You are invited...

Please join us on Sunday, March 11 at 12 noon in Calvary's Fellowship Hall to hear more about our trip. We will serve a lunch (free will offering) with some American foods and some Middle East things to try. Hear about the trip, our reactions and maybe even a couple of our Top 10s! Spread the word...everyone is welcome to attend.

We're Back!!!!!

The travelers have now returned from the trip of a lifetime.  If you ever have the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land, do it!  It will change you in ways you cannot even begin to imagine.  We went expecting to deepen our faith, as well as our understanding of Scripture, people, places, and events, but came away with so much more.  We each will hold this time together forever in our hearts, and face the realities of our everyday lives with renewed strength and commitment.  What a way to begin the upcoming Lenten Season!

Written by Susan Degner

Final thoughts...

Now that we are at the end of our journey, we wanted to impart some important information to all of you potential travelers contemplating a trip to the Holy Land. A group of us girls (the 'Bathroom Queens' as named by Dennis) rated each bathroom on a scale ranging from A+ to F. We used the following criteria: cleanliness, odor (which believe me, is definitely NOT always a factor of cleanliness) availability of toilet paper, soap, paper towels and/or a working hand dryer. Much to our dismay, we found in Jerusalem that we had to add Western-style toilets vs. porcelain squatters to the list. I must tell you, that there are very few A+ bathrooms here.
But be not afraid. Go. Ignore your exasperated tour guide's query, "Is this really necessary right now?" and go whenever you have the chance. You never know where the next bathroom will be, and chances are, it wasn't worth waiting to see if it rated higher than the last one. On a final note, keep a few shekels in your pocket, in case you have to pay as you go ;)
By Susan Degner and Shari Brieland

Our Final Day in Israel

Today had a leisurely feel, from a late morning departure from our hotel in Eilat to the airport (where we now wait), with fun things in between. Here are some of the highlights:

First we stopped to traipse around on the shore of the Red Sea, which separates the Sinai peninsula (Egypt) from Jordan and Saudi Arabia (which we could see from the shore). Above is a pic of Sarah and Troy, with a tanker in the background.

Next we stopped briefly to look out at Michtash Rimmon, Israel's "Grand Canyon." The view was amazing, although not nearly as large as the USA's Grand Canyon.

Next we stopped at Beer Sheva, a city that dates to the most ancient of biblical sites (featured in Genesis, roamed by both Abraham and Isaac). Above is a pic of the well discovered there, which dates to the earliest of times. (People dropped rocks into it; it took, on average, about 6 seconds for things to hit the bottom!) Although it was extremely windy for our time at Beersheva, it was enjoyable to see so ancient a biblical site. Thereafter we stopped at the Valley of Elah (or Azekah), where David fought Goliath (1 Sam 17). It was fun simply to hear the story read while looking out at the valley.

Our day concluded with a dinner together at a lovely restaurant, followed by celebrating Matt Degner's birthday one day late! ...which made it a total surprise!! The birthday cake was delicious, and the entire evening was a fun conclusion to our time together. We said goodbye to our guide Elie, our bus driver Muhommad, and also to each other (anticipating when we say farewell to each other at the airport). It has been a fabulous gathering of people, and we have enjoyed our time together immensely.

The fact that I - Troy - am writing this blog also, by the way, shows the fact that we are all tired! No one volunteered to write the blog this day alone, as we wait at the airport. While we have had a great time, we are all more or less exhausted from so many experiences. We have had many "God moments," learned a great deal about new things, and are still processing all that we have taken in. ...it has been a fantastic trip.

Finally, as a PS, here is the list of "special awards" we acknowledged today, for various memories formed on the trip together. (Some are inside jokes, while others are not; read at your own risk. :o)

Holy Land Trip Awards

Compiled by Troy & Sarah

Hardiest Trooper Award (for enjoying the trip while being sick):

Runners up: Matt Degner & Dean Wieland

• First Place: Mary Ann Devig

Bathroom Award: Susan Degner
Most excited about coffee stops – Sharon Bubb & Sarah Raymond
Most determined: Don Anderson
Most worried: Ellen Anderson
Lost Souls’ Award: Van Larson
Most excited NOT to be the trip leader; and the Snack Queen Award: Susan Zelewski
The Sheepdog Award: Matt Degner
The Caboose Award (most often the last of the group):  
2^nd place: Van Larson

