Changes

I cannot believe it is already September. I feel like I was just writing my last entry on here a few days ago back in May. The summer flew by and I was certainly not ready for it. I was expecting it to be another long summer just waiting to be back at school. I was certainly waiting to be back at school but surprisingly I had a pretty good summer and wasn't in as much of a hurry to be back as usual. School is flying by already and the work is just getting bigger by the day. Harding has been the place I have called home for the last two years now. This semester has been a little different though. I knew coming back it would be different but I geuss I didn't realize how different really. There were so many people I hadn't seen or been around since December because I was overseas and I couldn't wait to get back into the swing of things here with everyone. It has actually been pretty difficult adjusting back to being here. In some ways I almost feel like a Freshman again. That is certainly not a great feeling considering as a Freshman I was ready to leave the second I could. (Luckily that changed fast and now I never want to leave this place.) Things are changing. People are changing. My life goals are changing. My future is changing. My life itself is changing right before my own eyes. For the most part these have all been pretty good changes. For me change is a word I dread sometimes but I also love it at times too. I feel like because of our semester overseas there have been a lot of changes when it comes to friends. We knew it would be that way but I feel like with some it has just been unnecessary changes that can be avoided. I know things will come around in the end and as time goes on things will work out but the last three weeks in a way have been some of the hardest weeks I have experienced since I have been at Harding. If anything though it has only made me stronger. The reason I always tell people I love Harding so much is because of the people here and even though changes are occurring these people always come through in one way or another. When it comes to my life goals, my future and my life itself changing I would dare to say that is the case for anyone especially a college student. I don't know if it was an epiphany or just a simple talk with a wonderful friend of mine that caused me to do this but I decided to double major a few days ago. I was already majoring in IT and now I added Accounting to that and so joyfully added another Accounting class that I started today, which is three weeks into school. I sat in class today wondering what in the world I was doing while enjoying it all the same. This is the good change. I feel like to an extent I have lived a boring life at times. I have lived so routinely that instead of waking up every morning being so thankful for the day ahead of me I am just ready for the day to be over so I can get to next big event in my life. In my "Waiting" entry on here a few months ago I kind of talked about this a little. I am tired of just letting the day go by without realizing what a blessing it is to be here and to be alive. To my surprise 7 AM comes so much more pleasantly when I realize what a beautiful day its going to be and what a beautiful thing it is to be alive that day. This is the good change. I know things will get better with friends and I know that God will bless me through them and through the other exciting changes in my life as long as he stays my top priority. Change isn't a bad thing. It is all about making the best of what is put in front of you. I know it is easier said than done but it isn't impossible and thats why I love God because through him all things are possible. I am looking forward to a great semester and excited about what is to come.

