classes this week… but God knows. So I went to the library and reserved a private room for my class periods this week. And I can borrow a laptop from the library as well to use in the library to do my classes on Zoom. So God provides again.

I am booked at the hostel until Wednesday then will have to figure out wether to stay here or find another place to live. The apartment I was going to get fell through because one of the Russians discovered he is being sent to the Israeli army and doesn’t need the place to live anymore. I changed rooms in the hostel hoping for some quiet but this room has been filled as well. So I will just trust God to keep me strong and give me good sleep.

I need sleep now. I have to get up in the morning to go to the library for my class by 8am. More again soon!

Thank you all again for giving and praying and being a very real part of my journey. Send me some notes and let me know that you think of me… that encourages me onward.