final post - a reflection

I leave for Wheaton tomorrow; the summer is (nearly) officially over. So how ‘bout that trip to Ashkelon? What did I take away from it all? I’ve had plenty of time to think about it now: and I’ve decided that it really is high time that I let you all tap into my neurons.

Remember those 6 hopes/goals I had for my time in Ashkelon? In case you don’t, here they are:

1.Trip over inspiration
2. Discover something new
3. Initiate or catalyze growth
4. Whet an appetite for the world and the people who live in it
5. Collect some cool stories
6. "Keep in step with the Spirit", as I tread along new roads (Gal 5:25)

This is my “list of potential”…it’s my way of making sure that each moment means something – it keeps my moments from actually being wasted, even if they do look like they are spent in leisure.

So here’s how it’s gonna go down: I will (try to) respond to each of the six points in a succinct and thorough way (after all, there are six points), and that will serve as the flip side of our coin, so to speak. Here we go.

1. Trip over inspiration. I was inspired. It was so hard not to be! Fresh faces, fresh lands, fresh activities tend to do that to you, I think. By the end of the trip I had written 124 pages of new notes, stories, and observations into my journal.
2. Discover something new. Well, I discovered a lot of old things as I dug through ancient dirt. Pots, jewelry, and bones were all great, but what was new? What was fresh? I learned that the old truths hold true everywhere, which was a new lesson for me. Food still brings people together. Being bold can still be extremely rewarding. Letting God be in control is still the wildest but safest bet a person can make.
3. Initiate or catalyze growth. Okay, I learned a LOT. And I would love to share it all, but that would make for a VERY long post. So, I’m gonna say it quick. Ready? I learned (1) that I like to work hard – I mean, really. I had no idea I enjoyed it so much. I went to Israel and picked up a revolutionary work ethic. And I learned (2) that if I want to be a leader, I can be. I always kinda figured myself incapable on this front, but not so. I just need to step up and practice. (And in the words of the Summit, ‘lead where you are – everyone can do it’. That’s really true, guys! If it’s true for me, then it is definitely true for you!)
4. Whet an appetite for the world and the people who live in it. I saw the world at the smallest it’s ever been. A country about the size of New Jersey really is the earth in microcosm. The poor’s scarcity rubs up against the wealthy’s abundance. Daily evidence of thick unrest stares down shalom. Ancient ruins stubbornly stand among modern buildings. They are all met together in a land sewn with blood and fertilized by history. I met people electrically charged with passion by their patriotism and belief. I also met passive, lethargic people. I experienced what you probably already know: that people are people everywhere: that they are either active or passive about life. And as for me, I choose to be ACTIVE!
5. Collect some cool stories. I recently read somewhere an idea about stories. In the book, the author said that our lives are lived out in narrative form. It’s because of this reason that human beings are so drawn to stories, and one reason why (the author suggests) that Jesus taught us through parables. Because they resonate with us in a way that a normal lecture or seminar never could. I didn’t recognize it then, but I think that’s why I was so interested in “collecting cool stories” when I was in Israel…because it’s such a fundamentally human thing. Where life looks different the stories inevitably take on a different shape, but there remains a common base note. Stories are a human hallmark. SO. It was in talking with the people that I gathered these narratives. I have to say, that my cab drivers provided stories that have since become my favorites. The three that stick out in my mind – Loui, Yousef, and Nissan – had things to offer and share and of course many questions to ask (as is only fair). I’m not sure what else I can tell you without going into massive detail….and I don’t think anyone wants that right now. Maybe later though. I will carry the bits of narrative that those men shared with me until I’m able to write them down or something…Maybe. I dunno…Let’s move on!
6. “Keep in step with the Spirit,” as I tread along new roads (Gal 5:25) This was a matter of being who I’m supposed to me and bearing my mark as God’s kid. Simple enough, right? It’s a simple enough sentence, at least. Actually, it’s kind of tough to do (but we all probably knew that already, didn’t we?). Pretty much, “keeping in step with the Spirit” looked like humility for me, this summer. That and remembering who I’m supposed to be and that I really do bear the mark as God’s kid, and that’s no mistake. Those two biggies are the theme-song-thoughts of my summer in Ashkelon. I’d be happy to chat in more depth about it, if you want to know more. But for now I’m kind of proud of how I was actually able to crush those big lessons down into two small sentences (that are also deceptively simple, go figure).

