by the Jordan

today was one of the best days we have had yet. we started off the day by going to the Jordan river, it was amazing to be there in that place again. we had two high school students that got baptized for the first time there, it was amazing. but for me that wasn't the best part. first i got to help while Emily and Caleb did mikvah in the Jordan and then do it myself. i also prayed for our community in general and many of you specifically there. i hope to be bringing home water for the church from the Jordan. one of the prayers i had for our community was Psalm 133. it could be the most improtant Psalm for a community in my opinion, sorry you will have to look it up. also during calebs 16 rite of passage dinner i read him a verse from Jeremiah 12:5 and it says; "if you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if you are worn out on flat ground, what will you do in the thickets by the Jordan?" I told caleb that he was a man that i would be proud to walk through the thickets with and today we walked through those thickets. i wept. it was awesome to see so many people desperately seeking to follow G-d with all their heart, with all their soul, and all their might. it brings me great joy to think that one day i will trudge through the thickes by the Jordan with many of you. I took a rock and wrote the Riverside community on it and placed it on top of another rock by the river as a standing stone to all that may come. i wrestled with G-d over you and i believe we will see great things in our community.
we also went to Bet She'an, it was hot, getting to 120F we had to move through it fairly wuickly but it still makes me sad. Alexander the Great was willing to do way more to promote his world view than christians are willing to today with theirs. we spend so much on so little and when it come to showing people the love of jesus we don't have enough. breaks y heart.
we came back to the hotel early but wnet past it down to the dock where a big wodden boat met us and took us across the Sea of Galilee. as we are leaving the dock i ask the man, can i drive? "come, come" he says and i steered the boat across the sea. it was a great experience to think of Jesus and his disciples following a similar path as they made their way to the decapolis. don't worry dad you would have been proud as i captained our boat. we went up to susita and talked about witnessing, and some of the people shared theirs. my heart aches for somee of these people as they have dealt with some difficult tragedies. once again mh heart yearns to be with you all here sharing our lives, walking the same paths, encouringing each other because we can do it. it brings tears to my eyes to think that one day we might help each other over the rocks in timna or through the rushing water of the Jordan. trying to see what it is like to truely live in G-ds type of community.
I know there is not much teaching from me, my hope is that in October we will be here again together. it is too hard to try to explain in the time that i have what we learned, but know that my heart is pleading for you and my spirit will not give up until G-d blesses us. I pray that we will "stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it. then we will find rest for our souls"

Tben

P.S. Brooke I still love you