I can hear the song now..."just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train going anywhere..." wait. Sorry, wrong Journey!
Saturday we all headed up to Galilee for the day. This is where Jesus began His public ministry and where most of the miracles took place. We visited the Mt. of Beautitudes where Jesus preached and fed over 5,000 people. We worshipped and prayed together, and enjoyed just sitting and soaking in His Presence. Afterwards we headed to a few churches in the area, visited Capernaum- home to Peter, Mary, and Martha, and then it was on to the Jordan River. We visited an area quite close to the original site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. Most of us took a dip in the river and worshipped-little known to us we were quite the spectacle to other people visiting. But who wouldn't want to catch a pic and video with a group of 20-something people in white choir robes singing in the Jordan?!
Afterwards it was time to head back and enjoy one last time in our small groups. We started packing and spent some good time hanging out with one another for our last night. (You can start the tears here.)
This morning we got up and headed to the Garden Tomb. What a great way to end our time here than prayer, worship, and communion where our Jesus rose from the grave! Then it was time for some last minute shopping and site-seeing. One group headed to the Jewish Quarter to look around, one group went to the North end of the Old City, and one headed to Solomon's Quarries (where King Solomon had workers cut stones to build the temple-its right under the Old City!). Then time for a quick lunch, team meeting, and finishing packing and cleaning.
We have had such an incredible trip that it would be quite impossible, and lengthy, to sum it up, so I'll just share a few things the team shared from our last big group meeting:
"I've learned more about my purpose in God's Kingdom"
"His heart for the people here is so incredibly beautiful."
"I'll never read the Word the same way again."
"God is real!"
"We're leaving the old behind and going after the new."
We cannot thank you enough for all your prayers and support! For those following us we hope you have enjoyed your own experience through the Holy Land and that He has revealed Himself to you through us. We cannot wait to get back and share all that He showed us! God is good all the time!
On behalf of the leaders and the team we thank you and love you!
Blessings, Holly
Monday, May 24, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Hebron: Cool Trip, Cold Dip
So unfortunately, this will be our last turn to blog on our trip to the Holy Land. But dry that tear from your eye and enjoy the rest of the story...
Yesterday we went to the West Bank city of Hebron. It is a relatively large city, where some very important biblical sites are located. We first went to the tomb of the Patriarchs, viewing the resting place of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Leah, Isaac, and Rebekkah, and Michael Jackson... Well, we aren't sure about the last one.
The Bible tells us that Abraham was buried at Hebron by both of his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, so the Jews believe that Ishmael is buried there as well. According to the Jewish custom, the sons would be buried with their father and his family. It was extremely powerful to be at the place where the forefathers of our faith were buried so long ago. What an experience! Rachel was the only one missing, being that she died in childbirth, and Jacob buried her near Bethlehem.
Afterward, the group journeyed to a nice little pizza parlor to get lunch. It was delicious... and hot.
Then we ventured to a Muslim graveyard, but we weren't interested in the headstones. Rather, there is something special about that graveyard, for in the middle there lies a spring... Abraham's Spring, frequented by the biggest biblical celebs including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Caleb, and David.
What an opportunity it was to walk down the ancient stone stairway and jump into the spring... the coldest spring you have ever felt... We mean THE COLDEST... NEEDLES POKING YOU COLDEST...
After the the whole team got a chance to dip, we had a time of prayer and worship with Karen, the pastor from Living Bread. We were joined by some Palestinian salesmen who liked our music and wanted us to buy stuff. It was great, and God used the situation to introduce them to His presence through prayer, worship, and fellowship.
It was Shabbat again, and Hebron is actually an extremely important city to both Jews and Muslims, due to the tombs there. Many Jews arrive each Sabbath, literally walking down the highway, to pay their respects to these important leaders of the Bible.
We then went home and enjoyed the rest of the evening by relaxing with each other. Some got a little more shopping in while others went for ice cream, while still others visited places in the city of significance to them. It was a great afternoon of rest and favor in the Lord. After dinner, we worshipped, prayed, played cards, and fellowshipped.
