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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