I figured something out!  I don't spend much time blogging and narrating my time here.  However, I do spend time taking pictures and putting them online.  AND...they say (who "they" are, I don't really know) "A picture is worth a thousand words"...SOOOOO...it's really like I haven't stopped talking about the trip, provided you visit the picture website!  Yeah, I think that makes sense!  Here it is again if you don't remember, or don't want to see where I put it the first time... http://webshots.community.com/chandlera100

Time for a little 'What's HOT and what's NOT in Israel..."  (And when I say, "hot" i mean the things that are cool, the best parts of the trip, the things I enjoy and will tell everyone about, and "not" are the..well---things that are just part of the experience!)

HOT: ISRAEL (of course!)     NOT: um...the water in the Sea of Galilee, but sometimes you hafta go really far out for it to not be warm...

HOT: eating chocolate spread on EVERYTHING...like for breakfast, chocolate bread, mmmmm     NOT: well, they're not so bad, really, but eating tomatoes and cucumbers every breakfast and dinner...it's gettin a bit old (but I don't mind them as much as some people!)

HOT: finding cool things like lamps, mosaic floors, etc     NOT: having to scrub pottery (which also isn't so bad, cause we all get to talk and spend time together...hmmm, ok, i don't mind that so much, either)

Ok, you know what?  This 'game' isn't working so well, cause even when I put something under the "not" category, I know it's really not that bad...the "worst" parts about the trip are the bugs (sometimes) and the dirtyness and heat, but it's been hotter back home, and all of this is really what makes the trip fun in it's own way, so I'm afraid nothing I can think of about this exprience will go there very well (not for lack of trying).  I guess I'm just having too much fun...with everything...and apparently I don't know how to spend my time blogging in a normal manner!  Haha...oh well. 

I don't feel like telling about everything that's happened since I last wrote, so I just wantto end by saying this place is wonderful, and all the people who are part of this group are amazing, and this is something I will never ever forget for the rest of my life! 

Here's the thing...Paul thinks this is the first time I've posted in a month.  I think that's silly, cause we haven't even been here that long so obviously I've posted since before that, but anyways, all of that is unimportant, of course.

So...todays topic will be..."my sandcastle on the sea..."

Yesterday, I made a sandcastle.  I made a sandcastle on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  I made a sandcastle because I love the sand, and I love the beach, and I was thinking that Jesus probably spent time as a boy on these same shores (not where I was, but nearby) doing the same type of thing.  I bet Jesus made sandcastles.  Yep. 

Ok, topic switch just because it came into my head--One thing I will always remember from here are a lot of the little "simple" moments that happen from day to day.  The one I wish to share with you now is about singing.  Kat and I have had several singing "moments."  Sometimes, we just start singing after pottery cleaning, and continue after everyone else is gone.  We've sung very goofy, fun songs and gone on to singing hymns and praise songs.  I just wanted to share the idea of singing hymns and praise on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (sometimes in the water) with someone who shares with me the hope of Christ, and is just a very cool person.  There have definately been a lot of "moments" on this trip--of course there's still the big things--but some of these simple times I know I will never forget, because of how they made me feel. 

Topic switch again--it's really hot here!  I got sweaty just walking around yesterday...ewww!  I've never had so many bruises, blisters, scratches and other miscellaneous injuries...but I love it so much!

So, um...I've decided I'm not the best narrative blogger (or 'xanga-er' or whatever it would be)...and for those of you who wish I was giving more details about day to day activities and goings-on here, I apologize, but I cannot be what I am not, so it's probably not going to change!  (hehe)

This week has been exciting at the church.  I didn't really know what to expect coming here--what the dig would actually be like, what it would include, and how much digging and moving of rocks people can do in just a few weeks. 

Let's see...I don't even know what to talk about right now...hmmmm...

Alright, um...I think maybe I'll try again tomorrow (haha).  I'm feelin kinda scatterbrained and out of it right now (not too unusual for me) and we have a lecture in 10 minutes. 

For any who might want more details about what's been happening, I think you should try to check out other peoples' blogs at www.virtualdig.com and going to the public pages, then hot news (some of you probably already know that!)

home sweet...kibbutz?!

Well, we made it to Jerusalem, and back safely and had a wonderful time.  We were able to do a lot in just two days and I think I'm still processing it all.  Even now I can't quite comprehend what I saw and did...and all the different sounds and smells and feelings are still running through my brain in kind of a jumbled mess.  It was really great.  I just don't feel like I understand it all even now that I'm back at the kibbutz able to think about it.

We spent our time in the old city at the Lutheran Youth Hostel (Jill, you know what that's like) and spent our two days walking around touring the different churches and parts of the town.  I can't even really think of how to describe how it felt just to be in a place like that, because the streets and people were all so different than anything I've ever known. 

Ok, so I really should probably spend some time to write a bit more to describe some things, but I'm tired and going to go to sleep...after all, it's another busy day on the dig tomorrow.  I'm putting pictures online though, so check out the website listed in one of my other posts and you can at least see the things I won't take the time to write just now !