We are so blessed to have had this opportunity, to be called to the Promised Land for even a short time. The Lord has done so much, and we are confident that He is not yet done with us. We look forward to experiencing even more of the Lord's love and blessing in the last few days of our trip.
We love you guys and can't wait to tell you all about it!!!
-Coleman and Jennie
Yesterday we went to the West Bank city of Hebron. It is a relatively large city, where some very important biblical sites are located. We first went to the tomb of the Patriarchs, viewing the resting place of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Leah, Isaac, and Rebekkah, and Michael Jackson... Well, we aren't sure about the last one.
The Bible tells us that Abraham was buried at Hebron by both of his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, so the Jews believe that Ishmael is buried there as well. According to the Jewish custom, the sons would be buried with their father and his family. It was extremely powerful to be at the place where the forefathers of our faith were buried so long ago. What an experience! Rachel was the only one missing, being that she died in childbirth, and Jacob buried her near Bethlehem.
Afterward, the group journeyed to a nice little pizza parlor to get lunch. It was delicious... and hot.
Then we ventured to a Muslim graveyard, but we weren't interested in the headstones. Rather, there is something special about that graveyard, for in the middle there lies a spring... Abraham's Spring, frequented by the biggest biblical celebs including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Caleb, and David.
What an opportunity it was to walk down the ancient stone stairway and jump into the spring... the coldest spring you have ever felt... We mean THE COLDEST... NEEDLES POKING YOU COLDEST...
After the the whole team got a chance to dip, we had a time of prayer and worship with Karen, the pastor from Living Bread. We were joined by some Palestinian salesmen who liked our music and wanted us to buy stuff. It was great, and God used the situation to introduce them to His presence through prayer, worship, and fellowship.
It was Shabbat again, and Hebron is actually an extremely important city to both Jews and Muslims, due to the tombs there. Many Jews arrive each Sabbath, literally walking down the highway, to pay their respects to these important leaders of the Bible.
We then went home and enjoyed the rest of the evening by relaxing with each other. Some got a little more shopping in while others went for ice cream, while still others visited places in the city of significance to them. It was a great afternoon of rest and favor in the Lord. After dinner, we worshipped, prayed, played cards, and fellowshipped.
We are so blessed to have had this opportunity, to be called to the Promised Land for even a short time. The Lord has done so much, and we are confident that He is not yet done with us. We look forward to experiencing even more of the Lord's love and blessing in the last few days of our trip.
We love you guys and can't wait to tell you all about it!!!
-Coleman and Jennie
Friday, May 21, 2010
Hope in the Midst of Darkness
Yesterday was a very interesting day, full of many different emotions. Isaac, a Palestinian friend of Living Bread Church, served as our guide for the day. We've spent a good bit of time with Isaac and his 13 year old son Abraham over the past week and a half. Isaac came to know Jesus through Living Bread Church and is one of the few Palestinian Christians in Israel. Isaac met us at the ministry house yesterday morning and we began our journey to the Dome of the Rock.
The Dome of the Rock is the third holiest sight for Muslims. Mecca and Medena, located in Saudi Arabia, are the two holiest sights of the Islamic faith. The Dome is located on the Temple Mount where it is believed that the second Jewish Temple stood from 516 BCE to 70 CE. We had an opportunity to pray silently around the Temple Mount. We prayed for peace between the Muslims and the Jews. We believe the only way that this will happen is for them to encounter the love of Christ, so we also prayed for salvations. (Brittany almost made it into the actual building! That does not happen if you are not Muslim.)
After we left the Dome of the Rock, we visited the East Gate of the Old City. Many believe that when Jesus returns, He will enter the city of Jerusalem through this gate. It has actually been blocked off so that no one can enter and Muslim graves are scattered in front of that section of the wall. Thankfully we serve a living God who has conquered death and we're pretty sure that a few stones will not hinder His return!!!
We stopped at a small, local restaurant for lunch. We ate a very authentic meal...pitas filled with falafel, cabbage, cucumber and dressing! It was a great alternative to peanut butter!!
