Day 7 -- The camel ride happens and north to Galilee

We packed and said 'good-bye' to Jerusalem and began our trip north to the Galilee region. But first, there was this matter of a camel ride to take care of.

The Judean hills in the background frame this picture of roomates and camelmates Jane (focusing on the camera) and JoAnn (focusing on the camel).


Camels, it has been said, are the only animals created by committee, a strange creature. Have you ever heard the noise a camel makes? It starts deep in the inner chambers and echoes out the mouth in a gurgling sputter.

Chuck and Gerry just made a bet with Ricardo and Brandon -- "First one to Capernaum and back wins three goats and five cakes of raisins."


When riding a camel, you have to lean back, lean forward and then lean back as the beast of burden shifts its weight from back to front and then to the back again. Here, Bev and Peggie show us how to do it while screaming and holding on for dear life.

Riding in Israel is quite the experience. You'll be riding along and our guide say's thing like "Samson was born on the other side of that hill" and "Saul gathered his army by that stand of Eucalyptus trees" etc. The bible just comes alive in this place.

The story of Gideon preparing his army is not the way most leaders would go about it. He began by whittling it down to 300 soldiers from 30,000. It happened at this very spring. Judges 6-7 records the story that Gilla is reading from.

Beit Shean is a city that is famous in the Bible, because it is here that the corpses of Saul and his three son's were hung from the city walls after their defeat and death in battle. Over the centuries, this key crossroads location became a major Roman city. An earthquake destroyed the city in 749 and left these recently unearthed ruins for us to explore.


Within the city was a 7,000 seat theatre...and where do the theatre goers "go " at intermission? Not a lot of privacy in those days, but very effective, if not ingenious, toilet seats eh? Trust me, this was the best picture for this family blog (I have other re-enactment shots that I'm willing to sell).

What a fun day that ended with us checking into our hotel on the shores of Lake Gennesaret or as it is also known, the Sea of Galilee. So, until tomorrow, dear reader, I must sign off now and thank you for reading the narrative of this great odyssey. Feedback is always welcome. So are baked goods that look and taste like Marionberry Pie.

Day 6 -- Our last Day in Jerusalem

 

Jerusalem has been our home base for the past six days. This amazing, ancietn/modern city, is dominated by reminders of its 3,000 year history at every turn. Walking the narrow streets of the old city, as Sharon and Carolyn are doing, is a reminder that we have been blessed to be here as we began our final day in this unusual city.










 Jerusalem is a city that Abraham saw by faith and that David built with passion. Jerusalem is a city that God has put His name on and that Jesus wept over. Jerusalem is a city that has the world's attention and that will be a flashpoint for a future world war. Jerusalem is a city that has had a tumultuous past but a will have a future glory. Jerusalem, a special place indeed.



 Our morning began at the 'Pool of Bethesda' where Jesus healed a lame man. John 5 tells the story of this miracle. On location is St. Annes Chapel where we took some time to sing songs of worship to our great God. A special treat was the beautiful singing of Psalm 126 in Hebrew by our guide Gilla, which showcased the uniqueness of this acoustical environment and the beauty of the Hebrew language in which the Psalm was written.

 Afterwards we headed to the location of the fortress Antonio where Jesus would have stood trial before Pontius Pilate. It was really intense to be in the exact area where Jesus would have been flogged and beaten as He bore the stripes on His back that were prophesied in Isaiah 53. Jesus would have walked, bleeding and suffering on the very stones that we were standing on.

 This brought us to our final stop for the day, the garden tomb. Although we do not know for sure if this was the exact tomb where Jesus had been placed, it is a good indication of what it would have looked like. The proof of the empty tomb is the fullness of Christ's resurrection life in our hearts. We celebrated this fact with communion together in front of an empty tomb!

Our host at the garden tomb told us that he had 36,000 people from 40 different nations visit in the month of March. This unique place has the sounds of thousands of redeemed voices singing the songs of praise to God...a foretaste of heaven.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins... Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus...8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:1-9

Day 5 -- Masada, The Dead Sea and An Almost Camel Ride

See these bad boys? We almost got to ride them. But alas, it was not meant to be. Today we had a cool, windy and rainy day in Israel. Not what 50 pilgrims from Oregon expect when they go to the arid Middle East. Why not ride the camels in the rain? The camel people said that the camels get jumpy on wet ground, their hooves are not used to it.





Rather than risk a potentially dangerous situation, our 50 camel jockeys settled for walking to the tent of 'Father Abraham' (seen here with Pastor Dick and Dawn Scott) and eating on the floor of his tent while he told us about his journey from Ur to Canaan...Australian accent and all.

The highlight of our day was the trip to the fortress/palace of Masada. This is a very tragic and compelling part of the Israelite story complete with drama, intrigue, military might, resistance and a tragic ending of mass suicide. This was all captured in the 1981 epic movie called "Masada" -- what else would they call it?



On a high mountain top, overlooking the Dead Sea, Herod built a fortress retreat; a forty acre, self-sustaining place of protection complete with two palaces. This fortress is only 100 feet above sea level, but is very high due to the fact that it sits next to the lowest place on earth (the Dead Sea) which is 600 feet below Sea Level.

There is no record of Herod ever coming to this place, he had many other palaces and fortresses built as well and it is a testament to his paranoia, self-indulgence and ambition. The real story of this place centers around 1,000 men, women and children who fled here after the Romans sacked Jerusalem in 70 AD finding refuge for several years. Peter O'Toole, I mean Justus Flavius Silva, brought a legion of Roman soldiers and laid seige to Masada, eventually building a rampart to the top. Rather than being taken alive, the community committed mass suicide...preferring to die free than to live as slaves and in the idolatry of Rome. Until the 1970's, all Israeli soldiers were brought here to be sworn into military service and thus making the statement that never again would an Israeli be unable to defend him/herself against tyranny.

After stopping at En Geddi (an oasis surrounded by caves) where David hid from Saul and in Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, we went for a 'bob' in the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is about 35% salt and minerals and not one living thing is found there, not even micro-organisms.



It is a weird experience, and a smelly one. Your skin feels oily and the mud is desired all over the world so everyone got muddy and went for a bob.



Ezekiel 47 gives us a remarkable prophecy that one day, our God will heal these dead waters and they will teem with life both in the water and on its shores. Pretty amazing description of what God is about...bringing life out of death! Tomorrow, we go to the garden tomb...the ultimate victory of triumph over death.

Day 4 -- The Temple Mount and The Holocaust Museum

Today began with prayer on the bus for team member Harley Morgan. Harley had to go to the hospital for an issue that he has had to deal with periodically over the past several years. Harley will probably be in the hospital until Friday, so please remember him in your prayers. Harley is in good spirits and his wife Janet is taking good care of him. This was their third trip to Israel but the first time to test the health care system here.

Our stop for the morning was the Temple Mount. We stood and walked where Jesus did. The Temple was the center of the Israelites life both spiritually and culturally. Prior to Jesus becoming the 'Way' to God for us, proximity to God meant going to Jerusalem. Today, we are God's Temple and our approach and access to God is always constant and right now. We don't have to go to a specific location but can enjoy and be in the presence of the living God because of the blood of Jesus Christ which was the once and for all sacrifice for us. No more sacrifice for sin remains, therefore no longer is a temple needed. Here is a picture of our whole group near where the Temple would have stood.


Our team is made up of young and old, male and female, singles and marrieds, Beaverton Foursquare attenders and other guests. We have members on the team from South Africa, Colorado and even a Choco Indian from Panama. Here is our friend Ricardo, a tribal leader, Bible Translator and business man. Ricardo broke his foot prior to the trip but came anyway. Jim Casteel is on wheel chair duty. Jim, a Beaverton Foursquare member, has been to Panama numerous times leading church building construction projects in the jungle.

At the walls to the temple mount, many Bar Mitzvahs were taking place. The noise of drums, blowing shofars and singing were constant all morning as 13 year old boys were entering into manhood through this centuries old ritual that included reading the Torah at the Western Wall or nearby. It made for a very festive atmosphere.

Our ladies at the church are studying the Psalms of Ascent (120-135) this year. How appropriate and timely for the ladies on the trip who are participating in this study. The Psalms of ascent were sung on the pilgrimages to Jerusalem. These journeys would take the traveler upwards both physically and spiritually. The mountains around Jerusalem would be ringing with the songs of the people as they went 'upward' to meet with God. God calls us to come before Him with singing, to enter His gates with Thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. The ladies in the group led us in a reading of these Psalms as we slowly ascended the steps towards the southern gate of the Temple Mount. After reading, we sang out "How Great is our God." It was a very powerful time of worship and once again, this trip made the Bible three dimensional to each person present.

From the 'What it is worth" Department: Our guide pointed out a unique pattern on a piece of marble that is on the Mosque that stands where the Temple would have in the past. She said that many feel that it 'looks like a demonic alien.' If that is true, then we have to accept that the apparition of the Virgin Mary on someone's French Toast, found recently, is valid. And there you have it.

I'm turning into bed now, it is late and I am tired. Not sure if anyone is actually reading this blog or not? At least I know my wife is so I will sign off by saying: "I love and miss you, wish we were here together!" Till tomorrow...

Day 3 -- Bethlehem and an Archaeological dig

In case you were wondering what our breakfast buffet looks like, here is one section...not exactly what we are used to but not unwelcomed either. The sweet breads on the other side of the buffet were hard to avoid, so we didn't.



 Our day began in Bethlehem, which is in the West Bank on the other side of the border fence established as a last resort to stop the suicide bombings. The fence is a grim reminder of the smoldering, unresolved tensions that exist in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Bethlehem is host to the worlds oldest, continuous use church building (1500 years)- "The Church of the Nativity" which is a Greek Orthodox Church adjoined by a Catholic Church and an Armenian Church on each side.

