A Note from Becky...

As our last day in Jerusalem comes to a close I am thinking about all the things we have done and seen. Every day has been packed with one thing after another and I don't think I am going to be able to process it all until I get home and have some quiet time alone. I guess that isn't all bad, it just isn't something I am used to!

Tomorrow we leave for Jordan and new adventures. I have no idea what we are in store for. I don't even know if we are going to have internet to be able to keep in touch with all of you! Guess we will just have to wait and see.

If you don't hear from us in the next few days, don't worry. I am sure we are going to be o.k. and we will contact you when we get back to the states. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers - we will see you soon!

Becky

A Note from the Holy Land Band…

Princess Basma Hospital & School

Today we visited a hospital and school for Palestinian children with special needs from Jerusalem and the nearby areas.

The children in the hospital stay for anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. Their mothers stay with them, going home on weekends to see the rest of their family. The equipment used in the hospital is all through donations. Unfortunately some equipment, including the hydrotherapy pool are not able to be used because there is not enough funding to keep them functioning. There is also a problem getting children from the West Bank into the hospital because their mothers need a permit to enter Jerusalem, which is not easy to get.

Staff for the hospital and for the school is made up of Israelis and Palestinians. Currently, 720 kindergarten through 12th grade students are enrolled in the school. Their very first graduating class was last year in 2010. In addition to the school there are opportunities for vocational training, including basket weaving and wood work.

Yad Vashem - Holocaust Museum

Most of us have been to a holocaust museum previously, but this museum was quite different. Some of the things we found interesting included the amount of printed propaganda and other printed materials, like photos from the time, that were shown at the museum. They also had an

entire hall dedicated to artwork that was created in the Jewish ghettos and camps, which was very interesting to see.

One of the most moving parts on the museum grounds was the Children's Memorial, a tribute to the approximately 1.5 million Jewish children who were killed during the Holocaust. When you enter the display, it is entirely dark. As you continue forward, you begin to see candlelight reflected in mirror upon mirror.

"Walking through the memorial, the visitor hears the names of murdered children, their ages and countries of origin in the background." -Visitor's Guide to Holocaust Museum

Garden Tomb

Our final visit to a holy site in Jerusalem was to the Garden Tomb. For most pilgrims, this is the traditional site of Golgotha and of the tomb where Jesus was buried. Although there is much debate about the authenticity of this site (probably even within our own group), we all know that where Jesus was buried is not the important idea, but rather the fact that Jesus rose from the dead!

We joined together with our entire tour group in worship, singing songs and sharing in communion as the rain lightly fell across the garden. Bishop Keaton reminded us that after this amazing time in this amazing place, it is important to remember what God has done for us. But more than that, after seeing so many sites - some well-identified, some merely a guess by historians - it is important to remember that it is not just about what God has done, but about what God IS doing and WILL do in our own lives.

Amen!

A Note from Katy...

If there is one thing you need to know about before planning your next trip to the Holy Land, it's: STAIRS. Stairs are everywhere! (I suppose when building cities atop mountains, this is the result.)

Stairs and I have not always been as close as we are now. And to be honest, we're not all that close now. About three weeks before I was scheduled to leave for Tel Aviv, I began a diet and workout plan to help myself get ready primarily for the travel and also for the walking. Little did I know that those three weeks would be the most important thing about my entire Holy Land tour.

Perhaps you are one of those people who runs every day or does yoga before your morning coffee or only uses egg whites. Well, I'll try to love you anyway. My body and I have never been great friends. I had, in fact, almost given up hope that we might ever be reconciled to one another, much less in a place filled with physical hurdles. But those weeks of preparation, and more importantly the results of those three weeks, have taken my relationship with my body to new heights. Literally.

Every step I take here in the Holy Land has been a reminder of the resiliency of the human body and the Holy Spirit. Each set of stairs and every inclined cobbled street and even the ancient roads of the Roman ruins are a physical reminder of where I have come from and where I am going. When I finish one of these "accomplishments" (for example, reaching the top of a long line of stair-steps) my heart is filled with joy and pride and wonder.

I have always been more confident in my spiritual self than in my physical self. But somehow in the work of conditioning my outer body, God has been at work conditioning my inner spirit. As a favorite poet of mine says: "He's found beauty in what doesn't seem beautiful."

