Hey everyone! Sorry I have been away for a few weeks, I just got back from an amazing trip in Galilee, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. I was able to write while I was there. I will upload sections every few days. I hope you enjoy my perspective of Israel and Palestine!
Intro Day 1
I've taken many foreign trips before but getting on the flight to Israel has been an experience I will never forget. It was exciting to meet everyone and begin our journey to Israel. I was very nervous before we left about meeting everyone. I was afraid I wasn't going to make any friends on the trip. I know that’s not the purpose of my trip, but this last semester was my first semester back to college and I don't really have any friends yet. Everyone so far seems to be really nice and adventurous. The flight was about 12 hours long. It was my first time to ever fly in a middle seat so I wasn't as comfortable as I normally was.
I slept maybe 3 hours total on the flight. The people on my flight kept me up most of the time because they were so interesting. There were about fifty Orthodox Jews on the ride to Israel. About two hours into the ride they all started to get up and walk around. I didn't realize what was going on until I saw the Jews wrapping black ribbon around their arm and putting boxes on their heads. Michael, the guy sitting next to me explained that Jews do this when they pray. It was really interesting to watch them perform their rituals.
The Jewish people really made me think about my own religion. It blew my mind how all these people weren't afraid to pray to their God in front of everyone. As for some Christians it's hard for them to express their religion to others, but these people weren't like that. It was really inspiring, and made me want to be more open about my Christianity and testimony to others around me. Jews don't have good news to share with the world, yet they let everyone know what they believe. On the other hand, Christians, as myself, have good news to share with the world. It is my duty and responsibility to go out and show people the love of Jesus just as the Jews show people their religious rituals. We must fulfill the great commission and not be afraid to show our beliefs to the world.
Finally the 12 hours was over and we made it to our destination. It felt so good to be off the airplane and be able to walk around. I find it interesting that every time I go to a new place I expect it to be so different than America. There wasn't much difference than at home. The grass was still green, and the sky was still blue. A few things that stood out a lot to me is that almost nothing was in English, unlike in Europe the second language in most countries in English. It made me feel like a minority. Another thing that stood out to me was that there were a lot of palm trees all over the place. When i think of Israel I don't think of the beach or Mediterranean atmosphere. I normally think of the desert.
I was very nervous in the airport because I saw a lot of Muslim ladies in hijabs. Normally when I see Muslims the first thing I think of is terrorist, but being in a country where Muslim is one of the biggest religions I didn't know what opinions to have about them. I didn't think that they would attack their own land, but at the same time, I was at an airport, and in America terrorist attack in airports. I had to push back any stereotypes that I had of the Muslims and go with the flow. After the airport we got to met out tour director, Amos, who is a non religious Jew, and our bus driver, Raja, a christian. Im very excited to continue on my journey here in Israel!
Day 2
This morning I woke up and opened my window of my little hut at our resort and saw the Sea of Galilee right in front of my eyes. When we got in last night, I didn't really know where we were because I was asleep on the bus ride from the airport to the resort. I am rooming with a girl named Sarah. She is very quiet but she seems to be nice.
The first thing we did today was have a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. It was so much fun. This could be the funnest thing we do on this trip. Not only were we on the Sea where Jesus walked on and where Jesus did so many miracles, but the owners of the boat made the ride so much more enjoyable. They first let us fly our American flag on the boat and they played our national anthem for us. Then they played a few popular christian songs while we looked at the view.
Once we were out deep in the water they pulled me up and started to dance with me. Then they got everyone else to join in. When that icebreaker song was over, they started to play a traditional Jewish song. They taught us dance moves and we all danced together on the Sea. It was an amazing experience. I also think it was good for the group because it got everyone out of their shells.
After the boat ride was over, we got to see a boat at Nof Ginosar, that could have been a boat used by Jesus or Peter. It was really interesting to see a video of how they got the boat out of the water without destroying it. Its really interesting to me how something so simple could have so much value just because it could have possibly been used by Jesus or a disciple.
