There is something magical about this place.
It is peaceful. It is rich with history. It is memorable, memories from my past but also in creating new memories. Perhaps it feels so good because for 11 days we were able to leave behind the contention, the honks, the politics, the fast paced bustling city of Jerusalem.
Here it is green, quiet, full of rich spiritual history and current testimony building.
It was a wonderful, busy, and restful trip. Unfortunately it was also the last major trip with this wonderful group of students. We have come to love these 60 new friends of ours. It has been a wonderful semester with them.
We began our trip traveling through the Jordan Valley, walking through the ancient city of BetShean, walking through a beautiful Christian church in Nazareth which is the largest in the country.
As we traveled from Nazareth to Tiberias we stopped at Mount Arbel where the students had their first magnificent view of the Sea of Galilee. Ron did some teaching there and then gave them some reflective time before the wind and rains came.
We all settled in at our home away from home at Ein Gev, a holiday resort of the Kibbutz. After dinner Ron and I sat at the waters edge and reflected back 20 years when we were at this very spot with our children. Those are such choice memories for us. We could almost see the five kids picking through sea shells to find the perfect ones to take home.
A good nights rest prepared us for a very emotional day complete with a true miracle.
We visited the Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha, Peter's Primacy, Capernaum, Magdala and by our faith and prayers we were able to watch the storm subside long enough for us to ride a boat from Tiberias to the other side of the Lake. Upon arriving to eat dinner the rains came and the winds blew.
Ron's schedule during these 11 days was crazy busy. Every other day he was either on the road for a field trip or in the classroom for three hours teaching the New Testament. When he wasn't on the bus or teaching he was preparing. He spent countless hours each day to prepare himself to provide these students the best possible experience.
Ron is a wonderful teacher. He loves what he is doing. He has some of the most incredible classrooms as you can tell by the photos. "Jill, there is nothing like teaching on the very spots that we read about in the New Testament. I am so blessed."
I don't think there is a day that goes by that we don't remind each other where we are, what we are doing and how very blessed we feel.
The following pictures are of Gamla, Tiberias, Mount Tabor, Megiddo, Tel Dan, Banias and Nimrod's Castle. Also, Chorazin, Sepphoris and the ancient city of Akko.
All in all this was a fantastic trip of a lifetime. The fortunate thing about it is we get to experience it another two times before we return in August.
WE ARE TRULY BLESSED
