Sometimes...there are no words to describe the beauty and the majesty of God. These are pictures from Mount Sinai. Yes, we climbed it. We rode camels 2/3's of the way up in the pitch black and i just stared in awe at the scene around me. At the sky that was glowing with a display of stars unlike anything i have ever seen before. I looked around at the majestic mountain all around and tried to truly take it all in. Understand what had occured in this very place so long ago. The path that Moses took, the trek the Israelities made. The very steps they once took out of Egypt, i was taking today. We began the trek at 2:30am, and for atleast 2 hours i just sat on my camel (not gonna lie...i was a little nervous to be on a camel all alone that was climbing up a mountain in the pitch black darkness of night, but hey maybe i'm braver than i thought!) and the tears just seemed to keep flowing. It was so real. God is so real. I dont know any other way to describe it. I wished i had pictures or video to capture the journey up at night, but i realized i'd much rather just have it in my heart. Me and God had some serious talks...discussed some big things...i needed peace, guidance, wisdom...and i think he needed me to be in a place where i could just sit and listen. It was the most amazing night of my life.

We did end up climbing up on foot for the last 2 hours or so. Originally we were told it would be about 800 steps. Well, by steps they meant loose jagged rocks, and by loose jagged rocks they really just meant the mountain. And of course i was ill prepared with my cheap 10 dollar "oh-i'm-just-going-to-leave-these-in-egypt" sneakers that were not exactly great for climbing. And taking into consideration that i haven't worked out in about 23 years and have zero mountain climbing experience, Mount Sinai in the dark was a bit of a challenge ;) But it was fun, despite the occasional embarassing slip or tumble! My 9 layers made for good padding ;) We made it up to the very top to watch the sunrise. Talk about amazing!!! Just sitting admiring the most breathtaking scenery ever. I felt like nothing could ever compare. By the morning we were pretty tired and thought it would be nice to take camels back down, despite warnings that it wouldn't be a great idea. What could be so bad? Well my friends, i would soon find out! While the ride up was not terribly uncomfortable (just a little nerve-wracking wondering how this camel just wouldn't wander off the cliff since no one was guiding it and there wasn't a light in sight!), the ride down was incrediblyyyyy the opposite of anything remotely resembling comfort. Not to mention my camel got away and was a bit of a speedster...so i learned really quickly had to control the camel on my own. The Beduoin man who owned the camel made zero effort to chase after us. He just laughed as i got further and further away! And of course demanded a tip at the end (ohhh, egyptians!!). But me and Thundercat (my camel) had a good time. I took some pretty funny video footage of myself trying to navigate my downhill journey on Sinai. Over all, an awesome experience. I would recommend it to a friend ;)

and for all my history/Bible buffs...we took a hike into one of the valleys (where we spent the night with a beduoin family who played music for us, gave us tea, etc... totally cool experience!) the day before the climb up Sinai. Along the way we say the rock which is believed to be the rock that the water came out of when Moses struck it. There are 12 fissures in it, said to be for the 12 tribes of Israel. Also, we saw what is thought to be the burning bush. The bush was uprooted a very long time ago, and replanted in a nearby area, but inside of the holy room of the St. Katherine's monastery on the mountain, where we had stayed. So that was very very cool to see. We stood by the Red Sea, and i imagined what it must have been like to experience the power of God part such a mighty body of water.

Just in general, our trip to Sinai was an amazing experience. It far outdid the African Safari :)

I'm heading to New York in less than a week! I don't know whether i am really happy or really sad! I suppose i can be a mixture of both. I am nervous that i wont fit everything into the three(ish) weeks i have at home. I am also nervous a little about having to adjust to another brand new culture. Bangladesh will be a completely different experience. And it will be longer. And it will be more taxing physically (monsoons, heat, etc...) and i'll be the only American/foreigner working there. So it will probably a season of "lonliness" or "solitude", which isn't necessarily a bad thing... I'll be living in a compound on the church grounds. But I am welcoming the experience with open arms. When I start feeling weak, small, and overwhelmed at the task i have undertaken...i just think about what a blessing it is to be able to do such work. And what an honor and priviledge it is. It is so humbling to feel like God has the confidence in me to let me do it. Sometimes I want to ask Him what on earth He was thinking. But lately I have been learning that life is a wonderful gift, and every day is an opportunity to do all that you can to honor God, to better the world around you, to enrich your life, to feed your soul, to take in the beauty of the people and places around you, to learn something new, to make someone smile, to bring light where there is darkness....


enjoy the Sinai pictures(and other assorted pictures....Orphanage Day, pictures from the office, Sunday School, scenery, etc...). Keep your eyes peeled for the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Those will be on the next post :)

ps- Everyone is welcome to come over my house next tuesday night. I'd love to see you :)