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Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Landed in Chicago...
We have landed in Chicago and will be driving to Fort Wayne soon!
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On the ground...
On the ground in Newark - will be racing to make connection flight.
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Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Day 6 of touring...
We had beautiful weather today as we visited various sites throughout the Old City of Jerusalem. It was perfect for a day with tons and tons of walking.
Our day began with a visit to the Mount of Olives. We took pictures of the Temple Mount and reflected on many of the stories that took place here. We talked about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and walked the path that he would have ridden. Along the way, we reflected on some of Jesus’ teaching that he shared with his disciples here, talked about his weeping over Jerusalem, and ended up at the Garden of Gethsemane.
It was here that Jesus was betrayed and arrested, leading to his crucifixion. This is also where, prior to being arrested, Jesus prayed. He asked that the Father would provide another way for Jesus to accomplish what he came to accomplish, if there was one. Since there was not, though, he prayed, “Not my will, but yours.” This really resonated with the group – we were in awe of the love for us and commitment to us that Jesus displayed. It truly is amazing.
After spending some time at the garden, we drove next to the Jaffa Gate in order to enter the Old City. Our first stop was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is traditional site where Jesus was crucified and rose again. Although it is one of the possible locations where this took place, for those of us who do not come from traditional and liturgical church backgrounds, the ornate décor and activity was a bit of a distraction. We will be visiting another one of the possible sites tomorrow – the Garden Tomb. This site feels a lot more authentic, so we’re looking forward to that.
From the church, we headed next to lunch. Most of us ate falafel (the national food of Israel). It was delicious – one of the best food experiences you can have when you visit Israel. Our next stop was the Western Wall. This is the holiest site for the Jewish people – it is a spot along the original retaining wall of the Temple Mount. Today it is the closest location to the Temple that stood here thousands of years ago.
We prayed at the wall – mostly praying that God would open the eyes of so many in Jerusalem who are lost in their religion…and many of whom have missed the point of a relationship with God through Christ. Next we were able to make our way through the Rabbi’s Tunnel. This exhibit gave us the opportunity to learn more about the history of the Temple Mount. We walked underground along some of the original retaining wall built by King Herod.
When we exited there, we headed next to the Pool of Bethesda. We reflected on the story of the man who Jesus healed here (John 5). We also visited the church that was built at this site – St. Anne’s Church. This church was built during the Crusader period 1000 years ago. The acoustics are amazing – we sang a few songs together there and the sound was breathtaking. Several of us were in tears.
From there we exited the city through the Lion’s Gate. Leor took Jan back to the hotel (she was tired and needed some rest – she had done so well keeping up with the group), so the rest of us moved on – walking along the eastern side of the Temple Mount. It provided us with a spectacular view of the Mount of Olives across the Kidron Valley. We walked all the way around the city to the Dung Gate. From here we had access to the southern excavations of the Temple Mount.
In these excavations, archaeologists uncovered steps that led up to the Temple Mount in Jesus day. As we walked on these steps, it was so surreal to think that 2000 years ago, Jesus walked up these very same steps. Awesome!
After this, we spent a little more time in the shops in the Old City while we waited for Leor to come back and pick us up. About 2 hours later, we met up with him again outside the Jaffa Gate. We headed back to the hotel – and every single one of us was exhausted. We ate dinner together, and everyone headed to our rooms to start getting stuff around for our departure tomorrow.
This will probably be the last summary post for the blog since we will be at the airport tomorrow night. As for our agenda tomorrow, we are starting the day with a visit to Bethlehem. Then we’re going to the Elah Valley (where David fought Goliath), Yad Vashem (the Holocaust museum), and the Garden Tomb. We’ll wrap up the day with dinner on our way to the airport, and we fly out late tomorrow night. It won’t be long until we are back home. We have truly had a life changing trip – it has been amazing! We are excited to see everyone back home, though.
