we did some more touring today, trying to pack in the myriad of sites to see here in the old city before we leave. i think we are all ready to come home, two weeks is a long time and it feels like i've been here a month. time goes differently here somehow...
it was really neat to see the pools of bethesda today, very moving to be in one of the oldest preserved places in the old city. i can't even wrap my head around all that i have been blessed to see and hear while i've been here. even more moving than the sites we've seen have been the people that we have met and talked with. it seems that this place engenders a spirit of kinship among all people who come here, and it's easy to strike up a conversation with someone that you would ordinarily just walk by on the street. to hear the stories of these "living stones" of jerusalem has been probably the most rewarding part of the trip.
we celebrated shabbat with a jewish community here. the service was beautiful, i could have listened to the cantor for hours. when she sang the song of the sea, the one miriam sang after the israelites had crossed the red sea safely, i was so moved to be able to hear it in much the same way as miriam sang it centuries ago...
shabbat service was followed by a fabulous dinner, with many jewish families and their children. the best part of the dinner was not the food, although that was delicious, but the little boy, son of one of our host families, who stood proudly on his papa's chair and recited the blessing over the bread in a strong, clear, child's voice. it was a lovely moment and the smile on his face and the pride that he obviously felt to have completed such an honor was priceless.
today, we spend the day just enjoying our last day here, then on to a plane to come home. i am ready to leave, but will take pieces of this place with me forward into the rest of my journey that we call life....
l'chaim!
to life!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday, January 28
We left the guesthouse early this morning to travel to the top of the Mount of Olives, to visit Augusta Victoria hospital. it is a hospital run by the Lutheran World Federation, and they do great work here in the holy land. they provide cancer screenings and treatment, dialysis services, and services for the elderly, along with other medical services. it is the only hospital in palestine where cancer diagnosis and treatment is provided, so they also send out mobile mammography units to the rest of the west bank and gaza strip. it was amazing to hear from Rev. Mark Brown, the director, about the much needed services that augusta victoria provides. i now know where many of the quilts and health kits that churches put together are distributed from here in the holy land, and it warmed my heart to hear stories of how much joy those things bring. the quilts are especially appreciated by the children in the refugee camps, who have never had anything to call their own, and bring a bit of joyous color into a world that most times looks bleak. another project that augusta victoria and the lutheran world federation is taking on is building housing units for palestinian christians next to the hospital, in order to help maintain a christian presence here. God willing, construction on these units will begin later this year. we ended our time at augusta victoria with a visit to the church there, which is built on the traditional site from which Christ ascended into heaven. it was a beautiful church and we enjoyed singing together in it. the acoustics were very good, and we sounded really great! the church has a very high tower, which we were able to climb up inside. i opted not to climb, as my knees are getting a little sore and i knew we had a long walk down the mount of olives awaiting us. the view from the top provides a spectacular view of all of jerusalem, up into the galilee, and down into the jordan valley and the dead sea. i had a friend take my camera up and get pictures for me, so that i can live vicariously through my camera!
the journey down the mount of olives provided a stop at the place where Jesus wept over jerusalem, then continued down to the garden of gethsemane. it was a beautiful, clear blue sky, sunshiney day, about 70 degrees and i enjoyed sitting in the sun and appreciating the peace and calm of the garden and the grove of olive trees. i know why Christ loved to go here and pray, it is very peaceful and calming.
many of us are now on the countdown to the number of hours that it will be until we see our families, not that we haven't enjoyed our time here. it is time, however, to go home, embrace our loved ones, and carry on the work that Christ commissioned us all to do when he ascended back home from that peak that we stood on today - "Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
words to live by.
the journey down the mount of olives provided a stop at the place where Jesus wept over jerusalem, then continued down to the garden of gethsemane. it was a beautiful, clear blue sky, sunshiney day, about 70 degrees and i enjoyed sitting in the sun and appreciating the peace and calm of the garden and the grove of olive trees. i know why Christ loved to go here and pray, it is very peaceful and calming.
many of us are now on the countdown to the number of hours that it will be until we see our families, not that we haven't enjoyed our time here. it is time, however, to go home, embrace our loved ones, and carry on the work that Christ commissioned us all to do when he ascended back home from that peak that we stood on today - "Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
words to live by.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Via Dolorosa, Holy Sepulcher, Shrine of the Book
today we walked the via dolorosa, the way of the cross. we began our journey by leaving our guesthouse and going out zion gate, walked outside the city walls, and came in through herod's gate, near the antonia fortress. this was our first stop, at the site of the antonia fortress, where Jesus was judged by pilate, who found no fault in this man, then had him flogged. it was eerie standing in the courtyard there, in the place that Christ was scourged. from there we walked just next door to the place known as "ecco homos", "behold the man", which is where Christ was presented by pilate to the crowds along with barrabas, offering the crowd an option to release one of them. they, of course, chose barrabas, and from there Christ was handed over to be crucified, stripped of his clothing, given a purple robe and crown of thorns, mocked and spat upon before being given his cross to carry. we descended down a flight of stairs to the old part of the street that has been preserved, where we were able to see the roman street that existed at the time of Christ. i wondered, was he spat upon here? did he drag his cross along this street?
the rest of the stations were marked, many with small chapels where we were able to stop and ponder. i was surprised at how respectful the marketplace vendors were as we walked by, not bothering us with the usual hawking and encouraging us to come and look at what they had to sell.
we ended at the church of the Holy Sepulcher, where tradition holds is the place of Golgotha, where Christ was crucified, and also the place of the tomb. It is an enormous place, very beautiful and very old, from the 3rd or 4th century. i did go up to the place that is marked as the spot of the cross, it's quite a climb up the steps, and was able to kneel and touch the stone of golgotha beneath the altar. after i descended, i looked to go down to the tomb area, but had an overwhelming feeling not to go there. and then the verse from scripture popped into my head, "why do you seek the living among the dead? he is not here, he is risen." i took this as a pretty good cue and instead went to sit outside in the courtyard of the church, among the stones of jerusalem and the birds. that felt like the right place to be.
after lunch (we found a place that sold pizza slices, kosher of course!) we got on the bus and journeyed to the israel museum and the shrine of the book. they have a large scale model outside, 1/50, of the city of jerusalem at the time of the second temple, the time of Jesus. that was really cool, to see a bird's eye view of the entire city as it was back then.
the shrine of the book was, i think, my favorite thing today. in here are housed many of the scrolls and codexes found in the excavations at the dead sea. it is shaped like a large jar, such as the type that the scrolls were found in. walking into the center of the room, you see the isaiah scroll, the most intact and complete scroll found at qumran. it is not the whole scroll, only a portion, and is not the real thing, it is a replica. but it was still amazing to see the huge piece there for viewing. i was very moved to be able to observe such ancient texts, many of the jars, and tools found in the excavation of the site. our tour guide, Naim, was one of the workers at the excavation site and personally knew the young boy who first discovered the scrolls in the caves. it was fun to hear him talk about the excavation and to point himself, the boy, and many of his colleagues out in the pictures on display.
