Thursday, April 30, 2009

We began the day at Saccara, the site of a small pyramid that contained the burial chamber and accoutrements of one of the pharaohs. Surrounding the pyramid and included at the site was an area similar in style but much smaller than Karnak, where we were yesterday. The elaborate architecture and artwork of the ancient Egyptians continues to amaze all of us as we see their work. Saccara lies just into the desert on the divide between the fertile Nile River Valley and the Sahara Desert.

Egypt is a land of contrasts; between the very wealthy in the cosmopolitan city of Cairo and the incredibly poor that live and work there as well; between the busy traffic that chokes the streets designed for two million people in a city of now twenty million (the third largest city in the world) and the horse drawn carts that carry people and produce about; between the modern technology that makes Egypt one of the major players in the world and the farmers harvesting their crops by hand and thrashing their grain on thrashing floors, letting the chaff blow away in the wind; between the expensive carpet factories and the underpaid poor boys that weave the carpets, and so on. We on the trip have felt the amazing contrasts and relish the blessings of living in the great nation we do, and resting comfortably with our Savior.

We left Saccara and drove to Memphis, one of the several capitals of Ancient Egypt where we were able to see the largest stone statue in the world, Ramses II, laying in the place it was discovered among the relics of his once lavish courtyard. Once again we were completely amazed at the engineering and artwork that characterized those ancient Egyptian Cultures. Unlike many of the other sites we visited there remains little of the ancient city of Memphis, however, what is there is spectacular.

We stopped on our way to lunch at a Carpet School where we were able to see young men learning their trade and then up to the second floor where the finished products were displayed. No Pam, I didn’t buy a carpet! Several of our group were able to purchase some beautiful carpets and are seriously excited about getting them back to grace their homes.

Lunch today was great as we sat in a rooftop restaurant that overlooked the Great Pyramids where we visited after lunch and stopped to do some more shopping.

Shopping is getting far better for our group as we’ve been educated through the multitude of vendors that have vied for our money since we began this trip. We are all learning to bargain and discern which of the things we see are tourist junk and which are legitimate souvenirs. We have the ignoring “walk on by” ploy down to a science and only the most skilled and persistent are able to turn our heads. It probably would have been good to have mastered this a bit earlier in the trip.

After our brief shopping stop, we went to see the Giant Pyramids of Giza and began with a group picture before we all took a brief camel ride on the most lethargic and disinterested camels in Egypt. We all took lots of pictures and some went down inside of one of the Pyramids, only to confirm what the guide had told us – that it was hot and smelly with no art work left on the walls. The size of these tombs is unbelievable, but the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, are far more impressive in terms of the preservation of the actual burial chambers and art work. One of the tombs we observed in the Valley of the Kings, housed a pharaoh, who se son went on to be king and built the largest of the pyramids in Giza, only to be followed by his son, who built the second largest and grandson who reigned and then built the third and final pyramid and three small replicas for his three wives. Leaving we stopped to observe and take pictures of the giant Sphinx, the largest one in the world, very close to the pyramids and thought to be part of the original complex.

The last thing we did today, was to stop at a Papyrus Factory, where we all learned how papyrus is made and looked over the magnificent artwork that depicts the mythology of ancient Egypt and all that makes it a wonderful place to experience. Many of our group bought artwork and are anxious to share with you the wonderful pieces with family and friends.

~ Clergy Comments ~

On the eve of our last full day on this Holy Land pilgrimage, I asked several of our pilgrims the question, “What will be different about your spiritual life when you return home?” Some of the responses follow:

“The Bible has absolutely come alive to me, I will read with much greater understanding.”

“After completing The Bible in 90 Days program last Fall, this trip has helped me to picture the places where the biblical stories took place the Bible lives in me.”

“I am anxious to share with my family and friends the wonderful people we have met on this trip.”

“I will be praying for the people we have met, and for future peace in these lands where the heroes of our faith lived.”

