The day we arrived home from Northern Greece we had visitors waiting for us! Ed and Dixie Hicks came for a week from Montgomery. They were with us in Citerna, Italy for the Fall of 2007 semester abroad. They are seasoned travelers and a joy to have with us. They rented their own car and were quite helpful showing others around the area. On Sunday morning Ken Shumards and Gary Chamblee with the Shumards Foundation arrived on their way home from meeting with the President of Rwanda. They are building a school there. We spent Sunday and Monday showing them various buildings and properties to be used in the future for a study abroad center/ church building. They are wise business men, and are wanting to invest in a way which would employ Greeks, and allow our program to pay for itself, and the money then be reinvested in other good works. Confused?:) they explain it better than I can. Lord willing, in the next year, the groundwork will be laid for a facility which will allow us to have a positive impact with our students, and more importantly, have an impact for the Lord's work in Athens. We shared a wonderful meal together, along with Dino, at a local Greek taverna. Monday afternoon, Earl and Lora arrived from Henderson. They were on their way to hold a meeting in Catania, Sicily, and then pay a visit to old friends in Palermo. We had such a nice visit with them. We took driving trips down to the harbor, and along the coastal roads. One evening we visited Cape
Sounion to see the sunset at the Temple of Poseidon. We ALL climbed to the top ( the Hickses
and Halls were also there). We took them to catch their flight on Thursday. After their departure we took two of our students and our boys to the Athens Mall to see the Hunger Games. We really enjoyed it! Afterwards we ate at KFC before heading home to prepare for the next days departure for Turkey. It was my first trip to the Mall. Great stores- Zaragoza Home, Mark and Spencers, Accessorize, to name a few. I definitely want to return some time. It was a wonderful visit, though too short. The morning they were departing we went to Chapel together. It was a song service and we sang some of my favorites. It was such a blessing to sit by the two of them and hear their beautiful voices. They are such an encouragement to me of faithfulness to God throughout all the trials of life. I am so blessed to have them in my life, and in the lives of my children and grandchildren. Friday morning Terry took the Hick's to catch an early morning flight, and then we left for Turkey. An incredibly busy week- but a blessed week with good friends and family.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Greek Island Cruise- Part 2
At 9am we met Barbara, our Aristotle guide, at the port and boarded our cruise ship, the Cristal Louis line. Over the years we have mainly been on the Golden Star line, but this is now the only remaining line in this area because of the economic down turn. There are many workers on the ship from Indonesia, the Ukraine, Russia, etc. All corners of the world. They were all very professional. At noon we sailed for Patmos, where John wrote the Book of Revelation. The group disembarked by tender boats and toured the island where the apostle Paul was exiled to, along with visiting the monastery of St. John the Evangelist and the Grotto of the Revelation. At 9pm we set sale for Rhodes. This ship has two buffets up on the ninth deck, and restaurants on the 3rd and 5th. Christian prefers the formal dining room because he doesn't like the hustle and bustle of the buffets:) Tea time from 4-5pm was wonderful. Scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, butter shortbreads, muffins, etc. At lunch each day you have a choice of different buffets, and also a gyro bar, taco bar, and a stir fry bar on the last day. The pool is in the middle of the buffet area but it was cool and windy for swimming. We went to the Greek show after dinner to see the folk dancing. The boys stayed up watching a soccer game on TV, and the seas were very calm. The following morning we docked at Rhodes at 7am. The local guides were on strike, so all paid excursions were cancelled. I didn't mind a bit:) we have been there many times in the past, so Terry showed the students around and then we joined him around 10:30. We visited our favorite sword shop and the boys chose a new Swiss army knife(Jordan), and a scary 3 dimensional knife on a mounted stand (Christian). We also picked up some knights for the four grandsons:) we have had no trouble finding little gifts for the girls, but there just isn't as much to buy for the little guys. In ancient times, the Colossus of Rhodes was one of the Seven wonders of the ancient world. This stronghold was built by a Crusading Order, which originated from Palestine. We sailed at 6pm for Heraklion, Crete. The main show tonight was an International show featuring Russian dancers, ballerinas, etc. A large variety that were all good. There was also Karaoke and other entertainment. You could take dance classes, yoga, towel folding, magic shows,Greek cooking classes, etc. I enjoyed spending the time doing some handwork in my cabin looking out over the seas from our cabin window, or reading. I enjoyed visiting with Barbara. She is from Northern Scotland, near Inverness. Her Dad is part of the Royal Force, and when the Queen and her family are staying at Balmoral Castle or the Queen Mother's former estate, he is their driver. The only Rolls-Royce in the area is owned by the local butcher, so whenever anyone important comes to town, he heads to the butcher to borrow his car!
The following morning we arrived at Heraklion, Crete at 7am. Because I have visited several times:) I slept in while Terry took the students to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, legendary home of the Minotaur. At 11:30 we sailed for Santorini. Christian had just woken up! We arrived at Santorini at 4pm and disembarked by tender boats. The four of us took the cable cars up. I was not sad to bypass riding the donkeys up the mountain! It is now 4 euros for the cable cars and 5 for the donkeys...each way! We enjoyed the beautiful views from the white-washed town of Thira which is perched high on the rim of the ancient volcano. Tradition has it that this is the town of Atlantis, written of by Plato. We bought ice cream ( and a cute new pink floral scarf:), and ran into our students being interviewed by a Japanese news station on the Greek economy. Around 6:30 we walked down the donkey trail to the town below. It is a loooonnngg walk, with incredible views, we stopped and picked some daisies along the way. We has smooth sailing the entire cruise, and not one student needed any Dramamine. Success!
Friday morning we had to be out of our cabins by 7am so they could prepare for the new passengers. Sakis, our Greek driver friend, was there to meet us and drove us the 45 minutes home from Piraeus to Porto Rafti. It was great to be home. I have now finished the seven loads of laundry, and have packed for our England trip. Our LAST trip for a good while. Our travels with this group of students are now behind us, with the exception of our flight from Athens to Atlanta on the 18th. Saturday night we are taking them to Glyfada to TIFridays for dinner and shopping to celebrate the end of our semester. They will all be leaving on Monday for their free travels in Northern Europe. We will be flying to London on Wednesday, and then heading to Oxford for two days. We want to visit some CSLewis sights and take the boys to see some film locations from the Harry Potter movies. On Saturday we will be settling in for a week at Wells Cottage in Bourton-on-the-Water. A long time dream for me. I'll take lots of pictures!
The following morning we arrived at Heraklion, Crete at 7am. Because I have visited several times:) I slept in while Terry took the students to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, legendary home of the Minotaur. At 11:30 we sailed for Santorini. Christian had just woken up! We arrived at Santorini at 4pm and disembarked by tender boats. The four of us took the cable cars up. I was not sad to bypass riding the donkeys up the mountain! It is now 4 euros for the cable cars and 5 for the donkeys...each way! We enjoyed the beautiful views from the white-washed town of Thira which is perched high on the rim of the ancient volcano. Tradition has it that this is the town of Atlantis, written of by Plato. We bought ice cream ( and a cute new pink floral scarf:), and ran into our students being interviewed by a Japanese news station on the Greek economy. Around 6:30 we walked down the donkey trail to the town below. It is a loooonnngg walk, with incredible views, we stopped and picked some daisies along the way. We has smooth sailing the entire cruise, and not one student needed any Dramamine. Success!
Friday morning we had to be out of our cabins by 7am so they could prepare for the new passengers. Sakis, our Greek driver friend, was there to meet us and drove us the 45 minutes home from Piraeus to Porto Rafti. It was great to be home. I have now finished the seven loads of laundry, and have packed for our England trip. Our LAST trip for a good while. Our travels with this group of students are now behind us, with the exception of our flight from Athens to Atlanta on the 18th. Saturday night we are taking them to Glyfada to TIFridays for dinner and shopping to celebrate the end of our semester. They will all be leaving on Monday for their free travels in Northern Europe. We will be flying to London on Wednesday, and then heading to Oxford for two days. We want to visit some CSLewis sights and take the boys to see some film locations from the Harry Potter movies. On Saturday we will be settling in for a week at Wells Cottage in Bourton-on-the-Water. A long time dream for me. I'll take lots of pictures!
Seven Churches in Turkey and Cruise to the Greek Islands-Part 1
On Monday, March 23 we left for the airport to fly to Izmir, Turkey. Our flight was at 1:00 so we had to be there by 10:00 because of security. This trip we were joined on our flight by the Harding students, who we are sharing facilities with this semester ( we are staying at Hardings campus in Porto Rafti). Once we landed their group headed to Istanbul, while ours headed to see the sites of Izmir. It was a beautiful day, which is especially appreciated after this long, cold winter. Our guide, Omer, was a riot! He is a smaller replica of the Interior Decorator in the movie, "Father of the Bride". He would talk about himself in the third person, such as " Oh, Omer, you are so, so,so funny!" in this high squeaky voice. He most definitely made our trip memorable:)he is the only boy in thee family, with seven sisters, one of which graduated from Harvard and is a Medical Doctor in North Carolina. It made me wonder about this rural farm family in Turkey and what their story is...We first went to lunch at a restaurant in town serving traditional Turkish food. Our meal was interrupted by the loud call to prayers over the loudspeakers. You hear these calls to prayer five times a day. In the afternoon we visited the ancient Agora and Alexander the Great's "Velvet Castle" overlooking the Bay of Izmir. We then drove on to Manisa for dinner and to spend the night.
