FPC Music - Chancel Choir Holy Land Mission Tour

The Return, and Thanks

2011-06-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 24, 2011
by Luke Hippler

All our new friends, after the final concert

Our final concert was a rousing success. Easily our best turnout, and the cross-section of clergy and nuns in attendance (Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Anglican, Scottish Presbyterian, and possibly Armenian or Russian Orthodox) was a powerful symbol of peace and harmony through Christianity. This is the example of unity and tolerance we pray for throughout the region. Everyone seemed to enjoy the music, even a couple of stoic nuns, who visibly warmed when Linda began her "Pie Jesu" solo.

You can see a video from the concert at this link:
Episcopal Church of the Holy Family, Raineh

Rebekah, Missy, and Anne (FPC's "Sisters"),
in the Guesthouse Convent Courtyard

All Aboard - for the Sea of Galilee

Today, we prepare for our return trip. We're not quite done touring, but I can't share too many details because we head straight to the airport at the end of the day. So I'm writing this in advance, as I sit in the courtyard of the Guesthouse Convent of the Sisters of Nazareth, right next door to the beautiful Basilica of the Annunciation (where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary), and right on top of excavated ruins of another Nazarene village and cemetery that dates back to the first century. We were able to explore these caves thanks to our nervous Sister guide ("No more than 20! And don't touch the walls! Very Fragile!"). I'm not sure how everyone felt knowing we were in a large and heavy building directly above huge caves with fragile walls, but I suspect travel fatigue allowed most to sleep just fine. Plans for today include a trip to (and over) the Sea of Galilee (where Jesus gathered his disciples and calmed the waters), a tour of Caesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and a final dinner in Jaffa before returning to Tel Aviv and our long trek back to Marietta. I'll try to add some pictures before I post this.

Sunset over the Mediterranean Sea,
at our final dinner

It has been wonderful working on the blog; a true collaborative effort. It was a blast to coordinate it and get to work with all of the talented contributors. I want to thank the many writers that gave their time to organize their thoughts and give the blog its voice. Tom Steele, in addition to penning some posts, did all of the filming for the videos seen here (plus Liz for the Western Wall, and Ed also for the Western Wall as well as posting all the videos). I especially want to thank Bennett Frye, who gave up most of his free time and hauled many kilos of equipment all over the Middle East in order to photograph the entire trip (most of the photos on the blog are his).

The entire tour group echoes me when I say thanks to Ed, Cal, and Cindy, for all their work in planning and executing this trip for us. Even our tour guides were impressed at the caliber of the itinerary, and as you saw in the various posts, we experienced perspectives and emotions missed by most tourists and pilgrims. That a group of this size can travel this far and for this long, and have no major problems nor be at each others' throats, is strong evidence of their leadership, patience, and skill. At the dinner following our final concert, the group gave these fearless three a souvenir of the trip - mosaics of the Tree of Life, made in Jordan near Mt. Nebo.

Souvenirs for our leaders

I believe we have been successful here and have taken full advantage of the opportunity given to us. We've been successful both as pilgrims walking in awe in the steps of our Lord, and as messengers, sharing our ministry of God's Peace. Our pace was brisk and full, and the entire group rose to both the physical demands of the trip as well as the musical challenge. Cal and Yvonne deserve special mention for their talented performances, as well as their amazing ability to adapt to the available resources and the acoustic demands of the different venues. We were all eager to receive the inspiration waiting for us here - and believe me - we found it. Now we're ready to return and share this in Marietta!

Hello, I have been Luke, your blog guide, assistant to Captain Ed! Prepare for landing, and Welcome to America!

FPC Chancel Choir - Holy Land Mission Tour

Reflections on Weddings, Women, Worksheets, and Wisdom

2011-06-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 23, 2011
by Margaret Grayburn

We have had a life changing pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We have been so blessed to be able to visit these lands and these fabulous peoples. But my, the differences among the various cultures; in how they express their beliefs and their respective levels of tolerance for those differences. Below are some observations.

Weddings
Our first night in Amman, Jordan, a Wednesday, we were gathering for our devotion before going to dinner and had to move our meeting space. Something was going on in the lobby of the hotel. Lots of dancing, drumming, and singing! Eventually it moved into one of the ballrooms. It was a groom, the male members of his wedding party, and male guests. But where were the women? Curious.

Our second night in Amman, a Thursday, we found ourselves in the lobby area, hearing drums, bagpipes, and seeing dancers positioned on the spiral staircase going down to the floor below. Moments later, a bride and groom arrived and slowly descended down the staircase amid lots of singing and dancing, as if they were the Pied Piper – all the guests followed them! The bride was very recognizable as a bride, dressed in a beautiful white gown with long sleeves. Her hair was completely covered, as was her neck, and she wore a bridal veil. She was stunningly beautiful. Moments later, the music started again and a second bride and groom appeared. This bride was dressed very much like an American bride might be dressed, but she had long sleeves on her gown. She did not have her hair covered.

On our third night in Amman, a Friday, a limo arrived. A bride and groom exited the limo to a shower of sparklers many feet tall. They, too, descended down the steps. Moments later, many women dressed in beautiful garments, ranging from complete head coverings to some head coverings, to no head coverings, were back in the lobby riding the elevator to some unknown destination. This was repeated at least three additional times that evening. One of the brides had a gown with wide straps over the shoulders, but otherwise her shoulders were bare. She wore a veil pinned to the back of her beautifully coiffed hair. She could have been an American bride.

Each night we learned a little bit more of the wedding traditions for brides and grooms in Jordan. The bride and groom arrive together at the reception, but then they have separate celebrations – one for the women and one for the men. Very interesting. It seems that weddings can take place any night of the week. And weddings at hotels like where we were only happened if the groom’s family had money. In Jordan, the groom’s family has to pay for the wedding.

On our second night in Jerusalem, Israel, a Monday, we drove by a wedding. We didn’t get to take in any of the wedding traditions, as our viewing was so brief. But the bride looked like what a bride in America might look like. The next night, a Tuesday, was the same.

Our farewell dinner, a Thursday, was in Caesarea. There, we viewed five different brides and grooms having their photo and video shoots. Clearly, these too were families of a lot of money!

Our guide, Raymond, explained that in Israel weddings typically take place on Monday and Thursday evenings, which is a Jewish custom. However, Muslim weddings in Israel also typically fall on Mondays and Thursdays.

Women
It was a curious thing to us. At every restaurant in Jordan, we were served by men. And the hotel “maids” were also men. The same was true in Israel, until our final evening in Caesarea. Where were the women? In Amman and in Jerusalem, men and women worked at the front desk of the hotels.

Most of the merchants we saw in both countries were men. But at one checkpoint, one of the Israeli soldiers entering our bus (machine guns in hand) was a woman.

In Jordan, most women wore head coverings. And, typically, hair was completely covered. While we were at the Dead Sea, a girl, probably in her teen years, swam in one of the hotel pools. She was wearing something that looked somewhat like a wet suit, but not quite as tight. Her entire head was covered with the same fabric, allowing just the oval of her face showing. Her mother wore the traditional dress and head covering, leaving just her bare feet showing so she could wiggle her toes at the water’s edge. We saw all manner of dress from western to full birka.

