Ok, today we saw so much & it was probably some of the best things I have seen all trip. We started the day by going to the Garden of Gethsemane. Wow! It was unreal. Dr. Sibley gave a devotion that was so great; then his wife prayed as well as Donnie Smith & Tom Madden (who's my favorite).
The trees there are dated back to the time of Jesus. They say they're the grandkids of the trees bc even if you chop it down it still grows back. Crazy huh? After Sibley gave his devotion we had an individual prayer time. It was such a sweet time with the Lord.
I honestly didn’t know what to pray, what words to form. Knowing that I was sitting in the same Garden that Jesus prayed & prayed in until he His sweat became blood…words didn’t seem enough & almost irreverent. He prayed for the strength to endure a pain beyond my imagination & He chose it, for me. It was probably one of the best prayer times I have ever had, and I barely said 10 words.
After that we went to Caiaphas house is the place where Peter denied Christ. Also, in the basement is where they believe Jesus was taken & kept before the scourging & crucifixion. It's what they thought was a water cistern but after closer examination they saw that it couldn't have been bc it didn't have the plaster over the walls.
Plus there is a hole in the very top where they can see marks from ropes that shows where something rather heavy had been let down & brought up. Another really cool thing about the room was that they said when the Jews were growing up they would have been made to memorize the Psalms. So in this room they have a podium set up with Psalms 88 typed out so people can read it.
John Sweet, one of the guys on the tour with us, read it. It was such a special time. After he got finished reading we were all in tears & no one could speak. We all sat there imagining our Savior in this pit all alone knowing what was coming.
The really great thing is all the places we went visited today; we were the only ones in each one. Jane (our tour guide) said was almost impossible that that ever happens. I think the Lord showed us favor
Ok, our next stop was back in the Old City. Here we went to a place that the Jewish ppl seem to think David is buried but it's not true bc of a bunch of archeological reasons that I can't remember, but still they have a tomb like thing set up for him. After that we went to the Upper Room. It was really amazing. Sam Abbott did a devotional in their & it was another special time.
Next on our stop was walking the Via Dolorosa. The original steps are of course way below what we walked on, but it was special to be able to walk the way that Jesus did on his way to Calvary. I think the most special time of the Via Dolorosa was when we stopped at a place named the Sisters of Notre Dame Basilica. In the basement of this place is where they found the place where Jesus' scourging took place.
It shows in the basement a drawing of the game that the soldiers played to see what they would do to Him & then an actual part of the real Via Dolorosa. We had a quiet time & then someone started singing that song, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquity..." Oh my goodness. I can’t even type that without tearing up. It was absolutely amazing. We all sat down there singing different songs & feeling an amazing presence of the Lord.
Oddly enough that was one of the most precious times that I thought we had. It was so obvious that the Lord was around us & thinking of what had happened in that spot just made it more emotional.
Ok, our last stop was the Garden Tomb. We went in & Frank (our guide in the Garden Tomb) gave us information about Skull Hill & then we went to the tomb of Jesus.
I haven't been able to fully recognize what I felt when I walked into His tomb. I went in alone afterwards & just stood there. There is a sign on the door that they made that said, "He is not here. He is Risen." Wow! I wanted to shout right there in the tomb!!! I stood there & all I could say was 'Thank You' & then cried my eyes out. I mean, who wouldn't?! Yeesh!
After our group went through the tomb we had devotion & communion. Wow! After it was over I sat there & couldn't wrap my mind around everything that I had seen this week. I need to sit & have a moment to just let it soak in.
That's all that's happened so far during my time & that is AN ENORMOUS amount to take in. I am changed, that I do know. Forever.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Israel #5
Today we had a chance to sleep in a little. I was able to do a little shopping & eat at my addiction, Apple Pizza. Good grief that pizza is amazing. We got to the bus around 12:30 & went to the Old City of Jerusalem, where the temple & all that stuff used to be. The 2 main things we saw were The Wailing Wall & the Southern Steps.
