Sunday, November 13, 2011
And more pictures!
Laughter...
Saturday
First of all I want to make a shout out to our friends at Anders Dermatology in Toledo Ohio! Hey, aren’t you suppose to be working right now….? Haha- just kidding, I'm glad you're here!
What a wonderful time in Jerusalem we are having! We arrived on Friday evening to our hotel. It was Shabbat which means we are learning a lot about how Israel celebrates the weekend. It’s family time and worship time! The Orthodox take Shabbat very seriously and many come to Jerusalem, stay in the hotels and attend the synagogue. For the Orthodox there are MANY rules to follow during Shabbat. They cannot work or do anything that will require someone else to work for them for one. So, there is a Shabbat elevator in the hotel for example, which is preset so they can enter the elevator and because they can’t press any buttons (that would be considered work) the elevator stops on every floor. During Shabbat the streets are empty because everyone is home with their families. Right now it is Saturday night and Shabbat ended at sunset. The stores and restaurants have opened (even this late!) and people are coming out and celebrating the rest of their weekend. It’s really a whole other world here. There is so much to learn and understand. It makes me think about how I spend my Sunday’s at home. A day of rest? Not so much for me. I want to work on this!
Today we started the day with a group photo on the top of Mount Scopus. There is a beautiful view of the Old City from here. Then we went to the Upper Room and to King David’s Tomb. Then to Caiaphas’ House. After that we went to Bethlehem – and let’s talk about another word! Even though Bethlehem is in Israel it is a very different atmosphere than the rest of the country. Of course it’s Palestinian controlled and life is very different there. It’s not easy to enter Bethlehem. There is a lot of security in and out… and when you finally do get to the Church of the Nativity the line to see the manger cave is long. It’s pretty exhausting and if you’re not careful you could easily miss out on the significance of this place. But who can come to Israel and not visit the place where the Jesus was born? As frustrating as it is to travel to Bethlehem, I encouraged everyone to see past the hassle of it all, to look through the icons and rituals all around us and to remember just what happened here… and the importance of this event. The birth of Jesus Christ.
Not all of our groups come to Bethlehem. Sometimes it’s just too difficult, takes too much time and prohibits us from seeing other important places. Sometimes there are security issues. But we did it; we visited Bethlehem and remembered the miracle.
It was a great day – but do you want to know what I think of first as I sit here reminiscing about today’s events? Dinner. Tonight’s dinner was noisy and packed full of people. The hotel, all the hotels are full because Israel is enjoying a time of tourism maximus. (I made up that word, I know) So, the dining room included people from all over the world who just like us have traveled Jerusalem and explored the Holy Land. We were all tired…but what I remember and cherish tonight is the laughter! Laughter – lots of laughter from every direction…smiling faces enjoying a meal with new friends, talking about the events of the day and enjoying a good laugh. Good times, good times…
Tomorrow is a big day! We will walk the same path that Jesus took with the cross…and so much more. Until then… Shalom!
Kim
First of all I want to make a shout out to our friends at Anders Dermatology in Toledo Ohio! Hey, aren’t you suppose to be working right now….? Haha- just kidding, I'm glad you're here!
What a wonderful time in Jerusalem we are having! We arrived on Friday evening to our hotel. It was Shabbat which means we are learning a lot about how Israel celebrates the weekend. It’s family time and worship time! The Orthodox take Shabbat very seriously and many come to Jerusalem, stay in the hotels and attend the synagogue. For the Orthodox there are MANY rules to follow during Shabbat. They cannot work or do anything that will require someone else to work for them for one. So, there is a Shabbat elevator in the hotel for example, which is preset so they can enter the elevator and because they can’t press any buttons (that would be considered work) the elevator stops on every floor. During Shabbat the streets are empty because everyone is home with their families. Right now it is Saturday night and Shabbat ended at sunset. The stores and restaurants have opened (even this late!) and people are coming out and celebrating the rest of their weekend. It’s really a whole other world here. There is so much to learn and understand. It makes me think about how I spend my Sunday’s at home. A day of rest? Not so much for me. I want to work on this!
