September 15

Friends,
I apologize for the blog confusion. I believe I have the problem corrected. Thanks for following along on this journey with me.

It was a great experience but, as always, it's good to be home.
Blessings
Pastor Pam

September 9

Farewell to the Holy Land
This is my last posting. It is time to figure out how to get those suitcases packed!!This has been a wonderful, spiritual renewal for me and I pray that God uses this experience for the furthering of his Kingdom. I'm not sure what my sermons will be in the upcoming weeks but I do know that this trip has impacted me in numerous ways and I look forward to sharing them.Since I don't know if the projection is up and running yet but I hope it is, I look forward to sharing photos with you. Others in our group have taken hundreds of photos and we are sharing them on a common site. You will see some of those also. One fellow has an excellent eye for photography and has captured some absolutely beautiful moments while here.I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday (that's a hint!) so we can worship together with His Way II. Blessings on you, your family and your ministriesPastor Pam

September 8

Friends,Today was our last official day of touring - it included Masada, the Dead Sea and the caves of Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.We left Jerusalem and traveled about 75 minutes south--the temperature was about 100 - 105. In July and August it can easily climb to 115 or more. So it was extremely hot and we all consumed a great deal of water. We boarded cable cars for the 4 minute trip up but for the more adventurous there was a walking path which would take about 1 hour to climb. After 10:00 in the morning, no one is permitted to begin the climb because the heat is too intense. I continue to be amazed at the extravagant palaces that were hand made from stone--of course requiring the strength and hard work of hundreds of slaves.Masada is the location of the largest and most famous of Herod’s palaces built high upon a natural fortress. The mountain on which it sits is an isolated rock with steep sides. Herod had a three level palace at the northern end of the fortification. More than 50 years after Herod’s death, was the first Jewish revolt. Jewish zealots seized the fort at the beginning of the revolt in A.D. 66 and held it until the fall of Jerusalem in 70. In 72, the Roman military governor of Jerusalem, Flavius Silva, began a siege. Using Jewish prisoners captured during the revolt, he constructed a massive earth and stone ramp on the west side of the mountain which allowed the Romans access to a section of the wall. About a year later the Romans were able to breach the wall and destroy any hopes the zealots had of holding Masada longerEleazar made the appeal to his fellow zealots that if they remained and were captured they would become slaves to the Romans. Rather than succumb to years of hard labor, physical abuse and other atrocities, the zealots committed mass suicide which resulted in the deaths of approximately 960 people (two women and five children survived by hiding in an underground cavern.)With its impressive archaeological remains in the natural setting it is fascinating.The Judean Wilderness and the Dead Sea. Between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea is the Judean Wilderness--you might call it the “bad lands” of Palestine. It is a rugged dry thinly populated area which was the ideal sanctuary for outlaws and rebels. The road we drove on would have been a reasonable location for the story of the Good Samaritan--few travelers crossed through here and seldom did anyone travel alone. However, seeing the desolation helps to understand the story more.Near where the Jordan River enters the Dead Sea is a major spring and the famous oasis of Jericho. Excavations at Tell es-Sultan, the ruins of ancient Jericho revealed the settlement datable to approximately 7000 B.C. This makes Jericho one of the earliest known villages. We did not enter into Jericho but could easily see it from our bus.We went to the Dead Sea and most of us waded in it. Only one of our group floated in the Dead Sea. The concentration of salt (about 1/3 of the content) makes swimming impossible. Instead people flock to the sea for natural body treatments from the salt and other minerals in the water. Although the minerals and even the mud can be used for outward beauty, drinking one cup of water from the sea is enough to cause death. As with many bodies of water in Israel the Dead Sea is receding. Water drained from it has been used for irrigation for date farms, and other agricultural production such as cherry tomatoes.Qumran was the highlight of my day. In this rugged terrain is where the first of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Although hotly debated, most scholars believe that the Qumran scrolls were left by a Jewish religious community, apparently Essenes, who occupied the site from sometime in the second century B.C. into the first century A.D. Presumably the Essenes hid their library in the caves shortly before their community was destroyed by the Romans in connection with the First Jewish Revolt. We were able to get a clear view of Cave 4 where the book of Isaiah was discovered. It is told that a shepherd boy who was tending his flock was chasing a young lamb that had strayed. It was customary to throw rocks into the area where the lambs strayed and the sound of rock hitting rock would chase the lamb back down the hillside. The young boy’s aim didn’t hit stone but rather went into the cave entrance and hit one of the jars hiding the scrolls. Thinking he had found treasure, he ran to the village and others came to his discovery. It clearly wasn’t hidden gold or silver. In 1948-49 archaeologists discover and clear Cave I. over the next several years ten more caves were discovered. Syrian Orthodox Patriarch, Mar Yeshue Samuel, bought the scrolls and later sold them to the Sate of Israel for $250,000. In the early 1960’s the Shrine of the Book was built to house and display the scrolls.Also in the area is En Gedi which means the spring of the kid. The actual spring is in the caves overlooking the Dead Sea. En Gedi is mentioned several times in scripture -- it is an oasis.Last night we toured an exhibit in our hotel telling the story of the Shroud of Turin. The actual shroud is located in Turin but the exhibit included a full size replica of the shroud. It was fascinating to learn the history of this article and trace it back in time. There is still controversy as to the authenticity but the evidence is strong in favor of it being the burial cloth of Christ.Another long day but what a blessing it has been. I pray all of you are well and look forward toseeing you and sharing more of my experience.BlessingsPastor Pam

