Slowing down in Nazareth

We have been having to get up early for our breakfasts at the guesthouses we've been staying at and I've not been sleeping so well, so this coupled with long days of sightseeing and little or no rest is not the best scenario for me.  My body is worn out and I'm sick.  And I have none of my remedies from home to heal this body, but God is here strengthening me!

We are back down to just three of us traveling together and we are all worn out from all the pace so we are taking things much more slowly.

We drove up into Nazareth and wound our way through an incredibly big, busy city built on the sides of hills. We drove right past the big church where Mary received her message from the angel,  or perhaps it was Joseph's experience?  I'm not so interested in those fancy places.  I just want to see what the area looked like and do lots of my own imagining.  But we did visit this sweet little place called The Village of Nazareth which is set up on a hillside to look just like things looked back when Nazareth was a village of a few hundred people and Jesus was a boy.

We ate a lovely period meal of lentils, flatbread, hummus and dips out of stone pottery and then we had a tour through the village.  The attention to detail, creating tools that were used back in that time was just amazing.

We entered a barn where there was a donkey hooked up to a big stone press where olives were rendered into the mush to prepare them for the preparation of the olive oil.  There were tools that would have been used by the carpenters, and a woman dressed in the simple old fashioned clothing demonstrated the making of yarn from wool that was shorn from the sheep grazing on the hillside.  So authentic and informative.  The guide taking us through was a messianic Jew and he was sharing many wonderful scriptures and stories as he took us through the village.  

This guy thought I wanted him in my picture so he came over to pose with me.  Somehow I look a little out of place, in so many ways...

And it turned out that Hannah knew this fellow from a conference they had both attended in Amsterdam some 6 years earlier!  Time travel...

The olives were in season so they were being picked and there were real olives in the press where the donkey was getting his work out.  

This location was only about a 5 minute walk from where Jesus grew up so most likely it is a place he visited as well.  There was an actual wine press cut into the rock from that time period as well as the terraces where grapes would have grown.

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And now we are located in an old Kibbutz not far from Mount Carmel and close to Hannah's auntie who lives on another Kibbutz.  We drove across the Mt. Carmel Mountain range yesterday over to Haifa where we spent the afternoon on the beach and watching the sun set.  We fortified ourselves with more pomegranate juice as well, as I have been feeling very poorly.  There are some crazy hyenas or something that scream outside at night.  I hear them as I have spent lots of time here laying down and resting as I don't want to be sick on the trip home.   I've had to become creative in using this washroom as the only bar they had beside the toilet was a towel bar.  And to get out of the low bed/couch I use a chair with Anita sitting on it to help me lift myself up and over.

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.

And this picture was taken where the former town of Bethsaida stood.  Beautiful area overlooking the Sea of Galilee.  

Masada & Dead Sea

These days are just so full and amazing and varied that I'm afraid to miss journaling for too long because important stuff - like entire days - might just fall right through the cracks...

So, even though it's officially "bedtime" in our room, I'm trusting that I'll still get enough sleep even if I take some time to jot down a few thoughts about today.   The internet has been sporadic, on and off and unreliable, but just now I stuck my computer through the window well beside my bed and was able to log on.  It makes it hard to post pictures so they'll come later.

This morning we woke up in the Old City, in the Christ House Guest House to rain pouring down on the cobblestones and it felt COLD!  After a nice breakfast we got a rental car and headed down through the arid desert hills alongside the dead sea and to Masada.  I was picturing David and his mighty men hiding out in the huge craggy mountain sides as we drove past them.  Hard to imagine how those men even managed to eek out an existence in such a barren landscape.  We passed through En Gedi where there were more palm trees and evidence of life.

Masada was absolutely stunning.  We took a Gondola up and spent a couple of hours investigating the remains of Herod's palace and the other buildings that made up the village on that high plateau overlooking the deadsea and mountains. Even some mosaics remained on a few floors and walls and there were little markers showing us where the synagogue, storage rooms, and other housing were located.

Once again the setting sun created a panorama that was just breathtaking from that high vantage point  I was imagining the women wearing their luxurious gowns in Herod's palace and walking out under that huge blue sky high above the rest of the earth.  What rich history.  What a devastating end.

We stopped at the dead sea on our way back and Anita had a relaxing time floating on the buoyant salty water while Hannah and I enjoyed the warm evening air under the palms as the sun set.

Garden Tomb and Bethesda

Interestingly, our room number at the Jerusalem Gardens Hotel was 711.  We like the number 7.  Then we moved to the 7 Kook Hotel (Seriously!) and the code to get in was 0711 so Anita began to look in into the Word and Psalm 71: 1 brought us to a very beautiful chapter that we've been enjoying.  The rental car password code ended in 711 as well.  Think God might be trying to say something.

And now our internet access code is 777.  Unfortunately it is working less than perfectly...

