From there we enter the old city for the last time.  We gaze down at the healing pool of Bethesda with an Ascelopian temple by its side and then enter the church of St. Ann’s.  As we wander to the front we are greeted by the singing voices of about 60 Kenyans singing “How Great Thou Art.”  As we join them in song the two groups, first timid and segregated, join and mingle.  Tears are wept and hugs and handshakes overwhelm any separation we felt the moment before.  With this amazing picture of untiy and grace we depart the church.

We come to the Church of the Flageration and listen as the flogging is described in detail.  With this image in mind we set out for our own version of the Via Dolorosa through the Old City’s butchery street, finally coming to the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Inside, we learn of the coronation of Caesar and the picture painted in the gospel of Mark and sit at the foot of the quarry called Golgotha.  We wonder to the tomb and spend time in reflection and prayer over the significance of Jesus’ most powerful act.

Finally, we close our day at the Garden Tomb.  Not likely to be the actual tomb, but a good place to close.  We come together as a body and for the last time we worship and recite scripture together.  We share communion and pray for the next steps of our journey in this amazing gift of life.

To close, I share with you our prayers.

Holy Father, allow us to step back into our lives smoothly.  We have changed over the last two weeks.  The experience that you have given us has been absolutely breathtakingly beautiful in places and absolutely terrifying and difficult in others. We thank you for the transformation that you have begun in each of us as we come to you and that you have continued at an accelerated pace here.  We ask that you finish the good work in us, bringing us to perfection.  Father, we pray for those we will encounter on the return home.  We pray that your Spirit speaks from our mouths as we tell of our experiences.  We pray that you would open hearts and ears to hear of the experience and use this to advance your Kingdom here on earth.  Father we are so thankful to you for all of the gifts that you faithfully continue to rain down on us.  Amen.

Grace and shalom,

Ryan Jacobson

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They are not kidding when they say “We are going up to Jerusalem”.  Everywhere you go is in uphill from where you are.  Our next destination was to the top of Temple Mount.  We were blessed to be allowed entrance into the area, now home to the Dome of the Rock.  It is unusual for non-Muslims to be allowed in.  Pants for men and pants or skirts for women are required here and in many of the religious sites.  One of our group members couldn’t find the pants he planned to change into.  Much to our delight, he was able to purchase a skirt for $ 10.  Although it was a tight fit, it did not make his butt look big.  Since our bibles were confiscated at the front door, we quietly recited scripture from memory while overlooking the East Gate, the gate through which Messiah will return.

The afternoon started with a quick hike up to the Herodian, Herod’s palace in Bethlehem.  After dismissing him and his crumbling ruins for the final time, we proceeded into town.  In Bethlehem we were treated to lunch and shopping at Johnny’s Souveneers.  Our hosts were a family of Palestinian Christians and were most gracious.  The GNP of the West Bank made a significant jump after we made a healthy deposit of US dollars with Johnny and at the store across the street buying Magnum Bars.

Our travels continued back to Jerusalem and the Temple area.  After a time of discussion and prayer, we finished the day at the Western Wall.  I’m sure God was pleased as His kids from Texas and elsewhere – hot, tired, smelly and dirty – quietly cried out to him from in front of the wall.  Some of us felt surprisingly comfortable surrounded by Orthodox Jews dressed in black (some with fur hats), heavily armed Israeli soldiers in olive green and the sound of the call for prayers from the mosques above.  Perhaps it is because we have been in the river that makes glad the city of our God.  Perhaps it is because we are followers of Jesus Christ, in whom we can rejoice and be glad.

— Chris Estus

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p.s. God bless you Mom!

—Colton Moore.

