Last day. s***. THE last day. I don't know exactly how it got to be the last day of my time in Israel. I know, I know, "time flies when you are having fun", but really there are some things you cannoy explain, there are some times when some little phrase does not cut it. Honestly, the bonds that we have made here are the strongest that I have ever seen. People keep asking "did you know so-and-so before you came?" as if it is impossible to ...

There is a distinct difference between faith and religion, a line that is often blurred in one's day to day life. Mostly people do not give lots of thought to the difference, or the meaning of the two words, at least that is my experience. But never before has the clear distinction between religion and faith been so clear than in Jerusalem, the epicenter of many different religions. Jerusalem's Old City is one of the most visually awe inspiring places in the wo...

Okay, so let me begin by saying, damn it is f***ing hot in Israel. Not that this is a surprise or anything, but I am just saying. Anytime my skin is in contact with anything it sticks to it, and as my grandmother would say, I'm "glistening". Actually, sorry, I'm just sweeting a lot. The shade that we put up the first day is actually very efficient in keeping us cool and shaded, but it still does not prevent the heat from wafting in and causing us to...

A nice layer of dust has settled on my skin since the first day digging and I think it will stay there until well after I leave Israel. If I were to bottle this trip it would be a combination of dirt, sweat, sunblock, hummus, and the fresh damp air that can only exist at 4AM. Now, after a good week of digging and sleep deprivation we have all gotten used to the swing of things. Our bodies seem to have grown accustomed to the 4 to 5 hours of sleep and 15-20 hou...

While hitting the snooze button for the fifth time this morning at 4 AM I came to the startling and slightly amusing realization that we are a lot like the 7 dwarves in Snow White here at Megiddo. We dutifully get up and catch the bus (well, most of us) and march across rocky, untamed terrain with little tiny pick axes and buckets ready to dig away at the earth. Granted we are not in a mine shaft, and there is no evil witch plotting to take down our beloved care...