Okeydokey, faithful readers. I guess this is it. For Ashkelon, at least. This experimental blog has been a good thing for me, but next time (if there is a next time) I’ll be a little more consistent at it for your sakes. Thank you, for reading!! I appreciate it, a lot. But now, in the words of the classic Saturday morning cartoons, “That’s all folks!”

Galilee and other shenanigans…

...where can I even start? I filled 18 pages in my journal over the last 2 days alone, and my head is still reelin'!

I just got back from a crash course tour of Galilee and the Dead Sea region.  Maybe you'll let me spare you all the details until a later time if I exchange a couple highlights and pictures?

Okay! Highlight number one: Mt. Tabor. This is the (supposed) sight of Jesus’ Transfiguration. The church and grounds are cleanly kept by the Franciscans, and are perched above the expansive Jezreel valley. The gardens were glorious! Flowers of all colors and sizes and shapes and aromas! Flowers from all over the world, really - each plant had a placard that revealed its native home. In the same garden are plants from India, Korea, Mexico that all shared the same sun and air (which I think is beautifully poetic in a simple way). Also, my camera ran out of battery at Mt. Tabor. This was initially a bummer, until I realized it freed up my hands for my pen and journal! So instead of snapping a whole bunch of pictures, I was able to take down my thoughts in the moment, and not after the fact. And honestly, that was pretty refreshing.

Highlight two. Dead Sea…I floated! And because I didn't need to hold myself up in the water, I could really swim. I can only imagine what Michael Phelps would do in the Dead Sea. Oh! And I made a point to get my feet wet in the Mediterranean Sea before we left that day, and I visited the Sea of Galilee on Friday too. So now I can say I have been in the Dead Sea, the Med Sea, and the Sea of Galilee all on the same day. Maybe that's silly, but I'm enjoying the idea! 

One last highlight: waking up this morning in the Tiberius hostel because the sun gently nudged me awake. I haven't risen with the sun in a few weeks, so it felt especially nice to have the natural alarm clock do what it does best. AND I was allowed to roll over and go back to sleep (even better!) with the anticipation that I was about to live a full, new day!

Alright -- here are a few picks from my time last Saturday at Caesarea. The first is of my friends and me after we got eaten alive by a wave (quite unexpectedly!). The second is just of me, enjoying the sun and Roman architecture. And finally, the third is me chillin' on the top of the Roman aqueduct.

Love you all - goodnight! :)

deep breath

I'm writin' to y'all on the fly tonight - just wanted to pop by before I wind down for bed. :)

It's the Thursday night before the only long weekend here in Ashkelon. We worked until 1 pm (according to our normal schedule) this afternoon, but did not have to scrub pottery at the compound from 4-6. AND, tomorrow we have a field trip to the Dead Sea/Masada/Qumran...so fun times are ahead! AND some of my friends and I have rented a car for the weekend that we'll take North from the Dead Sea into Galilee for the weekend. (!!!) :D

With our free time and our new ride that we picked up from Avis in Ashdod, we explored Lachish - the site of a major siege and epic destruction back around Hezekiah's time. Sennacarib (I think I spelled that right?), an Assyrian king, traveled south to capture all of Judah (he nearly succeeded), and laid siege at Lachish for over a year while he built HUGE siege engines and ramps. Can you imagine what those ancient people living in that city must have felt to be so constantly acquainted with the feeling of inescapable, imminent doom? I might've expected the grounds to feel eerie, but instead the landscape (which sported an EXCELLENT view of the Shephelah and Judean Hill Country) felt at peace. Actually, it felt as if it was waiting for something, almost as if the very stones I was treading upon were dreaming in the middle of a deep sleep. In the words of Cisneros, the land felt "full of a deep breath."

Anywho, I digress.

Post-Lachish we romped for a bit around Bet Guvrin, a tel that sports famous caves. However, we weren't able to romp properly because the park was generally closed, and there was not much to see.

Okay, talk to you soon! Can you tell I'm trying to be much more proactive about this blog? I am! I hope you all have a great couple of days until we meet again.

Peace :)

hey there, old friends!

