As I sit here in my hotel room it's 6:10 am Sunday morning and I am packed and all ready to go! PTL.
It's been a very, very good trip. I wish now that I had been able to do it as a young man. However, God knows that this was the time for me to come. What I'm realizing is that I probably have seen much more today than if I had even come just twenty years ago because much of the archaeological digs have occurred so recently. It is also clear to me that Israel has changed much since the Six Day War of 1967!
What has also been impressed upon me is that there are layer upon layer of civilizations here! One builds on top of the other. There is so much history here and conflict too!
The land truly consists of many hills, valleys, deserts and rocks. Lots of rocks! No wonder that so much of their building construction used them. The valleys are also for the most part very deep and the hills are very high. There are also vast flat agricultural areas but only due to the water brought in by the Israeli's. It truly is all about water! I could see throughout the trip that water was a major issue for each civilization that conquered and lived in this land. Water is life and no water and no life! No wonder Jesus used it in illustrations and referred to it so often.
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| Shimon Zemer (our Guide) |
Our guide Shimon Zemer was very good at bringing it all to life. He was interesting, comical and found so many aspects of our trip as "unusual"!
I was not so impressed nor interested in what the Christians have built over many of the supposed sites attributed to the life of Jesus. But as pointed out by Shimon; had they not built over or around these places they probably would have not been preserved for us today.
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Jimmy our bus driver got us safely around
and through some very tight situations! Tour Leader Kirk Giles
(President of Promise Keepers Canada) did a wonderful job in leading us
and our devotional times!
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Thanks for the Memories!
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| standing back: Gilles Nault back row l - r: Glenn Kelly, Kirk Giles, Dean Dueck, Elaine & Richard Debock, Caleb Nault middle row: Greg Arndt, Peter Tursa, Johan & Maria Peters..... Richard Stapells front row: Verna-Dawn Arndt, Carolyn Kelly, Bea & Sid Dueck, Steve & Lee-Ann Belfry, Phyllis Belfry |
Peter Tursa
January 31, 2016
P.S. - if you have been reading my blog Peters Quill.............thank you. I really did it for my own edification and learning experience but have gladly made it available to all. Blessings!
