Silver Takes the Cake

 

To say we were surprised is an understatement! Our sweet daughter took it upon herself to plan, delegate, and execute a surprise 25th anniversary party for us. After concocting her scheme, she brought in the needed assistance to pull off the smallest of details. The flowers, cake, and colors reflected our wedding day, July 4, 1998. Pictures displayed highlighted not just our wedding day but the 25 years of growing our family and sharing life together. There was an album table for guests to look through, cards for guests to send well wishes, and a service led by Wayne's brother, Jeff, where we studied the book of Ruth as a group and sang a few hymns led on the baby grand piano by my mom and Hosanna. 

This was also a huge deal for Zanna to pull off because she's not known to be great at keeping secrets. Boy, did she show us we were wrong!! 

Of course, there was a ton of food to enjoy that included brisket sandwiches and a plethora of salads and sides to enjoy. But we were especially blown away by all the people that came! Wayne's mom and brother flew in from Colorado (she was visiting the family there), his other brother and whole family came in from the Ft Worth along with his cousin and her daughter. My parents were there having already come to visit us during this time (what are the chances, wink, wink).  Several pastors and their wives or family came in from the DFW circuit. Our District President drove a total of 12 hours here and back to attend. We had a whole bunch of our neighbors come some of which I had just played pickelball with that morning and they never said a thing!!!   And our own members went above and beyond to decorate, prepare the food, set up and clean up, floral arranging, not to mention what happened behind the scenes. One member even made a stunning three layered cake!

We received thoughtful, lovely cards and even a few gifts which was totally unexpected. Zanna had reached out to some of our close friends around the country to let them know and it's been such a treat to hear from them! Earlier in the week we had received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my sister and her husband in England. We also received a set of silver candlesticks originally given as a wedding gift to my grandparents, and then later as an anniversary gift for my parents' 25th, and now in our possession. 

Hosanna even put together a trivia game for our guests to play!

Honestly, the whole thing was pretty overwhelming. Later, we both agreed part of it was knowing that we're not that great and wondering why on earth everyone would make such an effort. All I can say is, we apparently have a lot of people in our lives willing to love us despite our underwhelming greatness. And if that's not grace, I don't know what is. 

I wish I could wax eloquent on marriage having put 25 years into ours. I guess I could say that this surprise anniversary party reminded us of what a full and meaningful life we've been blessed with that we honestly (and ashamedly) often take for granted. William gave a heartfelt speech on how much he recognizes how blessed his life is to have parents still together, and sweet Zanna (gifts are her love language) showed her love in the careful planning and execution of the party all done from her heart. We have pretty spectacular kids! Our extended family surrounding us and rejoicing with us reminded us of how blessed we are to such a supportive and loving family on both of our sides. Wayne's pastor friends and their wives I've come to know and love are a gift in and of themselves. No one else really understands the uniqueness of the pastoral ministry like other pastors! The support we receive from his district president is another huge gift from God. Our neighbors are amazing. I love living life with them through our book clubs, pickle ball games, Christmas parties, and even when the power goes out for days and we rally around each other to make sure everyone is taken care of. And our church family. We don't deserve their commitment and unwavering support but they keep giving it to us. They've known us for five years now so it's not like they haven't clued into our faults and yet they continue to love us. 

That's pretty much marriage too - by now we're both well versed in each other's flaws and ugliness and yet we still stay committed to those vows we took a quarter of a century ago. It's reminding each other not just where we left the car keys but who we are in Christ. It's finishing the end of one another's sentences, still laughing at his jokes,  and forgiving as we've been forgiven. It's seeing the best in the other even when it's hard to see. It's hard to remember a time we weren't "Wayne and Rachel". Of course, it's getting hard to remember anything - haha! Now, where did I put my reading glasses?

“When over the years someone has seen you at your worst, and knows you with all your strengths and flaws, yet commits him- or herself to you wholly, it is a consummate experience. To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” Tim Keller

Here's to the next 25!!

Israel: Part 4 - My Takeaways

So now that I’ve been to Israel and back, I’ve had some time to process what it meant to me, any insight I gained, and maybe even a little bit of how it might impact me going forward. 

It was the craziest thing because going into it, I hadn’t really been super excited or had many expectations. Truth be told, I just really prayed that the Iron Dome I had heard so much about was working really well. Regardless, the only thing I had to go on was that every single person I’ve ever met that has been there before says the same thing -  “It’s changed my life.”  And I do mean every single person. I cannot recall otherwise. That’s a pretty strong statement! What does that even mean? (I probably should have pursued that a bit more than I did) I can’t speak for anyone else but myself, of course. 