In Israel, we saw many women covering their heads, but not necessarily covering all of their hair. And, while at the Wailing Wall, most Jewish women did not have their heads covered.

Our first concert in Israel was at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Jerusalem. We were introduced to, and later treated to a tour of the facility by the Reverend Heather Mueller, one of the first legally ordained women pastors in the Episcopal Church. She retired after 29 years as a pastor in Hawaii and is now working at St. George. However, because she is a woman, she is not able to officiate in the church service in Israel.

While in Jordan, we toured an Art Museum. We viewed a photograph of a Jordanian woman, head covered and dressed in the robe-like garment so common for women, with her wrists tied together with cloth. The title for this piece of art was Bondage. This begs the question – given a choice, do women want things to change?

Worksheets
In both countries the school year was just about done during our visit. Both countries start their school year in early September. And in both countries, the calendar for all schools is the same. In Israel, because of religious holidays, some schools have different days off from time to time. In Jordan, the school week is Sunday-Thursday. And a teacher is paid 500 JD per month, which is about $750 per month.

In Israel, the public schools are segregated into two groups – Jewish schools and Muslim schools. When school is in session varies between the two groups. Christians go to private schools. They attend school Monday-Thursday and Saturday. The public school curriculum includes and is required to teach religion. According to Raymond, our guide, a Jewish teacher teaching in a Jewish school earns $1500 per month while a Muslim teacher teaching in a Muslim school earns about $800 per month.

Wisdom
Sami, our Jordanian guide, told us on many occasions how the people of Jordan can peacefully coexist in the same communities while practicing different religions.

In Israel, troubles abound because everyone is not the same. Being Jewish is not only a descriptor of religion but of ethnicity. The same is true for other groups within Israel. Politics aside, we have been asked several times on this trip by various people in Israel to pray for peace in Israel. That is what we MUST do.

If this trip to Jordan and Israel were a field trip for my students at school, I might ask you to reflect on these observations during the trip and report your findings using a graphic organizer called a Venn Diagram – you know – circles that slightly overlap, yet have parts of the circle that are on their own. Each circle would represent a country. In the parts of the circles that overlap you write the information the countries have in common. In the parts that do not overlap you write the information the countries do not have in common.

Your assignment: Create a Venn Diagram comparing the above information of Jordan and Israel with what you know about the United States. You should have a circle for each country, with overlaps for Jordan and Israel, Jordan and the USA, Israel and the USA, and one overlap for all three.

After viewing your Venn Diagram, how much are we the same and how much are we different? Think also, how would you prefer your own culture be? What kind of “Venn Blend”? Be prepared to defend your answer. Grades will be posted within the week.

The Nazarene Village

2011-06-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 22, 2011
by Patty Kerr

Gabriel, our tour company's founder

After a terrific lunch in the Old City at a cafe owned by the son of our tour guide, Raymond, we headed to the Church of the Holy Sepluchure, the site of Jesus's tomb. The square surrounding the Church was crowded with Pilgrims of many nationalities. The Church itself is representative of 4 nationalities reflected in the artwork. The dome over the tomb is open allowing beautiful rays of sunlight to shine on the tomb area. Also contained in this place is the location of Mount Calvary. At one place Pilgims are able to touch the top. What is so unusual about this church is that instead of being a place of peace and hope, it is often a place of conflict. Each of the nationalities claims worship areas for certain parts of the day and no one dare cross those lines!

Volunteers demonstrate the threshing floor

After a period of much needed rest, we headed to the St. Andrew's Church of Scotland for our evening's concert. As we boarded the bus and prepared to leave the hotel, we were greeted by Gabriel, the owner of our travel company. He first thanked us for coming to the Holy Land. He then presented us with beautiful crosses that he himself designed, depicting the loaves and fishes inside the cross. He also made a very passionate request that we pray for his land. Especially moving was his concern that soon there would be no Christians left in the Holy Land to protect our heritage. Can you imagine that? I hope that each of you will add this to your prayer list.

Bill, the goat shepherd

The church of St Andrews was a beautiful building. The rounded shape of the chapel provided beautiful reflections of our music and the attendants were blessed by our offering. We were pleased to see many friends who attended previous concerts return to hear us again.

Kerry and Joanne dance on the grape-stomping pit

Tim works the olive press

Today, Wednesday, we headed to Nazareth. Our first stop was the Nazarine Village. The village was created as a replica of Nazareth during the time of Joseph and Mary,similar to what Williamsburg is to us. An American family was there dressed in native costume threshing wheat and tending flocks of goats and sheep. Our guide mentioned that each summer many American families take advantage of this opportunity and information can be found on their website. During our tour of the village we were able to see replicas that helped define many expressions found in the New Testatment, such as the camel going through the eye of a needle easier than a rich man. The eye of the needle is represented by the poor man's gate and the rich man's gates in the city.

At the Nazarene Village, the choir spared a moment to sing. It can be viewed here:
The early Nazarene Village

Tonight will be our final concert at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Family in Raineh, Israel.We are looking forward to this last opportunity to share our music with God's people.

Middle Eastern Fare

2011-06-23T00:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 22, 2011
by Tom Steele

Our venture is drawing to a close. Today, we are departing Jerusalem. While most tourist brochure photos concentrate on sites on or around the Temple Mount, the city itself is much more complex than that. The Holy City within the city walls is abustle with a warren of crowded and aromatic commercial alley ways populated by countless small specialty stalls selling everything from toys and candy to clothing, spices, meats cut off hanging carcasses and fabulous Arab bakeries. Interspersed within the cacophonous corridors are religious shrines venerated by Christians, Jews and Muslims. Immediately adjacent to these sites are street vendors aggressively hawking their wares. Outside the walls, a bustling international city reveals itself with impressive hotels and apartments and toney shopping districts ..... and highway strangling traffic that looks far too familiar to Atlanta commuters.