I would say that, based on these comments, which could be repeated by many others in our group, this has been a “successful” pilgrimage. Tomorrow, after a full day of activity we begin our journey home to Portland/Vancouver. This may be the last blog entry, if so, thank you for your prayers for us. We are all anxious to get home, but will return filled with wonderful memories and great friends! - Bruce

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

We began the day with a short flight from Sharm El Sheikh to Luxor, in the south of Egypt, called “Upper Egypt” because it is higher than the northern part of the country and from where the Nile River flows over the Aswan Dam, north trough “lower Egypt” to the Mediterranean Sea.

Our first stop was the Temple of Karnak, the largest columned temple in the world, embodying temples from many of the Pharaohs and the elaborate artwork and architecture that have distinguished Egyptian History. We were all amazed as we walked amongst the collection of pillars, chapels, obelisks and various other things that make it so good a representation of the lives and reigns of the kings.

We left Karnak, driving past several other temples and went to the Valley of the Kings, where many of the Pharaohs were buried, and where we were able to go inside of and view three of the thirteen tombs. The inside of the tombs were elaborately carved and beautifully painted as they depicted the lives of the Royalty they housed. They are various sizes, depending on how long the Pharaoh reigned. Each tomb was begun as soon as the Pharaoh took office and the work continued until the Monarch was ready to occupy it. The largest of the tombs, Ramses I, took 67 years to complete, the length of his time in office. All of the tombs are under ground on bedrock and were sealed and covered with dirt and rocks to hide the entrances. King Tut’s tomb that is so famous, was under the tomb of another pharaoh and was not discovered because of that until after all the other tombs had been opened. His is the smallest of tombs, because he only reigned for a short period of time.

After the Valley of the Kings, we took a short boat ride across the Nile and ate a terrific lunch before going to an Alabaster factory, where they shaped alabaster stone into beautiful objects. We learned the difference between machined alabaster objects, they call “faster alabaster” and the genuinely handmade articles that are more beautiful and much lighter. We drove by several other sites of interest as we made our way to the airport where we departed for Cairo, where we will be until we fly home Saturday morning early.

It was another spectacular day of site seeing and learning about history we’d only heard about before. The weather was exceptionally hot, 110’, but didn’t stop us from having a great time. We followed our Guide Osama’s advice and all drank copious amounts of water. Dinner was late and we all looked forward to another night’s sleep as we anticipate a busy day tomorrow.

~ Clergy Comments ~

Last night Dr. Bob shared with the group three of the Biblical figures who came “out of Egypt” – Abraham, who returned to Canaan with sheep, cattle, donkeys and servant’s (Gen 12:16) following a famine; Moses, who led the people of God out of slavery (Exodus 12:31-42); and Jesus, who escaped the hand of Herod into Egypt, before Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth (Matthew 2:13-15). Certainly Egypt is an important place in Biblical history. Today we experienced some of the very places that Abraham, Moses and Jesus may have visited – what a thrill! In spite of the hot weather and a bit of walking, our group is doing very well and are looking forward to seen the sites at Cairo tomorrow and Friday, the last days of our fabulous Holy Land Pilgrimage. - Bruce

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

The day began at two different times, depending on which group we were part of. The early birds (5 of us: Doug, Susan, Judy, Suzie and Shiloah) were awakened at 1:00, packed our bags and sent them to the bus, picked up our sack breakfasts and headed off to climb Mt. Sinai where we would watch the sun rise over the Sinai Peninsula. We began our hike at St. Catherine’s Monastery at 1:45 on a glorious night when we could see a myriad of stars that boggled our minds. Before the night was over we saw Venus and Mars, the Big Dipper, the North Star and lots of other constellations that we’d all learned about, but took our guide to find for us. The Monastery had an apparently very sinful monk, 800 years ago, that spent 40 years building 3750 steps, as penance, to the top of the mountain which now has a small church on it. We walked up the Snake Path, around the side of the mountain, with hundreds of other pilgrims, many of whom were on camels. The trek took 4 hours to the top and was pleasant, as we walked by Bedouins who continually offered us a camel to ride and several small kiosks that offered everything from candy bars to coffee and tea. Upon reaching the 3000 step level, there were no more camels, just 750 steps that seemed to stretch steeply upward into heaven, as we climbed toward our goal. Our Bedouin Guide, Saba, had us on top by 5:45, 15 minutes before sunrise, with about 200 other folk, all trying to find just the perfect spot to take pictures. We spent about 15 minutes on top and then began our 1 ½ hour trek down the 3750 steps on the front of the mountain, arriving at the Monastery at the same time as our bus and those who “slept in,” at 9:30 and toured the Monastery, famous for having housed Sinaiaticus, one of the most significant ancient documents ever discovered and the 2nd largest collection of ancient documents in the world.

