Here's How it Goes

Dearest Asher,

As I floated in the Dead Sea, I thought of you.  As I drove past the Qumran and Jericho, I thought of you. As I walked the streets of Jerusalem, I thought of you.

The terrible thing about living half a world away from you is that when Mom went into labor in the middle of the night, it was the middle of the day for me and I had to wait all day long as Mom had to wait all night long.  Fitful sleep probably would have been a better way to wait for you, but there it is.  Where was I when you made your appearance?  Eating ice cream in Jerusalem with some friends.

I can't tell you how excited I am that you are here!  I know we can't officially meet for a while, but I'd really love for you to know just how great life can truly be.

The cool thing about you is that you have 10 older siblings who will have your back at all times!  You have two marvelous parents who will teach you all about Jesus and everything you'll need to know about life.  Yes, you'll get into mischief and need correction and discipline just like the rest of us, but know that Mom and Dad do it because they love you too much to let your bad habits slide.

The neat thing about Dad?  He's a wonderful encourager!  He's great at keeping an eye out for what you're good at and then helping you develop that skill.  Just a forewarning, though, when he says something like, "it won't take that long," what he really means is that it'll take about 2 hours longer than you thought it would take.  I just thought you'd need to know that since the rest of us have fallen into that trap more than once.  ;)  The other thing is that Dad has the best sense of humor of anyone that I know!

And then there's Mom.  Mom is fantastic because she teaches you all these cool things about history and literature and life.  Here's a heads up for her, though.  If you even mention the democratic party, you'll get an eye roll as she says, "pfff" (which is her sound of disdain) and a long rant about how evil they are (and she's right, by the way).  Just be ready for the rant, is all.  Also, you may want to avoid mentioning any heretical "theological" topics of discussion as you'll get a long rant there too.  :D  Mom is a fantastic cook, so if you're looking to ever go on a diet, home is not the place to do it.

Just so you know, being a part of the Adams family means you work before you eat, you play hard, you laugh hard, you make lots of memories, and you pursue the LORD with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Life isn't always easy, but trust me on this, it's so much better with this family of ours by your side.

I've been thinking about a Scripture to share with you, and I just can't get my mind off of wisdom.  So for you, dear Asher, I want to share Proverbs 8: 12-21.  Have Dad read you that passage.  In this letter, however, I'm going to share just verse 17 (keep in mind that wisdom is speaking here) where it says, "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me."  Be diligent, Asher, in seeking out wisdom.  Fear the LORD and hate evil.

Now, if you really want to hear all the words I have for you, have Mom look up the song "Words I Would Say" by Sidewalk Prophets and you'll have a good idea of what's on my heart.

I love you and cannot wait to meet you!
Happy Birthday,
Adess

Field Research

Field research is what one team member called my stay in Galilee.  That's what happens when you major in biblical studies and decide to take at least a year off of school to go to the Holy Land!

I'm so thrilled to be here!  God has given me the opportunity to meet so many new and amazing people each and every day!  The staff (who come from all over the world) have quickly become family to me.  Each member has their own unique story to tell and contributes something to this place that no one else can.  It's an amazing thing to be a part of!

As far as adventures go, I finally got to sail the Sea of Galilee today!  The water was a beautiful turquoise (I've heard this isn't always the case) and when I closed my eyes, I could imagine Yeshua sailing the very same body of water 2,000 years ago and calming the wind that whipped at my face and hair.  From my vantage point today, I could see Tiberius, the Mount of the Beatitudes, and Capernaum.  Crazy!

My friend Sasha and I on the boat (it was SUPER windy)

I can't wait to see what else God has in store for me on this trip of mine!  He is so good, and I have LOVED getting to know believers from all over the world in such a short time.  I cross the path of new people every single day.  It's been amazing!

I've been keeping a travel log, actually, of the new experiences that each day holds and of the high points.  We'll see how long I'll be diligent in filling it out, but so far it's been a fun thing to do at the end of each day.  :)

And Here We Are

Shalom!  We arrived in Israel yesterday afternoon!  The first flight wasn't bad at all.  It was roughly 9.5 hours from Houston to Paris, then we had two hours before our 4 hour flight to Tel Aviv.  I have to say, when we got on the second flight, I just wanted to get there!  It was a bit cramped, but I ended up sleeping for about 3 hours.

Today, I woke up to the most beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee!  No joke.  The sun was just rising and it was gorgeous!  Want to see?

Yes, this is the actual view from my window!  That's the Sea, and then behind it are what I believe to be the Golan Heights, but I have to get that confirmed.  I don't know if I'll ever get used to waking up to such a sight!  I'll let you know at the end of all this.  ;)

Anyway, I'm still a bit jet-lagged, so methinks it's about nap time for me.

The Final Countdown!

Well.  Here we are 4 days out from lift off and my suitcase is mostly packed.

It's hard to believe that we're finally here, seeing that I've been planning this trip since March!  I was telling my mom this evening that my mind still hasn't fully wrapped around the fact that it's actually happening... and in just a few days!

I know I've talked about it, sharing my plans with just about everyone who has asked, saying basically the same thing hundreds and hundreds of time, and quite frankly, I'm tired of talking.  I want to GO!

I can't wait to complete the packing process, finish saying goodbye, and board that plane that will take me half a world away!  I'm super excited about the things that I will learn while I'm gone, the experience of a new culture, and the opportunity to have a real adventure for once!

And so, here we are 4 days from lift off, and I'm ready to GO!