the day has gone from the way of sorrows of the word made flesh to the way of joy of discovering ancient words.
shalom,
jan
the rest of the stations were marked, many with small chapels where we were able to stop and ponder. i was surprised at how respectful the marketplace vendors were as we walked by, not bothering us with the usual hawking and encouraging us to come and look at what they had to sell.
we ended at the church of the Holy Sepulcher, where tradition holds is the place of Golgotha, where Christ was crucified, and also the place of the tomb. It is an enormous place, very beautiful and very old, from the 3rd or 4th century. i did go up to the place that is marked as the spot of the cross, it's quite a climb up the steps, and was able to kneel and touch the stone of golgotha beneath the altar. after i descended, i looked to go down to the tomb area, but had an overwhelming feeling not to go there. and then the verse from scripture popped into my head, "why do you seek the living among the dead? he is not here, he is risen." i took this as a pretty good cue and instead went to sit outside in the courtyard of the church, among the stones of jerusalem and the birds. that felt like the right place to be.
after lunch (we found a place that sold pizza slices, kosher of course!) we got on the bus and journeyed to the israel museum and the shrine of the book. they have a large scale model outside, 1/50, of the city of jerusalem at the time of the second temple, the time of Jesus. that was really cool, to see a bird's eye view of the entire city as it was back then.
the shrine of the book was, i think, my favorite thing today. in here are housed many of the scrolls and codexes found in the excavations at the dead sea. it is shaped like a large jar, such as the type that the scrolls were found in. walking into the center of the room, you see the isaiah scroll, the most intact and complete scroll found at qumran. it is not the whole scroll, only a portion, and is not the real thing, it is a replica. but it was still amazing to see the huge piece there for viewing. i was very moved to be able to observe such ancient texts, many of the jars, and tools found in the excavation of the site. our tour guide, Naim, was one of the workers at the excavation site and personally knew the young boy who first discovered the scrolls in the caves. it was fun to hear him talk about the excavation and to point himself, the boy, and many of his colleagues out in the pictures on display.
the day has gone from the way of sorrows of the word made flesh to the way of joy of discovering ancient words.
shalom,
jan
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Gethsemane
we had the afternoon free today after some meetings this morning. a bunch of us walked down to the marketplace and found a burger place! the hamburger i ordered was as big as my head i think, and came with onion rings or fries and a beverage. i ordered the onion rings, at least once on this trip i need to have onion breath, right? it cost me 55 shekels, which is roughly 13 or 14 dollars, but it was worth every shekel. not as good as the burgers at home, but when all you've been eating is chicken, lamb, falafel, or schwerma for over a week, it tasted like heaven!
after lunch, we walked to lion gate and traveled down across the kidron valley up to the mount of olives and the garden of gethsemane. there is a beautiful church there that i'm sure we will tour when we make our group visit, but we opted to walk the grounds and enjoy the garden. it was beautiful, even though it was a cloudy day, and i enjoy the peace of the place immensely. i have to brag here, because i hiked up to nearly the top of the mount of olives, which presented me with a beautiful view of the kidron valley, the garden, and old jerusalem, looking upon the golden gate, which Jesus is supposed to enter through when he returns. the muslims have bricked it shut though, like that's gonna stop him! lol.
some of the trees there are over 2000 years old, which means i was looking at trees that were there when Christ was, how amazing is that? we had a wonderful experience when we met the gardener who is in charge of caring for the old olive trees within the fenced in area, the really old ones. we visited with him for quite awhile and he told us how he cares for the garden and the trees. he was kind enough to offer to take our cameras inside the fenced in area and take pictures of the oldest tree from inside, AWESOME!! he is a palestinian christian, whose father used to be the gardener before him. he is not married, (it would cost him 10,000 dollars in dowry to get a wife), so he has no son yet to carry on his profession. that was sad to hear about. now i know why the young men are offering me 40 camels for my daughters! i'm holding out for 75 camels girls, so don't worry yet, you have to haggle a bit to get the price you want.
all in all, it's been a very good day and i end it with sore feet after about six miles of hiking and a full heart after being able to pray where my Lord did before his death. powerful.
God bless you all.
five days until i come home, but who's counting?!
shalom,
jan
after lunch, we walked to lion gate and traveled down across the kidron valley up to the mount of olives and the garden of gethsemane. there is a beautiful church there that i'm sure we will tour when we make our group visit, but we opted to walk the grounds and enjoy the garden. it was beautiful, even though it was a cloudy day, and i enjoy the peace of the place immensely. i have to brag here, because i hiked up to nearly the top of the mount of olives, which presented me with a beautiful view of the kidron valley, the garden, and old jerusalem, looking upon the golden gate, which Jesus is supposed to enter through when he returns. the muslims have bricked it shut though, like that's gonna stop him! lol.
some of the trees there are over 2000 years old, which means i was looking at trees that were there when Christ was, how amazing is that? we had a wonderful experience when we met the gardener who is in charge of caring for the old olive trees within the fenced in area, the really old ones. we visited with him for quite awhile and he told us how he cares for the garden and the trees. he was kind enough to offer to take our cameras inside the fenced in area and take pictures of the oldest tree from inside, AWESOME!! he is a palestinian christian, whose father used to be the gardener before him. he is not married, (it would cost him 10,000 dollars in dowry to get a wife), so he has no son yet to carry on his profession. that was sad to hear about. now i know why the young men are offering me 40 camels for my daughters! i'm holding out for 75 camels girls, so don't worry yet, you have to haggle a bit to get the price you want.
all in all, it's been a very good day and i end it with sore feet after about six miles of hiking and a full heart after being able to pray where my Lord did before his death. powerful.
God bless you all.
five days until i come home, but who's counting?!
shalom,
jan
Monday, January 25, 2010
Mornings in Jerusalem
There is something about waking up in this place. as i sat on the rooftop this morning overlooking the dome of the rock and the old city, sipping my cup of coffee, i heard the sounds of the old city carried up to me. the voices of the vendors in the market, the prayers of the men and women at the western wall carried on the breeze toward me, softly praying to the Almighty. suddenly the city is awakened by the sounds of the jewish call to worship over a loudspeaker, competing with the muslim call to prayer from the minaret. as if to not be left out, the bells of the redemmer church and the church of the holy sepulcher begin to ring, pealing the joy of the lord in the resurrected one.....
this is morning in jerusalem, and it is lovely.
this is morning in jerusalem, and it is lovely.