Miss Liz

One of our group, Miss Liz, a comely lass, has had some interesting interactions with some of the local citzens. In Amman, while purchasing water at a local tea and coffee shop, she was invited by a gentleman to have tea with him. She politely parried the invitation to which he replied, "You are a good woman." In Jerusalem, a handsome and personable vendor, looking like a young Marlon Brando, selling scarves, water, caps and hats was obviously smitten by Miss Liz. An offer of 100 camels was made for her hand. We suggested that Liz hold out for 300 camels. Some of us wondered what the conversion of camels for goats may be, but at $3,000/camel, we're sure that pasture requirements would be a limiting factor. I might also add that Liz also posses two other requirements for a suitable suitor ... good teeth and a strong back.e

Barb and Tom, at one of many fine dining establishments

Homemade goodies after a concert

The choir has sung well, prayed often, and been fed spiritually by the faith and graciousness of the Jordanian and Palestinian Christian communities. We have also been fed well and abundantly in Jordan, Palestine and Israel. The dining fare has been varied and flavorful. Understand that I am a true omnivore. You could empty a vacuum cleaning bag on a plate and serve it with a butter, wine and shallot sauce and I would find it tasty, appreciating the fiber content if nothing else. That being said, the hotel buffets in Petra and Amman and Jerusalem offered a selection of salads and relishes that out rivals any we've ever experienced before. For those of us in the South who long for the season of homegrown tomatoes, a sense of homegrown tomato comfort can be found here. Small, narrow cucumbers, petite okra pods, red and green cabbages and tomatoes, chopped or in wedges, flavored with extravagant use of parsley and mint. Entrees included tender and flavorful braised meats and fish served in a milk and butter sauce. In Jerusalem, a pita bread filled with an abundance of fresh vegetables and savory chicken with carmelized onions. The culinary highlight was a Jordanian luncheon served under a Bedouin goat hair tent at a restaurant considered the best in Amman. The puffy Arabian breads served with a variety of chopped fresh vegetables, hummus, yogurt and nuts, tahini, brined vegetables, which we originally thought was the lunch, was followed by skewers of lamb, chicken and shish kabaob ... a true execise in flavorful bulk eating. This was concluded with Bachlava (a little musical humor there) and fragrant glasses of hot minted tea or minted lemonade. Did I mention Arab pastries? Fabulous.

We are now enroute to Nazareth through a valley of agricultural abundance. We have seen many sights and heard many tales of local life and living. The choir and friends and spouses accompanying them are considerably richer now in Christian experiences and history.

The Western (prayer) Wall, Jerusalem

2011-06-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 21, 2011
by Jim and Flora Speed

The group arrives at the Dome of the Rock

Today, we began the day climbing the Temple Mount on the eastern side of Jerusalem. There standing on the wide open surface facing the Dome of the Rock, our guide gave us a careful lesson in the long, complicated history of this special site and thus of Jerusalem. Hebrews, Romans, Greeks, Persians, Byzantines, Crusaders, Turks and various sects of Muslims have torn down and built here on the mount. The present predominating structure, the Dome of the Rock, is a beautiful octagon shaped and golden domed structure sacred to Muslims. By the complicated political situation neither Jews nor Muslims are allowed to worship there at this time.

FPC at the Western Wall

Nearby, by many steps down below is the last remains, a retaining wall, of Herod's Temple, the temple of Jesus' time destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. All that is left is a wide, flat,vertical stone wall, maybe 75 feet high and 100 feet long. This, the Western Wall or Wailing Wall is sacred to Jews, who come from all over the world to pray here and to press scraps paper with prayers in the cracks between the stones. We fulfilled our obligation and privilege to 700 of our fellow Presbyterians. Dividing into men and women - as is the strict requirement - we reverently approached the wall separately, prayed and placed the papers of all the prayers.

Footage from the Wall can be seen here:
Western (prayer) Wall Jerusalem

Since this place is holy to both Jews and Muslims, it is, therefore, a place of tension and frequent trouble. We had to show passports and pass through security at check points twice.

The steps Jesus took

Patty leads our song in the dungeon

The experience of praying among devout Jews at their holy place moved us all. But the high moment, I think, for most of us was almost literally to walk where Jesus walked. Most of Jesus' Jerusalem is buried 12 feet below the surface of the streets of today, (War and destruction and rebuilding on rubble.) but just by the church that marks the palace of the high priest where Jesus was put to trial and Peter denied him are to be seen the broken remains of the actual steps on which Jesus walked, or rather was forced to walk, up from the Garden of Gethsemene in the Kidron Valley. Just there we climbed down many steps to see the dungeon where he must have been held overnight before he was taken to Pilate. Moved by the powerful emotions in the room, we broke into impromptu song with "Surely the Lord is in This Place". The offering was both haunting and hopeful.

Our guide Raymond, and son George

After leaving Caiphas' palace we passed through the Zion Gate and down through the Armenian, the Jewish and the Christian quarter. Most of us enjoyed lunch at the sandwich shop there operated by the son of our guide.

Noon sunlight streams down on the
Tomb of the Holy Sepulcher

Walking through the Old City that day or earlier we all experienced the confusion, conflict, and complicated history of the buildings around the site of the crucifixion and and the place of Jesus' burial and resurrection, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We thank God that Christians from Armenians to Crusaders to Roman Catholics have marked these special places with churches and the like. But the precise spots are obscured not only by big buildings but also by time and cannot be exactly known. Nevertheless, we were there within a few feet from where our Lord was crucified, dead and buried and rose from the dead.

Still the broken steps on which the Lord Jesus actually walked down into Gethsemene with his disciples and back up under arrest was felt by many of us as the most moving event of the day.

Tonight we give a concert at St. Andrews, the only Church of Scotland in Jerusalem.
To see a video from the concert, follow this link:
Order My Steps

From the Mount to the Valley, and Back

2011-06-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 20, 2011
by Kerry Grayburn

Today was quite an extraordinary day. Extraordinary not only for the sites we visited and the things we did as pilgrim/missionaries, but for the people we met, the cultural contrasts we encountered and how our hearts were touched by them. As Debbie related on the most recent entry, we descended the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem and passed through the Garden of Gethsemane. At no time during our journey have we so closely walked where Jesus walked. At no time did we so clearly see how the familiar accounts of Jesus' last days played out on the stage of this holy city.

Yvonne takes in the view of Jerusalem

Patty and Bo at the summit of the Mount of Olives

The view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives is breathtaking, the imposing walls stretching north to south along the Kidron Valley. These walls enclose the Old City and the Temple Mount clearly identified by the presence of the brightly gilded Dome of the Rock Mosque. The Kidron Valley stretching between our vantage point and the city is covered with thousands of graves. These are graves of the faithful who wish to be as near as possible to the spot Messiah will first appear at his coming, the Mount of Olives. Also visible in the mind's eye is the Jerusalem Cross, a figure formed by the movement of Jesus through the city on the day Of his crucifixion. As our guide, Raymond, explained, centering on the Temple a cross can be mapped out with Gethsemane to the east, the court of the High Priest to the South, the Jerusalem residence of Pilate to the north and Calvary to the west. As your eye follows this Cross, you are transported. We were there.

Bob and Vivian at the Garden of Gethsemane

The oldest tree in the Garden

We continued down the Mount to Gethsemane. Where we followed Jesus' steps from a bit of a distance earlier, higher up the Mount, here we walked with Him. We walked around a carefully tended grove of olive trees protected by a fence. It seemed to be a place of very limited admittance. Raymond explained to us how scientists from UCLA had recently dated these gnarled and tortured trees to before the time of Christ. These silent sentinels were there. It sent chills. After viewing the Rock of Agony inside the church where the faithful from the beginning believe Jesus sweat drops of blood while in fervent prayer, we went back to the Garden thinking we would be exiting. Unknown to us, the Franciscan father had spoken to Dr. Speed asking him if we were pilgrims or tourists. Jim told him we were a church choir on a musical mission trip to the Holy Land. The father much to our surprise and delight, concluded we were pilgrims and opened the gate to the Garden. I suspect others felt as I did, but that experience of walking though those olive trees, knowing who had walked before was almost overwhelming. More chills and some tears were a common experience. The father made one request of us. That we pray for peace.

