Today is our last day and many of us talked at breakfast about how quickly the time has gone by and yet how much of Israel we have experienced. It's hard to believe that we will be saying good-bye soon. Pushing those thoughts aside the conversation hummed about today, our "free day". Most of the group chose to participate in the optional tour to Masada, the Dead Sea and Qumran; while others will explore Jerusalem on their own, lounge by the indoor pool or shop in the mall. Travis and I chose Masada and as always I was anxious to get to the top and gaze out into the amazing views of the desert and Dead Sea. I love to hear the Ooh's and Ahh's of those who have never seen this amazing place...and of course floating in the Dead Sea is an experience of laughter and fun!

Suddenly, in the middle of my morning scrambled eggs and coffee I was told that the day was in jeopardy of getting cancelled! All the rain from the last two days had caused flash flooding in the desert and resulted in many road closings. At the time we were eating breakfast, just 30 minutes before we were all to board the buses toward Masada, the roads remained closed. My heart sank. The chance that we might miss Masada really disappointed me. Masada is Israel's all time most popular tourist site and for good reason. I wanted each person who woke up this morning anticipating the cable car ride to the heights of this historical "tel" to not be disappointed. We made the decision to start toward Masada in hopes that the road would open by the time we got there. I was really holding my breath since I was told that the day before the road had been closed the entire day!

As the bus departed the hotel our guides informed the group of the potential of an itinerary change due to the flash flooding. We were all pretty quiet during the drive. I wondered what everyone was thinking about...whether they were trying to prepare themselves for possible disappointment. About 20 minutes into the drive I heard Gila's (our guide) cell phone ring and a brief conversation followed. When I heard Gila's phone snap shut I looked up to meet her gaze and she gave me a thumbs up sign! Yes! We were headed to Masada – the roads were temporarily open, she explained, and we were on our way!

My eyes were pealed for signs of the flooding, something I've never seen before. It happens, but not often. Three places during the next few miles were clearly areas where the roads were closed earlier. One lane of road, water still flowing over it...and mud clogging our path. Big trucks were still scraping the dirt from the road, clearing our path.

Here we go! Cable car ride to the top!

Well, we made it to Masada! We rode the cable car to the top...learned about the history and Oooh'd and Ahhh'd at the views! I was so happy that it all worked out. Even hours later the roads were miraculously still open when we crossed them once again. I was very thankful that our day was working out just as we had hoped it would. Next stop... Qumran!

Qumran was where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We ate lunch here; shopped a little, and then we watched a brief but cool video explaining the area and the caves that held the ancient documents. After exploring a bit we were off for the Dead Sea.

It didn't take long for Travis and the rest of the groups adventurous to have their bathing suits on and brave the cold waters. Travis for what ever reason has never been able to float at home in our pool so the prospect of actually floating was intriguing to him. I don't think he really believed it to be true but he could not resist experiencing the "lowest spot on earth". It took some time for Travis and the others to inch their way in to the cold salty water. Rosetta and I witnessed the laughter from the sandy shore line as one by one they relaxed and floated! Travis was hysterical. He floated! Maybe the one and only time he will float! He had so much fun playing in the Dead Sea mud and floating that I had to practically drag him out of there to get ready to head back to the hotel. It was a fun day- a memorable day, as they all are.

Tonight we celebrated our "farewell dinner" and the Crowne Plaza hotel really set up a beautiful table for us all. They served each delicious course in style and class. We enjoyed the opportunity to relax and to be served dinner.

We swapped email address and snail mail addresses, hugs and tears (Naidean) and talked about our favorite places. We also talked about returning! Many of the group has already made plans to come back. Some are planning to bring their Pastors and church. Not one of us will leave this place the same... not one. We have experienced this special place together; all of us brought here together by Gods' planning and not our own.

Saying "...see you later!"

Today was another amazing day despite the wetness. We started the day out crossing into Bethlehem first thing this morning. It takes some time to get in and out of Bethlehem but seeing the Church of the Nativity is a special treat. There are times when due to political situations that we cannot get into Bethlehem. This is not the case today. The church is old...and interesting and being in Bethlehem enlightens us a little bit on life in a Palestinian territory. It's a new experience.

Here is a sign I found in the church and a little fun I had with Travis...

Did I mention the hail that blessed us today off and on?

Just before the storm came, a quick stop at the Western Wall.