September 7

Hello friends,Today journey took us to the Garden Tomb, Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu, Mount Zion and the Wailing (Western) Wall.I shared with you earlier about our visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which was built over the area believed to be Golgotha and the tomb of Jesus. There are other thoughts about this location--one of them being the Garden Tomb. Edward Robinson argued during the mid-nineteenth century that the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher would have been inside the Roman city walls and therefore could not have been the actual place of Jesus crucifixion and burial. Since then an alternate site has become popular among Protestants. It is a beautiful spot and worth a visit but it is not with certainty that it can be claimed as factual. During this visit, one of our group offered devotions and I found that his words offered healing to my heart. That is an answer to prayer and I am thankful and grateful for God’s grace and mercy.Mount Zion--Old Testament writers so closely associated Solomon’s temple with Mount Zion that one may suppose the temple stood on Mt. Zion. But the name Zion is not associated with the Temple Mount. Rather is is associate with the hill at the southwestern corner of the Old City. Probably the name Zion shifted to this hill during the Byzantine period when a majord church stood there. In any case, early Christian tradition located the site of the Upper Room on this southwest hill.Church of St Peter in Gallicantu is the probable location of where Jesus told Peter he would deny him (Jesus) three times. Peter was shocked by his words and yet before the cock crowed three times, Peter had denied him.Western Wall--this is a remnant of the retaining wall that surrounded the Second Temple and is a holy site for Jews. The wall is divided--men on one side and women on the other. While there we witnessed parts of 2 Bar Mitzvah’s. Lots of music and celebration. So much more to share about this when I get home.Wednesday is our day of rest before we begin our journey home. We will have dinner in Bethlehem tonight then return to the hotel and get ready to leave. We leave the hotel at 1:00 A.M. so we can catch our 5:00 A.M. flight from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt. From there to Chicago, then to Dayton. I plan to sleep on Friday and return home with Thurl and our dog on Saturday.Again, my gratitude to all of you at Paoli UMC for your generosity and your prayers to make this trip possible. I can’t wait to share it with you!ShalomPastor Pam