Sunday and Monday, January 24-25
Since i am not able to blog everyday (computer priveleges here are at a premium, with many of us trying to share one computer), i will probably post as many days as i can at once.
yesterday, sunday, we began the day with worship at the english speaking service of the redeemer lutheran church here in jerusalem. it was wonderful to be able to worship here in the "holy city". after church we met with the pastor of the church to hear about the work that redeemer lutheran does here in jerusalem and their efforts to work toward peace. we came back to the guesthouse to change clothes, then headed into the marketplace of the old city for lunch, which was delicious. the marketplace of the old city is fascinating, colorful, and noisy! many cultures and languages blend together to provide a wonderful experience of sight and sound.
following lunch, we walked to the southern wall of the old city and the southern steps. it was very moving to sit on the steps leading up to the old city and gaze out over jerusalem, imagining what it must have been like thousands of years ago and realizing that i was sitting in front of a wall that was built before Christ was born.
our journey then took us into the old city again, to the western wall. once again, i find myself at a loss for words in describing what it was like to place my hands on the only wall remaining of the temple of Jesus' time, lean my head against it, and pray to the almighty. i had written my prayer on a slip of paper and, along with many others, slipped it into a crack of the wall. i wept as i leaned against the wall, feeling the coolness of the stone and hearing the voices of the ages join with the voices of the present lifted in prayer to Almighty God, creator of all that exists. Yahweh, Adonai, HaShem, Lord, Father, Savior, King of Kings, Imanuel. an experience i will never forget and treasure always.
today, monday, we heard from an israeli agency that works for peace and ending the conflict with the palestinians over this land that both peoples call "home". it was encouraging to hear how israeli voices are joined in condemning the injustices that are being done here and their efforts in working for peace and justice. after that, we went to a qibbutz for lunch, then to Yad Vashem, the memorial to the victims of the holocaust. i am speechless as i try to convey how moving this experience was. it is something i hope to share with you in person. we were not allowed to take cameras in, so no pictures, which is fine with me because i would have felt like i was violating something by taking pictures.
i am tired. tired of sleeping alone, tired of missing my family, tired of pita bread and yogurt and vegetables. but i am also grateful for the time i have had here and for the opportunity to experience the land that Jesus called home while he walked this earth and the people that he ministered to. i am renewed in my call to "come and follow" and "go and tell".
yesterday, sunday, we began the day with worship at the english speaking service of the redeemer lutheran church here in jerusalem. it was wonderful to be able to worship here in the "holy city". after church we met with the pastor of the church to hear about the work that redeemer lutheran does here in jerusalem and their efforts to work toward peace. we came back to the guesthouse to change clothes, then headed into the marketplace of the old city for lunch, which was delicious. the marketplace of the old city is fascinating, colorful, and noisy! many cultures and languages blend together to provide a wonderful experience of sight and sound.
following lunch, we walked to the southern wall of the old city and the southern steps. it was very moving to sit on the steps leading up to the old city and gaze out over jerusalem, imagining what it must have been like thousands of years ago and realizing that i was sitting in front of a wall that was built before Christ was born.
our journey then took us into the old city again, to the western wall. once again, i find myself at a loss for words in describing what it was like to place my hands on the only wall remaining of the temple of Jesus' time, lean my head against it, and pray to the almighty. i had written my prayer on a slip of paper and, along with many others, slipped it into a crack of the wall. i wept as i leaned against the wall, feeling the coolness of the stone and hearing the voices of the ages join with the voices of the present lifted in prayer to Almighty God, creator of all that exists. Yahweh, Adonai, HaShem, Lord, Father, Savior, King of Kings, Imanuel. an experience i will never forget and treasure always.
today, monday, we heard from an israeli agency that works for peace and ending the conflict with the palestinians over this land that both peoples call "home". it was encouraging to hear how israeli voices are joined in condemning the injustices that are being done here and their efforts in working for peace and justice. after that, we went to a qibbutz for lunch, then to Yad Vashem, the memorial to the victims of the holocaust. i am speechless as i try to convey how moving this experience was. it is something i hope to share with you in person. we were not allowed to take cameras in, so no pictures, which is fine with me because i would have felt like i was violating something by taking pictures.
i am tired. tired of sleeping alone, tired of missing my family, tired of pita bread and yogurt and vegetables. but i am also grateful for the time i have had here and for the opportunity to experience the land that Jesus called home while he walked this earth and the people that he ministered to. i am renewed in my call to "come and follow" and "go and tell".
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saturday January 23\; Jerusalem
Today was the big day, on to Jerusalem! athough i must admit, i'm not looking forward to having to leave the galilee, it's so beautiful here. going back to a big and crowded city will be hard to adjust to again. but, after all, it is the holy city!
we began by traveling south to jericho, with a stop there for lunch, some shopping, and a camel ride! we got to see the remains of the old walls of jericho and also were able to view temptation point, where Christ was tempted by the devil after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. we also stopped to see the sycamore tree that zaccheus climbed up to see Jesus - that was awesome!
then, on to Jerusalem. you can't imagine the view as you come up out of the barren valley of the dead sea and look to the city of jerusalem. i can't put words here to how it feels to be here. i will just tell you that, when we got to the lutheran guest house, where we are staying for the week, i walked out onto the rooftop terrace to take in the view and wept as i looked out at the old city, over to the church of the holy sepulcher a stone's throw away, and to the dome of the rock, also a stone's throw away.
much more to come tomorrow, as we are set to visit the southern gate and the wailing wall after we worship at lutheran church of the redeemer in the morning.
i sat and drank a maccabee beer on the roof, looked at the dome of the rock, and thought of you all whom i miss so much.
it's true, one does feel closer to heaven here.
we began by traveling south to jericho, with a stop there for lunch, some shopping, and a camel ride! we got to see the remains of the old walls of jericho and also were able to view temptation point, where Christ was tempted by the devil after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. we also stopped to see the sycamore tree that zaccheus climbed up to see Jesus - that was awesome!
then, on to Jerusalem. you can't imagine the view as you come up out of the barren valley of the dead sea and look to the city of jerusalem. i can't put words here to how it feels to be here. i will just tell you that, when we got to the lutheran guest house, where we are staying for the week, i walked out onto the rooftop terrace to take in the view and wept as i looked out at the old city, over to the church of the holy sepulcher a stone's throw away, and to the dome of the rock, also a stone's throw away.
much more to come tomorrow, as we are set to visit the southern gate and the wailing wall after we worship at lutheran church of the redeemer in the morning.
i sat and drank a maccabee beer on the roof, looked at the dome of the rock, and thought of you all whom i miss so much.
it's true, one does feel closer to heaven here.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Friday, January 22: Galilee
today was the most emotional day for me yet, and i think it may be the highlight of this trip for me. we began with the typical breakfast of pita, hummus, fruits and vegetables, olives and cheese with the added bonus of scrambled eggs and pudding! never have scrambled eggs tasted so good!