• ^1st place: Arlen Simon

Most Likely to be found in the Forbidden Gift Shop Award: Monica Simon
Most Infectious Laugh:
3^rd place: Sherry Burg

• 2^nd place: Sherry Burg
• 1^st place: Sherry Burg

Frozen Dairy Product Connoisseur Award: Darla Sheldon
The “I Conquered Mt. Tabor” Effort Award: Shari Brieland
Softest Spoken Award: Joyce Wicklund and Cathy Martsolf
Boy Scouts’ Award: Shawn Bubb
Most interested in drugs: Dennis Johnson
Most studious: Mae Wieland and Joyce Wicklund
Best Birthday Cake candle (or Best-timed Bathroom stop Award): Dee Larson
Flora & Fauna Award: Joan Johnson
The Wi-fi Thieves’ Award: Dean & Mary Schieve
Hikers’ Best Friend Award: Pat Devig
Best Wildlife Spotter – Claude Sheldon
The St. Francis Award (most empathy for wildlife): Cathy Martsolf
Most interested in electric poles: Jay Raymond
Best Haggler: Van Larson

Matt's 51st Birthday (Wed, Petra)

By Susan Degner:

How ironic that I am in charge of writing today’s blog.  Before I left for Israel, I had a conversation with Pastor Jeff about the trip.  He had been to Israel some years back, and recommended keeping a travel diary.  I just laughed and told him that that would be lower on my list of priorities than taking pictures, which I also don’t do.   Well, Matt and I are also taking pictures for Elli Pastorek to use in her confirmation class project!  Anyway, today was always destined to be special because it is Matt’s 51^st birthday!  How am I ever going to top Petra as a birthday present?

 We spent the night in Eilat on the Red Sea, and arrived at the border crossing bright and early.  We had to get exit stamps from Israel, and then walk across a true No-Man’s Land to Jordan.  There we received our entrance stamps into Jordan.  Our passports are looking pretty exotic!  We also had to go through security.  I must admit, I have never crossed a border on foot.  Matt’s “shukran”  (the Arabic word for thank you) to the guard was met with a smile and a warm welcome to Jordan.

 (Our Jordanian Guide, Mohammed)

We met our guide, Mohammed, and boarded our bus for the 2 hour ride to Petra.  As he introduced himself to us, he explained that Mohammed is a very common name in the Middle East, and if you shout “Mohammed!” in any marketplace, about a hundred heads will turn.  We drove toward the Edomite Mountains through the stark yet somehow still beautiful desert.  Jordan is about 90% desert, and is not a rich country like some of its neighbors because there is no oil or large industry.  But it is rich in history, and wherever you dig, you will uncover some treasure of times and people past.   The population is about 3% Christian and almost all of the rest of the people are Moslem.  Mohammed told us that there is a high level of religious tolerance in the country.  He also told us about the origins of Islam, and I have never heard it explained so beautifully.  The word Islam means to believe in one God. We Jews, Christians, and Moslems share much more similarities than differences it seems.  He also gave a nice summary of the history of modern Jordan.

The Edomite Mountains are where Aaron, the brother of Moses is buried.  It was his dying request to be buried on the highest mountain in Petra. Today his tomb has a mosque on it.  Mt. Nebo is also in these mountains, and is where Moses was allowed by God to see into the Promised Land.  We were told that on a clear day, you can see all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.  The valley is called the Wadi Mousa which means “Valley of Moses.”

Petra was built by a tribe of people called the Nabataeans about 2200 years ago.  It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.   The word Petra is from the Greek, and means “rock”.   We are excited to get off of the bus, and begin our descent along the path down into the canyon.  Don and Claude opt to ride down in a horse-drawn carriage, and will meet us at the Treasury. 

The carvings in the rock are beautiful, and share characteristics with Roman, Greek, and Egyptian design and architecture.  Most are tombs, which would hold one to two bodies.  The sunlight and shadow along the canyon walls highlight the natural striating of the rock.  Some parts reminded me of the Painted Desert in Arizona.  Our guide stops us at various points along the path to point out and explain some point of interest.  I can’t hear much of it, because there is a constant barrage of sales pitches from children selling postcards and other trinkets.  They are from Bedouin families nearby, and are helping to provide support for the family.  We also have a lot of offers for camel rides and horse rides down into the canyon.  All for your dinars or American dollars, of course!

