Jerusalem Day 11

Today was another early morning. We ventured off to about 3 more places. The first of which was to head to the tunnels under the Western Wall. This is the holiest place in Judaism, and is a recently new exhibit that even Pastor Jim hadn't been to in all of the times he had been to Israel.

It was extremely interesting. From the onset, we saw a model of the mountain on which the Holiest of Holy temples was built. it was very interesting to see how the city of Jerusalem sat on the mountain top, and how additional walls were added, and the mountain top flattened in order to build the temple. From there we saw how Herodian stones were carved, cut, and moved to make the ginormous walls of the walls surrounding Jerusalem.

At times it was very narrow and tight, and it was very long. But, it was an incredible experience to see the massive size of the wall itself. Yesterday, when we saw the outside part of the Western Wall, there were several bar mitzvahs taking place, and there was a lot of dancing and music happening everywhere around the square.

Anyhow, once our tour was over, we headed back to the hotel to finish packing check out off our rooms at the hotel. It was very early for us, as our flight wasn't supposed to leave until 11:30 p.m. from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. But, we had a few more stops along the way to make before heading home.

We then went to lunch and had a delicious buffet of kofta, beef and some chicken fingers, as well as many different kinds of vegetable salads. It was very good. And then again we were allowed to do more shopping. Which was fine, but at this point in the journey, I think I have enough off everything. I did end up buying a mezuza for the front door, and that was it. I think the average number off scarves that each person bought on the bus is about 8. In all, I think we have about 700 scarves on the bus.

From there we made our way to the Garden of the Tomb. This is where it gives a visual of what the crucifixion and the burial tomb of Jesus might have been like. It was a pretty peaceful place. There we had a communion service, sang "Beautiful Savior" and then I sang "Let us ever walk with Jesus" while people were having communion. It was a pretty neat experience as well.

From there we went to a small chapel in the Shepherds Fields which honestly was a bit forgettable. I think it was more of a time filler of a visit instead of anything else, and then from there went out to dinner at the Tent Restaurant. The food was quite good as was the company and the conversation. We had lamb kebobs, grilled chicken, and again a wide variety of table salads that were delicious. I have to honestly admit that I don't believe I have eaten so much red cabbage in my entire life. I have decided that I like hummus, and I like different vegetable salads. Hopefully with my Jordanian cookbook, I can get some ideas about what to make.

Once done with dinner, we had shared another round of hookah enjoyment. It was quite a hoot, especially some people in our group which I thought would be the last ones EVER to try it out. Then there were those that were much too pious or above the experience to even give it a whirl. It provided a bunch of laughs, combined with Karl, Faye, and Allison coming out dressed in Arabic clothing, doing some dance in the middle of the restaurant. It was hysterical! We enjoyed the time together, until we realized we needed to make it to the airport for our US Airways flight home.

Getting through security in Israel was interesting. We found our initial check in area. As soon as we got there, Pastor Jim was first screened for about 5 minutes from one of the security agents. Then each one of us were interviewed by an agent. Then, while we were in line for about 20 minutes to receive our boarding passes, a very inept and not very intelligent looking rep from US Airways told us all we needed to use a different line, even though I was the next person in line to check in. We proceeded to wait another 25 minutes in line, until we were really the last people tto check in, all of the ticketing agents were waiting for people, and the US Airways clerk starts checking in a few people behind us.

Finally, the supervisor saw what was happening ad told the guy to help us out. At this point, there were a couple of people that were REALLY bent out of shape about being jostled around, complaining about how poor the service was, and that it was the worst airline ever.

Apparently they never flew a non-stop flight from Hong Kong to Chicago on United, and were given an apology for the crappy service everyone was about to receive BEFORE even taking off for home.

Anyhow, I was glad to get away from the rest of those people, as I didn't really want to be caught in an incident with Israeli security. I really wanted to just get home.

Once through that, we then went through the regular metal detector (with shoes and belts and watches on I might add). We then went through passport control, and then another gate of passport control to eventually be led into the terminal. While there were many levels of security, I didn't mind one bit. While it took a little longer that what we do in the US, it's certainly a lot safer. And who cares if your convenience and personal information is questioned.

We then were only waiting about 20 minutes before we started boarding the plane. It was an overbooked flight, and I'm glad everyone in our group made it on ok. We said goodbye to Faye and Karl who were extremely nice people, and look forward to meeting them again when they come up to visit Diane. After a beer and a soda in the waiting area, it was boarding time for the US Airways Airbus A330 bound for Philadelphia.

In all this has been a great trip, worth every penny spent, worth every minute of sleep lost, and worth every prayer said. It was an incredible experience that I hope to share again someday.

Jerusalem Day 10

Today was a great day. The weather was amazing, sunny, not too hot, and a great day for walking the Via Dolorosa. Going through the first gate into old Jerusalem, we proceeded to the two chapels at the beginning of the walk, on where Jesus was condemned, and one where the scourging of Jesus was. Both of the chapels were very somber, but what bothered me the most was the inscriptions on the stone floor.

In the chapel of the flagellation, there were little game boards carved in the stone, which were games that Roman soldiers played at prisoner expense. Johnny explained the "King" Game where the Roman soldiers would pick one prisoner and dress and treat him like a king for a few days before killing the prisoner. It brought things to a very real perspective.

It was then that we started on our way through the winding streets of Jerusalem on the Via Dolorosa, stopping at each station. The stations where Simon of Cyrene and Veronica were the most impactful for me, as well as the station where Jesus saw his mother. I cannot imagine what agony that would have been like, but to have to wind up the narrow streets, after being severely whipped and scourged, carrying a heavy wooden cross to a place where you knew you would die....I just don't have words.

As I reflect on Simon of Cyrene, I am humbled by his helping Jesus bear his cross, and to Veronica to provide comfort. So often in this world of ours, people don't do enough good for others. Perhaps this is a voice that I received today to perhaps listen to.