We’ll keep you posted with brief updates regarding where we’re at along the way. Thanks for your prayers!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Pictures from Day 5
Waiting at the border fence to get to the baptism site
Land mines behind the border fence (black rock-like things on the ground)
Land mines behind border fence (black rock-like things on the ground)
Baptisms at the Jordan River
Jordan River at baptismal site
View of Dead Sea from top of Masada
View of Roman camps below at Masada
Roman siege ramp at Masada
The oasis at En Gedi
The oasis at En Gedi
The beach at the Dead Sea
Floating in the Dead Sea
Mudding it up at the Dead Sea
Our group jumping the fence to get into Qumran after hours
Qumran - one of the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found
Day 5 of touring...
Whew! What a full and incredible day today. We started things out with baptisms in the Jordan River. Typically groups make use of a baptismal site in northern Israel near the Sea of Galilee. Our group did something that none of our other groups have done on previous trips – we were baptized in the Jordan River at a smaller and much less used site in southern Israel, closer to the Dead Sea.
It seemed to be much more authentic geographically and raw in it’s setting. It was also very private – which was probably at least partially due to the fact that you have to go through a little more trouble to access this site. Since it is right on the border with Jordan (the river actually serves as the boarder – if we would have crossed over to the other side, we would have been in Jordan), we had to wait at the border gate to enter the “buffer zone” in order to drive to the site. While waiting, we took some pictures of the hundreds of leftover landmines (only about 20 feet from us) that date back to the 1960s that were on the other side of the fence (we have pictures).
At the baptismal site, all of us were baptized. We talked about Jesus’ baptism (which probably took place in the area where each of us was baptized this morning). The weather was perfect – sunny and 65 degrees. It was a very special and blessed moment for our group – the consensus was that this was the most meaningful moment of the day, and probably one of the most meaningful moments on the trip.
After the baptisms at the Jordan River, we drove along the western coast of the Dead Sea, heading to Masada. We were able to enjoy some incredible views of the sea. On the way to Masada, our tour guide shared with us the history of this desert fortress built by King Herod 2000 years ago. When we got there, we rode the cable car 900 feet up into the sky to reach the mountaintop. We explored the ruins, took lots of pictures, reflected on all that happened here, and rode the cable car back down.
Our next stop was En Gedi. This was one of the cave areas in the wilderness where David hid from King Saul. It was an oasis in the desert for him and his men. We hiked back to one of the waterfalls (something that none of our other groups have done), and reflected on the story of David hiding here from King Saul in 1 Samuel 23-24. We also reflected on a variety of Psalms that David wrote near En Gedi – they were ones that focused on God being his refuge and stronghold, as well as ones that focused on David longing for God as a thirsty man thirsts for water in a dry and weary land. These Psalms came to life in front of our eyes, as we visited En Gedi and were able to understand why David used the poetry and imagery that he did. We were able to feel and experience what he wrote and why he wrote it.
Our next stop was the Ahava (which means “love” in Hebrew) plant. This company uses the mineral rich resources of the Dead Sea to make all sorts of beauty and skin care products. They are sold back home now…we had the opportunity to learn about what they do and purchase some of their products for friends and family. Since we visited their plant, they let us use their private beach to go swimming in the Dead Sea.
We all made our way down to the beach, covered ourselves in mud, and floated around in the water. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth (1200 feet below sea level). The water is so mineral and salt concentrated (38% compared to the ocean, which is 3-4%), that our bodies do not sink. We simply float and bob at the top. This was a once in a lifetime experience that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Again, the weather could not have been more beautiful for us.
When we left the Dead Sea beach, our last visit was the ancient Essene community of Qumran. This was a community of devout Jews 2000 years ago who wanted to focus on God by removing themselves from the distractions of their society. It was the site where in the 1940s a series of scrolls were discovered by a shepherd boy in one of the caves that were used by the Essenes. These scrolls had been copied by scribes in their Qumran community – and they were eventually named the Dead Sea Scrolls – which have become one of the most important finds related to the Scriptures that we have ever discovered. The park was closed, so we had to climb the entrance gate to get it - it was Leor's idea.
We were all starving when we got back to the hotel – because most of us had not eaten lunch. We had only snacked on little things throughout the day. So we all ate dinner together…and then after dinner we walked a few blocks from our hotel to a local supermarket. We all picked up a few things that we needed and that we wanted to take back home. Now we’re all back at the hotel – everybody is wiped out! It might be an early to bed night tonight. We have two days left…lots to do and see in Jerusalem.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Pictures from Day 4
Dinner time...
