Belize
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Second to last day
Today we explored many of the surrounding villages of Galilee where much of Jesus' ministry took place. Some are pictured but others included Bethsaida and Chorazin.
View from the Mount of Beatitudes outside the church (starting in Matt. 5)
One of the main regions of Jesus' earthly ministry and hometown to several of his disciples.
Mollie, Liesl's cousin, wanted to be baptized in the Jordan but the Sea of Galilee worked out better and it's connected to the Jordan anyway so it counts!
View from the Mount of Beatitudes outside the church (starting in Matt. 5)
One of the main regions of Jesus' earthly ministry and hometown to several of his disciples.
Mollie, Liesl's cousin, wanted to be baptized in the Jordan but the Sea of Galilee worked out better and it's connected to the Jordan anyway so it counts!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday, May 24
Some pretty flowers near the Spring of Harod at the base of Mt. Gilboa.
Climbing down the Arbel Cliffs was actually a bit dangerous.
The Arbel Cliffs, overlooking the plain of Gennesaret and the Sea of Galilee.
@ the Church of Nazareth, the traditional site of the home of Mary and Joseph...
Lapping up the water like a dog at the Spring of Harod, where Gideon chose his 300 men in Judges 7.
@ Scythopolis. Looks like a missionary photo here with Bible in hand.
The ancient city of Bet-She'an overlooking Scythopolis, where Saul and his son's bodies were hung on the walls as trophies after being killed in battle by the Philistines in I Samuel 31.
Food for thought
Caesarea Philippi
In Matthew 16:13-28, Jesus brought his disciples to Caesarea Philippi for a reason when he asked the questions, Who do people say that I am? And Who do you say that I am? When Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus replies, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” The last line makes perfect sense when you are actually there because the mouth of this cave was believed to be the entrance into Hades in the Greco-Roman world. There were all kinds of pagan idolatry taking place right in this spot and Jesus chooses it for obvious reasons. The disciples can see firsthand the evil of this world has nothing on Christ, the Son of the living God!
In Matthew 16:13-28, Jesus brought his disciples to Caesarea Philippi for a reason when he asked the questions, Who do people say that I am? And Who do you say that I am? When Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus replies, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” The last line makes perfect sense when you are actually there because the mouth of this cave was believed to be the entrance into Hades in the Greco-Roman world. There were all kinds of pagan idolatry taking place right in this spot and Jesus chooses it for obvious reasons. The disciples can see firsthand the evil of this world has nothing on Christ, the Son of the living God!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
...
Hung out in Northern Galilee and ventured over to the borders of Lebanon and Syria today. Will do some real posting tomorrow!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Sat. May 22
At Caesarea Maritime where Paul was held for 2 years in the latter chapters of Acts
Atop Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal in I Kings 18.
Megiddo (see II Kings 9:27, II Chron. 35:22) Lots of history here...
The Jezreel Valley, the battleground of history. This valley has tons of Biblical references attached to it. It's surrounded by Nazareth, Mt. Tabor, Mt. Moreh, Mt. Gilboa, etc.
Fishing boat found in the 1980s dating back to the 1st century. Pretty sure Jesus sailed on this one.
On the Sea of Galilee
I dont know what day anymore...
Floating in the Dead Sea was incredible. Would have stayed in there all day if we could've.
At Qumran (cave 4) where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, 15% of which were Biblical texts
View of the Dead Sea from Masada, Herod's hilltop fortress.
View from our room at Taba, Egypt overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Tomorrow...
We're headed to the Dead sea tomorrow and then up to Galilee for the remainder of the trip. Hopefully we will have internet again soon...
Last 3 Days
Well, we are in Egypt right now staying on the Gulf of Aqaba. They charge outrageous prices for internet use here so we are borrowing a computer for an hour to post. We have spent the last 3 days in parts of Israel, Jordan, and now Egypt. So, just posting some of our favorite pics from these incredible places. enjoy!
Gebel Musa at Mount Sinai. Took 2 hours by camel and another hour of hiking to reach the summit.
Here's the gorgeous (but barren) view from the top! Don't let the smiles fool you, we were tired and sweaty. We are at 7,500 ft here and the peak behind us is 8,000.
Kirsten, Mollie (cousin), and Liesl sitting on the edge waiting for God to speak to them.
Liesl on her camel (named Azul) at the camel-drop-off before we began the hour hike the rest of the way. Liesl became quite comfortable on Azul and hated to get off.
This is at Petra; some of the best preserved ancient ruins in the world. This city was conquered by the Romans in 106 AD. The Apostle Paul may have spent some time here after his conversion when he went to Arabia.
This is the Treasury--the most famous ruin at Petra. Indiana Jones, anyone?
