Yet another wonderful (but final) day in Jerusalem!

Today we spent the morning as a group. The hotel allowed us to check out at noon, so we left our luggage in the rooms and started out early. We were heading for the Lion’s Gate again, but traffic was so bad, that we hopped out of the vans and entered the Old City through Herod’s Gate, which is slightly east of the Damascus Gate. We walked through the Arab Quarter to the Church of the Sisters of Notre Dame. This church is located over the site of the Antonia Fortress. It was here that Jesus was mocked and scourged by the Roman Soldiers. It appears they were playing a game where they abused condemned prisoners by dressing them as the Emperor and doing to the prisoner whatever they would like to do to the Emperor – hence the purple robe and crown of thorns. They did not realize they were abusing the true King of the Universe. It was sobering to be in that place, standing on the same flagstones, where they mocked and scourged our Lord. We joined in a time of Worship and Prayer, remembering what He endured here.

We then followed the road that led from the Antonia Fortress out to the Damascus Gate – probably the true Way of the Cross. We went a few hundred yards north of the gate through the Arab section of town to the Garden Tomb site. While the Church of the Holy Sepulchre claims to be the place of the Crucifixion and Burial, the Garden Tomb site exactly matches the Biblical description – it was outside the city, the abandoned quarry has the appearance of a skull (Golgotha means the place of the skull) and there is a first century Jewish tomb located in a garden a few feet away from Golgotha. As our guide Ken shared with us, if this is not the actual site (I believe it is) then it is a graphic representation of how the site appeared. It really does not matter – Wherever Jesus was actually buried – the tomb is empty! He is Risen!

The Garden Tomb is one of my favorite sites in Jerusalem. After a lecture by our guide while overlooking Golgotha, we visited the tomb itself. It is indeed empty! We moved to a side area and shared another time of Worship. As we prepared for Communion, John shared from Psalm 22 and Lamentations. As much as Jesus endured physically, it was here on the Cross that He took on our sin – my sin – and endured the full wrath of God to pay the price for that sin. I will never fully comprehend what He did for me here…

Our time grew short in the City of the Great King. We returned to the hotel, checked out and loaded our bags in the cars. We had a final few hours before we had to leave, so everyone took the opportunity to go to the places that were most special to them. A number of us went back to the Western Wall to pray. We all met up and were on the road by 4 pm. Goodbye Jerusalem!

We stopped in a town named Abu Ghosh for dinner. This was a celebration feast for the work we completed this trip. We shared as a group the things that touched us the most during our sojourn here. What wonderful testimonies! From the people of Kiryat Shmona to Ami and Rachel, the couple we met in Sderot, and in many places in between, we were privileged to see God use us to touch lives.

Adi and Jonathan, our Israeli contacts for the Canteen Project met us in the restaurant to give their thanks for all we did. I am sure that this is just the beginning of projects we do with them. I think Adi and Jill were already busy discussing the next possibilities for Almond Branch projects.

We arrived at Ben Gurion airport and eventually made it through the tight security. The flight home left around 10:30 pm Israel time. It was a smooth eleven plus hour flight. I believe most of us got at least a little sleep on the plane and some of us slept most of the flight. We arrived in Newark at 4:30 am. Our wonderful driver volunteers picked us up at the terminal and brought us back to Calvary in Chalfont.

Thanks to all the wonderful people who supported this trip in so many ways: financial supporters, our drivers and all of those who prayed for us every day. Thank you!

To my teammates: John A., Jackie, Mike, Mark, Glen, Chrissie, John H., Renee, Jim, Gary L., Jill, Charlie, Gary R., Marty, Brenda, Steve and Joe – what an joy it was for me to get to know you better – my brothers and sisters in Christ – and to share this amazing experience!

Praise God for His Grace and Mercy in every moment of this trip! Shalom! Tom

Another wonderful day in Jerusalem!

There is so much to see in the short time we have here. The day started with the main group heading for the Temple Mount, while a small group of us (Joe, Gary R, Mike, Brenda and Tom) decided to start walking and see where we would end up.

They arrived on the Temple Mount and took a look around. John pointed out some of the items of interest, and everyone tried to visualize what it would have looked like with the Temple in place instead of the current structures. Orthodox Jews will not set foot on the Mount, because they do not know for sure where the Holy of Holies of the Temple was located. The dare not defile the spot by walking on it.

After descending from the Temple Mount, the group looked at some of the rubble at the base of the west side of the Mount. The archeologists left the rubble in place to illustrate how the Romans pried the rock loose and pushed it over the side of the wall, to retrieve the gold that melted when the Temple burned down.

Right around the corner are the Southern Steps that used to be the main entrance to the Temple area. The city has been destroyed and rebuilt so many times that most of the first century ruins are well below the current street level. The Southern Steps are one of the few places we know with certainty that are still the same. Jesus actually walked on these steps! John gave a short devotion here, and the group moved on to pray at the Western Wall. Off to the side of the Men’s section is a tunnel used for study and prayer. It is interesting to see the Orthodox Jews praying with their phylacteries and to see the Torah Scrolls.

