Monday - Jane's Perspective

Monday

I wonder if the disciples felt it, too?

Sunday we headed up to the Old City on our faithful steed – the bus with the dove on the side (many buses, and many look alike!!)  We were dropped outside of one of the gates at the ongoing dig in David’s city to meet Dan B – a very famous, seasoned archeologist, with a walrus mustache.

Slowly we made our way down, down, twisting and turning as we climbed through the centuries and by current excavations, until we were at the bottom .  .   .  or so we thought!

It had been hours, but after another well-timed potty break, we exited the Israeli excavations and went into the Arab part to another continuation of the dig and the enormous Pool of Siloam (John), and deep under Arab houses to see the monumental entrance stairs to the 2^nd temple.

Have we really spent 5 hours making our way down thru history and this ‘hill’??  No wonder we are hungry!  We lightened our loads as instructed and all snacks were on the bus.  But Haim pulled up as we got to the bottom of the hill, and we boarded to honking horns and shouts of angry drivers.

“Salmon, tilapia, or moussaka?  Rice or potato pancake?  Which vege-table??”  Grab a drink and pay up. .  .  we are in a crowded cafe in the Old City.  After lining up for the toilets and getting our food, we could sit on the 2^nd floor with a view.  Only after we had eaten enough to get our brains working again did we realize that if we had moved slightly, we could see into the Dome of the Rock.

Then we twisted and turned through the narrow streets, passing shops and wears all displayed until we reached the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and talks on why archeologically speaking this is probably the true place of the crucifixion.   By special permission we were able to go under the altar area and down to see an ancient drawing from the 4^th century, and climb into a tomb typical of the1^st century.

This is when I wondered – did the disciples feel as confused and lost when they were in Jerusalem?  Did they long for the expansive view over their fishing ‘sea’ and the quiet calm of the Galilee? 

Yes, the Temple would have been magnificent.  But with Roman soldiers, all the sects of priests and the people.........shop keepers shouting and trying to get you to buy........ the smells, the pushing and rushing........they, like me, had to miss the Galilee.

Day 4 - Jane's Perspective

I am not sure who all is getting this as we have been having problems with the internet access.  Melisa's laptop comes up in hebrew, and we have to pay in the luxury hotel for WIFI, but have it free on the bus!  go figger......
Anyway, this is also a unique trip.  Yesterday we climbed all  thru the new discovery of a 1 BC temple in magdalia, where Jesus probably met Mary of Magdalene. . . .  cool.  Then we stopped for a potty break at a kibutz, and then on to back roads and forbidden areas of the Golan, up a dirt road with a very dubious of the whole situation bus driver.  Then we began our hike up a dirt road until it was covered in mud, when we took to the pasture.  Two who stayed near the road sunk a foot into sludge.  We headed further into the rocky pasture and into a cow plop in my new shoes.  Charlesworth was miles ahead but we made it slowly. . . .  up to an Augustaeum or something like that.  But then they feel that this discovery is where Jesus asked Who do men say that I am, who do you think I am (Mark), as it was a shrine to CeasarAugustus, who claimed to be God.  C-worth gave a lecture that was filmed there (look for us on the BBC), then told us to stay on the road by all means, the fields have land mines.  How do they know?  Every now and then a cow flies in the air. 
Great!  NOW a warning????  We all made it down - and bear in mind that I am not the oldest on this trip; we have at least four in their eighties!  They are amazing!

We made it down, and tried scraping off as much poo poo as possible before getting back in the bus.  Then as the bus was winding down the narrow dirt road, a troop of students in JEEPS came up. . . . but then had to back down so we could get by.  JEEPS - what a clever concept for that road!!  duh......

So after another buffet dinner in our luxe Scot Hotel, it was early to bed.  Today we do the make up ride across the Sea of Galilee that we totally missed yesterday and some more hiking stuff.  Glad I got the trekking poles before I came - they really were good to have yesterday.

Old stones everywhere; pottery shards for the taking..........it's all so 'original'!!!
I'll walk today where Jesus walked!!  (Again)  xoxoxox

Sorry all the stuff is spotty.  I don't have blog priviledges often.  . . . . but you'll get Janet and Melisa's perspectives.  Bises . . .  or shalom.  jane

Catching Up (Days 1 & 2)

Finally, English!

Although it may seem as if I was too busy or tired to update the blog, the truth is that I've spent at least two hours, first on Jen's iPad and then on Melisa's computer, trying to figure out how to get rid of the Hebrew that keeps coming up so that I could post.

So let's quickly get caught up.

DAY 1: We arrived on New Years Day, Sunday afternoon, met at Tel Aviv airport and took a taxi to the apartment we had rented for two nights. A quick stroll to the next street over and we found a little place where we got carry out (falafels and schnitzel). The apartment wasn't all it advertised, but we were only there for two nights.