To get to the grotto that purports to be the exact location of Jesus' birth and manger, we had to crouch beneath a narrow and short doorway. Our guide told us to duck and watch our heads or we would surely see the 'stars of Bethlehem.'

This 14 point star is the marker for the place that claims to be the exact birthplace of Jesus.

After a lunch of falafel's at a cafe in Bethlehem, we passed by the valley of Elah where David defeated Goliath and headed to an archaeological dig that was interacting with history from 2500+ years ago. The name of the town being unearthed was Maresha. The biblical reference for this town is in 2 Kings and is a city built by Solomon's son Rehoboam.

We got down and dirty by climbing into a cave and doing actual archaelogical work. We even have certification as 'one day diggers' to prove it. But a picture is worth a thousand words and here Peggie Hoffman shows stellar dig form and Jim and Nancy Pringle show the fruit of their hard work...a fine piece of Edomite pottery.

This was a good day...which was needed since the whole team was initially downcast upon the news that Michigan got beat yesterday.

Day 2 -- Mt of Olives; Gethsemane; Dead Sea Scrolls and Western Wall

After a Mediterranean breakfast of fish, vegetables, olives, fruits and many types of breads we launched into our day. The first stop was at the top of the Mt. of Olives which looked towards the eastern gate of the Temple Mount. Unfortunately, every tour group in the city had the same idea...you don't want to be there in the afternoon looking into the sun, that isn't good for pictures.

Within minutes, JoAnn Estep was on a camel. Joann yelled out "This is how the Wise Men rolled." There are more camel rides to come when we visit Abrahams Tent in a few days.


A view of the Eastern Gate from the Mt. of Olives. This is the gate in which scripture says that Jesus will enter upon His return. It is currently sealed up and not accessible just as the prophet Ezekiel said it would. We then commenced to journey down the Palm Sunday path that Jesus would have taken on his way to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is a long walk down into the valley but even a longer walk back up, just ask Dick Scott (no one else on the team can answer that question). Later in the day we went to the Garden of Gethsamane where Jesus prayed in agony prior to the crucifixion.

After a visit to a museum that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and a bite to eat we headed out for an evening trip to the Western wall (the portion of the old temple wall that is closest to the Temple Mount). This wall is a sacred place of prayer, world renown for the imagery of Jews engaged in 24/7 prayer. Head coverings were required to enter the area. Ed Soo, Alex Soo, Frank Ponds , Eric & David Soo and Keith Woodard are standing in front of the wall.

A tunnel exists along the full expanse of the western wall. Here, Gila is pointing out an Herodian Stone that is over 8 tons in weight. They did a lot of continual massive scale building projects in those days...all without environmental impact studies, conditional use permits, zoning ordinances,traffic studies...

This is really an amazing experience as the Bible comes alive in three dimensions. It's hard to believe that we are only completing our first full day. Everyone is still adjusting to the time differences but are almost there. Just in time to get up and head to Bethlehem. We are praying for the Sunday services at Beaverton Foursquare, that God's presence and Word will be rich among you as you gather. However, Randy is enjoying the morning off :)

Jerusalem

Every one arrived at the Tel Aviv Airport tired from the 15 hour trip but excited to begin the Israel experience. Already, the group is bonding and getting to know one another. Friendships that last a lifetime are forged through these shared experiences.



After passing through immigration, retrieving luggage (everyone's arrived) and passing through customs we were greeted by Gilla Treibich, our tour guide for the trip. Gilla is a wonderful lady who has led tour groups for Beaverton Foursquare over the years and is a special friend. Gilla's passion and knowledge of her country is obvious as she weaves historical context, biblical insight and and current events throughout her talks.

As we rode from the airport, we made our way east, upwards towards Jerusalem. Israel contains a very diverse geography for such a small place. From the coastal plains, we traveled to the Judean foothills and then up the Judean Mountains to Jerusalem. Gilla read from Psalm 122, a Psalm of ascent sung by pilgrims throughout the centuries as they journeyed to worship in Jerusalem:

"I rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the Lord."
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There the thrones for judgment stand,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels."
8 For the sake of my brothers and friends,
I will say, "Peace be within you."
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity."



As the bus came into Jerusalem, the driver played a song of tribute to God's past, present and future working in this location...many in the group knew the song and sang along on the chorus. This was a memorable moment of praise. Our first view of the city was from a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the Temple Mount and the entire sweep of the city constructed mainly of world-famous Jerusalem Stone.



After our official welcome into Jerusalem we checked into our hotel which will be our home for the next five days as we tour the surrounding sites. Needed showers, naps and settling in preceeded a very eclectic dinner buffet that was in celebration of the Sabbath. Finally, an attempt to set our bodies clocks...Israel is ten hours ahead of Pacific Dalylight Time which means...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

...and They're Off!

Sunny, warm and beautiful Jerusalem awaits them.

Shalom, Friends

We are leaving soon for Israel. For those of you who wish to keep tabs on our adventure, we will provide frequent updates and pictures. So... soon from Jerusalem... Shalom!