NW Valley Times

GCU students and staff were part of a group that recently traveled to Jerusalem. During preschool, Micah Wittler would dress like one of his biblical heroes, David.

So when Wittler visited En Gedi earlier this month with a group of 40 that included 14 students and two leaders from Grand Canyon University's Spiritual Life group, he quickly envisioned David seeking refuge from Saul.

“Just the idea of seeing fresh, cool water in a desert is physically refreshing,” Wittler said. “But there’s also a spiritual aspect to it where it’s a reminder of how we can seek refuge in the Lord even when we’re in the desert and it feels like there’s no hope, no fresh cool water."

Students visited the En Gedi oasis. “En Gedi was one of the most wonderful sights I saw, along with Jerusalem.”

For Wittler and his fellow travelers, this 10-day trip to Israel was not just spiritual but educational as they learned about the country’s conflict up close. They also lived out one of GCU’s tenets – service.

“When you take a college student somewhere, they want to be engaged,” said Dr. Tim Griffin, university pastor, vice president of Student Affairs and dean of students. “They just don't want to stand there and look and take pictures. They want to be involved with people who want to serve people – especially GCU students; they just have a heart for that."

Griffin emphasized that service projects are crucial for any mission trip: "Had we not had any service projects, then I think it wouldn't have been as enjoyable and as engaging as it turned out to be for the students."

Two years ago, GCU officials spoke to Passages, a United States-based Christian nonprofit group that arranges trips for Christian college students to Israel. Griffin expressed interest, only for the trip to be postponed briefly due to funding issues and later suspended after the Oct. 7 attacks in the Israel-Hamas war. However, by March enough funds were raised to finance the trips.

The group included institutions such as Hillsdale College in Michigan, Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Upperroom School of Ministry in Texas alongside selected junior colleges from around the country joined GCU.

The group visited several sites including Gaza Envelope region near Gaza Strip and kibbutz areas while speaking with people impacted by those war zones. They walked through buildings destroyed by conflict serving as temporary memorials for young victims.

Plans had to be adjusted during their visit when rockets landed in Galilee a day before their departure from the United States canceling one stop on their itinerary.

“You can't help but feel sadness," Griffin noted regarding visiting these areas affected by conflict though he assured none felt threatened during their stay.

Besides somber experiences such as these floating on Dead Sea left an indelible mark on participants like senior finance major Peyton Christenson who described visiting Israel putting biblical stories into vivid color compared previously black-and-white understanding

The temperature reached 105 degrees when they saw waterfalls at En Gedi which Christenson found particularly refreshing imagining how excited David must have been finding them during his flight

Griffin highlighted three main components:

1) Visiting historical sites both Old Testament New Testament significance reinforcing clarifying things read about

2) Understanding current events relationship between Israel surrounding Arab countries conflicts involving Gaza Hezbollah Iran

3) Service component engaging helping local communities essential part mission trips

At each stop students received debriefings one project involved assisting mentally challenged students learning center which captivated participants opportunity serve locals

Wittler appreciated learning Israeli Palestinian perspectives describing experience honor noting importance understanding modern-day context beyond biblical history supporting nation through awareness education

Christenson echoed sentiment calling trip eye-opening providing new perspective biblical events Jewish-Christian relations gained deeper understanding

Group spent initial part Nazareth majority time Jerusalem facilitated by Passages allowing quality time specific sites without rushing multiple visits daily ample discussion

Griffin expressed desire return find experience overwhelming needing revisit absorb fully reflect properly

GCU News Senior Writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]