Up To Jerusalem

Notre Dame, pictured above, is a guest house for pilgrims.  It received its first pilgrims in l888.  The 25 Israeli Tripster pilgrims checked in this afternoon.  It is a magnificent building across the street from one of the gates into the Old City of Jerusalem.

As we traveled today from Galilee "Up to Jerusalem", I found myself thinking of the 121st Psalm.
That Psalm of Ascent would have been sung by pilgrims in biblical times as they made their way up the Judean hills into the city.  "I lift up my eyes to the hills from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved, he who keeps you will not slumber.  He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep..." That is the God who goes with us.

 A number of us made our way to the Western Wall tonight - Holy place of prayer 24/7 - it draws me like a magnet when I am here.  Walking back to Notre Dame, an Israeli man stopped us to ask where we were from. In the course of conversation he explained that he had attended college in the states on a scholarship, but came home to the surprise of his friends.  He touched the wall by which he stood and said with real passion, "I had to come home. There is just something in these walls".   It is true.  The walls have seen so much history-so much conflict and too little peace.  They have deep meaning and they have remarkable stories to tell.  We are eager pilgrims ready to listen, as we begin our 5 fascinating days in this Holy City.

The Western Wall and Dome of the Rock on our first evening walk.
Blessings,
Mary Hulst

Into The World Within

It has been said that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.  A journey to the world of the Bible prompts reflection and introspection and we have indeed traveled into the world within.  When one travels here , the self is found in a new way. We are more attentive.  A part of the heart is touched that lies low at home. 

Our Sabbath began with worship on the beach - the text was about Jesus stilling the storm and we were reminded that Jesus is always in the boat with us, wherever we are and in whatever culture we travel .  Our journey today took us close to the borders of both Syria and Lebanon.  There were constant reminders of past conflicts that have consumed this land. Constant reminders too of how close other cultures were to Jesus, and what a master he was at including all.    Lunch in a Druze village included a sample of a very different culture, a traditional Druze cheese sandwich of goat cheese in paper thin bread.  See the preparation process above.  As Mark Twain said, "Travel is fatal to prejudice".  Ones world vision widens when moving among God's children from different lands.

Our world is bigger as are our hearts.
Blessings,
Mary Hulst   

The Land is our Classroom

The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.  Our eyes are opened in new ways as we drink in a myriad of new insights.  The classroom pictured here is the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus would have taught.  Our classrooms have been on bus and boat, in an archaeological dig and ancient church, in an open field of mustard and on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  The Bible and the newspaper never read the same again once a journey has been taken here.  The pages are no longer flat.

I took the group today to Bethsaida, location of an archaeological dig in which our son, Doug, and I participated in l996.  It is an Iron Age city, visited by King David and thought by some to have been the home of the disciples, Peter, Andrew, Philip, James and John.  There is controversy over that.  Great progress has been made in the excavation in the years since we dug.  Doug and I worked on what has now been labeled "The Fisherman's House".

The group is traveling well and laughing and learning much. Happily, I have discovered a place of good internet connection :) .
Blessings,
Mary Hulst  
    

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Pastor Brian Henderson is on the back of that camel, enthusiastically encouraging him to "move on out."  Chris Erdman is in the lead and Beth and Roger Dickinson are on camel number two.

We are now in Galilee checked into our Kibbutz EnGev for four nights.  The shore of the Sea of Galilee is at our front door. Internet connection was difficult yesterday.  I am happily connected once again.
Blessings,
Mary Hulst 

Lunch in a Bedouin Tent

One of the striking gifts of the desert is silence.  As we reflected on that gift in the Judean wilderness, these words were shared:

The fruit of silence is prayer.  The fruit of prayer is faith.  The fruit of faith is love.  The fruit of love is service.  The fruit of service is peace.  There is a deep peace in the quiet beauty of the wilderness.  Such incredible gifts borne out of silence.  Desert spirituality reminds us that God is present on the hard side of life.  God was present and faithful to the Children of Israel as they traveled to the promised land and God is present and faithful to us.  Isaiah 40 says it so well:  “The Lord is the everlasting God…He does not faint or grow weary…He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and grow weary…but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount  up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”  Desert Spirituality also reminds us that we carry too much “stuff” through life.  The desert prompts one to travel light.  In so many ways we are called to simplify what we have and what we use

From the profound vista of the wilderness overlook, we climbed onto the backs of camels and rode into the wilderness.  There is no animal that amuses me more than a camel and we were all amused at the experience.  In truth, there were actually a few white knuckle riders . J The camel journey was a part of an experience of Bedouin hospitality.  Tea was served in a goat hair tent, fresh bread baked over an open fire before us, the rythmic sound of the coffee grinder transported us to a different world.  Lunch around low to the ground tables, was abundant and exceptionally tasty: rice, chicken, lamb, fresh roasted vegetables, mountains of fresh hot bread and tangerines – hospitality, par excellance.

