Once we’re on the ground in Israel, we’ll post periodic updates, photos, and recorded audio. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page.

We’ll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and family, to not only bring you along on the journey with us, but to also solicit your ongoing prayer and support. Most of us on this trip are currently preparing mentally and spiritually for what will be a life-changing experience in the land. We’re also preparing physically as we train our bodies to handle on the time we’ll spend on our feet walking. So please pray that we would be diligent in our preparations and we would all be ready to learn what God has to teach us.

Once we’re on the ground in Israel, we’ll post periodic updates, photos, and recorded audio. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page.

We’ll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and family, to not only bring you along on the journey with us, but to also solicit your ongoing prayer and support. Most of us on this trip are currently preparing mentally and spiritually for what will be a life-changing experience in the land. We’re also preparing physically as we train our bodies to handle on the time we’ll spend on our feet walking. So please pray that we would be diligent in our preparations and we would all be ready to learn what God has to teach us.

Once we’re on the ground in Israel, we’ll post periodic updates, photos, and recorded audio. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page.

We’ll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and family, to not only bring you along on the journey with us, but to also solicit your ongoing prayer and support. Most of us on this trip are currently preparing mentally and spiritually for what will be a life-changing experience in the land. We’re also preparing physically as we train our bodies to handle on the time we’ll spend on our feet walking. So please pray that we would be diligent in our preparations and we would all be ready to learn what God has to teach us.

Once we’re on the ground in Israel, we’ll post periodic updates, photos, and recorded audio.  Check back often to get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page.

We’ll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and families, to not only bring you along on the journey with us, but to also solicit your ongoing prayer support.

Most of us are preparing both physically and spiritually for this trip.  Trips to the gym, extra walks, diets, doctor’s visits all come together to prepare us physically.  George’s Israel Study Guide begins the foundation for mental and spiritual preparation.  In addition, George is sending out weekly devotions to more clearly focus our preparation.

So please pray for us that we would be diligent in our preparations and we would all be ready to learn what God has to teach us.  Oh yeah, and look for our in country updates beginning May 18.

Once we’re on the ground in Israel, we’ll post periodic updates, photos, and recorded audio.  Check back often to get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page.

We’ll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and families, to not only bring you along on the journey with us, but to also solicit your ongoing prayer support.

Most of us are preparing both physically and spiritually for this trip.  Trips to the gym, extra walks, diets, doctor’s visits all come together to prepare us physically.  George’s Israel Study Guide begins the foundation for mental and spiritual preparation.  In addition, George is sending out weekly devotions to more clearly focus our preparation.

So please pray for us that we would be diligent in our preparations and we would all be ready to learn what God has to teach us.  Oh yeah, and look for our in country updates beginning May 18.

Probably one of the main themes this trip and a common pattern we have been seeing literally almost at every site is that there would be an altar dedicated to God but also a smaller altar for a pagan god. We think that this is funny because it is so easy to look at that with distain or rebuke because it is right there in physical form right in from of our eyes, but it is something we do in our lives all the time. We have other “gods” in our lives all the time, you see there are things that we praise, maybe not as adamantly as God, but it may be second in our lives. That is the same thing as the Israelites did, God was the highest alter, but right below is something else. Something that we place close to God or even in a far proximity, the key is, though, that it is on the radar. God should be the only thing that you hold in reverence, at all.

Something that was prominent and worth mentioning was the comparison between Roman city and the Insulas.  It was crazy to see how small the communities were and the simple lives they live in the Insulas compared to when they would go to a roman city and see the eloquence and great splendor of everything they offered for the people there.  There was a great appeal to the cities because everything they had there was bigger and better. Like the world. The world looks so appealing to some and it is easy to compromise the very thing that is special to you, your community, and trade it in for your own interests.

Community then and now is and was very important, as the Bible says iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens another man and that is community. This trip community has been a big theme. We look at some of the places 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd century people would have lived, which mainly very small homes or network of homes were living in very close proximity of each other. In Israel personal space doesn’t exist which makes us Americans think differently about community. Living in the Joshua building for almost a year with other students can be hard at times, but we do to a certain extent have personal space, people in the time of Jesus didn’t so personally I’m taking away from this that when we are called to be a community we need to dig deep and bring the sin of our personal space to light to others so that we may grow and become what God has for us.

Overall this trip has been a great trip and it has opened our eyes up to the bible. I have heard it so many times said it is like reading the bible in color. Yes I think this is a perfect description because it has done exactly that, yet this trip has open our eyes to the evasive number of people who have misses it, missed the entire purpose of existence. God’s special gift of giving us the opportunity to SEE the Bible excites us to share it with those who have missed it, those who have missed everything.  So in a way as our trip ends, and as Joshua ends… IT WILL BEGIN!

The past 11 days wouldn’t have been possible without GTI Tours facilitating this trip. Help us say thanks to them by liking them on Facebook (below) or by scrolling down and leaving an appreciative comment!

