(Para español, aquí) Dear Christian/curious, some people believe in fate or signs, I believe in what God and the bible says. Some day I will explain you what being a Christian means to me, for now I will leave you my biblical adventure that prove me I wasn’t wrong about moving to Israel.
I try – because I don’t always succeed – to read my bible every morning, each of those, God gave me beautiful promises that would confirm several things and calm my anxiety in a really straightforward way. It is not necessary for you to believe what it says here, but you have to respect it.
To apply
As I told you in the article about my trip, I had to make a decision about where to study my master. I wanted to go to Israel, but I didn’t want to spend all my dollars and comeback home without nothing, I wanted to do something different. God gave me three verses in the bible that were so direct to me that made me get up and work towards the dream: Move to Israel.
Isaiah 56:6-7 – And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Isaiah 61:5 – Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
Whatever happens during this year in Israel, I will always be a foreigner, that made the decision to come and build walls, Pase lo que pase luego de este año en Israel, siempre seré una extranjera, que tomó la decisión de venir a edificar muros, a apacentar ovejas, a servirle a Jehová porque lo amo.
To support myself during the whole process
To translate documents, look for funding, organise papers, believe me, you need a special gift for all of these. I tend to drown in a glass of water, so I have wanted/could have throw the towel several times, but then I would take a seat and notice how far I was getting. God was lifting me, so through me he could show his power, and boy he was doing so.
Romans 9:17 – For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.»
I don’t know if I have already told you that a big part of my profesional experience is related to the academic field. From being an e-learning assistant to Teacher Assistant, being a daughter and granddaughter of professors, didn’t take much time to realise I was passionate about education, not just to learn, but also to teach.
One of the verses that I used for my essay to apply to the master was the following. The board wanted to know what I was going to do with a master degree and I got the answer in Romans from one of the many church meetings I go to, and it was confirmed in my morning readings as well.
Romans 12:7 – if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;
While making decisions regarding the master, I had to face a big one regarding to my job, I won’t go into details but basically I was given an ultimatum, the master or getting a new contract. I think you already know my pick.
It was not easy to accept that I no longer had a job, I really liked it, but while I was coping with it, my second job got more interesting and rewarding. New and more interesting things happened, I understood that nothing could take me down because God had better things for me, and He was backing up my decisions.
1 Corinthians 3:17 – If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
When I was doing the paperwork for my student loan, things were not looking good, I had a few conversations with the girl dealing with my case and she told me she would try again and let me know. One Wednesday I was stuck in this particular verse and I remember telling my parents that everything would be fine because God’s power was on it. By the end of that week I got the call saying my loan was approved.
It is really nice to tell you how God answers your petitions through his words, but it is also important to tell you that in between answers, anxiety might kick in. Some morning God wouldn’t give me a clear answer about a question, but he would give me something to relax, to make me understand that I wasn’t alone, that he was taking care.
Philippians 4:6 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:19 –And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
August 29, I am worried because I am close to the final date to pay the master and the governmental student loan hasn’t answer me back and is not taking my call, that same morning God reminded me that I have a share of his possessions ans his back up. By the end of the day, I got a call telling me that the process was going good, the loan approved. I don’t believe in coincidences.
Colossians 1:12 – and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[a] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
To reconfirm my decision
When things are not going particularly good, you tempt to doubt your own decisions. It happens to you and me. Many Christians look in the bible for a detailed answer, because obviously when it was written KLM was already an airline. One Thursday I read this verse and I was so amazed that the very next day I started packing.
It is true, it has been a year since I started wanting and doing this. A year of ups and downs. Wanting to quit everything and at the same time holding on to things. A year of challenges and rewards. A year of decisions. Tons of those. A year that marks the beginning of something totally different in my life, something I look forward excited and slightly scared but confident that if God was with me all the way until now, He will definitely will be with me in Israel and afterwards.
Hebrews 11:9 – By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