The day was completed with a bob in the Dead Sea.  The salinity of the Dead Sea is so great that one floats with ease or bobs like a cork.

Blessings to all

Mary Hulst

The Beauty of the Hard Harsh Desert

 My travel journal has a quote that says, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take but by the places and moments that take our breath away.”  The Israeli Tripsters measured well today for we saw breath taking scenery.  Interestingly enough it was in the desert.  I never used to think of the desert as beautiful.  That perception changed when I first came to Israel nineteen years ago.  The color and shadow, the stillness and quiet, fascinate me.  The still small voice of God can be heard here.  The fact that it was the Wilderness of Zin, through which we traveled, the setting for the Old Testament Exodus narrative, adds to the allure.

We began today  in Timna, a southern Israel archeological site with spectacular landscapes of acacia trees and desert plants,The Ark of the Covenant was made of acacia wood.  The Rotem bush is called a manna plant by the Bedouin.  When the wind blows and sand strikes its branches, it secretes a white popcorn like substance which can be eaten.  It spoils quickly when off the plant.  Can these plants have fed the Children of Israel?

Copper mining began here more than 6000 years ago.  Egyptian expeditions established an enormous copper mining operation here in the 14th century before the common era.  Donkeys were used to transport copper ingots to the port on the Gulf of Eilat.  The history of copper mining is aligned here with Hathor, the Egyptian Goddess of Copper and Ramses, the King of Egypt.  The slag from the mine still lies on the ground.

From Timna, we traveled to the Hai Bar Nature preserve where we drove through land filled with ostrich, who pecked at our bus window, wild donkeys, oryx, ibix and even a couple of vultures.  Hyenas, fox, wolves and snakes were in protected areas.  Thankfully at a safe distance from us.

The drive north to the Dead Sea, where we are ensconced for two nights, reminded us of the harshness of the wilderness.  Life for the Children of Israel was unpredictable, lonely and exhausting.  They needed to listen for the “still small voice of God”, but then don’t we all?

Blessings,

Mary Hulst

From the Rose Red City to The Valley of the Moon

Greetings,

There have been multiple frustrations in writing and sending tis blog.  My main intent at a time of unrest in the middle east, was to assure loved ones at home that we are ok.  We are!  We are traveling well and seeing spectacular sites.  There have been multiple frustrations however, in sending this blog.  Jordan had no internet connections and my computer seems to have a mind of its own.

Following worship(located amusingly in the hotel bar)) yesterday morning, led by Brian Henderson, we spent the day in the rose red city of Petra.  It is the ancient Nabataean city carved out of rose colored rock.  It served as a main stop on the trade route, the King’s  Highway before the time of Christ.  It is tucked down into high rocks which look like sand castles.  It is Petra into which Harrison Ford rode in the movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Some of us walked the five miles to the monastery at the topmost elevation.  That walk included 800 steep uneven steps up.  The preserved chapel at the top was worth the sore muscles this morning.

Today saw us four wheeling in the Valley of the Moon.  In the Biblical story, this is the area of Midian Wadi Rum is a vast silent desert and starkly beautiful .  It is one of the most stunning desertscapes in the world.  It is best known because of its connection with the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence, who based here in the Great Arab Revolt of 1917,   The movie Lawrence of Arabia was filmed in the area  through which our vehicles drove.  Only one truck got stuck in the sand J  We doubled up and made it back for lunch at the “Rum Gate Restaurant”

I am now typing at a table looking out at the Red Sea in Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city.  Tomorrow the adventure continues north to a copper smelting mine dating to the time of the Exodus.

Blessings to our loved ones

Mary Hulst

Update from Jordan

Greetings.  The tech toys are not working well in Jordan; batteries are fading fast so I am dictating this note to my ghostwriter.

Hanna Massad, a Palestinian pastor known to many at Calvary, spoke to the group today after they crossed the border into Jordan.  With passion and compassion, he spoke of the conflicts in the Middle East, his ministry in Gaza in the midst of Hamas and his ministry now in Jordan with Iraqi refugees.

Passing Bedouin encampments and shepards with their sheep, the Tripsters made their way to Petra where they will spend Sunday following worship led by Brian Henderson.

All is good and the group is travelling well.

Blessings, Mary (via Steve)

Shalom

The young woman at Passport Control at Ben Gurion Airport greeted me with "shalom."  It is a wonderfully rich and meaningful word.  It conveys "Hello", "Goodbye", "wholeness" and "peace". Hearing it meant that
after 34 hours of travel, we were in Israel. Ten of the group, having come in on other airlines, were checked into the hotel.  Fifteen of us, having been on the cancelled flight in Denver, came by way of Frankfurt, not the
direct route which also included an eleven hour layover.  We are all here in Jerusalem, happy and well - and a bit weary but ready to continue the adventure.  Long day of travel - short time of sleep, but we are
happy tripsters.  I will give a better update tonight.
Blessings
Mary Hulst

Travel Update

Well that was a long day!  After spending the better part of the day on Thursday waiting at DIA for their flight to depart for Philadelphia, the Israeli Tripsters are finally on their way.  However, instead of Philadelphia, they are now headed to Frankfurt, and will land in Tel Aviv about 12 hours behind schedule.

Apparently, the plane that was scheduled to take the group to Philadelphia "encountered" a goose while landing.  Attempts were made to repair the plane, but eventually the flight was cancelled and the Tripsters left for Germany around 500pm MST.  Mary has already re-arranged the beginning of the trip; all is well and no sights should be missed.  She reported that the Tripsters are "fine and in good humor."

Check back soon for the first "real" post and updates.

THIS JOURNEY IS A "GO"

On February 17, twenty six tripsters will venture off to the "Promised Land."  Moses didn't make it into the land of milk and honey but I have had the good fortune to get there eleven times.   It amazes me that the preparations still fill me with such happy anticipation.  It is a place that fascinates me and enriches my life and faith. The Bible has come to life and my world vision has grown exponentially.  Each time I pack and prepare I leave space for new learnings and adventure and I have never been disappointed.  My head and heart always come back bursting with the joy of discovery and new insight. 

There is, however, always a small cloud of concern in the midst of my preparation...While I have never felt a moment of unrest or danger in my travels to the middle east, I always wonder how to best alleviate the worry and concern of family and friends who are here at home.  That is, of course, especially true right now.  I have watched the chaos in Egypt with a heavy heart.  I have also spent hours watching the news to be well informed. Additionally,  I have gathered comments from folks in Israel and Jordan that confirm my sense of travel safety.   Our itinerary is hundreds of miles from Cairo and the events there are very contained.  I suspect, too, that Israel has the world's most secure borders.  These comments, along with careful attention to the news, ease my mind.

From Sara Brubacher, my contact at Sabeel Ecumenical Theology Center in Jerusalem..."Please give your group my assurance that it is perfectly safe to travel here.  There are no major protests or anything abnormal happening in Israel or Palestine, and no one expects there to be.  Rather, we too are all breathlessly watching the news."

From Hanna Massad, our Palestinian pastor friend we are scheduled to meet on Feb. 19...."Here in Amman everything is ok, yes there were some peaceful demonstrations after Friday prayers, it happens like that once a week, but in general we did not feel these demonstrations and everything is going as usual.  The situation is quiet here and the new change is good.  (The king changed much of his cabinet this week to prevent what is happening in Egypt, but you should also know that King Abdullah is not the problem with the people in Jordan that Mubarak is in Egypt.  )"

From Matt Ponikvar, businessman...."I was trading emails with a colleague of mine who lives and works in Israel, and he said people are definitely interested in what's going on in neighboring countries, but it hasn't affected their day to day lives."

From Carm Hammon's sister who is on a tour in Israel right now with a similar itinerary to ours...."We are watching the news in Egypt with great interest.  Still, while we like you watch the news, our time here is nothing but quiet."

From Jim Fleming  (our teacher and guide)..."We will have a great trip.  I have talked with our agents in Israel and Jordan and they say there is no reason to not come. 

So, having shared all that, I am beginning to put things next to the suitcase.

As an added measure of support and communication to those at home,  I have set up this blog page.  You can follow the Israeli Tripsters as we journey to new discoveries and deepened faith.  I will try to write each day.

I am so sorry for this added layer of travel concern this year.  How I wish I had some control  :) We will be smart travelers. We will stay safe. We will be having a grand adventure.

Blessings, Mary

Test post

Making preparations for holy land 2011 communication.