Two days to go.

Dubuque, IA - Well it's Friday, I leave for Israel on Sunday. Tonight and tomorrow are the Baccalaureate and Graduation ceremonies at Emmaus Bible College where I teach. These really are joyous events. Approximately half of our students come to Emmaus for the One-Year Bible program. It is an intensive course of study which surveys the whole Bible and central doctrines of the faith. Slightly more than half of these students will return for another year at Emmaus, but the rest go off to other schools to finish degrees in accounting, nursing, etc. That means these year-end events are bitter sweet. Bitter because I will miss the friends I made, sweet because it is amazing to see God changing their lives!
But, not too much time to be sad, my flight leaves Sunday evening. First stop: London and a trip to the British Museum. I’m really looking forward to seeing their vast collection of ANE antiquities. I’ll spend the day with some friends and then head back to Heathrow for my flight to Tel-Aviv. Then the fun really begins. The tour I’m joining is an intensive course in Bible Geography. The course is taught by a faculty member of the Israel Bible Extension of the Master’s College. The instructor on this trip, Todd Bolen has agreed to allow me to “apprentice” with him so that I can learn how to lead trips like this in the future. My goal is to start a similar program for Emmaus Bible College. Instead of teaching Bible Geography in a classroom, EBC students could learn about the land IN the land! Lord willing the first trip will be the summer of 2008.
Thanks for your prayers.

Steve