oh the land is a flowing

today we traveled along what is called the Shephelah, or the lowland of Israel. we saw where the battle of David verses Goliath took place, and a whole mess of others historical battles!! it was wicked. the valleys of the lowland are beautiful, filled with flowers and fig trees and wheat fields. also, i was able to pick up around stone in the same water shed David picked up his five smooth stones!! i kept it as one of the many souveniers. right now i am in Beer-Sheeva, which is southern Israel. overall, the highlight of the day was swimming in the Meditteranean Sea suckah!!!!! it was beautiful. we went to the coastal city of Ashkelon (ashquelon), yes the one that got hit with a rocket a week or so ago. it was warm and salty....which equals lovely. today was a blast...tomorrow, may not be. it's going to be hottttt. but hey, it's Israel.

The Good Samaritan

this Holy Land is so amazing!!! in about fifteen minutes, we were lead into the wilderness...the same wilderness Christ was tempted in, on the same wilderness road the Good Samaritan parable was staged! this was a great adventure through steep canyond and rocky terrain. there is little if no covering, and it really is the wilderness. there has been tourists in the past who will come into this place and get lost. it is hot and dry and tough. again, walking on a road that Jesus traveled many times. it was a nicer day, thank God, so we really didn't get the full experience of the desert heat. so, we went down to Jericho...very beautiful and fertile. just a 10 to 15 minute drive away from the middle of nowhere. all kinds of flowers and trees 'n' stuff. amazing. got to see the wall that fell at the hands of Joshua (actually God). with this said, i wanna be like the good samaritan...i think he is more like Jesus than me...

the Western Wall and the Master

the wailing wall, now known as the West Wall, was a great experience for me. the wall is the closest place any Jew can get to the Temple Mount, which is occupied by the Muslims. the Dome of the Rock sits right about where the Temple would sit. as i stood and marvled at its magnificence, i noticed an overwhelming amount of paper stuffed into the wall crevices. these are prayers of the Jewish men (men and women are seperated into two sections), prayers of peace and the full restoration of Israel. i got to thinking, this is all they want: to worship God in this sacred place. they view this place, the Temple Mount, as a desirable sanctuary. there is such respect and zeal to be in the Temple again. that is what they consider ultimate worship. and i got to thinking about America. we go through Church so nonchalant. we get caught up in the eb and flo of life and forget that when we enter a time of worship to our God, who has all authority and power, we don't treat it as a sacred time. a time in which we are to long for God. unlike the Jews, this sacred place can be anywhere because of what our Master (Jesus) did for us on the cross. therefore, my life should be one filled with worship and Glory to my Father God....eagerly searching for sacred moments in which i can encounter Him.

OH THE TEMPLE WALLS:
sitting on the Temple steps, was amazing!! we actually sat on the second temple steps, the very one's Jesus walked on....the very steps the apostles and disciples walked on!! it was the hottest day since we got here; no shade was provided, yet it was energizing. many of the things i am seeing brings about a certain emotional experience inside of me that is difficult to express. i have walked on the streets that jesus walked. i have walked the Via Dolorosa, and it was intoxicating. there is no way to express how i feel when i look down a Hasmonean path just outside the Temple wall that Jesus walked at least three times a year. things like praying in the very place Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane have brought tears to my eyes. i have recieved a greater appreciation for my Savior. i have realized how much of a man he was....of course, remembering that He was God as well. the Bible is being brought to life right before my eyes, as we go to Bethlehem to visit the very place to which Jesus is born. if i had the resources, i would do this every year.

back in Jerusalem....thank God.

the last time i said my piece, we were in Petra, Jordan. well, i, along with my group, made it back into Israel after a tedeaous process at the border crossing. some sad news though....my viewfinder on my camera has cracked :( so i can't see what i'm taking a picture of!! but, i am praying that the Lord of Lords and King of Kings will miraculously heal it!! why not eh?!?! anyway, about 3 hours after we arrived at our hotel in Jerusalem, the rest of our group showed up, officially launching our 3 week escavation of the Holy Land!!

now, today we had a great day. started out at the Jerusalem University for some lecture and orientation. we then went around some Holy sites and walked into the old city. Jerusalem is separated into the Old City (where our hotel is at) and the New city, which is very modern and reminds me, quite frankly, of America. so, we toured the Old City today. there were a lot of cool things, but i wanna focus in on a couple of powerful places we went to.

the Church of the Seplucher, was an amazing experience. we were taken to where Jesus was crucified and buried. also, this Holy site also holds Joseph of Arametheas' actual burial site! let me say....this was one of the most emotional experiences i've had in a long time. we are going back to soak it all in a little better...hopefully with less people around. i cannot explain what i was feeling as i stood where Jesus, it is believed, shed His blood for my sins. i get choked up just thinking about it. there was, also, a replica of the slabe where Jesus was taken off the cross and cleaned up. furthermore, there was a replica of Jesus' tomb right where he was believed to be buried. how powerful!!! to be right where Christ was!! it is so easy to forget the price that Christ paid, and this experience reminded me of how hardcore Jesus' death was for us....i will be back to explain a couple other great things. gotta go eat :)

Israel here i am!!

wow wow wow!!!! sitting next to me is a cindy kam and samantha brewer in Petra, Jordan!! we landed in Tel Aviv at around 4:15 on Friday afternoon. it was a great flight and so far i am not suffering from jet lag. today i rose in Jerusalem to the sound of Muslim chants...that's right, at around 4:15 in the stinkin' morning. it was actually an interesting experience. the Mosque lays on top of the foundation of where the Temple used to be!! the orthodox Jews are bitter and pissed about that. i then laid in bed for a little longer before getting ready for our trip into Jordan. let's just say it was a fun experience getting inside the country....it was good though. btw, they (the people of Jordan) really LOVE their king; pics of him all over the place. but the places we visited (Pella, Gerasa) reminded me of Mexico, until we got into Jerash, which is a historical greco-roman, strategic city. a lot of great stories i tell you. it was a pretty modern city. we also drove through the capital city of Aram, which was a beautiful city! oh, we saw mcdonald's. interesting.

Petra, where i am now, is located in the south of Jordan, by the Arabian desert (i think) in Moab or Edom....can't remember which one (if this blog is scatter-brained it's because we've been up for over 18 hours doin' our thing!, needless to say, i am very tired....but i found wifi and desired to tell the world what's happenin'). as far as i know, Petra was voted on as one of the 7 wonders of the world, but didn't make the list. however, our tour guide tells us that it is one of the most beautiful cities he's ever been to, and is, frankly, really giddy about treking through it with us tommorow.

i am hoping to return within the next few days with a few more stories, something exciting, or just a bunch of information i didn't know that i can share. thusfar the trip has been wicked awesome; i have enjoyed looking at places where Jesus walked and did miracles (in Gerasa) and loved listening to the stories about battles Saul had around Mt. Gilboa, which by the way i have plenty of pics of! mt. gilboa was a magnificent sight, residing just south east of the Sea of Galilee. God is so freakin' cool!!! this land makes me feel closer to Him.....i know how cheezy that sounds, but it's true.

keepin it international,

sean dawg

going overseas!!

this is my first official blog for my trip to Israel. i leave in a couple days and i'm freakin' out because i've never been over an ocean, just bodyboarded in one. so, we fly to New Jersey, to Tel Aviv...10 and a holf hours over the Atlantic!!! GIT LIT!!! that is gonna suck. but hey, i get to go see the holy land....don't hate all you haters :)

welp, that's it. keep checkin' for updates throughout the trip people.