The Wailing Wall was absolutely mind blowing. I walked down to put my prayer requests in & as I did I just started to cry. The closer I got, the harder I cried. It was an experience that I will never forget. I went down & put my requests in & prayed for I’m not sure how long. Then after I was done I just kept my head rested the Wall and listened to the ladies around me. (The men have a different section of The Wall they go to.) I couldn't understand the words they said, but you could hear the heartfelt conviction in their prayers. It was beautiful. As I walked away I was told to back out, not to turn around & show my back to The Wall. They said that the presence of God lives at there & when you turn your back on it, it’s like turning your back on God. I love the reverence they have.
Then we went to the Southern Steps which was the main gateway into the Old City. So it is 100% certain that Jesus walked on those steps. This is the part I can't really explain accurately. I sat there on those Steps, I looked to my left & I saw the Mt. of Olives then straight ahead I saw Jerusalem & mountains. The places I had been were where Jesus had been yes, but these steps I walked up & down, sat on, touched & prayed on were the very steps His feet walked. I still really have no way to describe what it felt like to be there.
We walked around the Old City & it was amazing. While we were down by the Wailing Wall they had a few weddings going on. The weddings weren’t on the main level of the Wailing Wall but around that area somewhere. One bride came to The Wall to pray, which was so cool because older ladies kept saying blessings her as she walking away.
They had a swearing in ceremony for some Israeli soldiers as well. It was for the parachuters. They were sworn in then given their Bibles & their gun; I love that combo. It was so great to see. The guys were singing, throwing each other in the air & going nuts.
This day was so great. I have a strong relationship with the Lord, but this day I feel as really deepened that. You can’t be somewhere where you know He walked, where His feet have actually touched and not be impacted. It’s impossible. I can’t wait for tomorrow bc of what’s left to see. It’s the last day of touring, but I’m positive it will be the best.
The Wailing Wall was absolutely mind blowing. I walked down to put my prayer requests in & as I did I just started to cry. The closer I got, the harder I cried. It was an experience that I will never forget. I went down & put my requests in & prayed for I’m not sure how long. Then after I was done I just kept my head rested the Wall and listened to the ladies around me. (The men have a different section of The Wall they go to.) I couldn't understand the words they said, but you could hear the heartfelt conviction in their prayers. It was beautiful. As I walked away I was told to back out, not to turn around & show my back to The Wall. They said that the presence of God lives at there & when you turn your back on it, it’s like turning your back on God. I love the reverence they have.
Then we went to the Southern Steps which was the main gateway into the Old City. So it is 100% certain that Jesus walked on those steps. This is the part I can't really explain accurately. I sat there on those Steps, I looked to my left & I saw the Mt. of Olives then straight ahead I saw Jerusalem & mountains. The places I had been were where Jesus had been yes, but these steps I walked up & down, sat on, touched & prayed on were the very steps His feet walked. I still really have no way to describe what it felt like to be there.
We walked around the Old City & it was amazing. While we were down by the Wailing Wall they had a few weddings going on. The weddings weren’t on the main level of the Wailing Wall but around that area somewhere. One bride came to The Wall to pray, which was so cool because older ladies kept saying blessings her as she walking away.
They had a swearing in ceremony for some Israeli soldiers as well. It was for the parachuters. They were sworn in then given their Bibles & their gun; I love that combo. It was so great to see. The guys were singing, throwing each other in the air & going nuts.
This day was so great. I have a strong relationship with the Lord, but this day I feel as really deepened that. You can’t be somewhere where you know He walked, where His feet have actually touched and not be impacted. It’s impossible. I can’t wait for tomorrow bc of what’s left to see. It’s the last day of touring, but I’m positive it will be the best.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Israel #4
Well, I didn't write yesterday bc I was EXHAUSTED but I can't wait to tell you all about it…so here it goes. We had a long ways to travel so we were at the bus by 6am. We went to the Sea of Galilee which was absolutely amazing. On the way up there we saw the Jordan River too. We were in Tiberius which is right on the Sea of Galilee. We stood on the shore & had devotion.
