Concluding Remarks - Cindy

FAVORITE PLACES/DAY:
-Tel Dan
-Hermon Springs
-Ein Gedi
-Sea of Galilee
-Garden Tomb
-Dig-for-A-Day experience

PRAISES:
Joy in the midst of pain
Amazing nurses at the hospital
Ring found
Nice tan (this one is for Dan! Ha)
Love and support in my weakest moments.
Dreams coming true!
A great roommie, Jackie, whom I could share laugh after laugh with.
My plane ticket got completely paid for!
Seeing my brother for his birthday.
Feeling God’s heart for the Jews.
Having such amazing support from the entire group.
Being able to worship God with Messianic Jewish youth from Romania and Russia.

LOVE TO MY GROUP:
Jackie: my roommie! Oh I miss thee and watching Hindi soap operas and Nomadic African boys with red hair b/c of .. yes.. lol.. so many good memories.. and our last minute breakfasts. Ha! Chica, you made my time in Israel and Jordan so well worth it. Your care for me when I was sick touched my heart and your excitement when I found my ring.. I think you were more excited than I was! Lol. It reminded me of the Bible verse “weep when they weep and rejoice when they rejoice” I think i quoted it wrong but you get me ;) thank you for sharing life with me during those 2 fantastic weeks!

Crysaly: my bodyguard. Who needs a Kevin Costner? Lol. Chica, thanks for being there for me and never leaving my side. Thanks for your compassion and love. May the Lord open up doors for you to minister to the poor and broken-hearted people.. and to all the lil’ animals suffering around the world..

Donald & Priscilla: You guys make me smile. I think of you and a smile comes to my face. Donald, you always came at the right time to take my pic.. I would just have a fleeting thought “man, I would like to have a pic here.” And just when I would finish thinking it you would hold out your hand for my camera… so crazy… Priscilla I love your energy and outlook on life and all that you are doing at the food pantry. I’m so glad that you guys are nearby.. Sunday brunch sometime? Me and Jackie would love to come..hahaha.

James: da man. Thanks for your stability. I was rocked by your devotional. I had just been thinking about some of the things you were saying and you just helped solidify them in my heart. Yaaay for Evanston. Thanks for being such a role model for us students who are looking to go into the ministry soon.

Lisa: my other laughing partner. Girl, no one can bargain like you do and I have reaped from the fruit of your work (as I stare at my wonderful leather purse ☺) I love how God came to your rescue at a bar and how you have been on fire and hotly pursuing him with all your being ever since. I will always remember your devotional at Dan under that big shaded tree and you jumping into the crowd and dancing in the Jordanian wedding! Ha! You’re awesome.

Diane: Lady, your prayers are so mighty. That day when I was not feeling well and you laid hands on me I felt heat where your hands were.. like a soothing heat.. and as you prayed in tongues I would feel my spirit just agreeing with you. Thank you for all your prayers and being such a faithful intercessor. Also, your intellect is so evident in that great devotional you gave. You have a very clear and effective speaking/teaching ministry. Keep going girl. You are on the right track.

Dr. Wilson & Dindy: Wow. What can I say about you two?! You two were amazing. I loved hearing your testimony. Your testimony will continue to bring many to the Lord. … and just to think where you guys were and where you are now! Wow! Only God! Only God! Dr. Wilson, thank you for your incredible insight and passion for early Christianity and making sure we were really learning the stuff ☺ Dindy, I can imagine you as such a great mom. You ran back with me all the way to the bus to find my ring.. and you were so encouraging and also the voice of reason throughout. Thank you for your love. I hope that your first trip to Israel has been completely unforgettable… and hope you get to go more often ☺

The Putneys: Yaaaay! The Williamsburg fam! It was so great to have you all the trip. I was so happy to have a fam around. You two sisters just showed me how much I really missed my sister and how I look forward to traveling with her in years to come. Scott, that last day in Jerusalem was hilarious. You getting yelled at for taking pics on the Sabbath. Lol. Also, I remember our last breakfast in Jordan me and Jackie were in the dining room and you came by and said “hey girls.. just want to let you know we are putting the bags in the bus now..” aaaw. You are such a dad. Sharon, I will always remember your eyes twinkling at Qumran when you got the jewelry as an anniversary present. They were so beautiful and fit you perfectly. I loved when your husband said “Yeah aren’t the women supposed to be unloading the bags now.. equality right?” and you said “pft. Right.” And rolled your eyes. Hahahaha! I loved it!

Daniel: chico, I heard you were worried when I wasn’t doing so well in Petra. Thanks for caring. Oh, and thanks for the pillow in the airplane. May the Lord abundantly bless your future ministry.

Angelica: Chica!!! Tu me haces reir. Your bluntness scared me at first and then I just ended up loving it so much. I love that you were to the point.. no beating around the bush. Yup.. especially with the sellers in the market. Ha! Thank you for that time when I was in Petra when you just held me and hugged me close as I was in pain. I felt like I had my momma right there with me ☺ Thank you for your amazing caring heart… May the Lord bless you with many girls and guys to mentor!

Jason: chico, blogging with you has been a blast… so glad my blogging skills have rubbed off on you;) Good luck with your PhD apps!! you'll rock them!

Scott: yes, angels did descend upon that luggage.. just in due time ☺ Thank you for your gentleness and caring heart. You would always move out of the way and say “Here can you see?” I was like “aaaw, yes” You have such a big heart.

Judy & Candace: the mother and daughter duo. How can I forget?! Lol. You gals are amazing. Judy you are a strong woman full of adventure. I love your spunk. Thanks for sharing the sycamore nuts with me☺ Candace, invoke the name of the Lord! Ha. Great devotional! Thanks for coming with me to the Messianic Jewish youth meeting. It was such a blessing, wasn’t it?! Wow.

Helen: you are such a trooper. Going all around with us everywhere we went. You went as far as you could go and I was just so amazed and proud of you… you came all the way to Israel and wasn’t going to miss anything. That’s the spirit! ☺ Thanks so much for consoling me during my sickness at Petra.

Joan: Two biggest memories : 1. When you realized that your daughter was married for 20 years, you were shocked and said “I’m old!!” hahaha. 2. When I was not feeling well at Petra and you stayed there just rubbing my arm and knee.. your soothing touch was so encouraging and loving.

Faye: I was amazed to see you filming every part of the trip and watching you buying ALL those books. Wow. Your passion to learn is so evident. May the Lord bless you as you learn and impart revelations to others

Mark and Deborah:
Mark, when you asked all the men to line up as “elders at the city gate” to bless your wife Deborah as the Proverbs 31 woman, my heart leapt. I couldn’t believe my eyes. You thought of that?!! Wow. Just for you to even have that in your mind.. you are just constantly blessing your wife with your actions and your thoughts. I was amazed and overwhelmed with the evident love and admiration you had for your wife.
Deborah. You rock! Just seeing you there as a pillar of support for your husband. I remember your prayer on the bus that day so clearly. Your relationship with the Lord was so evident in what you said to him that morning.. the sweetness and intimate manner you addressed him. May the Lord continue to shower His love upon you.

Dr. Panell: my new dad. Oh my gosh! So much to say in so lil’ space. One camel?? Lol. I will always remember the wisdom you imparted every step of the way. Thank you for sharing the devotional on the Sea of Galilee. God spoke so loudly to my heart that day. It was one of my most memorable parts of the trip. Also, your humor. How could I forget? Your comments would send Lisa and I into hysterics. Hope you get to have your fill of peanut butter soon!