We left after our tour and drove 1 ½ hours to lunch at a beautiful sidewalk restaurant on the Red Sea where we watched wind surfers and looked across to Saudi Arabia as we enjoyed Shish kabobs and fish from the local fisheries. Once again, our lunch, especially the fish, were a culinary delight. As you might imagine, the hardy members of the Order of Mountain Goats (the five hikers) slept while we drove to lunch and then again after lunch until we got to our hotel in Sharm El Sheikh.
We are staying Hilton’s Sharm Dreams Resort and seriously enjoying the 8 pools, magnificent accommodations and a welcome rest. Several of us are a bit tired, so tonight is likely to find us in bed early and sleeping soundly as we look forward to another busy day tomorrow when we fly to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings for the day and then on to Cairo in the evening where we’ll spend the rest of our time in Egypt, before we head home to regale you with all our stories. The only possible thing that could have made this trip better is if each of you were with us.

~ Clergy Comments ~

This morning as we left the hotel in St Catherine’s, I read to the group from Psalm 63, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” Although this psalm was written by David in the Judean wilderness, it well applies to the land we have traveled through in the last two days. The wilderness of Sinai is a dry and thirsty land, where there is little water. In my life I certainly experience times of spiritual dryness. At those times I am grateful for the faithfulness of God who hears the honest desire of my heart, and “leads me beside still waters.” What a wonderful God we love and serve! - Bruce

Monday, April 27, 2009

We had a pretty uneventful day, travelling from Jerusalem to Egypt, where we ended up at a nice hotel near to Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine’s Monastery.

The day began with our travelling south toward Eilat where we got stopped for about an hour while a construction accident on our highway, got cleared up and the injured rushed off to the closest hospital. We left that tie up and travelled to the Israeli- Egyptian Border at a point where four countries meet, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The saddest part of the trip ensued, when we had to say goodbye to two people who had become close friends to each of us and with whom many of us will continue to correspond. Our world class guide, Julie, who for many of us that had travelled abroad before consider the best we’ve ever encountered. She not only was incredibly well informed, teaching us about Scripture we now read with new insights, she seldom responded to a question she couldn’t answer and became an integral part of our travelling family that will remain in our hearts forever. Our driver, Hassem, is now equally a part of each of our lives as he not only drove us miraculously for the time we were there, but also shepherded us through each and every situation making the impossible easy for us and the trip a real pleasure. Both left us with the plea to “keep in touch” and return soon so we can spend time together once again.

We arrived at our destination late in a beautiful afternoon and checked into a beautiful hotel where we had another great Middle Eastern meal. Our new guide, Osama, is reputed by Dr. Bob and several of the other guides we’ve run into, as the best in Egypt. So far we’d all agree with them and look forward to having him with us for the next five days. Our bus driver, Magdi, seems equally as talented as he’s maneuvered our luxurious coach into and out of situations we’ve all marveled at, as he’s carefully shepherded us to our destination through endless checkpoints. Security in Egypt, like Israel, is a serious priority, to the extent that we have a policeman traveling with us everywhere we go.

It’s off to bed, as several of us will be getting up at 1:00 in the morning, (Tuesday morning) to collect our sack breakfasts and head off to climb Mt. Sinai to watch the sunrise.

~ Clergy Comments ~

Long bus rides are not usually something I look forward to, but I must admit that this one was rather special today. We drove through the wilderness of Sinai, retracing the steps of our Jewish forbearers many centuries ago. And it is wilderness to be sure! What incredible faith and trust was required by Moses in leading the people of God. It was very easy to imagine how the faith of the people wavered – much as mine does quite regularly. We worship a God of incredible patience with us when we grumble, question and complain.

