Israel

This story is a highlight from the summer. I planned to finish support early, and one of the reasons for that was so that I could go on vacation, since I hadn't gotten to earlier in the summer. About a week before the deadline I had set for myself, it seemed like I would get all my support in, and my parents were planning a trip to Georgia, and by faith I bought a plane ticket, hoping I would be finished by the time I was supposed to leave. Miraculously, I was finished a few days before! God is so good!

When I got on the plane, I noticed that the woman sitting next to me had a big book in her lap, and all I read on it was the word "Jewish." I am always very intrigued by Judaism, and was thinking about if I should try to get in a conversation with her, though I remembered a previous experience (on an evangelism day of the Christmas Conference in D.C.) trying to start up a Gospel conservation with a Jew who was really opposed to talking to us. I always thought it would be really cool to get in a Gospel conversation with someone on a plane, since I have heard a lot of stories about that. When I am traveling, I really look forward to reflection and listening to music, so I always hope that no one disrupts that sacred time by talking to me, but this time I think I was a little more open to talking to this woman.

After about 30 seconds, I didn't need to debate talking to her anymore, because she started talking to me. She asked me why I was going to Jacksonville and where I was from. I ended up telling her that I went to Virginia Tech, and she asked me about the tragedy. I told her that the good that came out of it was that our community became much closer through God. However, I immediately regretted not having the guts to say that our community was Christian. I thought I had missed my opportunity.

Then she started talking to me about God! She said something to the effect of - she had been in a bad bike accident, but that whenever we go through something like that, God is always there for us. So we agreed on that, but I still wanted to turn the conversation to Jesus specifically. This woman was very animated, and a little eccentric. She looked about 40 or 50, but wasn't very well put together, was very warm, and had a hysterical, inviting, but wild laugh. I was enjoying talking to her. I tried to mention God more, and sound joyful and positive. It seemed very much like she was trying to do the same. I finally told her that I was going to work for Campus Crusade for Christ in Venezuela for a year. She was thrilled.

Then she started telling me how she loves mountain biking, and she reads this biking magazine. One day Israel was on the cover of the magazine, and she just thought "God wants me to go to Israel." So she decided to go, but didn't have the means. One day she met a stranger (in church perhaps?), who told her that she thought God was calling my new friend to go to Israel. And she said, "I will provide a way for you to go." After a few months, the stranger got a job working for Delta, and was able to obtain plane tickets for the woman to go to Israel!

So this woman has always been interested in Israel, and is currently reading the Jewish Translation of the Bible (which is what was in her lap on the plane). It uses the Hebrew names for God and other people and places, which is pretty cool. I told her about the book I was currently reading, called Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus (which I would totally recommend - it's about how we can understand more about Jesus by looking at His Jewishness). She said that she has been to Israel a few times and just goes on these mountain biking trips. Each time she goes she raises money from people at her church and other churches. She had serious faith, and God provided for her every time. She asked me for support-raising strategies and I gave her some tips. That was pretty cool.

On her trips to Israel, each week on the Sabbath everything would shut down, and Rabbis invite the community into their house for a meal. Disciples, friends, and travelers (including my friend) would go into the Rabbi's house and after dinner, the floor would be open for discussion and debate (which is something I learned about in the Rabbi Jesus book). Even women were allowed to share, so the woman would love to bring up the topic of the blood of Jesus. She said that the Rabbi told her it was too controversial of a topic, and they would have to talk about it afterwards. But when she brought up the topic, all the young people in the room would flip open their Bibles and seek the scriptures for answers.

It was definitely one of the most interesting conversations I've ever had, and one of the most interesting people I've ever talked to. Before we got off the plane, I asked her what her name was, and she said "Israel."