We made our way through the many stations of the cross before arriving at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is where Jesus was crucified. I hate to even say that it was a disappointment, but the Catholic Church (and it's off-shoots) certainly know how to really commercialize or "crap up" sites that are meant to be holy. Greek Orthodox decor is WAY to ornate for my taste, and with the bazillion people in the church, it was just kind of one big mad house.

We stood in line to view the rock where Jesus was crucified, which is actually located under an alter, and took a long time to view. Part of the problem was 1) there was a group of Brazilians that were taking pictures (and not just one of everything, but 3 of everything each), 2) they all had to get their picture taken with a madonna type icon, and 3) had to each say a prayer, with 67 verses under the alter, kiss the alter, pat the alter, and genuflect at the alter before moving on. At one point, our tour guide, Johnny, told one young guy that he needed to move along, because there were a lot of people waiting in line. He must have been on verse number 124.

We saw Golgotha, and then made our way out of the church and up toward the Church of Our Redeemer (a Lutheran Church). Our group sang "Were you there" and actually did a fine job of it. All of a sudden, Johnny came with the key to the organ, and asked me if I would like to play. The one time I didn't carry my music with me, I said sure....not knowing exactly what I would do.

Then a man brought up our old green ELW hymnal, and I was able to play two hymns, "Where Charity and Love Prevail," and of course my all time favorite, "Wondrous Love." In fact, I improvised part of the latter hymn at the church in lieu of missing the music, and then really made the organ sing in the big stone church on the last verse, "And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on!" It was all I could do to keep from tearing up. The sound was so glorious, and the reverberation was about 4 1/2 seconds in the church.....it was GLORIOUS! I could have sat and played forever, but I realized that I only had limited time as the church was empty. Apparently, there were a couple of groups that stopped in to listen, and then everyone clapped after I finished my second simple hymn. I made it a point to choose an American hymn tune, and there is none better than "Wondrous Love."

I came down, and there wasn't a dry eye in the church. It was all I could do to not be teary too. For some, I was told that hearing the music and having me play was what made their experience hit them. Perhaps that was part of the voice that I've been hearing all week of my mom, my dad, and of the Holy Spirit. And while I had other music that I could have played, those two hymns, simple, plain, unadorned, spoke clearly for me. It was truly an incredible moment. Me...doing what I do, the gift God gave me, the voice of song at the Church of Our Redeemer, in Jerusalem, Israel, playing...for others in the world to hear.....it's very humbling. Quite the opportunity.

From there, we had lunch on one of the rooftops near the Lutheran church, which had a beautiful view of Jerusalem. The falafel and shawarma wraps were amazing again, and it was a great social atmosphere. before heading down to see the pool at Bethesda, and then touring the Church of St. Anne, which is where Mary's mother lived. This was another singing debut, only this time, the acoustics were even more impressive. I led the 19 of us in singing "How Great thou Art" which really isn't one of my favorites, but being an American tune and an American group, and having been given the suggestion by the French priest, I led everyone in song. I really didn't have to sing loud to hear my voice echo in the church over everyone else. It was impressive, as was the singing by everyone in the group. So much so, that the church was about 2/3 full by the time we got done singing. There were a lot of smiles when we were done.

We then went down below the church to see the spots where Mary's mom lived, before coming up to hear another group sing (this one was Russian), with a few people sitting there kind of laughing at how bad they were by comparison to our group. Again, the voice of song, the Spirit of God was in that place.....and what another glorious experience.

From there we headed to the bus, and back to the hotel, where we have to get things packed, get things ready for the journey home, and be at the social hour before dinner tonight.

ln all, what a great day. Music feeds my soul. And God sure gave me voice to touch others today. What a blessing indeed!

Bethany and Jerusalem Day 9

Today we ventured to Bethany to visit where Mary and Martha and Lazarus lived. While the chapel was nice to see, Lazarus' tomb was interesting, in that it was a small crypt inside a cave. This was where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

From there, we traveled to the Mount of Olives to the Church Pater Noster, or the church of the Our Father, where Jesus taught the disciples the Lord's Prayer for the second time. There in a grove of olive trees, we had a short service with communion, and sang a couple of hymns. What a glorious day!

We ventured in the bus to look at the walls and the Old City of Jerusalem. To the left we could see Caiaphus's house, the eastern wall, the mosque, the dome of the rock, and the church of the Holy Sepulcher. Below was the Kidron Valley, the garden of Gethsemane, as well as the Jewish cemetery that was shown at the end of the movie "Schindler's List'.

Then it was a jaunt up the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane, which was really moving. There were several olive trees in the garden that were a couple of thousands of years old. According to the guide, an olive tree splits every 500 years, these olive trees had split at least 4-5 times. It was utterly amazing. Outside of the garden we went to the Church of the Nations, which represented the sadness and darkness of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. It had striking purple stained glass windows, and mosaics of Jesus in Gethsemane. It was amazing.

From there we walked to another grotto of olive trees, which were in a more natural state to give an idea of what the garden might have looked like in Jesus' time. It was really beautiful. We headed back to the bus to go to lunch. The Petra Restaurant served us wonderful cold vegetable salads, and then chicken and lamb kabobs that were delicious, before heading on our way to Mt. Zion, the site of the Last Supper, David's Tomb, and the Grandson of the man who discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls.

We stopped at the site of the Last Supper, which had a cathedral built on top of the site, both Byzantine and Gothic from The Crusades. Again, it was nothing like I imagined it would be, but Jerusalem, with its sandstone walls and streets, is something to behold. Luckily I was wearing a hat today, as when we entered King David's Tomb, it's actually a synagogue. I had been fretting about the day I'd have to wear a yarmulke, as my head is extremely large. I didn't want the "one size fits most" yarmulke to look about the size of a small drink coaster covering a watermelon.

Aside from walking through a Yeshiva there with Hasidic men praying, and the women and men separated, I know King David is very important to Israel, I hate to even say that it was very uneventful to me.

