Friday, August 2, 2013

A great Adventure



Caleb Elias- Age 16

Our son, Caleb, will be heading out on a great adventure soon, though it won't be his first. In reality, his whole life has been one great adventure. He has lived overseas for over 14 years of his life. In that time, he has traveled to almost all the 7 continents, and been to many countries: Russia, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, South Korea, Mexico, Grand Cayman, Latvia, Ukraine, Greece, Turkey, Egypt...to name a few. However, this will be his first great adventure alone.

He will be the first of our family, probably EVER...in any generation on either side, to travel to the Holy Land. The first to walk where our Saviour walked, as well as his "namesakes". We named him after two Hebrew names: Caleb - Col meaning whole Lev- meaning hearted- faithful, devoted, wholehearted, and Elias- meaning Jehovah is God. His name fits him well. He is faithful, devoted, and sincerely wholehearted, and he boldly proclaims that Jehovah is his God. If I weren't so "over the moon" excited for him, I would be super jealous. Well, to be completely honest; I am quite a tad jealous, jealous yet proud.

Of all of our family, I am pretty sure that I can safely say that it will mean the most to him. He has truly been in love with God's Word since he was born. We always read God's Word to all of our older three children, but he was by far the most excited, anxious and eager to hear God's Word. It was the first book he read, and he hasn't stopped reading it since. From a very young age, I would walk in his room and see him reading Bible story books, His Bible. He wanted to see the places on maps, always a very special connection on his own. He especially enjoyed reading his Bible all those years in "Russian" church. Anyone who has ever visited a Russian service knows they are no shorter than 2 1/2 hrs. He has read the Bible through at least once, maybe more. In the last several years, he has not only enjoyed reading God's Word, but studying it as well.

I am so grateful that he loves God's Word and pray he will continue to love God's Word and obey God, wholeheartedly until he is old and gray (and just as strong in his faith in his old as as in his youth) like Caleb of the Old Testament. I am so grateful that he sought out this opportunity, specifically to visit the Middle East. I hope that all he sees, hears and experiences will draw him even closer to his Lord, and the places he has loved since childhood will "come alive" for him. I pray that he feels an extra special closeness to Christ, the people he may get to meet. I pray he will be bold, strong and courageous, and full of faith, devotion and wholeheartedness to God, in whatever situations he faces, always remembering who he is and whose he is. And I really hope he will take lots of pictures, treasure every person, place and memory in his big ole heart, and bring his mamochka back a really cool souvinir from her "dream" place, and NOT lose his passport.

SHALOM, MY CALEB

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