Janice, Bruce, and Anne at the Church of the Nativity

The tour 'supports' the Church of the Nativity
(striving for shade)

Later in the day we crossed into Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity, the church that was built over the cave believed to be the site of Jesus' birth. Our morning experience could almost be termed sublime. Our trip the few short miles to our Lord's birthplace was less so. Bethlehem is in the West Bank and is separated from Israel proper by the same 20 ft high concrete fence that encircles most of the West Bank. Whatever its strategic merits this fence is ugly. We had to pass though a checkpoint to enter. As tourists, We did so rather easily. Native Palestinians and Israelis do not have it so easy, especially the Palestinians. The economy of Bethlehem has suffered significantly since the construction of the wall as tourist dollars have dried up. Many Palestinian Christians have left a city that was formerly majority Christian. It is difficult to create a good life for oneself when the movement of people and goods is so restricted. We offered our support the best way we knew how by giving our souvenir business to a worthy Palestinian Christian merchant. The General Manager, Edward Tabash, asked to have a word with us as we descended on his store. After describing the merits of his wares, he eloquently explained the plight of the Palestinian common man, not the leadership, the ordinary person caught up in forces beyond his control. He made one request. He asked that we pray for peace. This is now the second person we encountered in only a few hours on opposite sides of a wall of separation whose only request of us is that we pray for peace. These people are scared.

The Nativity Site

Back to the Church of the Nativity. This building is the oldest church structure in continuous use up to the present time. Built in the sixth century, it has withstood earthquake, fire, conquest and reconquest. Damaged but not destroyed (:-))this church continues to serve the faithful to this day. The interior shows its age. The marble which originally adorned the walls was stripped, taken away and used when the Muslims decided the Dome of the Rock needed a face-lift. Remnants of the beautiful mosaics that once covered the upper walls are still visible but the walls both upper and lower are mostly barren. The original Byzantine columns that support the roof show evidence of fire damage. Still the church remains a magnet to pilgrims wishing to visit the cave where Jesus was born. It is ironic that one must pass checkpoints of armed men as testament to the disunity of our tmes to get a glimpse of the birthplace of the Prince of Peace. It is what it is. A pleasant surprise to many of us was finding ourselves in the very cell where St. Jerome translated the Bible into Latin. Along with Augustine's City of God, this was one of the most influential accomplishments of the early Church age, its effects felt for the next 1,000 and beyond. We Were in that room.

On leaving the church, while waiting for our bus, some overly aggressive souvenir merchants descended on us. What at first was mildly irritating became quite humorous as a couple of the ladies in our company became the objects of good natured matrimonial advance by our merchants desperate for a sale. On learning that Debbie Harris' suitor offered 150 more camels for her hand than the 100 Liz Saunders was offered, Liz was comforted by the knowledge that Debbie's beau was offering only wooden camels while her 100 were the real thing. So Les, if you wake one morning to find your driveway full of camels, you'll know its time to look for a suitable sight for a wedding reception.

We concluded our day with a concert at the Bethelehem Bible College. Our audience started out modest but continued to grow throughout the performance which included our entire repertoire for the first time. The reception and response was warm and enthusiastic, including a standing ovation, a couple of requests from the audience, and an encore. Perhaps the greatest compliment paid to us was the comment from one that when we performed, they felt loved; another expression of the need these people have for peace. That is just how we wanted them to feel.

To see a video from tonight, follow this link:

Bethlehem Bible College

I will conclude by telling you briefly (yeah, sure) about a couple more people we crossed paths with. Roger is a Christian school superintendent from Kentucky returning from a mission trip to Kenya. He listened to us at St Georges the night before and was moved to come again to this performance to hear more. You could see him struggle with tears several times throughout the presentation. A delightful man, our new groupie hitched a ride on our bus back to the hotel. Another is David Sawayfa, born to Muslim Palestinian parents but without a stomach, yes you heard right. He was taken in by Dutch Christians, who were his surrogate parents through the many surgeries involved in the saving of his life. His cheerful faith belies his hard life. We exchanged information, and I hope to keep in touch. Missionaries ministering other missionaries, amazing.

From the sublime beauty of the morning to the hardscrabble reality of life in the west Bank, a truly amazing day.

Shalom.

The Lights and the Garden of Jerusalem

2011-06-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 20, 2011
by Debbie Harris

Heather guides Fran through the Festival of Lights

While you in Marietta are "traveling light" through the sermon series, we travelers were treated to the "Festival of Light" here in Jerusalem. After our concert and dinner Sunday night, Cal's friend, Reverend Heather Mueller, took us to the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem where we began a phenomenal trek around and in this ancient site. Our first stop was Zedekiah's Cave, (see 2 Kings 24). This cave extends under the wall and streets of Jerusalem. We were treated to a spectacular light and music show utilizing approximately 40 African masks as the "singers."

Bennett, in Zedekiah's Cave

The Masks

Imagine, a throng of people from American tourists to Hasidic Jews, enjoying this light extravaganza on a cool evening. Other highights of the Festival included a tree totally covered with tiny white lights that were powered by solar panels; a band singing, "Twist and Shout" while the crowd danced, and a kaleidoscope of lights projected on the side of a church that used small groups of the crowd as the prisms of color.

We walked down long streets of cobblestone from one side of the city to the other, passing by hundreds of small shops, or "souks." What an exciting end to our first day in Jerusalem!

Monday morning's excursion was to the Mount of Olives. We saw The Sanctuary of the Dominus Flevit, which is supposedly on the site where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Our tour guide, Raymond, explained that in 1351, the Pope appointed one order of monks, the Franciscans, to be the custodians of the Holy sites in Jerusalem. We walked down the narrow steep road to the area where Jesus came to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. There is a small fence-enclosed area where about two dozen olive trees grow, and experts have determined that these trees were in this area when Christ came to pray.

There is a beautiful chapel here in which the rock believed to be where Jesus prayed and his sweat became blood as He prayed, "Not my Will...." This beautiful chapel is very dark inside and much of the stained glass is purple, which helps to remind one of the deep sorrow Christ experienced there.

I was fortunate to strike up a conversation with the Franciscan father who oversees the garden of Gethsemane. After thanking him for maintaining the site and explaining who our group was, he told us that we would be able to visit briefly in the enclosed Gethsemane garden. As Dr. Speed explained to him, we are Pilgrims in this land of the Bible.