A Bitter Sweet Ending

So I am finally home. I say finally but it still feels like just the other day I was packing to leave for Greece. The last month was pretty crazy though and traveling around Europe with a backpack moving from city to city every day or two gets a little tiring I guess you could say. Saying our goodbyes at the Artemis was certainly a sad thing. It was good knowing we were going home soon because it had been so long but we all knew we would never be in that situation with all the same people again. I do already miss it and I have only been home for less than a week. I miss the people more than anything but the experience was so incredible. Its not everyday you get to live with 48 other people for an entire semester and travel to places like Israel and Egypt with them. I am already ready to get back in the fall so I can see everyone again and to get back into the swing of things. Free travel was certainly a learning experience but it was an incredible one too. I wont go into detail with everything we did because it was three and a half weeks long. We started out by staying in a hostel in Athens though just to get our feet wet the night before we flew to Rome. We flew to Rome on April 20th and realized that we were no longer going to be in Greece again with all those same people. Amy and Alyssa were with us the first few days and our first night in Rome we got to see a whole lot of people so it was almost like our whole group was together in Rome again. Leslie and Julianne's group was there along with Evan's group and Ashley and Joni's group. It was really great getting to hang out with Leslie and Julianne again for the last time since it was pretty sad saying by to them back in Athens. From Rome we went to Florence for a couple days and then on to Interlaken, Switzerland. Interlaken was the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my entire life. We got there and I couldn't move. Surrounded by snow capped mountains and beautiful lakes and a small town I was just in awe. This was one of my favorite places along with Florence. We just hung out for 2 days doing nothing but enjoying the scenery. I just took my book and my music and found a beautiful spot by the river and read all day the second day we were there. That night Rebbecca and Jenny's group got to Interlaken and stayed in our hostel so it was good seeing them for a little while. From there we went to Munich which was a really cool city. We went to Dachau Concentration Camp which was an experience. From there we went to Vienna and then onto Prague and Berlin. Those few days were the longest few days of the trip if not my life. We took a night train to Vienna and had to sit up the whole way so we got no sleep at all. We got there at 6 AM so we just tried to sleep outside for a while. We were so exhausted and almost had to drag ourselves through the day. It was a beautiful city and I hope to visit again some day. The same goes for Prague because we got in really late and got to our hostel still thoroughly exhausted. It was another long day in Prague with not a lot to do and another train to catch that night to Berlin. Prague was also a beautiful place but we were ready to get some rest. We got to Berlin late again and found our hostel at about 2 in the morning. We had another long day with not a lot to do yet again before catching another night train to Amsterdam. Finally we got to Amsterdam where we had 2 whole days of doing nothing but relaxing. Amsterdam was a beautiful place but it certainly does live up to its reputation. I think I'll leave it at that. From Amsterdam we went to Paris but not before stopping in Brussels. Our experience in Brussels was not one of the best so we tend to leave Brussels out of the picture when talking about free travel. Paris was a pretty cool city but it was simply just...another city about how Rome was. We did go all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower which was really cool and an amazing view of the city. We got to go to the Louvre for free which was great because we were all tight on money. I could spend an entire day in the Louvre but we only got to spend a few hours so we hit the highlights which was good enough for a while I guess. We didn't really have much to do our last day there because we didn't get to go to Normandy as planned. We caught a train to Barcelona that night where we ended up losing Ryan because he went to the wrong train station and missed the train. He found us the next night in Barcelona randomly on the street searching for our hotel that he didn't even know the name of. That's Ryan for ya. Barcelona was great because we had a hotel on the beach and just relaxed again for a couple of days. I went into the city the second day because I wanted to see everything. It was a really cool city and another one of my favorite places. Next we flew to Dublin. I had been before so I knew what to expect but it was even better this time. Dublin is one of my favorite cities by far and would love to spend some time there again some day. We spent 3 entire days there and even went to some nearby cities to see the coast and just to see some more of Ireland. It was a lot of fun. We flew to London finally where we had our last day of travel. We saw the highlights of the city then slept in a house that belonged to some of Chris' family. It was nice being in a house for a change. I flew home the next day and the whole way home I just kept thinking about everything I had just experienced. It still didn't really hit me and honestly I don't know if it is still even hit me yet. As soon as I got back to America it was so weird seeing English everywhere and paying with US Dollars and getting free refills!! Free refills and drinks with ice are some of the small things I missed about America. Since I have been home I have already been to my favorite restaurants so I can catch up on some food I have missed for four months. It is still sad to think about not being there anymore and I would certainly go back in a heartbeat. Traveling around for a month was very tiring but it was more than worth it. The semester itself was the best experience of my life and I have learned more than I ever thought I would in a semester's time. I thank God along with my family for helping me along the way and for helping me to have this amazing opportunity. After 15 countries, 13 languages and using 7 currencies in one semester i feel more than blessed to have such an amazing God and such wonderful friends and family. I will never stop looking ahead but I will never forget the things behind be as I have learned so much from each and everything that has happened.

