The living water of Jesus

Hello there! It's Angela and Wow! What a day! The day started with a delicious breakfast buffet and then we were off to En Gedi! And boy was it hot! We hiked up the steep hills and saw amazing sights! (The Dead Sea, Ibex, waterfalls, etc) We found several pools of water and were happily cooled off... At least for a few moments :) By the pools we heard teachings of the living water of Jesus. Through him we are able to survive and grow. He is calling out to us to come play in the water and dive into it. Aka he desires all of his children to know him and be with him.

Since being here, the Bible has come alive for all of us. No longer do we read about the desert and continue on. Instead, our eyes have been opened to the harsh conditions the Israelites suffered through. I now understand why the Israelites complained so much during the 40 years they wandered the desert.

Anyways, after En Gedi we ate amazing hummus and pita sandwiches. Once we were fueled up again more, we headed to Qumran. This is the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. The Essenes lived here in a small community for about 218 years. To truly learn the word, they copied it over and over and over. Interestingly, Isaiah is the most copied book found here. This is because it prophesies the future coming of the Messiah, Jesus. Deuteronomy was the second most copied because it is the book of the law that they were required to follow. The Dead Sea scrolls confirmed the truth of the Bible and that the text we have now is the same as the originals.

After hiking for the day, we came to our second hotel, which is right on the Sea of Galilee. Israel is amazing and has been an incredible journey thus far. Thank you all for your prayers!