Crossing The Border

2011-06-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 19, 2011
by Rebekah Plowman

Crossing the border from Jordan into Israel: Thankfully, our crossing was much easier than was expected and we were through in only 40 minutes. There were a couple of suspenseful moments when Ed was taken for questioning about our reason for coming to Israel, but he rather quickly emerged and then from our list of tour members, the guard selected the youngest non-minor of our group, Liz Saunders. Liz was asked similar questions, all aimed at assuring the Israeli guard that we were in Israel for our stated purpose, that no one had joined us since our trp from the States, and that our luggage had remained with us at all times. One very funny comment made by Liz was in response to whether there was a chance anyone could have put something in any of our luggage while it was on the bus, to which Liz very aptly replied: "Golly, I sure hope not." I don't think any of us could have answered his question any better.

The Arabs attempting to come across the border had a much more intense search, much like one sees at our airports - although the lines were quite long. We have been told that it can take hours for the Arabs to cross the border. I like to think the good Lord held us in the palm of his hand and provided us with safe and hassle-free crossing, much like he does in our daily lives when we but trust him. Crossing the borders with the Lord as our guide, is much easier.

To finish off the day, we were fortunate to participate in an Evensong Service at St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem. Beside the amazing thrill of being in the Holy City of Jerusalem and singing in such a magnificent cathedral, Jeff realized that we were assisting in the leading of worship at the very same time our church was worshipping back home. It made our experience that much greater to know that although thousand of miles apart, we were still able to worship Christ together So, while y'all are thinking about us and continuing to prayer for us, know that you are never far from our hearts and thoughts!

The Crossing Into Israel

2011-06-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 9, 2011
by Bruce Stern

Dateline Amman:

Zaccheus' tree in Jericho

After a lovely breakfast we boarded the bus at 8 am to leave Amman. We were again entertained with jokes and local site information by Sami, our wonderful tour guide, on the way to the border. We sadly left Sami at the border as he was not allowed by Security arrangements to go any further. We will miss him and we wish him and his family great happiness and joy.

The Crossing
We took on a new tour guide, Raymond, at the Israeli border and we were also expertly shepherded through Customs by Ed Schneider. With everything we heard about Israeli Security I was immensely pleased that we passed through effortlessly and without incident, although there was a moment that I thought we would have to leave Liz as a sacrifice, but we were relieved that we did not. Maybe it's us but the border crossing was a piece of cake.

Jericho

Dot, Karen, and Missy fall into temptation

We continued on into Israel with our first stop at Jericho, the oldest known settlement in the Z. It was the first place where crops grown from seeds and animals were raised. This meant the people of the period stopped being hunter-gatherers and became farmers. They could now live in a safe, secure society instead of travelling to find food. Additionally, they built a wall around their settlement to protect themselves from invaders. Despite their efforts their settlement was destroyed a number of times and new settlements or cities were built on top of the old creating a mound. Archaeologists discovered the layers of city upon city and excavated it to reveal the area's history. It should be noted that layers of ash, the remains of the destruction of the cities enabled the carbon dating of materials so we have an accurate timeline of events. Raymond turned out to be wealth of knowledge about early Jewish life and pre-history. Raymond's illuminating presentation drew some comparisons between biblical history and the history of the peoples who populated the land. Above Jericho is the mountain of Temptation where it is believed that Jesus was tempted by the devil. All in all, it was fascinating and it made you want to learn more about life during that period.

Raymond explains Qumran

Qumran

A Dead Sea Scroll Cave

Next stop, Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. According to Raymond the scrolls were discovered by a local shepherd tending his flock. He had come upon a cave, caves seem to be plentiful in the hillside, and he threw a stone into the cave striking a jar containing the scrolls. Frightened, he ran to get his friend who thought, not realizing their momentous discovery, that they could salvage the leather the scrolls were written on and possibly use them for shoes. The scrolls were ultimately sold to an antiques dealer who then got them into the right hands. It is the world's great fortune that the shoemaker realized the importance of the writing on the scrolls. He recognized that the writing was in Aramaic and that it could be of great importance. Amazingly only two books from the Old Testament were missing. It was practically a complete set of the old testament that was transcribed by the Essenes, a religious group that objected to the current religious practices. The Essenes earned their living by copying Bibles. The Essenes sought to live a purer, more holy life and ordered their society around it. They set up a system of living that included two ritual baths a day to purify themselves for the copying of the holy texts. Interestingly, archaeologists discovered that the ink they used was made from ashes and water and the scrolls were made from leather. The scrolls were placed in ceramic jars and stored in the cave. The Essenes were non-violent and upon hearing that the Roman army was approaching, which usually meant death or imprisonment, they stored their scrolls and escaped to Jordan where they were believed to have become part of the early Christian movement. We toured the carefully preserved excavations and it was a breath-taking experience to actually look back into time and see what they saw so many, many years ago. Mud bricks that were used to build their houses and structures were still there. And it is believed that more scrolls are still in undiscovered caves in the hillsides. Only the fact that the area is below sea level (about 800 feet below) along with the arid climate, were the only things that keeps the still undiscovered scrolls from being destroyed.

Impressions
The scenery of the area was magnificent. The vast Rift Valley stretches before your eyes between Jordan and Israel. The mountain range stood out a great backdrop.The Dead Sea was directly in front of us and through the years it has sadly decreased in depth and area - as much as 30 percent of its original size. It was very hot and I am personally amazed that anyone could live and prosper in this area. But still I must admit, green stretches of palm trees and crops are visible along the valley providing a stark contrast between the desert and the valley.

The Concert

St. George's Episcopal Cathedral

Today's concert was held at The Cathedral Church of St. George the Martyr in Jerusalem. It was a well attended Evensong service. The Choir performed excellently. The pieces performed were Lord, Our Dwelling Place, words and music by Eugene Butler, The Magnificat by John Ferguson, Open Thou Mine Eyes by John Rutter and Surely The Lord is In This Place by Herbert Colvin. Cal and Yvonne performed several pieces and performed them perfectly. We are constantly amazed at Cal's ability to adjust from one organ to another and Yvonne is a consummate professional always hitting the right notes. After the service and performances we were given a tour of the Cathedral and we learned, interestingly, that St. George for whom the Cathedral and College is named was originally a Palestinian. He was tortured for his Christian beliefs and eventually became the patron saint of England.The Cathedral grounds and buiding is like a slice of England in the Mid-east. The gardens surrounding the Cathedral and College were lovely. As the sun went down the temperature cooled and the walk back to our hotel was lovely. Dinner and good fellowship followed in the hotel restaurant that overlooked Jerusalem. Some of the Choir decided to go to the Old City because we were told that the Mayor of Jerusalem had created a light show that was dazzling.

To see a video from tonight, follow this link:
Magnificat at St. George Cathedral in Jerusalem, Israel.

On a personal note, my Blackberry worked in Israel and I had 192 e-mails....

Chancel Choir at St. George's

Amman and Jordan Review

2011-06-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 18, 2011
by Cal Johnson

Our last day in Jordan was quite varied. We visited the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf (and Blind) in Salt, the Roman city of Jerash (under restoration), and performed at the Vesper Service at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Amman.

Each of our visits in Jordan has had its surprises, and today was no exception. Unlike many tour groups, ministry (through music) and missions are a part of our agenda. It was important that we see first-hand some of the work sponsored by our sister church from the Episcopal/Anglican community—having been assured the night before by the Presbyterian liaison in the Middle East (Douglas Dicks) that the Presbyterian Church collaborates with and supports the work of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem in this region.