Today we moved up into the Old City, into the Christ Church Guesthouse.  The history here is amazing and basically we're sitting right on top of where King Herod's Palace was.  After enjoying hot drinks on the lovely little patio we went into the Museum and heard the most amazing talk on the history of the Old City with small models showing us where everything was and where the possible places of Jesus' death and burial were.

There are just so many layers of history under any place you walk around here.  In fact, there was a water cistern under the very room we were in that goes down about 75 feet.  A piece of glass covers it and it is lit up so that you can see right to the bottom.  I loved this little personal time of teaching with visual aids and it was somehow redeeming, because we weren't able to make it to the Israel Museum which had been on my "wish to do if possible" list.

Then we headed out the Jaffa Gate and went up around the wall to the Arab section of town.  We saw several of the other famous gates on our trip around the old city and there was a distinct cultural change as well.  Arabic signs, Moslem garb, and different sorts of stalls selling stuff.  We bumped along the cobble stones and found ourselves in the Garden Tomb.  It's a peaceful spot and there is the "possible" rock formation that could be Golgotha where Jesus was crucified.  The spot was very peaceful and the Tomb area was easily visible for me - I was happy enough not to have to venture down stairs to try to get a close up look.  Somehow it's enough for me to know I am in the general area where these amazing events occurred.

Hannah has been an incredible gift to us here and she took us around the rest of the city wall, pushing me tirelessly to another gate where we entered and found the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the man who had been infirm for many years and was laying and waiting for the waters to be stirred so he could get in.  The pools and other archaeological spots were quite far down and again I couldn't physically get down there but I was happy enough to have seen the area.

Then Hannah led us through the Arab part of the old city, up and down narrow lanes lit up by the setting sun, the rocks glowing warmly while people pressed alongside and around us.  There were passages leading off in a multitude of directions and sellers of wares in the many small stalls along the way.  There were so many sorts of foods and breads, candies, clothing, souvenirs, camel leather purses, scarves and clothing... it was endless.  We went on and on and on and I was once again mesmerized by the atmosphere and vibrant life that was filling every square inch of this place.  This has been going on here for centuries, in between wars and clashes and kingdoms that crash and rise again.

We finished with another fresh squeezed pomegranate juice and settled into our stone room in the Christ Church compound.  Anita has hit the hay early (7:30 pm) so I've got time to spare but unfortunately the internet is a little slow.

Shabbat Shalom

It is Shabbat which begins at Sundown on Friday.  Wandering through the streets of Old Jerusalem, once again buying a cup of fresh squeezed pomegranate juice (YUM) and watching the setting sun highlight the Mount of Olives and the rows of houses on the hills was truly beautiful.  We made our way down a very long hill to the Western Wall.

It is such a unique place, the walls so high and the massive stone blocks testifying to the story and longing of the Jewish people...  Here they still gather at the wall, praying and rocking and reading from their small books.  The women on one side of the divider and the men on the other.  Because it was Shabbat, there was a celebratory feeling in the air and there was dancing and singing, children dressed in their Shabbat finery, men wearing their tall black hats, long black coats and shoes, and women wearing dresses with scarves wrapped around their heads.  There were also groups of soldiers, both men and women, carrying guns and some joining in and dancing along with the Jews.

I spent some time at the wall before things grew too busy and I laid my hand on the ancient stones, praying for the peace of Jerusalem.  Tears fall unbidden and my cry joins that of millions of others.  There are small pieces of paper, folded and crammed into the tiny spaces between the massive stones.  Doves fly above and nestle into grooves, hiding themselves in the cleft of the rock, as it were.  It is timeless, this place of weeping and waiting and longing.  We gather there together, the deeply religious and the traveler, young and old.  A place like no other.  The Jewish women back away from the wall reverently, instructing their children.

We took a taxi back to the Ben Yehuda Street area where we had a delicious supper at a restaurant Hannah was familiar with.  So interesting to see how this part of Jerusalem shuts down for Shabbat.  The streets are nearly completely deserted, shops are closed and it is very quiet.  Just the few lights shining on the cobblestones under the dark night sky.  There is the occasional stand or shop that is open, probably operated by the Arabs. We returned to the hotel room where we shared communion.  Hannah knew the Hebrew prayer which was beautiful.

Tomorrow we will be moving to a guesthouse in the Old City called Christ Church and we are hoping to see the Garden Tomb.  Because it is Shabbat there is no public transport which makes it awkward.  The Taxi drivers charge very high rates because they can.  And there are so many hills here making it difficult for me to get around, but that is not stopping us.  Dear Hannah just grabs onto my wheelchair and away we go!

I just love being here in Jerusalem.  I can hardly put into words what I am really seeing and feeling, but it is truly rich.  There is so much energy, life and history unfolding before my eyes.