More than any others, there has been one set of stairs that has meant the most to me. A small set of stairs, leading up out of a pit in the lower section of Caiaphus' house. Some 2000 years ago or a little less, Jesus was thrown into this pit before his final execution. It is a pit of darkness, a pit of despair, a pit of humiliation and pain. And yet it is the pit of God himself.

Out of my own pit, I have cried unto the Lord and here in the countless steps of the Holy Land, he has inclined and heard my cry.

Step by step, I am revealing an inner strength, discovering possibilities long buried under self-recrimination. It's time to come up out of the pit.

A Note from Becky...

We had a little easier day today. Not quite so rushed and not as many sites visited. We only went to three places and spent more time at each spot. It was still an incredible day. The Judean wilderness is beautiful. Even though it is barren it is so pretty. It stretches on and on for miles and it seems like you can see forever.

I really enjoyed Masada. I had no idea what would be there but again, it was a really high mountain in the wilderness where you could see for miles. It seems impossible that people, over 2.000 years ago, were able to accomplish all they did in this spot.

Katy and I had fun in the Dead Sea even though we didn't go "floating." The water feels so weird. It is like really soft water. It makes your skin feel so soft when you get out. And the bottom of the Sea is slippery and somewhat like oily mud. It was glumpy.

That's all for tonight....Good Night :)

Becky

A Note from the Holy Land Band…

Today was the day we chose an "optional" adventure to Masada and the Dead Sea. We began the day with a stop overlooking the Judean wilderness.

Judean Wilderness

We recalled the story of the good Samaritan, which traditionally takes place on a road in the Judean wilderness. Wisam suggested that this is truly a parable, not a true story, because many things about the biblical story would not make sense in reality.

On the way to the overlook, we saw many Bedouin communities along the mountainside and when we stopped, many men approached us selling beaded necklaces, scarves and camel or donkey rides. The children with them were selling bracelets and one boy really wanted Becky's pen. (So much so we had to grab it back from him when he took it!) Another boy, the youngest, rode a donkey and was very sweet... if you gave him a piece of candy. ;-)

Masada

After the overlook, we went on to Masada National Park. After the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, Jews fled to the ancient fortress of Masada. When the Roman

troops finally surrounded Masada, the Jewish zealots convinced everyone inside the walls to kill their families and themselves, rather than to become slaves to the Romans.

The ruins were very interesting (and very large) which Katy found out first hand when she somehow lost the group. Luckily, she and two OTHER people lost the group together, so they just took in the sites until they finally reconnected with the rest of the red bus. :-)

Dead Sea

After lunch in Qumeran (where we spent some time a couple days ago) we headed to the Dead Sea. At the beach, we each ventured into the water -- some up to our ankles, some all the way in.

The Dead Sea is about 42 miles long and 10 miles wide. It is about 29% salt which is 9 times saltier than the ocean! This makes the water very good for your body and skin. Although the deepest part is around 1200 ft, the water is mostly shallow, an average of 300 ft deep.

Interesting tidbit: Birds never fly over the dead sea... which makes sense of course, since there are no fish!

Compared to most of our days, today was a relaxing time. We're looking forward to a slightly later start tomorrow morning before we visit Princess Basma Hospital, see a few sights, and finish in worship with everyone at the Garden Tomb. And then it's time to pack things up and head to Jordan for our extension!

Our hearts and prayers continue to be with the people of Egypt as well as the people in this area who are in the midst of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Please remember this area and us as we are here!

A Note from Becky...

Today we were back to an emotional day.

The time we spent at the Bethlehem Bible College was informative and really tugged at my heart. I think I may have found a new mission trip possibility. Katy and I are trying to figure out how we can bring a group to Bethlehem to work and also visit the Holy sites in the area. Please keep this possibility in your prayers. It will be a year or two off but if it is meant to be, it will happen!

We have had another extremely busy day and tomorrow looks like it will be as well. So, Good Night :)

A Note from the Holy Land Band…

Wisam's Kids!!!

We were thrilled this morning when we met Wisam at the Bible College because he brought his two daughters with him! Leah and Sarah have been learning English in school and they each sang "Jesus Loves Me" to us and then Leah sang "Once Upon a Dream" (special for Katy -- said Wisam). And Leah also prayed the Lord's Prayer for us before we got off the bus. What brave and special little girls!