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We hiked about 9 miles that day, because we hiked up the Snake Trail to Masada, one of Herod’s fortresses.  What a nasty, scary man Herod was!  He had 7 fortresses around to show his power.  He would hire the locals to build these palaces (or fortresses) so he could ingratiate himself to them.  Scott has shared many stories, and we followers have read or recited Bible verses that related to Scott’s stories and Bible events.  Yesterday, we were baptized in the Jordan River after each of us said a prayer.  I prayed for my wonderful family, whom I love so much.  I want God’s way to be my way; and I prayed about that too. ..Today was unbelievable!  We climbed Mt. Arbel.  Inside one of the many caves where Rabbi  led us, we smelled goad urine and feces and realized that was very much like the place where Jesus was born. ..We are a real community of love and caring here. ..I’ve learned that discipleship is many things including love, repentance, obedience, prayer, reading the Bible and so much more. ..We have had many experiences that have tested us; and no one had complained that I know of.  I’ve learned that all things are possible through God.  I haven’t even touched the surface, but all I can say is Scott, our Rabbi, is incredible.  His timing, his Biblical knowledge, his sensitivity, his sense of humor, his humility, his ability to help create a sense of community among us, his stories and SO MUCH MORE have inspired each of us, with God’s help, to work on our weaknesses, increase our strengths and to never give up.  May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit stay in our thoughts and conquer any fears any of us may have.  I, for one, feel incredibly blessed.  With my love to all who might feel like reading this!

–Janice Atkins

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The Jordan River was flowing strong and had a rushing sound that I will not forget.  As we prepared for our teaching, was sat and listened as the water rushed by us.  The terms that come to mind about the Jordan today are; strong current, white water, and fast moving.  G-d does not call us to jump into to the white water, but rather to partner with us as we live on the edge of the river, or Riverside, and stand ready to receive those that are in the midst of a white water situation in their own life.  We have to be prepared to get our feet wet.  Powerful teaching that brought the scripture to life and in full color.  Our Rabbi invited us into the Jordan and we participated in mikveh, cleansing of our mind, heart, works, and walk.  We were also invited to rededicate or confirm or even for the first time, to take part in believer’s baptism, in this amazing and beautiful place.

Our next discovery was the Roman-Byzantine city of Beth-She’an.  It is here that we are reminded of our Hellenistic ways.  This was a place that really got the thought processes flowing as we attempted to hone in on the desires of our heart rather than the desires of our flesh.

The day came to a close at Susita.  This is the place on the other side of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus and his disciples traveled to and came upon a man that was demon possessed.  Jesus casts the demon out of the man and into pigs.  The pigs were then casts into the abyss, the Sea of Galilee.  The demonic man was begging to board the boat with Jesus and his disciples, but he was instructed to return to where he was from and to share his story with all that he could.

It was an amazing day of teaching with shanan (sticking points) that will not be forgotten and will be recalled as we read the Text from here on out.  I pray that we all have the opportunity to get our feet wet.

Blessings,  Phil Marquez

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Three main things today, Gamla, Masada of the North; Omrit and Caesarea Philippi.  (No spelling checks)  Gamla produced great discussion (Scott did get nervous about the time) which ranged quite a bit.  Great questions leading in many directions , all good.  There is hope similar depth discussions will occur at home.  Finding about Josephus was such a twist.  The climbs are even getting easier, kind of.  Today in the full on mud was wonderful that there were only a few falls, only one involving 4 people, everyone fine.

Finding new things uncovered at Omrit was fun for everyone but maybe mostly Scott.  Figuring out where we actually were was amazing.  It still boggles my mind that we are right in active tells.  The words of the trip are starting to stick in my mind.

Lastly we did Caesarea Philippi.  I have seen RVL’s teaching on this.  Being here is better but I have to say I remembered most of it.  If you really want to know, watch that teaching for the first time or again.  It’s very good.  I felt like there was a quantum jump in community today.   There was not the sense of accomplishment found at the summit of Qumran but there was a significant shift today that is hard to actually put in words.  Just know though, that it was good.  The funniest part of the trip for me so far has been the ladies red tent dinner night which we will fill you ladies in on when we get back!!!

Thanks for reading.  Nora Scott

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My son, Rawley, and I were one of the last sign ups on the trip and I was give then twenty-third Psalm to memorize and say at the appropriate time. As we entered the West Bank, our Rabbi Scott stopped the bus as he had spotted a shepherd leading his flock.  So there in one of the most contentious areas in the world, God was working in us with his scripture. The part of the Psalm that spoke to me most – “The Lord is my shepherd I lack nothing”. As an American we expect so much in comparison to our brothers and sisters around the world and we whine when He doesn’t meet our physical wants. God only wants our heart and obedience to his word. After leaving the West Bank we passed by Jericho, the oldest city in the world.