~Isaiah 40:28-31~

"...Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Greek Island Cruise

It has been a little while since I have updated which I am sure is a big surprise. After the cruise to the Islands things got pretty crazy with last minute work and finals and packing and things like that. To sum the cruise up it was pretty amazing. It was weird because most of our trips we are used to waking up early and putting our hearing sets on and getting our moleskins ready for note taking and going from place to place all day long; but this trip was different. Friday we left early that morning to get on the ship and then hung out on the ship all day until we arrived in Mykonos that night at about 5 or 6. We got off the ship and just got to go hang out on the island and do whatever we wanted. Mykonos was my favorite island. It was so beautiful and it was just a cool little town. We got to watch the sunset by the windmills over the ocean and then of course had to go get some gelato. It was Easter weekend so the cruise we were on was actually an Easter cruise so it was different than usual. Easter is a huge holiday in Greece. Friday night they had a procession around all the cities where the different churches had a parade through the streets carrying something that symboled Jesus carrying the cross. It was a cool thing to get to see. The next morning we arrived at Ephesus which is in Turkey. I really liked Turkey a lot. That day we actually did use our moleskins and hearing sets but it was for the last time which in a way was sad. Here again we got to walk the streets that Paul walked and see the ancient city ruins. After that we got to go to a carpet school where they made and sold carpet. It was actually really cool when they displayed them all for us it was kind of like a big production with carpets flying everywhere. We left Ephesus and went to Patmos that night. We were only here for a little while and they took us to the cave where John supposedly received the revelation. We went to a monastery and then to a museum and then got to hang out for a while and do whatever until the fireworks that night at midnight. The next morning we got up early as we arrived at Santorini. A few days earlier a ship actually wrecked and sank at Santorini so that was interesting hearing about that and then seeing the lifeboats from the ship. We got to ride donkeys up the mountain which was pretty cool. It was really early though so there wasn't much open and there really wasn't anything to do. It was a beautiful place though. That night we went to Crete. Since it was Easter Sunday a lot of things were closed so instead of doing what they normally do we went to a church that has recently been started by a group of Christians from Nigeria. They are connected with the church in Athens so we went to worship with them. It was an incredible experience getting to worship with our brothers and sisters from yet another foreign country. It is always such a blessing getting to experience that. The cruise was a lot of fun and the islands were beautiful but I think the last night worshiping with that church was probably the highlight of my trip and I think I can say the same for a lot of other people.