we journeyed to sepphoris, the home of Joachim and Anna, Mary's parents. the ruins there are incredible, all fairly intact, down to the ruts of the chariots in the roman roads and the mosaic floors in the buildings.
from there we traveled to the sea of galilee and stopped at the mount of the beatitudes, where Jesus preached the sermon on the mount. we brought a bible with us (of course!) and read the sermon on the mount out loud in a small grove, each of us taking turns reading. that was so profound, to read the words that Christ himself spoke from this very spot. i wept as i wandered the grounds and looked out over the beautiful sea of galilee, imagining the call of Jesus to Peter and Andrew, James and John to follow him. I reflected on my own call to come and follow, go and tell as tears ran down my cheeks. it was a beautiful, clear blue sky day with amazing sunshine and about 70 degrees. perfect.
lunch was fresh fish caught in the sea of galilee, cooked to perfection (yes, the head was still on, and yes, i ate it that way!) and served with a wonderful local white wine.
after a stop at tagba, the place where the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the feeding of the 5000 occured, we then went to the shores of the beautiful sea of galilee. we explored the museum that houses the 2000 year old fishing boat that was recovered from the mud on the edge of the sea. it was amazing to view the boat itself, as it was restored and preserved. how profound to wonder whether this was a boat that peter, andrew, james or john had used to making a living before being called to follow the man who stilled the waters and calmed the sea. had this boat been tossed about on a stormy sea as our Lord slept in its bow?
the perfect end to a perfect day was to step onto a boat for a ride out onto the sea of galilee. from the middle of the water, i looked back onto the shore where, somewhere, Jesus cooked a breakfast of fish for his friends after his resurrection and giving the command to feed his lambs and his sheep. when we got to the middle, our captain shut off the boat and we drifted and bobbed gently as we read scripture and reflected on the beauty that surrounded us and all that had happened there. for me, it was the highlight of the trip and something i will always treasure.
may the peace of God, which passes all human understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
we journeyed to sepphoris, the home of Joachim and Anna, Mary's parents. the ruins there are incredible, all fairly intact, down to the ruts of the chariots in the roman roads and the mosaic floors in the buildings.
from there we traveled to the sea of galilee and stopped at the mount of the beatitudes, where Jesus preached the sermon on the mount. we brought a bible with us (of course!) and read the sermon on the mount out loud in a small grove, each of us taking turns reading. that was so profound, to read the words that Christ himself spoke from this very spot. i wept as i wandered the grounds and looked out over the beautiful sea of galilee, imagining the call of Jesus to Peter and Andrew, James and John to follow him. I reflected on my own call to come and follow, go and tell as tears ran down my cheeks. it was a beautiful, clear blue sky day with amazing sunshine and about 70 degrees. perfect.
lunch was fresh fish caught in the sea of galilee, cooked to perfection (yes, the head was still on, and yes, i ate it that way!) and served with a wonderful local white wine.
after a stop at tagba, the place where the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the feeding of the 5000 occured, we then went to the shores of the beautiful sea of galilee. we explored the museum that houses the 2000 year old fishing boat that was recovered from the mud on the edge of the sea. it was amazing to view the boat itself, as it was restored and preserved. how profound to wonder whether this was a boat that peter, andrew, james or john had used to making a living before being called to follow the man who stilled the waters and calmed the sea. had this boat been tossed about on a stormy sea as our Lord slept in its bow?
the perfect end to a perfect day was to step onto a boat for a ride out onto the sea of galilee. from the middle of the water, i looked back onto the shore where, somewhere, Jesus cooked a breakfast of fish for his friends after his resurrection and giving the command to feed his lambs and his sheep. when we got to the middle, our captain shut off the boat and we drifted and bobbed gently as we read scripture and reflected on the beauty that surrounded us and all that had happened there. for me, it was the highlight of the trip and something i will always treasure.
may the peace of God, which passes all human understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Thursday January 21
I know I keep using the words amazing, awesome, incredible but i just can't seem to find any others that fit what i am feeling. today we left bethlehem to journey north to nazareth and galilee. it was sad to leave bethlehem and yet i am ready for a change of scenery and to see more of this land we call holy. after walking the soil that christ and his disciples walked so many centuries ago, i find myself more emotional with each step i take. i also find myself praying with each step i take on this journey of discovery of the land that jesus called home while he walked this earth.
we drove to the mediterranean sea to the site of caesarea, where we saw the crusader fortification, the roman amphitheater and aquaducts. i stood on the soft sand of the beach and let the sea wash over my feet and thought of paul, as he left from this spot to be taken to rome. it was a glorious day, a few rain clouds, but not enough to rain on us or dampen the mood of exhileration of standing with my bare feet in this beautiful sea and feeling it wash against my legs with each powerful surge.
we then journeyed to the valley of megiddo, one of solomon's chariot cities. can you imagine walking where king solomon may have walked? amazing. atop this hill, the hebrew word for hill is har, we could see the megiddo plain below, where the book of revelation says the last great battle for humanity will take place. har megiddo - armeggedon.
we arrived in nazareth and toured the church of the anunciation, where legend says that mary received the news from the angel that she was to bear the son of God. we received a private tour of a p0rtion underneath the church that has the ruins of what may have been mary's home, or the home of a nazareth resident from that period. this area is not open to the general public and is still undergoing excavation, but our tour guide knows the curator and was able to get us a private tour. unbelievable.
our hotel is very nice with wonderful hot showers. we were tired after such a long day and happy to pamper ourselves with a restful evening.
shalom,
jan
we drove to the mediterranean sea to the site of caesarea, where we saw the crusader fortification, the roman amphitheater and aquaducts. i stood on the soft sand of the beach and let the sea wash over my feet and thought of paul, as he left from this spot to be taken to rome. it was a glorious day, a few rain clouds, but not enough to rain on us or dampen the mood of exhileration of standing with my bare feet in this beautiful sea and feeling it wash against my legs with each powerful surge.
we then journeyed to the valley of megiddo, one of solomon's chariot cities. can you imagine walking where king solomon may have walked? amazing. atop this hill, the hebrew word for hill is har, we could see the megiddo plain below, where the book of revelation says the last great battle for humanity will take place. har megiddo - armeggedon.
we arrived in nazareth and toured the church of the anunciation, where legend says that mary received the news from the angel that she was to bear the son of God. we received a private tour of a p0rtion underneath the church that has the ruins of what may have been mary's home, or the home of a nazareth resident from that period. this area is not open to the general public and is still undergoing excavation, but our tour guide knows the curator and was able to get us a private tour. unbelievable.