We then headed to the Sea of Galilee passing through the city of Magdala into Tabgha, where Jesus fed the five thousand. This area has the only fresh spring that runs into Galilee. Then the wind began to blow and the rain started coming down.  When we reached Chorazin, part of the Orthodox Triangle, not just one rainbow appeared but two!!! God’s promise to Noah was presented to us in all of its glory! We are now walking where Jesus walked!

We continued to learn about community and our relationships with each other. Rabbi Scott presented the story of the Apostle Phillip and what he gave up proclaiming Christ. Another lesson – what am I willing to endure in defense of the Gospel?  Our day ended at the northern part of the Sea of Galilee at the Ein Gev Kibbutz.

–Ron Mitchell

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In just over an hour, we walked through the ancient settlement of the Essenes, saw the 17 micvahs, and learned about how the Torah was duplicated.  There was amazing passion and devotion by these “People of the Light” or Essenes!  It took THREE people to copy the Torah in the Scriptorium.  The Essenes  walked untold miles to bring “living water” to the micvahs and protected the integrity of the Text with their very lifestyle.

We came out of the ruins and assembled along hillside and looked to the cliffs which are dotted with caves in all directions.  As we had already learned, the sheep herders in the area used stones to guide the sheep through the hills.  Apparently, around sixty years ago, a shepherd threw a stone that landed in a cave and what resulted was the sound of shattering pottery.  Upon further investigation, it was found that the cave contained clay pots with ancient copies of the texts made by the Essenes.

After seeing the caves of Qumran, we walked up the ancient aqueducts into the cliffs.  There we found a man-made tunnel through the cliff which is believed to have channeled fresh or “living water” to the Essene community.  Many of us crawled through this narrow tunnel, and once again, the passion of the Essenes for the Text, for their King and for the coming Messiah came into view.  What must it have been like to tunnel through rock with the sole purpose of brining in the precious water which is essential for life in the desert, but also essential for sustaining the devotion to the ritualistic cleansing of the Essenes?

Onward and upward we hiked on the ancient paths that the Hebrew people before us traveled.  Many of us were tired and weary or full of fear for the challenges above or the steep cliffs below.  When we came to the clearing, Scott spoke with extreme conviction the interconnectedness of the devotion of the Essenes with the topography, the passion for the text, John the Baptist and to Jesus.  The faith lesson ended with an invitation to continue ascending to the apex of the cliff.

As we continued, each step signified an experience shared by a Hebrew people we seek to know in ever-increasing measure.  We paused at the peak to pray for many of you reading this and to renew our commitment to completely devote ourselves to the text.

A lunch of pita bread and chicken greeted us at the base of the park.  And, after getting plenty to eat, we boarded the bus for En Gedi.

We arrived a short time later and immediately took to the trail.  We were immersed in the paradox of topography.  After a very hot and dry hike at Qumran, the sound of rushing water flowing from the streams of En Gedi seemed surreal.  We sat next to the cool waters and shared about how God has provided En Gedi’s for us when we have walked through the desert.

We continued upwards, ever closer to the source of this anomaly in the desolate landscape.  We stopped beneath a powerful waterfall, and Scott began to teach.  This was the visible picture of LIVING WATER.  The place where David hid from Saul.  The very tangible picture of Christ as our source of life in a desolate world.  Scott helped us realize that many of us share the life-giving water that we’ve found in the measure with which we are comfortable.  Whereas God is actually much more lavish and extreme.

And, today was the day that we began to partially understood this impossible extreme.  Qumran was home to a sect of Jews with an extreme passion for cleanliness and devotion to the text, but those cisterns and micvahs offered us no water today.  In fact, their devotion and drive for purity compelled them to toil under cruel conditions to engineer a water path leading directly to their settlement.

While at En Gedi we saw, felt, heard and smelled the place of raging, life-giving water that seems impossible.  Surrounded by desert, immersed in the heat and the rocks and the dust is a place that continually gives life.  A place that is a picture of who Christ is, what he gives, how he never quits, how he wants to cool us, give us life, care for us, change us, renew us, teach us, and never relent.  “So,” Scott pushed us, “how far will you go?  Will you stay comfortable or will you totally immerse yourselves…like this!”  And he dove into the pool at the base of the waterfall.  And we all followed suit – clothes (some cell phones) and all!