Long time, no see! Or talk, I guess...sorry about that! I miss you guys and hope that all is well :)

Man, these days are super packed. Just PACKED with new sights, new smells, new everythings. This may sound silly, but it almost reminds me of when I bake chocolate chip cookies. Hear me out on this one: brown sugar. You know how you pack it down tight into the measuring cup so that you can get as much sugary greatness into your cookies as is actually allowed by the recipe? Well, my days here in Israel are full just like that. And, just like the cookies, they are full of sweet, fresh, lovely things. I wish I could share them all with you here (the experiences AND the cookies), but alas, I cannot. So, let's have coffee when I get back and we can trade summer stories! Sound good? Great!

I CAN tell you that I got to check something off of my bucket-list on Saturday. :) I went with three buddies up to Caesarea Maritima to scope out the Herodian ruins. We saw the palace, tiled bath houses, hippodrome, aqueduct and amphitheater...all Mediterranean sea-side with a breeze that tamed the Near Eastern heat. I guess you could call it beautiful, if you're comfortable with understatements. But in total, the view together with our romp in and around the massive ruins (and finally topped off with some creamy gelato), added up to one fantastic day.

And this weekend will be no less than AWESOME. Check it out - Friday: Dead Sea/Masada/Qumran/Jericho. Saturday: Galilee/Mt Tabor/Sepphoris/and wherever else we wanna GO.

One other thing, before I let y'all go. I have had such a blast doing some people watching. The details and idiosyncrasies of life here are both fascinating and rich at the same time. So many neat people I've gotten to know at the dig - I've met a friar, parents, kids, students, confused people, proud people, generous people, the people in between. I'm having a field day studying them all, and hearing their stories. And I've met many interesting people who live here - especially taxi drivers.

Okay, I got to go now, but, as always, thanks for the love and the prayers and for checkin' up on me! :)

Woah, so much to say!

Wow.

I asked for an adventure, and I sure got one. I am having an incredible time here in Israel. First of all, the beauty of the country is enormous; the hotel is most conveniently situated next to a beach that is a pleasant 2 minute walk away. The Mediterranean water is warm, soothing, and gentle.

I can’t believe that it is only Wednesday here! It feels like I’ve been digging for more than just four days. My body has passed over from bone-sore to muscle-sore, which I consider an improvement. The work itself is hard, but so rewarding, and so good. I’m digging in grid 38 – a 100 square meter cutout of earth. It is primarily focused on the older stuff, ie Philistine and Canaanite history. However, I am working in square 85 (a 10x10 segment of the grid) which is still in the later parts of history. The goal is to dig square 85 down from its current layer so that it is level with the history contemporary to the rest of the grid. This means we have our work cut out for us, because this one square of earth (now dubbed “the ivory tower”) is perched 10 feet above the rest of the grid, requiring the use of a rickety ladder to scale up to the lofty heights. Yesterday we were working around some Roman drains and through some Persian walls. And I found some Iron II pottery as well (basically, that means we saw it all!!). What a privilege it is to experience the beauty and incredibility of this world. What a privilege to see what was – for the chance to validate the past and give credit to antiquity!

I pickaxed and shoveled and carted dirt with these buckets called “guffas” – which, as I understand, is the Hebrew word for “bucket”. Really though, working here I’ve been introduced to a wide range of new vocab. Probably my favorite is the “petiche” which is, for all intents and purposes, a baby pickax. So great!

Wake up alarm at 4:15, first breakfast at 4:40, leave for site at 5:00, start digging by 5:20, second breakfast at 9:30, dig at 10, fruit break at 11, work ‘til 1. Free time until 4, washing and sorting pottery from 4-6, lecture at 6:15, dinner at 7, bed at 8:30. It’s a regimented schedule, and my body is finally adjusting to the early mornings and intense labor. I feel kind of sissy going to bed before 9, but what can ya do? I’d be toast if I waited ‘til 10.

What else can I tell you? Oh, I wrote this in my journal when I was on the plane to Israel. It was kind of the moment…you know, the one when I actually realized what was happening. Check it out:

“This morning I didn’t know that I was leaving the country. I only know that I was ‘going international’ when I boarded the plane. As the daughter of a pilot, I have spent many hours onboard the single engine prop planes. As a college student in a different state, i[‘m accustomed to large jets. But…this is different (and that’s an understatement!) I only knew I was going to Israel – I really think I only became excited for Israel – when I saw a man in first class thumbing through a newspaper in another language. When the guy on the PA system was giving safety instructions in Hebrew. When I met the man sitting next to me going home to Jerusalem. When he promptly fell asleep in my personal space twenty minutes later.
My “personal trip mapper” tells me my body is currently catapulting through thin atmosphere at the spit swallowing speed of 625 mph. Also, it’s -48F outside right now, in case anyone cares to know. And 9.5 hours, 5604 miles, a couple of movies, and one long nap before I step onto Israeli ground at approximately 9:04 AM, Saturday morning. Woohoo!” 6/4/10

It is also important to note that the airline provided all passengers with a complimentary pillow and blanket. Such a perk! :)

Oh, and before I go to bed (9 is fast approaching!), just a couple other cool things of note.

