Day 5: Instagram Israel

Day 5: Shalom my brothers and sisters!

This is from 3 days ago and yesterday because we stayed with the Bedouin people in the desert, and they didn't have wifi and then I have just been really tired and my throat kind of hurts.

Today was unbelievably eye-opening and full of moments I will never forget, which isn't bad for only getting one and a half hours of sleep. I am finding my rest in the Lord, especially after the praise and worship we had last night. 

We started the day by attending a Latin Mass at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher. Although I did not understand 99 percent of all-Latin service, but the one percent I did understand was powerful. The priest gave me the blessing, "May the Lord God Almighty bless you now and forever, Amen." 

At the next site, I learned a lot about the Muslim faith that I hadn't known before. It was the Dome of the Rock, the site that holds the rock that Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac on and possibly contains the Holy of Holies. The site is under Israeli security and Muslim religious authority. Jews cannot pray or bring any religious texts on the grounds, and only Muslims 40 years and older are allowed. This is to prevent any rioting and violence. 

While we were there a young, Jewish boy, escorted by three Israeli police and one of the Muslim authorities walked up to get a picture, not wearing shoes because it is a holy place. When the Israeli police officer stopped to take the picture of the Jewish boy, a large group of Muslims in a circle all stopped what they were doing to watch the boy. Dome of the Rock, Jewish boy, clash of religions - religious peace. 

At the next site, we took off our shoes and went barefoot down Hezekiah's tunnel, a 2,700 year old water tunnel. At some points the water was up to our calf and at other points it was up to our thighs. The tunnel let to the place of the miracle where Jesus told the man to put mud on his eyes.

We visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum, where my floodgates were opened. All I could think about is, "what if that was my family?" and "how can I prevent this from ever happening again?"  

We went to Mt. Herzl, the equivalent to America's Arlington National Cemetery, to pay tribute to Israel's national figures and fallen IDF soldiers. I have a new hero, Hannah Senesh, and three of the girls, Lindsey, Destiny and Sherrae, sang Eili, Eili, a song which she wrote. I want to study more about her, and I encourage you to check her out.

Then we drove to Kfar Hanokdim, where we rode camels! We stayed in a huge tent at the Bedouin grounds.  I got some steals - fisherman pants, a big shirt, and a necklace for my mom (shh...don't tell her!). I was talking on the phone outside the tent, when  I heard someone yell. My first thought was that someone got attacked, but later I found out that a cat ran into the tent and woke up Casby who shooed it away, and Victoria stood up (still asleep) and started yelling, then she woke up, and Estara ran out of the tent and woke up as she was running. So funny!

My friends Patrick, Chad and John conquered sickness on the way to the desert. I ask for your prayer and continued support. Patrick is my roommate/friend so a prayer for him is a prayer for me ;) Thanks!