Lindsay: Girl. Just a few words: Hal looking at his wife. Dang! That was crazy how we BOTH saw that! Oy my heart! So incredible. I’m so excited about all that the Lord has with you as you work with young girls in healing their hearts and teaching them who they really are.. giving them back self esteem and dignity.

Robin: it was a pleasure to have you on the trip. I loved how you always found the greatest bargains.. 20 postcards for $1.. the hats.. etc. lol. You have a great eye for that stuff.. thank you for your prayers when I was sick. May the Lord bless you as you continue on with what He has imparted in you in the Holy Land. Long live Israel! woohoo

Day 14 – Saturday March 13 “Departure”

CINDY
(i will miss these two!!)

I slept until 5am. I heard when the first group left.. Jackie didn’t sleep at all, I think. They left Jerusalem at about 2am that morning. My flight was at 11am. So I could sleep a bit. Took a shower. Went for my last amazing breakfast in Israel. Took a taxi with Dr. Pannell to Tel Aviv airport. Dr. Pannell was wide awake.. BUT I was still trying to wake up.. secretly I was hoping I was still sleeping .. at least that would make me believe that I wasn’t leaving Israel ☹ lol

Security Ben Guron airport is INSANE. They even took my laptop, opened it, and put it in this crazy contraption through a scanner.. then they said my bags had to get searched. Too bad I didn’t adhere to Dr. Pannell’s advice: throwing all my dirty clothes on top.. he said in Central America it worked like a charm. They would open it up and close it immediately. Hahahaha! Dr. Pannell is hilarious!

Remember the Jordanian stamp on my passport? Yeah, they didn’t like that too much.. so on went the search.. the girl that was searching through my things was so nice. She said “Don’t worry I’ll help you put everything back” and smiled. Lol. They had these two cool touch screens that would give them a 3d view of my luggage. They swipe all through your clothes. It’s like your luggage getting a throat culture. Ha. Then they take the instrument they used to swipe through all your stuff and rub it on some machine and the machine tells them if it’s ok or not. I have no idea what they were looking for.. traces of bomb chemicals or materials?? Meh. I was all clear. The woman actually walked me to the front of the line and I got my tickets AND then she walked me all the gate. We talked the whole time. She was sweet. I think she needed a break from her work. She waved goodbye and said “Don’t forget to pick up your luggage in Newark before your next connecting flight.” Yes. That’s right. Good point. Lol. Almost forgot. Ha! Too early in the morning still.

However, as I got on the plane I was WIDE AWAKE. I did most of my Hebrew and learned all of the Hophal verb stem and my vocab. Right there on the plane. Spawn, you would have been proud! By the time we were arriving in Newark I was tired. I only slept 1 hour (if that) on the plane.. and I had to meet my dad at the Newark airport.. He was taking me to my mom’s house. It was my brother’s birthday and could not miss the opportunity of celebrating it with him.. even if for 2 hours!.. so I went through security AGAIN. Rechecked my luggage, met my dad, saw both sides of my family (having divorced parents is hard…) and then had only one hour left to do what I really wanted to do.. spend it with my bro on his bday.. I gave him a BIG hug!! And I missed his hugs too. My bro has like the best hugs in the world! The Northeast was pounded by a crazy rainstorm so my mom’s house had no electricity when I got there! We ate dinner by candlelight and carried candles throughout the house.. even to the bathroom! Lol. I gave my bro his bday gift: a Jerusalem cross made from the special olive wood in Bethlehem. He gazed at it.. turned it over and over and was like “Wow! Thanks so much.. wow, this is fire.” Hahaha. I love my bro. I’m so glad he liked it.

I was completely zapped from energy by this point. I laid my head on my mom’s shoulder as she played with my hair (I love it).. and then in a few mins I had to leave. Boooo! It was so fast. BUT I was so glad I did get to celebrate with my brother.. He’s now 25 years old! 25 was an amazing year for me. I wish him an even more amazing year ☺
Then back to the airport thru the wicked rainstorm.. I just made it in time for boarding.. sat in my seat and was out in a flash.. I was soooooo tired. I was awake for more than 24 hours and had been through 3 countries in about 24 hours! Insane. So glad to get to see Dr. Pannell’s friendly face the whole way back.. He had the same flight as I did. Yaay for getting home in one piece and having my life completely changed.

You say Jerash and I say Gerasa!

Day 13- Friday March 12 “The Decapolis”

CINDY
Jerash, Umm Qeis, Transfer to Israel at Shiekh Hussein Bridge. Overnight in Jerusalem

I woke up today feeling much better. A lil’ woozy and very weary but not much pain. I would a really bad headache here and there but it was nothing compared to all the pain I was in yesterday. I claimed my healing, prayed over myself, popped some aspirin and by the end of the day no more headache ☺

We went to Jerash today. It is Friday and there were Muslim families EVERY WHERE!! The women wait outside for their men to leave the mosque, then they gather their families, go to a park, sit under the shade of a tree, and have a big picnic complete with a BBQ. It’s sort of like our Sunday afternoons. The best part: there were kids every where.. running up and down the old roman theatre steps, climbing up hills, running through the fields, parents taking pics of their kids, and well just kids being kids. There is just something so refreshing to see kids when all I do for months is see grown ups. Lol.
Jerash (Gerasa in the Bible) This is the place our Lord healed the demoniac. Mark 5. Dr. Wilson led the devotional on this place. We sat there in the blazing sun on the theatre seats as he read from Mark 5 and retold the account of how Jesus set this man free from Legion. Dr. Wilson pointed out something I had never seen before.

15They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the "legion"; and they became frightened.
16Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine.
17And they began to implore Him to leave their region.

After Jesus sets this man free, the people did not want Jesus there?! Wait. What?! I mean this guy was a threat to society.. a shame to his family and to himself. This man was bound and now he was free.. and where he was crazy he now was sitting there completely clothed and in his right mind. He was back to normal again. Weren’t they happy to see this? It’s like you are in debt and someone comes to your house and gives you all the money and then some and completely pays it all and you turn to him and say “Get out of my house! I don’t want to see you!” I don’t understand. Why would these ppl be frightened? Why would they implore Him to leave their region? Could they not see who He was? Could they not see what He had just done… out of love?? Thoughts to ponder.

Funny moment: As we were leaving in our massive tour bus there were young guys hanging out along the sides of the street. They were waving to us so we all got us and waved back.. more b/c we were curious to see all the kids jumping through all this water spouting out of what looked like a giant water pipe. As we waved one of the guys pointed to me and kept pointing.. and my jaw dropped and I laughed and so “OMW He’s pointing!! And everyone laughed” I turned to Dr. Pannell and he said, “Nah, he’s not pointing he was saying ‘1 camel! 1 camel!’” hahahahaha!

Then we made it on our way “home” (back to Israel). We had a few problems at the border. The Jordanians didn’t want to let us cross back to Israel… and when we finally got to Israel the Israelites intensely searched all our bags since we had Jordanian stamps on our passports. Meh. But it was expected. Not a big deal. Made me feel safer. I was just happy to be back in Israel.

We were exhausted to say the least but Jackie and I were up for just one more last adventure. We stayed in Jerusalem that night and it was Shabbat so Scott and Sharon Putney wanted to go to the wailing wall. We decided to go.. We had never been around the Old City by ourselves. With a map in my hand and a few sites remembered from our tours we made it to the wailing wall in no time. We were professionals by this point. Lol. Went through the security check and found the place almost empty ☹ I think Scott was the saddest b/c he had heard the Jews have activities all night.. but by this time of night they were all in their meeting places singing and dancing and not outside. We could hear them in the distance… all the celebrations going on. So we stayed for a bit and then headed back. We decided to go a different way and we purposely got lost in the Jewish Quarters.. oooh adventure! Lol. I loved it. I think we would have kept just walking around if we weren’t completely exhausted and had to pack to leave in a few hours.



