OCTOBER 2010 - BACK TO ISRAEL (part 1)

Back in 2006, Laura and I made our very first trip to the Holy Land. We went again in 2008. I can’t even begin to tell you what a life-changing trip this was as we were able to walk where Jesus walked, where Moses walked; where David walked, where Peter walked, where Paul walked, where Elijah walked, and where John the Baptist walked.

Imagine yourself taking a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the storm; being baptized in the Jordan River where John the Baptist baptized our Savior; spending the night at a Dead Sea Spa; walking the Via Dolorosa where Jesus carried his cross to Calvary; visiting the museum where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed; or taking communion at one of the traditional sites of the empty tomb.

I am pleased to announce that Laura and I are seriously looking to return to the Holy Land a third time October 17-30, 2010. If we indeed go, we would love to take another good sized group from Grace Church along with us. It is without question a trip of a lifetime. Below is the possible itinerary for this trip:

Day 1 – Depart from Grace Church for a bus ride to New York where we will depart on a Royal Jordanian wide body jet for Amman, Jordan.

Day 2 – Arrive in Amman, Jordan and go to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 – We drive to Madaba and the sight of a mosaic map of Jerusalem from the Byzantine era and then onto Mt Nebo to stand where Moses stood to view the Promised Land. We will the drive to Jerash which is one of the Decapolis, a group of ten Hellenized cities during the time of Christ. We will then cross Jordan into Israel.

Day 4 – You will have the opportunity to watch the sunrise on the Sea of Galilee before we visit many Biblical sites including Caesarea Philippi (where Peter made his claim, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God), Mt Hermon, Banias, Tel Dan, the Lebanon border, and Hazor (a Canaanite city destroyed by Joshua).

Day 5 – We will visit Capernaum where Jesus did many of His miracles, the Mt of Beatitudes, Tabgha (the location of the feeding of the 5,000), the Church of Peter’s Primacy (where Jesus asked Peter three times, ‘Do you love me?’), The Jesus Boat exhibition, and take a sunset boat ride across the Sea of Galilee when we will have St Peter’s fish for dinner.

Day 6 – We will visit Nazareth, Mt of Precipice (where the crowds wanted to throw Jesus off to His death), Mt Carmel (where Elijah called down fire from God), Megiddo (where the battle of Armageddon will one day be fought) and Caesarea Maritima.

I’ll share about days 7-14 tomorrow.