I’m Going To…

israel flag

Israel! Yes, I will be visiting the Holy Land, the place of our Lord’s birth, later this year! I am so freakishly excited. Our church is sponsoring a 9-day trip in the Fall of 2010. The tour will start in Tel Aviv and end in Jerusalem. Highlights include:

  • Mediterranean Sea and Joppa, where Jonah took his famous sea voyage
  • Mt. Carmel, where Elijah had his contest with the prophets of Baal
  • Sea of Galilee and Mt. of Beatitudes
  • Baptisms at the Jordon river
  • Cana, where Jesus performed His first miracle
  • The plain of Armageddon
  • Nazareth
  • Jerusalem, including Mt. Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Old City, Wailing Wall, the Upper Room, and Garden Tomb
  • Bethlehem, including the church of the nativity and the cave stable of Jesus’ birth
  • The Dead Sea

It will be so amazing to walk in the land that I’ve heard about my entire life. The land where Jesus lived, died, and rose again! The more I think about it, the more excited I get. I can’t wait!! Jerusalem has been on my list of “must visit” places for a long time (see my previous “My Top 5; Places To Visit” blog post), but because of safety concerns, I’ve always been reluctant to travel there.

I don’t think the risk will be any less in 2010, but I do believe there is safety in numbers and safety in going with an experienced tour company that has been successfully hosting visitors in the Holy Land for a number of years. Plus, if you have to travel with a group, what better group to go with than your church family? It’s much better than a group of strangers.

Normally, I’m not a fan of organized travel. I usually avoid it like the plague because I relish my freedom while on vacation. I want to choose where to stay, when and where to eat, and I don’t like having a pre-planned agenda every day. However, I’m hoping the benefits of group travel will outweigh those annoyances for this trip, especially considering the fact that I probably would never travel there on my own.

So, I’m overlooking my disgust for organized travel and focusing on the incredible opportunity that it offers me: the opportunity to visit the Holy Land, the opportunity to visit the most historic sites from the Bible, and the opportunity to fulfill a life-long dream.

Did I mention I was excited? Oh yeah, I can’t wait!!

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