Bethlehem Bible College & Shepherd's Society

Beginning with $20 and a dream, the Bethlehem Bible College was started in 1979 by a Palestinian man who wanted a place to teach Palestinian-Arab Christians. When they began, most of their teaching staff were international volunteers and today they are staffed entirely by local Palestinians. (Which is a great testimony of the work they are doing!) It is an interdenominational college that started with only 9 students and has grown to 120 today; most protestant Christian pastors in this area have studied at this college - the only Christian college in the region.

Associated with the college is the Shepherd's Society which helps the poorest of the poor in the area, as well as helping to subsidize pay for pastors who couldn't otherwise support their families. Since Bethlehem has an unemployment rate over 30%, this is a much-needed support system.

Bethesda & St. Anne Church

Pool where Jesus healed the man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. This is one of the well-identified sites in the holy land. (Unlike many other "holy" sites we have visited, which have actually been built in only the last several hundred years.)

Across from the Pool of Bethesda is St. Anne's Church, named for Mary's mother. The church is a wonderfully acoustic place, so Katy led the group in singing "The Lord's Prayer" and "Amazing Grace". Our group must have all the good singers, because we easily had four-part harmony! (Including the deep bass voice of Bishop Keaton who joined us today!)

Jerusalem Archaeological Park - "Teaching Steps" & "Cardo"

The "teaching steps" are just outside the southern wall of the temple mount. As pilgrims would make their way to the temple, rabbis would teach on these steps. Perhaps Jesus taught his followers there!

We also saw and walked on Old Jerusalem's main street called "the Cardo". When the temple was destroyed, large chunks of the wall were thrown down onto this street, but the street was sturdy and not entirely destroyed. This is perhaps one of the only places in all of Jerusalem where we have walked where Jesus has physically walked.

Western Wall

We visited the western wall of the temple mount, better known to us as the "wailing wall". Many of us took written prayers up to the wall as we offered them to God. We were surrounded by a diverse group of people from orthodox Jews, Christians, non-religious -- there were many gathered. From watching others, we learned that its proper to rinse your hands in a nearby outdoor sink before approaching the wall and also that it's tradition to back

up as you leave the wall, so as not to turn your back on it.

Upper Room

We visited the traditional "upper room" which although its not the actual site of the Last Supper, it does give an idea of what the upper room would have looked like. We sang here as well -- "Seek Ye First" -- Wisam seems to have discovered we like to sing and he suggests it often now. :-)

Site of Caiaphus' House

Lastly we visited the church which was built atop Caiaphus' house. We saw the steps Jesus was most likely forced up after his arrest at Gethsemene. Perhaps most special was the time we spent in the lowest part of the home, in the dark pit where Jesus was thrown while awaiting his final judgment and eventual execution. We read Psalm 88, a difficult and dark psalm to hear, and then sang together:

"I the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry. All who dwell in dark and sin, my hand will save..."

A Note from Becky...

Once again it has been an incredible day as you can see by our group entry.

I am going to keep this short tonight for two reasons....I am not a word person as most of you know AND I have been going to bed much later than I am used to and I actually have an opportunity to get to bed by 10:30 tonight if I keep it short!

I must comment on my new accomplishment though....I sat on a camel today :) I didn't get to actually ride him because there was a line of people who wanted to sit on him. Basically, you stand in line, get on the camel, he stands up, a friend (in my case Katy) takes your picture, the camel sits down, and you get off. The two men in charge of Mr. Camel try to make this a very fast process because at $5 a sit they want to get as many people on and off as they can.

For some reason when my Mr. Camel was told to sit down, he got half way down and the two men got distracted and I was stuck in the middle on Mr. Camel. It was pretty funny until the two men realized they were supposed to be getting me down and suddenly Mr. Camel sat down and startled me. Another fun adventure in Jerusalem!

Good Night and God Bless ~ Becky

P.S. Thanks to everyone for your prayers while we are on our trip. I want to assure all of you that we feel perfectly safe here. Wisam wouldn't let anything happen to us!

A Note from the Holy Land Band…

St. George's Anglican Cathedral
It was a true blessing to start our day with worship at St. George's Cathedral. This is an Anglican church which has two congregations, an english-speaking congregation and an arabic-speaking congregation. (We'll let you guess which service we attended...) We received a message about having faith with our whole selves - head & heart - and we shared in Holy Communion.