After lunch, we visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. It is really difficult to put into words what we experienced. It really opened our eyes to the hatred that existed towards the Jews, long before the Holocaust even began. The museum was set up like a timeline. It began by showing political and religious antisemitic propaganda. It's hard to believe that such a deep hatred could exist towards such a small group of people. It followed the historical events as well as personal stories of those who survived and those who perished in the Holocaust. This was something that was very important for our team to see. Hearts were left very heavy and burdened for the Jewish people.
We ended the night with prayer and worship on the roof. It was the coldest night we've had here so far! We have grown acustomed to having our worship and prayer interrupted by Muslim prayer calls blaring over the loud speakers throughout Jerusalem. However, we don't let that stop us. We know that our God always hears our prayers and worship!!
I guess we'll see y'all soon!! We love y'all!!
Jason and Laura
The Dome of the Rock is the third holiest sight for Muslims. Mecca and Medena, located in Saudi Arabia, are the two holiest sights of the Islamic faith. The Dome is located on the Temple Mount where it is believed that the second Jewish Temple stood from 516 BCE to 70 CE. We had an opportunity to pray silently around the Temple Mount. We prayed for peace between the Muslims and the Jews. We believe the only way that this will happen is for them to encounter the love of Christ, so we also prayed for salvations. (Brittany almost made it into the actual building! That does not happen if you are not Muslim.)
After we left the Dome of the Rock, we visited the East Gate of the Old City. Many believe that when Jesus returns, He will enter the city of Jerusalem through this gate. It has actually been blocked off so that no one can enter and Muslim graves are scattered in front of that section of the wall. Thankfully we serve a living God who has conquered death and we're pretty sure that a few stones will not hinder His return!!!
We stopped at a small, local restaurant for lunch. We ate a very authentic meal...pitas filled with falafel, cabbage, cucumber and dressing! It was a great alternative to peanut butter!!
After lunch, we visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. It is really difficult to put into words what we experienced. It really opened our eyes to the hatred that existed towards the Jews, long before the Holocaust even began. The museum was set up like a timeline. It began by showing political and religious antisemitic propaganda. It's hard to believe that such a deep hatred could exist towards such a small group of people. It followed the historical events as well as personal stories of those who survived and those who perished in the Holocaust. This was something that was very important for our team to see. Hearts were left very heavy and burdened for the Jewish people.
We ended the night with prayer and worship on the roof. It was the coldest night we've had here so far! We have grown acustomed to having our worship and prayer interrupted by Muslim prayer calls blaring over the loud speakers throughout Jerusalem. However, we don't let that stop us. We know that our God always hears our prayers and worship!!
I guess we'll see y'all soon!! We love y'all!!
Jason and Laura
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Up, Up, and Awwwaaaaaayyyyyyy
After lots of 12 - 14 hour days, the team finally took a little breather Wednesday. We let everyone sleep in until 11 AM, before small group meetings and lunch.
In the afternoon, we walked to the Old City - to the place of the upper room. This is the room that tradition tells us Jesus and the disciples celebrated communion on the night of His betrayal. It was the place where the Lord washed the disciples feet and tried to prepare them for what was to come.
Even more, it was also the place where the early church gathered in the days following Jesus' Ascension. It was in the upper room where the Holy Spirit first descended upon the church, as tongues of fire that separated and fell upon each one.
We spent some time worshipping and praying together. It was amazing! Other visitors stopped to watch and listen. Several people from other nations came to ask us to pray for them. We love how Jesus draws people in! We then spent some time shopping in the Arab and Armenian Quarters of the Old City. Hopefully many of you reading this will enjoy your gifts! Then it was back to Living Bread for some pita pizza-yummy!
Everyone is still doing great! The Daniel Fast is challenging us to get creative with our pita, fruits, and veggies. We had some time for fellowship, hanging out, playing cards and then it was off to bed- to await the morning call from Gerald the rooster.
Peace out. Bob and Holly
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
And the Walls Came Tumbling Down...
How do we put into words the happenings of our past 24 hours???
It would be a feat for even the most experienced and respected of writers. However, you have us to keep you filled in.