Today we started the day with a group photo on the top of Mount Scopus. There is a beautiful view of the Old City from here. Then we went to the Upper Room and to King David’s Tomb. Then to Caiaphas’ House. After that we went to Bethlehem – and let’s talk about another word! Even though Bethlehem is in Israel it is a very different atmosphere than the rest of the country. Of course it’s Palestinian controlled and life is very different there. It’s not easy to enter Bethlehem. There is a lot of security in and out… and when you finally do get to the Church of the Nativity the line to see the manger cave is long. It’s pretty exhausting and if you’re not careful you could easily miss out on the significance of this place. But who can come to Israel and not visit the place where the Jesus was born? As frustrating as it is to travel to Bethlehem, I encouraged everyone to see past the hassle of it all, to look through the icons and rituals all around us and to remember just what happened here… and the importance of this event. The birth of Jesus Christ.
Not all of our groups come to Bethlehem. Sometimes it’s just too difficult, takes too much time and prohibits us from seeing other important places. Sometimes there are security issues. But we did it; we visited Bethlehem and remembered the miracle.
It was a great day – but do you want to know what I think of first as I sit here reminiscing about today’s events? Dinner. Tonight’s dinner was noisy and packed full of people. The hotel, all the hotels are full because Israel is enjoying a time of tourism maximus. (I made up that word, I know) So, the dining room included people from all over the world who just like us have traveled Jerusalem and explored the Holy Land. We were all tired…but what I remember and cherish tonight is the laughter! Laughter – lots of laughter from every direction…smiling faces enjoying a meal with new friends, talking about the events of the day and enjoying a good laugh. Good times, good times…
Tomorrow is a big day! We will walk the same path that Jesus took with the cross…and so much more. Until then… Shalom!
Kim
Friday, November 11, 2011
Pictures, pictures and more pictures!
Oh brother! It only took me a few HOURS to figure out how to get my camera to work with my computer so that you could have the pictures that I promised you. But it was worth every second because I love to post pictures of us having a great time in Israel! Here you go, ENJOY! And feel free to comment on them!
Visit Israel, you'll never be the same!
Kim
Visit Israel, you'll never be the same!
Kim
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
I listened...
I watched today. I listened and watched. That’s the best part of my job. This morning I watched as our group ate breakfast and boarded their buses for a thrilling day of walking in the footsteps of Jesus in the Galilee area. I’m so blessed. I chose to ride bus 3 today to start. Our guide was Ra’anan, or Ronnie and even though I’ve been with him many times in the past, I always hear something new and interesting. Ok, well – maybe not some of his jokes, but I found myself laughing anyway. He has a unique way with words. The way he can paint a picture and take me back to some far distant past is amazing. I found myself closing my eyes many times as he described places not as they were today, but as they were in Jesus’ day.
Caesarea Philippi was first on our itinerary. It’s way up north in the “finger tip” of Israel along the Lebanon border. Along the drive we all listened to Ra’anan talk about this area. The Galilee area. The Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights and so much more. As he talked, the Sea of Galilee became smaller and smaller outside our window and the views were incredible. I listened to those around me on the bus too and I enjoyed the excitement of seeing these sites for the first time through their eyes. “Oh my goodness!” That was Nic’s repeated reaction to the first impressions of the Galilee region. It was so fun to hear the excitement in his voice and the others around me pointing out places and things that were interesting while snapping pictures and taking it all in.
After Caesarea Philippi we came back down to the lowest fresh water lake in the world, the Sea of Galilee and visited the Mount of Beatitudes and also Capernaum, Jesus’ home town for the three main ministry years of his life. Ra’anan helped make it all come together and explained everything in such a way that my eyes were opened and could see and understand much clearer than I had in the past. I caught myself a couple times stopping in my tracks and thinking… “Could Jesus have stood in this very spot?” The answer was YES, it’s VERY possible that Jesus could have stood or walked on the same paths we took today. It’s actually highly likely even, knowing what the Bible says and learning too from the archeological proof. This was my theme of the day! I put myself in Jesus’ shoes and used my mind’s eye to create life in His day. It wasn’t very hard with Ra’anan’s expertise showing me the way with his clever and descriptive words and the fact that the Galilee region is the most untouched locations where Jesus lived and ministered.
