Day 09 - Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Saint Anne's, Pool of Bethesda, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Garden Tomb

Shalom, Shalom!

Endings are always bittersweet.  

So, let’s start with the sweet… We all tested negative for Covid, meaning the entire group is coming home tomorrow!  You’ll get to see your moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas and friends soon…  but that’s only one small thing of many… 

Today we walked the steps of the last days of Jesus. We spent some time reflecting in the beautiful garden of Gethsemane overlooking the Temple Mount, sang songs together in St. Anne’s Cathedral near the pools of Bethesda, and walked the road of Jesus to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. 

As sweet as all those things are, they don’t compare to the final event of our trip. Tonight, we were able to eat dinner with a stunning view from a restaurant overlooking the city center of Jerusalem. We anticipated that being a highlight of the trip… only to have it be even better than we could have dreamed of.  After dinner the insula (family) shared the things that impacted them most on the trip.  We shared stories of faith growing, lives changed, and deep wounds healed. Honestly, who could ask for more?!

Unfortunately, not all things on your final day can be sweet. We fly home tomorrow… meaning this group that has grown so close over the past two weeks won’t see each other every day anymore.  

As it is when you are reflecting on so many trips, the past 11 days felt so full, and flew by so fast… but the memories created will truly last for the rest of each of our lives.

Shalom