Our day started with incredible prayer and worship at the Living Bread International Church near the Damascus Gate of Old City Jerusalem. Karen and her team were extremely welcoming, and within moments of our arrival, the Holy Spirit was flowing. After the official end of the worship and message, the Lord graciously poured out more of His Spirit, and we worshipped for another hour.
After the service, we went home to have our favorite meal, pita and peanut butter... 20th time maybe? We then jumped in a bus and headed to the city of Jericho, east of Jerusalem. (Check out the Book of Joshua. Awesome!!) First stop was Zacchaeus' sycamore tree near downtown Jericho. It is actually the only sycamore tree in the entire city. Not hard to find. It was great to see the setting of one of the more famous bible stories. We are thinking Zacchaeus was a little taller than was first thought since the tree was huge... but we guessed a tree would grow quite a lot in 2,000 years.
We then visited the lot Karen is trying to purchase for a church building in Jericho. What is currently a dusty sheep grazing field was once the place where the Israelites camped, right outside the ancient city. From there, Joshua led them to march around the walls of Jericho and you know the rest: the walls came tumbling down!!!
The Israelites called this place Gilgal, meaning "full circle." It is the first place they stopped to make camp after crossing over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. They took 12 stones from the bed of the Jordan River to signify the the 12 tribes of Israel and set them up in a circle to remember what the Lord had done for them. Several of us set up our own stone circles to the Lord, believing that we had crossed over into our own promised lands.
It was only 3 pm at this point. Just FYI.
Next we rode itty-bitty cable cars to the almost-top of the Mount of Temptation. While the cars were less sturdy and roomy than the cable car at Masada, it does hold the Guinness World Record for the longest and lowest elevation cable car in the World. Beat that! So we get up there and Coleman decided not to go with Jennie to check out the Greek Orthodox Monastery from the 3rd Century maybe. They told Coleman that they never let anyone in, yet when Jennie goes with all of her favor and butterflies, there of course was a monk waiting with the door wide open. Go figure! Jennie and some of the other group members got to tour the monastery and see a rock that they believe Jesus may have prayed on during His 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. Coleman was disappointed, and yes we are talking about ourselves in 3rd person.
Elisha's Spring was our next stop. Conveniently, it flows right through the property where she has a house and lush garden in Jericho. We ate falafel sandwiches (on pita) and tabouli (think Middle Eastern cole slaw) at her place, and we also got to dip our feet in the spring. When Elisha prayed for the waters to be healed, it was an eternal blessing. With our feet in the water, members of our group all asked for various things from the Lord, from healing to revelations to dreams.
Last but certainly not least was our exciting church service that Karen puts on multiple times a week. It takes place at a local wedding hall they rent for each service. It was quite an experience to hear a service in Arabic. We danced to a 25 minute percussion worship song... yeah, just hand drums. It was cool to hear their three different beats all uniting as one as they worshipped Jesus. We could make out the words "Yeshuah" and "Hallelujah" for sure! We prayed for the congregation and handed out food stamps before getting back on the bus and heading back to Jerusalem. It was an amazing day, full of emphasis on the Lord's great promises to His people. As the sun went down, the Jewish holiday of Shavuot began, marking the anniversary of the passing down of the Torah and the feast of weeks. It is one of the few Jewish holidays where the Lord tells the people to celebrate what He has provided, and it tied in well to our experience in Jericho. What a great God we serve! We are headed up to worship with the rest of the team on the roof, overlooking the Mount of Olives. The sun has just set in Jerusalem and we look forward to experiencing even more of the Lord in the days to come.
We love you and are thankful for your prayers and support! Pray for peace in Jerusalem.
Shalom
-Coleman and Jennie
It would be a feat for even the most experienced and respected of writers. However, you have us to keep you filled in.
Our day started with incredible prayer and worship at the Living Bread International Church near the Damascus Gate of Old City Jerusalem. Karen and her team were extremely welcoming, and within moments of our arrival, the Holy Spirit was flowing. After the official end of the worship and message, the Lord graciously poured out more of His Spirit, and we worshipped for another hour.