We got back. Jackie and I repacked our bags (I miss having Jackie as my roommate ☹) As I was throwing stuff out of a my suitcase a silver shiny thing caught my eye… it was stuck hanging from a black plastic bag. Gasp! It was my ring!!!! Yaaaaaay! I wanted to scream!! Yes! Woohoo! A great ending to a great trip. What was lost was now found!

Petra Part II – Rushed to the Hospital.

(read Part I first)

The ambulance came and they basically had to lift me up into the ambulance as I was just doubled over in pain. They laid me in the bed and closed the doors. As they pulled away I opened my eyes and saw Chrissy sitting on the other side. What happened with the tour guide?!!!!!! I looked around the ambulance. The Muslim crescent moon decorated the windows and two young military paramedics were looking down at me saying “you good?” oh no. no English! I was feeling too horrible to worry. Chrissy gave my name and age. They asked for my husband. None. They asked for Chrissy’s husband. None. (I guess this is normal? Maybe. Hopefully). They asked, “Why no husband? You both beautiful.” uh oh. Chrissy replied “Students.” And they nodded… I guess that was good enough… a thought passed through my mind: wait, they could just turn off any corner and no one would ever find us again.. hmm. Jesus keep us safe…

It took a good 30 mins to get to the hospital. The whole time Chrissy is explaining or trying to explain to them what was wrong. The pain would come back more intense from time to time and as I laid there, tears just inevitably fell down my cheek. One of the paramedics, who was sitting on my bed from keeping it from wheeling all over the ambulance through the crazy bumps and turns, would wipe my tears. Awwww. I felt something on my face but it didn’t feel like tissue. I looked and it was a gauze pad!!! I was struck with the hilarity of it that I just couldn’t help but giggle. Lol. Gauze pads to wipe my tears!!! And as I laughed, everyone in the ambulance laughed, and the young guy would then looked with a smile and asked “Good now?” with a thumb up to which I replied, “No. still pain.” With my thumb down.. Through much laughter. Lol

We arrived at the hospital. As they wheeled me in, one of the other paramedics stooped down and said “You are beautiful.” If it wasn’t for the overwhelming pain I was in, I would have busted out in laughter. Seriously. First, I am not feeling well and definitely not looking great. Second, this is not the time or place to try to pick me up. Hahahahaha!

I get my lil’ section of the emergency room. Even though the curtains were draw close, there would be ppl who would peak in, curious to see the sick American girl. Lol. The hospital was not the cleanest. The hospital bed did not even have bed sheets ☹ As I laid there a doctor, 2 nurses, and a medical assistant showed up. The nurses were women completely covered other than their faces. They were the best. They knew more English than the doctor. Yes! They were so compassionate and understanding. They hooked me up to an IV immediately and drew blood. After several mins of explanation the nurse told me “It’s going to be ok.. just relax. You are very pretty.. don’t worry” and pinched my cheek as she smiled and squinted her eyes Ha! So motherly. They came back 10 mins later and the pain was still there.

They finally decided to give me a shot of a very strong med. Somehow one of the nurses concluded that I needed a husband! Hahahahaha! And the other nurse who was in the same room looked at my bracelet and said “I have a nephew and he makes pretty bracelets just like this one…” and smiled. hahaha! I laughed so hard.. everyone burst out in laughter.. even the doctor came in through the curtain and smiled and laughed. So funny! Thank you Lord for joy in the midst of pain and weakness…

I did arrive to a point of pain where even Chrissy said she was about to start crying with me. I must say, I would not have been able to make it without her. She was there holding my hands, giving me soothing looks and caressing my arm as tears flowed down and I was trying to hold the pain, she was my guardian and protected me as she would ask “hey, what’s that you are giving her?”, she chased down the doctor when we needed to contact our tour guide to come pick us up even though they wanted to keep us overnight (!!), and she just never left my side. Thanks, Chrissy. You have a wonderful heart and you provided the love and support I needed to just get through.. for that I thank you.

We shared many laughs too. Even when the doctor came in, he looked at my blood. Turned over the tube and said “You have beautiful blood” and then looks at me! Hahaha! We couldn’t help but bust out in laughter as he left the room! He even signed a rock that Chrissy collected from Petra. So funny.

I got back to the bus and everyone cheered. I was cheering too (inside).. thank you Lord! Phew! So relieved. So glad I made it alive! I was still very weak though, so the group let me and Chrissy have the back of the bus to lay down and rest. God’s love was just so evident everywhere.. in everything and in everyone.. and I was just so moved. Even the bus driver bought me a mango and peach juice.. aaaaw! God was showing his tender love for me again.. and again.. and again..

As I laid there in the bus (it would be 4 hours til Amman) I put my iPod in and tears flowed down again as I listened to Kari Jobe singing:
“So faithful
So constant
So loving and so true
So powerful in all you do
You fill me
You see me
…….

I know that you are for me
I know that you are for me
I know that you will never forsake me in my weakness
I know that you have come down
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who you are

Jesus, thank for your love, support, and that you never leave me.. even in my weakest moments you write upon my heart and remind me of who you are.

Petra Part I – Not Feeling Well

Day 12 – Thursday March 11 “City of Desert Traders
CINDY

(Some details I left out intentionally as they are confidential to me).

Today I woke up not feeling well. I was nauseated all morning. I’m usually all bright and energetic in the morning and stuffing my face with the amazing breakfast food. However, this morning I was slow… no smile across my face… and as I went down to eat breakfast all I could look at was bread or yogurt.. everything else made me .. well yeah.. Not a great start.

The ride to Petra from our “Petra Palace” hotel (don’t let those words fool you… it was not one itsy bitsy close to a palace.. it was one of the worst places we stayed at including new painted fumes filling the halls and our rooms.. not so nice.. I was glad to get out of there) was literally like 30 seconds. I was hoping for a longer bus ride to prepare myself for the crazy trek through Petra in over 100 degrees desert heat. Nope. I rushed to put my suntan lotion on, grab my massive water bottle (we were going to be walking for 5 hours!), my camera, and lots of meds. As I ran out of the bus I realized I didn’t have on my newly bought ring. Nooooo! So I ran back to the bus (all this time my head is thumping and I’m still nauseated ☹ ) and did an intense search in 60 seconds. Nothing. Turned my bag and book bag inside out. Nothing. Boooo! I loved that ring! Ugh! Sick and now this! Dindy helped but we had to move on because the group was waiting at the entrance. I just laid it down and said “ok, God, well I am not going to let this ruin my day.. and pls give me strength to make it through” We power-walked back to the group and started along our way.
Petra was amazing. The colors in the stone and not to mention the crazy intricate decorative carving along the towering rock walls. When I would look up my eyes just kept following up one solid beautiful formed rock. This was the main crossroads for trading and the Nabataeans had complete control over it. The rock formations were so cool. They were almost fluid in their shapes.. wavy and not jagged. As the group would stop and look at steps carved into the rock to lead to a look out point or decorative boxes carved into the rock to house a certain idol, I would just to lean again the rock wall or find a seat. The nausea was not going away. The pain kept increasing. And the whole time I kept saying “I can do this.. just need to keep going and it’ll just go away.. a lil’ exercise may be all I need.” I popped another aspirin. Well this went on for 2 hours! I tried to enjoy it as much as I could but I think ppl of the group started noticing I wasn’t feeling well. One guy came up and said, “Hey are you ok? I haven’t heard you laugh today…" aaaw.

