We're Here! Sorry for late posting!!

Dec. 6, Petra

We have had quite an adventure so far in Jordan and Israel! I apologize for not being able to blog sooner, dear readers at home, but it turns out that internet access here is very expensive, and we are currently trying to fight with EO to see if we can get free internet access as tour hosts. Not much luck so far.

Anyway, we started out on Sunday morning for our long trip. We all got through security in Indy just fine…well, except for Pat, who almost got a felony for a “concealed weapon” in her carry-on luggage when they dug through her things and found a tiny knife that she had forgotten about… ;) But we made it! It was then off to Atlanta for a 5 hour layover, and then on to Paris, France. Our plane to Paris was HUGE! We of course got stuck in the very back of the plane next to the restrooms… so we had an interesting odor to deal with, but we got used to it after a while. We each enjoyed our wide selection of movies to choose from, which we watched on individual TV screens! After a very long flight, we arrived in Paris to wait for another 5 hours for our flight to Amman, Jordan. We were hoping to get a glimpse at least of the Eiffel Tower, and sure enough, at our gate…we saw it in the distance with binoculars. So it’s official…we saw it! Needless to say, we were all exhausted when we arrived in Amman. Our guide and bus met us and we all piled on our luggage (our group’s luggage all made it, but some bags from other groups were missing).

Our first adventure was Petra in Jordan. We drove for 3 hours south to Petra while our guide talked about the history of Jordan, pointed some things out to us, and talked about what we would see at Petra. When we arrived, we walked into Petra, which was about a mile to get there. We had the options of riding a horse into Petra, or a horse and carriage, or our own 2 feet, which we all chose (healthier and cheaper!) It was a beautiful sunny day, temperatures in the 60s, so we took our time as we saw beautiful rock formations where tombs could be seen, as well as the occasional rock carving. The funeral tombs were fascinating to a lot of us, and reminiscent of the tomb that Jesus was probably buried in. We went deeper into the city and were blown away by the natural beauty of the rocks and we continued to hear stories and information from our guide. He explained the water channel system to us, what life may have been like, how it is said that Moses met up with the Edomites in Petra, etc. We reached the treasury, the most beautiful part of Petra, and everyone was just amazed at how cool it was. We also had the chance to ride camels (which of course I did!).

We were also being bombarded with kids and young women who were trying to sell us postcards or jewelry, but none of us wanted to get caught up in that after hearing our guide explain that the children should be in school and we should not support their attempts at trying to make money to get out of school. We also wanted to just enjoy Petra for how it should be enjoyed.

Corey commented on how it was so neat to see and experience something so old. We were looking at thousands and thousands of years of history right before us. We also enjoyed seeing the different people, cultures, ways of dress, traditions. On the way to Petra, we passed many mosques, as well as shepherds herding their sheep. We also noticed the high security everywhere we went, which continued well into our days to follow (see other posts). After our day at Petra, we ventured back to our hotel, making lots of stops on the way for bathroom breaks and some souvenir shopping (as a side note, it has been frustrating to stop so much. I mean, I thought I had a tiny bladder, but you should see some of these people we are traveling with! I will say that our group members from Memorial have been great travelers- no whiners or tiny bladders in our group!)

-Jill

Dec. 7- Amman, Mt. Nebo Border Crossing, Qumran, Jericho

This was a very packed day. I had the privilege of starting the day with giving the morning devotion on the bus. Since we were heading to Mt. Nebo, I read Deuteronomy 34 where God shows Moses the Promised Land before his death. I never thought I would lead a devotion in the middle of Amman rush hour traffic! It was quite an experience. I closed my devotion with having us all sing together “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” which everyone really enjoyed. We started out with a driving tour of the city of Amman, Jordan. We got to see sites such as the royal palace, the citadel wall where Uriah (husband of Bathsheba) was killed, the wealthy neighborhoods, American embassy, a Roman amphitheater (where they still have events!), and inner city Amman. It was interesting to see the different parts of the city and to watch the people going about their everyday business. I personally enjoyed see some of the school children walking to school and seeing their interactions with one another, seeing the men standing outside their businesses starting the day, etc. I always wonder what it would be like to walk in their shoes, you know? I also thought it was interesting that some of the girls wore the head scarves, and some didn’t. We talked about how some do it for religious reasons, others for cultural reasons, and some do not wear them at all.

After Amman we drove up to Mt. Nebo, the place where Moses overlooked the Promised Land before his death. The drive up itself was awesome. We drove by the plains of Moab (Ruth was a Moabite) and we began to see the more fertile regions of Jordan and the very mountainous lands of the Jordan Valley. I think a lot of us were surprised at how mountainous everything was. Deanna in our group pointed out that she pictured more rolling hills than the huge mountains that surrounded us.

To stand at the place where it is believed that Moses viewed the Promised Land was amazing. To just picture that we might be seeing the same view that Moses saw! The surrounding mountains, the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, the mountains of Gilead, Jericho in the distance. Very cool. We also viewed some preserved mosaics from the church that was built on Mt. Nebo. After Mt. Nebo, we went to a local shop where we saw mosaics being hand made by women and learned about their trade. We spent some time in the shop and lots of us got some Jordanian souvenirs to take home.