The following morning the group left early and drove to Pergamum. They explored the Acropolis (taking the cable cars over the fields of daisies), visited the steepest theatre in the world, the Asklepieion, the Altar of Zeus, and the Temple of Trajan and Library.We also visited the Red Baslica (St. john's Church). We ate lunch at a local restaurant and then drove to Thyatira, a city famous for it's purple dyes. We visited the remains of a basilica and some architectural fragments from the Roman period.before heading back to our hotel we visited a Turkish Rug Co-op and watched the young women tie the thousands of knots per square inch! We had a fascinating demonstration of this young man who raises the silk worms and then spun and unwound the threads, which were then knotted into rugs. Our students were each given silk floss to take with them. Terry bought me a beautiful carpet runner for our hallway, a wool on cotton. We have two silk on silk from previous visits, and this shop owner told us they would most likely be out of production in the next 10-15 years unless the Turkish government continued to subsidize the work. After this visit we returned to our hotel for the evening.
On Sunday we began our day with a visit to Sardis to see the great Temple of Artemis and the Temple of Cybele, which became a Byzantine Church. This is where we shared in a devotional, shared Communion together, sang hymns, and Terry read from the book of Revelation.As I listened to him speak I could see on the hill right behind him a shepherd with his flock of sheep, including a newborn lamb. We sang amidst the sounds of birds singing, lambs bleating, and the tinkling of the bells around their necks. It was a beautiful reminder that He is our Great Shepherd. After our service together the students were able to hold the baby lamb , and then enjoyed watching the shepherd set it down. On the far pasture the mother started calling the sheep and the little lamb prances away.Just adorable. We drove by Philadelphia and Thyatira (there are very few remains to see there). We also saw Colossae, which is just a few remains on the top of a hill. At Laodicea we saw the ancient theatre and the remains of a basilica, and then headed on to Hierapolis after lunch. We visited the Martyrium of the Apostle Phillip where he was martyred during the persecutions ordered by Domitian. We visited the Gate of Domition, the Arcadian Way, the 2nd Century AD Theatre, the Nymphaion, the Temple of Apollo, the Plutonium and the Necropolis. We were exhausted! But then came the wonderful end to a perfect day...Pamukkale! These beautiful limestone cliffs and Turkish baths! After a wonderful buffet everyone headed to the thermal indoor and outdoor baths. Our boys looked lovely in their swim caps:) They loved it. Even our bathtub had two spouts, the one normal one, and then a golden one for the "therapeutic" water! Monday morning we checked out and drove to ancient Ephesus where the Apostle Paul preached to the Ephesians and lived here for three years, we walked through history along the marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the Theatre. The Temple of Diana of the Ephesians, another of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was built in this city. Terry read to us from the book of Ephesians and the Book of Acts. I hope I always remember these places as I study God's Word in the future, and am reminded that these were real people, in real towns, who were in need of a Savior, just as I am. Last of all, we visited the Basilica of St. John and the Ephesus Museum. The academic portion was now over, but we still had two stops to make. One was to a pottery shop, where our students got to experience first hand a pottery wheel. They gave me two ceramic ornaments as gifts to take home. Our next visit was to a fashion show at a leather shop. The girls were a bit scantily attired under their coats but our students handled themselves well. They were pretty understanding that our group would not be purchasing any $3200 coats! This shop makes coats for Chanel and Gucci, so it was still fun to see the new Fall line ahead of those in the States. Our hotel for the evening overlooked the Kusadasi harbor. We had a beautiful view of the harbor lights, and when we awoke we saw our cruise ship waiting for us. To be continued...
The following morning the group left early and drove to Pergamum. They explored the Acropolis (taking the cable cars over the fields of daisies), visited the steepest theatre in the world, the Asklepieion, the Altar of Zeus, and the Temple of Trajan and Library.We also visited the Red Baslica (St. john's Church). We ate lunch at a local restaurant and then drove to Thyatira, a city famous for it's purple dyes. We visited the remains of a basilica and some architectural fragments from the Roman period.before heading back to our hotel we visited a Turkish Rug Co-op and watched the young women tie the thousands of knots per square inch! We had a fascinating demonstration of this young man who raises the silk worms and then spun and unwound the threads, which were then knotted into rugs. Our students were each given silk floss to take with them. Terry bought me a beautiful carpet runner for our hallway, a wool on cotton. We have two silk on silk from previous visits, and this shop owner told us they would most likely be out of production in the next 10-15 years unless the Turkish government continued to subsidize the work. After this visit we returned to our hotel for the evening.