It was difficult to leave Israel after the wonderful sights, sounds, and especially people we met. I was especially moved by our conversation with Palestinian Christians who are praying for the Christian community in the Holy Land. The conflict that has been going on for so long is a tragedy for both Israelis and Palestinians. I urge you to continue in prayer for peace and justice in the wonderful land that is sacred to Moslems, Jews and Christians. - Bruce

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Today began with another great breakfast followed by a wonderful worship service in a garden patio at our hotel in Jerusalem. It was a time when we, during the “Passing of the Peace” thanked and complimented each other for the fellowship and oneness we’d achieved as individuals and as a group during our trip. There was an abundance of heartfelt things to say about each person on our pilgrimage as we experienced firsthand the glory and wonder of tangibly caring for each other as we travelled the Holy Land. When we had finished encouraging and building each other up, we each took some time to express what the pilgrimage had done for us personally as we saw the myriad of Holy Sites and walked where Jesus had walked some 2000 years ago. The beauty of it is that we don’t have to end our experiences here but are better equipped to take the name of Jesus with us and continue to grow as we read His Word with new eyes and apply the lessons we’ve learned during the incredibly special time we’ve spent together and “felt His presence” here. This was the last time we were all together in this great place and sadly bid adieu and safe travels to several of our group and sang the beautiful hymn “Till We Meet Again,” with some heading home and the rest of us either in Lebanon or Egypt. Graig will join us again in Istanbul as we head home in 5 more days so we can fly home together. We will miss Graig’s moving devotions, but feel especially blessed to still have Dr. Bob Anderson and Bruce to lead us spiritually as we continue our pilgrimage.

When we finished worship and said our farewells to Graig, we went our separate ways to explore Jerusalem and savor first hand many of the places we didn’t get to during our time together with Julie our world class guide. The most popular trek was for many, to shop on the Cardo (the main street of all Roman Cities of the time, which divides the Old City of Jerusalem into sections. There are a myriad of shops that for the most part look much like they would have when Jesus walked the same streets. Several of us bought things along the way and enjoyed bargaining for our purchases and interacting with local merchants who relish our being here and were quick to engage us and show their appreciation for our travelling to Jerusalem. When we were finished in the Old City, many of us went off to Ben Yahuda Street where we had magnificent meals in several restaurants and then enjoyed the ambiance while we shopped and people watched our way through the afternoon. Others of us took advantage of the time and rested in our hotel and enjoyed the free day.

All in all it was a wonderful day that we will all remember as we pack up and prepare for our very long bus ride to Eilat, where we will say goodbye to Julie our magnificent guide and Hassem our incredibly talented and gracious Bus Driver and host. Once we’ve crossed into Egypt we will continue to a hotel at St. Katarina, at the foot of Mt. Sinai on the Sinai Peninsula.

The people of the Holy Land, and especially those I have mentioned, have become lifelong friends and folk we will not soon forget as we continue to pray for them and for the “Peace of Jerusalem.” It has borne a determination in many to return and fellowship with these wonderful friends once again. We look forward to seeing the Canauatis in Bethlehem, Julie and Hassem in Jerusalem, the friends we’ve made along the way and the multitude of friends whose names we can’t pronounce but are waiting our return as much as we are anticipating seeing them again one day. It would be fair to say lots of spiritual seeds have been planted and we will continue to pray for them as many will be praying for us as well.

We will send our next BLOG from Egypt and welcome your continued prayers for our safe travel and the Lord’s Blessing as we continue to experience His grand plan and magnificent creation.

~ Clergy Comments ~

As Doug, our great “blog-master” said, we enjoyed a wonderful worship service this morning in the patio of the Ambassador Hotel, looking out over a beautiful garden – quite a setting to lift our praise to God in song and prayer! I appreciated Graig’s focus in his meditation on the last verses of Luke’s Gospel, reminding us that we, like the first disciples, are “witnesses of these things” (24:48) - the grace of God that has been given to us, and the great privilege of walking where Jesus walked these last days.