While we had only scheduled about 30 minutes to visit the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf, the members of our tour group were so interested in the important ministry sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, that we stayed well over an hour. Not only did we see some classes for kindergarten-aged children, but also vocational training classes in cooking, moisacs, and weaving. We were impressed by the multi-lingual approach to the education here, involving sign language (international, Jordanian, and English), as well as Arabic and English instruction. Equally impressive were the wood and metal fixtures (doors, railings, windows, etc.) all made on site by the students over the years. And then we saw the items for sale in the Gift Shop that had been made by students—very high quality work and designs. A member of our group gave a cash donation to Brother Andrew de Carpentier, a Dutchman who is the Director General of the Institute. I had made a donation last week online through the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, and was delighted to see that my gift will really be put to good use here. If anyone would like to make a tax-deductible contribution (using a credit card or Paypal), you can do so through this website: www.afedj.org. I for one highly recommend such a contribution.

Then off to a major city of the Roman Empire: Jerash, the 2nd best preserved Roman city behind Pompeii. Most of its destruction occurred in 749 AD as a result of a major earthquake. But even in the 19th and 20th century, residents have scavenged the ruins for rocks with which to build their homes. Much of the eastern side of the highway consists of modern dwellings, making archaeological work there impossible. However, it continues on the western side of the highway, and we marveled at the construction of major roads intersecting in the center of the Roman city, the amphitheater (used still today to seat up to 3000 people in this open air auditorium for concerts and plays during the Jerash Festival of mid July through mid August every year), the hippodrome (still in use for horse races and reenactments of gladiator games), and the temples to Zeus and Artemis.

Then a fantastic lunch of typical Jordanian fare on the outskirts of Amman, after which we all came back to the hotel to clean up and take siestas from the afternoon heat.

This evening we had our first performance. A moderately-sized congregation joined us for the English-language Vespers at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer on Rainbow Street near the First Circle of the Jabal-Amman district. We only had an hour to brush up on our repertoire, which we had not rehearsed for about 10 days! The wonderful acoustics in the church enhanced the sound of the choir and trumpeter Yvonne Toll’s superb musicianship! We had only planned to sing an introit, the Magnificat, an anthem, the Lord’s Prayer (in Arabic in a Lebanese musical setting), but the visiting priest and the congregation insisted on hearing more—so we gamely performed almost everything we had prepared, and those present thoroughly enjoyed the vocal solos by Linda Bush, Rebecca Plowman, and Margaret Grayburn. And then what a reception of Jordanian goodies!

You can view one of the songs we presented by following this link - Lord, Our Dwelling Place.

This week in Jordan has been quite a revelation for all of us — even to me on my 5th trip to this wonderful, safe, sane, hospitable country. We have enjoyed seeing historic sites from the past (Petra, Jerash, St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Madaba) and with Biblical significance (the Baptism Site, Mt. Nebo, even looking across the river at Jericho), as well as institutions representing the present (the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, the new Jordan Museum, the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf, Church of the Redeemer, Wild Jordan and the Jara Souk). But we especially have been enriched by the interpersonal relationships established with local people.

Without intending to list them in any specific order, we really enjoyed and hold in high respect:

Engineer Rustom Mkhjian, our guide at the Baptism Site (and an Armenian Christian) for his passion and enthusiasm as well as scholarly understanding of the evidence about this site; and many thanks to HRH Prince Ghazi who made this guided visit possible;

Dr. Khaled Khreis, the Director General of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, who came in on his holy day off (Friday), to welcome us to this fascinating museum of contemporary art by artists from across the Muslim world and developing countries, many of them women—what a stereotype breaker about Islamic art and about women in Muslim societies who are active at as creative artists!; and thanks to HRH Princess Wijdan, the Founder of the Gallery, as well as her daughter HRH Princess Rajwa for her continued patronage of this collection;

Dr. Faris Nimry, Director General of the new Jordan Museum, with his splendid vision for a meaningful and educational experience for children and adults (Jordanians and foreign visitors like us) who will go through this museum with its interactive exhibits that present the context of the information—and he came on his day off to give us a personal guided tour as well;

Executive Director Brother Andrew de Carpentier and his deputy, Iwad Sweiss, who gave us an explanatory history of the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf (and Blind Deaf)—and the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem for recommending we visit this institution!;

Douglas Dicks, the Presbyterian liaison in the Middle East, for joining us at dinner on Friday to tell us about the role and activities of the Presbyterian Church USA in this region—most informative;

The Rev. Don Campbell from Australia, who is serving as interim priest of the English speaking congregation of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Amman, Jordan, as well as the regular priest in charge, the Rev. Les MacQueen, for their warm welcome to participate musically at Vespers at this church, and the opportunity to meet so many local Christians;

Sami Sahowneh, our wonderful guide from the GuidingStar Agency, for his most informative accounts of the places we have visited, his excellent sense of organization and time-keeping, and his delightful sense of humor—a truly fine gentleman with whom we will surely stay in touch!; and thanks to Mark Khano, of the GuidingStar Agency for selecting Sami and our terrific and always unflappable bus driver Mr. Abit, and for taking care of the overall organization of our tour, especially the hotels, buses, entries, guides, meals, and so many little details!

Haifa Najjar, Director General of the Ahliyyah School for Girls and the Bishop School for Boys in Amman, who prepared a reception and tour of her schools for us, which we were unable to do because we really needed to rehearse prior to our first performance tonight; and to her assistant Noor, who sent the baklava to us at the Church of the Redeemer anyway, —which we will enjoy all the way to Jerusalem on Sunday!

We will have many memories of these wonderful Jordanians who have made such an impression on us this week. Surely Their Majesties, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, must be very proud of their countrymen!

And tomorrow we venture into the heart of the homeland of Jesus - —Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Judean wilderness, Nazareth and Galilee, —where we will continue to be inspired by things historic, Biblical, and contemporary. I suspect I speak for all of us that we are being immensely enriched by the experience.

Cal & The Gang at the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf

Linda makes a connection

Dot and Rod visit the Weaving Room

Margaret at Hadrian's Gate

Sami guides us through the Jerash ruins

All of us, at the Church of the Redeemer in Amman

A Day in Amman

2011-06-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Today's writer Tim (in foreground)

Friday, June 17, 2011

by Tim Plowman

Today, we stayed in Amman and went to 2 museums. We went to the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts and had a "behind the scenes" tour of the upcoming Jordan Museum. The Jordan National Gallery of Arts had works by artists from Jordan, and other Arab and Muslim countries, and was split into 2 buildings. In the first building, one of my favorite pieces of art was called Sand Sculpture, and was one of those boxes with holes where sand falls through. The most interestinng thing about it was that you could turn it when all the sand fell to the bottom. Another interesting thing was that it had different

sections in it and it seemed to make a mountain shape at the bottom. An idea I had about it was to put 3 different color sands in it and see the colors blend. The second building had much more artwork than the first building, but in my opinion, it didn't have any as memorable as the Sand Sculpture.

