Snapshots

Hello (:
It's been a busy last couple weeks.

// Highlights //
- Served lunch to 300 people in 1 day at the Nazareth Village
- Graduation for the seniors from the Nazareth Baptist School where we are directly involved with Young Life and this group specifically was special as they had been the kids I went to camp with 2 summers ago at Windy Gap and our staff has strong connections with most of them.
- NC State Young Life College group came to visit for 12ish days
- Toured some of the country with said YL group
- Young Life Capernaum (special needs kids) camp in Bethlehem
- More Nazareth Village work...but there of course was some fun, a.k.a. dinner with the staff on the Sea of Galilee

Now understand, I'm so thankful and love all of this. Busyness helps keep the mind from thinking too much, makes me feel productive, and what a joy to be in the land I am in doing what I am doing.
Nothing better than a 4 hour nap though when it all caught up to me on Friday.

So, this period of the year has been long awaited for me personally. Graduation for the seniors was so much fun. To share in their excitement made it easy to be happy and smile...and then it also made me remember my own graduation (Spring 2009). I thought how it would be absolutely ridiculous for my present self to tell my 18 year old self what I would be doing right now. "Yeahhh, sure I'll transfer from VT to JMU then move to NC, then move again to Nazareth, Israel working with Young Life ministries. Okayyy crazy Zack from the future."
But that's how life is...we plan our life, which we have very little proof or experience that it will happen as we think, then it goes in a completely different direction.

Also, June meant friends from NC State YL would make their visit! It was great to host them and see them experience the Holy Land for the first time as I once did. Oh, and even better...James Madison University Young Life is coming in a week. (The school I attended and the same trip I took 2 years ago) LETS GOOO!

----- There's the info of what's happened. Now for the deeper, lessons learned part -----

The NC State group was actually just girls (a group of 9). It's all good, I was a fan haha
This equated to a lot more pictures. I personally am a simplistic picture taker...I try to be in the moment without the camera and then get just 1 reminder pic.
However, I am super thankful these awesome ladies captured some great snapshots. As life happens, pictures are so helpful and great at bringing back emotions and thoughts of favorite memories and friends. Easy to see why Instagram is so popular.
- So I'm gunna share a few and just some thoughts.

 

Young Life brought this room of people together. Just outside Bethlehem people from Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, USA, Canada, and Kenya were in a room together worshiping, talking about Jesus and praying for kids, teens, and adults who feel lost in this big world. 

 

Young Life - for some reason this organization has been immensely influential in my life. From my working activities today, to how I gave my life over to following Jesus, to lots of laugher and learning, to get this....how my parents met! In the background are students waiting for the last club of the school year and it was a blast. PTL (praise the Lord)

 

 

This land is so special. It's where God chose to come to Earth in Jesus. I join tours each chance I get just to learn more about the history and what happened as people have lived in this area for thousands of years! This is from the top of Mt. Arbel on the Sea of Galilee which I've hiked about 5 times now. 

 

The Nazareth Village is my unexpected blessings/volunteer opportunity during my time here. From being a tour guide, to hanging out as a shepherd, to making bread/meals...it's a testament to 'you never know what may happen.'

 

Now these "Snapshots"...they show just a moment. And this is what came to mind when I wanted to write this up. A picture is great. We take, post, and share them. Usually the top moments are the ones we try to capture. However...pictures lack the backstory...the behind the scenes. For example, you don't see the 2 hour drive to Bethlehem, serving special needs kids, and not getting enough sleep. You don't see the hours spent at school, trying to befriend high school kids you don't know and don't speak the same first language as, planning clubs/bible study, then being bummed when kids cancel on plans. You don't see the work and exercise to make it to the top of the mountain. You don't see the hours of waiting just for a group to pass by for a couple minutes, or the thousands of other pieces of bread made standing next to a fire when it's 90 degrees outside or serving 300 people in the span of a few hours.

 

Day to day life is a lot of work and grind with few glorious, movie worthy moments. Relationships, work, and self growth are all tasks we undertake continuously. But when the time comes and you get a snapshot, it is a good moment. And that good moment makes it all worth it. For me personally, Jesus is in that good moment smiling with me. Even more important though, I believe He is in ALL the moments - tough, mundane, difficult, stressful, joyful, happy, thankful...

 

Love you all, happy Sunday and Blessings to you!