+ I’m having SO much fun with my friends. Love ‘em. Cool people, the one’s I knew, and the one’s I just met.

+ It’s interesting being so near Gaza. The tel is about 6 kilometers (a little over 4 miles) from the boarder, and while we dig the planes and helicopters fly overhead. The Israeli military is always patrolling, and flying planes over the strip to intimidate the people there. Being so close, the planes pass over our heads around 500 feet in the air. It seems crazy, but it’s really just a strange kind of normal.

+ Some cool things we’ve uncovered so far: a nearly intact jugulet (small jar) which probably contained oil or perfume. One thing that surprised me about archaeology is how it really gives credence to the past. Holding that little jugulet, I couldn’t help but think about the woman who used it to hold perfume so that she could feel pretty. The humanity is just so evident – it’s just so vivid and obvious when I work.

+ Today I worked on excavating a Roman drain – I pickaxed and ended up taking down the floor nearly 40 centimeters. The drain had once been a sewage pipe…and I encountered LOTS of gross green dirt. You can only imagine what that was. I guess you could say I pickaxed through ancient, solidified poop. Indiana Jones never put up with that crap! (ha) We did end up with some beautiful Roman glass that someone unfortunately decided to dump (ha) in the drain, but those finds made it all worth it. Tomorrow we get to dive through the Roman layers and find out what’s underneath!

+Bread with hummus is my LIFE.

+ Jerusalem this weekend! Yeah, man! I’ll keep ya posted…


I should probably let you go now…most of my posts won’t be this long (I hope!). Either way, thanks for readin’. Catch ya’ll on the flip side! :)

24 Hour Countdown...

Tomorrow's the day, folks!

Christin will drop me off at the airport on her way to work, and I'll head to New Jersey at 10:30 to catch a direct connection to Tel Aviv. I'm packed, I'm pumped, I'm ready "to rock and roll" (as my dad likes to put it).

Looking forward to my adventure, I jotted down a couple of hopes/goals for my time in Israel. Sometimes, when I feel like I'm on the brink of something big or am about to start something new, I like to make these 'lists of potential'. I've found that looking back on such a list at the end of such an experience is a helpful way to evaluate what I've learned and how I've learned it.
Anyway, I should warn you, they're deliberately vague:

1. Trip over inspiration
2. Discover something new
3. Initiate or catalyze growth
4. Whet an appetite for the world and the people who live in it
5. Collect some cool stories
6. "Keep in step with the Spirit", as I am led to new panoramas (Gal 5:25)

Ideally, by the end of this adventure, I'll have something to say about each of these hopes. And even if I do not...well, that's okay. These hopes are vague because I am inviting God to surprise me by what He wants to show me. If my hopes were too narrow, then I think that they would change from being 'hopes' into 'expectations'. Anyways, all this to say: I leave for Israel tomorrow with an eager, excited, curious spirit that will leave the details firmly buckled in steady hands.

And by the way, here's the link to the dig's website in case you were hoping for more info:
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~semitic/ashkelon_dig.html

Welcome!

Hey there, everyone!

I decided to start this blog as a way to communicate with my family and friends - that's you guys! - while I'm away on an adventure this summer. I see this blog as an opportunity: to experiment, to risk, to share, to learn. I hope to update (at least) twice per week with a picture of the things I'm seeing and thinking and writing. Who knows, if I end up liking this whole blogging thing, maybe I'll stick around a while longer. I guess that makes you all my guinea pigs...I hope you don't mind? :)

So, that's what I'm doin'.
Now, where am I goin'?

To Ashkelon, Israel for six weeks to study archaeology! I will be digging in the dirt alongside several other Wheaties, reviving history from the past and (hopefully) resuscitating it into the present. Details to come on the actual stuff I'll be working on, but for now, just call me Indiana Jones.