On Saturday, March 11, 2000 I embarked on a journey with my sister, Barbara, my niece, Tammie and my great niece, Peyton to Israel. Oh what a journey! Our group was rather large...859 people. I know you're saying to yourself, "YIKES!!! That is just too many people" Well, yes that is a large crowd, but quite successful. I would like to commend Lifeway Christian Resources and Incredible Journeys for a job well done. We also were covered in prayer by faithful prayer warriors. Beth Moore of Living Proof Ministries was videotaping her next Bible study series, "Jesus The One and Only" and we were her audience for 10 sessions. There were people from all over the United States attending as well as several other countries, Australia, Canada, Indonesia and one missionary from Israel.

We left Houston, at least those leaving from that point, on Saturday morning and landed in Tel Aviv Sunday afternoon. We then drove about an hour and half to Tiberias which is on the Sea of Galilee. We spent 2 nights in Tiberias and the day after arriving we toured the Galilee area...Nazareth, Yardenit (Baptismal sight on the Jordan River), Cana, Capernaum, and the Mount of Beatitudes. The area around the Sea of Galilee is lush and green. This is Israel's agricultural area and is one of the reasons the Golan Heights is so important. They grow wheat, bananas, dates, cactus, olives, mangos, oranges, and clementines.

The next day we loaded up the buses for Jerusalem. There were 18 buses of about 40-45 people per bus. We were on Bus #7, The Mustard Seeds. Our journey took us South along the Israel/Jordan border. That was a real eye-opener...electronic fence with about a 50 yard mine field and another fence, and a 24 hour armed border patrol. The next stop, Beth Shean which is near Mount Gilboa where King Saul and his sons were killed. We visited the ruins of a Roman arena where christians were killed. We arrive in Jericho where we saw a sycamore tree just like the one Zacheaus climbed to see Jesus...was it that one? We also visited the excavation site of the ancient walls of Jericho at the foot of the Mount of Temptation. We had lunch at the Mount of Temptation Restaurant in Jericho which is a Palestinian territory. We had to go through a Israeli checkpoint. They are more interested in what comes out of a Palestinian territory than what goes in. Well, on toward Jerusalem. In route we see a Bedouin herding camels, or I should say, dromedaries (one hump). We also passed numerous Bedouin camps.

We arrive in Jerusalem to a real traffic jam. The streets are so narrow and the drivers are so.... Anyway, before going to the hotel our tour guide, Morris Wasserman, took us up to the Mount of Olives for a spectacular view of the Old City. This was quite an emotional site...when our Lord returns He will step right on or near that gold dome, The Dome of the Rock. We arrived at our hotel, Renaissance Jerusalem Hotel, just in time to get to our rooms and change clothes for the first taping of the Bible study. We did 2 sessions a day, about 1 hour each. We then had dinner...for those of you interested, the food is really good. Beef, chicken, fish, lots of vegetables, rice, and the BEST bagels you have ever eaten. The food, of course, is Kosher so there is no dairy products for dinner and no meat for breakfast. They do serve fish for breakfast.

After the morning Bible study session with Beth we headed out to tour. Our first stop, Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum...very moving. We first visited the Children's Memorial...a domed room completely darkened except for twinkling lights on the ceiling and the reading of the names of the millions of children who died in the Holocaust. We then went to The Hall of Remembrance. The room contains an eternal flame surrounded on the floor the names of the Nazi death camps. A Jewish service is held there every day. We must not forget those who died under the hand of tyranny.

We loaded up the bus and went to the Diamond Center where diamonds are cut, polished and mounted. Diamonds are Israel's largest export. They get the diamonds from DeBiers (sp) in South Africa. We were able to tour the facilities and had the opportunity to purchase jewelry in there store...I didn't take advantage of that opportunity.

Now we are on our way back to the Mount of Olives. Our group descended the mountain to the Church of the Agony and the Garden of Gethsemane. My sister and I opted to ride the bus down rather than risk life and limb of a steep hillside. I was a tiny bit disappointed in the Garden of Gethsemane...it is a lot smaller than I had imagined, but its place in Jesus' life was so significant. We went inside the Church of the Agony and at that time they serving communion and they were singing as they were taking the sacrament. It sounded like angels. We then gathered around a sculpture of Jesus praying at the rock in Gethsemene to read the scripture about this place and Tammie led us in singing "As the Deer Pants for Water"...what a moment. Beth taught in her Bible study that Jesus didn't drink the 3rd cup of wine at the Last Supper (Passover) and the cup He speaks of in His prayer is that 3rd cup. We christians will drink that cup at the wedding feast of the Lamb. Praise God!!!