We sadly bid farewell and safe journey to 6 of our group – Glen and Johnnie Livingston, Jennifer Mears, Dick and Ashlie Rapp, and Pastor Graig – each of whom has contributed greatly to our experience. It has been very special to share this time together; truly we have become a Christian community. We also deeply appreciate the prayers that you are offering on our behalf – thank you and bless you! - Bruce

Saturday, April 25, 2009

The day began with a drive south along the Dead Sea to Masada. Along the way Julie pointed out an ibex to those who were quick enough to see it. Masada is the site of the final battle/siege of the Jewish Revolt against Rome that started in 66 AD. Here the last 960 Jewish rebels were besieged by 10,000 Roman soldiers for 3 years before finally admitting defeat by committing suicide and thereby denying the Romans the glory of defeating them. We took the cable car to the top of the mountain. The weather, which is often very hot on Masada, was nice and cool with only a slight breeze and made the visit really enjoyable. Herod’s engineering on this, one of 7 fortresses he had throughout his kingdom, was once again impressive. And we were amazed at the incredible determination and courage that characterized the ancient Jewish people in the face of overwhelming odds and pondered anew God’s plan for His Chosen People.

We left Masada and drove back to the northern end of the Dead Sea, to Qumran, generally viewed as home of the devout Essene Community. There we had lunch and learned about this special sect of Jews to which John the Baptist may have belonged. Jesus, too, may have had a connection with the Essenes. Part of their piety was expressed in studying the Old Testament Scriptures, and they developed principles for community life that they carefully wrote down. Their Scripture scrolls and the documents of their community life are what became known as the “Dead Sea Scrolls.” It is thought that when the Romans passed Qumran on their way to Masada, the Essenes heard of their approach and quickly hid the scrolls in a myriad of caves in the cliffs above the community to protect them from the invaders. As they feared, the whole community was wiped out and the scrolls were left safe and undiscovered for almost 1900 years. In 1947 a shepherd boy lost one of his goats into a cave. When he threw a rock into the cave to scare out the goat, he heard the sound of breaking pottery. Upon further exploration, he found clay pots holding scrolls. Eventually this led to the discovery of over 900 documents in many nearby caves. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has been acclaimed as the most significant archaeological discovery of the 20th Century.

Upon leaving Qumran, we stopped to swim, (well really float) in the “Dead Sea,” 1300 feet below sea level. Everyone that braved the briny water seemed to have a great time and savored the unusual experience. While our oceans contain 2-3% salt, the Dead Sea has over 30%!
The afternoon found us in Jericho where we climbed over the “Jericho Tell,” viewing a ten thousand year old watch tower and various remnants of the ancient city of Jericho, where “the walls came tumbling down.” Dr. Bob shared the historical context and Bruce offered a devotion based on how God guided Joshua, encouraging him to be “strong and courageous” because God would always be with him (Josh 1:9). We continued our commitment to enrich the local area with our shopping, first at a very nice market at the “Jericho Tell” – just opposite Elisha’s Spring, still flowing sweet after over 2500 years (2 Kings 2:19-22) - and then off to the Hebron Glass Outlet in Jericho where many picked up some unusual and beautiful gifts.

It turned out to be a long day but filled with lots of new information and fun, culminating with a late dinner, after which everone was ready to relax and plan for our day off in Jerusalem tomorrow.

~ Clergy Comment ~

As our time in Israel draws to a close, I think we are all feeling a little wistful. Some of us will head for home tomorrow night, most will head on to Egypt Monday. I travel to Lebanon tomorrow afternoon. Our time in Israel has been extremely successful in so many ways – we have had a terrific guide (Julie) and a superior driver (Hazem)… logistically most everything has worked well… the group has held together in a supportive and positive way… the program content has been excellent. Israel has worked hard to make it possible for pilgrims like us to have meaningful experiences. The sites are generally well maintained and visitation is organized so that groups like ours can access the biblical sites without waiting too long or being crammed in with crowds of other pilgrims. It has been a great visit in Israel, due in no small way to the commitment to excellence and the longstanding relationships of our host, Masters Tours’ Dr. Bob Anderson, whom we were blessed to have with us for this trip.