I loved that we went during the season of Lent. It’s already a time in the church year that we retrace the steps Jesus took in his life here on earth and the sacrifices that he made because he loves us so much. We are already following the eyewitness testimonies of those who actually knew him, saw his miracles, and can attest to the truth of his claims as true God and true Man. We’ve already spent the last few weeks leading up to this trip singing my favorite Lenten songs like “Go to Dark Gethsemane” and “Jesus, I Will Ponder Now” and I’ve contemplated my part in putting Christ on that cross with my own sins. Lent is by its very purpose “going back in time” to focus on what Christ did for us 2,000 years ago: his perfect life, death, and resurrection. His plan of salvation for all people. 

Being in Israel highlighted for me that God Himself came to mankind’s time and place - that which he created. We go back in time every Lent as best we can without a quantum leap but through his Word. Here I am now, 2,000 years later, in the place he lived, died, and rose again - in Israel. God was here in the flesh. 

Side note and fun fact: My first dance with Wayne 27 years ago was to the Joan Osborne song “What if God was One of Us?”.  Not my personal choice to forever remember the first dance with my future husband but that’s what we got. It goes like this:

… If God had a name what would it be?

And would you call it to his face?

If you were faced with Him in all His glory

What would you ask if you had just one question?

… And yeah, yeah, God is great

Yeah, yeah, God is good

Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

… What if God was one of us?

Just a slob like one of us

Just a stranger on the bus

Tryin' to make his way home?

Oddly enough, these song lyrics came up in my brain a couple times during our trip and I couldn’t help but ask myself Did she miss it? Because that’s what God did. He came down here from heaven and lived among mankind for 33 years. There may not have been a bus for him to ride back then but does a donkey count? If she’s looking for a God that can relate to the human experience then Jesus is it! Unfortunately, she’s not the only one across the ages that missed it. People all over Israel and the Middle East have missed it too with consequences that require an Iron Dome but the other side of eternity will be far worse without a Savior. 

Being in the Holy Land was a profound experience. Jesus, God’s own Son, came here. I may not be able to go back in time other than in my mind but coming to the space he inhabited on earth has allowed me to read familiar passages in a new light. I are overwhelmed with a God who would come HERE. I can only say a meager “thank you” to him. Thank you for all of it. Thank you for loving us so much that it motivated you to keep going, to keep putting up with it all, for never stopping because it was the only way to save us from an eternity apart form you. Thank you for the forgiveness, life, and salvation you give us. Thank you. 

Israel: Part 3 - Behind the Scenes

I know I haven’t kept the blog updated very well since I started my Teacher’s Aide position last fall. That would be in large part due to my being exhausted every single day. Whatever, that’s fine nor is it a complaint. I’ve actually really been enjoying it! Part of what I enjoy is the variety each day brings. Occasionally I find myself on the Party Bus with Kinder and 1st graders headed to Cici’s Pizza (don’t let the name fool you. There was no liquor involved nor was it my version of a party). Other times I get to come along on field trips. Our Israel Trip was a major deja vu moment when I realized that this time I’m the Kindergartener on the field trip and our guide, Ori, is the role I usually hold . The following situations are what tipped me off:

Here’s a bathroom! Everyone go even if you don’t feel like it!  I swear I say this every day to my Kinders. Not just on a field trip. 

2, 4, 6, 8, 10 ….21,22,23. Ok, let’s go!  My biggest fear on a field trip is to not come back with all the students I’m responsible for. Hence the counting. 

Everyone wait here! … as Ori runs into a store once he’s convinced we probably won’t wander off. He comes out of the store with a stack of cups and two containers of juice. He senses we’re in need of a mid morning break, something cold and wet, and a little bit of a sugar rush. We all thankfully oblige and drink the juice like 5 year olds. But he’s right! We’re all ready to go now! Off to the City of David … 

Everyone wait here!  … as Ori once again leaves us to go speak to a man behind a counter. Suddenly he opens up a standing freezer and starts doling out popsicles in the shape of watermelons on a stick. This guy is good. He’s got the popsicle trick down to a tee and knows exactly how to use it.  We are suddenly content and all is right with the world. 

Help yourself! ….As he passes around pretzels, waffle cookies, and juice. We literally just ate a buffet breakfast but he knows that lunch will be a little later today and is trying to nip any complaining in the bud. Thinking ahead. Well played, Ori.  An added surprise - the bus driver arrives with a pot of very strong coffee (I’m not sure how he managed that out in nature?) and those that drink coffee were made extra happy by the caffeine burst. 