Audio from this day
Brad teaching on mount of olives
Christian teaching at the pools of Bethesda
Day 11 thoughts from Austin B
JWI singing at St Anne’s Church
Singing in saint annes
Students final wrap up thoughts from the trip

Today was our last full day of touring.   We have one more night in our hotel and then tomorrow we pack, see a few more sites tomorrow and then head to the airport in the evening.  It’s been a great but tiring trip and we all look forward to sharing what we have learned with you.  Thanks again for all the prayers and for following our blog.

Audio From This Day
Day 10 thoughts from the Joshua Staff
Rich and Brad teaching on the Southern Steps
Ronen teaching on the temple mount

From the Herodium we made our way to the Church of the Nativity; which is made up of the Armenian, Greek Orthodox, and Catholic Churches. These churches are said to have been built upon the place of Jesus’ birth. It was very encouraging to see the devotion and worship of the three Churches. Through this we learned that the importance is not in the place but what it represents. The fact that Jesus was born on this earth and now lives among his people. A common theme throughout this trip that can benefit our relationship with Christ is focusing only on Christ; not Christ and something else.

From the Nativity we went and had our first shopping experience at Johnny’s; where we were fed Falaffles and Shwrma. Johnny’s is one of the only Christian souvenir shops in Bethlehem. It was a great experience to be able to support him and his family.

From Johnny’s we went to the Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and the 1^st Century model of Jerusalem. Following that we went to the Yad Vashem, or a Hand and a Name. this is the Israeli Holocaust Museum. Walking through this memorial and the different exhibits,  Matty and I were hit pretty hard. It was a powerful but sobering experience. We as Americans look at the Holocaust as an event of the Past; but the people of Israel remember as if it was yesterday. They look at the Holocaust not only as the deaths of 6,000,000 Jews, but also as a loss of lives not lived, a culture destroyed, and everyday life interrupted.   If you have time listen to the talk that Ronen our Israeli guide did for us at the museum as it was very impactful and worth your time to listen to.  We have two days left and are excited to get a chance to walk around the old city tomorrow.  Continue to follow the blogs as we will keep giving you the scoop.

Audio from this day
Ronen teaching at Yad Vashem
Thoughts from Davia and Grace

As the morning dawned we found ourselves in a sad place as we prepared to depart from the Sea of Galilee for the final time.  Although there was never that much disappointment as the excitement of finally visiting Jerusalem was hanging in the air.  We took a final drive around the Galilee, which only takes about forty-five minutes, and then we were on our way.

The first site that we visited was Nazareth.  It was interesting because there was absolutely nothing left, at least that we saw, from the first century.  We spent our time there on the edge of a hill overlooking the Jezreel Valley.  This was the same hill that the Nazarenes tried to throw Jesus off of in Luke 4.  We did not spend much time here, but it did set up a background for the rest of the day since we would be spending it in and around the Jezreel Valley.

Our next stop was one of interest, and I have to admit that it is hard not to be interested in the place where the Jesus will fight the armies of the earth when he returns.  Armageddon comes from Hebrew’s Har Megiddo which means Hill of Megiddo.  It is said that more war has occurred here than any other place on earth.  It was fascinating to see it, and learn a little bit about this place.  The Israelites never really managed to drive the Canaanites from this city and it became a prominent high place.  Not only were people falling from the Lord in public, but they were also doing it in secret.  Brad Bell challenged us at this point to consider what our high places may be, including the ones that we never let anyone in our life see.  Somehow seeing the places where idolatry took control of the Israelites really shows how small compromises at one point or another can drag an entire nation from the God of the universe.  I can’t say that there is one thing that we are being taught on this trip, but this concept of small compromises and following the culture around you seems to be appearing a lot in regard to the Israelites’ relationship with God.

After we had finished with Megiddo we visited Mt. Carmel.  While we did not necessarily sit on the spot where Elijah had his showdown with the prophets of Baal in First Kings eighteen but it was interesting to look down on the valley and get a perspective of what it would be like to have been there.  While we didn’t get into a lot of interpretive teaching like we have at other sites we enjoyed listing to the story and Elijah’s chutzpah.  On this mountain Elijah called fire down from heaven, and killed all of the prophets of Baal.  What is surprising is that he ran for his life right after this.  The question, then, is where are you, and will you run from what God has for you?  It may not look great, but will you trust him?

As we ate lunch we stewed on this and soon enough we were on the way to our last site for the day.  It was a lovely drive to Caesarea, and was especially nice to be on the Mediterranean Sea.  I can’t help but comment on how beautiful this city on the ocean must have been.  It was built by Herod as a trade center on the Mediterranean Sea.  At the time it had the largest harbor in the world, and was the largest city in Israel with 120,000 people.  We had fun seeing what was left and doing some “archaeological digs” for pottery and mosaic tiles.  We were also able to sit in the room where Paul proclaimed his faith the King Agrippa in Acts twenty six.  Again we were faced with the question of where are you and will you give all that you have for the Gory of God?  Paul gave up his freedom and his life, what are you willing to give?  We ended our visit to the sea eating Magnum Bars, which are delicious ice cream bars that are sold here.