Mount of Olives

Our official tour began with the Mount of Olives. On the way we had a group picture taken (none of us blinked!) and Becky had a special picture taken atop a CAMEL! At the Mount of Olives, we saw where Jesus wept for Jerusalem and where he predicted the destruction of the temple.

Garden of Gethsemene & Church of All Nations

Next was the Garden of Gethsemene and the Church of All Nations (also called Church of Agony). We saw the rock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest in the garden.

We are not sure if it was Wisam's reputation and persuasion, or E.O.'s connections, but we were gifted about 20 minutes alone in the side portion of the Garden of Gethsemene to pray or meditate or simply be still in the presence of the Lord. We left refreshed, recharged and ready to go on with our day.

After lunch, we did some shopping and were able to see our guide Wisam's carving. Almost all the men in his family are carvers and they are VERY GOOD! We saw a huge carving done by his father which depicts the entire old city of Jerusalem. It is bittersweet to think that he has to do this by memory, since as a Palestinian he is rarely allowed to come in the city.

Via Dolorosa & Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Our afternoon was spent in the Old City of Jerusalem along the Via Dolorosa, as Katy sang - "Via Dolorosa" and "Were You There". (Katy is happy to now say she has sung the Via Dolorosa ON the Via Dolorosa.)

We ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where you can find the rock, or base, of the cross. The entire area inside the church is very gilded and "high church". There is a rock where it is said Jesus was washed and wrapped for burial, but Wisam says: "This is not true." (Wisam tells about a lot of things that aren't really true.) There was also a shrine for the tomb of Jesus, but Wisam says: "This is not the tomb." We believe Wisam.

P.S. It's said that every group thinks they have the best tour-guide, but we would like to tell you that we really DO have the best tour-guide! We've been able to listen to a couple of the other guides and we feel very lucky and blessed in new ways each day that Wisam is our guide.

Also, because we think he's great, we think you should check out www.grottoarts.com which shows some of his family's woodworking. (Of course, he didn't ask us to do this, but the bus basically begged him for more info on his family's business.)

We give thanks for Wisam!

A Note from Nancy...

Each day I am surprised with all I see and learn. However, today was extra special for me. Spending quiet time in the Garden of Gethsemene, praying and listening to God. Oh how special! Then in the afternoon, to walk the Via Dolorosa as Katy sang 'Dolorosa' & 'Were You There'

Merchants did not shout or try to sell us anything. They respected our pilgrimage. The Old City of Jerusalem is narrow, crowded and very uneven. Many stairs - up & down, twists, turns with strange smells on all sides. It really brought home how difficult it was for Jesus to have carried the cross through those streets.

Today was truly a holy experience, filled with laughter, joy, prayer and blessings.

A Note from Becky...

Today has been a day of contrasts or opposites for us.

We started out bright and early in Tiberius where it was cold, rainy, and lush. We traveled to the wilderness where it was warm, dry, and barren. We saw Jericho, the oldest and lowest city on earth. It was very interesting. Especially interesting was the fact that archeologist found that there probably wasn't even a wall around the city when Joshua visited!

The next opposite was the lack of walls, fences, and barbed wire in northern Israel and the prison like atmosphere we encountered at the West Bank. Wisam even said that Bethlehem, where he lives, is an open air prison. We went through a check point to go the Jerusalem and had no problem. But when we left the city it took a little more work.

In Bethlehem we saw the Shepherd's field and visited the place where Jesus was born. What an incredible experience!

The next contrast was food related.....I eat hummus and falafel now! Can you believe it?!?!?!?!

I think the biggest contrast was the feel of the day. As Katy said above, the first day was emotional, the second physical, and today political. Wisam spoke quite a bit about the Palestinian/Israeli issue and it truly makes you want to cry, scream, and do something, anything to help the Palestinian people. Palestinians can not travel freely (they can not even use the Tel Aviv airport), they do not have access to water all the time (the Israelis turn it on once a week if they remember), and they can not live where ever they want to live.

It has been a long exhausting day that has given me so much to think and pray about!

A Note from the Holy Land Band…

"Hosanna, shout hosanna!"

We've made it into Jerusalem and are snugly tucked into our hotel (which is BEAUTIFUL!!) As usual, it was another busy day of holy sites. But despite the busy-ness of every day so far, the experience has been very different each day. The first day was very emotional, the second day was very physical and today, our third day of touring, was very political. Our tour guide,

Wisam, is Palestinian and explained many things about the Israel-Palestine conflict. And as we

drove into Jerusalem, it was indeed a disturbing site to see the beloved city surrounded by an ugly cement wall.