The Holy Lands

I was planning on getting on here and writing all about Israel as soon as I got back because it was such an amazing trip and I experienced some things I will never forget. Then I got back and of course put it off for a few days but, I also realized that I really can't put into words some of the things I experienced in those 10 days. We have been back now for almost a week which is crazy to me because I feel like we just got back while at the same time I feel like half of the things we did were forever ago. Confusing I know but, what can I say? Every trip this whole semester just runs together which is why it is flying by so fast. I guess I should say flew by so fast considering it is basically over now. We have 5 days of classes left which is crazy to me. I'll get back to Israel now. Before I went to Israel I honestly had no idea what to expect. To be honest I was getting a little tired of going from place to place being exhausted all day long and having to write notes in my moleskin (the notebooks we use for on-site notes) all day long. To my surprise as soon as we got up the morning after our 11 PM flight into Tel Aviv I was in a good mood and ready to go. One of the best parts about the trip, like Egypt, was our guide. Our guide's name was Yoni. This was his first Harding group and it was certainly an experience for him. One of the first times we started singing he just sat there and listened and enjoyed it. A couple nights later Leslie Teague, a girl who is helping out with the program this semester, shared some things on her heart and we sang and prayed for a while. Yoni was pretty much in awe as he watched what was going on. Leslie had a conversation with him later about how he could see something in our faith and had never really seen anything like that before. He kept wanting us to sing more and more as the week went on and it was so awesome being able to be an example to him like that. He was such an amazing person to that he was even an example to us. One of the last nights we got together and prayed for Osman, our guide in Egypt, because he had contacted our director about needing some prayers. Yoni sat with us again and prayed and even sang with us. It was so incredible sitting there next to him listening to him try and sing with us and learn the songs and hear the prayers. The last night we got together with him and prayed for him and of course sang some more upon his request. It was one of the most uplifting experiences I have ever been a part of. Being an example to people is something we are called to do and, when it is that evident that what we are doing is really touching someone who has never really even seen anything like that it is such an amazing thing. I'm not going to sit here and talk in detail about everything we did because I would be sitting here for the next week. I just want to share some of the things we did that I enjoyed the most and just mention the other things we did. The first day we went to Caeserea Merritema, Meggido and Nazareth. My favorite place that day was Nazareth. We went to the Church of Annunciation and it was so beautiful. Being in the town where Jesus grew up was when it first hit me that we were literally walking in the footsteps of Jesus. I never imagined I would actually be in the places that I have read about and heard about my whole life. The next day was one of my favorite days. We went to the Mt. of Beatitudes first and then went to Caperneum and the last thing we did was go out on a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Being up on the Mt. of Beatitudes listening to the same sermon Jesus preached on that same mountain was pretty incredible. The same thing goes for being out on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. Knowing that Jesus walked on that water and also telling the apostles to cast there nets on the other side of that very same water was just crazy to think about. (Being in the same place that Jesus was ends up being a common theme throughout the week....we where in Israel....go figure.) Over the next 3 or 4 days we went to places like: Dan, Caeserea Philippi (Banias River), Ram Pool, Nimrod's Fortress, She'an, Qum'ran, Mt. Sodom, Masada, Ein Gedi and of course the Dead Sea. I really enjoyed Qum'ran because it was cool seeing the place where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls since I have actually already seen a lot of the scrolls when they were on tour in the States. We watched a movie about Masada before we left and heard plenty about it so it was interesting being there, especially considering the fact we were there for 4 hours (which is way to long to spend there). Masada is where the Jews had there last stand against the Romans after 3 years of escaping them. They ended up killing each other on top of the palace so they wouldn't be enslaved by the Romans. One of my favorite things of course was getting to swim, float rather, in the Dead Sea. I won't lie, it did burn a little bit especially once you got out but it was certainly worth it. We also covered ourself with the mud that is supposedly so good for your skin. It was an experience thats for certain and one that I'll never forget. On Sunday we woke up and went to a place called Beit Guvrin. From there we went to Jerusalem where we stayed the last 3 days. We took communion together in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was such a beautiful place and again just being in the garden where just prayed during his final hours of his life was incredible. I was kind of at a loss for words. Granted we don't know the exact spot or place that Jesus and his disciples were but it was close. It was an amazing time of reflection and prayer. The last thing we did that day was go to the Holocaust Museum. We only had an hour there where we needed about 6 but it made us all pretty speechless seeing the remains and the stories of the Jews. The worst part about it all was realizing it was less than a century ago. The next day we went to Mt. Zion, Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the City of David and the Kidron Valley Tombs. To be honest I just feel like talking about those things I would be repeating myself with words about how incredible it was to see those places and walk where Jesus walked so I won't really expound on those things. Just know that if you ever get the chance to go I would highly encourage it. We actually saw a virtual model of the Temple which was really cool being able to see what it would have actually looked like where the Dome of the Rock now stands. Since the Jews are not able to pray on the Temple Mount they found the closest place which is the Western Wall which is where we got to go also and pray and stick our prayers in the wall. The next day was our last and longest day. We started out at the top of the Mt. of Olives and worked our way down passing the churches along the hill. We crossed Kidron Valley and entered Jerusalem's walls through the Lion Gate. We went to the Pool of Bethesda and then walked the Via De Larosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This is the path along the streets of Jerusalem that Jesus supposedly walked carrying is cross and ultimately died on the cross where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher now stands. After that we went to the Garden tomb which is where Jesus was supposedly buried. The funny thing about all of this is that we don't know for sure about any of these places being the exact place. We know it was close and it was in the City but thats all we know for sure. It is like someone said though, if people knew the exact place and the exact spot where some of these events occurred people would come to worship the place instead of the person. To me it was just so amazing being in the city and close to these places. It truly made the Bible come alive to me. It made me realize where these cities and places were that I had heard about my entire life but never really thought about. The week was a long one but it was truly one of the best weeks of my life both physically and spiritually. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to see the things that I saw and be in the places I went to but also, just to feel the things that I felt watching Yoni witness what he did and being so uplifted when we sang and prayed together. It was such an amazing experience and I beg anyone who has the same opportunity to not let it go to waste. I will remember this week for the rest of my life because it has already effected the rest of my life. We have just been trying to get back into the hang of things since we have been back although I don't really think it is possible to do that with the way our schedule works over here. We leave on Friday for our cruise to the islands which is our last trip before free travel which is in two weeks. Tomorrow we have a service day which I am looking forward to. Not only is it a day of no class but its a great opportunity to give back which is something I myself have trouble with at times. I will continue to update as often as I can but for now I continue to thank God for this incredible opportunity and the blessings that he has poured down on us daily.