We finally get a glimpse of the crown jewel of Petra—the façade that is the most famous one in Petra—the Treasury.  And, it’s pink!  It is even more impressive in person, than any picture you have seen.  I took a great picture of Shari, who went native in her beautiful red Jordanian headdress ($18—“installed”, meaning they wrapped it around her head for her).  We spent about 10 minutes walking around and taking a closer look, then on towards lunch!

We ended up in an open area which included a theater, which was not constructed, but instead carved out of the stone.  We started out dining al fresco, but were actually chased under cover by a fast moving hail storm!   All too soon, we start making our way back up the path.   We didn’t have quite as many offers of postcards, but lots of offers for a camel or horse ride back.  Most of us walked as we have been eating pretty well on this trip, and need to work some of it off at any opportunity.  

 (Matt and I in the Canyons of Petra)

We could have all used more time as there are many more paths and much more to see.  But, we will just have to make our way back to this beautiful place another time.  Isn’t that the point of a well-planned trip—to leave you wanting just a little bit more?  Oh, and Sarah is talking about putting together a German Luther trip in the summer of 2013.   Can you believe that no one even groaned at the thought of another long trek?  Where and when do I sign up?

 Written by Susan Degner

Tuesday morning

This was our free morning. We split up into several groups and had people from each group write about their experiences. First from Shari Breiland...

---

It was a beautiful sunny morning in Jerusalem and our group of 6 (Matt, Cathy, Sarah, Joyce and I) set out to the Old City to do the Rampart Walk up on the city walls. It was interesting to see the local people starting their day and merchants opening up their shops as we made our way through the Old City of Jerusalem to start the Rampart Walk at the Jaffa Gate.
The view from the top of the walls was great and we got a birds-eye view of some of the sights we had visited over the past couple of days...the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, and the skull of Golgotha, to name a few.
The morning exercise felt great before we made our way to the southern tip of Israel.

_______

Next from a small group of ours that went to Bethlehem for the free morning:

Today was our free morning in Israel. We visited Bethlehem last Saturday, but were under time constraints and unable to wait for 2 hours in the Church of the Nativity to enter the grotto beneath the church. This is the traditional location where Jesus was born, and where his mother, Mary, laid him in the manger. While I understood that we didn't have the time, my heart felt heavy to have come all this way, and not to visit this Holy place. So our tour guide, Elie, arranged for a car and driver to take us to Bethlehem today. I was joined by Monica and Arlen Simon, and Dee Larson. Our driver, Mahmoud, was prompt, and we easily traveled through the check points on our way to Bethlehem. We drove through Shepherd's Fields, and were dropped off right in Manger Square in front of the church. We went inside of the church, and were told that it was closed for 1 hour. We had prearranged our pick-up time, and only had 1 hour to accomplish our mission. The guard was emphatic--closed for 1 hour. The other guard must have sensed our dismay, because he asked us if it was just the four of us. We nodded, and he motioned us to come with him. He directed us to join a tour group who must have made prior arrangements, and we made our way into the cave. "Quickly, quickly, faster!" we heard from the Tour Guide. We started to hurry along as well, and our friendly guard stopped us at the steps and said, "No. You stay." So the four of us had at least 5 minutes alone in the cave where it is believed that Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was born. My heart is full. I am so glad that we went, and I will never forget those moments as long as I live. (Written by Susan Degner)

(Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem)

..._________________________

Finally, from our group who went shopping!! ...from Susan Zelewski
Today a small group of us returned to the Old City in Jerusalem for shopping. It was a wonderful to get to experience the Old City early in the morning prior to the arrival of all the pilgrims and tour groups.
The narrow streets were quiet and even dark in spots. Just a few local residents were out beginning their days and many times the only places open were markets selling fresh fruits, veggies and fresh baked bread and a couple of grocery stores.
It was amazing to get to clearly see areas along the Via Dolorosa. We had only glanced the day before due to the crowds.
As the souvenir shops opened, our group of 7 found a great store run by the Barakat brothers. From silver cross necklaces to olive wood figurines, music boxes and Nativity sets. These were lots of great finds.
Good thing we had Van along to serve as master negotiator. He brokered some great deals. We each had our own shopping agendas and all completed.
The next stop was a spice shop (also run by the brothers) where we found local spices to buy. On our return to the hotel, we stopped at a local candy store and then bought rings of bread covered in sesame seeds with local spices to sprinkle on top for later in the day.

