Day 35 Lenten Journey

With Holy Week coming up, I have been thinking about our trip to the Holy Land and how amazing it was. It's been 23 years since we went, and yet, it was one of those trips that just about every detail stands out vividly. I remember SO much about our trip and the people who were with us as well as all the traditional sites we visited while there. In fact, I'm going to dig out my albums and see if I can copy some of the pictures on the blog. Back when we went on this awesome trip, so many years ago, I took a regular camera, that took FILM. (Yes, that dinosaur contraption that used film that you loaded in a camera! HAHA!)!  But, no worries, I took a gazillion pix anyway! Those albums are some of my most special treasures. I am taking them to show my kids at church, too, on Palm Sunday.It's true what they say: "A picture is worth a thousand words". And yet, even having beautiful pictures, it's still so hard to try and explain what we did and saw and experienced. 

*while writing, of course I had to stop and immediately went on a search/find through all  my many album boxes (yes, I have that many) and found my 3 large albums of the trip. Before I finish the blog, I will post some pictures. I'll be scanning them so it will take awhile but I'll try to get it done ASAP :) It may take awhile ha ha*


We traveled with the church we were attending at the time, Riverchase United Methodist. (2 of my favorites, Dot/Jack Mullins. Our "parents" on the trip. Jack LOVED every minute. He, has since" gone home to be with Jesus", but so glad we were able to spend those 10 days with him, too!) Also there were some people from Vestavia UMC as well as a few others from other places in the USA. Not a full bus, by any means, probably 28 , total people (15 from our group). Our bus driver was an Arab (Fauzie) and our tour guide (Danny): Jewish. He explained that they worked very well together. In fact, were almost best friends. But , that they couldn't tell that to people that they lived with there. (interesting, right?).  we loved Danny, who was very knowledgeable and kind. He knew WAY more about our Christian faith than most "Christians" do! And one bus trip, on the Sabbath day, we stopped by the side of the road and he came back with flowers for all the ladies.
He kept reiterating for us to "Be careful" and watch people around you. That if you  noticed a sudden rush, to make sure you were with your group. (in other words, don't walk off by yourself!). This is true mostly in Arab towns. That if  we were in Bethlehem, for instance, (now an Arab town), and there was some kind of skirmish or trouble, that the bus driver would know (kind of concerning that he would "know) and would quickly get us out of there. (don't forget, there is never true peace in Israel!).  Sure enough,while walking the streets of Bethlehem, suddenly our tour guide yelled (he stayed with us the entire time), "to the bus! NOW!" Thankfully, we had already been to the cave/site where they believe Jesus was born and had already been to  the "Bethlehem Wood Company" where they make thousands of items to sell from olive wood. We quickly loaded up and left! Nothing happened, but he said he just saw some folks that raised his suspicions. Even on our group picture that was made, that we were given on the last day, at the top of the placard it says :"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem". 
Those prayers have been prayed since the time of Jesus and they still continue....

 Where else can you go and see these sights everyday: camels/ Hasidic Jews (definition:

noun, plural Hasidim

[hah-sid-im, huh-; Ashkenazic Hebrew khaw-see-dim; Sephardic Hebrew khah-see-deem] (Show IPA). Judaism.

1. a member of a sect founded in Poland in the 18th century by Baal Shem-Tov and characterized by its emphasis on mysticism, prayer, ritual strictness, religious zeal, and joy) 
AND they wear side curls, lol
walking to Temple/ visit David's Tomb/ order Kosher (if you wish!)/visit the Mount of Olives/  visit "real live" haha Shepherds in the hills in Bethlehem (yes, Boudins still live there in the hills in tents!/ seeing the Golden City of Jerusalem from the top of the Mount of Olives/watching fishermen pull their nets from the Sea of Galilee /Visit the River Jordan/ have Holy Communion  at the Sea of Galilee after a boat ride/ put mud on your face from the Dead Sea/ eat "Jesus Fish" !


We would eat lunch at the coolest places! One place I remember, in particular, was a place the "locals" loved (or so the tour guide said. He probably was friends with the owner, truth be known, lol), that sold "JESUS FISH" as it's main course.  A flat fish that was baked in a paper bag and then served whole. {Most know, if not, you need to know, this Mobilian- born- girl does NOT like fish. UGH, lol}. Anyway, everyone (but me) ordered this. After it came to the table, I was somewhat jealous! It looked great! It was a FLAT fish, one that was around during the time of Jesus and "they say" that this was probably the fish that they ate. Everyone raved over it, and hopefully, I'll find a picture of it to add to this page. I was fascinated by it, actually, haha. 

TA DA! The Jesus Fish! told you!

That's the kind of awesome stuff we experienced while in the Holy Land and we truly had a hand's on experience. For the most part, we do not like taking "tour trips" at all. In fact, we'll never take one of those again.  Riding buses all day with a bus full of folks (friends or not), and having to stop here and there all day long and no time to experience things ( individually, like we did in Italy, for instance). But, we couldn't have taken a trip to the Holy Land without our guides! NOW we could, we have been there, but it was great having that wealth of knowledge from  both a Jewish standpoint as well as our Christian one. I would LOVE to go back, one day, maybe we will get to. It's just one of those things that when you get off the plane and step on the earth there, you think, "Jesus walked here" and it blows you away! Of course, I took vials for water from the River Jordan and picked up rocks at the Mount of Olives! Now, I bet I couldn't do that b/c of airplane restrictions! So glad I got them when I did. I have added some "River Jordan" water to the grands baptisms, too!

Terry and I lost in the wilderness lol

Christ Prison Shop?

Bedouins

floating in the Dead Sea!

amazing Wailing Wall (and we saw a Bar Mizpah!

I am wearing my video camera case! LOL

Again, so blessed to have been able to travel to the one place I wanted to go to my whole life. I remember telling Mimi/Daddy we were going and they were so apprehensive. There is always some kind of skirmish going on there. Always has been. Always will be. Bombings. Fights. you name it. But, I just prayed for our group's protection and we were , indeed, blessed by what we experienced and protected from any injury or skirmish.  It was one of my biggest blessings to go there. I'll never forget it. I'll never forget what I tasted. Saw. Experienced. It was truly a blessing to "walk where Jesus walked". Humbling. Exciting. GooseBump worthy. (Now I'm ready to go back!)!
Enjoy a few pix today from The Holy Land. I'll be adding more each day until Easter :)

#walkwhereJesuswalked #JerusalemOJerusalem #kosher #viadolorosa #templemount #carrythecross