After the service, we went home to have our favorite meal, pita and peanut butter... 20th time maybe? We then jumped in a bus and headed to the city of Jericho, east of Jerusalem. (Check out the Book of Joshua. Awesome!!) First stop was Zacchaeus' sycamore tree near downtown Jericho. It is actually the only sycamore tree in the entire city. Not hard to find. It was great to see the setting of one of the more famous bible stories. We are thinking Zacchaeus was a little taller than was first thought since the tree was huge... but we guessed a tree would grow quite a lot in 2,000 years.
We then visited the lot Karen is trying to purchase for a church building in Jericho. What is currently a dusty sheep grazing field was once the place where the Israelites camped, right outside the ancient city. From there, Joshua led them to march around the walls of Jericho and you know the rest: the walls came tumbling down!!!
The Israelites called this place Gilgal, meaning "full circle." It is the first place they stopped to make camp after crossing over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. They took 12 stones from the bed of the Jordan River to signify the the 12 tribes of Israel and set them up in a circle to remember what the Lord had done for them. Several of us set up our own stone circles to the Lord, believing that we had crossed over into our own promised lands.
It was only 3 pm at this point. Just FYI.
Next we rode itty-bitty cable cars to the almost-top of the Mount of Temptation. While the cars were less sturdy and roomy than the cable car at Masada, it does hold the Guinness World Record for the longest and lowest elevation cable car in the World. Beat that! So we get up there and Coleman decided not to go with Jennie to check out the Greek Orthodox Monastery from the 3rd Century maybe. They told Coleman that they never let anyone in, yet when Jennie goes with all of her favor and butterflies, there of course was a monk waiting with the door wide open. Go figure! Jennie and some of the other group members got to tour the monastery and see a rock that they believe Jesus may have prayed on during His 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. Coleman was disappointed, and yes we are talking about ourselves in 3rd person.
Elisha's Spring was our next stop. Conveniently, it flows right through the property where she has a house and lush garden in Jericho. We ate falafel sandwiches (on pita) and tabouli (think Middle Eastern cole slaw) at her place, and we also got to dip our feet in the spring. When Elisha prayed for the waters to be healed, it was an eternal blessing. With our feet in the water, members of our group all asked for various things from the Lord, from healing to revelations to dreams.
Last but certainly not least was our exciting church service that Karen puts on multiple times a week. It takes place at a local wedding hall they rent for each service. It was quite an experience to hear a service in Arabic. We danced to a 25 minute percussion worship song... yeah, just hand drums. It was cool to hear their three different beats all uniting as one as they worshipped Jesus. We could make out the words "Yeshuah" and "Hallelujah" for sure! We prayed for the congregation and handed out food stamps before getting back on the bus and heading back to Jerusalem. It was an amazing day, full of emphasis on the Lord's great promises to His people. As the sun went down, the Jewish holiday of Shavuot began, marking the anniversary of the passing down of the Torah and the feast of weeks. It is one of the few Jewish holidays where the Lord tells the people to celebrate what He has provided, and it tied in well to our experience in Jericho. What a great God we serve! We are headed up to worship with the rest of the team on the roof, overlooking the Mount of Olives. The sun has just set in Jerusalem and we look forward to experiencing even more of the Lord in the days to come.
We love you and are thankful for your prayers and support! Pray for peace in Jerusalem.
Shalom
-Coleman and Jennie
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Pita Bread and Peanut Butter
Yesterday we journeyed north with our Jewish tour guide Avi to Masada, Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. Not only were we in the desert, but we were at the lowest point on the planet. As one can imagine, it was blazin'. Let's just say, they don't make SPF 400.
Masada is located in the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. It was built as a refuge for King Herod in 37 BCE. Instead of walking up the plateau, we rode the cable car with 78 of our closest friends. No lie, this cable car can carry 80 people!! Once we got to the top, the view was incredible. Avi took us around the ruins of Masada and explained the historical events that occurred at this site. Masada is most famous for being a refuge for a group of rebel Jews who chose to take their own lives rather than being enslaved and murdered by the Romans in 73 BCE. Our team gathered in one of the rooms that looked out over the Judean Desert. There was a Brazilian group in the next room who had gathered to pray over the spot where so many were slain. Their intercession was beautiful and extremely encouraging. After touring Masada, we had our lunch...our 15th meal of pita bread and peanut butter!