Well we finally made it to the main attraction. The treasury. Well no one knows what it really is.. could be a library.. maybe? But yeah. You just go around the bend and you all of the sudden find yourself standing in front of this awesome, majestic building carving right into the rock. There are pillars, steps, figures, and doors all carved in. It was breathtaking. As our tour guide would say “Marvel and click your cameras!” hahahaha. Oh buddy. I took a few pics. It was crowded with so many tourists buzzing around. It was so hard to not get other people in the pic!


Jackie and I had an interesting experience in the makeshift gift shop. Jackie do you remember the ring that we can use to take out someone else’s eye! Hahaha!

But I digress.

At that point we went got a bathroom break and as I entered the bathroom I felt chills running down my body and though it was over 100 degrees I was cold. Not good. I sat outside and all the pain and nausea just came flooding in more than before. I couldn’t hold it and as we sat there listening to Faye give her devotionals I could not fight the tears that were flooding my eyes from the pain. . I sat there on one of the rocks silently praying “God please take this pain away…” our tour had not finished. We still had another two hours. As the others went on their way, I just couldn’t muster enough strength to do the same ☹ A few of the women stayed with me. Joan, Diane, Helen, and Chrissy. It would be an hour walk back to the bus. Could I make it? The tour guide said he would stay with me and call the ambulance but lo and behold he disappeared..no where to be found. Stuck. As I trembled from the pain and holding back my nausea the women soothed me with their prayers and their motherly touches. I wanted to walk back but had to face reality. I just couldn’t. So the women went on a massive man hunt for the tour guide to call the ambulance. It took a good 10 mins. For me: an eternity.

Funny moment: As I was laying there on the rock, I had my eyes closed to try to focus away from the pain.. and every time I opened my eyes another camel was in front of me. Soon there were like four camels! Chrissy bent down and said "all those camels are for you. they saw you were sick so they are offering you a ride on the camel to the hospital." hahahaha!

Crossing the Border to Jordan!

Day 11 – Wednesday March 10 “The Other Side of the Jordan”

Transfer to Jordan at Allenby Bridge. Bethany-beyond-Jordan, Mt. Nebo, Madeba.
CINDY

The border crossing was not too bad. I heard it’s getting back into Israel that will be the problem since Jordan is a Muslim country and not on the greatest of terms with Israel… we’ll see..

Our bus took us to the border crossing. There we said our goodbyes to Ayaad, our trusty bus driver, and to Hal, (I will miss him…).. crossed through border control and found our tour guide and Jordanian bus driver once in Jordan. The crazy thing: we had an armed police man accompany us throughout Jordan. His name was Solomon. Hopefully, he would be wise with that rifle. Lol. We were assured by our tour guide from the beginning that the armed police man was there just to move traffic. Pft. Right. We’ll see. Lol.
Well the fact is that Jordan is trying to increase its tourism. So they want all their tourists feel safe. Yeah. Man with gun. I totally feel safe. Ha!

Well Jordan here we come!

We were driven through miles and miles of stark desert. It was hot that day! Nearly 100 degrees.. it gets hot when you are below sea level!
We passed Bedouin settlements upon Bedouin settlements. They are makeshift tents usually in a cluster. The men wear the red Bedouin scarves (they look like the Palestinian ones but red and white instead of black and white). They are out leading their sheep to find some tuffs of green pastures wherever they can find and some water. Camels also became a usual sighting☺

We arrived to the Jordan River to the place where Jesus was baptized. Let me tell you. It was not a glorious place AT ALL. I always pictured a gentle running clear river where Jesus went down and came out of us. NOPE. It was mucky and muddy and dirty. Ew. Seriously. I did not even want to put my finger in it. The Jordan river is the border between Israel and Jordan. I stood there on the Jordan side. I could literally just walk across the river and in 30 seconds be back in Israel. Hmm. Tempting. Ok. Back to the river. So yeah, it was not nice looking at all. And all I could think “Jesus, really? Really? You went down in that? Out of the many waterfalls, clear springs in Israel.. you decided to come here to this place of the Jordan and be baptized?!” wow. Here we were below sea level. Something Hal said when we were in Israel still resonated within me “Jesus went to the lowest place on earth to even go lower still.” Lower still…Sit back. Reflect. Wow.




We also got to go to Mt. Nebo.
Random sighting: a monk smoking a cigar with a camera around his neck! Lol. I wish I had taken a picture!

Mt. Nebo is where Moses stood and saw the Promised Land.. the land that he was not able to enter.. but he got to see it. I stood there. There was much dust and haze in the air so you couldn’t see that much in the distance.. but I can imagine.. just everything that Moses saw for the last 40 years: desert. Sand. Everything mostly in unicolor. Dryness. A few green or brown patches of some vegetation. Hot. Weariness. A Hope Deferred at times. Moaning and groaning. AND THEN. He climbed this mountain by himself and looked over : WOW! Color everywhere! The mountains. Valleys. Hills. Water. Even the desert bloomed on the other side! Wow. The promise was not just a figment of his imagination. It’s real. It wasn’t something empty without sustenance. He was now able to see it with his own eyes. God is not a liar. He is true. He is truth. He is faithful… to fulfill every promise. He truly has the best in store for you… abundantly!.. not just enough.. but more than enough.. more than you can ever imagine.. surpassing every expectation and breaking every doubt and ungodly belief. Wow. Wooooooooooow!

standing atop Mt. Nebo.. unfortunately you can't see much b/c of the haze :(

Final Thoughts

Monday

My flight home is today and hopefully there are no more hitches. Thank you for being part of my adventure, learning with me and praying for me. It has been interesting on multiple levels =)

Now that I have had a day to process the trip without any chaotic incidents, I am going to try and write a few of the important thoughts/favorite memories that I have had while being here.

Final Thoughts/Highlights:

-My favorite activity was doing the archaeological dig. Even though we were just digging up pot shards and random bones and objects, it felt like there was a window to past that I would have never experienced else where. Archeology in the states is not the same, just not enough history. But being that I once wanted to be an archeologist or a paleontologist, it was definitely a rare opportunity. Also, being able to go spelunking through cracks and holes in the caves was so exciting.

-The Dead Sea was a really fun experience that stood out as well. I was slightly paranoid about drinking the water and was pretty cold, it was awesome being able to try and swim. Plus my skin exfoliated as well, which made me laugh! As a guy, I should probably not mention that again =)

-As for what spoke to me, I would say when we went to the mountain of the Sermon of theMount and the Sea of Galilee. Just being in the place that served as Jesus' classroom was profound. Listening to the messages that we received really made me think about us as Christians and it challenged me.

-The way God spoke to me on the sea was pretty powerful as well. I felt as if he was telling me that I was going in the right direction, even though he challenged my current goal of getting into a PhD program. But the overriding thought that I had was that he loved me and that he was happy with where I am going.

This is big because I always trusted God because most men who tried to mentor me just wanted the validation of mentoring, which usually ended bad since I did not stroke their ego. So feeling affirmed by God and knowing that I am who he wants me to be was powerful to me.

-For those that do not know me, I am very much cut in the mold of Andrew and Barnabas when it comes to Biblical characters. Andrew was a quiet extravert who used his relationship with Christ to bring those that he knew to Christ. He was sort of a networker, as you can see in the book of John in which he introduced Simon, the boy who had the fish and bread, and the Greeks to Jesus. In short, he paid attention to every tree and in turn took care of the forest.

