TravelStream™ news feed for member holyland on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/holyland en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:09:52 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205784000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205784000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205784000/tpod.html Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:09:52 -0400 Holyland Study Trip

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Taba, Egypt

Dear Friends and Family,A very short note to tell you that we are in Taba on the Egyptian and Israel border.  We travel back to Jerusalem tomorrow and on Wednesday back home.  I hope to up load some pictures tomorrow.  We went on a boat ride on the Nile today. We're sorry that we have been unable to keep you fully informed about our daily tour. Internet access has been problematic here in Egypt, and the lack of time in the evenings has caused us to not be able to send regular updates. All travelers are well, and everyone will be anxious to share all that they have learned, seen, and experienced both in Israel and Egypt. We are looking forward to being back home among you!In Christ,Michael & Jolene
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205694660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205694660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205694660/tpod.html Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:14:23 -0400 Holyland Study Trip

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Cairo, Egypt

Dear Friends and Family,We have not been able to bolg each day because of the Internet access.  Todays comes form Tracy.  I will try to up load pictures on Tuesday.  Hi Friends! I've just returned from reading and sun bathing by the pool where it's a beautiful sunny 78 degrees.  We were admiring John S. for doing laps in the pool the last two days. Today is Palm Sunday and since we were unable to locate an English speaking Christian Church, we held our own service on a platform in the middle of the pool at our hotel.  One of the scriptures we read was Mark 11: 1 - 11 which tells us of Jesus entrance from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem.  For us the scripture came to life as we have walked that very path just a few days ago. After our service we boarded the bus and headed to the Egyptian Museum. Here our guide, Mohamed, gave us a fabulous tour through Egyptian history.  Mohamed is a scholar with a PhD in Archeology and Egyptology.  At this point, he has uncovered a 2ft. statue of a High Priest that is at the museum waiting to be put on display.  Currently, he is working at a dig in Cairo to unearth another historic statue. He is truly amazing and has given us a thorough tour of Egypt.  I find it fun to see his eyes light up when he speaks of Egypt's history.  We are truly blessed! On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a Mosque.  Upon entering, all of us had to remove our shoes and, in addition, the women had to don robes and cover our heads out of respect to the Muslim faith (we have pictures!).  The Muslims must bathe prior to praying starting with their hands, face, nose, ears, and feet.  Once this is finished they go into a space (this one was enormous) and kneel either on a place marked on carpet or on their own blanket all the while facing toward Mecca which is southeast.  This is for the men, if Muslim women choose to pray at the Mosque they must stay at the back or if there's a 2nd story they must go there.  This is to prevent unclean thoughts from entering the mind while praying. They pray 5 times a day and are able to make it up prior to the next prayer time should they miss one.  This particular Mosque had marble columns and glass and bronze incense holders hanging from the ceiling. Yesterday we saw the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids which were awesome!  Later in the evening we returned there for a laser light show. This entire trip has been both interesting and enlightening.  At this point, we are spending our last full day in Egypt.  Tomorrow we cruise on the Nile for a couple of hours after which we will hook up with the rest of our group and head to Taba for an overnight stay on our way back to Jerusalem. I think I can speak for everyone in saying that we are thankful for the great experience and amazing opportunity to make new friends and to share Gods love with everyone we meet. We are hoping to bring this weather back with us! Hugs to all!   Tracy
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205156940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205156940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205156940/tpod.html Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:45:29 -0400 Holyland Study Trip

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Jerusalem, Israel

Dear Friends and Family,Tonight's journal will be pictures.  These are pictures taken over the last few days. They show group members of First United Methodist Church in Palatine and FUMC in McHenry, along with friends. If these pictures could talk, you would hear the reading of Scripture, friends enjoying one another's company, and people's minds and hearts being stirred by all the sights and sounds. Everyone sends their love to you back home.In Christ,The Holyland Pilgrims
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205076780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205076780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1205076780/tpod.html Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:37:35 -0400 Holyland Study Trip