It was amazing to think that Jesus called His disciples in that area. I stood there looking out over the Sea and just I cried. Here I was looking at this water & knowing that I had been called as well, thousands of years later Jesus is still calling people to Himself. I even climbed down & touched the water. It was amazing!
After that we went up to the Mount of Beatitudes. That was absolutely GORGEOUS! Seriously, looking down over Tiberius & the Sea of Galilee standing where Jesus spoke to a crowd of people was literally overwhelming. Someone read the passage in Matthew about the Beatitudes & then we all had a quiet time. I loved it & of course I cried again. It's kind of a give-in with all these places.
Then we headed up to Zefat. In our office we have PAT (Practical Assistant Tours) trips, which when they come to Israel they help re-build bomb shelters, playgrounds, and anything else that is needed. We visited the school where the last PAT trip helped build up the playground for the kids as well as seeing the bomb shelter they help make.
After that was something really special, we went to a military base, a real Israeli military base. I can't talk much about it but it was amazing & very eye opening. I can tell you in person though about it. It was awesome.
Then we headed back to Jerusalem. The drive was absolutely beautiful, the mountains, the Sea, all the places I know that Jesus walked. I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful before. It was unreal.
Remembering all the things I saw yesterday is almost overwhelming. Really the whole trip has felt that way. I don’t think I have a full grasp on what exactly I’ve seen. A little bit at a time though it’s sinking in & when it does, I cry. I can’t think of any other response bc when I try to pray, I cry. When I try to write it down, I cry. There will be a river in heaven with just my tears from this trip. Ha!
Well, today was the amazing as well, but I will leave that for tomorrow bc I don’t want to overwhelm you.
It was amazing to think that Jesus called His disciples in that area. I stood there looking out over the Sea and just I cried. Here I was looking at this water & knowing that I had been called as well, thousands of years later Jesus is still calling people to Himself. I even climbed down & touched the water. It was amazing!
After that we went up to the Mount of Beatitudes. That was absolutely GORGEOUS! Seriously, looking down over Tiberius & the Sea of Galilee standing where Jesus spoke to a crowd of people was literally overwhelming. Someone read the passage in Matthew about the Beatitudes & then we all had a quiet time. I loved it & of course I cried again. It's kind of a give-in with all these places.
Then we headed up to Zefat. In our office we have PAT (Practical Assistant Tours) trips, which when they come to Israel they help re-build bomb shelters, playgrounds, and anything else that is needed. We visited the school where the last PAT trip helped build up the playground for the kids as well as seeing the bomb shelter they help make.
After that was something really special, we went to a military base, a real Israeli military base. I can't talk much about it but it was amazing & very eye opening. I can tell you in person though about it. It was awesome.
Then we headed back to Jerusalem. The drive was absolutely beautiful, the mountains, the Sea, all the places I know that Jesus walked. I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful before. It was unreal.
Remembering all the things I saw yesterday is almost overwhelming. Really the whole trip has felt that way. I don’t think I have a full grasp on what exactly I’ve seen. A little bit at a time though it’s sinking in & when it does, I cry. I can’t think of any other response bc when I try to pray, I cry. When I try to write it down, I cry. There will be a river in heaven with just my tears from this trip. Ha!
Well, today was the amazing as well, but I will leave that for tomorrow bc I don’t want to overwhelm you.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Israel #3
I hope all is well with you. I'm sitting in the apt after taking a FREEZING shower. Something is wrong with hot water & I'm the one who had the privilege of finding out. It wasn't the kind of cold that’s almost refreshing either. It's the kind of cold that takes your breath away & makes you temporarily paralyzed. I prayed the whole time.
Today we went to the Dead Sea, Masada & Qumran. The Dead Sea is crazy. Jane said that the salt content is 33% & the Pacific & the Mediterranean has only 4.1%. Yea, thinking of it like that is absolutely crazy.
On the way to Masada we went through Jericho & also drove a good distance of the place where David ran away from Saul when he was acting a fool. Those hills are the very place that inspired David to write some of his Psalms. INSANE! He's my favorite so that was really special for me.