As for Barnabas, when you look at him, he was a utility man (to use a baseball term). Most people just think of him as an encourager, but he taught, prophesied, started churches, financed the church, and performed miracles to name a few. I fit that category as well because I can do a little bit of everything, and I felt God told me to embrace my ability and continue to follow these two role models.

-So that means pursue both ministry and academics, but ministry might take the front seat sooner than expected. I will be sure to check my options as I wind down my seminary experience (I graduate next year) and give due diligence to these options, and also honor my commitment to the Navy Reserves as a Chaplain.

-I was also overwhelmed by the way in which others helped me when I was sick. Again, I am not used to grace or people giving me grace for anything. Those that know me know that I am pretty hard on myself at times because of that. So being in a new country and being bed ridden was not something I wanted, nor expected I would get grace for. But I did, and a lot of people prayed for me and gave me medicine and things like that. It was really nice, especially since I did not know too many people on the trip.

-What also hit me hard was looking at the ancient church surviving in Israel. There are two Christian quarters in the Old City, and it was powerful to see these churches. I am not sure if they are thriving, but they seem unfazed by the trouble in the region. There is so much history, so much tradition, and cooperation between the Roman Catholics and the Easter Orthodox churches. It was so awesome to see the two sharing buildings and going into the different parts and seeing how they operate. I just wish protestants like me would stop and see the value of this instead of saying "we are doing our own thing!" We have a lot to learn from one another. Being led by a messianic Jew was powerful in Nazerath's village. As he spoke, our guides love for Christ and desire to bring others to Christ saturated the air. He was soft spoken, but his love was intoxicating and it made you WANT to listen to him. He did not rant or rave or try to convince you of anything, but he was secure and confident in Christ and it made you want to listen and want to be around him.

-Finally, the relationships made were what I will remember. As a quality time person, there was definitely ALOT of it on the trip. A lot of experiences to go through and a lot powerful moments that were shared. I have never been a "lets be friends forever!" type, but I know that I made some good friendships on the trip, and became closer to those I knew. I am excited to see what the next stage of life holds!

But it has been great, so thank you for letting me share! This is Jason Christafaris, signing off. God Bless you all!

JSC

FORGIVENESS AT A PLACE OF WAR.

Day 10 – Tuesday, March 9 “Going West”

CINDY
Megiddo, Caesarea Maritima.

Today I woke up feeling sick.. very nauseated. Took some medication and was all set to go. I was sad to leave our lil’ village hotel. It was beautiful. We were right on the sea of Galilee. Each one of us had our own lil’ homes complete with a kitchen, living room, TV, bedroom, a green grassy backyard that was the actual shore of the sea of galillee, and a bbq grill (Dan, the bbq grill comment is for you! Lol). Sigh. I was so happy to be able to stay there for two nights. It was beautiful to watch the sun set on the opposite end under the hilly ridge and watch the lights come on one by one in the city of Tiberias.. the lights sparkled in the evening sky and reflected on the dark sea. Sigh.. it was great while it lasted.

We woke up early and went on to Megiddo.. you know that infamous place where for the end times. And guess what?! yup, I had that as my devotional site. I read so much on Megiddo and time and time again all that was talked about was the end times. I just didn’t want to go into all that war and blood. I mean so much death has already happened in that place! I wanted to see if there was something more about that place.. there had to be…I asked God and I all of the sudden I got an amazing illustration. Here’s a snippet of my devotional:

“Time and time again, people have come and go, including kings, reigns, and even horses! Actually this place is a “mountain” or a tel because of the very fact that Megiddo has been rebuilt so many times. A city has been destroyed and others come and rebuild over it, leaving layers and layers beneath the surface. Not only did the layers just keep piling on top of each other but the walls also were made bigger and thicker during the times Megiddo has been rebuilt. So is the same with our hearts.

Our hearts can easily look like Megiddo. People come and go, take up residence in our hearts or come and destroy it, we see a lot of bloodshed in one sense or another, and what we do to cope is just build upon it. However, like the layers of past cities have remained so have the layers of hurt remain in our hearts. They do not go away. What we do is just continue to build and build upon them. We even make the walls thicker and taller because we want to protect our hearts from future invasions or in other words, hurts. Here in Megiddo each layer is just on top of the others until it is just a mass of heaping ruins that tell of the past. So it is with our hearts. Our hearts become a mass of heaping ruins that tell of the past, our past hurts. What we don’t realize is that as we build these “defense mechanisms” to ward ourselves from others, we end up blocking ourselves off from God. These walls are there and don’t allow God to get to the very core of our hearts.

So what can we do about it? We begin a process of an archaeological dig of our hearts. There is a process that begins with the first layer-forgiveness…” ☺

How cool is that?! I loved that right there in the midst of a mountain and near the jezreel valley where battles have taken place, where blood has been spilled and where it might continue to be spilled.. where man has fought against man.. God led us in a moment of forgiving.. others and ourselves.. of reflecting on not taking revenge but letting go… of not becoming hard ground and an artificial mound like Megiddo but becoming a soft fertile fruitful plain like the Jezreel Valley… I like Jesus☺

One thing that moved me today: In Megiddo, as I was bringing out the MASSIVE bible Jason let me borrow for the devotional and struggling to also hold my paper, Hal came running up to me. Without any words, he put his strong hands under the Bible and held my paper down from the fighting breeze. I was so deeply moved. Here is this man.. 73 years old.. I didn’t ask him a thing.. I was just going to hold my paper and Bible.. with a bit of struggle but that never stopped me.. and he just saw my need and came without any words to offer himself for my help. The whole time I gave my devotional he was right there next to me as my podium. Lol. He would even flip the page for me.. and when I would forget where I was he just mumbled quietly where I had left off. Lol. The whole time, I just kept hearing in my heart “I’m here for you.” If it wasn’t that I was speaking and giving the devotional I would have just burst out in tears. That was Jesus the whole time. With me, helping me, supporting me, and just never leaving me alone.. He is there to help even when I don’t ask.. He’s there for encouragement and just to love me with himself.. tears are falling down my face even as I write this right now.. Jesus and his manifest love never fails to woo and overwhelm my lil’ heart.

We also went to Caesarea Maritima. It’s a port city. It’s a must see!! Blue blue waters! And restaurants with their white cushion seats and white umbrellas facing the water under the clear blue sky (my pics don't do the place justice :(.... they even had sushi there! :) Ha! Sooo beautiful! It’s a great place for lunch.. I’m beginning to realize how romantic of a place Israel is… ha!

FIRST AID?!!!

Leaving, if I can actually leave.

As I am writing this, I am in the middle of a 24 layover in New York City. I have not slept more than 3 hours at any given time since Friday, so hopefully this is a good account of what has happened since then. More on that later, but I will fill you in on our last days of the tour...

Friday

The 420 wake up call from the neon-lit Mosque was interesting. That is how I kicked off my day, and then went back to sleep for another hour and a half.
The focus of our day is the Decapolis. These were the ten cities that were in Jewish Territory that supported Greco-Roman culture during the time of Jesus. The two cities that we went to were Jerash and Umm Qeis. Jerash was a very well preserved site that had quite a bit of it's history preserved. I remember Zefar, our tour guide, rushing us through because there was so much to see. Good thing I am in shape, because this guy is a bit faster paced Hal and he takes it personal when people do not keep up. Anyway, when you first arrive at Jerash, you are welcomed by then a giant asian market. I am glad I avoided that right away and moved on to the first landmark. Hadrian's Arch is a massive stone arch that looks like a building at first blush. It has one giant arch in the middle, and is flanked by two smaller arches, separated by columns. After you pass that, there is a hippodrome that is still operating. I did not get to watch the races on the way out, partially because I was avoiding the large out of shape gladiator that need more clothes. Not really, even though he was disturbing, I did not see it because there was not enough time.