Last stop of the day was the Garden Tomb. We were pretty cold and tired and this was the perfect ending to warm our hearts. Pastor David Sumrall from Manila provided a beautiful and memorable communion service in the chapel away from the thunder and rain. It was cozy having our group together like this.

Wow! Rain in Israel is so needed and boy did we get it yesterday! Thankfully we didn't let it rain on our parade and we still enjoyed every stop.

While we huddled together during the short lived heavy rain, you can see we still smiled through it all. After all, we are in the Holy Land!

Having some fun at Caesarea by the Sea!

Eli, our tour guide on bus #1 reads scripture at Mt. Carmel with the view of the valley of Armageddon in the background!

Salads before dinner... and desserts!

Come to Israel in June this year and experience the fun for yourself!

On the drive to Beit She'an I told Travis a few details of the magnificent archeological site...the largest in all of Israel. He was curious I could tell. I don't think he's ever been to a real archeological active digging site before. When we got off the bus I caught him glancing around, looking for something cool like I had described; but the ruins of Beit She'an are somewhat obstructed from immediate view. We walked down the side walk and turned left into the courtyard where the people can eat, rest and look out on an amazing view. That's when he got his first glimpse. Next thing I knew he was full of energy and I heard, "Let's go Mom!" That's all I needed to hear and we were off! With a burst of renewed energy we were off exploring what remains of the lives of people who lived here as far back as the 4th millennium B.C. Travis was impressed by what he saw; and really who wouldn't be? As I pointed out the "tel" in the distance and smiled, he knew that reaching the top of that hill was the ultimate goal and the adventure. The highest place, steepest steps, a true work-out to get to the top and he was all in! (FYI – Climbing to the top of this tel is not a normal part of the tour, it's an option.)

What is a Tel? Many of the oldest cities in the world are called Tel's. The word means "mound" or "mount". Ancient cities experience natural and cultural disasters, such as fires, earthquakes and assaults from enemies. If a city's structures were demolished in prehistory, there was no way to remove all the demolition rubble; so people build right on top of the ruins. This can happen over and over and over again where you will have a tall hill, a tel, with many different civilizations within its layers.

First we goofed off in the amphitheatre in front of an "invisible crowd of 1st century Romans", and then headed up to the top of the tel. We raced at first, but soon, both of us reluctantly slowed our pace as we found ourselves quickly out of breath. Which can happen here easily in the higher elevations (at least that is what we told ourselves, neither of us willing to admit that we might be out of shape). Reaching the top and looking out on the impressive city was worth the pain in my lungs – I heard Travis over and over say, "Oh, look over there" and "Ooooo let's go check that place out". It wasn't long before we descended (much easier to go down) and explored the city in more detail.

After just a short drive from Beit She'an we found ourselves in Tiberias and the Galilee area. Jesus spent so much time here and I can see why! It's a beautiful area and no body of water on the face of this earth has seen more spiritual excitement and made more history than the See of Galilee. Capernaum was the town selected by Jesus for His first sermon and His headquarters. This area is where large crowds flocked to see Him. He preached the Gospel, healed all kinds of diseases and cast out demons. He performed more miracles here than at any other place. Multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed the multitude... and delivered the greatest sermon in history on these hills. To be standing here...looking out at all of this and realizing just how blessed we are to be here is overwhelming.

The boat ride on the Sea of Galilee was very special. Pete Sumrall started us off with some words of wisdom, then Pastor David Sumrall from Manila inspired us all as he renewed the vowes of Mr. and Mrs. Osamoa who have been married for 50 years!

This is the area where our group experienced water baptism in the Jordan River. Most have already been baptized but couldn't pass up the opportunity of following Jesus' example in the Jordan River...a rededication if you will. I will leave the pictures to say it all....

Today we started our day with an Israeli breakfast buffet. It was delicious! Breakfast and dinner is included in our package and the restaurant at the hotel is VERY nice. There are so many choices to eat! Travis really loves it!

It wasn't long and we boarded our bus and headed for Mt. Scopus for a group picture. It's the perfect place with a beautiful back drop for the picture. Travis and I got our picture taken here too.

Then a short drive to the Mt. of Olives where we stood in awe of the view. Everyll and a few others had such fun riding the camel before we began our Palm Sunday Walk.

The Mt. of Olives brought on some tears. Jesus spent so much time here. The view is remarkable and unforgettable.

The Palm Sunday walk is down hill from the Mt. of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane. Some sang as they walked. Some quietly reflected the steps Jesus took that fateful day he entered into Jerusalem. A few tears were shed.