Northern Greece and So On

So I am already getting into a habit of putting this off. It has already been over a week since I have been back from Northern Greece but it feels like we just got back yesterday. As a matter of fact it feels like I was just getting ready to pack for Greece yesterday so I guess that doesn't really say a whole lot. My roommate Ben and I were just talking last night about how crazy it is that I really does feel like just a few days ago we were talking about how we couldn't wait to be here and now its half over. Two months from now I will be sitting at home wondering where the time went. But for now I am going to take in each day at cherish every moment I have in this beautiful country because I know when I get home I'm only going to wish I were back. The Northern Greece trip was one of my favorite trips so far. It was a little more laid back and it was a lot of traveling. The first day we drove straight to Delphi. In Delphi we went to the archaeological site and walked through the ruins of the Roman Forum. We saw things like the Athenian Treasury and the Temple of Apollo and then we walked up to the theater. The theater wasn't unlike any of the other theaters we have seen but I still enjoy every theater we see simply because of how beautiful they are (or at least would have been when they were actually still being put to good use). Some of the theaters actually are still active but obviously not always in the same way they used to be. The last thing we saw before the museum was the stadium. The stadium kind of goes along with the theater for me because I could see stadium after stadium and enjoy it each time because of what athletics mean to me. This stadium was a little bit different than the stadium at Olympia but for the most part it was basically the same thing. This one is where the Pythian games were held after the Olympic games were started. One of the cool things in the museum was seeing the biblical inscriptions that are used to date Paul's journeys. We drove to Kalabaka that night where we stayed and got to go eat in the city wherever we chose. We ended up eating at a pizza place with cheap pizza and calzones bigger than our heads so it ended up being a pretty good night. The next day we went to Meteora and got to into a monastery. This is one of my favorite things we have seen so far. The monasteries are up on cliffs that have an amazing view. Inside is just like the Greek Orthodox Churches around here but they are beautifully decorated and painted. Most of the paintings were of things like martyrs being killed and the resurrection and the crucifixion and the apostles. All of the monasteries are still active as well. It was really cool getting to go in and see all of it and it was just different than things we are used to seeing here. We left Meteora and went to Pella which is where Alexander the Great was born. Honestly this has been my least favorite place of the semester and luckily we only stayed here for about 30 minutes but it was cool getting to see where Alexander the Great was born. From Pella we went to Thessaloníki where we stayed for the next two nights. Thessaloníki is the 2nd biggest city in Greece next to Athens. It wasn't anything really special but once we found the nice part it was actually a pretty cool place. We got a good nights sleep in a very nice hotel that night. The next day we went to Phillipi. We went to the river outside the city which is around the place that Paul baptized Lydia in Acts. We had a devo there and again it was cool getting to sing and listen to Paul's words where he actually preached. From there we got to go to the archaeological site where we saw the "traditional prison of Paul and Silas." It probably wasn't their actual prison but it is similar to what they would have been in. We went back to Thessaloníki and stayed the night again and the next morning we were on our way home. On our way home we stopped in Beroea, Vergina and Thermopylae. Beroea is where we saw the Jewish quarters and also saw where Paul visited the synagogue. In Vergina we saw the tomb of Phillip II. That was pretty cool because his tomb was actually turned into a museum. It was under a huge mound. There were actually four tombs in their. The museum had everything found in his tomb like armor and weapons and golden crowns. It has been my favorite museum so far. The last thing we did on our way home was stop in Thermopylae and went up on the hill where the 300 Spartans had their last stand against Xerxes and his Persians. It was really cool being there especially since the movie 300 just came out and we got to see it the next day. This trip was really a great trip and we all had a lot of fun. I really am learning so much more every day especially being able to be here and see everything we are studying. When we got back the International Program Conference was about to start so there was a lot of faculty here from other international programs so it was kind of a hectic weekend. It was nice though getting to see new faces. Pete Snell, AB, Cath and Ashley Little got to come over from the HUF program on their 2nd free travel and spend some time with us in Athens for the weekend so it was really good getting to see them. It was definitely a change from the normal this semester and it was obviously just nice seeing some good friends that we haven't seen in a while. This week has been another lovely week of classes but the classes have come to an end before we leave for Israel. At the moment though I should actually be studying for a test that I have in about...30 minutes but this needed to be done so as usual I am continuing to procrastinate. I am more and more thankful everyday for getting to be here this semester. I really can't wait to go to Israel on Monday. I never thought I would have the opportunity to go to a place like Israel and walk where Jesus preached and walked. This is going to be an amazing experience and I thank God for the opportunity. Hopefully when I get back I wont continue to put this off. On a random note, March Madness just started and my bracket is already going down the drain. I am a believer in upsets but I guess believing Belmont could beat Georgetown was just a little overboard. Maybe the next few rounds will play a little more in favor but its looking doubtful at the moment. Hopefully while I am gone nothing too exciting will happen so I won't miss much but I don't think it will really matter that much considering I will be in Israel. Thats all for now.

