Back at Homestead Jr Academy we had a teacher Mr Miller. One day he showed us these bottles with water in them. He explained he had gone on a trip to Isreal and the bottles had water from the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. I remember the overwhelming salt smell from the Dead Sea water. He told us of his trip and visiting all the real world places we had only heard about in stories from the Bible. It sounded fascinating but I never dreamed I would get to go.
Well here I am years later and thanks to my wife we have this chance to go on an epic journey through Isreal and Jordan. To see things that aren’t 50-100 years old but thousands of years. To walk in the places we have only read about. To find the holy grail just like Dr Jones(I know movies aren’t real). To experience new cultures and eat their food.
Did I remember to pack a fedora?
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
As we get ready for this trip there is one big downside. One that has at times made we want to back out.
These two amazing kids. We can’t take them with us. Which means we will be away from them for almost 3 weeks. I miss them while I am at work. Not sure how I will handle being on the other side of the world. A few things will help. Technology will let us see and talk with them which will be great. The other is knowing my mom, who loves them dearly, will be caring for them. With out her we couldn’t dream of leaving the kids. Molly has asked us to bring back some type of camel souvenir. We will see what we can fit in the suitcase.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
We are free!
This is us with no other responsibilities but getting to the airport tomorrow. It is weird getting use to the idea we don’t have work for three whole weeks. I haven’t had this much time off since summer break as a kid.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Car parked waiting for shuttle ride to Dulles
Feeing relieved to be here after fighting all the traffic on I95
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
After four hours we are finally on a plane, but not to Zürich, London. Then we catch a flight on to Tel Aviv. We will get in late. This is a long day and it isn’t over yet
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Made it to London. 7+ hours in the middle seat with strangers at night. I did not sleep. Why can’t people give the middle seat the arm rests. You have an aisle and window. Give me something. We are tired but hopeful. A little closer. The others from our who were on our original flight are still in DC.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Welcome to Isreal!
Our bags not so lucky. Hopefully they will get here from London before we change hotels. The airport did give us both toiletry kits.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
We made it to our room safely last night
Our room view
The sherut, shared taxi, ride was an adventure. The drive the van like it was a sports car. Racing taxis, cutting the corners, jumping the light. I am thankful we made it without an accident.
Caught up with some from our group. Jumping on the bus at 7:45
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
What a day! We are soooooo tired. Lots of walking. Disney has nothing on Jerusalem on the amount of walking you have to do.
Fierst we went and got some good over looks of Jerusalem. This was one of the most interesting parts to me. It helped connect a lot of stories.
Then we walked down from the Mt of Olives. It was very steep. We stopped at some tombs and churches along the way. You can throw a rock with out hitting a tomb or a church.
At the bottom we went into an olive grove. They called it The garden of Gethsemane. Probably not the exact place Jesus was but it gives you the idea of what it was like.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
After lunch we went into the city of Jerusalem.
The pools of Bethesda need some work. Apparently multiple churches have been build then torn down on top of them.
The sunglasses hide the tires. We had only a few hours sleep. I crashed before lunch and had to grab some caffeine. Heather did so much better then me.
The streets are narrow. Lots of arches. We walked the Via Dolorosa. Stopped at way to many churches. Ok some one thinks something happened here. Let build a church. Some were pretty but how many do you need?
I did like this crown of thorns in the ceiling.
Got a look into the Tenple Mount from a public school next to it.
This is where they think Jesus was crucified and buried. Inside is so ornate. Not at all what I would picture Jesus wanting.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
I knew I wouldn’t like all the man made stuff in Jerusalem. Way to much energy spent on churches not enough spent on the people outside these churches. What I am noticing a lot is everyone is here together but separate. Other then necessities people don’t seem to mix with the different groups. Christian stay to them selves(not sure how many sects there are). Jews And Muslims don’t seem to care we are here. If any one of these three groups really cared about spreading the love of God they would be out helping and talking to all the pilgrims. Looking forward to getting out of the city and seeing more real history. Understanding the places of the Bible.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Today was a good day. Yesterday I was questioning why I came on this trip. Today I am glad I came.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
We left Jerusalem and headed south.
First stop was ruins of an old city/fort called a Tel that dates back to nearly Abraham’s time.
