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Israel-in-Depth with Rod VanSolkema
March 1-13, 2019
Led by rod vansolkema
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Trip Blog Posts
We are here to bring shalom
posted on Wednesday March 13 2019 at 12:00 am UTC
Today was our last day full day in Israel, and the end of our third night in Jerusalem. I feel like I can speak for most that this trip has been life changing, healing, eye-opening and just wonderful and even then…those words fall short. We have all been touched by this land and these people in...
Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Yad Vashem
posted on Tuesday March 12 2019 at 12:00 am UTC
Today was a different day in the life of Ancient Paths. We got an earlier start, leaving at 7:30 on foot from our hotel in the old city and walking to the temple mount. The temple mount is actually Mt. Moriah which King Herod leveled to build the temple. What is left is the platform he built that is...
Only a few find it
posted on Monday March 11 2019 at 12:00 am UTC
Today we left the northern area of Galilee and headed towards Jerusalem. Our first stop was a powerful one: The Jordan River. The river was flowing very fast and wide, due to a lot of snowmelt coming down from Mount Hermon. It was a weedy, muddy hike but in the end, the river was beautiful! A...
Shabbat Shalom
posted on Sunday March 10 2019 at 1:00 am UTC
Today marks our seventh day in Israel, eight calendar days since leaving our homes. We have experienced a wealth of history, landscape changes and teaching. We have traveled from east to west, and from the far south desert of Israel to today, when we were in view of the Lebanon and Syria borders in the...
The hidden joys of our trip
posted on Saturday March 09 2019 at 12:00 am UTC
This morning we woke up by the Sea of Galilee with birds singing and breakfast being prepared for us. Many of us were sitting on our porches early this morning, quietly pondering the wonders of our time here and the day that was waiting to unfold before us. We were excited to experience the words from...
The price that has been paid
posted on Friday March 08 2019 at 1:00 am UTC
The end of day 4 found us leaving the desert and heading to the coast for our overnight. When we woke up this morning, it was clear we were in a different part of the country and that the story was about to change. The coastal plane is where cultures intersected in the ancient world, largely because...
Like a tree planted by the water
posted on Wednesday March 06 2019 at 7:00 pm UTC
We began our beautiful sunny day with a prayer to our Lord and Savior, Deut. 6:4, “Here, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself” first we pray it in Hebrew...
Timna National Park
posted on Wednesday March 06 2019 at 12:00 am UTC
Today again began with a resounding reminder to live out who God says we are and what He has called us to do. Just as the Israelites were led by Moses through the desert, our Shepherd Rod led us for four hours through the rock-strewn Rift Valley and up to the top of an elevated crag known as Mount Timna....
Stronghold
posted on Monday March 04 2019 at 9:48 pm UTC
Yesterday we were in the lush green of the coastal plain and the Shephelah but today we went into the Judean Desert. We learned the word “desert” means “place of the word.” It is the root word for Holy of Holies. The desert is where people come to hear God speak. God shapes people...
Where the stories unfolded
posted on Monday March 04 2019 at 12:00 am UTC
What an amazing day of Gods word and lessons of the Old Testament in His chosen land. It is the end of the winter season here. Green and lush everywhere right now. Ripe lemons on the trees and wild flowers in bloom. The lilies of the valleys (red poppies) are everywhere. Morning temperatures were chilly,...
We have arrived!
posted on Friday March 01 2019 at 12:00 am UTC
We arrived in Israel…all safe and sound, and all accounted for! For some of us the journey began on a Crossroads bus at 2:30pm, for others the journey began from Kansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia or South Haven, Michigan. It’s fun to see the group gelling already - lots of conversation, a few...
Preparing for Israel
posted on Thursday February 14 2019 at 5:26 pm UTC
Our trip will be here before you know it! Once we're on the ground 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, to not only bring you...