On Sunday we began our day with a visit to Sardis to see the great Temple of Artemis and the Temple of Cybele, which became a Byzantine Church. This is where we shared in a devotional, shared Communion together, sang hymns, and Terry read from the book of Revelation.As I listened to him speak I could see on the hill right behind him a shepherd with his flock of sheep, including a newborn lamb. We sang amidst the sounds of birds singing, lambs bleating, and the tinkling of the bells around their necks. It was a beautiful reminder that He is our Great Shepherd. After our service together the students were able to hold the baby lamb , and then enjoyed watching the shepherd set it down. On the far pasture the mother started calling the sheep and the little lamb prances away.Just adorable. We drove by Philadelphia and Thyatira (there are very few remains to see there). We also saw Colossae, which is just a few remains on the top of a hill. At Laodicea we saw the ancient theatre and the remains of a basilica, and then headed on to Hierapolis after lunch. We visited the Martyrium of the Apostle Phillip where he was martyred during the persecutions ordered by Domitian. We visited the Gate of Domition, the Arcadian Way, the 2nd Century AD Theatre, the Nymphaion, the Temple of Apollo, the Plutonium and the Necropolis. We were exhausted! But then came the wonderful end to a perfect day...Pamukkale! These beautiful limestone cliffs and Turkish baths! After a wonderful buffet everyone headed to the thermal indoor and outdoor baths. Our boys looked lovely in their swim caps:) They loved it. Even our bathtub had two spouts, the one normal one, and then a golden one for the "therapeutic" water! Monday morning we checked out and drove to ancient Ephesus where the Apostle Paul preached to the Ephesians and lived here for three years, we walked through history along the marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the Theatre. The Temple of Diana of the Ephesians, another of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was built in this city. Terry read to us from the book of Ephesians and the Book of Acts. I hope I always remember these places as I study God's Word in the future, and am reminded that these were real people, in real towns, who were in need of a Savior, just as I am. Last of all, we visited the Basilica of St. John and the Ephesus Museum. The academic portion was now over, but we still had two stops to make. One was to a pottery shop, where our students got to experience first hand a pottery wheel. They gave me two ceramic ornaments as gifts to take home. Our next visit was to a fashion show at a leather shop. The girls were a bit scantily attired under their coats but our students handled themselves well. They were pretty understanding that our group would not be purchasing any $3200 coats! This shop makes coats for Chanel and Gucci, so it was still fun to see the new Fall line ahead of those in the States. Our hotel for the evening overlooked the Kusadasi harbor. We had a beautiful view of the harbor lights, and when we awoke we saw our cruise ship waiting for us. To be continued...
Friday, March 16, 2012
Northern Greece Tour
We left home at 8am to drive to Delphi, the center of the ancient world- the "omphalus" (navel) of the earth. The weather was very cold, but we were all bundled up well while we toured the ruins and the museum. We ate lunch at a local restaurant which has beautiful views over the mountain ranges, which were topped with snow. Is this really March in Greece? James, our guide, said they had just announced that this was the coldest and longest winter since they began keeping records. After lunch we began our drive to Kalambaka down the mountain and along the rocky, hilly coastline. Did I mention that it was snowing heavily? And that it was foggy? And that our bus driver, Costis, said he'd never seen anything like it? Not exactly reassuring to say the least. There are miles of hairpin curves. Miles and miles...where was Terry during the excitement? Why, sleeping soundly:)That evening we stayed at the Hotel Meteora at the base of Meteora. The views of the monasteries on the mountain tops was perect from our bedroom terrace.
The following morning we drove up the mountain and visited one of the monasteries. The girls enjoyed putting on the skirts provided by the church to wear during their visit:) Jordan and Christian liked the heavy woven net that is used to lift the monks, and supplies us the mountainside by pulley. I bought a small brass candlestick and sone beeswax candles to take home with me. From there we drove North to Vergina, the first capital of Macedonia, where the tomb of Phillip II of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great was found. We have read much about this time in history this year with the boys, about tomb raiders, etc., so that the boys seemed to enjoy this museum more than others. After lunch we drove to Thessaloniki, where we stayed at the Golden Star hotel right on the water.
Wednesday was a wonderful day. Christian and I took the day off from touring (he had been sick on the bus three times the day before:( we hung out in the room, and walked along the boardwalk and had lunch together. He watched a Manchester game in the afternoon and was ready for the group to get back. They returned at 6pm and had had a good day at Phillippi, the site where the apostle Paul came and worked, establishing a strong church. They sang at the church near the river where Lydia is thought to have been baptized.