our hotel is very nice with wonderful hot showers. we were tired after such a long day and happy to pamper ourselves with a restful evening.
shalom,
jan
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Last Day at Bethlehem
This was our last day here in the city of the incarnation. it's bittersweet, saying good-bye to this place. and yet i look forward with anticipation to galilee and nazareth tomorrow and friday, before journeying to jerusalem for our last week here in the holy land.
today we visited an israeli settlement community here in palestine, just north of bethlehem, and were able to visit with a resident of that community. he graciously invited us into his home to visit and learn about the israeli perspective in the israeli/palestinian conflict. the overwhelming lesson i am learning here by visiting with these people is that the majority of the "ordinary" citizens of this land want to live peacefully together. if governements would get their noses out of things, i think that life here would be much better for everyone.
following that, we visited a palestinian refugee camp, which was sobering. it is hard to see people living in such abject poverty. yet, in the midst of awful conditions, they still have hope that a peaceful solution can be reached.
lunch was at at the shepherd's tent restaurant, near shepherd's field. we had visited shepherd's field two days ago and i think i forgot to blog about that. we were able to go into a cave in the field that it is believed the shepherds were in when they received the good news about the birth of a savior from the angels. what an amazing place. legend also has it that david probably stayed in this cave as well as he was a boy, shepherding his sheep. to stand in a place that holds so much history, to stand on the soil where king david may have stood as a young boy, to share space that the first worshippers of the newborn king shared - i felt privileged to be a living stone among the ancient stones that hold the history of God's people.
anyway, lunch was in a giant tent, sitting on low sofas around low tables and served an obscene amount of food! it was all very good, as usual, and we waddled out to our bus to enjoy a surprise that our guide, Naim, has been planning for us all week but wouldn't tell us about until today.
we went to herodyon, the place that was just recently uncovered and is still undergoing archaeological digs. it is the former palace and burial place of herod the great. WHAT A COOL PLACE!!! it was so amazing to see the ruins as they have been uncovered and as yet unrestored, along with traveling down into the mountain through a tunnel to see herod's burial place. there were several remains of giant urns that were in remarkable shape, as well as buildings that were still quite intact. it was a wonderful surprise and we were all thrilled to have had this special privilege.
this will probably be the last place where i will have free internet access, so i'm not sure how frequently i will be updating my blog. i like doing this, it's a nice way to journal my experiences here and keep things fresh and share with you all. i will do my best to update every other day from here on out. until then, be good to one another, cherish those we love, and count your blessings, even the little ones like flushing toilet paper! i love and miss you all and, although i am feeling very homesick today, look forward to experiencing much more to share with you when i get home.
shalom,
jan
today we visited an israeli settlement community here in palestine, just north of bethlehem, and were able to visit with a resident of that community. he graciously invited us into his home to visit and learn about the israeli perspective in the israeli/palestinian conflict. the overwhelming lesson i am learning here by visiting with these people is that the majority of the "ordinary" citizens of this land want to live peacefully together. if governements would get their noses out of things, i think that life here would be much better for everyone.
following that, we visited a palestinian refugee camp, which was sobering. it is hard to see people living in such abject poverty. yet, in the midst of awful conditions, they still have hope that a peaceful solution can be reached.
lunch was at at the shepherd's tent restaurant, near shepherd's field. we had visited shepherd's field two days ago and i think i forgot to blog about that. we were able to go into a cave in the field that it is believed the shepherds were in when they received the good news about the birth of a savior from the angels. what an amazing place. legend also has it that david probably stayed in this cave as well as he was a boy, shepherding his sheep. to stand in a place that holds so much history, to stand on the soil where king david may have stood as a young boy, to share space that the first worshippers of the newborn king shared - i felt privileged to be a living stone among the ancient stones that hold the history of God's people.
anyway, lunch was in a giant tent, sitting on low sofas around low tables and served an obscene amount of food! it was all very good, as usual, and we waddled out to our bus to enjoy a surprise that our guide, Naim, has been planning for us all week but wouldn't tell us about until today.
we went to herodyon, the place that was just recently uncovered and is still undergoing archaeological digs. it is the former palace and burial place of herod the great. WHAT A COOL PLACE!!! it was so amazing to see the ruins as they have been uncovered and as yet unrestored, along with traveling down into the mountain through a tunnel to see herod's burial place. there were several remains of giant urns that were in remarkable shape, as well as buildings that were still quite intact. it was a wonderful surprise and we were all thrilled to have had this special privilege.
this will probably be the last place where i will have free internet access, so i'm not sure how frequently i will be updating my blog. i like doing this, it's a nice way to journal my experiences here and keep things fresh and share with you all. i will do my best to update every other day from here on out. until then, be good to one another, cherish those we love, and count your blessings, even the little ones like flushing toilet paper! i love and miss you all and, although i am feeling very homesick today, look forward to experiencing much more to share with you when i get home.
shalom,
jan
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Comments
Well, it's wednesday morning here in bethlehem, about 7:30 am, which makes it about 11:30 pm back home. Since I, as of yet, don't have access to a phone (my cell phone doesn't work here, don't believe Verizon if they tell you it will :( ), I'd like to invite you to leave comments here on the blog, just so I can feel like I am keeping in touch with you all. I miss home alot. We are blessed to live in the country that we do and I am realizing how much I take for granted, things that may seem ordinary and trivial are conveniences I don't appreciate. Things like:
being able to go where i want, when i want.
flushing toilet paper.
getting a glass of water to drink out of the tap.
taking a long shower.
walking down the streets without seeing officers with guns on every corner.
internet, anywhere, anytime.
cell phones.
count your blessings, day by day!
love,
jan
being able to go where i want, when i want.
flushing toilet paper.
getting a glass of water to drink out of the tap.
taking a long shower.
walking down the streets without seeing officers with guns on every corner.
internet, anywhere, anytime.
cell phones.
count your blessings, day by day!
love,
jan
Day Four: Masada and the Dead Sea
oh...my...gosh.
today has been amazing.
we journeyed from bethlehem through jerusalem to the dead sea and masada. we also visited qumran, where the dead sea scrolls were found.
to get out of bethlehem, we had to go through armed israeli checkpoints. a couple times, we had israeli soldiers board our bus and check our passports. for the most part, the process was easy, but it reminded me how sad it is that there are many people who cannot do so. yesterday, when we were visiting the Wi'Am center for peace and justice, the director, a palestinian christian by the name of zoughbi zoughbi shared with us that his sister lives in jerusalem while he lives in bethlehem. if you've looked at a map, you see that the two cities literally run together, you can't really tell when you leave one and enter the other - except for the wall of course, but that divides bethlehem. anyway, zoughbi is not able to go to his sister's home to visit, to even have a cup of tea, because he is palestinian. he has never seen where his sister lives.