The complicated issues related to the “Palestinian question” or to the continuing tension between Arabs and Jews remain frustrating to us as onlookers. The shrinking Christian presence in this area is troubling to us. And yet we have seen and talked with Jews, Arabs and Christians who live next to each other in peace. Our driver Hazem told us that in the villages, these 3 groups know how to live “as brothers – not just friends – brothers.” The Wall – still being constructed – reduces violence, but it is hated or lamented by many. In Bethlehem, business has dropped by 70% since the wall went up, according to one shop owner I talked with.

We have people in our group who represent a “Christian Zionist” point of view, and others who are “pro-Palestinian.” But almost all of us can see the logic of point of view of both sides when we hear it expressed by people who are living here with these tensions every day. I expect we will return home with no better answers to the questions we had when we came… but at least we will understand our questions better, and have greater compassion for those who live in this complicated situation.

And we will return home with new perspectives that will help us in our Bible reading. We will return understanding that our Lord and the heroes of the Bible are rooted in real human history. And with the Spirit’s help, we will continue to draw closer to the Lord after this trip is over. - Graig.

Friday, April 24, 2009

We began the day on the Mount of Olives, where we took a group picture just before we began the trek down the hill toward the Kidron Valley, just as Jesus did on Palm Sunday. Along the way we saw an authentic grave site (cave) from the time of Jesus, with ossuaries (bone boxes) from the same period. We stopped at The Church of Tears, Dominus Flevit (“the Lord wept”), where Jesus wept over Jerusalem as he approached it on the donkey. He cried out, “how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” (Mt 23:37-38). We were able to take some great pictures from there, including one of the Dome of the Rock, framed in the window of the church with the cross superimposed over the dome.

We left that site and continued down the steep hill to the Garden of Gethsemane where we had a wonderful worship time and were able to move about the Garden and meditate and pray on our own. This was across the street from the popular, crowded Gethsemane with the Church of All Nations, but at the time of Jesus it was all one commercial olive grove. This garden is not accessible to the public but our Dr. Bob Anderson was able to get us entrée and the quiet and peacefulness there was an important part of our meaningful worship experience. We did then enter the “official” Garden of Gethsemane and into the Church of All Nations, designed in the first half of the 20th century by the Italian architect Pietro Barluzzi, who is responsible for a number of churches on holy sites in Israel. There is even a rock at the church against which Jesus is believed to have prayed before He was betrayed and arrested.

Upon leaving the Mount of Olives, we drove across town to Yad VaShem (“a memorial and a name” – Is 56:5), the Holocaust Museum and Memorial where all of us were deeply moved and shared Israel’s determination to never let that kind of thing happen again. It was and is incomprehensible to us that human beings were capable of such incredible hatred that would cause the murder of 6000 Jews, to say nothing of the myriad of others that were exterminated as well. It was an experience none of us will forget but will take with us whenever we are faced with the history that allowed it.

Lunch at a local kibbutz was terrific as has been the case from the very beginning, with most of us carrying on about having eaten too much.

The afternoon saw the culmination of all we’ve seen and done while we have been here in the Holy Land. We toured the Garden Tomb, next to the Hill of the Skull (believed to be Golgotha) where many believe Jesus was Crucified and then to a tomb in a beautiful garden where Jesus may have been buried for three days before He arose to seal our eternal life. Our time there ended with a beautiful worship service ending with a celebration of the Lord’s Supper to recommit ourselves to His service and all we have learned and determined to be now that we’ve walked where Jesus walked. What a thrill to celebrate the sacrament so near to where the Lord and his inner circle began the tradition!

Susie Parr writes that yesterday while “in Bethlehem I felt the oneness of Christ as we sang Christmas Carols in the cave where Jesus was born. A French Tour passed by, many smiled and joined in with the singing. Our world is truly connected by God.”

~ Clergy Comment ~

Today there were several emotional experiences for me personally. We were able to take some quiet time in the Garden of Gethsemane following Graig’s thoughtful reading of the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John 17, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (17:20-21). What does it mean to “be one”? As we were celebrating the Lord’s Supper at the Garden Tomb, we heard the singing of other groups from adjoining areas, praising God the Father and Jesus Christ in different languages. What a powerful reminder of what it means to be the very Body of Christ – as we shared at the Table of the Living Lord. Thank you for your prayers! - Bruce