Commencement 2012

I know I’ve skipped the rest of Israel, among other blog-worthy events, but I promise I’ll come back to them. I wanted to briefly update you on a major achievement in our lives. As of May 12, 2012, we are both officially Masters! We each graduated with our Master of Ministry degree from Moody Theological Seminary in Chicago.

 

On the same day, our brother-in-law Jake (married to my sister Amanda) graduated from Moody Bible Institute with his bachelor degree in Pre-Counseling. 

 

And my dad graduated with his Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. My mom was the only one who was able to travel to Boston for Dr. Boyle's commencement, but the rest of us were able to watch it online (and a few of us during MBI’s ceremony….gotta love technology!)

It was a busy day for all of us, but a great day to celebrate. And we’re all relieved to be done with the work – or at least I am! Haha!

Celebrating with four of our nieces: K, M, C, and G

Many of our family came to the ceremony - Boyles, Lewises, and McMillans

 

The question I’ve gotten the most has been, “So what are you going to do now with your free time?” An excellent question if ever I heard one.

Still working on that.

I realized that this past semester was the most intense one that Nate and I had. We didn’t have much time for our normal hobbies and stress-relievers (woodworking and baking, respectively). In the past week or so, we’ve worked on a woodworking project for my sister (I have the orange and blue paint still on my nails to prove it) and I’ve baked a couple sweets for my coworkers. I guess I’m trying to get my “fix” in before it ends. But what we’ll really do with the time, I’m not sure. I feel like I put a lot of life “on hold” for this semester, being in transition but not actually living. I am looking forward to living and enjoying life this summer.

I spoke a little bit about it on Moody Radio’s Midday Connection recently (May 18, 2012). And the inspiration for my topic of “Living in Transition” came from my friend Karen’s blog (this idea came from October 2011).

We’ve also been listening to baseball games on the radio, but that past-time doesn’t seem to be helping the team win. But we’re only a quarter into the season, right?

And with all of this free time, I should be able to get fairly up-to-date in the blog. Stay tuned!

tm

Israel, Day 1

We landed in Tel Aviv-Yafo at Ben Gurion airport during the 3pm hour Israel time. Everyone clapped when we landed. We didn't think it was that impressive of a landing (or flight - had some stomach-dropping turbulence), but I learned yesterday (April 2) while listening to an interview with Charlie Dyer on In the Market with Janet Parshall that the applause when you land in Tel Aviv happens frequently. 

All of our flight's luggage arrived safely with us and we took off in our bus to our hotel in Netanya, a town just a little bit north of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast.

 

We didn't do much our first day in Israel, but we did get a crash course on some basics as we drove. (And this red Judah Bus was ours for the entire trip. The other MBI bus was blue and called the Benjamin Bus.)

And apparently all IKEAs are set up the same way...easy to see from the highways but impossible to get to.

Our first hotel had a very low ceiling in the hallway. It's kind of hard to see in this picture, but it was only a couple inches about Nate's head.

We got our first taste of Israeli food service at our Netanya hotel. All of our breakfasts and dinners were eaten buffet-style in our hotels. And it only got better from here! This picture is of the dessert table.


This is also the place where the kosher food laws started impacting us...but I didn't realize it until the next day. The pictured desserts are all dairy-free.

 

It was evening when we arrived at our hotel in Netanya, but when we woke up, we saw this view out our hotel room deck---the Mediterranean Sea!!

From here in Netanya, we headed north along the Mediterranean to Caesarea (aka Caesarea Maritime or Caesarea by the Sea).

tm

Israel, Day 0

From March 11-22, 2012, we took a Moody Theological Seminary study trip to Israel. It was an amazing and life-changing trip. There were about 80 of us total that flew on two different planes, landing in Tel Aviv-Yafo on March 12.

Our transportation

Ready for an adventure

Heading from Heathrow to Tel Aviv

The escalator in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ben Gurion Airport

On the ground and heading to baggage claim

tm

Overcoming Jet Lag and a New Niece!

I do not know how to overcome jet lag very well. Or perhaps it's that I don't actively plan how to overcome jet lag on my return trip home. Both Nate and I did very well overcoming jet lag on our way TO Israel. Not so much on the way back, though. Some may say it's harder to adjust from East to West. The truth is that we planned how we were going to deal with it going West to East and stuck to the plan; on the way back we just didn't care as much.

On the Mount of Beatitudes

I have many posts and pictures I want to share with you, but it will take me a little bit to get it posted here. Much happened in our hearts and minds while we were there. And I am anticipating this Passion Week being especially special since it is so recent in my memory, songs about Gethsemane or the Garden or the Tomb --- I was there!

Our new niece!

A day before we returned, we gained a new niece! We were able to see her shortly after arriving back to the US, pictured here at 3 days old.












tm

To Travel the Land

We are finally here. In some ways it seems very foreign--we can't speak the language, read danger signs, or follow paths very well. But in other ways, it is very similar--the wildlife, the weather, the crops, the coffee, the people. It has been amazing so far and I continue to unlearn and relearn stories I grew up hearing, I look forward to more adventure. tm

A Journey

We are preparing for journey unlike any other I've been on. We have been physically preparing for several weeks, mentally preparing for several months, and spiritually preparing for several months. Though we have been preparing, I still feel unprepared and overtired. Perhaps it was the morning.

I changed a wall clock ahead (to Daylight Saving Time) and it promptly fell off the wall, sending a glass-based lamp and a large potted plant to the ground with it. The lamp and clock survived; the plant didn't fare so well. The plant is now in an empty milk jug.


The toilet overflowed. 'Nuff said.

Nate had to induce vomiting after drinking a glass of soapy water. He seems none the worse. :)

I'm sure these won't be the last things to get thrown in our way.

But God is good and it is almost time. Homework is done, clean sheets are on the bed for when we return, and the towels that were used to clean up the bathroom are washed, dried, and put away.
Onward and upward, pressing on, trusting.
tm

Christmas Project: Teacher Caddy

Here is another gift project for this year's Christmas. One of my sisters is a first-grade teacher. I drew her name for Christmas and she mentioned wanting a teacher's caddy (and then conveniently forgot about it, making it quite the surprise when she opened her gift!). She loved it!

Ready to paint

There's a compartment for paper or a binder underneath the caddy

The final coat

All of the drying pieces, ready to be assembled.

The final product, complete with removable little compartment dividers

Nate's sister, also a teacher, said she hopes we get her name next year. :)

tm