Happy Easter! (you'll see)
Shalom! Greetings from Israel!
Tuesday
Today it rained...but how fitting. Because today we walked the via Dolorosa, the way of suffering. The cold and rain set the mood for the somber walk. The street led us to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is the historic site of the cross and the tomb. And even though this chuch is quite a site, the most amazing of all things...THE TOMB IS EMPTY...HE HAS RISEN! JUST AS HE SAID!
We also spent a great part of the day walking around the old city. We learned about the structures and customs of the 1st century. We visited the southern (teaching) steps and saw the original steps where Jesus walked, sat, and taught...UNBELIEVABLE!
One of my favorite sites was walking through Hezekiah's tunnel. For those who have heard Pam talk about this...every word was true, if not downplayed a little. This is a tunnel that Hezekiah built to bring water from the outside of the city into a more fortified area. As you walk through, it's hard not to think of the blood, sweat, and sacrifice that men gave as they chiseled away this 200-300 yard passage way.
We ended our day for another memorable event...communion at the Garden Tomb. This is a secondary spot for the cross and tomb of Jesus. But, again, location does not matter, because THE TOMB IS EMPTY!!! We were able to gather in a quiet corner to take communion. This group has really become quite a family, and it was really special to take the bread and cup with my brothers and sisters.
Wednesday
We heading North again. But not before we stop at the Mount of Olives to reflect on that last night that Christ had with His desciples. This also gave us one more look at Jerusalem before moving on.
We next found ourselves at Qumran. This is the sight of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We learned about the history of the area and about the people who lived here and dedicated their lives to the LORD and HIS Word.
We ended our day with another unbelievable event. We ended up at the Jordan River where 22 of us got baptized for the first time or as a rededication of our lives to Christ. This was absolutely BREATHTAKING!
We wish so much that you could all be here with us, as we will never be able to give words to our experiences here. Please try to make this trip a reality for yourselves as well...I know it will touch you all.
As always, thanks for all of your prayers. We feel power, healing, and lifted up through your prayers...it gives us the strength to keep going on.
We'll be home real soon...until then,
God's Blessings to all of you!
Love, in Christ!
brian
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