The group then visited the Temple Institute. The Institute has been preparing for the rebuilding of the Temple – they have plans and have been manufacturing all of the items needed for Temple worship. The Menorah (lampstand) is on display in the Jewish Quarter of the city. The Temple institute people have some unusual ideas on how things will be done in the new Temple, and they have no idea how the current structures will be removed, but as soon as the opportunity presents itself, they are ready to start building the next Temple.

The group finished up at the City of David which has some excavations that were opened to the public fairly recently. The tunnel Joab used to climb into Jerusalem is there, as is a water tunnel built by Hezakiah. This was used to bring water from the spring of Gihon to the pool of Siloam (2Chronicles 32:30).

Our smaller group decided to walk the walls of the City. From the Jaffa Gate, you can head either north or south on the top of the walls. The paths on top do not go completely around the Old City because of the Temple Mount, but most of the wall is accessible. This is a wonderful way to get a feel for the Old City and a great way to get some photos. There are a number of shots from the top of the wall in the pictures section.

After descending from the walls we explored the markets in the various Quarters of the city. It was interesting to meet and talk to people in the shops. We had coffee and tea with Moses, who owns a jewelry store in the Christian Quarter and discussed the upcoming elections in America.

God gave us a nice blessing. Showers rolled in by late morning, and we had the opportunity to see two beautiful rainbows – One centered over the Mount of Olives and another towards the northern part of the City. How great to end the day with a picture of God’s promise of new beginnings.

Marty is up and about with the group again! Thank you for all the prayers! Tomorrow we see a bit more in Jerusalem, and then walk out of the city to visit the Garden Tomb. We are leaving Israel very late tomorrow evening, so please pray for safe travel home and time to rest for the members of the team. We will not be able to post anything more until we return home. Shalom! Tom

We are there! We are in Jerusalem, the City of the Great King!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; May they prosper who love you. Psalm 122:6

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. Psalm 125:2

Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord! Psalm 135:21

Jerusalem is a special place – as God reminds us throughout His Word. He created the earth, the stars and the entire universe, but He lets us know there is something special about this tiny piece of land. His Son died here, paying the price for our sin, He arose here, He ascended from here and He will return here to rule. Yes, there is something special about this place – Jerusalem.We began our journey through Jerusalem by going to the top of the Mount of Olives. From here you can see most of the city; the valleys surrounding the city are very visible. We have the Kidron Valley right in front of us on the east side of the city and the Gihon Valley to the left wrapping around the west side of the city. John gave us an overview of the city from there, pointing out the topography and key landmarks.

We walked down from the top of the Mount along what is called the Palm Sunday Path, which might have been the route Jesus took for the Triumphal Entry. There was light rain most of the day and the steep path was very slippery, so we descended slowly and carefully. The olive trees cover much of the hillside, but we were heading for a special place near the bottom of the hill.

One rather humorous event occurred: the road is only one lane wide, but it is not one-way, so cars can come from either direction. Two cars met a little way up from the bottom, and the lower car had to back down into traffic. Things got all tied up very quickly, and our own Steve jumped into the midst and began to direct traffic until the police finally arrived. Way to go, Steve!

The Garden of Gethsemane is a special place within the special City. It was here that the Battle was won. Jesus agonized over what He had to do, but He was faithful to do His Father’s will – and because He was faithful and went to the Cross to pay the price for our sin, we have the Gift of Salvation available to us. John gave a short devotion and we took time to find a quiet place and pray. It was a deeply moving time for all of us.

We went from Gethsemane and entered the Old City through the Lions Gate (because of the Lion carvings to either side of the arch) or Stephen’s Gate, because it is believed that Stephen was martyred just outside this gate. Our first stop inside was St. Anne’s Church which dates back to the Crusader era. It is all stone construction and has amazing acoustics! We sang Amazing Grace and it sounded wonderful!

Right behind St. Anne’s is the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the crippled man on the Sabbath (John 5). John recounted what happened here and we took time to pray for healing for ourselves, and for those we know and love. We are reminded by this place that Jesus is the Great Physician who can heal body, soul and spirit!

We proceeded through the market places of the various Quarters, ending up on the Cardo (the old Roman Main Street) in the Jewish Quarter. After lunch and a little shopping, we went to the Herodian Museum where archeologists have uncovered a house of a very rich person from the first century – possibly the home of the High Priest Caiaphas. Next we went to the Burnt House Museum, where they have uncovered a house that was probably destroyed in 70 A.D. when the Romans conquered and destroyed Jerusalem. This gave us some idea of the devastation caused by the Roman soldiers.

After the museums, we had free time. Some of us headed back to the hotel to rest for a bit, while others went out shopping. We gathered together for dinner and had a chance to discuss the day with each other.

We continue around the city tomorrow, possibly going onto the Temple Mount. Marty is doing much better. She rested today and may join us again tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for us. Shalom! Tom

We had one final time of Worship in Tiberias overlooking the Sea of Galilee. John shared from the Psalms to prepare us for our next destination: Jerusalem, the City of the Great King!

