Why I am Here

When I went off to college, I was sure of two things: I was going to study History, and I was never going to study abroad. Well, I'm batting 1/2 on that count. I was so sure I would never study abroad because I didn't think I had what it took to leave my homeland for several months. I told my parents when I started school "The only place that I would ever consider studying abroad is Jerusalem, and Concordia doesn't have a Jerusalem program, so I won't be studying abroad." My how things change. Last spring, I was walking through the student center, and all of the study abroad programs had set up booths advertising their trips and experiences. I quickly walked through the area without looking at anything, so certain was I of my plans. Right as I was about to walk out the door, however, I happened to glance at the last booth in the line. "Study in Jerusalem!" it said, with information laid out on the table in front of it. I looked at that booth for a good five minutes, thoughts piling one on top of the other in my head. "They said there wasn't a program there!" "I can't go, I just signed up for a townhouse with two of my best friends." "This is of God, there is a reason I've seen this." "Just go talk to the coordinator, you don't have to make any commitment." "I can't afford this!" "Just here him out, what's the harm in listening?" Curiosity got the better of me, and I signed up for a time slot with Dan Albertson, one of Concordia's global education coordinators. I sat down with him and listened to what he had to say, knowing in the back of my mind the whole time that God wanted me to go. One week later, I made a commitment. You're probably asking what appeal does Israel have for a suburban gentile from the Midwest to overcome such resolution? It's quite simple: Israel is the place where my life truly got started and my path became clear. It was the summer of 2009; I had just finished my Junior year of high school and was itching to graduate so I could leave that life behind me and start a better one. My faith was rocky; my church had recently imploded and the senior pastor, a great man of God and a mentor of mine, had resigned in the face of disgusting behavior from a militant minority. My family had been personally insulted multiple times for defending the pastor, and we had also left in disgust. I was very cynical towards the church in general and God in particular at that time after seeing what I had seen and hearing what I had heard. It was a time of great soul searching for me, and emerging from that process as a Christian was not a guarantee in my mind. During those troubled years, I was fortunate (indeed blessed) to have gone through a program called Student Leadership University, run by a great man of God named Dr. Jay Strack. Where my youth pastor at home ignored me and was more concerned about his personal ambition over the faith of the youth, Dr. Jay patiently built my faith and cared about who I was and what I wanted to become. He and his fellow leaders of SLU became my youth pastors, and I received more care and direction from them one week a summer for four years than I ever did attending my local youth group. In 2009, they took me to Jordan and Israel, and I got to see the Holy Land that I had read so much about for the first time. I was baptized in the Jordan River, and I went where Jesus walked and taught. Being here and seeing the actual places of the Bible coming to life certainly helped my faith, but I still wasn't completely convinced; I still had some doubts. One night, we went to Nazareth and hiked up a mountain as the sun was setting. When we got to the top, we saw the Valley of Armageddon stretching towards the horizon in all directions; endless and eternal. The sight took my breath away, and I felt the power of the place. A girl in our group suddenly burst into tears; we asked her what was wrong, and she said "This is the most famous battlefield in history, and the battle hasn't even started yet." At that moment, something changed inside of me. I don't know how, but at that time I knew, with every fiber of my being, that what she said was true. There would be a battle here someday, and I knew who would win. The gears in my head were churning, and I thought to myself "If this is true, then the rest of it has to be as well." I gave my life to Christ for good on that mountain that night. My doubts were erased, and all I felt was awe. We ended our trip in the Holy City. I prayed at the Wall and went into the empty tomb. I was leaving the next day, but something else had become clear in my mind. I knew that one day, I would return, and that it was God's Will that I do so. When I saw that booth in the student center at Concordia that spring day, God said "Go", so I went. I've known for some time that my life's purpose has something to do with the Jewish State, and that while they have enemies beyond count, I am meant to be a friend. I knew that for me to walk this path and to follow God's plan, I must return to Israel at some point. God called me to Israel, and I answered. By the Will, Grace, and Power of God Almighty and His son Jesus Christ, I am here. I wrote a paper about my experience on the mountain outside of Nazareth for my introductory writing class at Concordia. If any of you want to read it, send me a message and I'll email it to you.