Our Group in Jerusalem
Leor's Family
Abraham's Tent
Abraham's Tent
Beit Shean - Ancient Toilet
Beit Shean
Beit Shean - Theater
Hot Springs
Herod's Spring
Goodbye Sea of Galilee
Day 4 of touring...
March 11, 2011
Today we completed our fourth day of touring. We left the Sea of Galilee and headed south for Jerusalem. Along the way, we first stopped at a place called Herod’s Spring. It is the traditional location where the story of Gideon in Judges 7 took place.
Here God told him that he had too many men going into battle with him to fight the Midianites – he didn’t want them to win the battle and believe that it was because of their great military might that they were victorious. In order to thin the crowd of soldiers a bit, God told Gideon to have his men drink from this spring. The ones who knelt down to drink from the spring were out – the ones who cupped the water in their hands and lapped it like dogs were in. Out of 10,000 men, only three hundred cupped it in their hands and lapped it like dogs. They were the ones who were to go into battle with him. It’s a tremendous story of trusting God and remembering that God is the one who is to receive all glory and honor and praise.
After we left Herod’s Spring, we traveled next to a hot spring pool known as Gan Hashelosha. It was beautiful. In this natural pool (about as long as and half as wide as a YMCA pool), the water was crystal clear and warm. If we had planned on it, we would all have gone swimming in this. It was a nice, surprising, and unexpected addition to our itinerary.
From there we traveled to Beit Shean. This is one of the most incredible archaeological sites in Israel. We were able to see another ancient Roman theater, as well as Roman roads, pillars, shops, bathhouses, and so much more. You could easily spend an entire day there – soaking in all of the history of this place that was built 2000 years ago.
Our next stop, following Beit Shean, was a lunch stop. But it was so much more than food. We drove south, past the point where the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land, towards the Dead Sea. We passed Jericho to the west and eventually arrived at a place called Abraham’s tent. It is located in the Judean wilderness, in the region where Abraham himself would have set up his tents with his family and flocks. When we visited, they helped us to “travel back in time” with a camel ride, so that we could experience what it would have been like to visit Abraham and his family several thousand years ago. I was so proud of our group – every single one of us was brave enough to ride the camels. It was quite an adventure. And to be honest…that is an understatement. Adam’s got a little rowdy, and Jan’s did a shimmy shake, which made her hold on a little tighter. We had an amazing lunch and took some incredible pictures of the Judean desert as well.
From there we had the privilege of being able to visit Leor’s (our tour guide) family at his home just outside of Jerusalem. His wife treated us to coffee, tea, soft drinks, and some delicious homemade cakes. It was so nice to once again be in the home of someone who lives here. Thanks to Leor and his family for making the visit possible and for inviting us over!
When we left their home, we entered Jerusalem. We started out with a group picture at the Mount of Olives – with the Temple Mount in the background. Then we visited the Nissan Bros. Olive Tree Wood Store. They make some of the most beautiful pieces carved from olive tree wood in Bethlehem. We had a great time buying some souvenirs and gifts for ourselves and our loved ones back home.
Finally, at the end of the day we arrived at our hotel in Jerusalem. We are staying at the Dan Panorama hotel – it is five star…top notch. The rooms are perfect, the lobby is very modern and sharp, and tonight at dinner…the food was so good that many of us ate about 3 or 4 plates more than we should have (that’s right…I said plates).
We are now chilling out for the night at the hotel. We’re going to play some cards and chat about the day. It might be a little more difficult to post on here, since we have to pay for the Internet service. Since we hear the blog has become a bit of hit back home though, we’ll do our best.
Tomorrow we begin the day with a baptism service at the Jordan River. Then we head to the Dead Sea to visit Masada, Qumran, En Gedi, and go for a float in the water. More on all of that later.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
View of Mount Hermon from Nimrod's Fortress
Cistern at Nimrod's Fortress
View of the Golan Heights from Nimrod's Fortress
Location of the Temple of Pan (also known as "the gates of hell") at Caesarea Philippi
Caesarea Philippi - with "the gates of hell" in the background, along with the bedrock that Jesus used as a picture illustration of the "rock" that his church would be built upon.