After that, there was a huge city center which the guide called "the oval", it was a vast space that was surrounded with columns. From there we went on saw the remains of a temple to Zeus. There was also a temple to the Goddess Artemis. The two amphitheaters, which was built and added onto over time. One was used as a theatre, and the other was for the politicians. They provided for good exercise, being that I hiked up one of them. Zefar managed to coax a group of Jordanian bagpipers to play music for us as well. I know it sounds weird, Jordanian Bagpipers, but it is true! The British introduced bagpiping to them when they occupied Jordan. They started playing amazing grace and then transitioned mid-song with Yankee Doodle, which was really funny... until they asked for money, then I walked away hoping they did not notice my lack of Jordanian money. It was a very fast paced day, wrapped up with getting lost in the market. A few of the girls got mad at me because when they needed a fake boyfriend, I did not pull through and save them from the venders. Mainly because it was funny, but I need to work on that =)

Umm Qais is near the Gardarenes, which is the site in which Jesus cast Legion into the herd of pigs. It was great going to this site because it was were Jesus performed one of his miracles and stand at the cliff that the pigs supposedly hurled themselves off of. It was not a very big area of land, but it was interesting to see it and see the tombs and the land around it. Being that I am fascinated with the Synoptic Problem and sorting out the differences between the three Synoptic Gospels, it was great to go and listen to our guide talk about it. I found this very inspiring, and it continued to make me want to pursue my PhD. For those that do not know, I am hoping to do my Doctoral Work in this field of study.

The interesting part of Umm Qais was that since we went on the Muslim sabbath, there were people all over the place. As we drove through town, the streets were barren and every Mosque was packed. I had never seen a Muslim Sabbath before, so that was unique. As we moved through Umm Qais, we looked at the acropolis and the third amphitheater of the day. After we were done, we called it a day and went back to Israel.

Spiritually, there have been two ideas that have really stuck in my mind today. I am continuing to battle with the idea of wanting to be a professor and wanting to be a pastor. I have always believed that I should have a balance of the two worlds as potential teachers, because I will need to be able to train pastors as a teacher. I think I noticed this at Umm Qais as we talked about one of my favorite theology subjects. The idea of being a pastor a few years before I do my Doctoral work is something that I have thought about, but leaving open for God's leading.

The second idea that was mentioned in the bus really stood out to me. One of the pleasures of being on a trip with your professors is that you tend to get to know them in a different way during the trip. One of the subjects mentioned was how so many biblical characters were well into their lives when God called them to do something great. That really stood out, as we recalled how Hal said that he was ready for something else big (and he is in his seventies). That type of faith made me excited, and encouraged me. If I am doing what I am doing in my late twenties, I am excited to see what I can accomplish in a life time! But that also requires preparation. One of my classmates talked about how one of professors tries to stay a step ahead of the next generation. As a young man, I need to continue to do that physically, mentally and spiritually. I am happy with where I am, but I felt more inspired to strive to set the bar.

We went through Jordan, and it was a pretty intense change. I had my bag inspected and they asked me a lot of questions. The tour guide's parting advice for me was to lay off the milk since I was too tall and he thought i was still of growing age. When he found out I was 28, he told me I should use it to my advantage. That was my last interaction with him. I am glad that we were done with Jordan, and we were greeted/picked up by our old bus driver, Eaud! (I am not sure how it is spelled, but I think that is what I was told) It was good to see him, I am not sure what his beliefs are, but he had a really warm spirit about him. It was a nice way to come back to Israel. After the three hour drive, we went to eat and then to bed. I got to say bye to some people, which was sad, but it is also a new beginning for some friendships.

The interesting quotes of the day were as follows:
Zafur: "Are you taller than me?
Me: "Yes."
Zafur: "I like to reconcile that by thinking I have a bigger brain!"
Me: *chuckles confusedly, whether he was joking or serious"


Saturday-Sunday
Our day started at 130 am, to catch the bus at 2 to get to Tel Aviv airport for a flight to Istanbul. It was the beginning of an interesting 24 hours. At Tel Aviv, I got interrogated by a buff Israeli man who asked me random questions. OF course I passed the test. This was after having to open my bag and have it checked. Then we were off to Istanbul.

After getting the wrong instructions, and I went through the passport check as if it was the connecting flights. I was the only one that got through, and everyone else got told to go to their connecting flight. They would not let me back through! So I had to run upstairs, check in, go through security and get to the loading terminal in a half hour. Being that Tel-Aviv took for ever, I was very nervous about this. But I got through in time, only to wait for the flight. I got pulled out line, interrogated, frisked and searched. But it worked out.

The 1040 flight left late, and the ride was interesting. We were supposed to arrive at JFK on Saturday at 245 PM, and instead arrived at 945 this morning!! JFK closed in mid-flight, so after a few touch and go's, we went to Boston to refuel.

1115 Istanbul Time: Left
1500 EST: Failed landing
1800 EST: Land at Boston to Refuel
2000 EST: Circled JFK again, new course Chicago
2145 CST: Land in Chicago
Sunday 0100 CST: Got my Hotel Voucher, did not use it due to
0400 CST: Meet up with other Fliers
0600 CST: Board plane
0945 EST: Land at JFK, report to Delta
1400 EST: Left Delta Terminal with a flight for Monday

After hearing all the yelling at the registers, I was not looking forward to my conversation with the receptionist. But I was pleasant and cooperative with the woman, and it worked out great. I had a flight booked for Monday at 5 pm, later then I hoped, but I had a flight. She tried to bump me up, but could not. So I called my friend in Brooklyn, and that is where I am now.

Oh yeah, I went to Applebee's and bought Ribs and a raspberry lemonade. I LOVE AMERICAN FOOD! Now I am good and sleepy and watching Up with my friend, so I should probably go. I will write more tomorrow and wrap up then!

Jason

Jordan to Israel

Wednesday

Today we made our trip out of Israel. It was sad parting with Hal and Eod because they were definitely a big part of our experience. None the less, we wished them well and moved on to Jordan. After crossing through the gates and getting our bag checked, I could tell that there was a distinct difference. We loaded onto a bus, and drove into a town. The only way to describe Jordan that day was desolate. It looked like one of those scenes in a movie that involves a nuclear fallout and a remnant are scattered across the desert. As we pull up to meet our tour guide, our bus gets inspected yet again as we go exchange money. Again, this country feels so different.

As we drive through dusty desert roads passing by rural people living in tents, we eventually make it to our first stop: the traditional place of Jesus' baptism. I was thoroughly surprised to find a ruin of an stairway and pavilion for people to be baptized in. As our tour guide explained why archeologists believe that this is the appropriate site, I stood amazed at the idea that we could be standing where Jesus' commission was confirmed. After that, we meandered over to an ornate Eastern Orthodox Chapel whose inside was completely covered in icons, and then went on our way.

The next stop was an encounter on Mt. Nebo. This is the place in which Moses overlooked the Promised Land, but did not cross into. It was a pretty steep hill with a well kept landscape and wild turkeys roaming around. One detail that really confused me was passing by trees with white napkins tied to the branches.

To end our day, we went to a city called Madeba. Inside Madeba, there is church called St. Georges, and it houses a large mosaic map of the world on the floor. As we walked in, I met a guy from Cincinnati, it was sort of fun to meet someone else from Ohio and can talk about back home with. Anyway, that is neither here nor there. As we walked around the church, we got shushed and scolded quite a bit! This is when I learned that I have to use my inside voice in church =) Not that I am particularly loud. That, and if something is covered up, do not become curious and lift the cover. As for a description of the church, it reminded me of every other Orthodox church we have been to. Dark, dreary, off set by gold and painted icons. The outside was not ornate at all, and it reminded me of a crusader church with its gray stone.