Thursday morning we started our day with a tour of Thessaloniki, before going to Berea. We walked to the Old Jewish Quarters, where this is an old unused synagogue still remaining. There were 60,000 Jews in Thessaloniki before WWII, and only 2000 came back from the camps. They then immigrated to Israel. There is no longer a Jewish presence there. I am currently finishing the Bodie Thoene series "The Zion Chronicles" which I began reading while in
Jerusalem. It has really effected how I look at this time in our world's history. What a dark time. We then drove on to Dion, on the lower slopes of Mount Olympus, the home of the ancient Greek God's. After lunch we stopped at Thermopylae, to see the statue of Leonidas (Shelley Salza- I thought of your little Leonidas:)it commemorates the historic battle between the 300 Spartans led by Leonidas and the Persian army of Xerxes in 480bC composed of 1000's. We then drove home to Porto Rafti, arriving about 7pm. Ed and Dixie Hicks had arrived from Montgomery, so we all shared a meal together at Dimitri's and headed to bed. It was a wonderful, full, four days.We fly to Izmir, Turkey on Thursday, and then it will be time to start closing up the semester. We are so grateful for this adventure, shared with some wonderful students.
The following morning we drove up the mountain and visited one of the monasteries. The girls enjoyed putting on the skirts provided by the church to wear during their visit:) Jordan and Christian liked the heavy woven net that is used to lift the monks, and supplies us the mountainside by pulley. I bought a small brass candlestick and sone beeswax candles to take home with me. From there we drove North to Vergina, the first capital of Macedonia, where the tomb of Phillip II of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great was found. We have read much about this time in history this year with the boys, about tomb raiders, etc., so that the boys seemed to enjoy this museum more than others. After lunch we drove to Thessaloniki, where we stayed at the Golden Star hotel right on the water.
Wednesday was a wonderful day. Christian and I took the day off from touring (he had been sick on the bus three times the day before:( we hung out in the room, and walked along the boardwalk and had lunch together. He watched a Manchester game in the afternoon and was ready for the group to get back. They returned at 6pm and had had a good day at Phillippi, the site where the apostle Paul came and worked, establishing a strong church. They sang at the church near the river where Lydia is thought to have been baptized.
Thursday morning we started our day with a tour of Thessaloniki, before going to Berea. We walked to the Old Jewish Quarters, where this is an old unused synagogue still remaining. There were 60,000 Jews in Thessaloniki before WWII, and only 2000 came back from the camps. They then immigrated to Israel. There is no longer a Jewish presence there. I am currently finishing the Bodie Thoene series "The Zion Chronicles" which I began reading while in
Jerusalem. It has really effected how I look at this time in our world's history. What a dark time. We then drove on to Dion, on the lower slopes of Mount Olympus, the home of the ancient Greek God's. After lunch we stopped at Thermopylae, to see the statue of Leonidas (Shelley Salza- I thought of your little Leonidas:)it commemorates the historic battle between the 300 Spartans led by Leonidas and the Persian army of Xerxes in 480bC composed of 1000's. We then drove home to Porto Rafti, arriving about 7pm. Ed and Dixie Hicks had arrived from Montgomery, so we all shared a meal together at Dimitri's and headed to bed. It was a wonderful, full, four days.We fly to Izmir, Turkey on Thursday, and then it will be time to start closing up the semester. We are so grateful for this adventure, shared with some wonderful students.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Conclusion to our Israel Trip
On Wednesday morning we left for our long trip to Masada, a trip that my husband has dreamed of since he was 19 years old. Masada is an Herodian palace built as a fortress on the Dead Sea that saw the last stand of approximately 1000 Jewish zealots against the Roman legions in the year AD 73. They held out for a little over two years, until they killed their wives and children, and then themselves, rather than surrender. We took large cable cars up to the top, where the wind was incredible. Not a good day to wear a flowing skirt:) I had to tie it in three knots! It was wonderful to see this place I have read about for many years. We almost had to walk down because they shut down the cable cars when the winds get to 40 mph. After eating lunch, we headed to the Dead Sea. It was overcast, but still ur group enjoyed covering themselves with mud and floating in the water. We collected large rock crystals along the shorelines to take home with us. Right as we were leaving a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky. Our second this trip. As if we needed any reminders of how God fulfills His promises to us, His children!
