Being Tourists...Kinda...

Our final day in Jerusalem was a big one! We began by visiting the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. Everything from the architecture to the landscaping was symbolistic of different aspects of the Holocaust. The museum itself was astounding with information on events leading to the antisemite practices of that time to the events following the winning of the war. It was horrifying, informative, and in a way beautiful all at once. Though the events are nearly unmentionable, the resilience of the Jews and their trust in God for deliverance is astounding.

From the museum, we ate some more Schewerma at the park and headed out to the Israel National Museum. What was so fascinating about this place was that they had many of the original items from all of the places we visited! They had the stone that marked the place where the shofar was sounded on the temple wall. They had the monument outside the Davidic Gate in Bethsaida that helps us know it was of the Geshur kingdom. They had pieces of from the Qumran Dead Sea Scroll discovery. It was so fun to walk around and know what all of these things were because WE WERE THERE!

Wrapping up at the museum, we went to the Shook, or open air market. The smells of spices, fresh produce, fresh meat, and teas were awesome. We definitely had to sort of become Israeli so that we could push our way through. It was great to see what a little bit of modern life in Israel looks like.

Our final stop was at Daniel's house where we got to have the great opportunity to participate in a Seder Supper on the eve of Passover. Daniel, a Messianic Jew, helped us understand the significance of the different elements of the supper and how the supper looks toward the Messiah. One of the most beautiful things he shared with us is how the Seder supper and the Lord's supper are connected. Ask one of us for an explanation!

We also had to say "until next time" to our good friends Eli and Walid who took incredible care of us this week. It was a blessing to have them as a part of our crew. I'm so glad they shared their beautiful country with us this week! I also just need to do a quick shoutout to Scott and Lizzy for taking good care of our team and challenging us intellectually and physically all the way through. Y'all rock, thank you so much!!

From Daniel's house we headed to the airport. We had a good flight from Tel Aviv to Newark, and now we are headed to Austin and San Antonio. God has blessed all of us so much through this trip, and we hope that you as our friends and family will give us an opportunity to share this blessing with you!! Be patient with us because we have a lot to say!

By Brian Gunter