I’ve been here before, it’s true – but it never gets old. Today, with my new theme, I sat on a wooden boat on the Sea of Galilee… a boat that is a replica of a boat in the time of Jesus. After we sang and prayed and learned about the lake we took a few minutes of silence. This silence was the best part of the boat ride. To sit there, on this boat in the middle of the lake with only the noise of the waves lapping on the sides was touching. I put myself in Jesus’ shoes (ok, sandals) again and I thought of Him and the disciples on a boat like this fishing for their daily catch…I thought of their reactions during a sudden storm and also pictured them disappointed after not catching a thing and then pulling in their nets after Jesus told them too…nets full of fish! I bet their laughter and joy was heard across the lake echoing for miles! Oh the conversations that must have taken place in the noiseless world they lived in. Without cars and buses, boat motors and airplanes overhead. Loud speakers, televisions blaring, cell phones ringing. The silence was beautiful and natural and I realized just how much noise I have in my life. Not only noise. But even the noise of distractions and hustle and bustle of life, the many thoughts running through my head of my busy day or week etc. It’s all noise really. I want to listen past the noise. And I have a feeling that while I’m listening, I will hear… is anybody where I’m going with this????
I’m sorry to say that I could not down load pictures tonight. I am somewhat technically challenged and in my rush to leave for the airport forgot an important component to downloading pictures onto my computer. Yea, the cable. I forgot it. Well, I do have a backup plan, so if you’ll bare with me one more day I truly intend to show great pictures of this day.
This day ended like no other day – ever! You just can’t duplicate a special day like today. We were baptized in the Jordan River today. Oh My Goodness! What a lump in your throat, goosebump kind of day! I’m sitting here struggling to find the right words to express what our baptism was like but I’m struggling. The emotion and the spiritual connection that was felt was overwhelming. I will just say this… there was singing, clapping and shouts of praise. There were tears of joy and hugging and more tears of joy. I heard whispers of thanks for our Savior from faces that were buried into a loved one’s neck. Tomorrow I will post the pictures, I hope you’ll check back and see if you recognize any of the glowing faces.
Thank you Jesus, that’s all I’ve got left to say about today…Amen.
Kim
Caesarea Philippi was first on our itinerary. It’s way up north in the “finger tip” of Israel along the Lebanon border. Along the drive we all listened to Ra’anan talk about this area. The Galilee area. The Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights and so much more. As he talked, the Sea of Galilee became smaller and smaller outside our window and the views were incredible. I listened to those around me on the bus too and I enjoyed the excitement of seeing these sites for the first time through their eyes. “Oh my goodness!” That was Nic’s repeated reaction to the first impressions of the Galilee region. It was so fun to hear the excitement in his voice and the others around me pointing out places and things that were interesting while snapping pictures and taking it all in.
After Caesarea Philippi we came back down to the lowest fresh water lake in the world, the Sea of Galilee and visited the Mount of Beatitudes and also Capernaum, Jesus’ home town for the three main ministry years of his life. Ra’anan helped make it all come together and explained everything in such a way that my eyes were opened and could see and understand much clearer than I had in the past. I caught myself a couple times stopping in my tracks and thinking… “Could Jesus have stood in this very spot?” The answer was YES, it’s VERY possible that Jesus could have stood or walked on the same paths we took today. It’s actually highly likely even, knowing what the Bible says and learning too from the archeological proof. This was my theme of the day! I put myself in Jesus’ shoes and used my mind’s eye to create life in His day. It wasn’t very hard with Ra’anan’s expertise showing me the way with his clever and descriptive words and the fact that the Galilee region is the most untouched locations where Jesus lived and ministered.
I’ve been here before, it’s true – but it never gets old. Today, with my new theme, I sat on a wooden boat on the Sea of Galilee… a boat that is a replica of a boat in the time of Jesus. After we sang and prayed and learned about the lake we took a few minutes of silence. This silence was the best part of the boat ride. To sit there, on this boat in the middle of the lake with only the noise of the waves lapping on the sides was touching. I put myself in Jesus’ shoes (ok, sandals) again and I thought of Him and the disciples on a boat like this fishing for their daily catch…I thought of their reactions during a sudden storm and also pictured them disappointed after not catching a thing and then pulling in their nets after Jesus told them too…nets full of fish! I bet their laughter and joy was heard across the lake echoing for miles! Oh the conversations that must have taken place in the noiseless world they lived in. Without cars and buses, boat motors and airplanes overhead. Loud speakers, televisions blaring, cell phones ringing. The silence was beautiful and natural and I realized just how much noise I have in my life. Not only noise. But even the noise of distractions and hustle and bustle of life, the many thoughts running through my head of my busy day or week etc. It’s all noise really. I want to listen past the noise. And I have a feeling that while I’m listening, I will hear… is anybody where I’m going with this????