Sunday's activities

Sunday's activities
(written on Monday for previous day)Greetings!Our time here is drawing short now and there is so much to process.Yesterday, was another exhausting day yet amazing. Our day took us into Bethlehem. There is a large wall that prevents free travel in and out of Bethlehem (West Bank) so we had to stop at a check point to be granted entry. Upon leaving, an armed Israeli soldier (who didn’t look any older than about 15 or 16) entered our bus and checked our passports. What a realization as to how much control the military really has over here.Once cleared our day began by to the Shepherd’s Field--the place where the angels proclaimed Christ’s birth to the shepherds. Please remember all of these sites are the accepted locations based on study and research but no one knows exactly where each event has taken place. We entered a cave that would have been used by the shepherds--at night the sheep were herded into the cave while the shepherds protected the entrance.Following our journey we worshipped at the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem which was exciting for us except most of the service was in Arabic. The pastor (female but not permitted to be ordained) was gracious to us and offered us explanation in English during the service. One member of our group was celebrating her 22 anniversary of her ordination in the Lutheran Church so it was a very special day for her.Church of the Nativity was our next stop and we visited and even touched the place that is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus. How humbling and how marvelous! Not in a wooden manger but in a cave! Nothing glorious or beautiful there except that our Savior entered into the world for you and for me.Lunch was at the International Center where an American missionary explained to us the plight of the Palestinian Christians. We were blessed by the opportunity to visit a refugee camp. I know that might sound strange but it was a blessing because tour groups are usually not given access to the camp. It was an eye-opening; heartbreaking experience. These people have no homeland and were living in camps. Now there is housing but it is cramped space, little work opportunities, and a dim future. The children, as is usually the case, are children. They followed us and it seemed to be an honor for them to walk past their friends with the Americans. They called to their friends to join us as we traveled up the roads of the camp. It was physically strenuous and emotionally overwhelming.The day came to an end with our usual dinner and devotion time but I believe that we were a changed group of individuals after our days experience. At home we can ignore what happens in the world but once you witness it with your own eyes, it becomes a part of you.Pray for peace, for our fellow Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters and for a world that one day can take down the walls and offer a hand in peace and unity.BlessingsPastor Pam

September 6

Friends,I apologize for not having more posts but I find that between our schedule and somewhat limited wi-fi access I have had trouble getting connected.So here's my update - Last Thursday was a day of respite - much needed and much appreciated. A quiet day on the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Friday was a travel day leaving the Mt. of Beatitudes and heading for Jerusalem. Our first stop was Megiddo - or Armegeddan as we know it. This hill (one of many that we have traveled) actually was a resultof 27 different cultures building upon on site. Can you imagine? It is just amazing the amount of history here.Megiddo was one of the most famous and strategically located fortress cities of Bronze Iron Age Palestine. I look forward to sharing more about this place with you. Here is much too much to begin here. From Megiddo, we traveled to Caesarea Maritima -- first mentioned in written records from mid-third century B.C. It had been governed by many rulers including Cleopatra when Caesar Augustus turned it over to Herod (later to be known as Herod the Great). It was names Caesarea and was converted into a major Roman style city with a deep water seaport, city wall and aqueduct system. Herod’s Caesarea also had a royal palace, administrative center, a theater and race track (which held 4,000 spectators) where chariot races were held and sometimes also gladiator battles took place. The population of Caesarea was Roman oriented but also Gentile and Jewish mixed. Again, there is so much more to share--I look forward to that at home.Friday late afternoon--arrival at Jerusalem. So different from the quiet mountainside of Mt. of Beatitudes. This is a major city with the Old City within the walls. Streets are crowded with cars and sometimes people but everyone just seems to keep walking and driving. Pedestrians do not have the right of way unless at a traffic light. We checked into our hotel, Pontifical Institude Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center--located just minutes from the Old City.Saturday--we began our day with a panoramic view of the Old City from the Mount of Olives. We continued on foot passing an ancient Jewish cemetery and arrived in the Garden of Gethsemane, walked the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow) to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was built during Constantine’s time (A.D. 326) over the place that was believed to be the place of Jesus’ tomb. Along the Via Dolorosa are the 14 stations of the cross. Some are clearly marked others are not. There is so much to absorb and it isn't all processed yet. That's all for now.ShalomPastor Pam

Wednesday September2

Greetings friends!
I've had some trouble getting my computer connected but thanks to another person on the trip I'm up and running again! As you can see, it is already Wednesday afternoon here and I think it is about 7:30 am your time.

