And so it begins! The adventure and opportunity of a lifetime…I’m going to Israel!

However, the adventure really began for me six days earlier, when I visited my sweet friends, Kayla and Evan Staph, in Mobile, Alabama!

I enjoyed the company of this couple while I was on assignment in Massachusetts (and they stationed in Cape Cod). It was a sweet time, filled with many deep conversations, frequent rainstorms, so many laughs, and a couple games of Catan for good measure.

The only thing that could have made it better was not getting/getting over a cold during the visit (but hey, beggars can’t be choosers).

My day started early at 5 AM. I flew out of Pensacola, which is an hour drive away from Mobile, to Nashville, then made a connecting flight from Nashville to Charlotte, where’d I meet up with the Israel crew.

During that first flight, I did my Quiet Time! Despite the tighter quarters, talkative babies, and just all-around, non-normative setting, it was still a sweet time. Isn’t it neat how God meets us wherever we’re at, even if that’s thousands of feet up in the air, when we give Him our time, heart, and attention?

Here is my reading for the trip! I also brought “This Present Darkness” by Frank Peretti (a reread on my part), but finished it as I recuperated from my bout of The Plague at the Staph’s.

“Found in Translation” was a find during my visit in Alabama! Kayla and I visited a LifeWay to find some clearance deals and I happened on this book! Timely, right?

I ended up finishing “Passion and Purity” on my connecting flight from Nashville to Charlotte. My thoughts are that whatever other work Elisabeth Elliot has, I want it.

I landed in Charlotte around noon and enjoyed some ‘lax time and Chick-Fil-A before everyone arrived in preparation for departure. Here’s my friend, Carly, who is the reason for me even knowing about this trip! She invited me back in October, now here we are! Reunited and it feels so good!

The flight from Charlotte to Munich was a long haul; 8 hours and 30 minutes of fly time, 7,438 km traveled.

The meals weren’t terrible, but sleep was stereotypically difficult (and for anyone who knows me, this is a rare problem). Who knew something as simple as being able to lay horizontal was something I’d look forward to, and be grateful for the opportunity to do? #perspective

We are now in Munich and preparing for our flight into Tel Aviv! So excited to touch down and get started!

Today’s travels:

– Driving from Mobile to Pensacola

-Flying from Pensacola to Nashville to Charlotte

-Flying from Charlotte to Munich