Not only did we enjoy a wonderful morning of shopping, but we were also lucky enough to experience e early morning Old Jerusalem.

...the rest of everyone simply laid low at the hotel (Pastor Troy included!!). And it was tremendously enjoyable - a worthy breather during this full trip!! It was a beautiful morning!!

Date: Monday, February 13

Author: Darla Sheldon

What a privilege to be on this trip and to be able to write this blog on my 66th birthday! Our day began with a 5:45 a.m. wake up call, another breakfast fit for a king (probably a chubby one :) ), and on the bus by 7 a.m. for a very full day. Here was our itinerary: 1) Temple Mount - considered the holiest place in the Jewish faith because it was where King Solomon and. Later Ezra and Nehemiah built the Temples. Today, however, it is the location of the Dome of the Rock mosque which is so visible in most pictures of Jerusalem. The Temple Mount is under Muslim control, but Israeli security. We all had to go through security (just like at the airports). We could not wear a visible cross, we had to wear modest clothing, we could not have food. Soldiers were visible everywhere because there had been an incident yesterday where they had to shut everything down. Today was peaceful. 2) Walked the Via Dolorosa and visited the stations of the cross leading to the crucifixion and Jesus being put in the tomb.

3) The Church of the Holy Sepulchre which contains stations #10-14, the rock of Golgotha and the tomb of Jesus. 4) The ancient Roman cardio street of shops and ancient ruins 5) Israel Museum with a fascinating 1/50th scale model of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus.

6) Garden Tomb which is a new site found more recently and run by Christians. They believed the exact place is not known, but said the place is not to be revered but what happened there is the most important -- Jesus died for our sins. 7) The bus took us to our hotel for an awesome banquet again

PLUS a special chocolate ice cream cake to share with all for my birthday! Highlight of my day: my husband buying me a beautiful olive wood nativity set for my birthday!

My thoughts for today: The unrest of all the different sectors of people here in Israel makes me appreciate our country and all it's flaws. We live in the greatest country.

Written by Darla Sheldon on her birthday!!

Day 9 ( already?!)

Our first site on this day was Masada. Another of Herod's palaces. The palace is built on the top of a mountain with all of the amenities of a 5 star hotel, steam baths, a pool, bath houses, a synagogue, and a church for monks who lived there for a time. The steam baths utilized a raised floor and a system of clay tubes in the walls to distribute the steam throughout the room. Hot water was poured in from the outside by a group of dedicated employees:)
The labor to build a site like this is unbelievable, and with the added extravagances makes it even more so.
We also took time here to have a small worship and reflect on the trip thus far. We said prayers for friends and family at home and sang "Be Thou My Vision".
The trip up was either by cable car, or a moderately difficult hiking trail called the snake path the climb was about 1100 ft (900 ft below sea level at the bottom to 200 ft above sea level at the top).
We misplaced Van Larson for a bit but discovered him safe and sound at the bottom. (he discovered a McDonalds restaurant at the visitors center so he was a pretty popular guy with a group tiring of falafels)
Our next stop was at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The site is not as developed as the others we have seen, but still a must see if your in the neighborhood.
The story is that a young Bedouin goatherd discovered the site by accident, our guide disagrees with this discovery and tells a less romantic version. Whatever...sometimes the fiction is better than the facts.
Our third and final stop,of the day was at the Dead Sea. At 1300+ feet below sea level it is the lowest dry land on earth. As you drive by you can see where the lake was at one time, and through evaporation and low rainfall it is steadily receding.
About half of the group chose to float in the sea. And if you chose to swim, you should also take advantage of local mud and apply it to your skin for a mud bath. Shortly after arriving 14 somewhat pale Scandinavian/Germans were covered in mud and loving it. The trick was to get clean afterward, the mud was rather sticky and took some scrubbing to get off (I think Pastor Troy was still wearing some at dinner). It was a great day, the weather cooperated and we are seeing and learning much.

