Definitely the most adventurous...

As the headline says, today was definitely filled with more adventure than any other so far this trip. Our day was all about the Old City of Jerusalem, the city within the walls that were built many years ago. We began by passing through the Dung Gate, the last of eight gates built, named aptly after the sheep, goats and trash pile that inhabited the area before the gate was built. We immediately passed through security and looked down over the Wailing Wall. Our first stop of the morning was to the pool of Bethesda, or as they say Bet Hezda which means house of mercy. We read from John 5, the story of the man who had been waiting at the pool when Jesus approached. We then gathered as a group and lifted the names of those sick and ill that we knew of. It was amazing to hear all the names called out. I realize that many of our pastors are dealing with a lot of sick and ailing people. The Bishop then led us in an emotional prayer. Near the pool sits the Church of St. Ann, the mother of Mary, grandmother of Jesus whose house sits below the church. This was one of the only churches that the Muslim didn't destroy when they took over the city. The inside of the church was very simple and plain, but the acoustics were unbelievable. After a member of our group sang the first verse of Amazing Grace, the rest of us joined in singing a simple Alleluia. The sound echoed and seemed to go on forever. We will never again wonder why some churches chant like they do. With acoustic like St. Ann's, you'd be crazy not to.

We then began the Via Dolorosa (spelled wrong yesterday) or the Painful Way, the walk that Jesus had to make in order to get from St. Antonio's Fortress where he was condemned to die to the Skull of Golgotha and the cross of Calvary. The Via Dolorosa contains 14 Stations all along the way that detail the actions of Christ. The majority can be found in Scripture, while a few have been passed down as simple tradition. Our journey ended at the Church of The Holy Sepulchre, which contains the site of his Crucifixion, the slab of marble they laid his body on to prepare it for burial and the traditional tomb that he was laid in. The tomb was nothing like we expected. In fact, it was so crowded that we didn't get a chance to see it the first time through with the large group. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was so crowded that it kind of took away from the experience for us. Our guide said that the only time she had ever seen it this crowded was during Holy Week. The one thing that we did take from the visit to this truly Holy site was the fact that Christianity is far from dead. While it may feel like that at times in the US, the large group of people from many nations, speaking many different languages, is a testimony to how the faith is growing world-wide.

After a lunch of Shwarma, a Middle Eastern staple that even Joe enjoyed we headed to the Jewish Quarter just as school was getting out. It was really neat to see all the school kids heading home. It is amazing how similar kids are on the other side of the world. We walked to the Western Wailing Wall where we had the chance to pray and place our written prayers in the cracks of the ancient wall. It is the one wall left from the temple that was destroyed in 70 AD...and the only part of the temple which Jews are allowed to worship. We then walked around the corner to the Southern Steps where Jesus sat and taught his disciples. Many of the steps are original to the time of Jesus. Needless to say, we sat down and looked over David's Jerusalem imagining what it would have been like to sit there and listen to the words of Jesus.

Our day ended with our most endevorous adventure. The bus dropped 5 of us who wanted to go back to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre off at the Jaffa Gate. We went back to the church to wait in line so that we could go into the tomb of Jesus. With three churches built over it, it didn't look much like the original tomb. Yet being in a place that has been venerated for over 17 centuries was a holy experience. And the best part of it was that the tomb was empty!

We then made our way through the city down the Cordo(street that runs through the haert of the city) to the Damascus Gate and back to the hotel. All in the rain! But all by ourselves! We were very proud of ourselves.

Tonight we ate dinner at a local restaurant. It was fantastic! Way too much food, but so much better than the hotel food. It was the perfect ending to the day.

This should be our last report of our trip. We have some things in the morning and then free time in the afternoon before heading to the airport in Tel Aviv. With sadness, we report to you for the last time from the Holy Land. It is with a great deal of confidence that we recommend each of you coming on your own pilgrimage to this wonderful land that is filled with many beautiful and amazing sites. Maybe one day we could even lead a group that you could join with. But above all else, as we will do constantly in our lives, we ask you to pray for this land. While visiting it, we realize how deep the pain truly goes, and we believe we have only scratched the surface. This land needs our prayers, simply so it will be around for our children and grandchildren to come and to visit. Thanks for reading and thanks for praying for us. We love you all and will see you very soon. Shalom, Salaam, and Peace.