What did impact me was visiting Caiaphus' home. Underneath where it was located (another Catholic Church) was the dungeons where Jesus was kept before being brought to Pontius Pilate. It's a pretty awful place, and after Pastor Jim read Psalm 88, it was pretty moving. I cannot fathom how along Jesus must have felt, having been not only denied by his disciples and betrayed, but also having the feeling of being forsaken. It was the second "lump in the throat" moment for me, and I think that the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services will have much more of an impact on me. I am humbled by God's love, and by God the Son who gave his life for me so that I would have eternal life. And seeing the places where his torture started to take place today was very humbling indeed.

After learning a bit about antiquities, and more jewelry (which I know nothing about), it was back on the bus back to the hotel. A group of us went to the King David Hotel, which is very famous for the dignitaries of the world who stay there. We had an awesome dinner, starting with a cocktail, a little potato croquet on a tartar sauce, breads with tomato spread and different kinds of salt, our appetizers (I had a celery flan, but tried sweetbreads for the first time as well as goose pate which was awesome!), and the main course which was filet with a red wine reduction served over vegetables, and then for dessert, pistachio madeline with pomegranate sorbet. To top it all off wwe were brought little finger sweets, pomegranate and peach jellies, chocolate truffles, and some praline things.

It was a great evening of fun, laughter, and conversation, and was a truly memorable experience in Jerusalem.

Tomorrow it's off to a memorable journey along the Via Dolorosa.

I can't wait!

Masada, Dead Sea, and Qumran Day 8

Today is the day that we ventured off into the Judean and Negev Deserts alongside the Dead Sea toward Masada.

Prior to venturing off, we had breakfast, which was a bit of a circus given the numbers of groups that are all here at the same time. At least this morning we didn't have an interloper join our group. Last night as we were eating supper, a woman decided to sit at our assigned table who wasn't from our group. We decided to name her Marie, as Marie (who was part of our group) wasn't feeling that well and thus stayed in her room for the evening.

Well, this morning, we ventured off to Masada. it was a beautiful day. We got to the park and took the cable car up the side of the mesa. Amazingly it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. After all, I break a sweat getting on a step ladder. We had two nice Scottish people join our group for the day, Lavinia and Andrew, who know Johnny our tour guide, and were staying in Jerusalem to visit their daughter who lives here with her husband.

Anyhow, once at the top, the views of the valley were breathtaking, as well as views of the Dead Sea. The sea has evaporated quickly, as we were able to see where a resort was built that happened to be on it, that now was about a half mile away.

It's utterly amazing how anyone could possibly live in this kind of climate, let alone at the top of a plateau. But the Zionists certainly did give the Romans a good go, even though the end didn't turn out so hot.

Imagining what is was like to live up there I cannot imagine. but it certainly was a great day to see all of the valley. After watching a video about the Masada, a treasure to Israelis in demonstration of strength and defense, we continued on our way to a private beach on the Dead Sea. We first had lunch, and then changed into our bathing costumes to experience the Dead Sea.

There is nothing else like it.

You can literally float on your back, and it's as if you're sitting in a floatie. You can float on your stomach, with your legs in the air as if you're on a water cushion. The trick was to figure out how to aright yourself on your feet. It was extremely difficult. The rules were no splashing, no drinking the water, no meandering off. Well, the water tasted VERY salty almost bitter. One member of the group got some in her eye, and was in a lot of pain. Trying to walk into the sea over the salt crystals was a challenge. It felt like you were walking on coral. And...if you had ANY abrasion on your skin, you'd feel it right away.

While in the water, my skin felt like I had put baby oil all over it, but as soon as it started drying, it felt very sticky and crusty. It was very strange. Again, there is no other experience I have had that will ever come close to it, but I'm glad I did it.

After taking a dip in the Dead Sea, we did some shopping in the cosmetics area where I was able to buy several different products made with Dead Sea salt and minerals.

Then it was off to Qumran.

Qumran is the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, or, the oldest translation of all the books of the Old Testament of the Bible (except the book of Esther). Given the group that wrote them down as being Orthodox Jews, I'm not surprised that one of the few books of the Bible titled with a woman's name wasn't there.

Apparently a shepherd had lost a goat, and saw a cave into which he threw a rock, which in turn shattered a jar, which in turn held the scrolls. They never did say what happened to the goat, although after seeing the cave the scrolls were found in (which is high on a cliff, and has a pretty steep drop off), I'm fairly certain the goat was a goner.

The Asim's must have been very clean people, with the 5-6 mikvahs they had in their little community (and it was all men). With all the baths, I'm surprised given the location in the middle of the desert (even with large cisterns) that they were able to have that much water. After all, the Dead Sea isn't good for anything, except for salt.

After leaving Qumran, we sventured into Jericho, where we looked at Hebron Glass. It's beautiful glass, in greens, blues, and pinks. After buying a few items in the store (and getting them shipped home), it was time to breathe and say, ok...you've spent enough. But, I am happy with my purchases, and hopefully they'll make it to my home.

Yet again, another good day!

Mount of Precipice, Zippori, Bet She'an, and Caesarea Maritima Day 7

We started our journey to Jerusalem today. After breakfast, we loaded up the bus and made our way to Mount of Precipice. We walked up a path and got a beautiful panorama of Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Nazareth, Mt. Tabor and the Valley of Armageddon. It was a clear day and we were lucky to be able to see everything very clearly. While we were up there, there was a small Israeli group making some sort of arrangements of flowers and vines, had some twine and some rope, and some matches and perhaps some candles. I have absolutely no idea what they were doing, but it looked interesting. I was just thankful that it wasn't me attached to the end of the rope, or being cast off the mountain.  First of all, I'm afraid of heights, and second of all, there wasn't nearly enough rope there to support me.

While my friend Naomi jokes with me about when Transfiguration Sunday is, I finally was able to see Mt. Tabor where the transfiguration took place. Hopefully from now on I won't confuse it with Christ the King Sunday...and I have a better understanding about what happened.