Submitted by Jay
(miss you Emily, Karl, and T-bone)

A unique and thought-provoking day in our journey

Today was a day of listening, learning, and feeling the tensions that simmer so close to the surface of this beautiful and holy land. We heard statistics and stories that left many of us saddened, perplexed and wanting to know more.We came to see that for people on both sides of the issues, and for many complex reasons, the desire for peace is matched by the passion of their convictions. There are no easy answers or simple solutions.There is, however, hope, which is expressed by everyone.Hope is present in abundance at Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem where we began our day. Reverend Mark Brown, regional representative of the Lutheran World Federation Jerusalem Program, talked about the plight of the Palestinians and their need for health care. Established as a major medical facility in 1948, it became a haven for Palestinian refugees from the West Bank and Gaza. Today it's known for specialty departments in areas such as cancer and diabetes. It operates with assistance from a number of countries and organizations, including the U.S. and the ELCA.Last year, the U.S. provided $5.5 million for a top of the line radiation machine that provides treatment for more curative and complicated cases and treatment. And some of those school kits, health kits, blankets and quilts organized or made by Calvary members in Grand Forks make their way here.

Caption 1: Pastors Troy, Mark and Sarah pose with a card made by Calvary kids during the children's sermon. We also presented the Hospital with more than $2,000, raised mostly through the noisy offering.Then we boarded the bus for Bethlehem where we met our Palestinian Christian guide, Husan, who took us to the International Center, where we learned about Diyar, a program that provides cultural and recreational activities, education, health and wellness programs and counseling for Palestinian youth. Caption 2: A Deacon from the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church talked about the plight of the Palestinians and the challenges of being a Christian in an Islamic land, while at the same time facing various Israeli government restrictions.

Despite efforts to keep Christians in the communities, numbers have fallen and only about 10,000 remain.After that, it was time for a bit of sightseeing. We made our way through the colorful, crowded streets of Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity. A two-hour wait kept us from seeing the grotto where Christ was said to have been born, but we had a special treat at our next stop, Shepherd's Field. This is where an angel appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus. As we were singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing in a lovely chapel, we were joined by a group of Canadians who added their voices to the choir. The results were quite impressive!Caption : The lively streets of Bethlehem.


Last on our tour was a visit to a Palestinian refugee camp near the Israeli security wall erected about 10 years ago. We got an up-close look at the wall, which separates Bethlehem from an Israeli settlement. We walked through the camp, which is actually a series of buildings, not huts or tents as some of us might have expected. It's been a camp since 1948 so it's likely to have evolved over time.

As we left Bethlehem, we passed through a check-point where two young, smiling, armed Israeli guards boarded our bus and did a security walk-though. At the end of the day, we all had a lot to digest and think about.

Our First Day in Jerusalem

Yes, I rode a camel yesterday – in Jericho! …in case there is any question (see the blog from Feb 9 for that). When an opportunity such as this presents itself, one shouldn’t pass it up! What a hoot!!

We arrived in Jerusalem last night and checked into a beautiful hotel. At 8am this morning we were on the bus heading for the sights of historic Jerusalem. We started high above the city, looking out at the Dome of the Rock (which was located on the very site of the temple in Jesus’ day), the Golden Gate (where Jesus entered Jerusalem; it is now closed), an ancient city to the east of the city where there is a very large Jewish cemetery, and the old eastern wall of Jerusalem. It was rainy and cool, so with umbrellas in hand we made our way down into the Kidron Valley over very rough terrain and questionable stairways for Don(!). He’s been a trooper and refuses to miss out on anything. So far, so good!! We descended down from the Mt. of Olives to the Church of Agony, in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed before he was arrested.

(Two pics: Sherry Burg, Joyce Wicklund, and Sarah & Jay Raymond hiking the traditional route of Jesus' Triumphal Entry, from the Mt. of Olives down into the Kidron Valley; second pic: Don Anderson & Shawn Bubb doing the same)

We spent time at the Church of St. Peter on the slope of Mt. Zion where Peter denied Jesus three times. Then we also visited King David’s tomb, and the Upper Room – known as the location of the Last Supper.

Extra curricular standouts include:

·         A donkey kissed Jay Raymond (smack)!
·         A strike of sanitation workers - whew, the smell!
·         A farmers’ market with luscious fruit, vegetables, and very big fish (displayed in open air).
·          A real dungeon deep in the bowels of the city
·         Clean bathrooms!!!!
·         A large Korean choir that appeared out of nowhere in the Church of St. Anne and sang Amazing Grace in Korean. They were a real delight and sounded like angels!