Jericho

Before we made our way to Israel in the afternoon, we went to Jericho, which is the oldest known city in the world -- 10,000 years old! It is also the lowest city in the world, at 1300 ft below sea level. A couple interesting things about Jericho: 1) They found tombs that dated 6,000 years ago, in which people were buried in special positions. Basically, this showed that they had developed faith, while other civilizations were still hunting and gathering, living in caves. 2) The "wall of Jericho" that we love to sing about, probably never existed! At least not at the time of the Israelite people.

Qumeran

Located in caves along the face of the mountains by the Dead Sea, scrolls, writings and other artifacts have been discovered and preserved. The most famous of course are the Dead Sea Scrolls. We saw one of the caves w

hich housed some of these artifacts as well as the ruins of a Bedouin community.

Bethlehem

What a blessing to be traveling with a descendant of the shepherds! Wisam can trace his family back many, many years, and they were shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem. Very neat! We saw the Shepherd's Field (from a distance) and then were allowed to sit in a traditional shepherd's cave. These natural caves served (and still serve) people as temporary homes, stables for animals and a place to retreat from the elements.

We were also blessed to have Wisam take us to his own church where we saw beautiful carvings made by his grandfather. His grandfather, father, uncles, brothers, cousins and himself are all carvers, creating great and important pieces which have been gifted to many important people.

Our final stop in Bethlehem was to the spot where Jesus was born, which is one of the well-documented sites in the holy land. It was interesting to discover that the "stable" is not at all like the images we are used to seeing, but is actually a cave which was probably under the house of Joseph's family. Mary may have decided to go down to the cave to give birth, not because there was no room, but to avoid making her relative's house "unclean" (a cultural idea at the time).

Jerusalem

As we mentioned earlier, we had to enter the city through an Israeli checkpoint at a small opening in the wall. As we entered, we listened to music and sang songs in celebration of the holy city. We'll be spending more time in Jerusalem tomorrow, but today we spent time having lunch together, doing some shopping and checking into our hotel. We could hardly believe it, but the food here is even better than the last hotel! Yum...

Tomorrow we will begin our morning with worship at an Anglican church which holds an English-speaking service. We are all looking forward to a little quiet time to connect with God in this holy land. Much of our time is spent in a hurry and flurry of postcards, site tours and quick lunches. The opportunity to worship God in this land where His presence is so evident will be a welcome reprieve.

A Note from the Holy Land Band…

Due to physical EXHAUSTION our group has decided to give you a pictorial for our blog entry today.

We begin…

Bet She’han – During ancient times, it was the 2^nd most important city in the region, after Megiddo.

Amphitheater in Bet She’han – Katy got to do a mini-concert for us to show the amazing acoustics in this space.

Aquaducts – Perhaps the most relaxing part of our afternoon, the aqua ducts were located by the Mediterranean Sea, which calmed us all. Perhaps it even reminded us a little of home.

Megiddo – 25 different civilizations settled in this one place at different times. It was an important city because whoever lived here controlled the Yizreal Valley, which was an important caravan trail.

Church of the Annunciation – So-called because it is the traditional site of Mary’s home, and therefore, where Jesus lived as a child. The courtyard and inside the church are surrounded by “Marys” from around the world.

Cana of Galilee – Our last stop was to the church where it is said that Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. We celebrated in worship with all three tour bus groups. Mary & Jim had an extra special time in the ceremony of renewing their marriage commitment.

A Note from Mary...

Jim and I are having a wonderful time relating the Bible stories to “real” places. The trip makes the Bible come alive. Today, we experienced the reaffirmation of our marriage covenant. We both were nervous like the first time.

A Note from Becky...

Six a.m. came much too early this morning. After a night of being awake as much as I was asleep, I was far from ready to start the day. But, I knew there were new adventures ahead of us, so that made it a little easier.

Today’s stops had a much different feel from yesterday. Each stop we made yesterday had an emotional edge to it. Today it was mostly historical. Except for the last stop in Cana where the Bishop reaffirmed the wedding vows for any couples in the group who wanted to participate.

Tomorrow we leave our hotel so I am going to make this short and sweet. I need to get to bed earlier tonight. This trip has been physically and emotionally draining. But SO worthwhile! I am so very thankful for the chance to experience the Holy Land first hand.