Which then got me reflecting on the wedding at Cana, and the renewal of vows that 4 couples on our tour chose to do. In all of the years that I have attended or played for weddings, I can honestly say that it was the first time ever that I was ever actually kicked out of the church... by a nun no less. That's a first.

I don't know if laughing about that is sacrilegious, or more sacrilegious to say there's no more beautiful a spot to have the final battle of Armageddon....what a way to go!

From Mount of Precipice, we went to the ruins of Zippori (which was not on the schedule of events for the day, which a few people were sure to note). The most interesting part of this abridged tour was the mosaics found along the streets, as well as in different ruins where merchant stores used to be.  I have to admit that I have seen a lot of mosaics not only on this trip but others as well, but these were something to behold.

I cannot imagine starting to dig somewhere to unexpectedly find a BC mosaic, or column. I'm starting to believe that no matter where you dig your shovel in Israel, you're bound to find something ancient.
It's a good thing I don't live here AND garden.

The other thing I am discovering is the spacial relativity of all of the cities where Jesus visited. My vision of Jesus' life is changing. I always envisioned Jesus to have a pastoral/agrarian life, but noting all of the different cities he visited and walked, he very much spent a lot of his life in cities.

From Zippori, we made our way to Bet She'An, which is another archeological sight. What an amazing sight! From the forum, to the amphitheater, to the colonnade where merchants and shops were, to looking at the ruins where the acropolis was for the city, this ancient city is filled with Roman ruins during the 1st century AD. It rivals Jerash in scope and breadth. It was a glorious day to visit them, the sun shining all day.

After a quick lunch of sandwiches (falafel and chicken schnitzel served with a cabbage salad in pita bread which were absolutely delicious) we headed toward the Mediterranean.

The next stop on the trip was Caesarea Maritima, a beautiful set of Roman ruins immediately on the Mediterranean Sea. It was quite spectacular walking on the ruins of the Emperor's palace, and seeing it jut out into the sea. The water was fantastic, turquoise and a bit windy. Looking to the north, we saw old walls as well as a minaret from an old mosque. It's also where Paul was kept in prison before being shipped off to Rome.

After walking along the shore, and allowing some of us in the group to dunk our feet in the Mediterranean, it was back on the bus to head toward Jerusalem, which was a couple hours away.

While we got stuck in a bit of a traffic jam in Tel Aviv and again around Ben Gurion airport, we managed to make it to the hotel in Jerusalem about 6:10 p.m.  While it was an action packed day yet again, it was very awesome yet again.

Tomorrow is the day I have been looking forward to (there are others too, but this day's a biggie), which is to visit Masada and the Dead Sea.  It should be yet another interesting experience, and I'm sure it's going to be filled with laughter and fun.

This trip has been great on so many levels, and I look forward to what the next few days will bring here in Jerusalem.

Sea of Galilee Day 6

So....after the nun incident, we headed up to the Sea of Galilee, where we visited the ancient cities of Korazim and Capernaum, now in ruins. We made our way to the area of the loaves and the fishes, as well as the spot where Jesus said to Peter, "feed my sheep." It's a beautiful, quiet, green space, shaded by sycamore trees, along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The sea is quite clear, and it's beautiful.

From there, we went to a fish restaurant, and the fish was delicious. I wasn't brave enough to eat the whole fish, and settled with the fish filets. I've noticed more and more during the tour, our tour guide, Johnny, is somewhat of a disappointment.

I haven't figured out as to whether or not he has other things on his mind, or if he's annoyed by the people, or if he's disgusted with the fact that people aren't answering his questions. He doesn't really check in with anyone about how they're doing, or if we're having a good time, or anything. From what he was propped up to be, I'm still waiting for that moment where he's actually going to look concerned about how we, his group, are doing...

I wish we had Ace......at least he actually knew people's names without their name tags. And, periodically he would talk with individuals on a one on one basis to see how they were doing or how they were liking everything. Johnny on the other hand, is more concerned about talking to the bus driver, or 3 people on the trip...and no one else.1

We went near Tiberias and were able to enjoy a boat ride on the Galilean Sea. The sea was pretty calm, and the weather was perfect. You could see the Golan Heights off in the distance. From there, we went to a kibbutz where we learned about and saw a fishing. We got an early start this morning, and what boat that was taken in the 1960's and preserved. IT WAS AMAZING!

After the boat ride and kibbutz visit we then went to the Jordan River to a spot where everyone could be baptized. I didn't think that I was going to do it. But then I have to thank Diane for putting things into perspective, and encouraging me to do it.

It was a very emotional thing for me. It was a beautiful grotto, and everyone is so supportive of everyone else. I have a hard time keeping a dry eye every time we do a baptism in church, let alone my own. Again, I felt my soul fill with the Holy Spirit and felt alive again. It was another one of those moments where I heard my mom and dad's voices saying, "you HAVE to do this."

I still have a hard time talking about the experience without feeling a lump in my throat. But, it was the right thing, and the experience was what it ought to be.

After that, we headed back into Tiberius to visit some diamond broker, as Israel's number one source of income is diamonds. After sitting through the presentation and being descended upon by a bunch of harpy eagles dancing around their prey, we were led through the showroom. Fortunately for me, I know nothing about jewelry and therefore know enough not to engage in eye contact or a conversation with anyone. And then....I realized my fly was down the whole time we were in this jewelry gallery....

Oh well...

I think I'm ready for a glass of booze right about now.....

Nazareth, Day 6

I woke up at 5:30 this morning. It was a bit disturbing in that I dreamt about Palestinians chasing me with Molotov cocktails, getting caught in the middle of a demonstration....weird.

After breakfast, we headed into Nazareth. The first stop on the tour was the Basilica of the Annunciation. A modern basilica made of concrete, it sits directly over the spot where Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that she was going to have a child. Outside the basilica are several mosaics given as gifts from all over the world. We ventured inside to hear mass being performed, with the sound of chant wafting its way throughout the church. The dome, looking like an inverted lily with the vines trailing downward, was spectacular. We went down to the area where the annunciation took place.

