You can't go there, you'll get yourself killed!

As 2005 came to a close, I had seen in God's Revivalist, a publication by God's Bible School and College that they were planning a trip to Israel in February of 2006. Immediately I wanted to go, I didn't know how this would even be possible seeing as though I had no passport nor did I have the over $2000 it cost to go on the trip. I sat down one night to tell Jeff what I was thinking and his exact response was, "NO,you can't go there, you'll get yourself killed!" I was so upset because I really felt like this was a trip I needed to take. I wanted to walk where Jesus walked. I wanted to see the places I had read about in the Bible, it would make it seem more real to me. So in my normal fashion I began to pray that the Lord would work it out.

I had spoken to my Aunt Carol about it and she also wanted to go along with Ruby another lady from our church. I called the college and asked if they had any more open seats, lucky they did have a few on such short notice (prayer one answered).

Then the issue of passports, none of us had a passport and since 9/11 it was not as quick and easy to do, we were unsure if we would even get them back in time to go. So in mid January we went and applied for our passports, all the time Jeff was still saying no. You would think I would have listened and said ok, but I had a strong belief that I needed to go on this trip and if it was God's will there would be a way. We obtained our passports in mid February (prayer two answered).

Now came the money issue, Jeff would not give me the money to go because he was so against me going, so I started praying the Lord would provide the money someway. Jeff had told my mom a week before I left that, "he figured I had the money because I was planning as though I was going." She told him, "no she doesn't, she is just trusting the Lord will provide it." She also told him that, "I had more faith in my pinky finger than he had in his entire body and there should be no reason for him to worry about me dying over there." Really my mom eased his fears about me going, although he still wasn't happy about it. So a little less than a week before I left someone offered to pay my way, I thought this was very generous and highly unexpected so I agreed as long as they would allow me to pay them back when I returned (prayer three answered).

We all left for Israel without knowing exactly what to expect, but expecting to meet God there and boy did we. We went with about 45 other people, none of which any of us knew, but that was okay we were on a trip of a lifetime.

Our time in Israel was truly a blessing from God, it was a time of learning more about Him and growing closer to Him. I remember we went to a Jewish owners store on one of the days and he would answer our questions about the Jewish religion. At the end of his talk he said, "I will tell you that none of you are here by accident, it never fails, I hear from people all the time, they come to Israel thinking it would be a great trip and God always uses the trip for a purpose in each persons life." I'm sure he had seen it happen over the years of meeting people, but it was a very prophetic message for me that would come very true in many ways in my life.

I could write pages on my trip to Israel and the experience I had, but the most important was the times spent with God and learning about Him, not just the places we got to see. I would recommend anyone who wants to get closer to Christ to take a trip to the Holy Land, you will never forget it or regret it. You'll see in future post how this trip changed the very path my life was on, with people who have been in and out of my life since.

Just to show you how faithful God truly is, we returned home the first week in March and the very day I got home I had the money to repay the person who paid for me to go on the trip (prayer four answered).

My most favorite Bible verse, "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart" Psalms 37:4........God's word has never failed me yet!