Free day choices - mud, cable cars and history!

The options you have on your free day on a LeSEA Tour are endless. After all you're in Jerusalem! The Holy City is right beneath your feet.

Some people will venture out on their own and revisit favorite places, like the Western Wall. Or grab a taxi and visit Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity. (more about Bethlehem later) The Old City corridors are another fun place to walk around in and mingle with daily life. You’ll pass barber shops, meat markets where the meat is hanging freely for your choosing and spices are piled high displayed in beautiful colors. The smells of food cooking, coffee shops with delicious cappuccinos and pastries and of course the sounds of shop keepers calling you to “come in and take a look” are all part of the experience here. You can expect to get lost in the market place but don’t fret. Relax and have fun. When you are ready to find your way out just ask “which way to the Jaffa Gate,” everyone speaks English and everyone is willing to help you. My best advise is to use cash for your purchases (they accept USD) and haggle for what you want. It’s just the way it’s done. Whatever you buy here will be linked to the memory of this special day.

Many people will choose to purchase the tour offered by LeSEA which includes traveling to Masada and taking a cable car to the top to learn about the amazing people who lived and died here. Then a stop at Qumran for lunch and a chance to view the actual caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Right here! The story of how these ancient scrolls were found is fascinating. Afterward, you will get to slip on their bathing suit and experience the unsinkable Dead Sea, the lowest place on planet earth! The mud along the shore line is good for your skin and therefore gives adults a great excuse for “playing in the mud”! Kate and I sure did. How could we pass up that opportunity! I don’t care how old you are, playing in the mud is just plain fun!

What did YOU do on your free day? Send in your pictures!


Whatever you choose to do on this day, you will meet back at the hotel for a very special farewell dinner where we will say good-bye to all our new friends. With heavy hearts and a lump in our throats we will leave Jerusalem after dinner and are transferred back to the airport for our midnight flight home. 99% of people I’ve talked to tell me that the ride back to the airport is melancholy. It’s feels like your leaving “home”. There is just something special about this place that draws you in and makes you feel like you belong here. And you do!

If you want to experience this for yourself. Request the free information packet today We can show you how this dream can be a reality!

Shalom my friends, for now,

Kim

Covering the country of Israel

We have really covered a lot of ground this week! Yesterday we drove to the coast and visited Caesarea by the Sea, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel and Nazareth. Today we went to Mt. Scopus, Mt of Olives, walked the "Palm Sunday route", Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations, the Upper Room, Caiaphas House, a Bethlehem overlook and the communion at the Garden Tomb! Whoa! That’s a lot of ground in two days. It’s no wonder I’m tired. So tired that today I will post pictures of the last two days instead of talking about them. I know that’s what you want to see anyway!

Here you go… enjoy!

Now... time to rest.

Tomorrow is Masada, Qumran Caves and floating in the Dead Sea!

Shalom,
Kim

"Wow" Day!

Today was full of "Wow's". I heard it from my daughter, Kate when we first stopped at Bet She'an. "Wow". That's just about all she could say for 30 minutes. I really did try to talk to her, but all I got back in return was; Oh WOW. I understood where she was coming from because all I could answer in return was, "yea, I know."

Back on the bus to Tiberias where we boarded a boat for a ride on the Sea of Galilee! What a beautiful day to be on the water that Jesus walked on! Pinch- ouch! - yep, I'm really here...

Pastor Al even renewed the wedding vows of Miriam and Jacinto - they have been married 50 years this year! What a beautiful place and a touching moment to reconnect and renew their love for each other and to Jesus.

"I have decided to follow Jesus..."

That is what we sang as those getting baptised today lined up in the chilly waters of the Jordan River. I didn't see that the water was bothering them though - What I saw were faces that were focused and serious at what they were about to participate in. A water baptism in the Jordan River just as John baptised Jesus in these same waters!

Here are a few photo's. More to come!

And we drove back to Jerusalem with our hearts full... what a day! What a day indeed! "Wow!"


Kim

Hit the ground running...

No nonsense here. When we start touring, we really don't mess around. Today we started off early to get to the temple mount. It's only opened for a few hours and only on certain days. Sometimes we can't get up there at all - so today is special and we begin our day walking around the temple mount and learning about how and why the muslems have been given religious rights to this area. On our way to the entrance we are able to take some great photo's of the Western Wall from up high. This is a rare treat to get pictures looking down like this. Awesome!

Before we left the mount we walked over to the most amazing place... It was the EASTERN GATE from the back side! This gate is sealed with cement and there is a cemetery outside of it; all in hopes to block the way for Jesus's return. (like that will stop Him!) Naidean and I got chills just being so close to this gate. Just to think about Jesus's return and where we were standing...(I'm serious when I tell you that I had to pinch myself!) It's just so unreal to be here sometimes.