Next we went to Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus gave his Sermon on
the Mount. It was really interesting how they built a church on top of where they believe Jesus gave his sermon. I wasn't fond of the idea to build on top of these historical sites, because it took away the reality of what really happened there. Our tour director, Amos, took us to another site where he believes is the real place Jesus gave his sermon on the mount. It is discouraging that there are many theories about where events happened and that no one really knows the true location. But the main thing is that I live by faith and know that God truly did speak to his people no matter where it happened.
Then we went to Capernaum, the town of Jesus and peter. While at Peter’s house I saw a cat just chilling on the ruins. This made me realize that the historical places there in Israel is just apart of everyday life. Amos, the tour director kept grabbing pieces of pottery from the ground, saying it was 2000 years old, then throwing back on the ground. 2000 years is old to people in America but not in Israel because there has been so much history that has happened in here.
The most life changing thing that we did today was being baptized in the Jordan river. It was such an awesome experience to be baptized in the same river as Jesus by my campus's campus pastor. I have been baptized before but this time there was something different for me. I could feel God’s spirit so much in that moment and I truly felt like a new person coming out of the water. It was also an amazing experience to be able to be baptized with my new friends that I have made today. I feel like it made us all a bit more closer to each other, and God.
Day 3
Today we started out at Golan Heights, which is kind of like an army base. We got to go inside a bunker where the people would go if a war broke out. We could see the border of Syria. It was interesting because being there gave me an image of the wars that I have heard about
since I've been alive. I've always imaged the war to be in the desert, but that's not at all how it is. Yes it is hot at Golan Heights but it's not sandy dunes like i had always envisioned.
Amos talked a lot about war today and the political side of Israel. A lot of people in my group didn't like going to the war sights or hearing about the war, but I personally think this is the most cultural part of Israel that we have seen or heard this far. It's kind of hard because this is a religion trip and most people here are wanting to grow with God, which is a good thing, but I also feel like they are forgetting about the cultural part of the trip. Yes, it's important to grow with God while in Israel, but I personally feel like the most important part of this trip is learning the culture and how they live. Hearing stories of the war and what happens when the war comes i feel is a huge part of the culture there in Israel. Amos, our tour guide told us that “Today is a good day since we can't see smoke from bombs or hear people fighting. Most the time you can see those things.”
While in the bunker at Golan Heights I had a strange feeling. I kept imagining being stuck in a bunker knowing if i was to come out i could potentially get blown up by the enemy. It was dark and dirty inside. I could imagine soldiers planning strategies to survive. It was a very eerie feeling I had, but it made me thankful for living in a safe county.
The next place we went was Caesarea Philippi. This place was very amazing to be at. My favorite scripture in the bible is Matthew 16:18 when Jesus says he will build his church upon this rock. For so long I thought Jesus was talking about how he would start his church with Peter, since Peter’s name means rock, but being at this place where Jesus spoke those words put a different perspective to the whole picture. It truly was amazing. When Amos, our Jewish tour guide, read from this passage of scripture he stopped on the ground of the rock we were standing on and it was the most powerful thing he could have done. I felt God and it was truly like the bible had come to life.
It's been amazing to go to this place with a Jewish tour guide who doesn't even believe in Jesus, yet he is changing our lives so much. God is using Amos right in front of our eyes even though he doesn't know it. It's amazing to me how no matter who is the vessel the truth is truth, and the truth is powerful. It's amazing how God uses those who don't even know they are being used for his glory.
Next we went to Tel Dan, an old Israelite city. The walk to the walls of the city was very nice. There were lots of small waterfalls and rivers and trees and plants that we passed by. It was very peaceful compared to the rest of the trip so far. Tel Dan was interesting. It was actually in really good condition for it being so old. The wall of the city still stood tall and you could still see where they would do the sacrifices. It was interesting to learn that Tel Dan is the only place that the have found evidence of King David, other than in the bible. That makes this location to be very important.
Thank you guys for reading the first part of my trip to Israel. Stay tuned for part 2!
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