Rushing water from the springs at Dan
One more picture of the Sea of Galilee outside our hotel room...nice way to wake up!
Day 3 of touring...
Day three of touring is now complete. We had another incredible day together. It was rainy again – but we were able to visit all of the places that we wanted to visit without any major interruptions. To begin the day, we started out with a drive around the east side of the Sea of Galilee. We headed north to explore the Golan Heights and to visit the ancient cities of Dan and Caesarea Philippi.
On our way there, we drove through the Hula Valley in northern Israel. This valley was developed by some of the first settlers when the State of Israel was established in the 1940s. It was a swamp when they first purchased the land, but thanks to some incredible agricultural engineering, it has become one of the most fertile and thriving valleys in Israel – and probably in the entire Middle East. It was a great reminder of God’s faithfulness to fulfill his promises to the people of Israel.
As we continued driving north, we reached some one of the northernmost cities in Israel – Kiryat Shmona. Several years ago – before our last trip here, during the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon – this town was continuously fired upon with ketyusha rockets. It was referred to on the news almost daily – so it was very interesting to drive through it today.
From there we continued north on our way to Dan. We drove along the border with Lebanon – we were literally feet from the fence that separates the two countries. We even drove by an entry point, with a not-so-friendly looking Lebanese guard staring us down. A little scary…but no harm done. It was a fun thrill that we can tell our families about now – after the fact – but may have hesitated to tell them about beforehand.
We then arrived at Dan – which is the site of the ancient city mentioned in the Scriptures. It is also a nature reserve with some beautiful landscape. It was especially amazing today – with all of the extra rain, the streams that flowed from the springs of Dan were flowing with much more intensity than usual.
When we left Dan, we traveled to Caesarea Philippi. This is the site where Jesus shared with his disciples the profound and powerful truth that darkness, evil, and hell itself have nothing on him. Here was the location of what was referred to in his day as “the gates of hell.” It was a spot where a pagan temple dedicated to the god, Pan, once stood. It was carved out of the bedrock at Caesarea Philippi.
When Jesus visited here, he asked his disciples who people were saying that he was (Matthew 16). They said that some believed he was John the Baptist, others thought he was Elijah, and others thought he was one of the prophets. Jesus asked them, then, who do they say that he is. Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him, “You are right…you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The word that he used that was translated “rock” is a word that referred to bedrock – like the kind that they would have seen in the mountain side in Caesarea Philippi. He wanted them to know that the “gates of hell” – the symbol and representation of incredible evil and darkness, which included even human sacrifice – this would not prevail against the church that was built on the bedrock of Christ. It was such an awesome reminder for us that no matter how dark or fallen or broken things are or seem – as ones who are in Christ, we have power in Him to overcome it.
We reflected on this truth together, celebrated the power and authority of our Savior, took some pictures and explored a bit, and then headed out. We ascended Mount Hermon in northern Israel (the traditional site of the transfiguration of Jesus – recorded in Matthew 17 after the story of Caesarea Philippi). We traveled farther north than any of our previous groups have been able to go. It was snowing at Mount Hermon today, so the views were spectacular.
On the way up the mountain, we stopped at another site that none of our previous groups have visited. It was called Nimrod’s Fortress – it was a Muslim fortress that dates back to the 9th century A.D. The views from this height were also amazing. We took some great pictures of the snow-topped Mount Hermon. We were also able to explore the fortress, which was so much fun. There were tons of hidden staircases and rooms, cisterns, towers, and lookouts. It was a real nice (and unexpected) addition to our itinerary today.
We continued on from there to drive through the Golan Heights – a region in Israel that belonged to Syria prior to the 6-day war in 1967. Leor did a great job of sharing the modern history of this area. We were able to see some of the former military stations of the Syrians – we were also able to see many different fields that still have Syrian mines in them 44 years later (we know this because there are warning signs letter people know that they would be wise to stay out).
