Dear Friends, thanks for your prayers and support during out trip to Israel. Pastor Mike and I safely returned back to Hawaii on Saturday, August 4.
Plans are underway to take a group of pilgrims to the Holy Land in May, 2009.
Previous blogs are being updated as I'm now adding video. For example, I added two videos to Day 7 of our trip.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Friday, August 3, 2007
Day 15 of Trip to Israel
This would be our last day of touring. Here are some t-shirt ideas that have been going around:
"I ran where Jesus walked."
"We did in 7 days what Jesus did in 3 years.
The sunrise coming over the Sea of Galilee
This is the site where it is believed Mary, the mother of Jesus, received the visit from the angel, Gabriel. The Greeks believe this is the site, while the Catholics have another site for it.
Pastor Jack arranged a worship service for us at Mt. Carmel Assembly, the largest Christian congregation in Israel. Here they minister to Jewish people, Arabs, Sudanese refugees, and a host of others.
After the time of worship and testimony, the pastors in our group came to bless the staff of this church.
This is how the overhead appears for a worship song - many languages.
This is a great picture - a Sudanese mom and daughter sitting right by a Jewish girl. This is a partial picture of what it's going to be like in heaven when all nations gather together in Him.
Our tour guide diverted our bus towards this replica of an empty tomb. He wanted us to see what the round stone covering would've looked like in Jesus' day.
Tel Megiddo or better known as Armageddon. Armageddon comes from "Har Meggido" or the hill/mountain of Megiddo as mentioned in Rev. 16:16. "Tel" means a hill that has had civilization after civilization built upon it. Therefore at Megiddo, they have had at least 20 civilizations built there.
A model of the city as it was during the days of King Solomon.
This sacrificial altar was used by pagan societies as a place to sacrifice children.
Here, they have found a stable. It is a horse's troff like this that Jesus may have been born in down in Bethlehem.
The view of the plains of Megiddo. It is here that a cataclysmic battle will take place.
Pastor Jack dedicating the fourth and final altar near the Mediterranean Sea.
The national park at Caesarea. This Caesarea is also known as Caesarea Marina, not to be confused with Caesarea Philippi which we went to the other day. It is here that Romans events happened.
This may be the place mentioned in Acts 25:23 as Paul the Apostle stood before Agrippa.
Pastor Jack addresses the 90 of us during our last night together.
"I ran where Jesus walked."
"We did in 7 days what Jesus did in 3 years.
The sunrise coming over the Sea of Galilee
This is the site where it is believed Mary, the mother of Jesus, received the visit from the angel, Gabriel. The Greeks believe this is the site, while the Catholics have another site for it.
Pastor Jack arranged a worship service for us at Mt. Carmel Assembly, the largest Christian congregation in Israel. Here they minister to Jewish people, Arabs, Sudanese refugees, and a host of others.
After the time of worship and testimony, the pastors in our group came to bless the staff of this church.
This is how the overhead appears for a worship song - many languages.
This is a great picture - a Sudanese mom and daughter sitting right by a Jewish girl. This is a partial picture of what it's going to be like in heaven when all nations gather together in Him.
Our tour guide diverted our bus towards this replica of an empty tomb. He wanted us to see what the round stone covering would've looked like in Jesus' day.
Tel Megiddo or better known as Armageddon. Armageddon comes from "Har Meggido" or the hill/mountain of Megiddo as mentioned in Rev. 16:16. "Tel" means a hill that has had civilization after civilization built upon it. Therefore at Megiddo, they have had at least 20 civilizations built there.
A model of the city as it was during the days of King Solomon.
This sacrificial altar was used by pagan societies as a place to sacrifice children.
Here, they have found a stable. It is a horse's troff like this that Jesus may have been born in down in Bethlehem.
The view of the plains of Megiddo. It is here that a cataclysmic battle will take place.
Pastor Jack dedicating the fourth and final altar near the Mediterranean Sea.
The national park at Caesarea. This Caesarea is also known as Caesarea Marina, not to be confused with Caesarea Philippi which we went to the other day. It is here that Romans events happened.
This may be the place mentioned in Acts 25:23 as Paul the Apostle stood before Agrippa.
Pastor Jack addresses the 90 of us during our last night together.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Day 14 of Trip to Israel
Pastor Mike continues to teach these pastors from Louisiana how to journal.
The church that stands over the Mount of Beatitudes.
What it looks like inside.
This is what I saw as I was walking back towards the bus.
Our next stop was Caesarea Philippi, in the northern part of Israel. Here, the waters from Mount Hermon flow down towards the Sea of Galilee.
Somewhere in this area of Caesarea Philippi, Peter made his confession that Jesus was the Christ.
Some areas in the north are still fenced in because of mines that are still out in the open due to the Six-Day War in 1967.
Laying the third altar, this time in the northern area of Israel.
Mike posing in front of a discarded Syrian jeep.
In 1986, while the Sea of Galilee was at a very unusually low tide, fishermen discovered a boat. It was dated to be from the time of Jesus Christ. This is the actual boat that was discovered, and what the boat may have looked like.
The church that stands over the Mount of Beatitudes.
What it looks like inside.
This is what I saw as I was walking back towards the bus.
Our next stop was Caesarea Philippi, in the northern part of Israel. Here, the waters from Mount Hermon flow down towards the Sea of Galilee.
Somewhere in this area of Caesarea Philippi, Peter made his confession that Jesus was the Christ.
Some areas in the north are still fenced in because of mines that are still out in the open due to the Six-Day War in 1967.
Laying the third altar, this time in the northern area of Israel.