So here's the update. First of all, the hotel that we thought we would be staying in is not the one that we ended up in. We are staying at a guest house on the Mount of Beatitudes - pretty cool! It is a retreat center operated by the Franciscan nuns and it is beautiful! We drove past the other hotel and although it looked beautiful from their website, it was crowded into the city streets of Tiberias. Here we can walk freely around the grounds and for the most energetic, can hike about 20 minutes down to the Sea of Galilee. The walk down isn't too bad but the walk back is really tough - I haven't tried that.

Sunday we had worshipon the Mount of Beatitudes and although we are not right along the coast line we overlook the sea (which locals call the lake). It was a glorious time of worship. We then headed for the Primacy of Peter the church that is built on a rock which is believed to be the location where Jesus and disciples would often gather. That's Where I stood in the Sea of Galilee and let the waters run across my feet and legs. Holy water!

Monday - Nazareth & Sepporis Sepporis is an ancient Roman town that has been excavated and work is still underway to find more artifacts. There are several mosaics that have been unearthed and for the most part are in tact. I can only imagine the beauty of the original ones. Since this town is so close to Nazareth, Jesus, Joseph and others probably worked in this community building it. Jesus was not just a carpenter of work but also worked with stone.



Nazareth--wow! what a cramped busy city! The street markets line the streets and have everything (including what we would consider American junk) Clothes of all kinds including some risque lingerie! Who'd a thought what the women were wearing under those dark burkas. After working and winding our way through the streets, we came to an excavated cave that really gave us a new and better understanding of how people lived 2000 years ago. It also made it clearer as to where Mary and Joseph stopped so Mary could give birth. Can't wait to show you pictures of this. We then went into the Church of the Anunciation--beautiful! This church was built over the cave that is believed to be where Mary lived before she was married--where the angel Gabrielle came to Mary to tell her she had been chosen by God to give birth to His son. The church is a holy place and Christians from around the world have sent incredible art pieces depicting the Virgin Mary. Each one is very unique. Then nearby is Joseph's Church which is built over the grotto believed to be where Joseph and Mary lived after they were married.



Tuesday--what a fantastic day. We started off with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee! Cruising over the water and getting yet another perspective as to the area where Jesus taught. From the Sea, it became very apparent that Jesus could easily be seen from the villages and that people could, on land, follow where he was headed and meet him on the shoreline. We then went to the museum that housed a 2000 year old boat. The Sea of Galilee is gradually going dry (usually no rain here between March and December) so the water is being used for irrigation and consumption. As the lake receded, a couple of individuals discovered some very old nails and began to dig. An archealogical team was put together and they unburied a large portion of the old boat. Once it was uncovered, time was against them as the air began to deteriorate the old wood. They decided to cover the boat in polyurethane and then lift it from it's resting place. It was floated on the sea to it's new home and quickly the polyurethane was removed and the boat has been preserved. Just amazing!



Wednesday--today; we went to the Falls of Banias--another fantastic view. So different from what we have seen as the vegetation was much greener because of the springs and the falls. These waters eventually run into the Jordan which flows into the Sea of Galilee. From there we went to the ruins of the House of Pan and found more springs which run into the Jordan River. Cool clear water.



It's our free time now and so a nap and a shower will be happening soon. Life here is very quiet in the afternoons due to the heat.



Friends I hope you are enjoying this trip along with me. I can't wait to share photos and lots of stories with you! I am blessed!



Shalom