Day 1

After approximately 18 hours in transit, I arrived in Tel Aviv on Thursday. Flying in over the Mediterranean and seeing Israel from the air for the first time was such an emotional experience for me. I cried many tears in the last moments of that flight... The trip from Roanoke to Israel was the easiest flying experience I've ever had. I had absolutely no delays, I had two seats on the plane, no extra fees, I didn't even have a single one of my bags searched at all. It was amazingly smooth.
The airport in Tel Aviv was very intimidating. There were loads of people and fewer signs in English than I was hoping for, (It didn't help that this was the moment I had been most nervous about of this whole trip) and I could feel myself on the verge of panic. However, I took some time to collect myself, spend a little time talking to God, and then I claimed Isaiah 30:21 (Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying "this is the way; walk in it.") and just walked out of the airport. My original plan had been to take the train, but I couldn't find it. My least favored option for getting to Haifa had been taking the "Sherut" (a sort of shared taxi/van that holds about 10 people) however, it was the only thing that I could find and the driver promised to take us directly to campus, so I quickly decided on that option. Little did I know that this would turn out to me my first blessing from God in Israel...
I sat down in the back of the Sherut between two guys, the one, named Daniel from Germany (ironically, the other guy was also named Daniel from Germany), immediately introduced himself and we began a lively and diverse conversation, which I was extremely grateful for after not having spoken to anyone for so many hours. Within 20 minutes, I told Daniel about how this was such an exciting trip for me because of my Christian background. He then went on to tell me that he had come to Israel, for the second time, because he felt the heart of God drawing him here through his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The situation was somewhat humorous for me, because he was explaining this to me as though I were a nonbeliever, and I was astounded that the first person I met in Israel had a story so similar to my own. I asked him if he would be attending a church in Haifa, and when he told me he would be, I asked him if I could attend with him. He of course said yes, but I couldn't help but be amused by how hesitant he was. I could clearly tell that he didn't think I was a very serious Christian and that I would be shocked by the experience. Little did he know... haha... it still makes me chuckle...
We arrived on the campus about 7pm, hung out for a bit while we waited for keys to our rooms, and then headed off to bed. I went to sleep that night extremely encouraged, happy beyond belief, and overwhelmed by the grace and goodness of God.