And so I have a new appreciation for how all of these tricks work. I have now been on the receiving end and know how valuable they are for a successful field trip to work. These three things are of utmost importance: Regular potty stops, not losing anyone, and keeping everyone fed and hydrated. Bring on the field trips ... 

Israel: Part 2 -Traveling Tidbits

 Lessons learned during traveling:

Assume something unfortunate will keep you from your luggage at some point. This has happened to me before and it’s miserable when you’ve worn the same clothes for over 24 hours and have the grime of airplane travel on your skin. I learned long ago to bring absolute necessities in my carry on. For me that includes: clean underwear, toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, phone charger, my minimal makeup bag of powder and lipstick and a hair pick (comb or brush). Between my carry on and Wayne’s (because the two have become one in marriage as do our carry ons) we had those absolute necessities when American Airlines kicked us off the plane in the middle of the night in New York City. 

We already had a just before midnight flight from JFK so I was ready for a nap going into it. Everything was normal and we boarded the flight on schedule. Because it was cold, miserable weather for the end of February (sure don’t miss that!), they had to de-ice the plane which can take awhile. I didn’t care. I was ready to sit back, relax, eat the meal they promised they’d feed us, and sleep. Until then I plugged into their entertainment system and watched myself a movie, not even realizing we hadn’t gone anywhere for an hour and a half. They announced something about a part of the plane being a problem that they were looking into. Blah blah blah later…. and we were told to get off the plane and get in line for some hotel, taxi, and food vouchers and we’d try this all again at 3pm. 

Long story short, it never occurred to me to stick a coat in my carry on because it was warm in Texas when we left and it was going to be warm in Israel when we got there so what did I need a coat for? Well, Rachel, you’ll need one when you’re standing outside of JFK at 2am in the snow and freezing temperatures while Wayne tries to convince a taxi driver to take you to the hotel that you’re pretty certain is not going to be the Hilton. Thankfully I have a husband who did pack a jacket and gave it to me to wear while he stood there in a t-shirt. #blessed

While I was super grateful to have all the above mentioned necessities, I did not wash my hair (no dryer or hairspray so why bother) and I still had on the same clothes I started in. It wasn’t pretty but could have been worse. Once we arrived in Tel Aviv,  I did my best to hide in the back when someone wanted to take a group picture once we arrived at the airport. No way would I be caught dead in a photo. 

Amazon items that rocked my world: I hemmed and hawed about whether to bring my DSLR with and lug it all over the country but in the end I did and I couldn’t have done it without the camera sling backpack (item linked is similar)  I had gotten for Christmas a few years ago. It not only kept my camera safe but had plenty of room for all my other bits and pieces I needed. I loved it! 

I finally jumped on the packing cube train and ordered a 6 piece set. It’s now and forever my travel love language. I have a bag for pants, one for tops, one for pj’s, one for underwear/socks, one for swim suits. I roll everything up nice and neat, I can see what I have instead of digging down to the bottom. What have I done without it all these years? Never again. 

Toiletry Skins are made to fit tightly over your toiletries (duh) and keep them from leaking. What took me so long? How did I not know about these? When I recall all the times my stupid shampoo leaked all over the place … Sure, they look like toiletry prophylactics but they get the job done. 

Something to read or listen to: The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman - ya’ll. So. Good. Historical fiction set in Philadelphia during the Spanish Flu. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth - very apropos while on holiday with my mother-in-law - haha. Also very interesting. A bit of a mystery! Listened to the audio of this one. 

Sleep when you can. I really didn’t have horrible jet lag and I’m pretty sure it’s because I slept when I could and didn’t wear a watch. I always wear a watch so this was a big deal for me. But who cares what time it is back in Texas if I’m in Israel? It also helps that I’m a pretty awesome sleeper. So I slept both ways on the airplane. We also went to bed at a decent time every evening since we’re old now and know that getting up early in the morning will only be harder if we stay up to late. Even with all that sleep though, every time I got in that dang comfortable bus, even if it was for 15 minutes down the road, I would inevitably start to doze off. Honestly, I was starting to feel like I had bus narcolepsy. I wanted to stay awake and look out the window but before I knew it my head was bobbing up and down and I may have started drooling. But hey, some of these days we were walking 6 miles or more so if I was inspecting the back of my eyelids now and then, who could blame me? Sleep when you can. 

So that’s my travel wisdom to share with you. You’re welcome. Happy travels! 