2:30am came earlier than we liked. We had to leave to drive from Jerusalem back to Tel Aviv, allowing several hours to get through security. As we entered the airport grounds a man with a machine gun boarded and walked through our bus. He stopped when he got to Jordan and Christian and asked them where their passports were. Jordan, in his sweet Alabama accent replied they were up front with his Mom and Dad:) no more questions, thankfully. We were questioned extensively in the airport, but eventually we all were on board for our short flight to Athens. What a blessing it all was- from being able to share the moments with my friend, Linda, to seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls, to gaining a new sister in Christ at the Sea of Galilee. I know I have mixed up some days with others:) I mostly wanted to have a record I could go back and look at years from now, and say, "Look children, look how good our God is, and how He has blessed us for a lifetime."
2:30am came earlier than we liked. We had to leave to drive from Jerusalem back to Tel Aviv, allowing several hours to get through security. As we entered the airport grounds a man with a machine gun boarded and walked through our bus. He stopped when he got to Jordan and Christian and asked them where their passports were. Jordan, in his sweet Alabama accent replied they were up front with his Mom and Dad:) no more questions, thankfully. We were questioned extensively in the airport, but eventually we all were on board for our short flight to Athens. What a blessing it all was- from being able to share the moments with my friend, Linda, to seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls, to gaining a new sister in Christ at the Sea of Galilee. I know I have mixed up some days with others:) I mostly wanted to have a record I could go back and look at years from now, and say, "Look children, look how good our God is, and how He has blessed us for a lifetime."
Israel Trip-Days 5 and 6
Ou first stop Monday morning was to the Mount of Olives where we had a breathtaking view of the city of Jerusalem. We walked down to the Garden of Gethsemane via the Palm Sunday Route.As we walked down this road we sang , o Lord, Prepare Me to be a Sanctuary...The garden contained many old olive trees, and someone has taken great care in maintaining the grounds and planting flowers. There was a sense of peacefulness. In the Christian Quarters we visited St. ann's Crusader church, the Lithostrotos, Antonia Fortress, the Via Dolorosa and finished at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church is maintained by five different denominations- Catholics, Orthodox, Armenians,Syrian Orthodox, andCoptic Orthodox. What a mess man makes out of something God makes so simple. In this space, where tradition said Jesus was buried, man has made gaudy, and gold filled, and ornate. On the contrary, our visit to the Garden Tomb, where we were led by an Irish believer,was a beautiful experience. There was a sense of calm and beauty in the gardens, and the tomb was simple. The truth is, WHERE He was buried is really not relevant. The fact that He arose is what gives us the hope that we have. There was a small gift shop there and I bought a watercolor of the open tomb that the shipowners husband had painted. I am going to hang it above my Bible Study chair to remember.
Tuesday morning we visited the Dome of the Rock, on the Temple Mount. Security there was extreme. No Bibles are allowed through security. No symbols of Christianilty. Apparently Muslims do not share our respect for ideas different than their own. It does strike me how foolish we are concerning our contacts with this religion in assuming we have foundational principles in common. We do not. I watched as some young Arab boys washed their hands and feet in the outdoor fountains to purify themselves before entering the Temple. Only Arabs are allowed inside. No Jews are even allowed on the grounds. And yet, not 15 feet away, through a much less thorough security check, we were at the Wailing Wall. My heart hurt for those who seemed burdened, knowing that I have a Father who hears my every prayer, no matter where I am. We visited David's Tomb and the Room of the Last Supper. We visited the tunnels under the Wailing Walls, and then went to the City of David to see the Pool of Siloam and visit Hezekiah's tunnel. We walked on the dry side, as the wet side was mid thigh level! Last of all, we visited the Israel Museum with the Book of the Shrine and saw the miniature model of Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, then continued to Ein Karem, visited the Church of Visitation and St. John the Baptist, and then on to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity. At the end of the day we visited an Arab -Christian Co-op and did some shopping. I purchased a Jerusalem Cross necklace and one for each of my granddaughters. We bought olive wood crosses for each of the grown children, and wooden animals for our grandsons. Then home to our hotel for the evening.
Wednesday morning
Tuesday morning we visited the Dome of the Rock, on the Temple Mount. Security there was extreme. No Bibles are allowed through security. No symbols of Christianilty. Apparently Muslims do not share our respect for ideas different than their own. It does strike me how foolish we are concerning our contacts with this religion in assuming we have foundational principles in common. We do not. I watched as some young Arab boys washed their hands and feet in the outdoor fountains to purify themselves before entering the Temple. Only Arabs are allowed inside. No Jews are even allowed on the grounds. And yet, not 15 feet away, through a much less thorough security check, we were at the Wailing Wall. My heart hurt for those who seemed burdened, knowing that I have a Father who hears my every prayer, no matter where I am. We visited David's Tomb and the Room of the Last Supper. We visited the tunnels under the Wailing Walls, and then went to the City of David to see the Pool of Siloam and visit Hezekiah's tunnel. We walked on the dry side, as the wet side was mid thigh level! Last of all, we visited the Israel Museum with the Book of the Shrine and saw the miniature model of Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, then continued to Ein Karem, visited the Church of Visitation and St. John the Baptist, and then on to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity. At the end of the day we visited an Arab -Christian Co-op and did some shopping. I purchased a Jerusalem Cross necklace and one for each of my granddaughters. We bought olive wood crosses for each of the grown children, and wooden animals for our grandsons. Then home to our hotel for the evening.