I am glad that we went to a part of the country that was thriving, because I was starting to feel really uncomfortable otherwise.

Thursday

It was our hiking day! We went to Petra, which for those who do not know, that is the big stone city seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where the Holy Grail was kept. It was a very long walk down, but I enjoyed it. Taking random pictures, until my battery ran out. You only see the one scene in Indiana Jones, but there are multiple tombs and other buildings throughout the valley. It was a city built by desert traders that lived in the walls. Much of it is of course gone, but a lot of remains still exist. As we walked, we had to be on guard always because horses, carriages and camels would bob and weave through us. I actually almost got my foot ran over the one time in a tight spot! It was very dry though, I can never tell since they were using Celsius. It was 36 Celsius I believe.
I felt quite tired afterward, for some reason =) Jackie and I hiked the way back without stopping, and the Fanta was quite nice when I was done. One of our members had to go to the hospital, but is better now. That was really upsetting, but it seems that everything is okay now. After lunch, we had a four hour drive to Amman, and I got to spend a lot of time praying and thinking about where I am going. Even though Petra had very little Christian bearing, during the walk and the drive I really felt like God was tugging on my heart about something having to do with my future.
Amman is quite a bit different. It is very vibrant, even their mosques have neon lights on them! How weird is that? After having some fettuccine alfredo (amazing!), we talked to a gentleman that works at the Jordan Evangelical Seminary. It was really fascinating listening to him talk. It is refreshing to hear that Jordanians can not be executed or overly persecuted for their faith in Christ. What really touched me was how he talked about the local culture and Western Christianity does not relate well with the people. Until Christians can form an Arab-Christian identity that is unique to them, it looks like it will be difficult to be Christian in this region. A lot of it seems to do with mimicking what is happening in the west rather than forging their own path. I am confident that it will work out, it is just a matter of time!
Other then that, we almost stumbled into a Jordanian wedding precession!! Well, now that I think of it, a few of our group members got grafted into the ethnic dance with the bridal party!! Our meeting room was next to the ballroom for the wedding, and as we were walking into our room, we heard bagpipes and drums from the wedding procession coming down the steps. It was fascinating, and we just watched and clapped and they did not mind. But we did not crash the wedding, no worries!
Our last official day is tomorrow, and it looks as if we are moving back towards Israel. Have a good night, and Shaloam!!

Jason

Can anything good come from Nazerath?

Sunday in Nazareth: Can Anything Good Come from Nazareth?
So after not having internet for two nights, I am back at the keyboard! Sunday in Nazareth started with this question being asked by James as we were sitting at the breakfast table. I was feeling a heck of a lot healthier, and I smiled and exclaimed, “This Chocolate milk is what is good from Nazerath!” After being sick for a few days and trying desperately to find some sort of comfort food, this milk felt like manna from heaven =)
As we left Nazareth, we would move on to Sepphoris, which was the Capital of Galilee. Our time in Galilee was now beginning. It was a typical Roman looking ruin, but the outstanding feature was the extensive mosaics that they had. One told Old Testament stories and another was just very ornate. A group of us went into to a building that was a perfect square, and then we got separated from the group. It worked out that, because we found everyone else.
Hal posed an interesting idea that captured my imagination as we were driving there. He mentioned the idea of how we as Christians have adapted our own “sympathetic magic” in which we can control God. This is from the idea that Sacrifices or magic could be used to force your own will. He mentioned how we as Christians often times try to use speaking in tongues and name it and claim it approaches to try and get what we want. It was really affirming to me because I have always tried to line my will up with Jesus’, whose will is lined up with the father (Gardner-Vine-Branch idea).
After Sepphoris, we stopped at Chorazin, which was one of the cities that Jesus pronounced judgment on. Ironically, one vivid memory of that place was the fact that the ruins were all blackened, as if they looked burned.
Sunday was really busy, so I am going to move from site to site. We went to the Mount where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. This has been the most profound moment for me as I sat on the hill. Hall read the scriptures, and I felt as if I was on holy ground. There are buildings and debris around, but I was able to block that out and look over the Galilee and think about what was being said. After the lesson, Hal discussed the idea of how rabbis debate, and that they spend so much time arguing and claiming that they are right and the other is wrong. What really struck me is how life has not changed, and that Christians do that. I started thinking about discussions I have had with people over my time in seminary, and realize that I have not had as much intelligent discussion as I had hoped. Most of it is someone telling me that they are right and I am wrong, or not listening because they want to talk. It is really disappointing, but I tend to wonder if Christians talked with me as much about what God is doing in our lives rather than enquiring about my dating life, how much more intelligent we would be with our faiths.
After that, we ventured over to Bethsaida. This was the place that claims to be Jesus’ hub of ministry. So being able to see the multi-roomed ruins gave us an idea of what Jesus could have lived in. The truth is that that there was not much left to see, with exception to a columned ruin of a synagogue and a few houses. That was disappointing, but knowing that you were standing where Jesus could have operated out of was really mind-boggling.
The final part of the night that really stood out to me was the boat ride on the Galilee. The Galilee is not as huge as most seas, but it is big enough that you cannot see all sides. As we sputtered out to the middle of the sea, they cut the engine and we had time to worship and receive a devotion from Dr. Pannell. He taught on the closing chapters of John, with Jesus asking Peter if he loved him three times. It was powerful, not just because of the reference to shepherding as a Christian leader, but it reinforced why I do these crazy language classes. In the English bibles, you simply see the word “love” when Jesus uses “Agape” two times and then “Philos” the third. Peter responds by using “Philos” all times, even to Jesus asking about “Agape.” That was huge, and it really hit home for me. As we closed, we prayed for direction, and I felt a strong sense to go the course that I am. For those that don’t know, ask me.
So that was the longest day of our trip, when we got back I went right to sleep because that is what I wanted to do. The lesson that I learned today is definitely find a way to locate comfort foods while oversees. You will never know when you will see it next, so buy it while you can.
Monday
We started our day at Hazor, which was best described by yet another bottomless pit! Okay, so maybe it had a bottom, because we found it. But I am finding that many of these major ruins have giant cisterns that are placed randomly in the city.
After this, we moved on to the springs of Dan. This has to be one of the most amazing stops thus far. It was a jungle set in the middle of no where and possible the most inspiring place. It would be an amazing place for God time/journaling. Whether it was the walking through the rushing waters from the spring or taking in a scene straight out of Hollywood, trooping through the lush growth is something I could do all day. I probably should not have drank the water though! I am not sick yet, so we will see.
Caesarea Philipi was the final stop that day. We first walked over to an old temple of Pan, a pagan God. I was memorized by the small channels of water flowing from an unknown source. We at times had to step over these channels as they rushed at us. There was not much left of the temple, though there were some inscriptions and a few holes in the mountain. We ended our time at Caesarea Philipi by taking a hike through the woods in the area. The highlight for me was standing under a waterfall from the spring. It was soooooo cold!
When we came back, a group of us went down to the Galilee for a swim. That last a whole 10 minutes! Even though it was 90 degrees out, it was way too cold to go swimming! But I tackled Daniel anyway, and got soaked. I just wish a beach would have been open, more people probably would have come (though I had fun with the group).
Tuesday
We started our day today at Megiddo… as in the place of Armageddon! I cannot believe that place has been conquered in the range of 25 times. I am sure that it has some redeeming value, I was just hard pressed to find why it would get conquered so much. But what was apparent is that it is a point of contention. As Cindy gave her devotion and she used my Bible, Hal claimed that my Bible was probably the one that was too big to be used in the Temple! Thanks Hal. I just laughed, and it worked out that I picked up a Jerusalem Bible today that has wood panels on the cover and an engraving on the front. It was time to have a small Bible as well. So when travelling, please remember to pack small, discrete looking Bibles. They are not only easier to manipulate, but they will not be called “weapons” by Muslim security forces. Also, the tour guide will not poke fun at you.
Caesarea Maritima was the next site today, in which I gave my devotion. Caesarea is a very interesting city, so if you do not know about it, you should look it up. Herod had it build from a fishing village to a seaport in 10 years. The reconstruction videos made the city look breathtaking. The ruins that were left behind, such as the Hippodrome, the gate, and the amphitheatre show a well thought out city that would have been a worthy capital city.
Venturing back to Jerusalem, we wrapped up our day in the Garden Tomb. This is one of the places suggested that Jesus could have been buried. We took communion, which one of our own gave, and it was the most powerful communion that I have every taken. But having gone into the tomb, and looked at where “the Skull” could have been was sobering. I definitely walked away feeling a deeper respect for our Lord because of today.
Before we push off to the Jordan, I felt it was necessary to get some pizza today. I think I earned some comfort food, and then Daniel and I explored a little bit of the city. But being that it is 1130, I should probably go to bed. Good night, and I will talk soon. Shaloam!
Jason