DAY 2: Shortly after Isaac, Jane's tour guide friend, took us to see Tel Aviv it started to pour. We were heading up a narrow hill, when traffic came to a standstill. A tour bus a little further up could not get up the hill because of the rain. Eventually, after many of the drivers got out and had an animated discussion, Isaac convinced a taxi driver on an adjacent one-way street to back out so that we (and everyone behind us) could head the wrong way down that road.

We had lunch at a restaurant called Greg's at the port of Tel Aviv, where we had a view of the Mediterranean. The waves were violent and what should have been whitecaps were brown and muddy (see the photo below). The food was excellent and the portions were huge.

By the time we had eaten, the storm had stopped, so we went back to find that the tour bus had finally moved and we could get up on Tel Yaffo to see a view of the city (below). Ancient Jaffa and modern Tel Aviv have been combined under the same municipality and are no longer considered separate cities.

Jaffa (Joppa) is where Jonah went to get on a ship and run from God (Jonah 1:3). It's also where Peter, while staying at Simon the Tanner's house, had a vision from God that precipitated the Good News being spread to the Gentiles (Acts 9:43-10:48).

We spent part of the afternoon at the local market, where the fresh fruits and vegetables were beautiful. We tried a pataya, a fruit which was unlike anything we had seen before. We were shocked by the bright fuchsia color when the vendor cut into it for us, but it was rather bland and didn't live up to the promise of being sweet and tasty. A photo will be posted by one of the other girls, as I didn't have my camera out.

Then it was back to the apartment where we ate leftovers for dinner, played UNO, and added to the list of things that didn't work in the apartment (the WIFI, the dryer, the remote for the thermostat which was located near the ceiling . . . )

We hoped for a good night's sleep, as the next morning we were heading back to the airport to meet up with the Elite Tour.

We Made It!

With great joy, after eight flights the four of us were reunited in the Tel Aviv airport. Melisa came from Palm Springs CA via Los Angelos and JFK. Jen flew out of Miami via Philadelphia. Jane and I traveled from Miami to Madrid on different flights, then on the same flight to Tel Aviv. Everything went smoothly and tomorrow you'll get a complete update, as the WIFI doesn't work in the apartment we're in. We've had a lot of laughs, eaten strange new foods and seen how we deal with being overtired and losing at cards. Tomorrow we meet up with the tour group and will head to the Sea of Galilee after touring Caesarea. I expect to post some photos and more info tomorrow night.

Israel 2012: And the Adventure Begins!

I am trying to figger out HOW to post on here! GRRRR! Good thing I will have 3 keepers on this trip to help me.
It IS here all of a sudden! The suitcase seems to be getting full, and I'm trying to think of what to take to Isaac and Naomi, long time friends and our guide from previous trips. We live in such a world market, it is hard to find things uniquely American.
Then there is the angst of meeting up with the owners of the apartment where we will stay for the first two nights. . .they seem to work on Jan 1st there until 8 PM.........hmmmmm.
So another day of finishing costumes and errands, taking Ditto-bird to the Vet to board with the cockatoos, and then. . . and then . . . next year in Jerusalem!! jmb (Jane)

And the Adventure Begins!

Not really. The adventure really began months ago when we started praying about going on this trip and then waited (not so patiently) for more information so that we could make our reservations.

Or did it start before then? God has placed a longing in our souls to return to the place in which He dwelt. Did not the adventure start then? Or did it start when God ordained this trip, before we were even born?

It is Thursday morning. We will show up for our various flights on Saturday and arrive in Tel Aviv on Sunday afternoon--New Years Day. Yes, for us, it will indeed be, "Next year in Jerusalem"!

And between now and then? Work, lists, shopping, errands, packing. There has been a flurry of e-mails flying back and forth with reminders and plans. It's exciting, but also nerve-wracking. We want to be organized and not forget anything.

As a military wife making overseas moves, I learned to trust God, make lists, and rest in the knowledge that the important things will get done and nothing else matters in the long run.

So I am determined to look upon the next few days as part of the adventure. I want to treasure this time of last-minute preparations.

I pray for contentment--that I would accept that what happens will be the experience that God has arranged for me. I don't want to compare my experience to that of others on the trip. That said, I'm also praying that our rooms in Jerusalem have balconies overlooking the city and that the weather would be warm enough for us to watch the sunrise from them. (Hey, God said we are to make our requests known to Him . . . .)

This blog has been opened up to whomever wants to read it. Jen, Melisa, Jane and I will all be posting here, so you may at times hear about our adventures from four perspectives. And because this is in part a scouting expedition, you may find yourselves on our next trip. So please, join us on our adventure.

These Bodies We Live In

Okay, I don't know about the other gals, but I'm starting to have health issues. I've got an appointment next week, but in the meantime, today I fell down the two steps into my garage. I've lived here almost 17 years, you'd think by now I'd know those steps were there. How foolish I felt, lying on the floor in the garage with scraped knees. I don't think I broke my big toe, but it is sore and a little swollen.

Please pray our health and safety. Jane is heading to France tomorrow and we want her to return in one piece. With our busy schedules, we all need to get enough sleep and exercise, and be conscious of what we're eating.