Wednesday morning
Israel Trip- Days 3 and 4
Saturday morning we got an early start to the " Yigal Alon Museum" where we were able to see an ancient boat which was excavated in the '70's. It dates to the time of Jesus. It was fascinating watching the documentary on how they were able to release it from the muddy bottom without destroying it. From there we went on a boat ride from Tiberius to Nof Ginosar. It was such a wonderful experience. The boat was a recreation of the boats from Jesus' time. Wooden floors and seating along the edges. Immediately after pulling away from shore they hosted an American flag and began playing the National Anthem. Very cheesy, but it was still fun to hear the students all singing along with great gusto! While floating on the Sea of Galilee we shared a devotional together and sang hymns together. When we were finished, the captain of the boat turned on a gospel CD. Elvis Presley and Sandi Patti:) I will admit that singing "How Great Thou Art" while on the very Sea where Jesus walked was very moving. After disembarking, we continued on to Capernaum and visited the ruins of an ancient synagogue and the site of Peter's house. From there we proceeded to see fish mosaics from a 5th century Byzantine basilica at Tabgha. This was supposedly the site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. After lunch we drove to the Mount of Beatitudes, site of " The Sermon on the Mount". We travelled through the Upper Galilee to visit Tel Hazor, and then returned to our hotel for the evening. About 6pm we had a knock on our door. Our student, Gretchen, had decided to put on our Lord in baptism! We all went down to the Sea, the students climbing a fence to get to the shore, where Luke baptized her. The highlight of our trip! What rejoicing!
The next morning was the Lord's Day. We first visited Cana, the site of Jesus' first miracle. There was a small local wedding in the church that day, which made it so easy to envision the festivities, and the wine running out. And Jesus had changed the water into, not just wine, but the best wine. Amazing! We continued on to visit Nazareth where Jesus spent his early years, and visited Mary's Well and the Church of the Annunciation. We climbed the hillside where Jesus' own people had rejected Him after he read to them the words of Isaiah. They had wanted to throw him off of the hilltop. We shared in the Lords Supper together, using individual olive wood cups that Nasser had brought for us to keep, as a special reminder of our times walking where He walked. We then drove to Mt. tabor, the site of the Transfiguration, and then on to our hotel in Jerusalem where we would spend the next four nights. The Rimonim Jerusalem Hotel was quite a haven for us during our stay there. We were on the 15th floor, with a large living room and bedroom suite. We had a wall of windows overlooking the city of Jerusalem. Breathtaking. Upon entering our room we found a basket of fruit, bottled water, and special chocolates. All very much appreciated. But best of all was the two pairs of house slippers:) It is funny how much delight can come from the little blessings God graces our days with! The boys has a separate room by the students, and enjoyed their freedom:) one night I went down to check on them before bed and could hear singing. Jordan was at the devo the students were having in their room. What a blessing they have been in the lives of our sons. Before going to bed I downloaded a book off of Kindle that I had read many years before, "The Gates of Zion" by Bodie and Brock Thoene. I knew it would be perfect to read during these days in Jerusalem. Tomorrow,Gethsemane.
