Israel Study Tour with Freshwater Community Church and International Ministerial Fellowship

February 4-15, 2019

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F.A.T Day

Today we practiced the acronym F.A.T., which means Flexible, Accountable, and Teachable! We all awoke to one plan and by the end of breakfast our plan for the day was changing, and it continued to change throughout the day. It turned into an amazing and wonderful day that we all have so many memories from!

Due to some morning rain and the threat of Dead Sea Flash Floods; the road to our original destination was closed. Instead we headed in another direction which took us to Kfar Hanokdim which is a Bedouin Experience, and it was an experience! One likely to be remembered forever by all. As soon as we arrived Ronan our Israeli Tour Guide informed us that a camel ride was in store for us. The pictures and videos speak a thousand words! After our short camel ride we headed into a Bedouin tent where a young man spoke to us about Bedouin traditions and culture. They are Islamic and they are known for their culture of hospitality. Genesis 18 tells the story of the Lord appearing to Abraham and how he welcomed them into his home. We enjoyed some delicious tea, strong Turkish coffee and fresh figs. We discussed how today’s culture is not as welcoming and that there are more opportunities for us to live out a life of hospitality. Many talked about the ways they connected with new neighbors, how they serve widows in the community and those in jail. Throughout our discussion Luke 12:48 came to mind “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” We have opportunities to be hospitable in each and every day of our lives. How can you hospitable in your life and community?

Our next stop of the day was at Tel Arad which is approximately 5000 years old and originally built by the Canaanites. Based on the size of the cistern they believe approximately 2000 people lived in this village. Later it was built up again and a fortress was built as Arad, a Gate City. It was the last outpost for the kingdom. Within the gate city there was a temple which at the time it was built was not common. Though in the other gate cities of Dan & Be’er Sheva there have been temples found in the fortresses as well. The ancient ruins were a beautiful site and you can see many of the photos below thanks again to Ben! My personal take away from this site was that our lives are much like a Tel - layer upon layer built up that creates who we are today and a new layer will be built and we will be different next year than we were today.

Tel Arad

Like many cities in the Holy Land, Arad was repeatedly settled because of its strategic geographical location. Though situated in an area with little rainfall, Arad was inhabited frequently in ancient times because of its position along the routes coming from the east and southeast.

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Our final stop was not on the itinerary. Though due to the change in schedule, we had time to visit Be’er Sheva. It means the “Wall of Oath” because of the oath that Abraham and King Abimelech had. The location was likely chosen due to the abundance of water. The well was deep and expansive and likely dug by Abraham and Issac. In the distance during the visit to Be’er Sheva we could hear the Muslim prayers being called out. It was a unique experience to hear their prayers; I appreciated that they take time each day to focus on their prayers. I think I could learn something from their regular practice and incorporate a more structured prayer time in my life when I return home.

We returned to the hotel and readied ourselves for a salty swim in the Dead Sea. It was unique and enjoyed by all. The Dead Sea does not give anything out to the world - the Sea stops. We could ask the question as a Christian; are we like the Sea of Galilee and life giving of our faith or are we like the Dead Sea and not giving life to others?

So many “Ah ha” moments today and along with a few “you had to be there stories”! We look forward to sharing more tomorrow!

Blessings,

Lyn

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