About 500-1000 people lived here. Pretty close quarters if you ask me.
Climbed down into the cistern they captures flash flood waters in. This water was used when the city was attacked and they couldnt go out to the well.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Then we headed further into the desert.
We stopped at a Bedouin learning center
We rode a Camel! My legs hurt afterwards. My legs don’t split wide enough to ride. But it was a great time.
Then we got to rest in one of the tents
And listened to a Bedouin explain about their way of life. The tea had wild mint and was good. The coffee I didn’t like but I tasted it.
Then we had a Bedouin lunch. Couscous, chicken, potatoes, carrots, and these good tasting meat balls.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Then we went to Masada. An ancient fort on a high plateau.
We proceeded to hike up the Roman causeway they used to attack some Jewish zealots.
We made it to the top with out dieing.
Thankfully we didn’t have to walk down. We got to take the cable car down.
Some amazing views of the Dead Sea from the top.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
We ended the day with a swim in the Dead Sea.
It is so neat to float in. You can’t sink.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Today was another good day. Sent more time on the road as we traveled from the south on the Dead Sea to the north on the Sea of Galilee
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Then on to En Gedi
We got to play in the cool spring water
This is where David went to hide from Saul. There are caves all over the cliff sides. You could see why someone would hide here. Stay in the caves but slip out for plenty of water. This is right along the Dead Sea. Nothing for miles.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Then Qumran
This is where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls
This it the first cave they were found in. Over 14000 manuscript pieces found in this cave.
Before this the oldest Bible document was 1000 years old. These date back to the time before Jesus, 2000+ year ago. And what was most amazing it these manuscripts showed that our modern translations are nearly identical. Human error had not altered the Bible in 1000s of years.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
And finally Jericho
One of the oldest cities/towns in the world
Our guide explains how the walls fell
Believed to be Rahab’s part of the wall. No one knows for sure.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Today’s journey took use through the West Bank. It was odd and I am still processing the current state of the area. Locals control some parts of the area. Isreal others. Locals can’t move from the city to the farm lands. Jewish settlements control the water. Local government corruption preventing foreign aid from helping the people. Just a lot of bad pieces and no clear way to make everyone happy. Clearly the system isn’t working well for the local population.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
Today was good with a couple of bumps. The bumps being the bus ac broke, they brought us a temp bus while they fixed ours. Lunch was over priced. I wish they had picked someplace different.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
We went up to Arbel which is a cut in the hills surrounding the Sea of Galilee.
Amazing views
Long way down.
Some of the group took the trail down to the bottom of the cliffs. I didn’t want to climb all the way back up so we just enjoyed the view from the top.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
After our lunch we visited two church’s right next to each other. The first commemorated the feeding of the five thousand that happen in this area. The other commemorated the reconciliation of Peter.
What I found most interesting in the conversation of Peter and Jesus here is Jesus is telling Peter to go out and tell everyone, not just male Jews who are clean, all people. Jesus is saying everyone is important to me Peter go and tell them how much I love them. I have trouble understand any “Christian” that doesn’t love everyone like Jesus wants us to.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
We ended the day at the recently(in the 2000s) discovered city of Magdala. This was a port city that Jesus and the disciples passed through on there travels around the sea.
The Catholics have built a church here and in this room each pillar has names of women important in Jesus’s life. This pillar is blank to represent all women. It was pretty cool to see a church recognizing the important and often over looked role women have played throughout history in spreading the gospel.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
This was our fisrt Sabbath here in Isreal. It wasn’t a typical Saturday for me. Instead of going to church we started by going to the river for some in our group to be baptized. Then we explored places Jesus would have minister to while here.
We also visited Nazareth. Learned a lot about how the place plooked during Jesus’s time.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
A few of our group got baptized in the Jordan River. It was more moving then I would have guessed. Watching a husband and wife recommit themselves to God and each other was amazing.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
We visited a recreation of the village of Nazerath. The best part was the meal. Pita bread great. The chicken was the best I have had here. All cooked over a real fire.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
We ended the day with a boat cruise on the Sea of Galilee. It was peaceful. I napped with my head in Heather’s lap.
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
OR
Copy the link to @ericcrews Journo below