This was taken at David's waterfall; an oasis in the desert where he hid from Saul at En Gedi.
Not a bad place to make camp and hide out for awhile.
Gebel Musa at Mount Sinai. Took 2 hours by camel and another hour of hiking to reach the summit.
Here's the gorgeous (but barren) view from the top! Don't let the smiles fool you, we were tired and sweaty. We are at 7,500 ft here and the peak behind us is 8,000.
Kirsten, Mollie (cousin), and Liesl sitting on the edge waiting for God to speak to them.
Liesl on her camel (named Azul) at the camel-drop-off before we began the hour hike the rest of the way. Liesl became quite comfortable on Azul and hated to get off.
This is at Petra; some of the best preserved ancient ruins in the world. This city was conquered by the Romans in 106 AD. The Apostle Paul may have spent some time here after his conversion when he went to Arabia.
This is the Treasury--the most famous ruin at Petra. Indiana Jones, anyone?
This was taken at David's waterfall; an oasis in the desert where he hid from Saul at En Gedi.
Not a bad place to make camp and hide out for awhile.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Day 7
It was a hot one today and spent some time in and around the Old and New Testament Jerichos.
Jericho could have been around as long ago as 8000 BC boasting it as the oldest city of the world. Behind the sign are some of the ruins. Good grief. (Joshua 6 tells us more)
Some of the Wilderness of Judea where Jesus was tempted in Luke 4. Off to the left is the road that runs from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jesus would walk this road as well as use it in his teaching of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. This place was quite the wasteland
A sycamore tree in Jericho...need I say more?
Well, this is our last night in Jerusalem. We are headed southeast tomorrow and crossing the border into Jordan. It has been a great week and still have a week and half left. We have still yet to experience The Dead Sea, Petra, Sinai, and the Sea of Galilee. Don't know about internet connection in Petra but will post again when we can. Thanks again for reading and continue to pray for our safety but especially that God's Word will become more real to us everyday. We have a lot to learn we've found.
Jericho could have been around as long ago as 8000 BC boasting it as the oldest city of the world. Behind the sign are some of the ruins. Good grief. (Joshua 6 tells us more)
Some of the Wilderness of Judea where Jesus was tempted in Luke 4. Off to the left is the road that runs from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jesus would walk this road as well as use it in his teaching of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. This place was quite the wasteland
A sycamore tree in Jericho...need I say more?
Well, this is our last night in Jerusalem. We are headed southeast tomorrow and crossing the border into Jordan. It has been a great week and still have a week and half left. We have still yet to experience The Dead Sea, Petra, Sinai, and the Sea of Galilee. Don't know about internet connection in Petra but will post again when we can. Thanks again for reading and continue to pray for our safety but especially that God's Word will become more real to us everyday. We have a lot to learn we've found.
Day 6
We kept busy all day Saturday visiting sites at Jerusalem, Bethany, and Bethlehem
Descending into the cave of Lazarus' Tomb in Bethany, two miles from Jerusalem. see John 11
Coming out of the tomb (could very well be the actual tomb of Lazarus!) I made it out alive...
Garden of Gathsemane in the Gospels
At the top of the Herodium, Herod's Palace near Bethlehem. He is believed to be buried here and they are working on excavations of his tomb.
The Heroudium is the mountainous structure on the right. Herod attempted to prove his greatness by moving a mountain. The hill on the left was literally moved to the hill on the right making it half its size.
Nice 360 degree view at the top. You can see Jerusalem on one side and the dead sea on the other (behind Liesl)
In the land of Ruth and Boaz at the threshing floor (Ruth 3:2)
Outside the tent restaurant we ate at near Bethlehem. A beautiful evening in the Holy Land
Descending into the cave of Lazarus' Tomb in Bethany, two miles from Jerusalem. see John 11
Coming out of the tomb (could very well be the actual tomb of Lazarus!) I made it out alive...
Garden of Gathsemane in the Gospels
At the top of the Herodium, Herod's Palace near Bethlehem. He is believed to be buried here and they are working on excavations of his tomb.
The Heroudium is the mountainous structure on the right. Herod attempted to prove his greatness by moving a mountain. The hill on the left was literally moved to the hill on the right making it half its size.
Nice 360 degree view at the top. You can see Jerusalem on one side and the dead sea on the other (behind Liesl)
In the land of Ruth and Boaz at the threshing floor (Ruth 3:2)
Outside the tent restaurant we ate at near Bethlehem. A beautiful evening in the Holy Land
Day 5
More internet issues but will try to post a couple days worth this evening. We are continuing to have 12 hour days slam full of good stuff. We spent alot of time outside on Friday and got plenty of sun. Went up lots of hills and down lots of valleys...