we traveled through the old city/jerusalem to travel down to the dead sea. we took the road that the parable of the good samaritan takes place on. how profound.
it is interesting to descend 1280 feet below sea level, to a desolate dessert and recall the story of david running to this place to hide from saul. as we traveled, we saw several bedouin tribes camped, lots of camels loaded with wares, and even a shepherd herding his flock!
the view of the dead sea is amazing, and even though it was hazy, it was still beautiful. we had a gorgeous day, clear blue sky and sunshine, although a chilly wind.
as we arrived at masada, i was struck with how imposing this fortress is. it looms 1600 feet above the dead sea, and we were going to go up there! how, you may ask? cable car. yes, i said cable car.
anyone who knows me well knows that i can do maybe four steps up on a ladder before getting squeamish. can you picture me riding in a cable car to the top of masada, suspended over a gully of dessert and stone? me neither.
but....i did it! and i didn't even wet my pants, which was a real concern. :)
once we got up there - i can't even begin to describe the feeling. what happened in this place nearly 2000 years ago and seeing the evidence left behind - if you don't know the story, google it, it's powerful. the tenacity of this band of zealots to hold on to their land in the face of the most powerful army in the world, and to do it for three years, that, my friends, is commitment to a cause.
by the way, on the way down, i stood in front of the glass window (on the way up i was in the middle of the car). i filmed our descent, so that i have proof positive that i did it - up and down in a cable car with dry pants both ways!
we journeyed to qumran, where our guide, Naim, told us the story of the discovery of the ten caves holding the most ancient scrolls containing holy scripture that exist to this day. Naim knew the young shepherd boy who found the first scroll and worked on the team that did the excavating. to hear the story of the excavation from a first hand perspective was a rare gift that i will treasure forever.
our day ended with a float in the dead sea, although by this time it had clouded over and gotten kind of chilly. i opted to wade up to my hips, but not float, it was just too cold. i tasted some of the dead sea, it's 8 times saltier than the ocean. the mineral content is 26 percent. after all the hiking we did today, it felt good to soak my legs and i must admit they felt somewhat better after that.
i can't even begin to describe what it feels like to be among stones that speak of the history of this land and of God's abundant love and grace. living stones who share their stories with us, stones of the land that a young shepherd once hid among to escape an angry king, stones that our Savior walked upon, stones that held a people on a fortress as a last bastion of hope for a nation.....
stones that shout of a story that must continue to be told.....
shalom,
jan
today has been amazing.
we journeyed from bethlehem through jerusalem to the dead sea and masada. we also visited qumran, where the dead sea scrolls were found.
to get out of bethlehem, we had to go through armed israeli checkpoints. a couple times, we had israeli soldiers board our bus and check our passports. for the most part, the process was easy, but it reminded me how sad it is that there are many people who cannot do so. yesterday, when we were visiting the Wi'Am center for peace and justice, the director, a palestinian christian by the name of zoughbi zoughbi shared with us that his sister lives in jerusalem while he lives in bethlehem. if you've looked at a map, you see that the two cities literally run together, you can't really tell when you leave one and enter the other - except for the wall of course, but that divides bethlehem. anyway, zoughbi is not able to go to his sister's home to visit, to even have a cup of tea, because he is palestinian. he has never seen where his sister lives.
we traveled through the old city/jerusalem to travel down to the dead sea. we took the road that the parable of the good samaritan takes place on. how profound.
it is interesting to descend 1280 feet below sea level, to a desolate dessert and recall the story of david running to this place to hide from saul. as we traveled, we saw several bedouin tribes camped, lots of camels loaded with wares, and even a shepherd herding his flock!
the view of the dead sea is amazing, and even though it was hazy, it was still beautiful. we had a gorgeous day, clear blue sky and sunshine, although a chilly wind.
as we arrived at masada, i was struck with how imposing this fortress is. it looms 1600 feet above the dead sea, and we were going to go up there! how, you may ask? cable car. yes, i said cable car.
anyone who knows me well knows that i can do maybe four steps up on a ladder before getting squeamish. can you picture me riding in a cable car to the top of masada, suspended over a gully of dessert and stone? me neither.
but....i did it! and i didn't even wet my pants, which was a real concern. :)
once we got up there - i can't even begin to describe the feeling. what happened in this place nearly 2000 years ago and seeing the evidence left behind - if you don't know the story, google it, it's powerful. the tenacity of this band of zealots to hold on to their land in the face of the most powerful army in the world, and to do it for three years, that, my friends, is commitment to a cause.
by the way, on the way down, i stood in front of the glass window (on the way up i was in the middle of the car). i filmed our descent, so that i have proof positive that i did it - up and down in a cable car with dry pants both ways!
we journeyed to qumran, where our guide, Naim, told us the story of the discovery of the ten caves holding the most ancient scrolls containing holy scripture that exist to this day. Naim knew the young shepherd boy who found the first scroll and worked on the team that did the excavating. to hear the story of the excavation from a first hand perspective was a rare gift that i will treasure forever.
our day ended with a float in the dead sea, although by this time it had clouded over and gotten kind of chilly. i opted to wade up to my hips, but not float, it was just too cold. i tasted some of the dead sea, it's 8 times saltier than the ocean. the mineral content is 26 percent. after all the hiking we did today, it felt good to soak my legs and i must admit they felt somewhat better after that.
i can't even begin to describe what it feels like to be among stones that speak of the history of this land and of God's abundant love and grace. living stones who share their stories with us, stones of the land that a young shepherd once hid among to escape an angry king, stones that our Savior walked upon, stones that held a people on a fortress as a last bastion of hope for a nation.....
stones that shout of a story that must continue to be told.....
shalom,
jan
Day Three: Peace in Bethlehem
Today was a wet and long day! It rained most of the day, so it was good that the things we were doing were mostly indoors. The storm here today reminded me of one of those summer storms we get in the early summer, when things aren't warmed up yet - cold rain and wind along with lightning and thunder.
We began the day after breakfast by visiting the Dar al Kalima Lutheran school. It is a private K-12 school, operated with a Lutheran perspective, yet open to children of any faith. The children were so captivating! It was fun to interact with them and see their smiles and feel their hugs. They were overjoyed to have their pictures taken, then wanted to see themselves right away. Thank God for digital cameras! What an amazing experience to see the presence of Christ in the faces of so many young ones.
We had lunch at a small restaurant, then moved to the Wi'Am Center for Peace and Justice. It is located right next to the wall that divides Palestine and Israel, running right down the center of Bethlehem. How ironic, that the little town where peace was born has none. I felt like I was looking at the Berlin Wall. Most sobering was seeing the sign for Rachel's Tomb posted right next to the wall, knowing that her tomb was located just behind the wall, on the Israeli side.
