Israel trip

Seventeen of us returned from a 10 day trip to Israel recently. This is something everyone should do once in their life, it is an incredible spiritual experience. And, yes, it was totally safe! You don't travel into the dangerous places, like the Gaza Strip.

People ask what the high points were. To me, some of them were taking a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (no one successfully walked on the water, sorry), seeing the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, dedicated to rebuilding the Jewish Temple (motto- "If we build it, He (the Messiah) will come") http://www.templeinstitute.org/), climbing the tel at the Roman-era ruins of Beth Shean to see the 15th century BC Egyptian fort and hieroglyphics, praying at the Western wall, and walking through the colorful Arab market in old Jerusalem. I ate lots of hummus and salads (present at every meal, including breakfast). We had a baptism renewal in the Jordan River (10 feet from the nation of Jordan), renewed wedding vows at the church of Cana (where Jesus turned water to wine) and stayed on a kibbutz on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. We went in 5 bodies of water- the Mediterranean in Tel Aviv, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea (you can't sink due to the high salinity), the Jordan River, and the hotel swimming pool! We rode a camel and traveled into the Palestinian West Bank to visit Bethlehem.

We plan to do another church trip in maybe 3 years, depending upon the interest (let me know if you are interested in the next tour). Some reasons why you should consider going-

1. It will bring the world of the Bible alive. You can visualize the places where Jesus walked and taught, many are still there and unchanged. Someone said that studying the Bible without going to Israel is like learning about football without ever having seen a game or football field.

2. There is a unique sense of the presence of God in Israel. Praying at the Western Wall is an incredible experience. The Bible talks about Israel being the center of the world, from God's perspective (sorry, it is not New York!). His eye is always on this land. You can feel this.

3. Israel is small, the same as New Jersey in size, shape and population. It is easy to get around, everything is near. It will also help you to understand how vulnerable Israel is, surrounded by enemies dedicated to its total destruction.

4. The history of the world ends there. We visited Armageddon. Amazing.

5. If you like history, Israel has it. 14 major nations and empires passed through and controlled the land. There are also significant and fascinating Roman ruins there, which I loved.

6. Israel is a mix of cultures, with Arabs, Druze, and Jews from all over the world living there. It is a fascinating place culturally.

Roman aqueduct