It's about time that I really got this journey started. With that in mind I will go back to where it started.
It was 1992, the 1st semester of my Sophomore year at Ambassador College. Applications for the summer digs were made available at some point, so I filled one out. I was encouraged in part by my friend Sharon Wiese. She had gone to Tel Hazor the previous summer and was applying to go again.
There were 3 different dig sites, but I don't recall if we were required to make a selection on the application. It's very possible that we needed to rank them by our preference, but that was so long ago, and I do not have a copy of that application.
Certainly waiting for news about my application took some patience, probably more than I was willing to offer. It seemed that it was taking forever for them to make a decision on who was accepted or not. As with most things of this type they undoubtedly had more applications than they had spaces to fill.
Finally late in the semester I got some good news. I wasn't accepted, yet, but I did receive the following letter. (I considered scanning this letter in, but I have chosen to merely type the contents of it.)
December 11, 1992
Dear Craig,
Greetings from the History Department!
Thank you for your interest in the 1993 Ambassador College archaeological digs in the Middle East. If the number of applications is a reflection of student interest in the program, the summer digs of 1993 have doubled in popularity. Although almost everyone who applies was qualified to participate, we are only able to take about 30 of the 149 who applied.
While we had hoped to announce the names of those selected to participate before the end of the fall semester, we are now unable to make any final decisions prior to late December. We have, however, narrowed our list of names down to about 50 students whom we are still considering.
At present, you are a part of the group under consideration. Please understand that this does not mean you will be chosen--only that you may have the opportunity to participate. We will let you know the final decisions as soon as we can, and wish you well as you prepare for final exams and the coming spring semester.
Thank you for your patience.
Sincerely yours,
Rick Sherrod
Department Chair
So, while it was good news, it meant more waiting. I'm really not that good at waiting.
Finally, on January 8, 1993, I learned that I had been accepted to the dig. I looked and looked to see if I could find a letter informing me, but I don't seem to have one. Thankfully I did have the foresight to write the date down.
In my next post (hopefully it won't be so long in coming) I will discuss a little bit about the preparations leading up to actually leaving for the dig. Soon after that will be the start of my journal entries.
