Hello hello to you all from my apartment bedroom in downtown Nazareth (:
...to get right into things...
So for the past month+ I've been living on my own in a place just off the main street in Naz. My first official 'loner' apartment (no parents, no roommates) and it just turned out to be in Israel...something I never could have anticipated but honestly at this point, I've given up attempting to control what's ahead haha. Anyways, it was offered by a family who is related to a teacher at the school where we do YoungLife. I'm the top floor of a 3 story little complex that has all members from a family living in the other apartments. Actually, 3 brothers from 1 family married 3 sisters from another! I laugh thinking about the families by wedding #3, like "okayyy we're doing this again. we know you, we've had all conversations....twice. Just go get married." hahaha.
The family name is
Qupty and the opportunity to live with them has been an amazingly lucky, but total "God-Thing" find. There's more to it, but really quickly I'll just say, I had basically decided upon another apartment, much more secluded and alone. The morning after mentally deciding to move to this other apartment, I woke up simply not feeling at peace and all these questions arising about the decision. I told Hunter and Laurie and oddly enough, they kinda shared my anxiety. We checked one more place (where I live now) and it has made all the difference. -
A little lesson in trusting your heart and making sure to be at peace about big decisions.
(Qupty family kids)
This is a pic of myself and some kids of the families from the little complex I'm living with. Most are around 20-25yrs old, and all are incredibly friendly, welcoming, and caring...so much so that I have felt truly adopted as a Qupty. This was the God part of the move. I had wanted to have some friends my own age here in Nazareth (most of the time was spent with high schoolers and adults older than me) so this group right here could not have been any better. Everyday I get to hang with them, play card games, video games with the guys (another special blessing, I had no guy friends my age here yet and really was praying for some), I work on my Arabic with them, and then this pic was from a trip to Jerusalem we all went on. Furthermore, all the mom's in their natural mom way offer me more food than I can say yes to, make coffee/tea for me whenever I'm over, and simply take care of me. This family and these people are some I didn't see coming into my life, and yet here in a foreign land I've found family that I'll never forget (:
Young Life side of Nazareth...
Everything is going really well! Actually, we started wYLdlife last month and had a couple clubs so far. wYLdlife is the branch of YoungLife that is for middle schoolers (here we do 7th and 8th grade). The idea was actually initiated from a YL kid, Luis. He volunteers at camps over the summer with the church and said to Hunter that he was upset there is no follow up. The younger kids get a great week over summer but then nobody continues to build relationships with them and share a Jesus focused life. We said there is a thing called wYLdlife but us older YL leaders would need help to run it. This then led to another cool step. We shared this idea with some H.S. students (11th & 12th) and with our guidance, there are 6-8 high schoolers who are leaders at the wYLdlife clubs. It's been an opportunity to help them with their leadership abilities, committing life to Jesus and then we all know how cool it was as a younger student to have older students want to be friends with you...they're now impacting others lives!
One of the high school leaders that emerged was this cool guy - Sari. Sari's been coming to YL since Hunter and Laurie moved here 2 yrs ago, so he's been around the clubs and meetings a lot. I met him on my first visit here but then also got to be at Windy Gap YL camp with him for a week during an America trip they had in July 2013. Now, in the year (plus) I've known Sari, it's been a treat from life to watch him grow. As a person and in his faith. He's insanely smart (fyi he's a chess master), so he's always had lots of questions about Jesus and truth which often are the really big questions that theologians still discuss. Also, he has not always had very high self-confidence. We've been doing life together over the last 5 months, encouraging each other however we can and now at club, this dude is full of energy in front of everyone, dancing with my goofy self, and bringing new ideas to help make YL Nazareth better. Seeing people become their best selves through pursuing Christ, as I feel like I have and am...I mean, what else is better?! Don't think I have experienced anything that beats it yet. And the other week Sari humbled me. After a club we were driving him home and discussing the future, and what jobs he sees himself doing. Then I mentioned I never thought I would be involved in ministry like how I am today...he replied with "But Zack, this is the best work you could ever do." I couldn't think of any response but to give thanks. Pretty sweet.
Well until next time,
I appreciate you keeping up to date with me, and am here to share more details/stories. A huge, I Love You! to my family and friends...I miss you all.
Oh and we've begun a guys time/bible study with some fellas and that's been just another great time to share life together and push each other towards a full life. (John 10:10)...and yes, Sari attends.
Zack (:
