Day 10 of the Tour

JERUSALEM – May 22 – It’s a transitional day for our travelers.  Wrapping up the first segment of the journey to Israel, many are headed home on flights tonight.  The rest of us are taking the day to catch our breath, do some shopping, and prepare for our weekend excursion to Jordan tomorrow morning.  Today represents the first pause in the adventure and a welcome reprieve from the rigors of non-stop site seeing.  So today, all fourteen buses sit idle while travelers recover.  But most are taking full advantage of the opportunity to create their own adventure, either in the Jewish quarter of the Old City hunting for bargains and gifts for their families, finding a quaint restaurant in which to taste the cultural cuisine, or just relaxing at the Regency Jerusalem Hotel on the patio overlooking the panoramic views.  It’s another pristine 75-degree blue-sky day with therapeutic gentle breezes.    Whether relaxing or site seeing, all of us carry the memories of a satisfying week in the Holy Land.  The visual images will endure forever: worshipping with 650 travelers on the Sea of Galilee, reflecting and praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, hearing Chuck Swindoll preach from the Southern Steps, visiting the Mount of Olives and the Mount of Beatitudes, observing communion together at the Garden Tomb, viewing the country from high atop ancient Masada, taking a buoyant dip in the salty Dead Sea, enjoying the concert artistry of duo pianists Steven Neilson and Ovid Young . . . and the list goes on and on.  Reminiscent of the last day at summer camp, we say goodbye to new friends who travel home tonight, and with whom we shared spiritual and emotional high moments that bond us together for a lifetime.  Jesus draws us together, and we celebrate His life and ministry on the very geography where history was altered forever.  Our thanks to Derrick Jeter, who wrote the blog entries during the first part of the trip.  He passed the baton to me today, and I will submit my daily observations from Jordan.  Until then, I remain one of the grateful travelers on this life-changing journey, Roger Kemp

Comments

[Cathie McCormick]

Upon returning from the trip, this travel blog was such a blessing!
I had forgotten so much, as my mind and heart could only take in a limited amount. Thank you so much for doing this. Also, I was excited to learn that many of my friends heard about the blog and were folllowing us on our trip.