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Jerusalem, Israel

Saturday, March 08, 2008 Hello FUMC-Palatine and a special hello to the 6th grade Sunday school class. This is Teri and John Schmelzel; we will miss not being with you in class tomorrow but have lots to share with you when we return. We left Tiberius today to wind our way to Jerusalem, with several stops along the way. We went first to Bet She An, a city first established in the fifth millennium BCE, as a seat of Egyptian rule. As with some many cities it changed hands several times over the centuries. What were discovered in the 1920's were the ruins of an extensive Roman settlement. Still standing is a theater that seated 7000 people and was used by the Romans for plays. The 2 main streets can still be seen and have tall columns standing on both sides of the streets. Along the streets were the foundations of stores. We also saw a bathhouse, a temple and even a public bathroom. The Byzantines added other structures including steps that still stand that probably led to their temple. All of this was carved out of stone and the workmanship was amazing. In all they have identified 16 layers of civilizations. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in AD 749, leaving some pillars knocked over while other still stand. This city is mentioned in 1 Samuel 31, (6th grade boys might enjoy this chapter; the girls may get grossed out.) Our next stop was at Bet-Alpha Synagogue national park. Kibbutz members in 1928 discovered a mosaic floor and the outer rim of a synagogue dating back to 6th century AD. I had always heard that Jewish synagogues were meant to be plain, but this mosaic floor had over 20 colors, depicted the Zodiac signs, Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, symbols for the 4 seasons, and even a sun god. Our tour guide explained the decorations were influenced by the Byzantines who were in power at this time. We drove along the Israel/ Jordan border going south towards Jerusalem. There was a fence separating the two countries most of the way. The countryside changed from green to desert the farther south we went. The desert is more how Teri and I had expected Israel to look. When we first reached the drier terrain they were using irrigation and watering to still grow crops. We saw Bedouin communities along the route in makeshift shanties, and camels along the road. We saw several herds of sheep being watched over by shepherds. We imagined this was relatively unchanged from Biblical times although the shepherds may now have cell phones or I-Pods.  We drove through Jerusalem and into Bethlehem, which is in Palestinian controlled territory. We had to stop at a checkpoint and also switch tour guides as the Israeli government does not allow Israelis to go to Bethlehem. We had lunch at a nice restaurant, shopped a little, were given the "opportunity" to shop some more by the street vendors, then went to the Church of the Nativity.  It is traditionally believed that the church was built over the cave where Jesus was born.  There is a small doorway entrance into the church, so all who enter must bow down to go in. As we waited to enter there was a call to prayer coming from the mosque on the other side of Manger Square.  The church is watched over jointly by the Roman Catholic, Armenian and Greek Orthodox churches, and each has its own chapel inside. The group just before ours was from Africa. We had to go down a level to get to the cave where Jesus was said to be born. It is marked by a silver star and across the hallway was the manger where he was laid down. We sang "Away in the Manger" here and then exited up into St. Catherine's Church. We sang "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and then Michael suggested we take a few minutes to meditate. Right then the church bells started to ring.  We checked into our hotel back in Jerusalem which was only 4 miles from Bethlehem. As most of you know there was an incident in Jerusalem 2 nights ago. Driving through the streets one would not know anything has changed. We are sure security is tighter but I think we all believe that God is with us. His presence has been felt by all of us on this trip in different ways.  You are in our prayers as we hope we are in yours.God Bless to everyone and especially to any of our family members who may be reading this!  In Christ,The Holyland Travelers
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204918080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204918080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204918080/tpod.html Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:30:24 -0500 Holyland Study Trip