Waiting

Finally all those tests I had to look forward to are over with and now I can look forward to a relaxing (knock on wood) weekend and prepare for our trip on Monday. On Monday we will be traveling through Northern Greece going to cities like Delphi, Thessaloníki, Meteora, Phillippi, Pella and Vergina. I am really looking forward to this trip and getting to once again see more places where Paul went on his missionary journeys. I will be sure and tell about it when I come back. Things are still going good here but sometimes it does get crazy with 50 people living in the same place for so long. Sometimes a lot of us feel like we just need to get away for a little while and to just be around some different people. It is part of the experience and it has been an amazing one. Even still though breaks are necessary. Next weekend a few of my friends from the HUF program in Florence, Italy will be coming to stay with us so that will be great getting to see them. That is also one reason I am looking forward to going on this trip Monday because even though we will still be with everyone we wont be here so it will be nice to get away for a few days. I guess one discouraging thing about all of this is that I feel that I find myself just waiting. Of course anyone wishes they could just get classes and things over with and go on to the next thing but. I feel that everyday I am just waiting until our next trip or until we go to Israel or our cruise or even free travel. The more I just wait for those things the faster this semester goes. I know this semester is going to fly by anyways but I know that I just need to start living in the moment and not just trying to get through to the next thing. That is one thing I have always struggled with. It is something that I have really been working on this semester especially. I love being here and I really do love each day I am blessed with but it is still so hard to not want to just keep moving on to the next trip or next free day or something like that. In any sense I am learning so much each and every day in my classes alone. As hard as it is to get up in the mornings and as much as class is still class, I really am getting a lot out of each and everything we do here. I praise God for this amazing opportunity and for opening my eyes to so many things.

Coming Around

Since we got back from the Peloponnese on Wednesday not a lot has gone on really. We started back to class on Friday and had a couple of tests Friday and Saturday. It is a little hard to really want to be in school and study when we leave for trips every other week. Not to mention the fact we are in Athens, Greece. Nonetheless, we do have work to do. It really is a lot better though when we are actually here seeing the things that we are learning about. It makes a huge difference and everything just comes to life almost. Last night was one of my favorite nights so far. A group of 8 of us went to a refugee center in downtown Athens. Some people from the church we go to help with it so a few people from our group go every 2 weeks. I wasn't even planning on going until right before it but I am so glad that I did. It was a blessing to me as it always is to be able to serve like that. We really weren't there for very long and we really didn't even get to do a whole lot. We sang a couple songs for them and we served their dinner then cleaned up afterwards. To be honest it seemed like most were just there to come eat and get out of there as fast as they could which is what most of them did. Still though it was a blessing just because it makes us realize what we have. What made the night even better was the group of people that I was with. We had a really fun group and it is always great getting to know more people. That is what half of this whole trip has been about is getting to know everyone. Last night we went up on the rooftop and looked over and saw the Acropolis. It was right there all lit up and one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. We stood there looking at it and sang for a while. It was just another one of those awesome moments that we have had on this trip where we have stood and looked at something so rich in history and beautiful and gotten to praise our Lord at the same time. It was an awesome feeling. Most of all last night was just a fun night to get away from the usual and do something different. But of course we had to get up early this morning and go back to class. Right now I am looking forward to a test on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday but luckily we have a day off Saturday then leave for another trip on Monday. We are going to Northern Greece for four days this time. I am really looking forward to it and I could definitely get used to a week of travel after every week of school. I love traveling and I could definitely make it a habit. We will see what comes of that I guess.