Israel: Part 1- the Itinerary

The Jerusalem Cross

If I'm being honest, I really didn't have much desire to travel to the Middle East for a tour of the Holy Land. I'm more of a beach loving, relaxing vacation sort of person. If I'm going to go on holiday, I'd rather it be a nice balance between seeing some local sights and sitting in a hot tub. But that's just me. 

So I only ended up in Israel because of my dear mother-in-law, who was set to go with Wayne and didn't think it was right that I not come along and put her money where her mouth was. So that's the short end of the story on how Rachel ended up walking the Via Delorosa one day in March 2023. 

The truth is I'm forever indebted to Fran because I can't imagine not sharing this experience with them and having to hear Wayne start his sentences with "When I was in Israel ..." would have driven me nuts for the rest of our lives. So thank you, Jesus. 

There was nothing relaxing about this vacation unless we're counting the time on the tour bus that did happen to have some comfortable seats that reclined. However we weren't in the bus that much because Israel is not that big and it never took very long to get to our next destination. We had seven FULL days of sightseeing often meeting for breakfast by 7am to get on the road by 7:30am and not returning to our hotel until 6 or 6:30pm that evening. I worked harder and was more exhausted from this vacation than a regular work day. It was also the experience of a lifetime so it was worth it. 

In another post, I'll get into some more travel logistics and explain why we started our tour with the same clothes we had left home in two days earlier along with my lack of eye makeup and proof of why I normally wash my hair every single day. For now I'll start with Day 1 of touring Israel. 

Day 1 We started with lunch after making our way to the Mt Carmel area. The Druze are an Arabic-speaking minority sect who also happens to make really good food and has a knack for entertaining large busloads of tourists with their buffets. So starts our introduction to what will be a weeklong diet of vegetable salads, hummus, falafel and chicken schnitzel - that last one I'm still trying to figure out how it made a presence everywhere in Israel. My guess is that it started long ago with a very lost and hungry German. Anyway, after that we headed over to Mt Carmel itself which is best known as being the site of Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal. Our tour guide read those words from Scripture as we looked over the valley below and imagined the scene taking place (1 Kings 18). From there we walked among some amazing ruins of Mediggo where we enjoyed a clear view of Nazareth, the Mt of Transfiguration, and the start of our experience being in the same place on earth that God Himself once inhabited. We then headed over to Nazareth, the recognizable in name only location of the Annunciation of Mary and Jesus' childhood home. Nazareth was our first exposure to the reality of visiting somewhere 2,000 years after the fact. A lot has happened. As we gathered in our separate groups in the courtyard of the Basilica of the Annunciation with the pastor's of each group leading us in a Bible study, the Muslim call to prayer rang out: a reminder of the current state of affairs in our world, Israel, Nazareth, and the souls of mankind. Finally we were transported to our hotel in Tiberias overlooking the Sea of Galilee to settle in for the night, enjoy a buffet dinner, and a long, hot shower. 

Day 2 Remember my ideal vacation? The relaxing part? Throw in an eight hour time difference and it can be a struggle to know when you're supposed to sleep and when you're supposed to be awake, but I was fairly certain that at 5am Israel time we should be asleep. The fact that it was pitch dark was one clue. Regardless, Wayne was putting pants on at this time and heading out the door. I stayed put in my bed for the time being. He returned to offer me the opportunity to come back out with him and watch the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee, knowing that he was asking me to choose between relaxing in bed (I am on vacation) and putting a bra on to see the same sun that rises everyday over the earth (just at different times).  He had a hard time hiding his surprise when I picked the latter and got out of bed. It ended up being one of my favorite memories and I'm grateful to have experienced that with him! 

Our first stop of the day was a visit to the Mt of Beatitudes. It was a beautifully tended garden area with a domed Catholic church on top of it. But it was the words of Jesus that were highlighted throughout the garden on placards and stones that brought such peace and intimacy as if He and I were there and He was speaking these words just to me. I saw the view He and His disciples would have similarly seen and heard the words that He spoke to not just those in attendance but indeed to His followers and children of all time including me! Years ago during our homeschooling days, my children (somewhere around ages 6 and 12 at the time) and I memorized Matthew 5-7 and it's one of my fondest memories from those days. They were far better memorizers than their old mama and we'd laugh at how I would mess it up! To sit in this place and enjoy another Bible study with our group on these words was truly a gift. 

