Big dreams in Israel

My dad is a dreamer.

He has big ideas:

"Next year we'll get the Entire Family to go on a cruise!!"

"Why don't we get all the area youth groups together to put on a show?!"

We all smile and nod, then hope and pray he isn't actually serious.

Do you know how sick I am capable of getting just by sitting on a wobbly chair?

And 50 teenagers working together on anything??  Excuse me while I grab my paper bag.

...

Last week he came out with this one:

"I'm going to Israel this year."

But with this I was a tad less overwhelmed.  It's doable.  Expensive, but not black market kidney expensive.  And after sitting through a long and thorough presentation of why the trip is worthwhile (my dad couldn't go so I went and collected information in his place) I'm pretty convinced not only that I need to go, but that I need to go...right now.

So, besides being in the exact place where Jesus walked, and taught, and did some awesome, awesome, awesome things (which alone gives me chills, folks), the country itself looks pretty spectacular.  You've got all kinds of major bodies of water, a variety of climate options, historic ruins, and a pretty vibrant culture.

Yes, I like that...and that too!....oh yes, definitely!!....you betcha!!!....ohmigosh, must go now!!!.....

I was sold on this trip early on.  You say "water" and "ruins" and I'm yours forever.  But not everyone was so eager.  There were a few safety concerns.  What about all this fighting you see on the news?

Actually, there are about 3.5 million visitors each year who come and go and live to tell about it.  The security there is top notch and it's not bad in all parts of the country.  However, there are still countries out there that hate the junk outta Israel:

"Israel is safer than the United States...but is there still a risk?  Yes.  Is there the threat of annihilation?  Yes."

Um, 'scuse me?

This statement may be what led me to have this dream last night:

I was getting ready to start my trip to Israel with a bunch of kids my age.  And my age being around 16.  (mother, don't make me take your commenting privileges away again.)  So here we all are waiting in this room full of maps with constellations and a flight attendant is telling us what we're getting ourselves into.

She basically said this ain't no trip to the Caribbean.  We were there on a mission.  I guess a mission to save Israel.  And then if we had time afterward we could go sightseeing.

This is when I said, "no thanks, I just peed myself," but was talked into it by my dad (also 16).  So off we go into the space shuttle.  The plan was to take this "plane" up into orbit so we could fool the Russians and then come back down and launch a full on attack in the air.  Then we would safely land and start our vacation.

It.  Was.  Terrifying.

Which is why I may be postponing my trip this year.