It was an incredible day.  There are many in our group who are extremely weary and sore, but you couldn’t tell that today.  The evidence only surfaces after the hike when ice-bags are passed around and eyes droop at dinner.

The clear passion of this group is remarkable and the level of transparency is uncanny after only five days.  People from all walks of life are experiencing the Text, this Jesus and this King in powerful ways.  What a blessing and a joyful responsibility to carry back to you!

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After lunch, we were privileged to witness a Tabernacle, created in the desert, as a means of giving us the history of the purpose, and scope of the Tabernacle. The woman who presented the story and scripture associated with the creation of the Tabernacle was truly a witness of God – so inspired, overflowing with biblical knowledge and grace.

We then trekked to a lone Acacia tree, large enough to provide shade for all of us, and there our Rabbi imparted his knowledge of drawing honey from a rock. He invited us to share our experiences of taking something sad and drawing from it something good. The stories shared were humbling, and opened the hearts of many of us to share our lives with one another.

The story of this place is amazing. We are blessed to be led by a Rabbi who is beautifully enlightened, and able to paint pictures of the power of Israel itself, and the overriding nature of our God in all of this experience. The power of our group is uplifting. We are making lifelong friends, with each step of our venture in this holy land.

Love…
Jim Burgess

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Yes, today we venture into the Negev, to ultimately discover the commonality of a shade tree and a fortress. We begin our journey through the desert in Arad. Now just ruins, it is apparent to all that it once was a thriving community of Israelites. As we made our first walk, we came upon a tamarisk tree, and learned the story behind Abraham’s planting of a tamarisk tree in Genesis 21:33. The tamarisk was particularly unusual in that it was the only tree among the ruins. Because the tamarisk takes much, much longer to grow than other trees and will endure the hardship of the desert sun and wind, Abraham demonstrated his long-lasting covenant with G_d, and his desire that G_d’s blessing be bestowed on the generations that will follow him. We were inspired by our Rabbi to pray for the generations that will come after us, and all joined in a deeply earnest and purposeful prayer. Our walk through Arad took us through a lesson on G_d’s covenant with Abraham and us, and the dramatic manner in which G_d expresses His intent to keep his covenant with his people.

We then journeyed through many hills in the desert and came upon a community of Bedouins, living, it seems, out in the middle of the desert. There, we experienced the radical hospitality that we are called upon to mark our own faith walk. As we neared the community, we were met by about eight children, playing in the sand and rocks. Their eyes brightened as they saw us draw near. At first hesitant to come close, the warmth of several members in our group bridged the gap. The children gathered and gleamed at us. We were led to one of the houses, where the matriarch awaited us in a beautiful robe and scarf. A beautiful woman of about 60, she welcomed us into her home and we all sat. There, the females of the home gathered with the children. All dressed up in beautiful clothes, they served us warm tea and quickly began kneading and heating a thin bread for us. We all sat on mats and marveled at their warmth and hospitality. They sought nothing but to make us feel at home. And we did.

Giving our thanks, we left overwhelmed with their love. Our walk back to Arad was filled with awe and the teaching of the morning. After lunch, we traveled to a place much different. As we rounded around a bend, a massive mountain and structure stood before us. We had arrived on the western side of Masada. As we got off the bus, there was nowhere to look but up. The massive fortress stood strongly on top of a mountain with cliffs. As we climbed up to the top, we walked by the rampart built by the Romans and felt not only the physical power of this place, but an anxious wonder of what happened here. As we made it to the top, we began to discover the conflicting events that make this place so thought provoking. We learned of the filth and degradation of Herod. We learned of Israelites fleeing here for refuge. We learned of Romans using slaves for two years to build the rampart that would allow them access. We learned of the mass suicide of Israelites before the Romans could seize and kill them. And we grappled with what all of that means.

We ended our day walking down the east side of Masada, down the Snake trail. Beginning under the shade of a tamarisk tree, and ending with a 45 minute walk down from a fortress, our thoughts couldn’t help but be centered on the vibrant, exciting life that exists in G_d’s desert. It is no wonder G_d loves this place. After today, I am confident that each one of us loves it as well.

—Mike McCrum

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