Got drenched coming back to the guesthouse. No internet because of the storm. Lights were running on generators. It was a good night to settle in for reading and sleep.
Now that internet is back, I will try to catch up on posting.
Shalom,
Jan
We began the day after breakfast by visiting the Dar al Kalima Lutheran school. It is a private K-12 school, operated with a Lutheran perspective, yet open to children of any faith. The children were so captivating! It was fun to interact with them and see their smiles and feel their hugs. They were overjoyed to have their pictures taken, then wanted to see themselves right away. Thank God for digital cameras! What an amazing experience to see the presence of Christ in the faces of so many young ones.
We had lunch at a small restaurant, then moved to the Wi'Am Center for Peace and Justice. It is located right next to the wall that divides Palestine and Israel, running right down the center of Bethlehem. How ironic, that the little town where peace was born has none. I felt like I was looking at the Berlin Wall. Most sobering was seeing the sign for Rachel's Tomb posted right next to the wall, knowing that her tomb was located just behind the wall, on the Israeli side.
Got drenched coming back to the guesthouse. No internet because of the storm. Lights were running on generators. It was a good night to settle in for reading and sleep.
Now that internet is back, I will try to catch up on posting.
Shalom,
Jan
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Day Two: Bethlehem - Sunday
This morning we were awakened at 5:30 with the muslim call to prayer from the minaret. It comes five times a day and is really quite beautiful to listen to. but not at 5:30.
We were served a breakfast of boiled eggs, many vegetables and fruits, cheeses, yogurt, dips and sauces and spices, coffee, tea, juice, water, and cornflakes with milk. We worshipped with the Arab Christian congregation here this morning in the amazing church, built around 500 years ago by German Lutheran missionaries. The stained glass windows are unbelievable, with scripture in German. The inside of the cupola is a beautiful blue with Arabic script in gold paint. It says "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will to all men." How appropriate that, in this land of conflict and turmoil, worshippers gather each Sunday morning to be reminded of the message of the angels heralding the birth of the Messiah, which happened not very far from here.
The service was in Arabic, but we heard one lesson read in english and the bulletin had many things in english. We each prayed the Lord's Prayer in our own language, there were visitors from Norway and Sweden here also. That brought tears to my eyes, to hear our Lord's Prayer in a small way similar to how God hears it at any given moment in time. Voices joining together in a common prayer in different tongues. The most beautiful sound I ever heard in a worship service was at the end of the service, when we sang the closing hymn, which was "Fairest Lord Jesus". I wept as my english words joined with the swedish words and the arabic words, voices raised together to proclaim that Jesus is ruler of all nations.
We had free time until 1:00 to explore, shop, and eat lunch. We walked through the markets and were welcomed by these Palestinians with open arms and broad smiles. We were invited to sample various fruits and vegetables to puchase: dates and figs, all sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables. I bought some fresh dates, not dried, from a vendor and paid ten shekels (about 3 dollars) for half a kilo. I'm taking it easy on eating them though so my digestive system doesn't do weird things. :)
I had a wonderful falafel for lunch, made for me by a man named Yassar Arafat. I'm not kidding, apparently it's a fairly common name! He and the other employees of the cafe were so welcoming and willing to explain anything, show me how they make the food, answer my questions. Oh, and the falafel was fabulous! one american dollar.
Our entire group went to the Church of the Nativity this afternoon. I cannot give words to the feelings and emotions of that experience. Sacred space. Hope born long ago in a crude stone cave. Hope continuing to live, even in a world filled with conflict. Glory to God in the highest indeed.
We were able to go underground into the cave and place our hands on the rough stone floor where tradition says Mary gave birth to the Savior of the World. It was a profound experience that I will treasure forever.
We also went into the other side of the cave where St. Jerome translated the scriptures into what is now the Latin Vulgate. I stood in a cave where Christian history was made and saw, carved into the stone wall, several crosses, put there by the early Christians in the first century as a signal to those who would come after them that the ground upon which we were standing was holy ground.
On our way back from this amazing experience, four of us stopped in a little cafe for coffee and were served the best coffee and homemade baklawa by a wonderful Palestinian man. The shop next door to his was owned and run by a young man, he tells me he is 23 years old, who wanted to sell us souveniers for our families. As we visited more with him, he opened up to us about his life here and his family. He has never been to Jerusalem. Someday, he says, he hopes to go there - when it is safe. As I listened to this young man tell me about his love for his mother and his attempt at providing for her, I was struck with how much the same we really all are. So many of the people I am meeting here in this land are just like me. We all love our families, we all want to work hard so that they have what they need. We all want peace.
We were served a breakfast of boiled eggs, many vegetables and fruits, cheeses, yogurt, dips and sauces and spices, coffee, tea, juice, water, and cornflakes with milk. We worshipped with the Arab Christian congregation here this morning in the amazing church, built around 500 years ago by German Lutheran missionaries. The stained glass windows are unbelievable, with scripture in German. The inside of the cupola is a beautiful blue with Arabic script in gold paint. It says "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will to all men." How appropriate that, in this land of conflict and turmoil, worshippers gather each Sunday morning to be reminded of the message of the angels heralding the birth of the Messiah, which happened not very far from here.
The service was in Arabic, but we heard one lesson read in english and the bulletin had many things in english. We each prayed the Lord's Prayer in our own language, there were visitors from Norway and Sweden here also. That brought tears to my eyes, to hear our Lord's Prayer in a small way similar to how God hears it at any given moment in time. Voices joining together in a common prayer in different tongues. The most beautiful sound I ever heard in a worship service was at the end of the service, when we sang the closing hymn, which was "Fairest Lord Jesus". I wept as my english words joined with the swedish words and the arabic words, voices raised together to proclaim that Jesus is ruler of all nations.
We had free time until 1:00 to explore, shop, and eat lunch. We walked through the markets and were welcomed by these Palestinians with open arms and broad smiles. We were invited to sample various fruits and vegetables to puchase: dates and figs, all sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables. I bought some fresh dates, not dried, from a vendor and paid ten shekels (about 3 dollars) for half a kilo. I'm taking it easy on eating them though so my digestive system doesn't do weird things. :)
I had a wonderful falafel for lunch, made for me by a man named Yassar Arafat. I'm not kidding, apparently it's a fairly common name! He and the other employees of the cafe were so welcoming and willing to explain anything, show me how they make the food, answer my questions. Oh, and the falafel was fabulous! one american dollar.
Our entire group went to the Church of the Nativity this afternoon. I cannot give words to the feelings and emotions of that experience. Sacred space. Hope born long ago in a crude stone cave. Hope continuing to live, even in a world filled with conflict. Glory to God in the highest indeed.
We were able to go underground into the cave and place our hands on the rough stone floor where tradition says Mary gave birth to the Savior of the World. It was a profound experience that I will treasure forever.