We stopped when we got to Sea Level to takes pictures by the sign. While we were there was a little guy with a camel who would let you ride it for like 5 shekels. I did it! It was fun. I had never ridden a camel before, but I liked it. I felt really tall.
Masada is an amazing place & I cannot wait for you to see the pictures. It'll blow your mind. It's this mountain where Herod made a getaway palace for himself and the fool was crazy, but he sure knew how to put a design together.
After Herod died, some Jews that were considered zealots made camp on the mountain. They changed it to a living environment for a city of people instead of just one man’s house. It's crazy. The Romans came to kill em off & when they got there the Jews decided to take the lives of their families & themselves instead of letting them be taken into slavery. While they were excavating, they found little pieces of tablets with the names of 10 men; they were the head of the city. It's so overwhelming. I know it's a VERY brief overview but that shows you why it's so important.
After that we went to Qumran. This is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. You can see where these guys, who called themselves the men of light, did rituals & wrote down the words on scrolls that they then hid into the hills of this place. A little boy actually found the scrolls in 1947 randomly by throwing a rock in a hole. Can you believe that? Jane said they have all of the Old Testament, except for Esther.
I took a load of pictures of that too because it's so amazing. I'm hoping to go to the museum in Jerusalem to see the real Dead Sea scrolls. We shall see.
Today we went to the Dead Sea, Masada & Qumran. The Dead Sea is crazy. Jane said that the salt content is 33% & the Pacific & the Mediterranean has only 4.1%. Yea, thinking of it like that is absolutely crazy.
On the way to Masada we went through Jericho & also drove a good distance of the place where David ran away from Saul when he was acting a fool. Those hills are the very place that inspired David to write some of his Psalms. INSANE! He's my favorite so that was really special for me.
We stopped when we got to Sea Level to takes pictures by the sign. While we were there was a little guy with a camel who would let you ride it for like 5 shekels. I did it! It was fun. I had never ridden a camel before, but I liked it. I felt really tall.
Masada is an amazing place & I cannot wait for you to see the pictures. It'll blow your mind. It's this mountain where Herod made a getaway palace for himself and the fool was crazy, but he sure knew how to put a design together.
After Herod died, some Jews that were considered zealots made camp on the mountain. They changed it to a living environment for a city of people instead of just one man’s house. It's crazy. The Romans came to kill em off & when they got there the Jews decided to take the lives of their families & themselves instead of letting them be taken into slavery. While they were excavating, they found little pieces of tablets with the names of 10 men; they were the head of the city. It's so overwhelming. I know it's a VERY brief overview but that shows you why it's so important.
After that we went to Qumran. This is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. You can see where these guys, who called themselves the men of light, did rituals & wrote down the words on scrolls that they then hid into the hills of this place. A little boy actually found the scrolls in 1947 randomly by throwing a rock in a hole. Can you believe that? Jane said they have all of the Old Testament, except for Esther.
I took a load of pictures of that too because it's so amazing. I'm hoping to go to the museum in Jerusalem to see the real Dead Sea scrolls. We shall see.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Israel #2
Today I was our first day of touring. Jane is our tour guide & she's great. Michael & Gina have worked with her for over 20 years. When they first met her she was a devote Jew, then over time with only Michael & Gina showing her love, she called & asked to come visit. Michael said he opened the door & could instantly see a difference in her. She told them that she had found Jesus. It makes me tear up every time, even typing it! She's great & so smart it's nauseating.
Today we went to Caesarea & Mt. Carmel. First up was Caesarea. This is the place that Herod the Great developed & it is absolutely amazing. So much of this place has been excavated and that is what makes it so great. You see the original work of this man and even though he was crazy evil, he was a genius. We saw a theater that he designed & had built, it's huge. You could flood the stage part to do naval plays & other weird things.
Our next stop was Mt. Carmel. I was SO excited about this. This is where Elijah called down the fire from Heaven when he challenged the worshippers of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40). I stood on that very mountain and to be honest, I was speechless. I stood up there reading the chapter & thinking about how the words I was reading were played out on the ground I stood on. It wasn't just a story to me anymore.
