Trip Blog Posts

posted on Wednesday May 20 2015 at 12:09 am UTC

We’ve been home for two full days now and life has never felt more surreal. This morning, I find myself on my bedroom floor with a bowl of cereal to my left and the journal I used in Israel to my right. In a short hour, I will return to work after a two-week hiatus. How am I possibly going to focus...

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posted on Friday May 15 2015 at 12:48 am UTC

As every day goes, it has been a crazy fun experience with lots of hiking, a few messages, and countless of exciting places to visit. Our first stop was to the Decapolis where all of the heathen cities were located on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Then we traveled and had a good uphill and downhill...

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posted on Thursday May 14 2015 at 12:49 am UTC

Today we learned a lot about where the disciples of Jesus came from and their relationship to Jesus. The first location we visited was a ruin of the town Bethsada where it is said Andrew, Peter, and Philip are from. From there we traveled 20 miles north to Causarea – Philippi where Jesus took his disciples...

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posted on Wednesday May 13 2015 at 12:43 am UTC

Today we started climbing Mt. Arbel. That was a very steep and tiring climb. Then we went to tabgah where it is assumed that the story of the feeding of the 5,000 took place. Then we hiked up to a location that is around the location of the sermon on the mount and we recited the entire passage of the...

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posted on Tuesday May 12 2015 at 12:51 am UTC

Wow! Best day ever! Until tomorrow, at least; I’m pretty sure I think each day is better than the last! Of course, each day is so different and difficult to compare. We are staying in beautiful bungalows right off the Sea of Galilee—a shocking sight to wake up to! I can’t stop asking myself, “Is...

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posted on Monday May 11 2015 at 12:45 am UTC

Last time I checked, a day is comprised of twenty-four hours…I feel like I have just lived at least forty-eight today! We are encountering so many incredible things one after another, and they just keep coming! Departing from our Jerusalem hotel one final time, we traveled on foot to experience...

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posted on Sunday May 10 2015 at 12:00 am UTC

Today was again an eventful day starting in a little Christmas town called Bethlehem. While we were there, we visited King Herod personal palace named Herodion. We ventured around the palace and through its underground tunnel system. After visiting Herods tomb, we had lunch and then visited a friend...

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posted on Saturday May 09 2015 at 12:40 am UTC

Today on our fifth excursion, we ventured throughout even more of Jerusalem. We started out the day learning about the original city of David and how David took the city from the Jebusites. Then we took a fun journey through Hezakaihas tunnel, a water system starting at the Spring of Gihone and then...

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posted on Friday May 08 2015 at 1:42 am UTC

After devouring another delicious breakfast (where cheesecake and unlimited amounts of bread are accepted) we met outside to hear from our leaders. Ben shared with the group a Hebrew word, Shama, meaning listen and obey. Not just simply listening but carrying out the command that was given to you. Shama...

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posted on Wednesday May 06 2015 at 10:08 pm UTC

While we were at Wadi Qelt this afternoon, we had the blessing of seeing a shepherd with his flock. The shepherd was able to blow his flute and make the smallest calls, but was still heard and known by his sheep. They follow him and trust him through all seasons, through the wet and dry. Finally seeing...

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posted on Wednesday May 06 2015 at 12:47 am UTC

Today’s activities included: Hiking the Wadi Zohar Climbing to the fortress, Masada Splashing in the waterfalls of Engedi Swimming in the Dead Sea After hiking through the astounding rock formations of the Wadi Zohar, learning about God’s faithfulness in the desert as we read Deuteronomy...

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posted on Tuesday May 05 2015 at 12:28 am UTC

To start our first day in the Holy Land we explored the Negev Desert. First, we headed out to the ancient remains of Be’er Sheva, where Abraham ended up after God called him out of Ur. We learned about the structure of the ancient city, explored it’s water systems, and heard Biblical stories that...

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posted on Sunday May 03 2015 at 9:40 pm UTC

After about 24 hours of traveling, we have finally reached our hotel and it feels amazing to sleep in an actual bed and have a good meal. From the time we left GVSU to flying into Israel, our travels were smooth and easy going. Many of us had interesting experiences on the 10-hour plane ride including...

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posted on Saturday May 02 2015 at 7:53 pm UTC

We have a long stretch of travel ahead of us! If you want to follow along with our flights, check out the links below. We're looking forward to sharing our journey with you! Chicago to Philadelphia Philadelphia to Tel Aviv ...

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posted on Friday April 24 2015 at 9:52 pm UTC

Our trip to Israel will be here before you know it! Once we're on the ground in Israel, we'll post periodic updates and photos. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page. We'll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and family,...

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