We loaded up our gear and headed south around the lake and across Samaria to the Jordan River valley. As we left the Galilee region, the vegetation was noticeably sparser. The fence on the border with Jordan was very obvious from the road. The vegetation faded from green to clumps of green to brown to bare rock as we entered the Judean Wilderness.

There were occasional small patches of green where there were springs or some sort of irrigation, but the land was mostly desolate. Then we passed by a large area of foliage – rows and rows of date palms – it was the city of Jericho. Unfortunately we cannot go there due to the political situation. Shortly after Jericho, we got our first look at the Dead Sea. It is a blue jewel in the midst of the surrounding brown hills, and its barren shoreline seems out of place with the bright blue water. The beauty of the water belies its mineral bitterness. How often we find that in life – what seems so beautiful to the eyes is really bitter when experienced.

Further along the Dead Sea shore was another small patch of green – the spring of En Gedi where David hid from his enemies. Beyond En Gedi we saw a massive peak that stood out from the surrounding hills. It was Masada, the mountain fortress that is the symbol of Jewish independence. Here a group of Jewish Zealots gathered after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and withstood the Roman army for several years. The Romans built a huge ramp to reach the top of the fortress. On the eve of the final night before the Romans would conquer them, the defenders took their own lives rather than submit to becoming Romans slaves. The Jews have vowed that Masada will never be taken again.

We had on minor mishap at Masada. Marty missed a step (very easy to do there) and twisted her ankle. Fortunately it is just a sprain, but she will miss some of the walking through Jerusalem.We headed back north, then west to go up to Jerusalem. You must go up to Jerusalem from any direction as it sits on the top of the central mountain ridge that runs through Israel. We left the Dead Sea area at 1360 feet below sea level and in the space of 20 miles climbed to 2600 feet above sea level in the center of Jerusalem.

What a joy for me to return to the City of The Great King! We came past the Mount of Olives on our way to the hotel. We settled in, met for dinner and then were on our own to explore the city. Several of us went through the Hasmonean tunnel which runs underneath the Arab Quarter of the city along the foundation of the Western Wall. It is fascinating to see the architecture. There is one single building stone that is 75 feet long and ways approximately 630 tons – far larger than any stones used in the pyramids. It was even more wonderful to know that we are in the place where so much of our history took place.

There is a special feeling about being in Israel – for me it is like being home, like I belong here. That feeling is multiplied in Jerusalem – this truly is a special place – the City of the Great King!

Tomorrow we travel around the city. I cannot wait! Continue to keep us in your prayers and especially pray for a rapid recovery for Marty – that her ankle would heal quickly! Shalom! Tom

What a glorious day of celebrating the completion of the Canteen! We left Tiberias at 8:30 and headed north to Kiryat Shmona. We drove through drizzle and occasional showers – probably because John prayed for rain at the Shabbat Worship yesterday… and they desperately need rain here.

The Team arrived and went to work finishing the last little details. Then we got to enjoy the wonderful food the lady volunteers prepared for us and for the soldiers. We stayed at the canteen through the morning greeting the occasional soldiers and townspeople that arrived.

One group of soldiers arrived and joked with us about coming back to the border with them. A couple of minutes later John and Steve were in the Jeep heading out the drive with them. They took a couple of duffle bags of aid packs and went to the front with the soldiers. They returned about 45 minutes later, excited by what they did and saw.

A few phone calls by Ofar led to the rest of us loading up our cars and heading for military bases to minister to the soldiers. We were able to visit two bases and distribute our aid packs to the soldiers there. The first base was 15 meters (yes, 15 meters!) from the Lebanese border. These are the front line guardians of Israel. They were surrounded by high tech surveillance equipment and had a strong determination to protect their country. They put their lives on the line every day, fending off terrorist infiltrators and hidden bombs. They were thrilled that we came to see them and were grateful for our gifts and prayers.

The second base was a logistics command center that supported all of the bases on the border perimeter. They took us to their briefing room and gave us a talk on what they do at their base. We had great opportunities at both bases to meet and spend some time with the soldiers. What a tremendous outreach. I am not sure who was blessed more – our team or the troops we met.

Although we were able to take pictures with permission in some areas of the bases, we agreed not to publish those pictures anywhere online so we cannot share them here.

We returned to the Canteen in time to meet the Mayor of Kiryat Shmona. There was a nice ceremony to celebrate the re-opening and John and Jill had opportunities to express our love for Israel and its people and to describe the Almond Branch initiative. After the speeches, the Mayor and Jill jointly cut the ribbon to officially reopen the Canteen! Praise God!

We stayed a while longer – it was difficult to say goodbye to people we had grown so close to in such a short time. They asked us and we promised to return as soon as we could! Wow!

Tomorrow we will be seeing some more of the country as we make our way to Jerusalem. Please pray for the seeds that were planted today and the friendships we made with the soldiers and people of Kiryat Shmona. Shalom! Tom