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Tiberias, Israel

Dear Friends and Family,Breakfast here includes assorted salads, yogurt, cheeses, bread, eggs, fish, and pancakes.  The food is delicious and healthy.  After breakfast, we started the day at Tabgha, which is where Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes.  The Church of Heptapegon is built around a rock at the location of the miracle.  Some of the beautiful mosaics from the original Byzantine church were preserved there.  The next stop was the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter.  This is where Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection and asked Peter, "Do you love me?" We stood on the stone beach near the church to read the passage, John 21, and we sang "Here I Am, Lord." It was beautiful.  Next to the church are stone steps, which would have been used by the fisherman, and which were there at the time of Jesus.  The water came up to them at that time but now has receded.  We walked down by the water; some of us waded, and many of us collected a few stones and shells.  The water was clear and sparkled in the sun.  It was my favorite spot so far.  I think I understand the exchange between the Lord and Peter far better now than I did before.We drove along the Via Maris, an ancient road that connected Mesopotamia with the Mediterranean Sea, toward Ginosar.  At Ginosar, we boarded a boat and took a little cruise on the Sea of Galilee.  The crew raised our flag and played "The Star Spangled Banner."  It was very nice.  We headed north and could see the Golan Heights, where we toured yesterday.  Our guide told us what the fishing business was like on the lake in the days of Jesus.  It was fun to imagine it.  One of the men on the boat demonstrated casting a net as they did in those days.  The movement of the big round net was quite graceful, as he tossed it into the air and it unfolded to land on the water like a giant web.  We could see the Mount of Beatitudes, Mount Arbel and Tiberius from the boat.  We heard gospel readings interspersed with verses from a hymn called "Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore."  The service was put together by the folks from the McHenry church.  We also saw the place where Jews from Spain settled when they escaped the Inquisition.Next we saw a 2000-year-old boat from the Sea of Galilee.  Preservation took ten years.  The boat was mainly made of cedar and oak.  It was amazing to see a boat that may have belonged to one of the disciples.For lunch, we enjoyed St. Peter fish at the Ein Gev Kibbutz.  Of course, it's called St. Peter fish because it's the type of fish the disciples would have caught in the Sea.  It was a wonderful meal.We saw the ruin of a Byzantine church in the region of the Gadarenes, at Kursi.  This is where Jesus cast demons out of two men.  The demons were allowed to enter pigs, which threw themselves off of a cliff.  The church was built of black basalt and contained Byzantine mosaics, which, we learned, do not include human figures.  Our guide said this was because it would offend the Jews, since the law precludes making human images.  The church had three arches to symbolize the Trinity, and was shaped like a cross to represent crucifixion.  Our guide explained that the people needed these symbols, as many of them in those days could neither read nor write.We ended the day by visiting Capernaum, which in Hebrew is "Village of Nahum".  This is where Peter lived, and where Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law.  An octagonal church was built over the site of Peter's house and a modern octagonal church was erected on raised beams over that.  The layers are cut away under the modern church to show the remains of the walls of ancient Capernaum.  We stood next to the modern church and looked under it to see the ruins.  There were ruins of ancient Capernaum all around the site, including a pillar with Hadrian's name on it.  Our guide pointed out that Hadrian is the Roman emperor who destroyed Jerusalem, so he is considered by the Jews to be the worst of them.  A Byzantine period synagogue also stands on the location of the original synagogue.  It is really large, with stone benches along the sides, and large Corinthian columns.  The Sea of Galilee was only a short walk away and would have been closer in those days when its level would have been higher.  It's easy to see why Capernaum was referred to as Capernaum by the Sea.  WOW!  What a great day we had today!    In Christ,The Holy land Travelers
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204833060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204833060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204833060/tpod.html Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:00:44 -0500 Holyland Study Trip

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Tiberias, Israel

Dear Friends and Family,Just a quick note today.  First thing this morning we went to the Mt. of Beatitudes for morning devotions.  We traveled then to Tel Dan in the north and then to the head waters of the Jordan river.  At Ceasarea Philippa we read the scripture were Jesus asked the Disciples "who do people say that I am".  We all reaffirmed our belief that Jesus is Lord.  We then went int the Golan heights to view where Paul had his conversion experience.  We ended our day with a renewed sense of awe for the land were Jesus walked. In Christ,The holy Land Traverles
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204744860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204744860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204744860/tpod.html Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:11:18 -0500 Holyland Study Trip

