week 1 part 1

Feb 1: So sorry its been so long since I last wrote. Things are literally insane here. Every waking hour is spent doing something so a spare minute is a rarity around here. Also, the internet is really bogged down during the day, SO the strategy is staying up until 2 when no one else is on. Problem is, it's a little tiring. Anyways, things are really great now. HUGE strides since the last post. People are opening up and things are becoming more routine. I've made a lot of friends and we already went to the Negev and had our first shabbat on campus! Our trip to the Bedouin tents in the desert was seriously incredible and spiritual. We took a three hour bus ride south and when we got out it was about 75 degrees (amazing!). We met some Bedouin folk and took turns riding camels to the site. I was expecting some aluminum shack and some dust, but instead it was this middle eastern villa with beautiful open windows, candles, and tiling. We spent the day hiking, praying, exploring, singing and being together. At night we sat around in groups of five on pillows and ate fresh pita with hummus, vegetables, and other dip. I had great company and we spent dinner laughing and sharing stories. Afterwards we went out around the campfire and roasted marshmallows while people played guitar and sang. The stars were numerous and beautiful, and for the first time, I really felt like this would be a seriously incredible experience. In the morning we hiked out/cameled out near the Egyptian border. We broke into our ICC (Israel Core Class) groups for a study session. My teacher is Alan, who is great and very knowledgable. He explained to us that he wanted us to go out by ourselves in the Negev and speak to God aloud. I have definately been told to go off and meditate or think in peace and quiet, but never have I actually spoken aloud. At first it was awkward. I felt weird sitting by myself speaking to no one in particular, but it got easier. In a few minutes I was going off about everything and anything. It was really powerful sitting on the sand of so many before me. You can sit in Hebrew School or Sunday School for five hours a day and learn, but the kind of powerful connection I felt in the Negev is like nothing you can get at home. In Israel as a Jew, you form a sudden bond to your homeland. It's an incredible place and I will never forget that experience. Later in the day, we returned back to the Chava for a shower and some prep-time before we headed out for our first "free night" of the program. This night, they decided to help us out a bit before actually setting us free to wander completely. They taught us how to use cabs here and phrases to use in them. We headed out for the biggest mall in Israel and were on our way to seeing Maya (my friend who lives here) and Becca (Miriam's sister). It was a really exciting reunion having all four of us together. We meandered around the mall browsing shops and buying odds and ends we needed for school or our dorms. After saying our goodbyes we got back into the taxi and headed home for the chava.