Mike posing in front of a discarded Syrian jeep.
In 1986, while the Sea of Galilee was at a very unusually low tide, fishermen discovered a boat. It was dated to be from the time of Jesus Christ. This is the actual boat that was discovered, and what the boat may have looked like.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Day 13 of Trip to Israel
We started the day building a second altar to dedicate the Eastern side of Israel to the Lord.
Our next stop was Beth-Shean. This is where King Saul's body was displayed (1Sam. 31:8-10)
During the first century A.D., the Romans built this area up. This is a model of the city.
Up close, this is what the cardo, or main street, looked like.
This is what it looks like today.
This is the Kursi area. It is here that Jesus healed the demoniac in Mark 5.
Boarding the boat to ride across the Sea of Galilee.
Watching the waves of the Sea of Galilee.
St. Peter's Primacy. This is where Peter was restored by Jesus starting at Jn. 21:15.
Anna Hayford, Jack's wife, took a moment to share an encounter she had with the Lord at this site.
In Capernaum, this is where they believe Peter's house was.
Nearby is a synagogue, possibly where Jesus preached and healed.
At the Jordan River. This isn't the place where Jesus was baptized, that area has dried up a bit. But at this area, there is enough water for many to be baptized.
Two pilgrims baptized at the Jordan River.
Our next stop was Beth-Shean. This is where King Saul's body was displayed (1Sam. 31:8-10)
During the first century A.D., the Romans built this area up. This is a model of the city.
Up close, this is what the cardo, or main street, looked like.
This is what it looks like today.
This is the Kursi area. It is here that Jesus healed the demoniac in Mark 5.
Boarding the boat to ride across the Sea of Galilee.
Watching the waves of the Sea of Galilee.
St. Peter's Primacy. This is where Peter was restored by Jesus starting at Jn. 21:15.
Anna Hayford, Jack's wife, took a moment to share an encounter she had with the Lord at this site.
In Capernaum, this is where they believe Peter's house was.
Nearby is a synagogue, possibly where Jesus preached and healed.
At the Jordan River. This isn't the place where Jesus was baptized, that area has dried up a bit. But at this area, there is enough water for many to be baptized.
Two pilgrims baptized at the Jordan River.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Day 12 of Trip to Israel
Pastor Mike starting off the morning mentoring these young pastors on the fine art of journaling.
Pastor Jack leading us in a morning song on the bus.
A menorah that stands over the hills of Jerusalem. This was given to the people of Jerusalem by England as a symbol of peace between the two countries.
A common sight as you go into different touring sights.
A model city of Jerusalem during the days of Jesus.
This area displays some of the pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Due to sensitivity reasons, you are not allowed to take pictures.
Yad Vashem - The Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. This wonderful museum, which is a must see for any visitor to Israel, tells the story of the Jewish people during the time of the Holocaust. You get to actually hear and see the stories of people who went through the ordeal, typically the rememberances of the adults who were children at the time. It would take a good three hours to go through it completely because it is so well done with hundreds of artifacts and stories that are presented. It is a very somber tour. In all, 6 million Jewish people died during this time.
One of the heroes of the Holocaust - Oskar Shindler, a German who hired Jewish people in his factories in order to save them from destruction.
The Hall of Names - where the names of Holocaust victims are permanently preserved. Out of the 6 million people who died, they have the names of 3.5 million.
When you finish the tour, you step outside to this beautiful view of Jerusalem which gives you time to reflect about what you've just experienced and pray that it never happens again.
This statue is dedicated to a Jewish/Polish educator, Janus Korczak, who took Jewish children under his wings to protect them in his orphanage. When the Germans came to take the children away, Korczek went with them and died beside them. Out of the 6 million who died, 1.5 million were children.
We had the opportunity to walk on the walls of Jerusalem, the walls that surround the Old City.
Pastor Jack, in the orange shirt, leads a time of prayer over the city.
The Zion Gate. See all the bullet holes in the wall? That happened during the Six Day War in 1967.
Pastor Jack leading us in a morning song on the bus.
A menorah that stands over the hills of Jerusalem. This was given to the people of Jerusalem by England as a symbol of peace between the two countries.
A common sight as you go into different touring sights.
A model city of Jerusalem during the days of Jesus.
This area displays some of the pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Due to sensitivity reasons, you are not allowed to take pictures.
Yad Vashem - The Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. This wonderful museum, which is a must see for any visitor to Israel, tells the story of the Jewish people during the time of the Holocaust. You get to actually hear and see the stories of people who went through the ordeal, typically the rememberances of the adults who were children at the time. It would take a good three hours to go through it completely because it is so well done with hundreds of artifacts and stories that are presented. It is a very somber tour. In all, 6 million Jewish people died during this time.
One of the heroes of the Holocaust - Oskar Shindler, a German who hired Jewish people in his factories in order to save them from destruction.
The Hall of Names - where the names of Holocaust victims are permanently preserved. Out of the 6 million people who died, they have the names of 3.5 million.
When you finish the tour, you step outside to this beautiful view of Jerusalem which gives you time to reflect about what you've just experienced and pray that it never happens again.
This statue is dedicated to a Jewish/Polish educator, Janus Korczak, who took Jewish children under his wings to protect them in his orphanage. When the Germans came to take the children away, Korczek went with them and died beside them. Out of the 6 million who died, 1.5 million were children.
We had the opportunity to walk on the walls of Jerusalem, the walls that surround the Old City.
Pastor Jack, in the orange shirt, leads a time of prayer over the city.
The Zion Gate. See all the bullet holes in the wall? That happened during the Six Day War in 1967.
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