Also, if you looked down the mountain, it was a long distance to the valley down below. That stretch to the valley is where Elijah ran down like it says in 1 Kings 18:41-46. I was standing in the midst of history. History that I have read a thousand times but it was alive all around me.
On top of Mt. Carmel you also saw the valley that the battle of Armageddon will take place. What is interesting is that on that valley is where the largest Israeli defense area is, and it’s underground. While we were up there we saw 2 planes fly out & go do training maneuvers. We heard them shooting & everything.
After we did that we picked up the rest of the group from the airport and went to a place called The Lebanese Restaurant. They’re real original with the title huh? Guess what, it's a Lebanese restaurant. Shocker.
I know you're thinking, ‘there's no way you liked anything’ and you would be WRONG! I ate everything they put in front of me & LOVED it. I'll now wait as you pick your chin up off the ground...ok, let’s continue. I ate something called a falafel, humus, pumpkin something or other that didn't taste like pumpkin at all, pita bread, some Turkish coffee, this crazy chicken & beef on a skewer, a cucumber-lettuce-tomato-spicy type thing, some desert (that was amazing) and so on.
I am now back at the apt full as a tick & simply elated about my day. I cannot wait for tomorrow and what will be another crazy amazing day!
Today we went to Caesarea & Mt. Carmel. First up was Caesarea. This is the place that Herod the Great developed & it is absolutely amazing. So much of this place has been excavated and that is what makes it so great. You see the original work of this man and even though he was crazy evil, he was a genius. We saw a theater that he designed & had built, it's huge. You could flood the stage part to do naval plays & other weird things.
Our next stop was Mt. Carmel. I was SO excited about this. This is where Elijah called down the fire from Heaven when he challenged the worshippers of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40). I stood on that very mountain and to be honest, I was speechless. I stood up there reading the chapter & thinking about how the words I was reading were played out on the ground I stood on. It wasn't just a story to me anymore.
Also, if you looked down the mountain, it was a long distance to the valley down below. That stretch to the valley is where Elijah ran down like it says in 1 Kings 18:41-46. I was standing in the midst of history. History that I have read a thousand times but it was alive all around me.
On top of Mt. Carmel you also saw the valley that the battle of Armageddon will take place. What is interesting is that on that valley is where the largest Israeli defense area is, and it’s underground. While we were up there we saw 2 planes fly out & go do training maneuvers. We heard them shooting & everything.
After we did that we picked up the rest of the group from the airport and went to a place called The Lebanese Restaurant. They’re real original with the title huh? Guess what, it's a Lebanese restaurant. Shocker.
I know you're thinking, ‘there's no way you liked anything’ and you would be WRONG! I ate everything they put in front of me & LOVED it. I'll now wait as you pick your chin up off the ground...ok, let’s continue. I ate something called a falafel, humus, pumpkin something or other that didn't taste like pumpkin at all, pita bread, some Turkish coffee, this crazy chicken & beef on a skewer, a cucumber-lettuce-tomato-spicy type thing, some desert (that was amazing) and so on.
I am now back at the apt full as a tick & simply elated about my day. I cannot wait for tomorrow and what will be another crazy amazing day!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Israel #1
The flight over was only 10 hrs & about 30 min. We even got in 30 min earlier than expected. On the way back it’ll be around 13 or so, isn't that weird? I slept a good bit of the way over so that helped.
We landed & came straight to the Utterback's (my boss) apartment. I can't explain to you the views from their decks, it's INSANE. One view shows you all of Jerusalem; the second from their bedroom shows you an AMAZING view of the Old City, that’s where the wailing wall & all that jazz is.
Today we got up & went to a place called Ben Yehudah Street. It's got a lot of crazy stories, amazing smelling food & crazy singer/musicians. What's funny is that I went to a pizza place called The Big Apple; it's Kosher so they don't serve any meat but I got a pizza called Bulgaria. It has cheese & some kind of feta on the top...FABULOUS. Seriously, it's probably the best pizza I've ever eaten.