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Tiberias, Israel

March 5, 200876 degrees It is Wednesday and our first day of sightseeing.  Having come into Tiberias at night, we opened our windows this morning to find a gorgeous view of blue skies, rippling water, and white buildings cut into the green hillsides.  Unbelievable-we are really here!  We began our day at Yardenit, the historic site of Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River.  After a brief service, we stepped into the water and renewed our baptismal vows with a sprinkling and a blessing.  The water was chilly but clear, and the site itself is beautiful.   To our left was a group from Nigeria doing the same thing, and to our right, a group from Indonesia sang "I Surrender All" in their language before being baptized.  An amazing experience.   We had about an hour drive after that to Megiddo, but our wonderful guide, Lillian, kept us occupied with sights all along the way.  She is knowledgeable, charming and fun, and is sharing many insights about Israel and the Jewish people that help explain our Christian beliefs as well.  One thing she stressed several times was the verses of the Law from Deuteronomy that say, "You shall not trade that which belongs to the Lord." Since the Jewish people believe that God owns the land, it is easier to understand why they don't want to "give" any of it up to anyone else.  She pointed out many sites along the way, like the Mount of Transfiguration (Mount Tabor).  She also shared information about Israeli life, including the important fact that compulsory military service after high school is the "biggest wedding society" in Israel! Then she shared information about Megiddo, and how many different countries have conquered this place.  With 25 layers of civilizations here, King Ahab's palaces from 725BC are the most recent.  She said here, Ahab's time is still modern history!  Ahab was a great mathematician, and constructed a shaft and tunnel system to bring water inside the city walls safely in case the city was besieged.  They also had stone silos for wheat, and with water and wheat, they could live.  We walked among the ruins of the stables for Solomon's horses, Ahab's palaces, and even down into the shaft and tunnel system. Lillian told us about the evil Canaanite sacrifice rituals here, and why it was so important for Deborah and other Jewish leaders to rid the area of them.In Nazareth, we went to the Nazareth Village, a fairly new living history site downtown, on part of the land where Jesus' Nazareth once stood.  Archaelogists found shards of pottery from the Roman period, as well as a wine press cut into the bedrock.  The small park has terraced fields, olive and almond trees (in bloom!), a reproduction home with carpenter shop, a reproduction temple, and some people dressed in period costumes.  We saw lampstands and ate olives and pita from the site, and our guide related several proverbs and Biblical accounts to what we were seeing.  We walked to the Church of the Anunciation, the site of Mary's childhood home.  It sits in a lower, recessed grotto in the center of the church, and upstairs, there are works of art from all over the world depicting different scenes in her life or some other ethnic representation.  This is Steve's favorite spot-he was in shorts and was given a wide scarf to wrap around his waist.  Lillian said, "I prefer you with the shorts."  After that we walked through an alley-like empty marketplace to the Synagogue Church, the site where Jesus first preached.  It is now a Catholic church, and people still come here to worship.  Our last stop was Mt. Arbel, considered a holy site because Jesus crossed this on his way from Nazareth to Galilee.  We got pictures just as twilight was falling, and saw the twinkling golden lights of villages nestled into hills and heard the gentle tolling of bells from the mosques below.    Shalom from Israel! Laura McConkey & Jane Runkle ( Kay Daugherty's daughters)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204556520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204556520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204556520/tpod.html Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:41:11 -0500 Holyland Study Trip

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Jerusalem, Israel

Dear Family and Friends,From the title of this entry, can you guess who is writing?  Even though Michael "really liked" Julie Andrews, the "Sound of Music" has always been a favorite of mine. The pictures that we're including are certainly not in the Alps, however, the hills where we hiked our first day in Tiberias are part of the "Switzerland Forest". Thus, the title of this blog is appropriate - and for other reasons, too.On Saturday morning, Michael and I set out on foot to find a dirt road that we could see behind our hotel. It was not quite a road but more of a wide path that hugged the side of the hills and gave us a beautiful view of Lake Galilee. The hills were alive with lush green vegetation and the wild flowers were just beginning to appear. This rocky path eventually became a steep incline, and we could see ruins at the top. That gave us incentive to keep going. The ruins are from a Crusader castle. I guess that's not considered "old" around here, because the mosaic floors are exposed and it is completely open to wandering people. We were not the only ones exploring up there. There was a family from the Ukraine that called us over to share their drinks and snacks. We pulled our our dried fruit from the backpack to add to the "picnic".  The two men spoke a little English - yet we toasted to "friendship" and shared in laughter. Those hills became alive with hospitality. As we said our goodbyes and started the downward path, we could hear children's voices off in the distance. Coming from another direction and another path, looked to be a group of about 25 children whose cheerful voices filled the hills. At one point, Michael and I stopped to catch our breath and I heard some other heavy breathing that wasn't coming from us - there lounging under some trees were three cows. They fit right into this forest.On Sunday, we rented a little car and drove around Lake Galilee. We have also included a couple of pictures from that day to give you a little taste as to why Jesus loved the Galilee area. The water, the hills, the rocks, the ordinary people who touched Him - all these things He left as He went to Jerusalem.As I reflected on our little encounters in the hills, I began to think about Jesus and the encounters that He and His disciples had in these same hills. As they walked along the paths, they shared, laughed, debated, and listened to Jesus. The people that they met along the way were challenged by His words, changed in their beliefs, and made the choice to follow Him.Michael and I are anxiously awaiting the arrival of 23 travelers from Palatine and 11 travelers from McHenry who will arrive tomorrow to tour this land with us. We will be asking them to contribute their thoughts and feelings to our blog during our days together. As you begin this new week in your own homes, you may want to think about how Jesus makes your "hills" come alive. He walked with people here in this place, and He walks with us in our own places. So let us praise and thank Jesus together.Pray for peace.Jolene and MichaelP.S. The "What Is This?!" from last week was not guessed correctly. It was a Roman game that soldiers played that had been carved into the pavement stones from the 1st. Century. The stones were found under what had been the Roman fortress in Jerusalem.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204296840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204296840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1204296840/tpod.html Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:36:42 -0500 Holyland Study Trip

