Shalom!


We had another wonderful day in Israel. We spent the day in Masada, Qumran, the Dead Sea, and Jericho. We started the day at Masada and take a cable trolley up the mountain. It was incredible to see all the ruins and to see how advanced there building was. We then went to Qumran and saw some of the caves where they found the Dead Sea scrolls.


After lunch we went to the Dead Sea. Celesta took a dip in the sea, while the rest of us stuck a toe or hand in. We then traveled to Jericho the oldest city in the world which is amazing. We are having an incredible journey and are enjoying experiencing this wonderful land.

Jerusalem

Greetings,

We have made it to Jerusalem. Yesterday we wrapped up our time in Galilee by going to Nazareth, Meggido, and Ceasarea. We had an incredible view of the entire Jezerel Valley from atop the mountain that Nazareth is built on. While in Nazareth we visited Mary's well, which was incredible. A church service was going on while we walked in, but we were able to see a great deal of it without being a terrible distraction.

Next we went to Meggido, and explored the tell there. We saw an ancient altar where sacrifices would have been made. We also got to walk in the underground tunnel which brought water from the spring outside the city. This setup was similar to Hezekiah's tunnel in Jerusalem.

Finally we headed to the Mediterranean to see the aqueduct built by Herod the Great. We also visited Ceasarea and explored the Greco-Roman city which included the a hippodrome, amphitheatre, and palace. It was a tremendous journey into history!

Today, we went to Betphage, Mount of Olives, David's tomb, the Upper Room, and Bethlehem. We saw tombs that were similar to those of Jesus' and Lazarus'. We then spent some quite time of reflection in the Garden of Gethsemane. We journeyed up the hill to Jerusalem and into the upper room.

One of the most incredible things of the day was the Church of the Nativity. Three churches worship in this church, but all churches are connected in a deep spiritual way to this historic place. During our visit the Greek Orthodox Church was worshipping. The sights and smells of this ancient place of worship reminded me of the amazing significance of the Christmas story.

We will be exploring more of this great land in the days to come, and I am sure we will have more to share. Thank you all for your prayers and please be praying for rain here in Israel and for the peace of the world. God bless and Shalom!

We have arrived! Today we was our first actual tour day. We visited the Church of St. Peter Primacy, Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, the Jordan River, Beit Shen, and we took a cruise on the Sea of Gallilee. We are a little tired. It's been a tremendous experience seeing the places that we have heard in sermons or heard from our Sunday School teacher. Our tour guide has been incredible! She not only knows a great deal about the land, but she is also able to bring out deep theological truths to bring the land to life. She calls the land the "fifth Gospel". I like that. Everyone is in great spirits and we have enjoyed getting to know each other on this journey. Tomorrow, we head for Jerusalem. I am not sure when we will be able to Blog again, but keep yourselves posted! We wish you were here, and look foward to sharing with you all the deep spiritual truths that we have shared with one another. God bless and we are keeping you all in our prayers. Shalom!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Holy Land Pilgrimage blog! Come often to get updates and comment on the travels of our intrepid Liberty Christian Church adventurers.