Then came the “fun” part…crossing the border from Jordan to Israel…we crossed through a total of 4 high security check points to get into Israel. At the very last stop, we took everything off of our bus and waited in line to have our luggage scanned and passports checked (again). This took forever. We were all tired and hungry by this point, not having eaten lunch. It took us a total of 2 hours to get into Israel. None of us expected the stress of getting into Israel. Steve and I even got subjected to “further search” after being told our passports were going to be held until we had these further checks. I guess we look dangerous ;) After we FINALLY made it through to the other side, we met our Israeli guide and made our way through a few more check points to finally enter into the Holy Land. And just think, we will be doing this all again when we fly home at the end of our trip! Boo! Needless to say, they don’t play around. Seeing guys walking around with huge guns around themselves while we were standing there with our luggage would be unnerving for anyone.

When we were finally on our way, all of our stress and waiting seemed far off as we took in the wonder of the Promised Land and made our way to Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, which contain many writings of the Old Testament, including almost all of the Book of Isaiah. On the way, we took in beautiful views of the Dead Sea against the mountains where we had been standing on previously that day. Qumran was one of the favorite sites so far of our group. The caves were like nothing you have ever seen. I had pictured what the caves of Qumran might look like, but my pictures failed in comparison to what they actually looked like. And the views of the Dead Sea were breathtaking. We learned about the Essene community and saw the excavations of their city, the ritual baths, the watch tower, the sheep pins. One complaint I have is that we were rushed through Qumran, in part because I don’t think EO expected us to take so long getting across the border into Israel. I’m glad we got to see it, but would have liked to stay longer and explore more. Maybe next time… ;)

We then made our way to Jericho where we ate a very late lunch at a nice restaurant and enjoyed seeing the “oldest city in the world, 10,000 years!” We passed through a security check point to enter into the Palestinian area. Several in our group commented on how peaceful and hospitable Jericho was, and that we always see the worst portrayal in the media of areas like this. It’s unfortunate that our media does not give a more fair account of life here. I’m sure we will be having more moments like this while we are here. While in Jericho, we saw the Mount of Temptation and the beginning of the Judean desert. It is believed that the Mount of Temptation is where Jesus went after his baptism to be tempted for 40 days and ventured into the Judean desert. There is now a monastery on the mountain. It was really cool to put it all into perspective. It was also interesting to hear the Muslim call to evening prayer in Jericho. One awesome thing about coming into Israel from Jordan (NOT the check points) is that we got to kind of follow the route that the first Israelites took to enter the Promised Land. We started the day at Mt. Nebo, and ended it where the first Israelites came and defeated the walls of Jericho. Jesus spent time in Jericho- we saw a sycamore tree that could be as old as the one that little Zaccheaus climbed! This picture is a view of the Mount of Temptation from Jericho.

The last meaningful event was our drive to Jerusalem. It was cool to know that we were traveling on the same “road” that caravans and travelers took from all over the area to Jerusalem. People traveled for days and months to worship in Jerusalem, and now, we were on our way there. I couldn’t help but think of Psalm 122:

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go u, the tribes of the Lord, to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel. There the thrones for judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say Peace be within you. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

So on we went to Jerusalem. I will probably never forget my first glimpse of the holy city. Even at night, the golden dome of the Dome of the Rock was a site to see within the old city. I can’t wait to see more tomorrow. We will venture to the Mount of Olives where we will have our first full view of Jerusalem, then onto Bethlehem and the Garden of Gethsemane. I can’t wait!

-Jill

Dec. 8- Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Bethlehem

Today was probably my personal favorite day so far. We went to the Mount of Olives first thing in the morning to view the city of Jerusalem. It was a breathtaking view. We talked about how Jesus may have stood and looked at the city from the Mount of Olives and as he prayed for Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37) At the Mount of Olives, we visited a church there and took in the views. Another interesting thing was to see the massive grave yards that faced Jerusalem. The furthest up the hill was the Jewish cemetery. The Christian cemetery was down in the valley heading toward Jerusalem, and the Muslim cemetery was right up against the old walls of the city. I had never pictured the massive cemeteries surrounding the city, but it makes perfect sense to want to be buried facing the holiest city in the world.

Jewish Cemetery:

We headed down to the Garden of Gethsemane after that, where we saw olive trees that are at least 2000 years old and date back to the time of Christ. It was so cool to think that one of the olive trees we saw today could have been the very place where Jesus prayed to God before his death, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup to be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” It was amazing to put everything into perspective- the Mount of Olives, descending into the Garden of Gethsemane, and seeing the walls of Jerusalem right before us. Scripture really came to life today- the Gospel stories in particular.

