Prologue

I waited anxiously for weeks for my letter to arrive. Everyday I rushed home from work, yanked open the mailbox, and hoped to discover my invitation to experience a whole new world! Finally it came. There was a power in the envelope: it could contain welcoming words or an apologetic rejection. My family gathered around. I opened the envelope, and I was accepted! I was going to have the opportunity to travel halfway around the world to walk where Jesus walked!

A couple weeks later, my itinerary arrived the mail. I couldn't pronounce half the places on the list. I was exuberant with joy! This was going to be an amazing semester. Later, when my mom looked at it, she remarked that I wasn't going to school, I was going on a 4-month vacation. It became a family joke, and it evolved into calling my study abroad my vacation bible school.

So, anyways, I'm now seating in my friend's kitchen in Utah. Tomorrow we have a big orientation meeting, and the next day we leave America and head out on the adventure of a lifetime! I'm so excited for this amazing opportunity! I'm really grateful for all the support I've had from my parents, siblings, teachers, church leaders, and everyone else, and I hope that through my blog I can share a piece of my adventure in the Holy Land with all my loved ones! Thanks again for all your support! Shalom!