We stopped for lunch at a small little restaurant with delicious pizza, calzones, and baked goods (strange combination, I know). From there we visited the Golan Heights winery – which produces and sells some of the best wine in the Middle East. They had some samples available to taste, and a few people bought some to bring back home to their loved ones.
Next, we finished our tour of the Golan – and we wrapped up our day with a visit at one of Leor’s relative’s homes. We enjoyed coffee and some snacks. It was definitely something that tour groups do not ever do, but since we are a smaller group, we were able to. It really helped us connect with the land, with real people and a real family.
When we left there, we went back to the hotel for our final night at the Sea of Galilee. We ate dinner together and are now hanging out in the lobby (as usual) – talking, writing, blogging, etc. Tomorrow…it’s off to Jerusalem!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Day 2 of touring...
Today was an AWESOME day! It tends to be one of the favorite days for groups every time we tour…mostly because it is so Jesus focused. When we began our day, the weather was very rainy – it was pouring when we left the hotel. As we prayed together, we thanked God for this rain for Israel (which is desperately needed). We also thanked him in advance for any pockets of dryness that we might experience while we visited various sites.
As we traveled, we were amazed at the way it rained all day, whenever we were driving. When we got to one of the sites though, and got out to see what we could see, it always stopped raining. It was awesome! Along with the rain, we were treated to some very dramatic and vivid views of the landscape – with the beauty of colors that only an overcast day can produce. In addition to this, we were also treated to 5 different rainbows over the Sea of Galilee. It was majestic, and the beauty was impossible to capture with our cameras.
As far as where we visited, we started the day by driving around the east side of the Sea of Galilee – and our first stop was the ancient city of Capernaum. This was the main city where Jesus did so much of his ministry, teaching, healing, etc. This made it quite surreal for the group, as they realized they were literally walking in the footsteps of Christ.
After Capernaum, we visited the Mount of Beatitudes – where tradition suggests that Jesus shared his teachings of the Sermon on the Mount with the crowds. We talked about what Jesus taught here, how he often retreated by himself to pray here, how he called his disciples here, and how important it is for us to build our lives on the foundation of rock – by listening to his words and living them.
One of the other things that really stuck out to all of us here was the way that Jesus was always using things that were familiar to people in order to share the truth with them (birds of the air, mustard seeds, different kinds of soil - all of which are very prevalent in this area). It was a great reminder for us of the importance of contextualizing the message, and giving people an opportunity to both hear AND experience the truth.
From the Mount of Beatitudes we traveled to the Ancient Boat Museum – which has on display a two thousand year old fishing boat (like the ones used in Jesus’ day) that was discovered 20 years ago. It had been buried in the mud of the Sea of Galilee. After looking at this boat, we took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. It was so moving and incredible to picture what it was like for Jesus and his disciples to be out on the water. We reflected together on the stories of Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm.
We ate lunch next at a restaurant in Migdal (the hometown of Mary Magdalene). Most of us ate what is called “St. Peter’s Fish.” It is a tilapia fish that is prevalent in the lake – and that many believe would have been a primary fish that fisherman like Peter would have caught, sold, and eaten 2000 years ago. It was really delicious and another great experience for the group.
From there we visited one of the most meaningful sites that I have ever visited – it was also a site I have never visited before with any other group. Off the side of the road near the cliffs of Arbel, there is a riverbed that served as the primary passageway between Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee in Jesus’ day. We walked this riverbed knowing that Jesus had walked here – and we imagined what it must have been like for him to walk this with his disciples, talking with them along the way (much as we did together today). The views were breathtaking, and it was so surreal to be literally walking where he walked. It really connected us to Christ, to his life, his experience, and the experience of being one of his disciples.
Next we drove through the city of Tiberius, on our way to the Yardenit Baptismal site. When we arrived, we decided not to do the baptisms today. Instead, we scheduled a time for Saturday at a site farther south – near Jericho. We’ve never done that with a tour group before, so we are really excited about that experience. It should be a little bit more raw and authentic – which seems to be the preference for this group. We took some pictures of the Jordan and headed back to the hotel.
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