Back outside, I took a stroll around to look at the mosaics, and one from Greece struck me hard, with Mary and Jesus, saying "All my hope for the world for you, my Son." It was really moving to me.

We walked a bit further and went to the church of St. Joseph, where Joseph's carpentry shop was.

We then walked a little further to where the wedding of Cana took place, and made it in the church. It was a little dicey for us to see it, as it said the church was closed to tourists, but somehow we broke through and looked around. We went in the main part of the church where renewals of wedding vows were going to be performed, and after one set of vows were said, a somewhat burly Filipino nun came up and looked very stern. I thought there was going to be some throw down about to happen, and looking at the irritation of the nun, I think the nun would have kicked our tour guide's ass.

After being banished from the chapel, we went outside where 4 more vows were renewed. it was quite a touching moment. We then walked out and made our way back to the bus to make our way to the Mount of Olives. Overlooking the Galilean Sea, it was a beautiful sight to see the shores where the loaves and fishes were served, as well as the place where the sermon on the mount was held. We started listening to the beatitudes, and I just about lost it today.

For whatever reason, it's a very emotional day. Many things go through my mind, and I miss my mom and dad more than ever today. But as my friend said, they are with me through this whole trip...I feel it....but it doesn't make things any easier.

Back to Palestine, Back To Israel Day 5

Yesterday was an early morning, as we had to get up early to be able to make it back to Israel in time before the borders closed at noon. After the prior evening's fiasco about overcharging for booze, it was quite the buzz of the bus.

We had breakfast, and then ventured off toward Israel and Jericho. Once at the border, we managed to be there at the same time as several other buses, and proceeded to wait about 2 hours on the bus waiting to just get through the gate. Once through, the group of us (after a thorough check of the passenger list) were whisked through security. It was probably the most stressful part of the day, but really all things considered, the Israeli border people were quite nice.

We then went to Jericho, the oldest city in the world....well, besides Aleppo.

We were able to see the spring, and parts of the wall, had some lunch, and then ventured up to see the mount of temptation where Jesus was tempted by Satan. From there, we went to our hotel, which sits high upon a mountain overlooking the valley. The views are breathtaking, and you can see the kibbutzim in the valley. Everyone has commented that it's nice to see green again.

Once checked in, the group of us were given a big conference room to decompress, talk, and pray....and have a few drinks. After the long trip, and late lunch, we weren't very hungry. But afterward, a couple of us stayed and talked at the bar lounge that has a beautiful view of the valley.

Not much to report as of this particular day, but it's still amazing, and looking forward to seeing the things to come!

Southern Jordan and Wadi Rum Day 4

Today started off early, with an early morning wakeup call. After getting everything ready for the day, realizing that my sunscreen I brought along had went bad, I had to go and eventually buy one small tube today, for $45. It was a bit depressing....and I wasn't really going to fight it, as I knew I was going to be in the desert all day today.

So we ventured off to Petra....on foot. We got to the Moevenpick Petra late last night, and so everything was dark. Little did everyone realize that Petra, one of the seven man made wonders of the world, happened to be just about 500 feet from the front door. Well....at least the entrance to the park.

The city of Petra, like most of the cities I have seen thus far, sits along the slope of the hill and winds its way downward into the valley. Roads wind in every direction, and it's amazing how our bus driver is even able to maneuver the streets.

It was a beautiful morning this morning starting off at about 62 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. A few people got a bit bent out of shape because the official itinerary said that we were supposed to visit Petra in the afternoon. When they looked at everything in retrospect afterwards, it was a very good thing we did it in the morning, as the number of people that we saw as we were leaving was incredible. While there were people there, it wasn't crowded.

Petra is indescribable. A city carved into the mountains, accessible through a narrow gorge. It's huge, the rock is beautiful, and it goes on forever. It's utterly amazing. I was trying to figure out how people would actually live in the city, but given its scope, I'm having a hard time doing that. It's massive, and spectacular. Seeing the veins of iron, manganese, and other minerals in the reddish rock, not to mention the piping running along the entrance where water was piped into the city, or the ruts in the cobblestone where Roman chariots rode over them, it was utterly spectacular.

We spent most of the day hiking with the group, with a few adventuresome souls venturing even higher up the mountainside. It was a very sunny day, and got up to about 76 degrees. The sun was very hot and I was glad that I had bought my sunscreen.

On the way back, there was a group of us that stopped and had some freshly squeezed pomegranate juice before making our way up the gorge and out of the park. I had never had pomegranate juice before, but it was tasty, tart, and very good for you. Noticing the people serving it, the Bedouin people that run the shops are quite stunningly attractive. They have beautiful eyes and features, and often time, men and women, wear mascara to accent that.

Many children follow you throughout the site, as they are peddling postcards and bracelets. They're cute children, and with their persistence, they'd all make excellent telemarketers or sales people.

Once back, we boarded the bus, and our guide, Ace (Ahmed), took us south to almost the Saudi Arabian border to a place called Wadi Rum. Here a bunch of Bedouins took the group of us on the backs of 4x4 trucks around in the desert and among the hills. This place, most famously pictured in "Lawrence of Arabia," was breathtaking, remote, beautiful, dry, quiet, and incredible. Here, we were able to have lunch with a Bedouin group of men in their tent, which was a delicious blend of vegetables, salads, and chicken. From there we were off in the trucks again for about an hour, when we again stopped at another point, to learn about bedouin hospitality custom, sip some tea, and I purchased a bag of cardamom tea, and two Jordanian head scarves (as I was the demonstration model for how to properly tie a head scarf.

Anyone who knows me knows I have a huge head...and was extremely afraid they'd need a bigger scarf....like the size of a queen size sheet, to wrap it around my melon....but somehow he made it fit. It was quite comfortable, and was actually way cooler for my head than the baseball cap I was wearing.

