A Pair of Brown Shoes: ISRAEL:OLD JERUSALEM,-BEIT SCHE'AN-GARDEN TOMB

I DID NOT WRITE YESTERDAY. OUR DAY WAS AWESOME BUT VERY LONG. WE WERE ON THE RUN FROM 5:00 A.M. UNTIL AFTER 8:00 P.M.

SOLDIERS AT THE WAILING WALL

WE BEGAN THE DAY AT THE WAILING (WESTERN) WALL. THE BULK OF THE DAY WAS SPENT IN OLD JERUSALEM. WE FOLLOWED IN THE FOOTSEPS OF JESUS THROUGH THE OLD CITY OF PILATE’S JUDGEMENT HALL, THE CHAPEL OF FLAGELLATION AND THE ECCE HOMA ARCH WHERE JESUS WAS TRIED BEFORE PILATE.

WALKING THE WALK

WE NEXT TRAVERSE THE VIA DOLOROSA (THE WAY OF THE CROSS) TO GOLGOTHA, THE PLACE OF THE SKULL, WHERE THEY CRUCIFIED OUR LORD; THEN ON TO A VICTORY CELEBRATION OF THE RESURRECTION TOMB AND GARDEN.

FUN LUNCH BREAK IN OLD JERUSALEM

WE WORSHIPED TOGETHER IN SCRIPTURE,SONG AND COMMUNION. WE ARE CONTINUALLY REMINDED HOW "HE GATHERS HIS PEOPLE". WE ARE ESPECIALLY HONORED TO HAVE MET A PASTOR AND HIS WIFE, REV. AND MRS. CARPENTER, FROM OUR NECK OF THE WOODS. PASTOR CARPENTER LED THE SERVICE.

WE WERE GETTING THE TRUE MEANING OF 'THEY WENT UP TO JERUSALEM!"

DAN THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GRAND IDEA TO CLIMB TO THE BELL TOWER OF AN OLD JERUSALEM CHURCH FOR PHOTOS...LOOKING DOWN...DID I MENTION MY ISSUE WITH HEIGHTS?

VIEW FROM THE BELL TOWER

AFTER DINNER WE HAD A SPECIAL GUEST. HE HAS LIVED AND SERVED ISRAEL AS A MISSIONARY ALONG WITH HIS WIFE AND SEVEN CHILDREN FOR MANY YEARS.

THE PLACE OF THE SKULL-GOLGOTHA

IT IS BELIEVED THE DARKER COLOR AT THE TOP WAS ADDED (CHISLED OUT) TO ACCOMODATE THE TALLER JESUS FROM THE TOMB INTENDED FOR A SMALLER PERSON....INTERESTING.

TODAY WE LEFT JERUSULEM. WE BEGAN WITH A TREMEMDOUS BLESSING. WE WERE ONE OF THE FEW....VERY FEW TO BE BAPTIZED IN THE ACTUAL LOCATION WHERE JESUS WAS BAPTIZED-BY THIS LOCAL PASTOR. AS THE PASTORS WIFE SAID WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED HERE. DAN AND I BOTH WEPT WHEN WE ENTERED THE WATER AT THIS SPECIAL PLACE. HIS PRESENCE IS SO STRONG IN THOSE MUDDY WATERS.

DAN BEING BAPTIZED IN THE JORDAN BY PASTOR CARPENTER

BELIEVE IT OR NOT THIS IS ME..I THINK DAN MAY HAVE GIVEN PASTOR CARPENTER A TIP TO HOLD ME UNDER UNTIL I BUBBLED?? HMM

LAND MINES SURROUNDING THE DIRT ROAD TO WHERE WE WERE BAPTIZED. COURTESY OF JORDAN.

THIS SMALL AREA IS SURROUNDED WITH WIRE AND WARNING SIGNS BECAUSE IT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY LARGE MINE FIELD. WE WERE GRANTED PERMISSION FROM THE GUARDS, ISRAELI SOLDIERS, TO ENTER THE WATER. WHETHER THEY UNDERSTOOD OR HAD THE AUTHORITY---WE DIDNT EXACTLY CLARIFY THE ISSUE. WE WERE THRILLED AT THIS UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY.

ISRAELI SOLDIERS GUARDING 'THESE CRAZY AMERICANS' AT THE JORDAN RIVER DAN LOVED THAT HE WAS THE SAME HEIGHT OF HIS SOLDIER--FROM CALIFORNIA SERVING THE STATE OF ISRAEL

BEFORE WE GOT THE LAST MINUTE NEWS WE COULD BE BAPTIZED AT THE SPOT. WE WERE HAVING A SPRINKLING SERVICE! :)

WE DROVE THROUGH THE JORDAN VALLEY ALONG SIDE THE RIVER TOWARD OUR NEXT STOP IN TIBERIAS.THIS VALLEY IS TRULY OVERFLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY. THE HILLS ARE GREEN STREWN WITH FIELDS OF ANY VARIETY IMAGINABLE OF FRUITS,VEGETABLES, GRAINS, NUTS, OLIVES, CATTLE AND SHEEP.

JORDAN VALLEY - LAND OF MILK AND HONEY

THE WIND WAS SO STRONG IT WAS BREAKING DAN'S HAIRSPRAY...FIRST CAP WORN IN PUBLIC EVER!

ONE OF THE COURTYARDS AT BEIT SCHE'AN

WE VISTED THE INCREDIBLE CITY OF BEIT SCHE'AN. THERE ARE BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN SIDES WHERE THE TALL GREEN GRASS WAVES IN THE BREEZE. AFTER SITTING IN THE RUINS OF THE COLISEIM AND BATH HOUSES, WE ENJOYED OUR LUNCH SITTIMG OUTSIDE SURROUNDED BY LOVELY WEATHER AND AMAZING ARCHITECTUAL DESIGN. WE HAVE HAD COOL BUT SUNNY DAYS. TODAY IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS WINTER IN ISRAEL.

OUR LAST STOP FOR TODAY WAS AT THE CHURCH OF THE BEATITUDES. THIS CHURCH AND GARDENS OVERLOOKS THE ENTIRE SEA OF GALILEE. WE READ JESUS' TEACHNG ON THE NAMESAKE BEFORE THE SHOWERS BEGAN.

WE REACHED OUR HOTEL AND CHECKED IN FOR A REST. OUR ROOM OVERLOOKS THE SEA OF GALILEE. WE WATCH THE FEW SMALL BOATS AROUND THE PIER AND THINK OF HAPPIER TIMES WITH JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES.