Many of y’all saw my photo series on social media after I came back from Israel, but I recently had someone ask me to write a blog about it. It hadn’t occurred to me since it wasn’t a missions trip, but a vacation. But any chance I can remember this amazing trip, I’ll take. So if you’re interested, read on!
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Israel was better than I dreamed it could be. After 33 years of dreaming about walking where Jesus walked, I actually did it. And I saw the Bible come to life in a way it never had before. I am just so thankful God provided for me to go this year.
What an awesome God we serve, that He cares about our dreams and our heart’s desires.
There’s no way I can describe the entire trip… even the 3 week photo series I did didn’t capture everything.
So here are the 5 moments I’ll never forget:
1. Standing on the highest point of Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel is actually a series of mountains, but the highest point is significant because it is where the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal happened. I’ve always loved that story!
It was our first day, and I was sooooo sleepy so I wasn’t paying attention because the bus was going vrroom vrroom on these beautiful roads and I was falling asleep. And then our tour guide said, “Now we’re going to where God consumed the altars of the prophets of Baal” and I turned and looked at my friend, Betty, and pretty much freaked out: “Betty! THAT’S OLD TESTAMENT!” I have no idea why it didn’t occur to me that I’d see OT things too.
So, I was pretty much blown away, because I was standing there in that very spot (it’s a 360 degree view)… which also happens to look down on the valley of Armageddon.
2. Sailing on the Sea of Galilee
We spent the first night in Tiberias, and the next morning, we woke up and took boat across the Sea of Galilee. It was so beautiful… actually reminding me of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
As we approached the shore, our guide pointed out the mountain/cliff where Nazareth was on the other side, and the area of Jesus’ early ministry. This was the place where He healed the sick, where He taught the crowds, where He walked on water and calmed the Sea! We even saw the hill where He fed the 5000, the Mount of Beatitudes (where He gave the Sermon on the Mount), and Capernaum, where He stayed at Peter’s mother-in-law’s house. Such a cool day!
3. Entering Jerusalem
After spending 2 days in the Galilee area, we went down to the wilderness and the Dead Sea, where we saw En Gedi (where David hid from Saul and crept down to cut off the hem of his cloak), Qumran, and Masada (a fortress built by King Herod that his really important in Jewish history).
Then we headed up to Jerusalem.
Going up Mount Scopus and around the bend, then seeing that view laid out before us, was an incredible moment. We got out and looked out over the city while our guide prayed a blessing over us in Hebrew. After a lifetime of dreaming of seeing this city in person, finally standing there was pretty much the coolest thing ever.
4. The Western Wall Tunnels
The first thing we did in Jerusalem was head to the site of the Temple. Half of us went on a tour down into the Western Wall Tunnels, while the rest of us spent time at the Wailing Wall – then we switched.
Our guide walked us through the tunnels, pointing out the signs of Herod’s craftmanship and then the original bedrock of the Temple, which was build on Mount Moriah (where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac). Solomon built the 1st Temple, but it was destroyed by the Babylonians. Herod rebuilt it centuries later, and then it was destroyed again in AD 70.
So we were able to see signs of all that throughout the tunnels. But the coolest part was the moment that our guide stopped, reached out his hand, and said, “There, on the other side of this bedrock is the original Holy of Holies.”
Me = MIND BLOWN
5. The Garden Tomb
No surprise here; this was the moment I’d been waiting for my entire life: to see the Tomb (and Calvary) in person.
It’s amazing to me that this place just sits in the middle of a city. Of course, at the time, it was outside of the city walls. The second you enter the property, you feel the most incredible, indescribable peace.
I walked in and immediately saw the Tomb to my left, but first they took us to an overlook where we could see the hill known as Calvary. Known as “Skull Hill”, the land has changed a lot due to earthquakes in the last 2000 years, but you can still see it. I saw a picture of it in the 1800s, and it was even more clear. Now it’s at the foot of a bus station, but at the time it was along a main road, close to a city gate (where Romans liked to crucify their victims), and nearby there was a grave discovered with a man with a nail in his arm. Local evidence also shows that people were stoned nearby.
And just steps away from there was the Garden Tomb (actually located in a Garden… which it would have to be if Mary were to mistake Jesus as a gardener), with a winepress.
And… spoiler alert… IT’S EMPTY!
I got to go inside the Tomb three times, but my favorite moment was at the end of the day.
Our tour ended early, and Betty and I realized we were only an 8 minute walk away from the Garden. So we went and sat for an hour, watching tourists enter the Tomb. Finally, the crowd dwindled, and I went in again. The girl in there left, so it was just me.
And suddenly, I had to sing, praising the Risen One in the place where it happened. The acoustics were amazing; it was a moment I will never forget. I sang 3 songs, and only left because they were closing the actual Garden for the day.
Absolutely #BESTDAYEVER!
So, that’s it. What an amazing, incredible trip. I ended up making one of those photo albums so I can remember all the details and the photos together, something I’ve never done before. I am so so so thankful I got to go!
What an awesome God we serve, that He cares about our dreams and our heart’s desires.
Now, it’s time for a new dream!
But first, here’s one more incredible moment:
Bonus: Swimming in the Dead Sea.
So trippy. You really do float. It’s actually impossible NOT to float in the Dead Sea. The only way you can drown is if you swallow water, which is 28% mineral.
At its deepest, the Dead Sea is 900 feet. It’s also the lowest place on earth, at 1200 feet below sea level, and Jordan is on the other side (the mountains in the distance). It’s also suspected that Sodom and Gomorrah is buried somewhere in the southern end.
That was way too fun not to mention, because it was just such a different experience!