We also went into the other side of the cave where St. Jerome translated the scriptures into what is now the Latin Vulgate. I stood in a cave where Christian history was made and saw, carved into the stone wall, several crosses, put there by the early Christians in the first century as a signal to those who would come after them that the ground upon which we were standing was holy ground.
On our way back from this amazing experience, four of us stopped in a little cafe for coffee and were served the best coffee and homemade baklawa by a wonderful Palestinian man. The shop next door to his was owned and run by a young man, he tells me he is 23 years old, who wanted to sell us souveniers for our families. As we visited more with him, he opened up to us about his life here and his family. He has never been to Jerusalem. Someday, he says, he hopes to go there - when it is safe. As I listened to this young man tell me about his love for his mother and his attempt at providing for her, I was struck with how much the same we really all are. So many of the people I am meeting here in this land are just like me. We all love our families, we all want to work hard so that they have what they need. We all want peace.
Day 1 continued
We were met at the Tel Aviv airport by our tour guide, Naim, and directed to load our luggage into the luggage bay of the bus. After we left the airport in our big bus (it's similar to a hawkey stages bus, about 40 passengers), we got a nice surprise. We were taken to Jaffa, a mediterranean port city that was not on our original tour schedule. Since we had plenty of time, Naim explained that we would be able to spend a little time in Jaffa.
Jaffa is a port city right next to Tel Aviv, kind of like the twin cities. We visited a park at the top of the hill and had a marvelous overlook of the Mediterranean Sea. 70 degrees, beautiful blue sky, sunshine and waves crashing made this a feast for my eyes.
There is a church here in Jaffa, called the church of St. Peter, which is built to commemorate Peter's ministry in Jaffa - the conversion and baptism of Cornelius, and Peter's dream of the sheet coming out of heaven with all the clean and unclean animals and foods. (Acts 10-11). The inside of the church was magnificent, the altar painting depicts Peter's "sheet dream", the pulpit was unbelievably gorgeous! Can't wait to share the pictures from this place, the birthplace of the spread of Christianity into the Gentile world.
After leaving Jaffa, we journeyed south through the mountains/hills through the outskirts of Jerusalem into Bethlehem. It's a bigger city than I thought it would be, certainly not the little town we sing of at Christmas. We went through a checkpoint into Palestinian territory, of which most of Bethlehem is a part. Our bus driver could only take us so far, so we were unloaded about six blocks from our guesthouse, in front of the Bethlehem Star Hotel. You would not believe the backing and parking job that driver had to do! there was not room to put a blade of grass between the bus and cars that were trying to go around us - I am serious! We all held our breath and applauded the man when the 15 minute process was over with. Imagine trying to back up and turn around a bus in a street that is, at best, eight feet wide, with cars trying to travel both ways and some parked alongside, in addition to pedestrians, hundreds of them, walking along.
We walked to our guesthouse in the "compound" of the Lutheran Christmas Church. Our luggage was brought by porters, who also delivered it to each of our rooms, up and down many flights of stairs. I will have buns of steel after all the stairs I am doing here, back and forth between my room and the main building, where we gather for meals and our meetings.
We took some time to explore a little of the area where we are staying. open air markets on every street around us, shops with all sorts of food, clothing, jewelry, handcrafts, it's amazing and noisy! We finished the day relaxing in the sunshine then enjoyed a delicious meal of chicken, rice, and vegetables. Many of us enjoyed sitting out on the open air roof, drinking bottled water, local beer, or soda and relishing in the summer night like temperatures.
It was a long and tiring day, and I don't think my body will catch up to this time zone until it's time to come home!
Jaffa is a port city right next to Tel Aviv, kind of like the twin cities. We visited a park at the top of the hill and had a marvelous overlook of the Mediterranean Sea. 70 degrees, beautiful blue sky, sunshine and waves crashing made this a feast for my eyes.
There is a church here in Jaffa, called the church of St. Peter, which is built to commemorate Peter's ministry in Jaffa - the conversion and baptism of Cornelius, and Peter's dream of the sheet coming out of heaven with all the clean and unclean animals and foods. (Acts 10-11). The inside of the church was magnificent, the altar painting depicts Peter's "sheet dream", the pulpit was unbelievably gorgeous! Can't wait to share the pictures from this place, the birthplace of the spread of Christianity into the Gentile world.
After leaving Jaffa, we journeyed south through the mountains/hills through the outskirts of Jerusalem into Bethlehem. It's a bigger city than I thought it would be, certainly not the little town we sing of at Christmas. We went through a checkpoint into Palestinian territory, of which most of Bethlehem is a part. Our bus driver could only take us so far, so we were unloaded about six blocks from our guesthouse, in front of the Bethlehem Star Hotel. You would not believe the backing and parking job that driver had to do! there was not room to put a blade of grass between the bus and cars that were trying to go around us - I am serious! We all held our breath and applauded the man when the 15 minute process was over with. Imagine trying to back up and turn around a bus in a street that is, at best, eight feet wide, with cars trying to travel both ways and some parked alongside, in addition to pedestrians, hundreds of them, walking along.
We walked to our guesthouse in the "compound" of the Lutheran Christmas Church. Our luggage was brought by porters, who also delivered it to each of our rooms, up and down many flights of stairs. I will have buns of steel after all the stairs I am doing here, back and forth between my room and the main building, where we gather for meals and our meetings.
We took some time to explore a little of the area where we are staying. open air markets on every street around us, shops with all sorts of food, clothing, jewelry, handcrafts, it's amazing and noisy! We finished the day relaxing in the sunshine then enjoyed a delicious meal of chicken, rice, and vegetables. Many of us enjoyed sitting out on the open air roof, drinking bottled water, local beer, or soda and relishing in the summer night like temperatures.
It was a long and tiring day, and I don't think my body will catch up to this time zone until it's time to come home!
day one
i spent the day beginning my journey to the holy land by bidding good-bye to my wonderful husband and boarding a plane in minneapolis/st.paul. we flew out of the cities at 9 am, landed in newark new jersy at around 12:30 eastern time. had time to grab a bite of lunch there and hang out for awhile before going through israeli security and boarding a 777 to Tel Aviv. our plane left newark around 4:30 and it was a fairly decent flight. lots of in flight movies, tv shows, and music to choose from. snacks and a meal of chicken, rice, and vegetables before settling in for a nap. i slept pretty well, probably because i took two dramamine after dinner! awoke to a breakfast of coffee, corn flakes and milk, a muffin and a croissant. i enjoyed the beautiful view of the meditteranean sea from the air as we landed in tel aviv. no problem at the airport with security and out into 70 degree weather! FABULOUS!!
more about the rest of the day later....
more about the rest of the day later....
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