Jerusalem, Israel

ISRAEL 2018

Israel was absolutely amazing, it was more than I could put into words. My faith was brought to life over and over again. I have no doubt that Jesus existed and that he came to set all people free. Each place had so much history and significance in the world, and in the bible. Some of the most impactful places were...
1. Mount Carmel: This is where Elijah had complete faith in God and proved to the worshipers of Baal that the God Elijah believed in is real and most powerful. He did this by having all the people who believed in false gods dig ditches, and fill them up with water. Whichever "god" brought fire to the ditches was real. Elijah mocked them because these people were beating their heads until blood came out, and still nothing happened for them. Elijah then REPAIRED THE ALTER and prayed. Then fire came from the sky and went in the ditches. He proved that God is real, and demanded that the false gods would be destroyed. The statue at the top of Mt. Carmel represents Elijah's trust in God.

Top of Mt. Carmel

Statue of Elijah

2. Armageddon: This place was especially mind blowing because its a place talked about in the bible about the end times. In Revelation 16:16, it says that the armies of nations will all gather at Armageddon and then travel down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat to have the final battle. Every place that we had visited up to this point were events of the past, but Armageddon is a place of the future. That made the verse in Revelation really come alive. I took a picture of that verse with the field in the background and it was so powerful in that moment because as I was reading an "ancient" book, I was looking at the real life place where this huge event is supposed to happen.

Revelation 16:16

3. Nazareth: This is where Jesus grew up, it was his hometown. When we visited, there were role players in the Nazareth Village. They dressed up like the people living in Jesus' time and were doing activities like weaving cloth, making olive oil, shepherding, and wood carpentry. There was a lady named Hanna and she was just the sweetest person who had a genuine love for Christ and for others. We then visited a synagogue where Jesus taught and spent time in fellowship with his followers. It felt like I was living in that time, and experiencing what it was like to grow up there and be in the presence of Jesus.

Wood Carpenter

Hanna the cloth weaver

4. Sea of Galilee: Being on the body of water where Jesus walked with Peter was an experience of a lifetime. We were on a boat that was modeled like the one Jesus was on, and we were singing worship songs. We sang "Oceans," and that song is about the passage in Matthew 14: 22-32 and it was recorded on the Sea of Galilee as well. As I was on the boat, I imagined looking to my left and seeing a huge storm with the wind and the waves, and I imagined Jesus just walking on the water. I imagined Peter being frighted by the storm and starting to sink, and I imagined Jesus reaching down for his hand to carry him back up on water. It encouraged me in that moment to never doubt the powers of God, and what he is capable of doing.

The boat we sailed on 

On the Sea of Galilee

5. Jordan River: Getting baptized in the Jordan River was a very spiritual moment. I wanted to get baptized to publicly proclaim my faith in Jesus before I enter in to the world with people who have varying views. I am ready to use Up With People as a mission field, and I wanted to share that with everyone in Israel. Not to mention the fact that I got baptized in the same place that Jesus got baptized before he started his mission in Matthew 3:12-17. I felt that I was called to walk in his footsteps and be a vessel for the word of God. It was also very special that I got baptized by Zane Black (My childhood superhero at D2S and LTCU) and Laura Thompson (My D-Group leader for two years). I could not have asked for a better series of events to occur during this time at the Jordan River.

Matthew 3:13

Baptism in the Jordan

6. The Dead Sea: Contrary to popular belief, floating in the dead sea was honestly miserable. The salt content in the water was so high, that little cuts on my fingers got enflamed and hurt so bad. Also my sunglasses fell into the water, and when I put them back on my face some water got in my eye... I ran to the showers crying to get it out! HAHA! While running the sand was so hot that I took two steps and then felt like I got a temporary third degree burn. The water was unexpectedly hot too. Although, it was pretty awesome just being able to float. The second I laid down in the water, my arms and legs went straight up! It was TOTALLY WICKED!

Floating in the Dead Sea

7. Masada: We climbed up this 1300 ft mountain extremely early in the morning because they wouldn't allow us to climb past 9:00 due to the heat. Even though we went out early, it was still blazing hot, about 98 degrees. It was about an hour hike up to the top, and it was so physically draining. I started to get chills on the way up because of the intense heat. Once I got up, I learned that Masada means fortress and it was built by King Herod. In 70 AD the temple was destroyed, and in 74 AD, the Romans surrounded Masada and built a siege tower and a battering ramp. The Zealots put wood around so when the Romans tired to break down the fortress, nothing happened. Eventually the Romans broke through, and the Zealots (Jewish Nationalist) all committed suicide so that they wouldn't end up slaves to the Romans. It was amazing to see the ruins of the fortress at the top because I know how hard it was to get myself up, and I couldn't imagine having to carry tons and tons of stone.