We didn’t finish exploring the whole city, but we’re going to continue on another day – there is just so much to see!! (pic: walking through the Old City of Jerusalem; group members Don Anderson, Monica Simon, Sharon bubb, Joan Johnson, Dean Wieland, Jay Raymond)

Written by Ellen (& Don) Anderson

The Road to Jerusalem

Our first stop was Mt. Tabor: rising 1800 feet above sea level is this traditional site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. We had 19 brave walkers up the hill, who huffed and puffed and made it to the top (although the other 9 riders had to be a little brave to ride the taxi too!). We had a short worship service at the Church of the Transfiguration, and during the prayer Sarah said something to the effect that "we are still pinching ourselves" as we realize we are really here, really in Israel!

Our second stop was the "Harod Spring," which bubbles up from the Gideon Cave at the foot of Mt. Gilboa - the site where Gideon's soldiers were tired and were selected for the war against the Midianites.

Next we had lunch and time visiting Bet She'an National Park in which we walked among the ruins from the late Canaanite period (Egyptian period, 1450-1150 B.C.), later taken by King David and destroyed in 732 B.C. and built upon again and again until being devastated by a severe earthquake in 749 A.D.

Then we drove by Jericho, stopped at a rest area and Jay Raymond, Joyce Wicklund got $1 camel rides, but later Ellen Anderson, Darla Sheldon, Mary Schieve, and Monica Simon had to pay $5 (quite an inflation rate!). Who knew, camel rides at the gas station/convenience store!!

Then we passed by the "old" Jerusalem-to-Jericho road, featured in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Then we arrived in Jerusalem, checked into our rooms at the Grand court Hotel, feasted, and are going to be ready for another unbelievable day on our journey in the Holy Land.

Written by Sharon & Shawn Bubb

North of Galilee

Today Feb 8.  Our first stop was on the eastern side of Galilea at Kursi.  We saw the miracle where Jesus drove demons from the man who was possessed.  We visited an excavated church site. Interesting, there are many wild animals of prey who roam the site. From then onward to route #20 northeast, onward toward the border between Israel and Syria. Today was pleasant, but we remember the tensions of war between those two countries. We understand that only 30 or so miles away, there was conflict recently, in the city of Damascus - though we would know none of that, aside from the news! (Photo at right: looking from Israel into Syria).

(Two pictures above: at Caesarea Philippi)
We saw many acres of citrus, apple, and plum trees, plus many acres of grapevines. God has blessed this area with an abundance of healthy food. On highway 90 we drove through the majestic Jordan Valley, and it looks in some parts to be growing rocks! We also saw snow on the top of Mt. Hermon - the tallest mountain Israel. In the area of Dan, we walked through excavated ruins. At Caesarea Philippi, we hiked some around the area. It was here that Jesus asked Peter who Jesus was; and Peter answered: "You are the Christ, the Son of God" (Matt 16). On our way back, we stopped at the site where the River Jordan comes out from the Sea of Galilee. There we had a remembrance of baptism service, for those who chose to do so, along with confession of sin and prayer and songs for all. It was a beautiful day to be walking on God's great earth.

(Top pic: Jay Raymond, Sharon Bubb, & Susan Zelewski taking a wade in the Jordan River)

Written by Mae (& Dean) Wieland

Walking in these steps

Today was walking in the land of Christ and being reminded of our Lord.  the day began with scripture and communion on a boat on the Sea of Galilee.  As we sailed the skies were hazed and Susan Zelewski said "it seemed to be like a day Jesus would have been on the water". 

And this theme continued throughout the day.  At Capernaum, the base of Jesus's ministry, where Christ healed Peter's mother-in-law and cast out demons, not on the same person, like Cathy said "there needed to be a mother-in-law joke somewhere.  At the Mount of Beatitudes, we were surrounded by lovely gardens, with a little rain, and were reminded that God is with us at our most difficult times.  Then progressing to the Church of Multiplication, where Jesus fed the 5000 with 5 loaves and two fish, after our lunch of Peter's fish I felt as if I had eaten the remaining 12 baskets that were collected after all were fed. 

And of course we can not forget Dee Larson's flaming birthday cake which was at our restraunt to the tune of happy birthday.

In closing, we went to Peter's Primacy, were Jesus came to Peter and sent him forward on his ministry. How blessed we are to walk in these steps.