The family (Kyle, Liesl, Kirsten, Monty, and Heidi) atop the hill at Azekah in front of the Valley of Elah. The Philistines encamped throughout the entire valley behind us. So, let's just say there were alot of them. After 40 days of taunting, a certain giant is taken down by David, sending the Philistines in a frenzy back into the hills. I Samuel 17 is a must-read.
Here is my "smooth" stone that I will use to take down the Goliath's in my life. Hah. But seriously, this was taken right out of the dried up brook of Elah, where David retrieved his five smooth stones...Nice.
Joshua 10:1-14 gives the story for this next pic. Gibeon is the hill on the right and the valley of Aijalon is off left of the road. Here Joshua commanded the sun to stand still and the moon to stop until the nation of Israel avenged themselves of their enemies. v.14 says "There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." I think this verse is actually the most impressive of the whole passage.
This is a Biblical hedge and vine from a vineyard near Jerusalem. To get the literary perspective, check out the Jesus' parable of the vine-growers in Mark 12:1-11.
*We also spent time this day at the Valley of Sorek (Samson and Delilah) across from Bet-Shemesh and also passed by Goliath's hometown of Gath.
The family (Kyle, Liesl, Kirsten, Monty, and Heidi) atop the hill at Azekah in front of the Valley of Elah. The Philistines encamped throughout the entire valley behind us. So, let's just say there were alot of them. After 40 days of taunting, a certain giant is taken down by David, sending the Philistines in a frenzy back into the hills. I Samuel 17 is a must-read.
Here is my "smooth" stone that I will use to take down the Goliath's in my life. Hah. But seriously, this was taken right out of the dried up brook of Elah, where David retrieved his five smooth stones...Nice.
Joshua 10:1-14 gives the story for this next pic. Gibeon is the hill on the right and the valley of Aijalon is off left of the road. Here Joshua commanded the sun to stand still and the moon to stop until the nation of Israel avenged themselves of their enemies. v.14 says "There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." I think this verse is actually the most impressive of the whole passage.
This is a Biblical hedge and vine from a vineyard near Jerusalem. To get the literary perspective, check out the Jesus' parable of the vine-growers in Mark 12:1-11.
*We also spent time this day at the Valley of Sorek (Samson and Delilah) across from Bet-Shemesh and also passed by Goliath's hometown of Gath.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Day 4
There was no internet last night so I have gotten behind but am at a local restaurant doing my posting. We've had a full day everyday pretty much so can't post everything but will continue with the highlights. Learning alot and trying to retain it all but it's not easy!
The Wilderness of Zin was definitely a favorite place from yesterday. It was spectacular. You can read about it in Numbers 20:1-13, the story when Moses strikes the rock in the wilderness instead of speaking to it as God told him to.
This part of the wilderness was definitely not a wasteland, even though most the rest of it was. If Moses and the Israelites found this place then I'm sure they hung out here for a few weeks...
Working the fields...we found some Bedouins on our drive south and stopped to give them a hand for a while. These people were old school, too. No modern machinery.
Liesl was the first to get a pic with this guy. After that all the girls wanted one and you could tell he loved women!
Here we are in Hebron at the Machpelah, the burial cave of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah. Wow! On top is this temple, which was actually the Muslim Mosque side. All the woman had to cover up like Liesl here and we weren't allowed to touch each other either :) Check out Genesis 23-25 to read about how Abraham purchased this land...
These two structures are the shrines to Isaac and Rebekah, I believe. They would have actually been buried much further below this and there is a small hole that you can look down to see part of the cave although no one can go down there.
The Wilderness of Zin was definitely a favorite place from yesterday. It was spectacular. You can read about it in Numbers 20:1-13, the story when Moses strikes the rock in the wilderness instead of speaking to it as God told him to.
This part of the wilderness was definitely not a wasteland, even though most the rest of it was. If Moses and the Israelites found this place then I'm sure they hung out here for a few weeks...
Working the fields...we found some Bedouins on our drive south and stopped to give them a hand for a while. These people were old school, too. No modern machinery.
Liesl was the first to get a pic with this guy. After that all the girls wanted one and you could tell he loved women!
Here we are in Hebron at the Machpelah, the burial cave of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah. Wow! On top is this temple, which was actually the Muslim Mosque side. All the woman had to cover up like Liesl here and we weren't allowed to touch each other either :) Check out Genesis 23-25 to read about how Abraham purchased this land...
These two structures are the shrines to Isaac and Rebekah, I believe. They would have actually been buried much further below this and there is a small hole that you can look down to see part of the cave although no one can go down there.
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