Day 04 - Nazareth, Dan & Caesarea Philippi

Dear diary,

Today was yet another day full of adventure, gaining knowledge and community in unique ways.

We started the day waking up in none other than Jesus’s hometown of Nazareth…incredible! After a quick devotional overlooking Nazareth (and picture taking of course) we hopped back on the bus and made our way north to the tip-top of Israel, Dan! We learned today that the territory in the north known as Dan is not the territory the Lord gifted to the tribe of Dan. Instead, it is the place that the Danites saw as plentiful and took for themselves. The Danites began to worship false gods rather than the God that brought them out of Egypt. This started a ripple effect of worshipping false gods and pagan worship. This was a good visual reminder that the easy route that seems appealing to the eye is not always what God intended for our lives.

We threw in a beautiful hike to appreciate God’s creation. This was also a fun location for pictures with picturesque waterfalls!

We then saw one of the ripple effects when we went to visit Caesarea Philippi. Here we saw pagan worship and learned of major immorality among the people. Literally, it was known as the “gateway to hell”.  But Jesus brought His disciples here and presented the picture of the early church. Showing that the church is not about the building but about being the church to the people. Although these horrible things happened here, there is a redemption to this location. In the crazy year of COVID 2020, there was time for archeologists to excavate the area. They discovered a church that dates back to the 4th century. This is so amazing that they were worshiping the one true God in a place that was formerly used for some of the most insane acts of pagan worship.

We made a stop at Mt. Bental, a bunker, overlooking the Syrian border for a delicious cappuccino and a quick current events lesson. It was an enlightening discussion to hear from someone that lives here.

We ended our day in the Sea of Galilee. This evening we got the incredible opportunity to witness Kim declare her faith publicly through being baptized! We shared a delicious dinner together at a local  restaurant where they eagerly welcomed tourists! Today was yet another wonderful day here in the Promised Land!

Xoxo Gossip Girl

(Chelsea Norton & Hannah McCullough)