From Gethsemane, we ventured to Bethlehem and crossed through the check point to get into the Palestinian area. I knew that this was going to happen, but it was strange to experience it after hearing about the conflicts on the news so many times, but it really didn’t seem like a big deal at all (probably because we were a bus load of American tourists!). To see the wall separating Israel and Palestine was a little sad. But the area as a whole seemed peaceful and the people of Bethlehem were welcoming and glad to see us. We spent some time in a shopping area where a lot of us enjoyed buying the olive wood carvings and browsing jewelry and other souvenirs. We then went to the Shepherd’s Field and a church on the same site where we saw a cave that might have been similar to where Jesus could have been born (according to the Gospel of Luke). We spent some time in the cave singing songs such as “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “Silent Night,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” etc. It was a nice moment to be in such a holy place and lift our voices to God. Some of us commented on how we imagined the Shepherds Field area to be more flat and grassy, so we were surprised to see the mountainous areas. It really puts things into perspective when you imagine what the scenery was like at the time. Some of our group singing:

Our next stop in Bethlehem was lunch, followed by the Church of the Nativity, where we were told we would probably have to wait awhile to get in, but we did not have a wait at all! Once inside, we were taken down to the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born, the Star of Bethlehem. It was awesome to kneel down and touch the star, knowing that this is one of the holiest sites in the world.

Of course, it’s hard to really know if that spot is anywhere close to the actual place of the birth, but it’s important to remember the concept of the whole thing. In my theological mindedness, one thing that was a little frustrating for me was that our guide kept mixing the two birth narratives to get us to see this one place of Jesus’ birth, when really, our gospels of Matthew and Luke are very different. Yes, Jesus ends of being born in Bethlehem in both gospels, but they are VERY different accounts. I would say that the Church of the Nativity is referring mostly to Luke’s gospel, where Jesus is born in a “manger” or perhaps a cave, and the shepherds were told by the angels to come and find the Savior and worship him. Where in Matthew’s Gospel, we have the wise men who come to find Jesus in a house, probably up to 2 years after his birth. In Matthew’s gospel, we also have the flight to Egypt, where in Luke, this is not mentioned. I suppose it’s difficult to keep everything straight, but I had hoped that our guide would do a little more to educate our group about the two very different accounts. Why not just stay with the Gospel of Luke when experiencing Shepherds Field, the cave, and the church of the Nativity? I’m just being picky here, but I think it’s important to understand the differences.

I guess the important thing to know is that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, no matter what Gospel you read, and we were there today in the heart of it all, during Advent season, too! What a powerful way to celebrate the Christmas season.

Other interesting things to note: the amount of “stuff” people try to get you to buy! These people swarm tourist buses like buzzards, and the moment you get out, they chase you down with bags, postcards, necklaces, scarves, etc. I’ve never seen anything like it! We even had to fight our way back into the bus at one point because they were blocking the entrance! It was an adventure to say the least.

After our Church of the Nativity experience, we ended up going to the Diamond Factory. And here is where I’m going to complain about our Educational Opportunities experience: we have spent more time shopping than we have at the Holy Sites! There have been times where we have felt rushed through a holy site, yet we take FOREVER at shopping places. I did not see any reason to spend 2 hours at the Diamond Factory today. We could have spent that time going to the Dead Sea (which is not on our itinerary but could have been added today), or we could have spent that extra time experiencing something else about the Holy Land, but instead, we spent 2 long hours in a diamond store. This has been a trend so far on our trip, and it is disappointing. I did not come to the Holy Land to shop. I have bought some nice souvenirs and have seen some nice things, but I have unfortunately felt rushed through some of the most interesting places in the entire world. Are all tourist groups like this? The next time that Corey and I do this (and yes, there will be a next time!), we might look into an organization that really sticks to experiencing the Holy Land and doesn’t stop at every tourist trap there just to kill time, when our time (and money!) is valuable and should be used for experiencing everything the Holy Land has to offer. Oh, and another complaint? We were told that tour hosts get free internet. That was incorrect information. A positive note: our guides and drivers have been wonderful for the most part, aside from wanting to stop at places that don’t really have much to do with a pilgrimage.

Another interesting moment today was sitting around the lunch table with the Southern Baptist pastor and the Pentecostal pastor (a woman from Oklahoma- you should hear her talk!) discussing how the three of us are going to officiate Holy Communion at the Garden Tomb in a few days. We all come from very different traditions. They looked at me like I was crazy when I mentioned “intinction” (the popular way in the UMC where we break bread from the common loaf and each person takes a piece and dips it into the chalice of grape juice so both elements are taken at the same time). Neither pastor had ever heard of this before. I was also an odd one out when I mentioned any kind of traditional communion liturgy. This discussion was causing a bit of tension, but also fruitful conversation. I almost suggested that we just all do communion with our own groups, but decided that probably wasn’t the best idea since we are here to be the Body of Christ and not have division. Good point. I’ll update you on what we decide to do in a few days..

Overall, a beautiful and wonderful day full of great Holy Land experiences. We will be in the old city of Jerusalem tomorrow. Now that we have seen the beautiful holy city from a distance and before us on the Mount of Olives, I cannot wait to be standing in the middle of it. Thanks for reading, and thanks for your continued prayers! We are all having a wonderful experience.

-Jill