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Jerusalem, Israel

Dear Friends and Family,We have not written in a few days as we had to get ready to leave the apartment and go to Tiberias.  We are now in Tiberias at the Royal Plaza Hotel ( the same one that the group is coming to). Our last week in Jerusalem was busy with saying goodbye to many people that we have come to know  (especially the man at our favorite bakery), and packing up the things we bought.  Monday we went to a few places we have been before. On Tuesday we attended a training given by a man who works for the U.N.  This seminar was part of the training that new volunteers in the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program.  These volunteers are stationed at various border crossings to be a non-violent presence - to accompany children to schools and to remind the guards to treat those crossing as people.  The part of their training we saw was about the barriers that are up all across the West Bank.  We heard about the effects the barriers are having on the family and business life of the population in Palestine.  The barriers are not just surrounding the West Bank, but constructed so that movement is very difficult unless you live in one of the settlements.  The presentation was very factual without tying to justify or blame.  On Wednesday, we went to two sacred places that are not on the usual tour list.  We went to the school at Beit Sahour (right next to Bethlehem) and I spent time talking to the new pastor, who will be ordained this Sunday, of the small church that is part of the school.  Rev.Imad Haddad will be a great pastor.  He truly has a pastor's heart.  He told me about the structure of the church and what he is expected to do.  What I liked was that he gets to and is expected to visit in the homes of the members. He told me about the hopes and dreams of both him and the congregation.  They will be a Christian witness without trying to force Christianity on the non-Christians.  Their youth program is for church members and community members.  They talk about the Christian message, and if the youth do not accept it right away they do not exclude them from their fellowship.  They show hospitality to all.  It is a small congregation that is family oriented.  As he talked about church issues I felt he was talking about any church.  Being a local pastor in a church is truly universal.  I considered this a sacred place because here is a congregation that is in the birthplace of Jesus and it is living out Jesus' request of Peter to "love my people". The Church was started as a school and then a church building was built.  The school is half Christian and half Muslim and yet Christian values of peace and love is taught to all without judgement.  As Imad and I prayed before I left him, I knew that I had found a Christian brother and fellow worker in the faith.  I plan to stay connected with him - hopefully as a prayer partner and to further learn how the church functions in Bethlehem. The second sacred site on Wednesday was at Musa's home.  Musa is a cab driver in Bethlehem.  He is Muslim by religion, Palestinian by nationality, and a multi-generational resident of Bethlehem.  He invited us to his home to meet his family (he and his wife have 6 children).  We were amazed at the hospitality we were shown.  His wife made us a meal of 4 courses.  We ate on his patio - it was about 60 degrees and sunny.  As Bethlehem is so hilly, he lives on a hill in a third floor home with a great view. The family was so gracious to us. They treated us not as strangers, but as neighbors. The children were inquisitive and delightful.  They each knew part of three languages.  We were so impressed by their kindness to us.  Their home was a sacred site, because in the midst of their very difficult life they took the time to celebrate our visiting them.  It is this kind of hospitality - given to strangers (us) that is in the best traditions of Christ's teaching.  We left Musa's home with very full stomachs and a full spirit. We ended Wednesday with saying goodbye to the friends that we made from the Lutheran church at the Lenten service and potluck supper. On Thursday we spent time packing and pinicing together at a local park. We pulled 3 suitcases and a backpack over to the Olive Tree Hotel to be stored until our return.And now, today, we are in Tiberias where it is very green and far less populated.  We will spend some days seeing this countryside and the landscape that Jesus was accustomed to seeing everyday.  When you go to worship this Sunday, give thanks that the Word of God is still preached in the place where it began and know that same Word, that gave life to those 2000 years ago, is still giving life today. And celebrate that you are not alone in worship.  The church in Beit Sahour has about 45-60 in attendance.  When they or we worship - we worship together with all Christians around the world and across time.Together in Christ's Love,Michael and Jolene
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1203850500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1203850500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/holyland/1/1203850500/tpod.html Sun, 24 Feb 2008 08:33:44 -0500 Holyland Study Trip

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Jerusalem, Israel

Dear family and friends,It is an incredible thing to watch a baby "zoom in" on a face. Their gaze is initially fixed on mom and dad and then extends to other people.  As a child becomes older, they are taught not to stare.  But, the human face naturally draws our attention.  In a face we can find trust, recognition, acknowledgement, joy, mystery, and love. We can see questions, sadness, fear, distrust, and even hatred. Nebeel, a shopkeeper in the Old City that we met our first week here, sat with us one morning and pointed out the nationalities of people as they walked past our table.  He would look at their faces, watch how they carried themselves, and listen for a word spoken in another language. One day in Beit Sahour, I joined a 7th. grade class as they made lunch together and then shared around table. There were fifteen students and two teachers along with a local chef who had come in to teach them the art of making pitas. Everyone was speaking Arabic. Since I couldn't begin to follow their conversation, I began to pay attention to their faces. It didn't take long to join their laughter as we enjoyed the meal together. Khawla, the social worker from Hope School in Ramallah, spoke with both Michael and I on Saturday about the Israeli/Palestinian struggle and the effects that it has had on the children. She said, "We have to look at each other and see that we are all people that have suffered and are trying to live." Looking at each other. What do we see? Do we see the faces of fellow brothers and sisters who Christ died for?  Or do we see someone who might cheat, steal from us, or harm us? We hope that you enjoy looking at just some of the faces that we have seen here. Some of the people have actually entered our lives, others are unknown to us. Yet, we are all children of God - with wonderful faces that God has formed.Pray for peace and remember the poor.Jolene and MichaelAs for the "What Is This?!!" from this past week, it is a picture of a rock formation that was seen by General Gordan, in the late 1800's,  from his hotel room.  When he investigated the sight near the rock formation, he found an ancient tomb and became convinced that this was the real Golgotha.  Archeologists have cast doubt that this was the actual site of Christ's crucifixion.
]]>