A Note from Katy...

One thing that has stuck with me most of today is a comment our guide made yesterday – “Jesus did not come to make stones holy, but to make people holy.” (He was talking about the question of historical/archealogical sites vs. “traditional” holy land sites.)

I have often been uncomfortable with talk of “god moments” or the idea that God is setting up for us a list of specific successes. Perhaps I’m bothered because that idea would suggest that he is also writing up a list of my mistakes and failures.

A couple of days ago, as someone was sharing a supposed “god moment”, it occurred to me that perhaps what she sees as god moments, I see as the result of relationships. As we share with others, care for them and about them, as we experience life with each other, we build the connections God intended for us. And when those connections lead to moments of “coincidence”, then I guess they really are God moments—direct results of living as God would have us live.

God entered our lives, entered into relationship with us to make us holy. In that decisive act, God invites us into the holy story of creation. It is a story that allows for coincidence and pain and love at first sight. It is an epic story with battles and blood and apparently Roman bathhouses. Sometimes it is a sad story and sometimes it is a story that stretches from the mountaintop to the valley to the very Sea of Life.

I suppose I’ve come here to the land of prophets and poets in search of my part in this story. I have come to the holy stones, only to find that it is not in the stones that one finds God.

Instead it is in my own heart, in my own story, the peace of these valleys may wash over me and renew my strength and sense of self. For indeed, Jesus did not come for the valleys or the mountains or the fish or the sea. Jesus came for me.

A Note from the Holy Land Band…

Wow. That is the best way to start off an entry about our first real day experiencing this holy land. Today our time was mostly spent in and around the Sea of Galilee. But that’s not quite where we began, so let’s start at the beginning…

Mount of the Beatitudes
Our first stop was the lovely, quiet Mount of the Beatitudes. A sacred space which recalls Jesus’s words –

“Blessed are the poor in spirit… those who mourn… the meek… those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… the merciful…

the pure in heart… the peacemakers… those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” –Matthew 5:1-16

This verse took on new depth when our tour guide, Wisam, explained that the word we now translate as “blessed” is: toba (pronounced tu-ba). In aramaic this word speaks of action. As Wisam said, it is more “get up; go; get involved; get your hands dirty… then you will be blessed.”
Tabgha
And so we went – on to Tabgha, where Jesus fed the five thousand. Although it was on the poor side of the Sea of Galilee and was essentially a fishing village, it was located on a prime watering hole for caravans traveling the Via Maris (“road of the sea”) where groups of thousands traveled from one end of the Roman empire and back again. Jesus started his ministry here because so many travelers passed through. He was targeting travelers, not locals; perhaps he was planting the seeds that would become the roots of Christianity.
Sea of Galilee
The sea is 780 ft below sea level, surrounded by a collection of mountains, so storms can come in quickly, but we were blessed with a calm morning upon our boat the “Magdala”. The Sea of Galilee was first named Kinor which means “heart” because the sea itself is shaped like a heart. It has also been called the Sea of Life, because its freshwater supports many fish (20 different types, including the native Saint Peter’s Fish or Galilean Bass), an opposite of the Dead Sea, which can’t support life.
Ninety percent of Jesus’ ministry was on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. And we can now confirm that his ministry was still happening today, as our whole group joined in worship, singng together in the midst of this important place.
Note: In a museum near the dock, there is housed an ancient boat – over 2000 years old! Local fishermen discovered it in 1986 during a drought year. Did Jesus calm a storm from this boat? Did the disciples pull in a catch from this boat? We may never know…

Primacy of Saint Peter (aka Mensa Christi)
This location is the place of Jesus & the disciples’ final – not the last supper, but the last breakfast. The resurrected Christ appeared to Peter and the other fishermen; he told them to throw their as-yet-empty nets to the side of the boat. Suddenly they caught 153 fish. Two stories explain the specific number recorded in the bible. In its original system, letters could represent numbers and the phrase “I AM ELOHIM” (or I am God) equals 153. Another explanation tells us that the Romans had studied and discovered 153 species of fish in the world so far; by pulling in that number, this story reminds that there is a place for all nations in the net of Christ.
Capernaum
Our last stop before lunch was at the headquarters of Jesus’ ministry, Capernaum. It was essentially a refuge for Jesus after he escaped near execution in his hometown of Nazareth. What remains of the original homes, including Peter’s home, gave new understanding to the parable of the lost coin and the story of Jesus healing the paralytic.

