The Holy Land (Is Real)

Shalom friends and family! Amanda here. It’s been a crazy busy few days in Israel, and today is no exception. This morning we started off going to Kursi, which is an area of Susita, where Rich’s favorite story to teach on, “Crazy Larry”, a demon possessed man that Jesus healed, took place. We were reminded how we need to share about what Jesus is doing in our lives. At 10 a.m. a siren went off in all of Israel as a call to a few minutes of silence and reflection because it is the National Holocaust Remembrance Day.

After a moderate hike through very green land where we saw a beautiful waterfall, we also visited Caesarea Philippi, which is like the “Vegas” of ancient Israel. A lot of Pagan worship happened at this site and the ruins of the monuments to Pan and other gods are still visible today. At this site, Rich shared about how we need to remember God in everything we do. Jesus once visited the region of Philippi and it was there that he asked the disciples who they think he is. Peter’s answer of “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” makes us think about who we say Jesus is. If we are to say Jesus is God, we have to live like he is Lord too.

Another stop was Tel Dan, where we got to hear from our guide Ronen as he showed us the 3,000 year old ruins. We got to see what the city gates we have heard so much about actually looked like, and we walked through some of the uncovered site. Craig Hill taught a lesson on the site as well, where we talked about Acts 7, and how it our responsibility as Christians to recognize everyone as equal and to make sure something like the Holocaust never happens again.

Hey what up! This is Jacob. Telling you about our Israel adventures on day 5! Today we also visited a model at Qatzrin of what an insula (“community”) would have looked like in the time of Jesus. Rich talked about the story in Mark 2 where a group of men took their paralyzed friend to the house that Jesus was in and lowered him through the roof. We learned what it looks like to literally and figuratively do whatever it takes to bring our friends to the feet of Jesus. Our last stop was to the Jordan River where a couple of my friends and I were baptized. It really reaffirmed to me the importance of community. I felt very validated within my community and excited that I had obeyed the call to be baptized.

All in all, today was one of the busier days we have had, but it has been amazing to walk in the very places Jesus did, while learning more and more about him. We look forward to the rest of our time here in Galilee and we can’t wait to see the rest of what is in store with us. Until next time, layla tov! (Goodnight!)