Day 11

FRIDAY JUNE 30
this morning we packed up our bags loaded the bus and headed out for our last day in Israel.
Our first stop was Mount Precipice. This mount overlooked the Jezreal valley or the valley of Megiddo. This is where the battle of Armegeddion will be fought and the blood from the nations will be as deep as the horses bridles. This was so sombering. The valley was huge! That is so much blood, and so many people who are going to be lost for eternity!
Our second stop was Mount Carmel. This is where Elijah had a competition with the prophets of Baal to see which god was the true God.
After this we went to Cesera maritima where Herod "the great" built his palace, an amphitheater and hippodrome. This is also where Paul would have spent some of his time in prison before going to see Ceaser.
We then went to the Eastern Alter which is the alter of praise.
After this we went to our Farwell supper at Jaffa. Talk about food! The food kept coming and we were told that was only the appitizer!
We headed to the airport where we said good bye to our amazing bus driver Niem. Then we headed through check in and said good bye to our tour guide Benni.
We got through all 3 levels of security and are waiting to get on the plane.
Thanks so much for your prayers and blessings as we traveled through the land of promise!
Shalom! Next year in Jerusalem!

Day 10

Our last full day in Israel...
THURSDAY JUNE 29
We woke up and headed to the ancient boat museum. Two brothers found this boat while walking the shore line. After getting archeologists involved they discovered that this boat was a first century fishing boat. One that Jesus deciples would have used.
Then we went to the Mount of Beatitudes where we had a time of worship.
We went to Dan where we hiked up to a high place where Jereoboam led the people astray from the worship of Yehweh. We also got to see the city gate of Laish. Where Abraham would have walked by, and where the tribe of Dan settled.
We also got to see the inside of a city gate where the people would have done their business transactions. There was also an alter with Baal and Asthrea stones on it.

After this we went to the temple of Pan that was called the gates of Hades. There were multiple temples and ways the people worshiped Pan. This is the place Jesus was refrencing when he told Peter "on this rock I will build my church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail"
Then we went to the Golan Heights which is a military outpost. We could look over the land and see Syria and actually heard bombs going off in Syria.
As we were travelling to our next spot our guide was telling us stories of miraculous victories that God gave the Israeli army.
At the next place was a Syrian bunker that Israel had captured. We could go down in the bunker and we could look out and see Lebanon. Then we prayed at the Northern alter and prayed for Rain for the land of Israel (they have been in a 7 year drought)
Tomorrow we are doing a few more sights and then headed home to the good ole' US of A.

Days 8, and 9

TUESDAY JUNE 27
We woke up early and left Jerusalem. We went to the Eastern alter where we prayed for the salvation of the jewish people. Then we went to Gideon's springs where Gideon tested the men and God called only 300 to fight. 
Then we headed to Nazareth and Nazareth Village.
Nazareth village is a working farm built how it would have looked when Jesus was growing up.
When they started excavating they found the remains of a vineyard. There was terrace farming and a winepress.
We saw an olive press, a carpenters shop, a weaver and a synagogue. We had an authentic biblical meal with bread, hummus, hyssop, yogurt and  chicken. For dessert we had apple slices with fig spread.
Then we drove to Mt Arbel and looked over the sea of Galilee and the surrounding towns.
After this we went to Magdela where we saw a first century synagogue where Jesus would have preached at!
Then we went to a kubuitz where we are staying for our last three nights in Israel.
A kubuitz is a communal community where they share everything. And you work to better your community.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 28
In the morning we went to the Jordan river to be babtized. Deffinitly an Awe inspiring thing to watch.
We went to Caperneum (the town Jesus moved to) and saw the ruins of a synagogue and Peters mother-in- laws home. What was very humbling was that Jesus prophecied that because the Jewish Leaders in Caperneum regected Jesus that the city would not be rebuilt and to this day all the other cities surrounding Caperneum are thriving but that city is still in ruins.
After this we went on a boat ride on the sea of Galilee and at the end we had lunch at a restaurant. Some people had St. Peters fish which is the whole thing, head, tail, everything! While some of us opted for pasta.
We then picked up trash along the shores of the sea of Galilee as part of the Beautiful Land iniative. It's crazy how much trash there was. We picked up over 100 bags and there's was still plenty more.
We then went for a well earned and needed swim on Bora Bora beach.

