Safe in Frankfurt

Message to all concerned about the bomb blast in Jerusalem.  It happened right after we left so we never heard it.  We are safe and sound in Frankfurt!

Homeward Bound

Leaving Jerusalem to catch our flight to Frankfurt from Tel Aviv.

First group homeward bound tomorrow morning!

Kings and Melwoods and Grells Sicily bound to strenghten churches there.

:)

Tuesday

Today we wound our way through the Canaanite Tunnel.  Very narrow!  We then went on to the Pool of Saloam. 

Pictures above taken along the way to the Pool of Saloam from the Tunnel.  Background is Palestinian area.

We then visited the Holocast Muesem.  Very sobering.

The afternoon was spent with most of us going to the Old City for Shopping and Sightseeing.  Fun time.

We will pack up tonight and head out to Tel Aviv for the flight tomorrow to Frankfurt, Germany.  Most everyone will fly out from there home to Calgary on Thursday.

Pictures

I tried to upload pics tonight but it is not happening for some reason!  Sorry!  I will keep trying.

:)

Sunday and Monday

It is Monday night and I am sitting in my hotel room exhausted!  We have been having 12 hour days!  Full Days!!

Yesterday we went to the Temple Mount, Bethesda, Sang in Saint Anne's, Mt of Olives, Shrine of the Scroll Muesem (saw Dead Sea Scrolls there) and then on an hour and half drive to Caesarea by the Sea and back by the Valley of Elah where David killed Goliath.

Today we went to the Rabbincial Steps, Wailing Wall, Rabbincial Tunnels, Garden of Gethsemane, Garden Tomb for Communion and then to the Upper Room!

The Garden of Gethsemane is always my favorite.  It is hard to describe what you feel there! 

Everyone is enjoying the trip.  However, we are all very tired.

Friday & Saturday

Sorry I didn't have internet access last night so I am posting for Friday and Saturday.

Friday we visited Mt Nebo and Petra.

Mt Nebo was where Moses stood viewing the Promise Land that he would not be allowed to enter.  He had led the people 40 years to come to this climax.  As I stood there looking over the vast valley below with Jericho in sight I tried to imagine how he felt.  The frustration, the confusion, the anguish in his heart. 

Pastor King read a moving excerpt from a writing of Nate Wilson about Moses at this place. 

It was a moving moment on the windswept mountain for me.  And others too I think if tears and silence were any indication of what they were feeling as well.

We then travel on south to the lost city of Petra.  Amazing, amazing, amazing!  We hiked down through the gorge to view the caves and splendor of the place.

This morning we arose early again!  5:30 am!! 

We traveled through a very curvy mountain pass through Moab to come to the south side of the Dead Sea on the Jordanian side.  We went all along the coast of the Sea until we came to the north side where we crossed back over into Israel.

Lunch, Ein Gedi, where David cut a piece of Saul's garment as he slept, and then to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

We made our way up to Jerusalem for supper and hopefully an early night. 

Up early again tomorrow for an exciting day in the City of Jerusalem!

Jordan!

Tony Spell Roman City Jerash Jordan

Babies!  David and Lucas Holmes

Andrew Bentley with Tas Melwood

What a wonderful day!

We started out enjoying a leisurely morning on the Shores of the Sea of Galilee.  Our hotel is right on the seaside.

We had breakfast on a open terrace overlooking the Sea.  So relaxing after all the rushing around and jet lag.

However now the rest is over!  We arrived at the Jordanian Border at 10:30 am.  Our Jordanian guide, Omar, had been waiting there since 8:30 am.  There was a miscommunication and we didn't know we were supposed to be there so early. 

So......becuase we arrived so late there was not enough time to do the things that were scheduled and now we have to squeeze one of the items in tomorrow.

That means the wake up call is at 5:30 am tomorrow and on the bus by 7:00 am.  Some thought we were joking when we announced it!  Our first day wake up call was at 6:30 am....then 7:30 am...now 5:30 am!!!

That being said....we are loving Jordan. 

The border ordeal was just that....a lenghtly ordeal....just to leave Israel.....stop at gate....guide and driver get out and answer questions...show papers....guards look under bus with big mirrors.....go to Israel departure building get out of bus.....stand in line and go one by one to window and show them exit receipt and passport......unload suitcases and wait for shuttle bus.....load shuttle bus....drive couple minutes to Jordanian side..... unload shuttle bus....go inside and show passport at windown and take a picture of your irises...one by one......go back out and get suitcases and walk over to building with x-ray machine for suitcases....put them through and walk to bus....load bus with suitcases and then off you go.....lengthly ordeal.... or so we thought.  Our guide informed us we got through fairly quick.....it can take up to 4 hours if more buses are in front of you.

We were saying....Jordan better be worth it!  Well....withing minutes of hearing phrases like "We are now in Gilead".....we knew it was well worth the hassle at the border!

Gilean...Ammon.....Moab....Edom.....Looking down at the River that Jacob crossed going home and meeting Esau......Crazy exciting!

The Holiday Inn in Amman is great.  The buffet was so good...my favorite was the Coconut Curry Fish over rice....WOW!   And then a nice flan to top it off.

Tony Spell, my husband and I shared a cab to the Mall after supper to go to Starbucks.  So fun people watching there.  Several others were there also.

As we were leaving the hotel....a Jordanain Groom and Bride came in and we got a picture.  I will post when I can download from my phone.

Well, as I mentioned before the wake up call comes at 5:30 so I better sign off for now!

Promise pics later.