One word: Remember.

Day 9 – Monday, March 8 The “Sides of the North”

CINDY

WOW. Another day of really indescribable beauty and depth. It was 90 degrees today and we hiked through the refreshing coolness of shaded trees and springs. Tel Dan was beautiful. The path was made out of smooth stones that the water ran under and through. He hiked for about 30 minutes this way from stream to stream from spring to spring. The water was so pure and cold. Wearing my Tevas was an absolutely great choice! Lol. I would jump off the path right into the freezing springs. Sigh.. and then jump back on the path to keep up with the others.





Biblically Dan is where Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) set up the idols of the calves so that people would not go to Jerusalem and worship but would stay in the Northern Kingdom. As we sat there in the temple where they excavated an altar, Lisa gave her devotional. She read from 1 Kings 12 where Rehoboam tells the people that these were the gods that brought them out of Egypt. Ugh! … it must have been like a knife piercing God’s heart.. some calves brought them out of Egypt?! What in the world?! How dare he! How could he say such a thing?.. and the striking thing is that ppl listened to him. They flocked to Dan to worship and sacrifice to the calves. Why? … maybe outright rebellion? .. maybe.. maybe it was because they had forgotten.. they had forgotten who God is, what He had done in their lives.

Remembering is not just in our thoughts. It’s not just an inward action but an outward action. We remember God with our mouths, our praises, our testimonies, our prayers, our loving others,... We need to constantly remember.. or else we may forget and stray far from the path and begin to attribute gratitude or honor to things that have nothing to do with us. As we sat there under that massive tree on the steps of the temple facing the altar those words just struck my heart. I could not but ask Holy Spirit to continually help me to remember all that God has done in my life… that I would not look to my own strength or that I would not begin to attribute my salvation or even victories in my life to none other than Him.. and then I couldn’t help but think of my children. I want to be a good mother who constantly reminds my children of all what the Lord has done. Being here in Israel, I don’t understand how there can be “secular” Israelites or Jews. There is such a rich history with God.. how could they forget or not know.. you know Solomon started out right but by the end of his reign he too began to worship idols.. no wonder his son did the same. Jesus, help me to be a good example to my children of remembering your faithfulness and who you are at all times. Let my remembering remain in the hearts of my children so they too would remember and never forget you Lord..and their children’s children.. and their children.. for all generations.. Amen.

Hitting a Wall/Following Jesus out on the Sea of Galilee

Day 8 – Sunday March 7 Galilee of the Gentiles

CINDY

(picture by James Ward)

Today we went to:
Sepphoris, Mt. of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Tabgha, Church of Peter’s Primacy, Bethsaida, Chorazin (time permitting), boat ride. Overnight at Ein Gev Holiday Village

Today marks the half way point through our trip. Let’s just say that many of us (including me) are hitting quite a wall. Getting up at 6:30am or 7am and being on the go until 8pm (11hrs!) and packing and unpacking every night is EXHAUSTING! We have been on the move. I told one of the ladies that this trip is physical, mental, and spiritual workout. Today we walked on the to of the Mt. of Beautitudes and you are just struck with just the reality of Jesus being there with thousands from around the Decapolis listening intently to him. I wish we had more time at the sites to process. We move from site to site and town to town and up and down the bus and are usually so tired by the time we get to the hotel at night that there is very little time to process. It would be awesome if at certain sites we would have an extra 15-30 mins to journal, medidate, or just spend some time with Jesus and hearing what he wants to say to us there… There is just sooo much to take in that even when I feel Jesus is saying something I feel I got to tuck it in my pocket for later to move on and be able to hear the next words of wisdom from Hal. I think the processing times will also prevent us from “hitting a wall” as we have a moment to actually STOP during this Go, Go, Go time.

One of my favorites moments of the trip was today. We got to take a boat ride out on the Sea of Galilee. It was beautiful. I could see the surrounding hills and mountains all around.. even through some of the haze.. the mountains looked blurry.. it almost felt like a hallucination or dream, you know? .. am I really seeing those mountains in the distance? That haze can do that to you! Lol. Apart from the lil’ haze up the mountains it was beautiful. It was just becoming dusk. The sun was turning and emiting orange, red, and pink over the mountains and right on the reflection of the tranquil Sea of Galilee. The sea was so peace and so calm. I wanted to be there and never leave. That’s where Jesus walked on water and told Peter he could do the same.. should I even try? Ha!

It was the perfect spot for a devotional. Every day at least one of us leads a devotional at a site. This time it was Dr. Panell’s turn. He spoke on John 21 It’s after Jesus’ resurrection and he asks Peter 3xs “Do you love me?” He commented on Henri Nouwen’s book. There are three things Jesus is saying in his last conversation with Peter: 1. To tend his lambs 2. To serve others 3. Follow him. Jesus does not want to be a task master but asks us to follow him. He is a matter of persuasion than coercion. There is no force. What does following him mean? What does that look like? Right there sitting on the boat, whilst the sun was setting over the mountainous range and the Israelite flag was waving in the cool breeze my eyes began to tear. Jesus began to ask to me questions of where I would follow him and as he would mention places and circumstances my heart responded “Jesus, I will follow you anywhere.” .. as I said this, memories came flooding when I had said this other times in my life: when I became a Christian, left to Africa, worked on Wall Street, left everything to go see what awaited me in Canada, and even coming to Regent.. my heart can only respond “Lord, I will follow.” I can not think of any other answer. .. and though it may seem like a simple statement, it has been my life’s motto. “Lord, I will follow.” .. that’s all I can do. Go where He leads. I’m not here to lead my own life. Been there and done that. I just want to be where He is… see what He sees.. feel what He feels, partake in what He’s doing.. I can’t do anything else. These last 7 years have just been that: “following” .. most of the time I have no idea what I’m doing but one thing I can do is follow.. and so I follow.. and to follow one who knows, who loves, who teaches, and who desires nothing but good for every human being is the best leader I could ever follow. So right there on the Sea of Galilee watching the Israelite hang over the back of the boat, I chose again to follow. To follow Him. Where ever he wants me to go and wherever he wants me to be (tears)