It is the Monday after the two weeks before and we are home from Israel.  The trip seems almost a dream already as one wonders if it is really possible that we spent 10 days on the ground in israel.  The jet lag some of us are experiencing seems to indicate we had some kind of overseas experince.

The final days of our trip were spent in Jerusalem visting sites like Gethsemane, the Israel Museum (home of the Shrine of the Book and the Jerusalem Holy Land Model of the city in 66 A.D.). Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum), Via Dolorosa, Mount of Olives, Mount Zion, Tomb of King David, City of David, Temple Mount, Western Wall and Western Tunnels as well as the Southern steps of the temple built by Herod and frequented by Jesus, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Garden Tomb (possible sites of Golgotha) and so much more.

Some of us spent part of our free day re-visiting Bethlehem where we shared lunch with the students of Bethlehem Bible College before touring the college and viewing a presentation of the work they are doing to train church leadership for the the challenges of living Christian lives in the midst of a troubled situation.  We also visited several of the sites in Bethlehem which were not included on our tour; Solomon’s pools, David’s well, the Shepherd’s fields and the site of Boaz’s fields.

Our hotel in East Jerusalem was less than a 15 minute walk from the Damascus Gate of the Old City so we were able to use any free time browsing through the Old City.  Several of us visited the Western Wall as they welcomed in the Shabbat.  That was a unique experience though we hurried fast enough to cause some to want to pause.  

Malcolm Cartier, our tour guide was amazing.  It is a wonder that one person could incorporate skills in getting us through the crowds with a minimum of waiting in line, profound knowledge of both the OT and NT and the history of their context as well as insights into current world situations AND amazing people skills complete with unending patience with people who often seemed more intent on locating the next Water Closet, climbing on a camel or observing stray cats than getting to the next site.

Some of you heard about incidents in the on-going struggle between Israeli and Palestinian people that occured while we were there.  Only those of our group who monitored the news carefully were aware these things were happening.  Our guide filled us in on some of the details toward the end.  Our itinerary the last day was altered due to the unrest.  We did not go near Ashkelon or Ashdod which are often targetted by missiles lobbed over from Gaza.  We did however, visit the site of Rehoboam’s citadel and the site of Maresha of the Sidonians as well as the Bell Caves.  We also did up a market (resembling too closely a North American flea market) in Beersheba so our trip did encompass the Israel experience “from Dan to Beersheba.”  

The months ahead will show the true value of the trip in new friendships, renewed acquaintances, and expanded knolwedge of Bible accounts from Old Testament and New Testament times.  We will try not to bore you with unending pictures or corrections of our Westernized pronounciations of Biblical names. But please excuse us if we slip for we are excited about what we saw and experienced together.

We thank all of you who awaited our return at home.  We thank all those who made the experience possible; from our tour company (Maranatha Tours of Phoenix, Arizona) to the ground handlers in Israel (NET Tours), our guide (Malcolm Cartier) and main bus driver (RFai Abed), hotel and restaurant staff, and the people of Israel and Palestine.    May God bless you all and draw you closer to Himself.

Blessings

Ron & Rita Pauls

Greetings from Israel.  Now that we have only two more tour days in Israel, this technically challenged tour host has finally figured how to access this blog and comment.

We are so grateful for all those who have been praying for us as we journey.  Our Lord has gone so far beyond keeping us safe and has blesswed us beyond our fnest imaginings.

We have visited so many places we have seen before; Ceasarea by the Sea where the Gospel first connected with ur Gentile world, Megiddo where over 20 civilizations have fought and thrived, Muhkrakah on Mt. Carmel where Elijah faced down the hundreds of false prophets adn wn, Nazareth where Jesus grew up, Korazim where so many of his mjiracles were done, Cana where that first miracle was performed to save embarrassment to a young groom, Capernaum where Jairus’ daughter as raised from death and the woman with the bledding problem was healed, the region of Ceasarea Philippi where Jesus was transfigured, the Sea of Galilee around whose shores so much of Jesus’ ministry transpired and so many more.

Then there are the places that we have never seen before; like hiking through the preserve at Tel Dan where the tribe of Dan settled after defeating the unsuspecting people of Laish, Tel Hazor where Joshua defeated the northern kingdoms of Canaan, and a few others I can’t remember tonight.

Then there are the places we have visited before but have been developed more completely than ever before; like Bethshean where Saul’s mangled body was displayed by the conquering Philistines, the temple tunnel along the Western Wall of the temple compound, the area South of the temple including the original steps where Jesus undoubtedly spent many hours in conversation with his disciples and others.

Malcolm Cartier has proven to be a guide par excellence!  We have received so much information (and entertainment) from him that we are often experiencing information overload. It will take us months to process all we have seen and heard.

With only a couple of days left to share the rich fellowship of fellow Christians as we “run where Jesus walked,” we already know it has been worth the jet lag, sore feet and other complications of foreign travel.  We know that we will never read our Bibles quite the same again.  Now will we view the news from the Middle East quite as passively again.  We have lived, loved and served where JESUS did those things and life will never be quite the same again.

Again we thank thow eof you who have held us in your thoughts and prayers as we have traveled.  You have been a blessing to us and we pray that you will stay close to God where you are for “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”  

God bless!  Good evening and good night!

Love to all,

From the 32 pilgrims who have traveled together on the Pauls March 31 Israel Tour

After a very tiring week the gang has a day off.  Some have gone to Bethlehem, some to the Old City, some just staying in the hotel to rest, getting ready for three more days of touring.  We have been educated in so many ways.  Malcolm, our tour guide, has given us so much information about the sites we are visiting.  We began the day yesterday walking from the Mt. of Olives down to the Garden of Gethsemane.  What an experience!  We ended the day with a communion service in a special room in the Hotel.  We did so many things in between.

We visited Bethlehem yesterday(after going through the security check-point.). The Holocaust museum was amazing.  We toured the museum where some of the Dead Sea scrolls are housed.

Eddie and Jan Taylor from Michigan will be heading home this evening.  They were only able to be here for part of our trip.  We have formed a very close bond.

Rick and Karen Pauls kids have been a delight for us all.  Their education will take them far beyond what books would do.

Our spiritual lives have been enriched through our time spent here.

Well, I think we are ready to go.  Not sure though, probably won’t be until we are halfway to the airport.  I am looking forward to meeting all of you I do not know and introduce my husband to those of you who are old friends.  Rich and I are really excited about this trip as it is offically our “honeymoon” for the Sept 1 wedding.  Looking forward to seeing you all soon!!