Day 7!!!

Today we went to the wailing wall. A few people left prayers in the wall. These prayers are then collected by some rabbis and buried on the Mt of Olives because they are holy, being prayers written down.
We then went to David's city were the old Jerusalem was. Here we learned that Davids city was the original Jerusalem after he captured the city from the Jebusites. Later when his descendent Hezekiah ruled, the city was changed. Jerusalem's water source was outside the city so when the city was threatened by a siege Hezekiah built a wall around the water source and the houses outside the original city limits. He also ordered men to reroute the water channel from a spring all the way down to a pool. The men did this. One group started at one end and another at the other end. The waterway twisted and turned but by God's help they met!
We got to walk through the tunnel! The water was up to midthigh and cold!
Then we went to the Israel Museum where the dead sea scrolls are kept and other writings they found at Qumran. They also have the micro bible which is the world's smallest Bible!
After this we went to the ICEJ headquarters and learned about what they do and how they help people in Israel, Palestine and other places.
There are so many amazing opportunities to get involved and support Israel!
If anyone is looking for a mission oppertunity or internship check out International Christian Embassy Jerusalem website!
Tonight is out last night in Jerusalem. We leave early tomorrow morning for the north and for Galilee!  :)

Days 5 and 6

Saturday June 25
We went up to the mount of Olives  and learned about the Graves that are on the mount. The Jewish people are buried on the mountain with their feet facing the temple mount so when the Messiah comes they can rise and start marching to the Messiah's side. We then walked down to the garden of Gethsemane. There were two churches there.  One commerating where Jesus wept over the future destruction of Jerusalem and the other where Jesus is said to have knelt to pray before Judas betrayed him.

After that we walked through a convent that was the Antonia fortress and in the basement was Gabatha where Jesus was flogged before being crucified. Then we walked the Via Deloresa which went through the Muslim quarter. We went to the church of the Holy Seplachur which is one of the places they think Jesus was crucified and and laid in the tomb. It was such a big religious church and had such an almost crushing feeling. Everyone was lining up to see all these things that could have been this or that. That's one thing our tour guide and pastor Jerry really talk about. It's fine to look at the different things and take pictures of the places but don't get caught up in "this is the place!" We are commemorating events not worshiping the places.
Then we went to the Garden tomb. That was by far my most favorite stop so far. The guide showed us where they think Golgatha is. And told us that they wouldn't have really crucified Jesus on a hill but along the road so people would have to walk by them.
And then we got to see a tomb that Jesus might have been laid in. We then had communion in the garden and it was just such an amazing expierence.
SUNDAY JUNE 26
We went to the Holocaust memorial museum. This was an incredible building. Everything was symbolic even down to how the floors were.
Then we went to the children's memorial where the names of the children that were murdered were read as you walked through.
Very sobering.
We then headed to the western wall tunnels. These are tunnels that go down beside the western wall, back to 1st temple time period. We actually got to touch the exposed  mount Moriah and walk through an ancient cistern.
After this we went to the Friends of Zion museum. This is an interactive museum where the gentiles who helped the Jews are honored and learned about. It was a very neat place to visit!