Faris Nimry, Ed, & Mark - manager of Guiding Star Tours

Dan, at the bazaar

The Jordan Museum has not opened yet. It is scheduled to open by August. So we were given a "behind the scenes" tour by Executive Director Faris Nimry. It is supposed to explain the country of Jordan from the Stone Age to the Modern Age. It starts out with the fact of how humans are unique creatures. It is going to have several interactive exhibits and will have great backgrounds and displays. One of the biggest exhibits the museum will have is the Copper Scroll. The Copper Scroll is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which held writings from biblical times that we use to understand the Bible. The Copper Scroll is said to contain a writings about hidden treasure. If I could go back there in August, I would because they are going to have a "thousand and one" inventions exhibit--- and to find the location of the hidden treasure!

Amman's mountain city architecture

After lunch, we went shoping in a street bazaar. There wasn't anything that I wanted except this interesting food that was a french fry on a stick. It was a potato that is circle sliced in a machine in one piece and then skewered by a stick, fried, and eaten like a shish-ke-bob. Good, good, good!

The Most Attractionate Thing

2011-06-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

I am Sami, your guide, assistant to Captain Abed

Friday, 17 June, 2011
by Liz Saunders

“Today you will see the most impressive and attractionate thing!” So begins each day with Sami, our guide. Sami’s English is very good, but there are the occasional linguistic mistakes that make his speech endearing. In fact, “attractionate” has become one of my new favorite words! Each time we venture out in the bus, we see something attractionate. So far we’ve witnessed the grandeur of Petra’s rock city, the inspiring banks of the Jordan River, the salty wonder of the Dead Sea, and the beautiful vistas of Mt. Nebo. For those who enjoy anything historically or religiously significant, Jordan is the perfect country to visit. These ancient wonders have impressed us! Today’s itinerary, however, did not contain a visit to any ancient sites. Instead, we were scheduled for two museums and a shopping market. Though today’s itinerary did not contain the typical awe-inspiring locales, I found that this might have been one of my favorite days because I got a closer look at what I am now considering Jordan’s MOST attractionate thing: its people.

The director of the gallery (also the artist of this painting)

Jordanians are incredibly friendly and accommodating. Friday is a day for religious observance in Jordan (like our Sunday) so many businesses and most attractions are closed. Nevertheless, Cal’s friends in Jordan allowed us some amazing opportunities today. We got to visit the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Art, a three-part museum featuring modern art from the Middle East and Asia. As we explored the two buildings and public art garden, we saw pieces that one would expect in any art museum in the western world. Two of the local artists were present, so we also got the privilege of conversing with the creators of a few of the works. For admirers of fine art, it was a treasure to get to experience – and on a day that most tourists would not have access!

Jordan Museum

Following the art museum, we traveled over some of the “Jabals” (hills) of Amman to reach a central area of the city. Did you know that Amman was originally built on seven hills? Did you know that “jabal” means hill and “wadi” means valley? We do. Sami quizzes us regularly. ☺ The second museum is actually a work in progress. The Jordan National Museum is nearing its final stage of construction, and we got a sneak peek at what will be an incredible site for future visitors. Faris Nimry, the director of the museum (and Cal’s friend), gave us a private tour through the nearly completed exhibits. It was fascinating to follow along with the creative thought process that went into each decision. Every exhibit is intentionally designed to be informative, interactive, and multi-sensory. We all agreed that if you plan to visit Jordan in the future, this site will be a must-see! It was a treat for us to get a behind-the-scenes look, and we’re grateful to the director for his kindness.

As we traveled to our lunch spot, someone asked Sami to explain the traditions of Muslim observance on Fridays. We learned that in addition to the 5 daily prayer rituals, most observant Muslims attend a Friday service that includes a sermon of sorts. Someone jokingly asked if people fall asleep during the sermons like they do in America, to which Jim Speed immediately retorted, “We do NOT do that!” much to the amusement of the entire group. ☺

Souk Jara, the shopping market

Luke making a purchase

Barb and Pat support the women's cooperative at the Souk

This afternoon was a shopping excursion in Souk Jara, a weekly street market for the sale of handicrafts and a place that locals seem to congregate. It reminded me of the Marietta Square on an art festival day, except rather than pottery and pillows, local artisans were selling everything from olive oil soaps to tapestries to “antique” silver knives and camels. Rather than BBQ and beer, food vendors offered fresh fruit juices, roasted bean pods, whole potatoes spiraled and fried, and a variety of unidentifiable but delicious foods. The people in the market were friendly and welcoming – and not just because we were tourists with money to spend. It seems that this culture is surprisingly hospitable towards foreigners. Perhaps it is not surprising at all to anyone already familiar with Jordanian culture, but it is wonderful to feel truly welcomed in this country. It has been a blessing to be surrounded with such hospitality and kindness wherever we go here. The Jordanian people certainly are the “most attractionate” thing!

Jordan River, Dead Sea, Mt. Nebo, & Madaba

2011-06-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 16, 2011
by Jeff and Rebekah Plowman

Our guide at the Baptism site

The Baptism Site

We began the day in "Bethany Beyond the Jordan", not the Bethany of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but an unsettled area across the Jordan River from Jericho, where John the Baptist preached repentence and eventually baptized Jesus. A funny thing about rivers, even sacred ones---they don't stay in the same course forever. As a result, there has been uncertainty over the exact location of the baptism site. Recent archeology has uncovered the pillars of a cruciform (cross-shaped) baptismal site visited by early Christian pilgrims. The river was low because it is summer, so only a pool of water was visible, but the pillars were clearly showing, along with steps leading down to the water. The day was hot (100 degrees F) and our walk to the site was not short, but as the guide showed us the baptismal site and began to speak, a cooling breeze came to refresh us. Coincidence? We think not.

Enjoying the Dead Sea

We went from the baptismal site to the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on Earth. The salt content in the water of the Dead Sea is so high that animal and plant life cannot be sustained, nor, apparently, can a boat. Not a boat was seen the entire time we were there. Many of us swam (or should I say floated?) in the salt water. The swimmers reported that the experience was painful to the eyes, but otherwise well worth it. The rest of us sipped orange sodas and coffees from a high, shady veranda overlooking the waters.

From the Dead Sea, we traveled a winding road to Mount Nebo, where God showed Moses the Promised Land - the land of milk and honey. The day was hazy and perhaps not the best viewing day, but Jeff commented that to our modern eyes it did not look like a very promising "Promised Land"---too much arid wasteland in the foreground, not so green a land as we ourselves enjoy in Georgia. But the story simply shows the faith of Moses and the Israelites to trust God's promises.