Written by Sherry Burg

Today is our first full day in Israel and it was busy. While I am posting it is 8pm in Israel and noon in North Dakota. Some of our bodies are a little messed up timewise. We started the day with a wake up call at 6am, breakfast at 6:45am and on the bus, ready to roll, at 7:30am. Our first stop was at Megiddo, an important ancient city now reduced to a tel (hill) with 26 layers of ruins that have been excavated by archeologists. According to Revelations 16: 16-21; 20: 7-10 the last great battle is prophesied to take place at Armageddon (Har-Megiddo -the hill of Megiddo). Our next stop was at Caesarea where Herod the Great re-built an older city into one of the grandest cities in Israel. We saw the ruins of his theatre, swimming pool, hippodrome, vaults, and castle that are located on the Mediterranean Sea. We then drove to Mount Carmel for lunch and on to Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood. There we enjoyed a spectacular view of the Jezreel Valley from the top of Precipce Hill. Next we visited Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle by making wine out of water. Pastor Troy performed a wedding vow renewal service for 11 couples on the trip. It was odd to see signs advertising "Cana Wedding Wine Souvenirs". Posted by Mary Ann and Pat Devig

Ahab's Gate to Megiddo built in 1600BC

Herod the Great's Theater in Caesarea

Pinch Me - We're Here!

...Ellen Anderson said this at dinner tonight, reflecting the thoughts of all of us. As the twenty-eight of us ate hummus, fish, and other unidentified foods for dinner tonight, in the dining hall just off from our lodging rooms, we are all tired from travel, adjusting to the scenery, and in awe at hearing the waves outside our doors of a sea we have known until this point only in stories. We are all grateful to have finally reached our traveling destination of the Sea of Galilee, ready to explore the land of the Bible.

Aside from our opening flight from Grand Forks being cancelled (a problem remedied by last-minute motorcoach arrangements), the remainder of our trip went very smoothly. Flights were basically on-time, all our luggage followed us, and all people connections have been made just as planned. Given the rough start of our journey, this has been a wonderfully pleasant surprise.

Other group participants will update the blog from here on, for the most part. ...we thank God who has watched over our "going out" (Ps 121:8) so far, and we look forward to all that is to come this unfolding week-and-a-half.

Sunset over Tel Aviv, Israel

Just a picture or two

Troy is going to update the blog tonight. I thought I would add a picture. This is the area just north of Tel Aviv looking at the western edge of the West Bank.

Our Hero!

This is Dave from Ottertail Minn-Dak Coaches out of Fergus Falls, MN. He was willing to drive to Grand Forks and pick us up this morning and safely deliver us to the MSP airport! Thanks, Mike. And thank you, God, for answering our prayers!

On our way!

We are off from Calvary at 7:53 a.m. Our hero driver, Mike, from Ottertail Minn-Dak Bus Linea from Fergus Falls, picked us up at Calvary. We are pushing to get to e Minneapolis airport to catch a 3 p.m. Flight. This flight is a little later than we originally were scheduled, but we should still be able to catch the scheduled flight out of JFK to Tel Aviv.

Everyone has been so great. We have an amazingly flexible group of travelers. Jay was calling bus companies, Dean W was checking on local drivers, Don was checking with Amtrak, and Susan was banging on her neighbors' door to notify them about the change! Everyone was so helpful and willing to go with the flow. But we really hope that was our last glitch!

Pray for smooth travel from here on out... Psalm 121.

Uff da

Say a little prayer for us. Our flight for Saturday morning out of Grand Forks was cancelled due to fog, but we were able to hire a bus out of Fergus Falls to try and get us to the Minneapolis airport for our new flight. Much of the drive will be in dense fog, but we are determined! And we have a bus company willing to help. Stay tuned....

From the Midwest to the Middle East

We are checking off the last things on our lists and preparing to leave in the morning. The advice we have been given for a trip like this is to plan what we are going to pack and then put half of it back because we won't need it. We are trying to follow that advice!

A lot of people have been asking about the weather forecast for Israel. Now that we are close to departure, we can see the 10-day forecast. It looks like it will be in the upper 50s to mid-60s with some clouds and rain while we are in Tiberias (along the Sea of Galilee) and in Jerusalem. The forecast in Eilat is a little more distant, but Eilat is in the desert so the average high is around 80. Currently the highs are sunny and in the low 70s. We are planning for layers and rain gear.

Peace to all of you! We'll try to update you from the airport tomorrow.