In the steps of Jesus

When I started this blog a few years ago, the purpose was mainly to be able to share about my experiences in missions. However, I had a different kind of adventure this summer that was far too amazing to keep to myself. It was the journey of a lifetime...walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

A friend from Mercy Ships decided to organize a group of crew and alumni this summer to take a class called "Jesus and His Times" at Jerusalem University College with the intention of not only seeing Israel, but also learning about the history and culture during the time of Jesus. I have always wanted to visit the Holy Land, so when I heard about the trip nearly a year ago, I excitedly told her to count me in.

My pastor has always said that when you go to Israel, it transforms the pages of the Bible from black and white to color. I didn't fully understand that statement until I was finally there. Actually being in Israel really made the Bible come alive!

It was fun to be a student again and travel around Israel along with twelve other Mercy Shippers and another 30+ college students from the States. There was so much to see and learn during our time in Israel that it was often overwhelming to take it all in. But, there was something so awe-inspiring about going to each new place for the first time: to visit the Mount of Olives and look down at the city of Jerusalem, to be humbled in the somber atmosphere of the Garden of Gethsemane, and walk up the 2,000-year old steps of the Temple.



Looking out at the Mount of Olives with the city walls behind us

One of my favorite stops was at  "The Garden Tomb." I entered the tomb and read the sign that states: "He is not here, for he is risen." Later, as I sat there in the garden outside of the tomb, I pulled out my Bible and read the resurrection account. Suddenly the story unfolded before my eyes right there in the garden! A sense of joy and amazement filled my heart as I pictured Jesus approaching Mary Magdalene outside the tomb, the look of hope and astonishment on her face as her weeping turned to ecstatic joy and she realized that Jesus was alive!

While I loved Jersusalem, it was amazing to get out of the city and spend a few days by the Sea of Galilee! The first night, I opened my Bible as I watched the sunset. I came to the story of Jesus calming the storm and the amazement of the disciples as the wind and waves ceased in an instant at Jesus' command. A couple days later, we actually got to take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee and I opened to the account of Peter walking on the water. As I looked out on the beautiful sea glistening in the sunlight, I thought about the times in my life when Jesus has asked me to step out in faith and walk on the water with him. Often my fears and doubts have kept me from getting out of the boat, as I cower in the corner, afraid that the wind and waves will come and overtake me. He has so much more for our lives if we will simply choose to trust him and take the first step! For all the times I have been like Peter, I could hear Jesus whisper gently to my heart "Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Sunset over the Sea of Galilee







From day to day and place to place, we saw the Bible come alive. It is truly amazing to actually walk throughout Jerusalem and sense God filling your heart with the love that He has for the people of Jerusalem. I went to the Western Wall with some friends one Sabbath and watched as the Jews came to pray at the wall, weeping and praying for their city. I even had the opportunity to go to the wall myself and "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" as we are told to do in the Bible. Our group of friends sang a Hebrew song we had learned and then took communion together. As we sat there in the midst of all the activity going on around us, I couldn't help but think how God's heart must break for His people as they wait for the Messiah, not realizing that He has already come!

There are so many more amazing experiences that I could share about our time in Israel: from camel rides to floating in the Dead Sea, watching a Bar-mitzvah ceremony for the first time, visiting the caves where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls, watching the sunset over Jerusalem from the top of the Mount of Olives, swimming in the clear blue water of the Mediterranean, and splashing my head under the Jordan River on a warm summer day, it felt like there was never a dull moment on the trip! Along with all the great sites, there were also some pretty amazing people in our group!

Jordy & Carys were two of my favorite travel buddies



Having fun at the ruins



First camel ride...I got to "drive"

Underground tunnel walk along the orignal city road



But, while I had a great time, learned a lot, and made some amazing friends and memories, the most incredible thing about my whole experience in Israel was that Jesus met me there. He reminded me of his incredible love for me as He went to the cross, his desire to rebuild the broken parts of my life as the walls of Jerusalem were restored, and His call as He beckons me to come to Him on the water, to step out in faith and trust that He is bigger than any storm of life that I will ever face.

Our Mercy Ships group at Cesarea



As I left Jerusalem, I was so grateful to know that I wasn't leaving Jesus behind in the city where He once walked. He is with me wherever I go and goes before me to "straighten out the path ahead of me." Even now, He calls all of us to "walk in His footsteps." We may not all literally get to place our feet on the stones where he placed his, but we can follow His example and love and compassion in reaching out to a lost and hurting world around us. And as I look ahead to this next field service in Africa, I am reminded that He leads me in the ultimate example of love. He laid down His life and calls me to do the same...to die to myself daily, care for the hurting, love the lost and show them the way to the Father. Only then will I truly be able to fully experience what it means to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.