After that we went on a walk & then to pick up some people from the airport that are part of the festivities whilst we are here. After we picked them up Michael drove us around the Old City where I saw Mt. Zion, the burial site of Zachariah, Hezekiah's city, the Eastern Wall, the City of David & the Mt. of Olives. WOW. Thankfully I get to go tour these places as well, so this wasn’t my only time I see them.
Now I'm sitting on the couch full as a tick bc we just ate a place called Focaccia. The bread makes me want to dance & shout. It was SUPER good. I don't think I'll starve.
Well tomorrow is Shabot so basically nothing will be open. It'll be a day of relaxation which is good bc Monday is when the party of touring begins. I cannot wait to see & experience everything that's ahead of me.
We landed & came straight to the Utterback's (my boss) apartment. I can't explain to you the views from their decks, it's INSANE. One view shows you all of Jerusalem; the second from their bedroom shows you an AMAZING view of the Old City, that’s where the wailing wall & all that jazz is.
Today we got up & went to a place called Ben Yehudah Street. It's got a lot of crazy stories, amazing smelling food & crazy singer/musicians. What's funny is that I went to a pizza place called The Big Apple; it's Kosher so they don't serve any meat but I got a pizza called Bulgaria. It has cheese & some kind of feta on the top...FABULOUS. Seriously, it's probably the best pizza I've ever eaten.
After that we went on a walk & then to pick up some people from the airport that are part of the festivities whilst we are here. After we picked them up Michael drove us around the Old City where I saw Mt. Zion, the burial site of Zachariah, Hezekiah's city, the Eastern Wall, the City of David & the Mt. of Olives. WOW. Thankfully I get to go tour these places as well, so this wasn’t my only time I see them.
Now I'm sitting on the couch full as a tick bc we just ate a place called Focaccia. The bread makes me want to dance & shout. It was SUPER good. I don't think I'll starve.
Well tomorrow is Shabot so basically nothing will be open. It'll be a day of relaxation which is good bc Monday is when the party of touring begins. I cannot wait to see & experience everything that's ahead of me.
**Ta-Dah**
Thank you, thank you, and thank you. My blog is up & am uber excited. The thought to create on was to let people know how my trip to Israel; however, I thought if I'm going to do I mid-as-well (if you're a Southerner you can read that correctly) do it right nice.
So the purpose of this blog is unknown at this point. I have no grand theme to lay before to attempt to sway you to follow along on this journey with me. I do hope you enjoy what you read & take time to enjoy life today.
So the purpose of this blog is unknown at this point. I have no grand theme to lay before to attempt to sway you to follow along on this journey with me. I do hope you enjoy what you read & take time to enjoy life today.
Israel
As most of you know I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Israel. I left December 30, 2009 and returned January 14, 2010. It was a trip that changed me in a way that I cannot describe. The sites I saw were seared in my memory. The emotions that overwhelmed me will forever take my breath. I will put up the emails one day at a time so you can read over them.
Through this trip I have a new lens while reading the Bible and knowing I was in His land. The same sun that warmed His face warmed mine. My feet have walked the ground where He has walked. My face felt the same wind that whipped off the Sea of Galilee and cooled His face. I have read the Bible since I was able to read. I have heard the stories and possibly can quote most of them. However, now when I open my Bible I read the words with a new found wonder.
I am changed in a way that is definitely for my benefit. I hope through these emails you can see how He showed Himself to me in the simplest of ways, as well as times that were so overwhelming they left me speechless.
Through this trip I have a new lens while reading the Bible and knowing I was in His land. The same sun that warmed His face warmed mine. My feet have walked the ground where He has walked. My face felt the same wind that whipped off the Sea of Galilee and cooled His face. I have read the Bible since I was able to read. I have heard the stories and possibly can quote most of them. However, now when I open my Bible I read the words with a new found wonder.
I am changed in a way that is definitely for my benefit. I hope through these emails you can see how He showed Himself to me in the simplest of ways, as well as times that were so overwhelming they left me speechless.
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