From that point, several people got on camels (me NOT being one of them) to walk further in the desert while the rest of us drove to a beautiful gorge with a big sand dune. My group consisted of Ginny, Anne, Diane, and Dee. Dee sat in the cabin of the truck while the remaining 4 of us shared several laughs sitting on the benches in the bed of the truck. The first laugh (while Jim was with our group before he took a camel ride) was pointing out the many dents and dings and trouble one of the other trucks were having getting started. As we rolled forward, the young kid killed the engine, and thus we were the last group to leave. The trucks we used looked like they had rolled over at least once or twice before, and we were hoping that there weren't any people (nor us) that were in the back when it happened.

Anyhow, once we reached the sand dune, most of us climbed it to some extent, and sat and took in its beauty. We saw some other things to purchase to help the Bedouins (who were truly warm people), before heading back to the bus to make our way back north to Petra. I was able to smell myrrh for the first time (it actually smells quite good, and last a LONG time), as well as amber.

We said good bye to our Bedouin companions, loaded the bus, and headed back to Petra for our 2 hour bus trip back to our hotel. As I was on the bus and after pulling out the map of Jordan, I realized that we pretty much covered the entire north/south length of Jordan while on our stay here, which gives a sense of the size of the country.

Halfway on the bus trip, we stopped at a souvenir shop to view he sunset and overlook the valley. I bought a Jordanian cookbook and we headed back to our hotel in Petra. Once we arrrived we immediately went to eat, and the food was again fantastic. There was a bit of an international incident at dinner when the waiter tried to overcharge some in our group's table for drinks they had (like $56 for 2 beers), and then tried doing the same thing with my table....I'm sure the server won't be working there much longer.....What actually happened, from what I heard after the fact, was that the server had multiplied the conversion twice, and therefore the price of the items were about twice as much as they should have been. I wonder how many other people just paid the bill. It didn't seem very ethical to me, and was a blemish experience on the otherwise beautiful hotel.

Then a group of us (Jim, Allison, Sandy, Sue, Diane and I) went to the oldest bar in the world (well....at least the oldest location), where we enjoyed a drink together, and continued to laugh. We then decided to try a hookah (which I had never done before), before heading back to the hotel. It was interesting how it worked, and apparently the smoke is flavored. We had apple flavored whatever, which tasted more like licorice. Nonetheless, it was an interesting experience being there. It was the perfect end to a great day. And there's nothing better than laughing with the company you're with.

We then stopped back at the hotel where there was another group of people sitting and sharing a bottle of wine. We stayed and chatted a bit before I went up to my room. I felt kind of bad for not joining them earlier in the evening, but I really didn't want to spend any more time with one of the women in the group (not someone I knew previously before going on the trip) than I absolutely had too. She seems to be somewhat of a know it all, and has no shortage of criticisms to throw out, whether it be when itineraries change, or something about the food, or something about the guide, or something about the service, or anything that should happen to differ from the expectations she has of the way that things should be, and yet has no problem pointing out her worldliness to everyone else. Yeah, it's pretty annoying. Then again, I look at it that everyone is different and has a different way of handling things. And...there are always going to be people on the trip that you just differ from...and that's ok too.

The great thing however, is to get to know people better, and be able to share an experience of a lifetime. Everyone has a reason why they're on this trip, and it certainly is great to learn more about them. I envy one of the people, Gary. He's made it a point to just sit down with everyone one on one to talk with them. I really admire him.

Tomorrow we go back to Nazareth, and continue our adventures in Israel. It's been a fabulous day today. Jordan, and the Jordanians we've met, have really shown us a very hospitable time. I really look forward to more learning, laughter and camaraderie. It's been fun!

Jerash and Mount Nebo, Day 3

Today we made a run from the border to Jordan today, after having spent the last two days in Bethlehem. Palestine was a bit interesting and very different from Israel, in that things are a bit more run down and not as nice, although we didn't really feel unsafe at all, except for the random gunshots that occurred each night as well as the two explosions we heard and saw (the staff at the hotel said it was nothing to worry about, that it was just a refinery explosion.....hmmm....

Anyhow, we traveled to Jordan, through the Riff Valley, and were able to see the Dead Sea from afar, traveling well below sea level. then it was past Jericho, and to the border. Once we made it through customs which was a little confusing from the explanation, it ultimately turned out to be a non event. We met our new bus driver, had a tourist police officer accompany us on the bus all day, as we made our way to our first stop at Jerash, Jordan, which is in northern Jordan, north of Amman.

Especially funny was one tour member calling it "Jordache" like the jeans, which was exceptionally funny considering this person thinks they know what should and should not happen on the tour, and is quick to complain about things. I've let it roll off my bak, since I figure there are always going to be people like that no matter where you go. I just look at it that in order to really enjoy yourself on a tour, you need to go with an open mind, and be very patient and flexible with schedules. I think after last night at dinner, I had had enough of people bitching about having to take one bag into Jordan for the two days we were there, and why they couldn't take ALL of their luggage along........even though it was explained why about 15 times.....

Jerash is an incredible site of ancient Roman Ruins.....we initiall took a panoramic view of the archeological site, and then were able to walk the grounds, and take lots of pictures. It was fun talking to different people on the walk, and it was exceptionally cool to hear a bagpipe ensemble greet us in the Odeon amphitheater. Me and Arra Lasse were able to climb midway up the amphitheater to take in the sights, and to hear the accoustics. It was amazing!

We walked in the circus maximus, through Hadrian's gate, and into the Forum area of the city. In the distance we saw the eastern gate up on a hill. it was truly an amazing sight.....and one of the highlights of the trip thus far.

From there, we headed south toward Amman, headed to Mount Nebo. Mount Nebo is where Moses stood on the mountain and looked out at all the lands below, and is supposedly where he is buried. We went to a restaurant prior to going to the mount, having our lunch late at around 4 p.m. Several people weren't happy with the fact that we were so late, but we managed to eat a little something before looking out from the mountaintop. After a reading from Deuteronomy and some group photos taken by one of the Jordanian franciscan monks, we headed on our journey to Petra, which was a little over 3 hours away.

