Why's She Going to Israel?
 |
| The first best part about
traveling: flipping out your trusty Lonely Planet guidebook, a good map
of the land, circling all the spots you definitely want to backpack
through (yes it's all very hard work) which culminates in the most
exciting part of all - actually going!!! |
When I tell people I’m studying Hebrew at university,
or that I’m going to backpack across Israel and volunteer in the Galilee region
(up north, close to Golan Heights and the Syrian border), they give me – to my
amusement – the most incredulously disbelieving looks! If they do ask why, I
usually give the short story – which doesn’t say much. But as you’d expect,
there’s always a long story behind every short story, isn’t it? So maybe here’s
the perfect place to express it...
So, why am I going to Israel, of all places?
To
be honest, it is simply because I am immensely curious to see what life is like
on the ground level in Israel!
You often read of news reports of all the terrible things happening in the Middle East and you think, I wonder what it’s really
like. Of course, at the moment, I can’t backpack in places like Syria, Lebanon,
Iran or Afghanistan – but after researching Israel, I figured that it would be a brilliant
gateway into the Middle East. With its
eclectic melting pot of religions and races, its wealth of historical, cultural
and archaeological sites, and its bountiful natural surroundings – mountains,
hills and valleys; rivers, lakes and oases; deserts, craters and beaches – I
figured Israel would be the place for someone like me.
I
love wandering in places that are steeped in culture and history. I love
immersing myself in new experiences with people who speak a totally different
language (in this case, Hebrew and Arabic) and probably hold a perspective on
life that vastly differs to mine. I love venturing outdoors, whether it’s
through the mountains or the valleys, out in the open ocean or along the coast.
Israel
seems to have all of this, in one tiny country! It’s incredible. I’d be up for
a night camping in a Bedouin tent in the middle of the desert (it’s going to
happen I tell you!). I’d be up for diving in the Red Sea.
I’d be up to trek with other backpackers in the lush nature reserves of the Golan Heights. I’d be up for anything that’s different to
what I already know!
And
of course, Israel
is where Jesus Himself was born – where He lived, walked, taught, went to the
Cross, and I believe, where He conquered death itself. I want to go to Israel of all
places because it is the place. I feel that this year is the year I am growing
deeper in my faith and walk with God – and that means coming to a personal
discovery of who Jesus is to me, and why His life, death and resurrection is
the turning point for humanity. I’ll be bringing my Bible with me, journaling,
taking in the sights and sounds, imagining what it was like in Jesus’ day, and
allowing the history of the Biblical accounts to come to life before my eyes.
This is what will be probably the most exciting thing for me!
But
surely there are other reasons?
Okay
you see, I was born in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.And if you didn’t know, every Malaysian’s passport bears the
inscription: “This passport is valid for all countries except Israel”. Yes,
it’s true and it's preposterous – the Malaysian government has no diplomatic
ties with Israel
and does not recognize the State of Israel. You can read more about why
this is so – here.
I
remember the first time I saw that in my Malaysian passport when I was much
younger. I thought: “Ha! One day I will go to Israel. God, even if it's
impossible now, someday make the way for me to go to there!” So precisely
because it was an impossibility, I wanted to go. And both then and even more so
now, I believe nothing is impossible with God. In fact, the more impossible it
is, the better, because then I can say nothing was done by my own ability or
position or wealth. A man may plan his ways, but it is God who opens the door
and directs his steps.
I
know through all the turns and learning curves in my life that I’ve definitely
arrived at this point for a reason and I know (with all my heart) that God has
heard that little prayer of mine. And it wasn’t just that moment that led to
this. Two years ago when I first went to university, I met two Christian
friends who happened to be studying Hebrew! That was the first time Israel crossed
my mind again. I’d never thought of it. Though I wanted to learn this exotic
language that was inextricably linked to the Bible, I couldn’t do it because I
was already enrolled in other subjects. Nevertheless, I remember praying: “God,
I know for some reason you’ve crossed my path with people who are studying
Hebrew, of all things. I want to do it too! But if I do take it up, can you please
give me a reason to do it? If it is possible for me to one day go to Israel, even
though now I only have my Malaysian passport and we’re still waiting for our
Australian citizenship, I know You can make it happen when the right time
comes!”
Amazingly
enough, now two years later, I have my Australian passport, and the door of
opportunity opened for me to go to Israel because I asked for it, I’ll be
backpacking across Israel for a month and then volunteering with an Israeli
organization in the Galilee region. So stay tuned for more stories on what I’ll be doing in
Northern Israel while living with a local
Israeli-Arab-Druze family. (Like yes, for realsies!)
For
the past three months since I got back from my solo backpacking trip up the
Australian East Coast, I've been feverishly planning and researching, fervently
praying and whole-heartedly screaming silently to myself in anticipation night
and day – I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME BELIEVE THAT I AM FRIGGIN’ GOING TO
BACKPACK ISRAEL!!!!!
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