We saw crudely-made stone floors, which could easily hide a lost coin, and learned of the thatched rooftops made of palm leaves. A ladder would have been on the outside of the house and the leaves removed at night; this provided access to a passerby who might want to get closer to Jesus teaching in a home.

We also saw the impressive remains of a 5th century synagogue, which was built above an ancient synagogue, where Jesus would likely have spoken or attended.

Jordan River
After a relaxing sea-side lunch at a Kibbutz, we headed to the Jordan River, to the traditional site of Jesus’ baptism. Again, our tour bus groups joined together for a time of worship and of celebrating our baptisms. It was an unforgettable experience for all and one we hope you will all consider having for yourself!

Of course we also had great food again today and even a bonus side-trip for a few to a diamond factory, museum and showroom.

Can’t wait for our time tomorrow, but it is definitely time for bed!

A Note from the Holy Land Band!

We made it! We made it!

As Becky describes in her note (check it out!), we had an 11-hour plane ride from NYC to Tel Aviv, arriving around three in the afternoon (local time). It was a great feeling to step off the plane into the humid air of the Tel Aviv terminal and head toward Passport Control. Until we realized we’d have to stand in a “line” which was really more of a mob. And somehow whichever group ended up behind us got shifted to the front. We must be really good luck for other people. It was an exhausting TWO HOUR wait, and a test of patience.

Finally we made it to our Big Red Bus to travel another two hours to the Royal Plaza Hotel in Tiberias, where we were greeted with an amazing meal (including too many desserts to count!). We have a great bus driver and tour guide with a great sense of humor.

So for now we have set up camp and are all ready for a good night’s sleep before heading to Galilee tomorrow! Shalom from all of us here in the Holy Land Band!

A Note from Becky...

After an 11 hour plane ride, almost 2 hours getting through passport controlk and a 2 hour bus ride to the hotel, we were treated to the most delicious meal ever! They serve both breakfast & dinner buffet-style but I never dreamed there would be so much food. I would have been perfectly happy with just the vast salad buffet! But I didn’t stop there, I had beef stroganoff over rice, potatoes, more corn salad and then several desserts!

We can purchase the internet in the lobby so we are going to do that and then the 5 Midland people decided to meet each night to debrief.

Tonight I am just looking forward to a good night’s sleep in a bed where I can stretch out.

Tomorrow our Holy Land journey really begins with a visit to the sea of Galilee.

A Note from Katy...

Oh, plane rides… We were actually quite lucky with boarding and security and our seat locations. But there are always the neighbors who NEVER turn off their light or the once-oh-so-cute baby who is not at all interested in sleeping.

I think there is a telling moment on any plane trip that is over 8 hours, and that is the point exactly in the middle of the flight. Usually I’m asleep but thanks to my neighbor’s decision to “leave a light on” for me, I’m wide awake. And therefore get to be around (and aware) for the Great Middle.

The view out the window is pitch black; no cloud, no sun, no light, no shadow. It seems, but all appearances, to be a great, big, giant void. Maybe the Middle is always a bit of a void. A bit mysterious. As it goes, now we see in a glass darkly…

This trip is my chance of crawling out of The Middle. Out of the self-imposed void where I’ve been spending a lot of time this past year. It’s exciting and empowering and frightening and fantastic.

So for now, from the middle, I say – Shalom. Peace to you all. May you live in expectation and hope; whatever your Middle might be.

On our Holy way!!!

Well here we are! The first leg of our journey to the Holy Land is behind us and we're waiting for our flight to TEL AVIV. (Yay!)

So far -- we've woken up at 4:00 AM (<--that'd be Becky...NOT Katy, who woke up at a reasonable 6:00 AM when Becky called her), had a lovely early morning drive to Detroit Metro with the best personal driver :-) and a super easy check-in! Except for Nancy, who had a slight delay because the machines didn't believe she was really coming with us. But all is well now.

Detroit was uneventful; Katy got in her 2 miles (woohoo!) with Becky's speedy help and the whole group -- Nancy, Jim, Mary, Becky & Katy -- had a really great lunch before it was time to board the flight to JFK.

And here we are! We've already met about half the tour group, with another group arriving in NYC a little later. Can't wait to get on our way!

We hope you'll "follow" us as we go through the bumps and blessings of our HOLY LANDING!