We then drove up to the western wall and entered through the Jaffa gate. On our way to the Wailing Wall we were able to see excavations of the old walls. On to the Wailing Wall where it is divided for men and women. Prayers are written on paper and placed in the cracks of the stones. Night was just about to fall so it is back to the hotel and dinner.

Well, it's Thursday and we are going to visit the Old City after our sessions with Beth. Our first stop is Mount Zion where we visit David's Tomb and then on to what is the site of the upper room. Now onto the Zion Gate where we enter the city. What an experience...the streets are so narrow and made of stone. We pass through a portion that is a part of what was known as the Cardo which is a market place. Here we enter a Roman part of the Old City and there we walked on stones that Jesus may have walked on. There encased in glass is a menorah made for the new Temple by the Temple Institute. We passed 4 stations of the Via Dolorosa winding up in a shop to purchase souvenirs, olive wood carvings, gold or silver crosses or Star of David, mazuzahs (sp), nativities, etc.

We exit the Old City through the Damscus gate and on to the Garden Tomb...a very special place. On a hill called Calvary - Golgotha - the place of the skull - He died for you and me. But the good news is tomb is empty. The Garden Tomb is run by the British. Our tour guide there, Reg, is a retired Baptist preacher. We began at the hill called Calvary...it is presumed to be the site because it resembles a skull's face. We then walk through the garden to the tomb and yes it is empty...He is Risen!! There near the tomb is a stone which was used to cover a tomb. We then had The Lord's Supper or Communion in a pavillion overlooking the garden. Shelley's, our Lifeway bus director, dad served communion and this was his life long dream. How very special. We Baptists call it The Lord's Supper, but I prefer Communion, it is so much more personal. Back to the hotel for dinner and a session with Beth.

On Friday after our morning sessions we headed out to the desert and the Dead Sea. As we approached the Dead Sea we stopped on the side of the road to take pictures of the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. We then traveled on to the Kibbutz Spa for a mud bath and a float in the Dead Sea. However, after spending more time than we should have at the caves we only had about 45 minutes to change, float, change and eat lunch. Barbara and I opted to just eat lunch...it would have taken me 30 minutes to change into my swim suit!!! We then stopped at Ahava which is a store that sells cosmetics and bath salts made from the minerals from the Dead Sea.

We are now on our way to Masada. Everyone will take a cable car up to the mountain top. However, Barbara, Tammie and myself decide we'll forgo this little trek as we would have to descend the mountain on foot and it is very steep and precarious. Peyton went up with some young ladies from our bus that she stuck to like glue. So we opted to ride around to the back of the mountain with our bus driver. We had our own adventure...it is an hour and a half drive. We really got to see the desert and it is beautiful...a mini Grand Canyon. We came around a bend to a scenic overlook and Yuri, our bus driver, asked if we wanted to stop to take pictures...we did. There was a family of Bedouins there and they were as fascinated with us as we with them. Yuri took our picture with them with all our cameras. We hugged them as we were leaving.

We finally made it to pick up everyone at the back side of Masada and then we were off for our Hafla...Bedouin dinner. It is an oasis in the desert. The Bedouin men prepared and served our meal under tents. There were camel rides which Peyton really enjoyed...this is about as close to a camel as I'm gonna get! A Bedouin group played traditional Bedouin music and there were Bedouin dancers as well. The food was fantastic...lamb, beef and turkey on a bed of spicy rice. It's been a long day so it is late when we return to our hotel.

We're up and ready for another day of adventure. Because Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath we don't have any sessions with Beth until this evening. We head out to Bethlehem. After entering the checkpoint...Bethlehem is another Palestinian territory...we stopped at a well which was typical of the wells during Jesus' time. While at the well several Arab children came up to us carrying a lamb. We were able to take pictures with them and Peyton got to hold the lamb...so did Faith and Shelley.

The hillsides surrounding Bethlehem are probably as they were when the angels appeared to the shepherds. Today Arabs are the shepherds tending the sheep. Upon arriving in the town we first visited the Church of the Nativity and the manger. This church is OLD! It was built by Queen Helena, Constantine's wife, during the Byzantine period in 339. It is built over a cave...the manger was a cave. Then it was on to shop! We went to a shop owned by a christian Palestinian. Talk about olive wood nativities...any shape, any size. They were beautiful. After lunch we headed back to Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem we went to the Model City which is a scale model of the Old City, the time of the second Temple. When they excavate and discover something that is different from what is believed they change the model to fit the excavation.

On our way back to Jerusalem, Morris, our tour guide, bid us farewell by telling us "We came together as strangers and we're leaving as family". He is so very special and so very knowlegable. He's not a religious Jew, but he knows the Bible...Old and New Testaments. I only pray that he saw Jesus in us and will one day come to the true knowledge of our Lord and Savior. We arrived at the hotel and gave him a big hug. I miss him already.