One Maiden's Voyage: Mount of Olives

The days are blending into one another and my mind is stirring with so many stories and pictures and places that I can barely contain it.

Yesterday I had my heart's desire to complete the drive around the entire Old City of Jerusalem and go up to the Mount of Olives and to look out over the temple mount. To be in the place where Jesus spent so much time and to be looking down over the Garden of Gethsemene where He prayed that last agonized prayer before he was taken captive and killed. And best of all to be on the mountain where he promises to return. Pretty crazy wonderful stuff. Now it is a real, actual place in my mind. I love that I have been able to be here - to see and to feel and to hear and to taste Jerusalem.

There are thousands upon thousands of Jewish graves on the hillside of the Mount of Olives, making the mountainside white with stone. It is no longer a hill with trees and grass. Across the valley right under the temple wall there are thousands up thousands of Arab graves. Everybody is waiting in line to get the first peek of the return of Christ I guess!

The place is just buzzing and the atmosphere is charged.

Oh the stories that have been acted out on that small piece of land. Abraham sacrificing his son in an outrageous act of obedience, the building of the Temple, Jeremiah being thrust into a cistern, Nehemiah weeping over the broken down walls, Saul reigning until David took over the throne and on and on... Such rich and history changing stories.

I wept as Anita drove me around the city walls one last time, so grateful to God for this experience and so grateful for the kindness of Anita and Hannah to make this physically possible for me. I didn't really realize how constantly reliant I would be on these gals and maybe they didn't either, otherwise I don't know if they would have taken on the challenge but here we are.

Below is a picture of the huge wall that has been built up in areas of the city to divide the Jewish and Arab areas.

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We began our trek up toward the Galilee and drove through the Jordan Valley. The tiny Jordan river snaked it's way through it's middle and there were banana groves, date palm orchards and many other sorts of vegetation growing in the area. We passed the area where the City of Jericho once stood and all sorts of stories and pictures were weaving their way through my mind as I gazed over the huge flat valley and the mountains on either side.

The Sea of Galilee was beautiful to behold and we stopped in Tiberius. Its a pretty little city built on the waters edge and up a hillside. We had some fresh squeezed pomegranate juice and ate a snack on the seaside. Seriously, I am here in the Galilee on the water's edge, how amazing is that? And the weather is perfect.

We got settled in our guesthouse up on the hillside of Migdal and spent the evening in the home of a woman here from South Africa who has a strong calling to minister deliverance, freedom and healing to women, just as Mary Magdalene received here freedom here in this very place 2000 years ago. We got to see the actual archaeological dig of the town she lived in - even the stone in the synagogue where the scrolls were laid upon to read. Perhaps this is the very one that Jesus used as he was preaching in the synagogues of the region. Hannah shared some of the book of Luke in a fancy church they have built in this area and I had a brief visit with some camels and donkeys.

Below is the Catholic Church built in the town of Magdala, next to the ruins of the very city where Mary Magdalene lived.

And here is Hannah sharing some of the book of Luke.

I have had to learn to be content to go in the areas where it is easier for the wheelchair to go, while others get to examine so much more. And sometimes I am longing to stop and take a picture from a certain place or go here or there, but I must just often submit to the situation and forego shopping or picture taking or whatever it is that I want to see. When you are reliant on others it is simply a privilege to be along for the ride and contentment is the key!

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This morning dawned bright and sunny - this is such a lovely tropical area with bougenvelia flowers, plumeria, palms, olive trees, and all sorts of fruit. There is a tree loaded with huge grapefruit right on the deck.

We set out to explore and we saw Tagbah(?) where Peter was reinstated by Christ. Hannah told that very story right there on the rocky shore where Peter asked that age old question that we all have to ultimately answer..."do you love me, more than these...?" It was such a peaceful place, the waves were lapping gently and a pair of storks flying by and the hazy hills gave such a vivid imagery to the story that actually took place right there.

We drove on to see Capernaum, Bethsaida and the Mount of Beatitudes. The sun hung like a huge orange ball over the hills towards Nazareth as we drove back to our guesthouse. This place is spectacularly beautiful and it's so hot and humid for November. It's been up around 24 degrees. I never imagined that it would have been such a scenic place that Jesus spoke the sermon on the mount. Grassy slopes and a blue sea with birds singing and a voice ringing out truth that would speak on through the ages and change all of history. So many lovely surprises.

And now I'm laying down in the guesthouse. Anita and Hannah and I are all sharing a tiny room with a tiny bathroom that is somehow managing to work! The guesthouse has the loveliest view over the Sea of Galilee and the deck is the only place where the internet works, but I must lay in my room as my body is very tired and my ankles are swollen. The gang went into Tiberius to have some of St. Peter's Fish for supper since we actually are right here where all that fishing was done!

These pictures are from Capernaum. Above is the spot where the original temple stood but the remains are from the 4th century. Below is a statue of St. Peter who spent much time in the area. First as a fisherman and then as a fisher of men.