I’m sorry to say that I could not down load pictures tonight. I am somewhat technically challenged and in my rush to leave for the airport forgot an important component to downloading pictures onto my computer. Yea, the cable. I forgot it. Well, I do have a backup plan, so if you’ll bare with me one more day I truly intend to show great pictures of this day.
This day ended like no other day – ever! You just can’t duplicate a special day like today. We were baptized in the Jordan River today. Oh My Goodness! What a lump in your throat, goosebump kind of day! I’m sitting here struggling to find the right words to express what our baptism was like but I’m struggling. The emotion and the spiritual connection that was felt was overwhelming. I will just say this… there was singing, clapping and shouts of praise. There were tears of joy and hugging and more tears of joy. I heard whispers of thanks for our Savior from faces that were buried into a loved one’s neck. Tomorrow I will post the pictures, I hope you’ll check back and see if you recognize any of the glowing faces.
Thank you Jesus, that’s all I’ve got left to say about today…Amen.
Kim
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Shalom and welcome to the Holy Land!
The group landed in Tel Aviv and got a beautiful welcome to Israel by stopping at some of the most breathtaking places on their way to the hotel. Caesarea by the Sea which are ruins along the Mediterranean Sea’s shoreline (say THAT five times fast!). This is a beautiful stop and it was gorgeous weather to boot! The waves crashing along the shoreline, the fresh sea air…and magnificent ruins to explore! From there they stopped at Megiddo and also at Mt. Carmel, where I always get goose bumps! I’m planning to ask a show of hands tomorrow of how many people got goose bumps overlooking the enormous valley of Armageddon at Mt. Carmel too! I know that I’m not alone!
It was a big day and even though I could see the weariness on their faces when they walked into the hotel tonight, I could also see a joy behind the tired eyes. They are in the Holy Land! A dream is coming true.
Tomorrow, our wake- up call is early and we have another big day ahead of us but stay tuned to see the joy in their faces when I post pictures of them enjoying the most incredible places on earth. Places that we have read about in the Bible throughout our lives. Places that God chose for miracles to occur. Places that Jesus walked, taught and healed… Places that at one point in our lives we couldn’t even imagine having the opportunity to visit, and yet, here we are!
Tomorrow morning God will bless us with a beautiful sunrise over the Sea of Galilee and I know that I know… that God has great things in store for us while we are here. Amen!
Please pray for a good night’s sleep for everyone!
Shalom and good night! Oh and feel free to leave messages on the blog for your friends and family, I'll pass them along!
Kim
It was a big day and even though I could see the weariness on their faces when they walked into the hotel tonight, I could also see a joy behind the tired eyes. They are in the Holy Land! A dream is coming true.
Tomorrow, our wake- up call is early and we have another big day ahead of us but stay tuned to see the joy in their faces when I post pictures of them enjoying the most incredible places on earth. Places that we have read about in the Bible throughout our lives. Places that God chose for miracles to occur. Places that Jesus walked, taught and healed… Places that at one point in our lives we couldn’t even imagine having the opportunity to visit, and yet, here we are!
Tomorrow morning God will bless us with a beautiful sunrise over the Sea of Galilee and I know that I know… that God has great things in store for us while we are here. Amen!
Please pray for a good night’s sleep for everyone!
Shalom and good night! Oh and feel free to leave messages on the blog for your friends and family, I'll pass them along!
Kim
Monday, November 7, 2011
Travel Day!
Today is a travel day and everyone is making their way to the airport. Excited and anxious to step foot on the Holy Land. The flight is long but surprisingly comfortable with meals and movies and sleep. Tomorrow morning they will arrive and visit some breath taking spots along the way to the hotel. Come back for updates!
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