Pics: Madrid, Spain

In Spain, I stayed with Molly, a friend of a friend, who graciously invited me in to her home.  She didn't know me at all, but is a missionary from Indiana, a little younger than me, teaching English in a Spain elementary school and working with a Missionary Alliance church in Madrid. A friend connected us.

When we visited her school, it was the day before Halloween, which I found out is an American holiday, and the Spanish teachers were teaching all about it to their students.  I thought, "Great.  What a wonderful holiday to spread."  But in one class, they did have an apple-dunking game that was really fun.  I taught the kids how to press the apple against the bottom of the bucket to hold it there while they bit into it. Maybe it was cheating. But it was funny to see my group come up with dripping faces and the apple every time!

Tiberius, Sea of Galilee, ISRAEL

Todd and Rose Horton (and their 3 beautiful children), with Touched By Grace Ministries, were my wonderful hosts in Tiberius.  (My friends from Indy, Natalie and Doug Crane, connected me with them!  Thank you!!!)  Tiberius is in northern Israel, right on the southwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee - which really looks like a large lake!  It was so amazing to be there.  To walk where Jesus walked with his followers, to visit Caparnaum (where Peter, James, and John were from - on the northern shore of the Lake); to ride a modern-day boat that was designed to look like the fisher boats during Jesus' time; to imagine Jesus walking across the Lake; to imagine him saying to the winds and the waves, "Peace, be Still!"; to see the mountainside where Jesus may have taught the Beatitudes; to go to the Jordan River at the southern shore of the Lake and swim near where Jesus was baptized and the dove came out of heaven and said, "Behold, this is My Son, with him I am well pleased"; WOW.  I think that every person who loves Jesus should visit Israel and go up to the Galilee area where Jesus spent so much of his ministry time during the three years from his baptism to his death on the cross.  It is a beautiful land, with a lot of lush, green fields that grow citrus fruits, olives, grapes, etc.

Invitation - Come to Israel

Israel. I can't believe I'm here.                                                                        Flights to Tel Aviv

These are the deserts the Israelites walked through on their way to the Promised Land.

This is the wilderness that David fled through to escape the evil intentions of Saul.

This is the wilderness that Elijah prayed in and was fed by ravens.

Jesus walked through this land, bringing good news of salvation and announcing God's kingdom is near.

This is where he broke bread and fed 5,000. This is where he walked on water.

This is where he walked along the water front with his disciples and told them secrets of the Heavenly Father's heart. This is where he called the 12 disciples and sent them out to do the things he showed them, to set the captive free. This is the land where the Savior was died. This is where he rose again. This is where he will return.

This is the hill he prayed tears of blood, asking the cup to be taken from him, if it was possible.

This is where the famous kiss of betrayal was placed on his cheek.

This is where he told Peter to put away his sword and healed the bleeding ear of the one who came against him.

This is the place where God dwelt among his people, then removed his glory, but where his glory will return.

This is the place where the eyes of the LORD are.

This is the place where all nations will come to bring tribute to the King of Kings.

This is a chosen place. Set apart.

This is a place that invites you to come.

To see the heritage.

To enter the living story.

To have your faith renewed and your hope restored.

This is the place where you will connect with the God of the Universe

because his heart and his love are with man.

He delights to save us.

He loves to bring us salvation.

It cost him everything.

But for the joy of renewed relationships and eternal fellowship with his creation,

he determined the price was worth the cost.

Come to Israel.

Come see the glory of kings.

Come see the hope of the world.

Come see the nation that God reinstated in a day.

The nation where his favor forever rests.

Flights to Tel Aviv
(posted to blog: 12/23/09)
(archived as 10/17/07, to put in 
proper sequence order of blog, 
but actually written in 12/23/09)

JERUSALEM!

The City of God's Amazing History with His People...
To Bless All Nations...

I'm in Jerusalem now, staying w/ a great husband and wife who live in a "flat" (3 bedroom apt/condo/house) that overlooks a valley that leads up the hill to JERUSALEM!!! Over to our right (as you look out to the city) is the Mt. Olives, where Jesus went out to pray before he was captured and prosecuted and executed; and then where He was taken up to heaven after He rose from the dead and gave His last directions to His Followers/Believers... its RIGHT THERE!!!
I can't tell you what it was like to drive in the taxi and see part of the WALL of Jerusalem a couple hundred yards away... like this ancient wall, like in kings/queens england time; only BEFORE that... in JESUS' time.

In Israel

Dear Friends and Family,

Today i am in Eilat! Its in Southern Israel, right by where the Red Sea comes up and touches the Israel border... Like if you hold 2 fingers up (peace), I'm at the tip of the middle finger. (fingers being the Red Sea.)

Its really sunny and dry heat HOT here... they say its cool now but in the summer its hot. Ha! I did my laundry in a sink last night, hung it up to dry (didn't even wring it out too much), and BAM, its dry by 10 am the next morning. wow.

I'm staying at a guest house called the Shelter, its run by a couple, John and Judy Pex, who have been in Israel for about 30 years, and they are really great people. They love Jesus a lot. They also wrote a book about a "life time-out" they took walking the 600 mile Israel National trail (i guess like people do our Appalachian Trail)... that goes from the northern Lebanon border all the way south to Eilat, where we are now; its called, Walk the Land.

Birthday Adventures!

Happy Birthday to me!!! :)
My brothers always would laugh at me for announcing my
own birthday, but i'm celebrating!!!! yippeeee!!!!! :)


Today, Oct. 7, 2007 is my birthday!!!! yea!!!!!


It is a beautiful day in Sharma El Sheikh, Egypt...