Now we approach Jerusalem for the final leg of our adventure here.  Soon we’ll be traveling into the city for a whirlwind of activity that will build up to our departure.  What I would like to leave all of you with is something that Kelly Hughes left us with this morning.  She encouraged us to not forget what we’re here for.  Sometimes we get so caught up in seeing all of the sites and taking in all of the information that Rich and the staff are giving us we forget that the whole reason we are here is to grow closer to Jesus.  Really what does it matter if we’ve been to Israel if we don’t love God?  What will make this trip special?  It’s not the history, or the location, or people, it’s not even Joshua.  It’s a desire to actively seek God, because you will find him wherever you look.  We see God here because we expect to see him, so as you continue through life take a moment and see where god is in your life, and don’t stop looking.

Signing off from Israel,
Andy Schmidt and Chase Silver

Big thanks to the media team

On a side not we wanted to highlight all the people who have been making the blog updates happen.   I know you guys have enjoyed them so here is the list of guys working every day on all the different pieces.  Since we are the media team we also made a video of ourselves that we think you will enjoy

Take care

Austin B, Rich, Chad, Allan, Daniel, Josiah and Jen

Audio from this day
Brad teaching at Megiddo
Day 8 thoughts from Zoei and Meghan
Ronen teaching at Caesarea

First of all: Drink like camels, die like dogs. And because of this little motto for our class: drinking lots of water equals pee stops all day long.

Pee stop 1: before we leave the kibbutz.

Now it should be noted that Rebecca and I (Kristin) are hiking buddies and have not left each other’s side the entire trip. We both are asthmatic and help set the pace for each other…and make sure the other doesn’t die.

Today was a very powerful day for a lot of us! This morning we had another fishy and cheesy breakfast followed by devotions. However, today’s devotions weren’t like the others. We spent our time with God out on the sea in a tour boat! Chad led by asking us to spend a few minutes in silence while worship music was played throughout the boat. I (Kristin) spent my time staring out into the water and just freaking out about the fact that Jesus walked out there and now I was just floating in a boat in that same place. The water looked so peaceful but thinking about how the Bible describes the waves that night and that they get massive and scary…crazy, and hard to believe.  I (Rebecca) was looking out onto the sea while reading Revelations 4, which describes how the 4 creatures worship God forever and ever.

Pee stop 2: back again at the kibbutz because “we have a one hour drive and a two hour hike!” thanks Ronen.

After our adventure on the sea we made our way to Bet She’an. Now the coolest thing about this city was our trek towards it. We had to casually make our way through a barb wire fence…no big deal, and then found ourselves staring at yet another city gate. Cool beans. Until Brad had us read 2 Samuel and the death of Saul which pretty much described how the Philistines hung him up most likely on the very city gate we were standing by…again, no big deal. So then we keep heading southward on this hill and then >BAM< we look over a cliff and there is this huge Greko-Roman city! There was mosaic tiles, second biggest city of the first century, columns, theatre (that we sang the Doxology in…no big deal), bath house, it was cool.

Pee stop 3: you get the idea.

Lunch at Magdala which was delicious falafel in pita and some ice cream.

Pee stop 4: at the restaurant.

Hike up to Hippos/ Sussita and look at more columns and mosaic tiles.

Pee stop 5: defile abandoned Syrian bunkers.

Hike to Bet Saida. Birth place of five out of the twelve disciples…no big deal.

No pee stop: that’s new!

Then we made our way down to the Jordan River. This was a special moment for all of us as a community as we watched some of our brothers and sisters make a public statement of faith in the same river Christ was baptized. I (Kristin) was one of the people who was ‘dipped’ into the river. I had been baptized before at a younger age but looking back at my motives behind it and my understanding of what I was doing it didn’t mean as much to me as it did now. I also have grown so much this year and made my relationship with Christ real and for me it was a time to tell my family and friends “I am a follower of Christ” in a really honest and genuine way. It was also special to have Rich baptize me since I had made it clear to him many times throughout the year that I did not want to be in Joshua and was ready to quit any moment. Even as we were out in the water Rich asked me “Remember when you were ready to quit?” Yes Rich I remember all too well and am grateful that by the grace of God and His strength that I am here in the Holy Land with my best friend Rebecca!

Pee stop 6: finally back at the kibbutz

Well folks, that was our relieving day!

Over and out!

Brad teaching at Bet Shean
Brad teaching at Bet Shean part 2
Day 7 thoughts from Jenna L and Rachel
Austin on location at Shabbat dinner
Rich teaching at Susita