On our way we stopped at a mosaic gallery, where we were given a lesson on mosaics, and the opportunity to purchase. I ended up finding a really cool painting of Amman from one of the gallery artists. After negotiating my life away, I went out with my painting, knowing full well that I probably paid 4 times too much.....Oh Well.

We eventually made it to our hotel at the Moevenpick Petra, which is extremely nice. After checking in at 9:30 p.m., many of our travel mates never bothered making it to dinner, which was a loss for them, as the food was quite possibly one of the best buffets I have ever sampled in my life! One glass of wine and a soda later, it's now time for bed, as it's apparently daylight savings time here tomorrow.

Tomorrow we're off to Petra ad Wadi Rum......can hardly wait!

Reflection from Day 2

Today was the first full day of being in Israel and Palestine. We stayed overnight at the Intercontinental Hotel, a hotel labyrinth of rooms, levels, and hallways. Given the topography of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the hotel is built on a hill, and therefore the reception area is on the 4th floor, the hallway to the rooms is down one floor and in another wing of the complex, and up another floor to the room. The restaurant is on the 1st floor. It's very confusing, but it's a good thing I haven't had too much to drink, or I might end up in a completely different location altogether.

The hotel is nice, but a bit inconsistent. It took about 20 minutes to figure out that you had to turn on the main power switch to the whole room prior to turning on anything, and that the lights in the bathroom require another light switch to be turned on. I was getting a bit panicky since I had to go to the bathroom, and didn't want to leave the door wide open while waiting for the porter to bring my bag to my room.

So today, luckily, I woke up at a semi normal time (4:30a.m.) and made some coffee and some tea before getting ready and meeting people for breakfast, before venturing off today.

Jerusalem is absolutely stunning. We visited the church of St. John the Baptist, where John the Baptist was born, and then recited a benedictine prayer before venturing off to visit the Church of the Visitation, where Mary came from Nazareth to visit Elizabeth in Bethlehem. It was a beautiful church, and I can only imagine in that time the time it took to travel the 100 miles (which took a week). It offered a stunning view of the hills overlooking the Kidron Valley. After walking up another big hill, we saw another big church before heading back down the hill to meet the bus.

We then proceeded to head toward Mt. Herzl, which is a major location where the Israeli Military Cemetery is, as well as Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. Because we had a bit of time before we needed to go to another spot on the itinerary, we were able to walk the grounds of the Avenue of the Righteous, and the Children's Museum.

It was a pretty solemn place, and a place where I would have liked to spend more time, but the children's museum was just about enough for me. The recitation of names of children who perished in the Holocaust, and the room of light were overwhelming to my senses.

From there, it was off to Manger Square, and the Church of the Nativity, where we were able to see the spot where Jesus was born, as well as where the manger laid. There were a lot of other groups there, and luckily we didn't have to wait at all to get in. One of the cool things was singing "Silent Night" near the location of the manger, and being joined in by another group, in RUSSIAN! VERY cool!

It was going under a lot of construction and several areas were in somewhat of a state of disrepair. One of my tour mates and I were talking about this, and somehow the three churches that are in charge of the church had a hard time getting the work completed, to which she said "this is what you get when you have to have a committee in charge of something..." which was a good laugh.

We then visited St. Catherine's Church before heading to Lunch.

After lunch, we made our way to Shepherd's Fields, the spot near where the angels appeared to the shepherds about the birth of Jesus. We were able to say a prayer a cave in the fields, followed by singing "O Little Town of Bethlehem" which again was very moving.

From there, we made our way to a store, one of the premier places for Olive Wood products, jewelry, icons, and diamonds. I managed to buy a beautiful Nativity set, hand carved with the 3 Kings, Mary and Joseph, Jesus, the Manger, sheep, a couple of shepherds, a couple of angels and a cool looking camel. The shelter is hand carved from one piece of Olive Wood, and is quite stunning. I also bought 4 smaller serving bowls, as well as one large serving bowl. After Bassam (the man who sold me everything) was done hawking his wares, I realized that this particular piece is going to have to be a family heirloom. I didn't tell everyone how much I spent, but let's just say, it's very nice....and leave it at that. Johnny, our tour guide, came over and asked me if I bought a set, and I said yes. He asked me to show him, and when I pointed it out, he said...."you have really good taste!"

After our shopping extravaganza, we headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow is going to be an early day. After the guide, Jim, and Sandy all tried to explain to people about how they needed to pack tomorrow, somehow it still didn't sink in. After all, we're going to another country altogether, and it's a muslim one....after being in Israel. I think some people don't realize that it's not like we're crossing the border between the US and Canada, which is absolutely mind boggling to me. Then again, with the education a lot of the people on the tour possess, it's surprising that some of them are having a hard time wrapping their head around the process. Even at dinner it was the main topic of conversation which became quite boring to me. Thank God for dear Dee, Jim, Sandy, Gary, Bill, and Diane...the night capped off very nicely with a lot of laughter, and a lot of new friends and new respect for people. All in all, it was another beautiful and great day in the Holy Land....and thanks be to God for the gift of his Son, and to witness the land where he walked. Thanks be to God for this opportunity, and for some new friends I became closer to today!

Bethlehem Day 2 of Holy Land Trip 2014

I woke up early this morning.....wasn't able to sleep much. I decided to make some tea, finish packing my bag for Jordan, and then watch some television. The rooster, which I noticed woke me up yesterday morning, decided to wake me up again this morning at about 3:30 a.m.

At approximately 4 a.m., the muslim call to worship could be heard wafting through the hills. It's such a surreal and different sounding thing, and like nothing else in the western world. Having traveled to Morocco several years ago, it was the first time I was able to experience its mystical sound. This morning again, didn't disappoint.

