May 2, 2000. It’s hard to believe, but the end has come. My finals are finished, our field trips are done, and now, only 48 hours remain until I depart from the Land of Israel.

How does one leave the Promised Land after 3 1/2 months and casually assimilate back into a normal routine in America? Is it possible? In some ways, I’m sure my life will forever be changed as a result of this experience. In other ways, however, I know that living the Christian walk will be just as hard as ever.

I’ve seen almost every square inch of this great land, from the northernmost Lebanese border to the port of Eilat on the Red Sea, from the Mediterranean Coast to the waters of the Jordan River. The cities and regions of the Bible are no longer foreign words, but familiar places with vivid memories. And now, the most difficult task begins – putting all of the knowledge into practice.

The excitement of Israel is coming to an end, but my responsibility is just beginning. God has graciously provided beyond all I could ask or think, and I firmly believe that “much will be required” in return. Please pray that I will be a humble servant, and that God will use me in whatever capacity He sees fit.

Of all the lessons I’ve learned over the course of this semester, one in particular stands out as a recurring theme: the self-sufficiency of God. I don’t quite know how else to explain it! God is utterly self-sufficient; He doesn’t need man (or anything else) to accomplish His plan. In fact, throughout history, He’s proven that He best enjoys working when the odds are overwhelmingly against Him.

Why else would He choose a lowly shepherd boy like David and a band of 400 renegades to establish a united monarchy? (1 Samuel 16, 22) Why would He limit Gideon’s army to a mere 300 men? (Judges 7) Why would He leave Israel without any continual water source like the Nile? (Deuteronomy 11) Why would He tell Jehoshaphat to send the choir instead of soldiers to the frontlines of the battle? (2 Chronicles 20) Why would choose Jerusalem as His capital, an obscure city tucked away in the Judean Hill Country? And why would He appoint a suffering Servant, Jesus, to bring salvation? (Isaiah 53)

Obviously, He would (and did) do all of these things to bring Himself greater glory. At first glance, it doesn’t make sense, but remember, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25) If I can hold on to this single truth, my entire semester will have been worthwhile.

Ironically, my trust in God has been tested even during the course of my writing this letter. Just moments ago, Todd posted up a very disturbing notice on the email room bulletin board:

“TOWER AIR FOLDS: THOUSANDS STRANDED”

What does this mean? Well, it means that as of right now, two days before we’re supposed to board our plane, our airline has gone out of business. It means that the seven seniors here (including myself) might very well miss our graduation (which is the day after we’re supposed to arrive). It means that my mom and dad may be flying out to California to see a graduation ceremony without me. It means that we could end up paying hundreds, if not a thousand dollars, more to get a plane ticket back to the U.S!

I guess God is already giving me opportunities to put my knowledge into practice, and to start trusting in Him. What started as a newsletter is quickly turning into a prayer letter, so please pray with us here at IBEX that God will get us home!!! How thankful we can be that He is still in control.

Lord willing, this will be the final chapter of my Israel updates, but you can still contact me through email once I’m back in the States. I love you all, and am so thankful for those of you who took time to write back. It was always a great encouragement!

~”Goodbye and Shalom” from the Land of the Bible, Stephen Jones

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!