Eli is the guide on bus #1. Here he explains "bone boxes" and burial laws that date way back...to the group who came from Manila.

Gila (our guide on bus #2) describes the view looking from the Dominus-Flevit. Many of us sat and like sponges, we listened intently trying to learn every detail. A few people in the group chose to spend some alone time with Jesus...filled with emotion, they headed off to a secluded area.

Eugenia read scripture to us at Dominus Flevit.

Our walked continued to the Garden of Gethsemane and we were all thankful for the downhill walk. Travis and I marveled at the olive trees that are over 1000 years old.

After visiting the beautiful Church of All Nations, I surprised Travis to see how close we have become to the Eastern Gate! He asked me if we could touch it... I said, I wish we could... It has always fascinated me.

We boarded the bus and stopped at the Upper Room. Here we sang, read scripture, prayed and a few tears were shed...

Today, being our first day out was emotional and a bit overwhelming. Early on you could see the revelation hit some in the group of just where we are and just where their feet are standing. It was like a veil had been removed from their eyes...and as reality settled in, the emotion came. What a joy to witness. Our last stop was Yad Vashem. I knew it was going to be an emotional ending of the day. Experiencing Yad Vashem with my 16 year old was something I'll remember always. I was curious and somewhat reluctant to show him the horrific details of the holocaust. Even though he learned about it in school...there is nothing like walking thru Yad Vashem and learning about it here, in Israel. And...as his Mom there is that natural part of me that wants to protect him from terrible things of this world. But I knew this was very important for him to understand and experience. We walked slowly, at his pace – and stopped to read, listen and contemplate. We didn't do a lot of talking. Sometimes we would just look at each other and let our eyes speak; sometimes he would look at me with concern to see if I was "ok"... then came the anger. As each of his questions came, it seemed as though fate stepped in and ironically the next room we entered would give us the answers. No answers we liked, but answers nonetheless.

Upon returning to the hotel, our stomach's welcomed dinner and now my head longs for the soft touch of my pillow. Day one; done. (And done well I might add!) It was an absolute great day.

Tomorrow... is my favorite day! Come back and find out why!

Goodnight,

Kim

Today the group arrives! 24 people from Manila, Philippines and 36 from the United States and Canada will converge from a handful of flights into Israel and through the doors of the Crowne Plaza. They will all be met at the airport by our friendly airport representative, "Romano", who will help them find their luggage and take them to their awaiting bus and guide, who will escort them to the hotel. That's were I am, at the hotel. Anxiously waiting for everyone to show up! I know from experience they are tired and happy to be out of a moving vehicle for the day. (Just like Travis and I were last night.) I know that they will be happy to see their cozy hotel rooms! Tonight, we will have our first Israeli dinner together!

Travis and I had some free time today between the group arrivals so we went to a very important place...a place where all teenagers want to go...apparently no matter what country they are visiting...they must go to this place... The Mall! It was a short drive to the Jerusalem Mall and once we were there we started systematically at the top and worked our way down. We were on a mission to find a pair of shoes for Travis. Not just any kind of shoes, he knew just want kind he wanted! After all the walking and searching we came to the conclusion that Israel teenagers don't wear the same kinds of shoes that Travis does. So we opted for some authentic Israeli food for lunch... Pizza Hut! Ok, I know what you're thinking..."you ate at Pizza Hut in the Jerusalem Mall how boring!" But I must tell you it wasn't boring at all. Pizza in Israel is different and delicious! First of all it is Kosher. Which basically means that no milk products can be served at the same meal as meat. They cannot be eaten together or even cooked together. This is a Jewish religious law. We ordered a small "hot and spicy pizza" and a side of nachos. The combination of feta, onions and peppers just cannot be duplicated!

...... the group has arrived plus 1! (Oh Rozetta what faith you have!) God has a perfect plan for each one on this trip. I have heard from Mary, Naidean and Rozetta in just the few moments before dinner and have heard of the great lengths that God will go to get our attention and encourage us to take this step of faith. The days to come are sure to be filled with life changing moments for them...and each one of us who have been called to be on this very trip at this very moment. Each one of us, instrumental to God's plan for each others experiences.

Tomorrow our eyes will be opened... stay tuned!