After leaving Masada, we drove down the road to the oasis of Ein Gedi. Ein Gedi is the place where David hid when he fled from Saul. He wrote many of his Psalms in this beautiful place. It is literally, streams flowing right through the desert. Since we had been walking in the hot sun all day, a small waterfall and pool was a blessing from the Lord. Our tour guide Avi, who is originally from New York and spent some time on Broadway, took a dip with us in the waterfall! (He can sing opera AND hold his breath for a really long time!)
I'm not sure that we can accurately describe our next stop. Speedos were abundant and people who were caked in mud lined the shore. As the sea floor dropped off under each person, they were lifted to the top of the water as if on a raft. It was like being in space! They should train astronauts in the Dead Sea. The saltiness of the water is indescribable. Trey got some of the water in his mouth and almost vomited.
After we returned to the ministry house and had dinner, we walked to the church where we were finally able to meet Karen, pastor of Living Bread Ministries. She shared with us many stories of how she ended up in Israel and how she has seen God move in miraculous ways. She has incredible favor with both the Jewish and Arab people of Israel. After she shared, our team began to worship and the Holy Spirit filled the room. Each team member declared blessings of the Lord over their own life, their families' lives and the lives of others. After each declaration was made, it was sealed with a good strike of the gavel. It may have been the most powerful experience we have been a part of since we arrived. Our team opened up a lot with each other. We really bonded and the night was marked with breakthrough, love and encouragement.
Everyone is doing very well and we want to thank you again for all of your prayers!! They are powerful and effective!!
Blessings from the Holy City!
Jason and Laura
Masada is located in the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. It was built as a refuge for King Herod in 37 BCE. Instead of walking up the plateau, we rode the cable car with 78 of our closest friends. No lie, this cable car can carry 80 people!! Once we got to the top, the view was incredible. Avi took us around the ruins of Masada and explained the historical events that occurred at this site. Masada is most famous for being a refuge for a group of rebel Jews who chose to take their own lives rather than being enslaved and murdered by the Romans in 73 BCE. Our team gathered in one of the rooms that looked out over the Judean Desert. There was a Brazilian group in the next room who had gathered to pray over the spot where so many were slain. Their intercession was beautiful and extremely encouraging. After touring Masada, we had our lunch...our 15th meal of pita bread and peanut butter!
After leaving Masada, we drove down the road to the oasis of Ein Gedi. Ein Gedi is the place where David hid when he fled from Saul. He wrote many of his Psalms in this beautiful place. It is literally, streams flowing right through the desert. Since we had been walking in the hot sun all day, a small waterfall and pool was a blessing from the Lord. Our tour guide Avi, who is originally from New York and spent some time on Broadway, took a dip with us in the waterfall! (He can sing opera AND hold his breath for a really long time!)
I'm not sure that we can accurately describe our next stop. Speedos were abundant and people who were caked in mud lined the shore. As the sea floor dropped off under each person, they were lifted to the top of the water as if on a raft. It was like being in space! They should train astronauts in the Dead Sea. The saltiness of the water is indescribable. Trey got some of the water in his mouth and almost vomited.
After we returned to the ministry house and had dinner, we walked to the church where we were finally able to meet Karen, pastor of Living Bread Ministries. She shared with us many stories of how she ended up in Israel and how she has seen God move in miraculous ways. She has incredible favor with both the Jewish and Arab people of Israel. After she shared, our team began to worship and the Holy Spirit filled the room. Each team member declared blessings of the Lord over their own life, their families' lives and the lives of others. After each declaration was made, it was sealed with a good strike of the gavel. It may have been the most powerful experience we have been a part of since we arrived. Our team opened up a lot with each other. We really bonded and the night was marked with breakthrough, love and encouragement.
Everyone is doing very well and we want to thank you again for all of your prayers!! They are powerful and effective!!
Blessings from the Holy City!
Jason and Laura
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