The next morning was the Lord's Day. We first visited Cana, the site of Jesus' first miracle. There was a small local wedding in the church that day, which made it so easy to envision the festivities, and the wine running out. And Jesus had changed the water into, not just wine, but the best wine. Amazing! We continued on to visit Nazareth where Jesus spent his early years, and visited Mary's Well and the Church of the Annunciation. We climbed the hillside where Jesus' own people had rejected Him after he read to them the words of Isaiah. They had wanted to throw him off of the hilltop. We shared in the Lords Supper together, using individual olive wood cups that Nasser had brought for us to keep, as a special reminder of our times walking where He walked. We then drove to Mt. tabor, the site of the Transfiguration, and then on to our hotel in Jerusalem where we would spend the next four nights. The Rimonim Jerusalem Hotel was quite a haven for us during our stay there. We were on the 15th floor, with a large living room and bedroom suite. We had a wall of windows overlooking the city of Jerusalem. Breathtaking. Upon entering our room we found a basket of fruit, bottled water, and special chocolates. All very much appreciated. But best of all was the two pairs of house slippers:) It is funny how much delight can come from the little blessings God graces our days with! The boys has a separate room by the students, and enjoyed their freedom:) one night I went down to check on them before bed and could hear singing. Jordan was at the devo the students were having in their room. What a blessing they have been in the lives of our sons. Before going to bed I downloaded a book off of Kindle that I had read many years before, "The Gates of Zion" by Bodie and Brock Thoene. I knew it would be perfect to read during these days in Jerusalem. Tomorrow,Gethsemane.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Our Israel Trip- Days 1 and 2
On Tuesday, February 21' Linda flew in from Montgomery to join us on our upcoming trip to Israel. We left at 7am on Thursday,February 23, for the Athens airport, flying El Al Airlines. Our flight did not depart until 10:30, but El Al security is very tight. They have a separate interrogation area, and talk to each individual sparately to see if their stories line up with each other.It was very nerve wracking. At 11:30 we arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. Getting through passport control took over an hour. We immediately connected with our guide, Nasser Elias( an Israeli Arab Christian) and our driver for the next week, Moffitt(a Muslim father of five). We went and had lunch in an Arab restaurant in the Old City (biblical city of Joppa where Peter received the vision concerning the eating of unclean animals). The cuisine was typical Lebanese- pita bread, hummus, lamb and chicken on skewers, and about ten different sauces to dip our bread in. The sights and sounds of the marketplace were marked by the Muslim calls to prayer. After a short tour of Joppa and Tel Aviv we drove to our hotel for the night, the Marina Tel Aviv. After dinner, Linda and I took a walk along the boardwalk area, and down along the shore. It was a popular promenade with a lot of families and couples out strolling, and many joggling. There was an outdoor workout station, which upon first sight appeared to be a playground for children. There was even a large digital scale on the sidewalk. Physical fitness was obviously highly valued.
The following morning , after breakfast, we left to drive along the coastline for a visit to Caesarea to see the vast archaeological excavations, including the Roman theatre and aqueduct. Most interesting to the boys was our visit to Megiddo, an ancient city along the Via Maris, there was a large tunnel under the rock with hidden water sources. They were able to go down the steep stairwell, and through the tunnel. We just finished reading, "Beyond the Desert Gate" in our Sonlight curriculum, so they were able to relate better to what had been described in the book concerning the Roman Occupation and the Fall of Jerusalem. That afternoon we continued on to the Sea of Galilee and the Tiberius area, where we would be spending the next two nights. We stayed at the Leonardo Tiberius Hotel, where many of the guests were rushing around to get last minute preparations dome before the sunset and Sabbath began. As we walked along the boardwalk, Orthodox Jews, with their flying black coats, and young men with their long side curls were rushing to get to the synagogue before they closed the doors. One of our four elevators was designated the Sabbath elevator and would go to the first floor only, with no need to push a button. There was also a large basin full of Sabbath candles to light as you entered the restaurant area. One side note. In Israel the McDonald restaurants are kosher, so no dairy is served alongside meat. No cheeseburgers are available. You could leave the store and go the McDonalds on the other side for a milkshake.We enjoyed a lightshow and an ice cream, and then returned to our hotel for the evening. Tomorrow...our boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.
The following morning , after breakfast, we left to drive along the coastline for a visit to Caesarea to see the vast archaeological excavations, including the Roman theatre and aqueduct. Most interesting to the boys was our visit to Megiddo, an ancient city along the Via Maris, there was a large tunnel under the rock with hidden water sources. They were able to go down the steep stairwell, and through the tunnel. We just finished reading, "Beyond the Desert Gate" in our Sonlight curriculum, so they were able to relate better to what had been described in the book concerning the Roman Occupation and the Fall of Jerusalem. That afternoon we continued on to the Sea of Galilee and the Tiberius area, where we would be spending the next two nights. We stayed at the Leonardo Tiberius Hotel, where many of the guests were rushing around to get last minute preparations dome before the sunset and Sabbath began. As we walked along the boardwalk, Orthodox Jews, with their flying black coats, and young men with their long side curls were rushing to get to the synagogue before they closed the doors. One of our four elevators was designated the Sabbath elevator and would go to the first floor only, with no need to push a button. There was also a large basin full of Sabbath candles to light as you entered the restaurant area. One side note. In Israel the McDonald restaurants are kosher, so no dairy is served alongside meat. No cheeseburgers are available. You could leave the store and go the McDonalds on the other side for a milkshake.We enjoyed a lightshow and an ice cream, and then returned to our hotel for the evening. Tomorrow...our boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.
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