Tabgha was our next stop. There was strong reason to believe this was the site of the feeding of the 5,000 and Peter's reinstatement  asking Peter, "Do you love me?" three times and giving the command to "Feed my sheep".  We watched boats float on the Sea of Galilee in the distance and imagined the scenes take place in this spot. It seemed fitting that the lunch stop that followed included a plate of fish caught from the Sea of Galilee! 

Capernaum was next and featured an excavation site of synagogues and homes. Everywhere we went our guide, Ori, would read from Scripture about the location and then fill us on the history since then, background information, or anything he thought was useful to know. Our guides were a bevy of knowledge and were always making sure that we were taken care of! In this location, we considered how many believe a particular spot to be the home of Peter and the possibility that Jesus would have used this home as His headquarters and later after His resurrection as a house church. Biblically, quite a bit happened here. 

We next had a choice of what to do next. The traditional Bethsaida spot that tourists had been taken to had long been in question as to the legitimacy of that place and only recently a different spot for Bethsaida had been uncovered. Because it was so new and unadvertised, it would be close to a mile walk on uneven ground to get to. Those that were willing and able to take this walk went on this adventure while the others boarded the bus again and went to a different tourist spot that would be easier to experience. Wayne and I chose the adventure! 

We met up again in Magdala where archaeologists have uncovered a first century synagogue that Jesus may have very well visited and read from the scrolls on the Magdala stone that has also been recovered. Wayne was particularly pretty excited about this as he imagined Jesus in this place teaching and preaching. This place is also home to the beautiful Duo in Altum, a building featuring stunning mosaics and artwork and a chapel with an altar that looks like a boat with a water feature. 

 

Last stop of the day was the Jordan River. This was most assuredly not the place along the Jordan Jesus was baptized but that certainly didn't stop pilgrims from descending into the waters in their white robes (rented from the nearby gift shop) to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It was beautiful stop though that reminded us of the baptism of Jesus and that hosted a very nice gift shop. 

Day 3 This day started off with another highlight of our trip. We took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. To be out on the water that is the backdrop for so many Bible stories was an amazing experience. This perspective offered a view of the surrounding landscape we wouldn’t have been able to have otherwise.  The air wasn’t particularly clear this day due to the sands of the Sahara desert contributing to the haze. Nevertheless, we all enjoyed the ride on “the Faith Boat”.  The Christian owner of the boat was happy to share with us his testimony of faith and also his musical skills by singing some praise songs. He was one of a handful of Christian business owners we met along the way trying to make a living in Israel and relying on tourists to help them do that. 

Next stop was Beit Shean National Park - ancient ruins with a lot of history! Stepping back in time, we imagined what it would have been like to live here during the Roman and Byzantine periods with its amphitheater, colonnaded thoroughfare, large public bath houses, and extensive buildings. 

Following this and a quick stop for lunch (more falafel for me!), we headed over to Gideon’s Spring. It was the site where God reduced Gideon’s army to defeat the Midianites. We enjoyed the park atmosphere and broke out in our Bible study group among the picnic tables under the trees. 

The end of the day found us finally entering Jerusalem. Suddenly we stepped out of the valleys and vegetation, the slower way of life we had so far experience in Israel and now it was traffic jams and people and wall to wall concrete. Suddenly we started our walk on the Via Delorosa.  I was taken off guard, not realizing this was on our itinerary for today. “Oh, we’re doing this now? Ok, then ….”. I felt like I needed some more prep time or something! Bottom line, these are just my thoughts and personal experience however, my focus was not so much on the places or stations that aren’t even Biblical but what I do know is Biblical and that Jesus did it all here in this place. Maybe not here because Jerusalem had been destroyed and rebuilt so many times over the course of 2000 years that the path He traveled was long gone. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t the perfect opportunity to revisit His sacrifice and those final moments leading up to His death and resurrection. Leave it to certain denominations to go and built a church on top of whatever traditional place they’ve decided something happened. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher - don’t get me started on the infighting among Christians not acting like Christians (blessed are the peacemakers, anyone?) that is an embarrassment to the name of Christ. But what I’ll give credit to them for is the artwork depicting the life of Christ or maybe just beauty. I can appreciate that. 

That evening we moved to our new hotel in Jerusalem where we would be staying for the next 4 nights.  We arrived just as Sabbath began. 

