Day 4

Today started with a trip to Sea Level- the picture is on the other camera, though. Then off to Bet She'an- it's a Roman town from the time of Jesus. It was beautiful with mosaic floors and marble columns....plus there was a huge amphitheater and the tour guide let me go down there to sing!! Not sure how the rest of the group felt about listening, but I enjoyed singing 'Jesus loves the little children'!!

We drove through the West Bank to get to the Dead Sea and saw lots of interesting things- here's a bunker-thing overlooking Palestinian Jericho. It was weird to be so close to Jordan- only a few miles. We were right beside the barbed wire fence surrounding the West Bank. We went through two checkpoints- but they were just formalities, really. A pretty safe area, I think. We made it through, anyway!

This is us floating in the Dead Sea. It's hard to show, but it is SO buoyant! If you don't force your feet down they will fly up to the surface. We just floated around- and laughed at each other trying to stand!! I got a little in my mouth and it tasted like pure salt- nasty! And the rail they had to help you walk in was covered in about 5 inches of minerals! It wasn't actually night when we went- the flash just does funny things to the lighting.

Sabbath started at sundown- really neat to eat dinner in the hotel with lots of families celebrating. Everything was draped in white and half the elevators were switched to automatically stop at each floor so no one had to work by pushing buttons on the Sabbath....not sure about that, especially since we were on the 11th floor! But we found the Gentile elevators! Tomorrow we are off to see the Dead Sea scrolls and where David hid from Saul- an oasis in the Judean dessert.

Day 3-4

Here is a replica alter of the one Elijah built to show up the prophets of Ba'al. We spent some time up on Mt. Carmel- they are mostly sure this is where it happened. There were dancers there from the Benny Hen show filming a music video to 'Days of Elijah'- me and Rachel had been singing that song all day- really fun to sing it there on Elijah's mountain!

This is the next morning at the fountain where Gideon had his men drink from the river to whittle them down to 300. For the record, we drank the correct way to be chosen! Another really neat place to be- to see the place where Gideon and his army camped- and look across the plains to where the enemies were defeated.....

tonight we went to caesarea. This is where Paul was imprisoned and kept under house arrest for 6 months- also the boat dock where Paul left to take the gospel to the world. We got to play in the water.

When we got in the bus, our driver washed our feet for us. Remy (the driver) is amazing- lots of fun! He is Palestinian and helps us understand the culture- plus he is SO sweet!

Israel- day 2

Today we drove down to Nazareth- I was really not prepared for how much I loved this stop. The city itself was just a city. But there was a church built around a well there that provided all the water for ancient Nazareth. It was just amazing to see this place where Jesus and Mary had come daily for water- overwhelming, really. There was a Russian Orthodox Church service going on while we were there. The chanting was beautiful!!



From there we went to this tall hill where you could see the plains of Armagedon. Really neat to see that place- you could see both sides of Israel from there and lots of Old Testament sites- most of which we are seeing over the next few days.

Next on to Megiddo- translated it is Armagedon. We got to see Solomon's Chariot stables. Also, some of the Canaanite walls were still standing that the Israelites would have encountered along the way into Israel. This is down in the mountain- Solomon's son Ahab drilled into the mountain and out through this tunnel to bring the water into the city walls. You could still see the chisel marks where the Israelites had dug the tunnel- that's what my dad is pointing to.

And, a new experience today- Falafuls!! Turns out, they are really good! I've eaten them twice this trip...all the food has been really good on this trip.

Israel- Day 1, part 3

2 funnies, and a really cool....

We went to this fish restaurant to have a traditional fish fry beside Peter's fishing village. I'm from KY, I hear fish fry the operative word is FRY. They bring out this.....

I DO NOT like my dinner staring back at me! Being good sports, we dug in, anyway- after hiding the fishes eyes with our lemon! It wasn't bad, just not good. I have video proof, Branden....I really did eat it! Actually, most of the food here is amazing!! I'm gaining 5 pounds a day in hummus alone!

And here's the really cool part- we got to be baptized in the Jordan river. My dad and Papaw got to baptize me- really, really neat. One of the most meaningful things I've ever done. Then, just to be sure it took, me and my sister dunked each other. Shhh- don't tell the Baptists! They'll kick us out-letting women baptize. Craziness, I tell you!

After all this , we get to the hotel and go for a walk- and find this in our hotel. Why? Who knows? But I thought you'd get a kick out of a Texas Saloon in the middle of Israel!

Tomorrow we go to the Armagedon site (likely), Caesarea Philippi, and Nazareth. REALLY excited!!

Israel- Day 1, part 2

This is at Capernaum- where Peter lived and was called as a disciple. Gotta say, I've always LOVED Peter- he never did anything halfway! It was neat to see what they think was his Mother-in-Law's home- likely where Jesus lived for much of his 3 years of ministry. There was a Byzantine church built right on top- go figure- but you can see two of the rooms pretty well. And that crazy spaceship looking church is run by actual black robed and hooded monks! Really nice guys- We worked on our Hebrew there. I can now say 'Please' (it sounds like vivica-shawn) and 'thank you' (toe-da). Clever, aren't I? That's me and Papaw putting our feet in Peter's living room- how cool is that?

This is my favorite thing so far- actually, anything else will have to go a long way to top it. We took a boat ride out to the middle of the Sea of Galilee and were shown traditional net fishing by a Christian Jew (a Completed Jew as Corrie ten Boom would say). Around the lake you could see where 90% of Jesus' ministry occurred. I had no idea it was all so close together! So many of the things you see here are 'likely spots' or 'probable locations.' This was for real- my Jesus sat in a boat and fished- right where I was sitting. There are no words....
One more post for today-

First Full Day- Part One

It started off with a beautiful sunrise over the sea of Galilee. Thanks to jet lag, I was up to watch it! Then we headed off to the place where Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount. Me, my mom and my sister got to read the Beatitudes there. Of course I cried....Mine to read was, 'blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Don't I know that first hand!! It was so beautiful to be there, looking over the Sea of Galilee, reading the words of Jesus!

And here I am doing my ritual cleansing. Yes, I know I'm not Jewish- but it's kind of fun! The receptionist at dinner taught us how, so now we do it before each meal- three scoops over each hand, in case you are wondering!!

Everything is so close together- we drove to where Peter lived (and likely Jesus for several years) in Capernaum, down to Mary Magdalene's hometown, the place where Jesus healed the blind man (one of them!) in Bethsaida, and where he fed the 5,000......and never travelled more than 10 miles! His ministry really took place in an area smaller than my hometown (and that's small!), yet it impacted the world. Just amazing!!!

More to follow- I didn't want to overwhelm the hotels internet with too many pictures!

Testing for Israel

Wanted to test this and see if I remember how to use blogger to post pictures.....also thought I'd share a quote I ran across the other day- really made me laugh!!

"When someone asks you 'What would Jesus do?' remember, a valid option is to freak out and turn over tables."

~unknown