Autumn has always held a special charm for me - the changing leaves, brisk breezes and warm drinks! It induces a rather festive feeling that excites the senses and makes one feel like a child again. Here in Israel it is slightly different being that there is no real feel to the change is season, but there is a difference in the air. And the fruits of the harvest are very much part of the celebration - though it will take some getting used to, substituting pomegranates for pumpkins!

Last year in my Hebrew class I learned songs for the holidays, and just yesterday as I was shopping for groceries I heard them being played throughout the store. I noticed that I was actually singing along to them and that my pace was much livelier and my shopping much happier. It was then that I realized that this year I really feet part of the holidays in a very keen way.

We are entering

Sometimes it isn't the ancient stones that are the most exciting news out of Israel, though the ruins from times gone by have a weighty significance. The story of Israel is as new as it is ancient. It spans human history and continues forward in ways that we can share in and impact. Today the people are living stones which communicate a unique story about what God is doing in our time.

Tomorrow's history is created by today's activity and it is ready to be molded by those who will actively pursue it. The Grafted tour of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) is the perfect event to join if you are a young adult and want to contribute to the story of Israel. Grafted was started by our director, Liesl Hedding Maas, in 2003 as a global vehicle for young adults to express their love and support for Israel through practical educational and social programs. In January I joined the team as the Jerusalem Coordinator and project manager. It has been an incredible experience and really culminated in the July Summer Hands-On Tour.

We had 24 participants representing 13 different nations. The international aspect of the tour is one of its greatest strengths, though there are many. We engaged in a variety of service projects including a house make-over for a woman rescued from human trafficking, a musical program for Holocaust survivors, a fun-filled day camp for children of Sudanese refuge

Archaeology has always seemed about as interesting as "watching cement set". The only difference being that the building materials were a bit different and much older. My first visit to an excavation site here in Israel has changed my ignorant prejudice. To be honest, the interest didn't happen as soon as I saw the site which looked to me like almost every other uninhabited hill in Israel. It came after I interviewed the leader of the excavation and went home to do some reading. Knowledge is a powerful thing.

I wouldn't have chosen to visit an archaeological site for the fun of it. In fact, I've had the opportunity in the past to visit archaeological digs and never felt the urge to join. I was assigned to cover the story. The interest grew when I realized it was located at an outpost in the West Bank just 3.8 kilometers from Ramallah. "Now there's a story," I thought to myself. Being more in touch with the events of today than those from the Bronze Age, a trip deep inside the West Bank would at least offer some excitement for the day - especially since it was the day after the Gaza Flotilla fiasco and the US Embassy issued a travel alert for Americans to stay away from these areas in case of riots.

Tags: kasey barr israel archaeology biblical ai joshua dr. woods associates for biblical research evangelical william albright thomas thompson