Day 4  Our first stop was the Temple Mount. We were instructed not to wear anything religiously overt or bring religious materials. We would have to go through security in order to enter the area. This is especially where it gets messy because of clashing ideology, religions, and people. Regardless, we looked around and enjoyed the lovely weather and amazing sights.  We came out along the Western Wailing Wall and were able to get a closer look.  After a popsicle stop that our guide treated us to, we went to explore the City of David that took us down to an underground water system that we walked through. I’m not sure why but it seemed the thing everybody did so there we were. We sat at the newly excavated Pool of Siloam and waited for our group to catch up. We took a short detour to stop at the proposed location of the Upper Room but again, the likelihood of that being the actual site of the Last Supper is slim to none. It was a beautiful and serene room though. I actually really liked it and could imagine it taking place here.  

The women's side of the Western Wall

Lunch followed and was Schwarma in the Jewish quarter. Following that, we headed to the southern steps of the Temple walls where Jesus may have entered as a 12 year old boy. Here we had our daily Bible study. 

Our last stop of the day was to the Israel Museum that featured a Jerusalem scale model as the city would have appeared in Jesus’ time. 

Day 6 As you can probably tell by our daily itinerary, the days were packed. We often walked a lot. I was doing pretty well but this was the first day I woke up and was sore from the day before. This was also the earliest morning we were supposed to be ready to go for the day and I was dragging! 

As it turned out, we arrived at the first place a half hour earlier than it was set to open. Fran and I looked at this as an opportunity to sit on bus and rest for that half hour but the rest of the group walked down to a cemetery that boasted Oskar Schindler as one of its occupants. Apparently I should have gone because wouldn’t you know the one thing I didn’t do had people raving about their experience. Who knew a cemetery would be such a highlight? 

We were waiting for St Peter Gallicenter to open and when it did we were brought to the holding cell where Jesus was on trial by the Sanhedrin.  We continued on to a different spot that others thought to be Golgotha and the Garden Tomb. I loved this area! There’s a very valid case to be made that this was Golgotha and even if the tomb wasn’t the actual one, it was most likely very close to it. Set in beautifully maintained gardens (thanks to the British), it was one of our favorite stops! 

The next adventure brought us out of the city and into totally different terrain! We went to Ein Gedi where David hid from King Saul. It was a gorgeous area and short hike with a waterfall at the end. We traveled a short way to Qumran where we had lunch and then were guided through the Dead Sea Scroll museum. The landscape was breathtaking and we could see the caves that the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in. 

Our final adventure for the day was a visit to the Dead Sea,  truly one of the most unique experiences to have. Sure enough, I was able to float easily on my back and soak in the sun and the magnificent view! Meanwhile Wayne had ventured out a little farther where his feet couldn’t touch the bottom and was bobbing up and down like a wine cork. He seemed pretty content. Getting in and out was the tricky part. The bottom was super slippy and muddy. We had this weird film of salt and grease cover us. Wayne’s Crocs looked like they had been polished with shoe shine or something. It was certainly an experience! 

Day 7 Our last day of touring. We would put in a full day and then be dropped off at the airport for a midnight flight back to the U.S. Ready. Set. GO!

We started our last day at Elah Valley with a view of where the showdown between David and Goliath happened. As Ori was reading the account from the Bible to us, a shepherd and his herd of sheep ventured by us as if on cue. Of course, not exactly a David figure since I doubt David had a cell phone to distract him or a cigarette dangling out of his mouth, hahah! Wayne experienced an added adventure by helping a poor sheep out whose head was caught in some fencing when the shepherd no where in sight. He managed to free the sheep successfully! 

The afternoon was spent in Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean Sea. This is where Pontius Pilate ruled during the time of Christ. Also the home of Cornelius the Roman centurion who prayers were answered when Phillip brought him the good new of Jesus. Caesarea was the port Paul often used during his travels and where he was imprisoned. But for now, it was a gorgeous seaside hotspot with restaurants and shopping among the Roman excavations and aqueducts. We sat out on the restaurant patio for lunch overlooking the Mediterranean and I enjoyed a salmon Caesar salad (when in Caesarea!) and Wayne had lamb kabobs. 

The last location to tour was nearby Jaffa (Joppa) known best for the Jonah story and where Peter started his mission trips. Also on the Mediterranean, it boasted a stunning sunset and a seaside holiday vibe. 

Finally it was time for our Farewell Dinner where we gathered one more time as a group of 57 and said our thanks to all who made this trip possible. We are so grateful to our guides for sharing their extensive knowledge of the area and how it ties to Scripture. They always made sure we were well taken care of! 

This trip had been delayed two different times before. We were originally supposed to have gone in 2021. We all know why that didn’t happen! But God’s timing is always perfect and this was the right time. Our trip home went much better than the journey coming and we will never read Scripture the same.  It was the trip of a lifetime!