I find myself in the last couple of days turning off the television news program (and CNN and BBC are about the only channels here that are of any interest to me) and just opening the window a crack to hear the call to worship. I have been able to appreciate it now the last two evenings, and now again this morning with my tea and my knitting.

I don't know, but it was nice to open up the window this morning, smell the fresh air, and remark on how truly clean and beautiful our stay has been thus far. I'm praying for a safe journey again today, and praying for things to work smoothly while traveling over the border today.

As mentioned yesterday, there were a few people truly bent out of shape about having to pare down their luggage to travel the two nights in Jordan. It was also interesting to hear people get a bee in their bonnets when the travel itinerary is deviated from just a bit. Apparently we were supposed to see a bell tower and a small Lutheran church yesterday. But after seeing about 5-6 churches already yesterday, as well as 4-5 separate chapels within those churches, I mean really....must we see yet ANOTHER church? I don't know.....

I guess it comes down to being able to go with the flow, not get bent out of shape when the food isn't exactly what to expect, or that the coffee packet wasn't replaced in the room, or that the bottle of water wasn't replaced from the day before even though you were desperately thirsty. No, some people no matter what, will not be very happy unless they get things the way they want or expect them to be.

I'm just thankful that I am (hopefully people perceive that I am) a pretty easy travel companion. It doesn't pay to get riled or anxious. Much too much energy is spent on that, and really, I'd rather be spending the energy on more productive things like observing and taking in the sensory and spiritual aspects of this trip.

As I was coming down the hill yesterday from the Church of the Visitation, I couldn't help but be a bit emotional. It was a day I thought about my parents, about how important it was for Mary to visit her sister Elizabeth, and to reflect with a few tears, my mom whom I wish was joining me on this experience. I envy a couple of people for being able to share their travel with their moms, I just wish I was here with mine. Then again, she is with me.

Arrival in Tel Aviv Day 1

We arrived in Tel Aviv today. The flight was full of groups of people going to Israel for pilgrimages, and luckily the large US Airways Airbus A330 was to capacity. Luckily for me, I was assigned a seat in the back of the plane, and that while there were only 3 seats across, there was a seat in between, giving us more room.

The service was not stellar by any means. In fact, while serving breakfast, it seemed as if they had gotten a late start, as they were literally throwing egg breakfast sandwiches and orders of french toast at people to get them served before everyone was required to take their seats the last 30 minutes of the flight (per Israel rules).

We arrived at the airport, and I managed to get just a couple of hours of sleep here and there on the plane. Ben Gurion Airport is beautiful and modern, and was very easy to navigate. Once through passport control and customs, we picked up our luggage and met our tour operator, Johnny, and boarded our coach.

From the airport, we made our way to Bethlehem. Since we arrived about 40 minutes early, the tour guide took us through a part of Jerusalem, stopping at the Israeli Knesset, taking pictures near a large rose garden, and then hopping back on the bus.

We again stopped a second time to be able to take pictures of Jerusalem and the Kidron Valley. We got a large group shot of people overlooking the skyline in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is very beautiful, with lots of cedar and olive trees everywhere. It's also WAY more hilly than I ever imagined, and by hilly I mean that the hills are very steep, making for a very dramatic landscape. It's breathtaking!

Back on the bus, we made our way to Bethlehem, which i in Palestine. The Intercontinental is a large complex of rooms and levels. It was a little disturbing to have to go through some security checkpoints, but I felt safe the whole time. There are a lot of walls up through the city which are somewhat unfortunate and unsightly. We'll be getting more details about that tomorrow.

We made it into the hotel, and I still have to get the internet wifi set up to be able to update posts. Perhaps tomorrow. Who knows. It was interesting to hear the muslim call to prayer from the minaret this evening before dinner, and was just about as interesting hearing random shots of gunfire not to far away. I have no idea where it came from but it was a little unnerving.

In all, though, what a beautiful start to the trip, and look forward to visiting more places tomorrow!

Holy Land Trip 2014

Well, I'm sitting on the bus, on the way to O'Hare. A couple of weeks ago, i was thinking about my trip to Israel. I cannot believe that it is already here. It's a bittersweet time for me, as I am going on my first real trip outside of the US without my mom, who was my traveling companion for several years. The good thing is that the travel group I am going with are all people (well, at least most of them) from my church. In addition, Israel and Jordan weren't really places that were high on my mom's bucket list as places she wanted to travel. To be able to do so with people I know is a wonderful thing.

A lot has been going through my mind about this trip. It seems like yesterday that I had seen the article in the bulletin at church about the trip back in August 2013. The moment I saw it, I knew that I had to go. I've always been fascinated by Israel, wondering about the history, the geography, the food,the people.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I wasn't the least bit afraid. After all, Israel isn't located in the most hospitable of places and seems like something or someone every day is denouncing or threatening them in some way. In today's age, there is still religious and civil unrest, even thousands of years later.

I look at it this way: you just can't be afraid. I look at going to Israel as an opportunity of a lifetime, to learn in so many different ways. I am excited to see places and areas that I was taught about in Sunday school. The stories of the Bible will take on new meaning for me, and perhaps deepen my spiritual understanding.

Am I worried? No. Anxious? Yes, but probably for reasons most people assume. I'm anxious about whether or not Im going to have the right clothing to wear, or if I am going to fit into the airplane seat. I'm anxious about whom I'll be having breakfast with, and if I do, what will I say to people? I'm anxious about whom I'll be sitting with on the plane, or my luggage making it to Tel Aviv, or whether or not I'll wake up on time for touring each day. I fear being the the person everyone will forever refer to as "that guy" that is a pain in the ass on the trip. You know, the one that everyone will talk about with their friends for all eternity.

So my anxiety is not what people assume, What I do know is that no matter what, the Spirit of God surrounds me each and every day. There is no spot where God is not. My faith in that promise calms my restlessness, and settles my soul when nerves take over.

I'm looking forward to this trip, this adventure, and the possibilities for growth as a person in character, and most of all in faith.



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