Day 2 and 3 in Israel

DAY 2 (WEDNESDAY JUNE 21) Tuesday into Wednesday we stayed in a hotel in Eliat. Which is in the very tip of Israel. We could actually see the mountains of Jordan across the red sea!
We went to Timna national park where we hiked up to a temple where the Cannanites worshiped Hathor (or Ashthera). Then we went through a replica of the tabernacle built to scale using the Biblical measurements and learned how God commanded the tabernacle to be built was forshadowing Christ!
Then we drove to a beach where we went snorkeling in the Red Sea. Talk about clear water! We didn't find any Chariot wheels though... just fish and scuba divers! ;)
After we all got dressed again we went to a tent for lunch. They served us Israeli burritos (as someone in our group called them) it was flat bread with either humus, goat cheese or chocolate spread in them, then rolled like a burrito.
We then drove to a bedouin tent site for the evening. We got to ride camals in a long caravan with all 40 of our group! We went inside and learned about the bedouin way of life and got served coffee.
The place reminded me a bit of Landis Valley or Colonial Williamsburg. There were all kinds of different camp sites in different styles of tents. Our camp site was three huge tents like you would picture Abraham living in. And in the middle was a giant fire ring. The girls were in one tent and the boys were in another. We got thin little mattresses, a bed roll and a towel.
Needless to say even sleeping on the bus looked might good after that night! ;)
DAY 3 (THURSDAY MAY 22)
We left the bedouin tents pretty early in the morning and went to Massada.
This was the last stronghold the Jewish people had against the Romans. It's a fortress built on a huge mountain that is called a land horse. It is also the same place that King Herod built his Winter Palace. The zealots who were rebelling against the Romans could have outlasted them. They had plenty of food and water but the Romans had slaves build a siege ramp with slaves they had captured from a defeated Jerusalem. Scholars think that because the Jewish zealots didn't not want to kill their country men that is why the siege lasted only a short time.
After Masada we went to a prayer alter that a preacher set up on a prayer tour of Israel. This was the alter of truth. We prayed that the people of Israel would have their eyes open to Jesus and come to know him as Messiah.
We then went to En Gedi. This was the place that David hid from Saul and where he composed a lot of his psalms.
After that we went to Qumran where the dead sea scrolls were found. They have now found the whole of the old Testament whether in pieces or in whole in those caves!
We then got to float in the Dead sea! What a crazy expierence! Even if you couldn't touch the ground you could still stand up and float!
After showering all the oil and minerals off of us we headed to Jerusalem! 
As we approached Jerusalem we read the Songs of Ascent that the people would have sang as they made their 3 pilgrimages every year to the city of David.
We went through a tunnel that goes under the mount of Olives and then we saw it...
JERUSALEM!
I wish I could put in words how I felt when I saw it. My heart physically lept in my chest and I'll admit, I cried. This has been a dream come true and everything colmunated in this City.
As we drove through the city I was so struck by how sad the Jewish situation is. They have everything at their fingertips. The culture, the language, the scriptures. But they won't see Jesus as Messiah.
Even tonight as we went out into the streets for shopping and coffee we stood beside a Jewish man at a train station and someone in our group said to another person in our group something about Jesus. The Jewish man looked so disgusted and walked to a different train station.
These people are hurting so badly and need the truth so badly. Please be praying for them as you are praying for our safety over here.

Day 4

DAY 4 (FRIDAY JUNE 23)
Today we went into the old city of Jerusalem. We spent most of our time in the Jewish Quater. We sat on the southern steps where Peter preached his pentecostal message and thousands were baptized. We saw an ancient market place where people would have bought animals for their sacrifices.
We learned a lot of things about the Islamic religion and the spiritual warfare that is going on between them and the Jewish and christian people.
Then we went to the temple Institute where the Jewish people have made all the items needed to restore the third temple. They are just waiting for the right time.
We then saw the remains of Hezekiah's wall and the room that is commerative of the upper room.
We walked to St. Peters church where we could look out over the southern end of Jerusalem. There we could see potters field, the Hinnom valley, Mt. of Olives and the Kidron valley.
St Peters is where they belive Ciaphas lived and where Peter denied Jesus.
We then went back to the hotel where we had supper and got to meet a Christian family who has been in ministry in Israel for 51 years. What a blessing to hear from them and then be able to pray with them!

*only one picture because I didn't have my cell phone as much today**