Jim & Flora share a devotion at the summit of Mt. Nebo

Finally, after a quick visit to a mosaic school near Mt. Nebo, we visited St. George's Church in Madaba where the oldest map of the Holy Land (4th Century) was recently uncovered (late 1800s). The map was a ceramic mosaic installed on the Church floor. Following an earthquake which destroyed part of the mosaic, the Church fell into disrepair until, in the 1800s over 2000 Christians came to rebuild the Church. During the rebuilding, pillars required to support the Church, destroyed even more of the map. Even so, it was fascinating that much of the map was preserved even after 100s of years of nonuse. Interestingly, this same map is part of the evidence that was used for locating the baptismal site.

It is hard to absorb in one day all that we have seen, but as we have heard from many who have come before us, once you visit the Holy Lands you are touched forever. As we reflect on all that we have seen, I can't think of any statement more true.

Gwynn gets a faux tan with Dead Sea mud.

Dot captures a memory

St. George's

Hello from Petra!

2011-06-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

The Plowmans Plough the Rough Rock

Wednesday, June 15, 2011
by Missy Barasch

I am writing to you from our tour bus after 5 strenuous, but totally amazing hours touring this ancient site in southern Jordan. Petra, which means rock, is literally a city carved entirely out of rock - in this case, sandstone - by the ancient Nabataean people more than 2200 years ago. Their intent was to control the passage of caravans on the Silk Road trade route so that they could collect taxes. It worked very well, and they kept their treasures under close guard here.

When our tour arrived this morning, Sami, our Jordanian Guide, was very informative about this brilliant tribe and their inventive ways to collect water and keep it flowing to all the structures. We strolled along Petra's narrow passageways with rose-colored sandstone soaring 250 feet above us on each side and bright blue sky overhead. It gave me the feeling that I was walking through a mountain made of rock right after an earthquake had split it in two. At various points in the 5-mile walk, Sami would point out carvings in the walls - mostly niches with reliefs of the gods of the Nabataeans. After a mile, we emerged into the
sun-drenched heart of Petra and it's most famous structure, the Treasury. Carved in the first century BC as a tomb for an ancient king, and then used as a temple, it's facade is stunning in its architectural beauty. And we all remembered the Indiana Jones movie filmed on location here. You could never build a set this unique!

We stopped for some mint tea and then toured the only Roman-style amphitheater carved entirely out of rock. Then we split into groups with some of us touring the tombs and architectural digs going on now, others venturing up huge stone stairways to other structures and museums, and the very brave hiking to the ancient Monastery - 800 steps to
the top.

My group then had a delightful lunch (the Jordanian cucumbers are so flavorful!) and we started to head back. The sun was much higher now, and the pathway inclines in this direction, so we hired a carriage for two pulled by a horse. The best 10 dinars we ever spent!

And now, on to Amman - the capital city -- and the choir's first concert!

Cal tries to make a friend.

Marty succeeds!

Peek-a-boo!

Bill and Fran take a brief hiking break.

Arrival, and Travel to Jordan

2011-06-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Ed & Cal, discussing trip plans.

Kerry & Cindy wait for connections.

Tuesday June 14, 2011

by Tom Steele

Have you ever struggled opening a hermetically sealed Kosher airline meal? Have you ever cursed the Transportation Security Administration for restricting carry-on pocket knives? Both were done enroute to Tel Aviv as our meals were served among fellow passengers. Observing our fellow passengers provided an entertaining exercise in observing religious costumery. Several orders of clothing and hair styles could be observed among observant Jews and Muslims, some of whom were speaking in

accent free slightly Chicago tinged English. A smooth flight made the traveling experience a little less religious than turbulent prayer filled flights experienced by most of us. We landed safely at David Ben Gurion Airport at Tel Aviv without incident.

Our journey of discovery began as we proceeded on a bus through Tel Aviv, past Jerusalem, past the Mount of Olives, into the West Bank, through the Wilderness of Judea, past the Dead Sea, and to the passage to the Kingdom of Jordan at the Allenby Bridge/King Hussein Bridge .... all within the space of 45 minutes.

Jerusalem, from the West Bank side of the wall.

The Holy Land is incredibly compact. The border transit point is conveniently located in the middle of nowhere. One of our traveling party discovered that Israeli border police carrying lethal looking automatic weapons don't like their photographs taken. Chuckles abounded as the miscreant photographer had to stand and have his photos reviewed by the photographed security agent with the single word, "delete," commanded after each photograph. Travel fatigue also clouds eyes, since one of our travellers could not, after repeated calls for passports, find his. "You have 36 names and only 35 passports," muttered our guide, Sami. The passport was eventually found hanging around his neck. At last,we were on our way to the truly ancient site of Petra. Due to travel delays, our trip extended into the desert night. Thanks to coordination by Dr. Cal Johnson, the only church organist I know with a Phi Beta Kappa briefcase, the Beit Zaman Hotel restaurant remained open to accommodate our 10:00PM arrival. An exquisite buffet was served serving Western and Middle Eastern specialties. The coordination required to execute a good tour is almost overwhelming. Cal, Cindy Saunders and Ed Schneider have our utmost admiration for their planning and hard work to assemble this tour. Finally, the day was done 34 hours after it began. Trust me, brushing your teeth after 34 hours is a luxurious experience. In bed by midnight, with the next day to begin at 6:30 AM.

...and We're Here!

2011-06-14T21:49:00.001-07:00

Safe and sound here outside of Petra, Jordan. It's been a very long non-stop set of travel (Ed reports it was 31 hours straight), taking us into Tel-Aviv, around Jerusalem, into and through the West Bank, across the Jordan river into the country of Jordan, and meeting our guides and another four hours trek south to our first destination of Petra. All of these sites will be revisited later in the tour, and additional details and pictures will be posted soon, but right now we are bushed and ready to crash for the night. Love and Blessings to everyone back home.

by Luke Hippler

And We're Off...

2011-06-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's 5:30 pm, and we're enjoying our leisurely layover in JFK as we await our flight to Tel Aviv. Not too much to report yet. We met this morning at FPC and were sent on our way with a blessing from Keith. Traffic to the airport, check-in, and security all went quite smoothly (I didn't just jinx it, did I?). A little over two hours more here, and then we're off to the other side of the world!

by Luke Hippler

Preparations

2011-06-05T19:49:00.001-07:00

Hi! Welcome to our mission tour blog. Here, we plan to keep our families, friends, and congregation up-to-date on our travels, experiences, and impressions. We'll try to post as often as we can, though we will be subject to the availability of Wi-Fi and the internet at each of our destinations.

We're about a week away from departure, and the excitement and anticipation are high! There is still much to do - rehearsals, packing decisions (both climate and regional requirements need to be considered), finding the correct adapters (gotta have that tech - we're blogging, right?), choosing a guidebook and reading up on where we're going, getting the house, the family, the pets, and the office ready for the time away. And that's just as a tour member, I can't imagine how hectic Ed's and Cal's and Cindy's lives are right now.

Finally, there's our most important preparation - prayer and openness to hear God's plan for us on this trip - how will He use us as we interact with the people and culture of Israel and Jordan? We hope you'll follow us on our journey, and we'd love and appreciate your prayer support as well. Until things get rolling, check out the tour information available on this site.

by Luke Hippler