8. Ein Gedi: After the hike up Masada, we went to a water fall where David got inspired to write most of his Psalms. "Trees planted by streams of water." It was so interesting to learn that the geography of that time period influence the writers of the bible.

Waterfall of Ein Gedi

9. Riding on a Camel: It has always been on my bucket list to ride a camel in the desert. It was a surprise event because they did not include camel riding on the itinerary. We were at the Genius Land Experience for lunch, where there were role players of Abraham, Sarah, and their servants. We sat on the ground with a table two feet from the ground. It was one of the best meals of the whole trip. After we finished our meal, they announced to us that we could ride camels... I GOT SO EXCITED! They gave us authentic clothes to wear while riding so we would get the full experience. The day that we rode on camels was Wednesday... Hump Day!

10. Temple Mount: This place is a tension-filled area with Judaism, Islam, and Christianity competing for their religious places and beliefs. This is where Abraham almost sacrifices his son. King Solomon built the first temple here in 1006 BC, and Islam does not believe that there were any Jewish temples prior to the golden dome of the rock. (Neither does Barrack Obama based on his vote with the United Nations). Then King Herod flattened this area and built a new temple in 970 BC and it was destroyed in 70 AD. The Muslims control this entire area and are very strict on rules like no hugging for pictures... oops, and no immodest clothing. This is a very politically charged area, and it was interesting to learn the history and tensions of the past, present, and future. The temple is supposed to be rebuilt before Christ returns and that means a huge war/disagreement between all these people groups.

Golden Dome of the Rock (591 AD)

11. Mt. of Olives: In Luke 22, it talks about Jesus ascending in to heaven at the Mt. of Olives. This is the highest peak in Jerusalem, about 2,000 ft above sea level. It is the oldest cemetery with its oldest grave from 2,000 BC. About a fourth a mile away is Bethany, where Jesus raised Lazareth from the dead. Jesus rode on a donkey here which is where we derive Psalm Sunday. The people are buried above ground because they believe that they will one day be resurrected. The scene of Jesus ascending into heaven is also mentioned in Mark 14.

Oldest Cemetary

12. Garden of Gethsemane: Gethsemane means olive press, and its a symbolic meaning because its where Jesus was arrested are started to be "pressed" or crucified. This is where Jesus was sweating blood and where he asked God to "remove this cup from me." Jesus knew that he was going to experience an excruciating panful death, but he prayed so hard for God to direct his anger elsewhere, but he still submitted to the will of the Lord. One of the interesting things that Aahron said was that Jesus never cried out because of physical pain, but he finally cried out when God had left him and turned him over to all the sin in the world. He cries, "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me'? Just being in the place where he prayed and where he was arrested was surreal.

Mark 14

13. Jewish Market: This was probably the highlight of my trip because I had so much fun shopping though streets and seeing vibrant colors and exotic fruits. I got to see a glimpse of the culture through this market, and I got to experience the foods and deserts that the Israelites eat. We were looking for food and souvenirs, and it was just a really fun experience. Finding a bathroom in this place was a struggle though.. HAHA! We searched for 30 minutes, and walked a mile until we finally found a disgusting bathroom hidden in the market.

14. Via Dolorosa: Means painful way. Along the path, there were stations representing places where things happened in the bible. All of it was according to Catholic speculation.
Station1: Where Jesus was Flogged
Station 2: Where they put the cross on Jesus' shoulders
Station 3: Where Jesus fell for the first time
Station 4: Where Jesus said "Women behold your sons, John behold your mother" (In the bible, this happened on the cross, so it doesn't fit).
Station 5: Where Simon of Cyrene helped carried the cross for Jesus
Station 6: Where Veronica wipes Jesus' face with cloth
Station 7: Where Jesus falls for the second time
Station 8: Where Jesus says, "Women of Jerusalem, don't worry about me, but for you and your kids" 
Last Stations... Where Jesus fell for the thrid time and where he was crucified.

15. Garden Tomb: Standing in the place where Jesus defeated death was the most impactful site of the whole trip. This is the place where Jesus was brought after he was crucified, and its where he stayed for three days, and its where he rose from the grave! It's where there was an earthquake that rolled back the sealed stone, and its where the women saw the two angels and reported that Jesus is risen. While I was in the tomb alone, I just started crying and praying. It was the closest I've ever felt to God and my heart just broke for what he had to put his son through for all of us to be saved. It was a remarkable feeling that cannot be had anywhere else on the earth.

Matthew 28

Needless to say... this was a trip of a lifetime. God is so good, and he is moving in people's lives all of the time. Israel is one of my favorite places I've ever traveled. Let's hope I get to go back one day!