I knew that Travis was nervous to get in a plane for the first time. He's been nervously laughing about it for weeks. The first flight in our journey to Israel was on a small jet from South Bend, Indiana; and once again he was laughing as we took off. Travis has a great laugh and it warms my heart to hear it. He peered out the window trying to make out houses and businesses and marveled at the outlines of the farmer's fields; until there was nothing left to see but soft cotton like clouds below us. We were on our way!

Much later we arrived in Tel Aviv. I realized that Travis had not once asked, "Are we there yet?" Thanks to the high tech gizmos on the plane we were able to track our progress. We knew exactly what country we were flying over, how much time we had left in the flight, how fast we were going etc. Not to mention the large selection of movies, games, TV shows all to help pass the time and it surely helped. Our arrival into Tel Aviv was after dark so the ride to Jerusalem was quiet. The night sky was as heavy as our eyelids and the smell of rain reminded me that Israel is entering their spring season. It was a short 35 minute drive on the highway to Jerusalem (thanks to no traffic) and as we watched all the headlights and the city lights in the distance, you could almost let your mind believe that you were back home on the highway instead of so far away and in the Middle East. Travis had no idea what Israel looked like at this point...and I was anxious for daylight to show him this other world.

Kim

I couldn't be more excited for this February's tour to Israel! Every trip I take to Israel is very special and contains moments of clarity of God's presence in my life... moments that I hold dear. But this time I am embarking on a new experience. I am blessed to be able to be bringing with me, Travis my 16 year old son! He has never been to Israel before but has been asking to go for a long time. Not only has he never been to Israel before, he's never been on a plane before! My insides are a flutter of excitement and anticipation about our adventure together. How will he feel being on a plane for that distance? What will his reaction be when he sees, smells and touches the places that Jesus saw, smelled and touched? How will God move in his life during this trip? I literally wish we were leaving tomorrow, I'm THAT excited!

So, I was thinking about all of you this morning. Those of you who have been to Israel before and know first hand of the inevitable life changing attributes of this trip; who would you want to bring and experience this excitement with? Who in your life would you want to watch the Bible unfold before their very eyes? Oh, the blessing to be a witness to God's work on hearts through this trip is simply incredible.

Travis's passport just arrived yesterday so the realities of the moments to come are really hitting us. My heart is pounding as I write this... "We are really going to go to Israel together!"

Stop back as Travis and I keep you posted on our journey together...

Kim

We at LeSEA Tours are gearing up to escort another group to Israel this February! 35+ people are excited to see what God has in store for them and we are axious to watch God at work in their lives. Many of you have had questions about traveling to Israel at this time, especially if you've never been there before. Let me tell you, traveling to Israel is safe. Here is what the Israel Ministry of Tourism has to say about the current situation. Feel free to call us with any questions you have. We are here to help you make this life changing journey possible. We believe with all our hearts that your life will be changed by walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

Kim

WHAT'S HAPPENING WHERE?

The Israel Defense Forces' action to put an end to the firing from Gaza is taking place entirely within what is known as the Gaza Strip. This is an area under Palestinian control that is customarily not visited by visitors to Israel.

YES, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ISRAEL?

Rockets fired from Gaza have landed in several areas of southern Israel – places that are far from tourist routes.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT MY TRAVEL PLANS?

It doesn't. Conditions in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Netanya, the Galilee, the Negev, Eilat and the Dead Sea are completely normal. The only possible adjustments would be perhaps to bypass Beersheba, Ashdod and Ashkelon – cities that are anyway not usually priorities for most visitors. The tens of thousands of tourists who came to Israel for Chanukah and to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem stayed on and their travel plans continued unchanged.

YES BUT SURELY...?

Shops, restaurants, beaches, clubs, schools, hotels are open throughout Israel and are operating entirely normally. There is no sense of anxiety or crisis – life goes on unchanged.

YES, BUT SURELY...?

As hard as it may seem to comprehend from thousands of miles away, the current action has no affect on life in most of Israel. More than 70 airlines are operating their normal schedules to and from Israel, and today, as every day, close to 20 flights are operating nonstop between the United States and Canada and Israel, and vice versa.

SO WHAT DO I DO?

Absolutely nothing.

YES... BUT...

Tourists and tourism are very important to the State of Israel so it would be foolish and reckless of us to endanger you. If we felt there was the slightest risk, or that it was inappropriate for you to come now, we would ask you not to.

If you're already in Israel you know there's nothing to be concerned about. And if you're on your way, "Bon Voyage." We look forward to greeting you.

Israel Ministry of Toursim