After we left the temple mount we started The Way of the Cross. It was an interesting journey through the Old City narrow streets. We stopped many times along the way for our guide to give us details.

Here we are on temple mount.

And here we are during the way of the cross. Listening very intently. It's so thrilling to be right here where Jesus was. He could have been standing on this very spot! I think Kate was pinching herself too (she is my 16year old daughter in the orange coat) She didn't speak too much on the way of the cross... I think she was deep in thought.

Our first day was filled with so many wonderful places and experiences. The Western Wall was so amazing and powerful and then at the end of the day we stopped at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial. It was somber, but so important to remember - and so important in understanding the people here.

Exhausted but happy... tomorrow might just be my favorite day of all!

Until then...
Kim

We are HERE!

For some this was the longest flight they have ever taken. For a few this was their first airline flight they’ve ever taken! And we are here! The group arrived at the hotel in the morning so their rooms were not quite ready for them to check in yet. It didn’t take them long though to park their luggage and take off exploring Jerusalem! Some went to shop, some when to eat and some went to the lobby for some sleep. (Hey that rhymed) By 1pm they were all in their rooms and settling in (or still exploring!). We met at dinner for our first Israeli meal together as a group. It was nice to hear from Pete Sumrall who reminded us how important it is for us to get some sleep tonight and also not to sweat the small stuff while we travel…to remember the big picture of why we are here. Pastor Al introduced us to the happy couple who came to Israel with us and had gotten married the previous day! (Valentines Day) How sweet is that? This is the first time someone has gotten married on one of our tours. Most of us didn’t stay long after dinner since we were so tired. Tomorrow is the first day of touring and we have a lot to see and do.

Good night everyone!
Kim

Let the countdown begin!

I looked at the calendar today and my mouth fell open. It's January 14th already! We will be in Israel in 31 days! In just a month we will be walking and exploring the land of the Bible. I can't wait to smell the air and hear the enchanting sounds of the city. I look forward to the short walk to Ben Yehuda Street in the evenings to listen to the street musicians and people watch. The hotel is perfectly located to explore Jerusalem and get a feel for the city. A walk in the other direction will take us to the Jaffa Gate and the Mamilla Shopping area. A perfect union of Old and New City shopping - anything you need can be found in this area! I like to sit down with a cappuccino and yes... people watch!

Two year ago my son Travis traveled with me to Israel and we had such fun time together. He made me laugh and explore Israel in a way I had never done before! This year my 16 year old daughter Kate will be joining me! I am so excited to show her this wonderful place! She and I and about 80 others are soon to begin an adventure of a lifetime. Check back and watch the adventue onfold! And just think...YOU can be on the next adventure of YOUR life!

If you want some information on our tours to Israel, let me know and I'll be happy to send you the details!

Naidean, Mary, Amelia and Wanda...I can't wait to see what God has planned for all of us once again!

...written on their faces...

It was an emotional day for me - and for others as well. Each one of us had moments today that took our breath away. Sometimes I heard the moments in verbal gasps and other times I could just look at someone's face and see it. Kim E's moment I believe was in Saint Anne's church. Pastor Blakes and the Wagners, the Wall. Everyone has had their moments today of awe. We started the day early to get in line to clear security to enter the Temple Mount. We were pleasantly surprised how quickly the line moved and we soon found ourselves standing right next to the Dome of the Rock, Al Aqsa Mosque and the back side of the Eastern Gate! If you ever read my previous blogs you might know that the Eastern Gate is a favorite of mine - and - to be able to stand so close to it is always such a thrill for me that I feel 16years old all over again. (giggly!) Yes, as you can see the gate is sealed!



The reason it's sealed is facinating and you simply must come here to find out why! Let's just put it this way...No amount of cement and rock will keep Jesus from returning through this gate when He returns! Nice Try!

From there we went to the Pools of Bethesda and a stop in Saint Anne's Church for some beautiful singing inside an ancient church made for fabulous acoustics. While we were there we noticed that John Hagee was up front singing and praying for people! It was quite a moment for some people.




Look at Anne's face...She's pretty thrilled don't you think?





Walking the stations of the cross was touching and and also an exciting adventure! The Old City market was crazy busy! It's normally crazy but add the "busy" to it and wow!








Hair cut anyone?


At the end of the day Pastor Blakes blessed us with words God provided to him and I could see it on some faces that when he described the day and God's hand on it, that they agreed and felt it too. Off to bed with wonder on how the next day could top this one...
Shalom,
Kim