HOLY LAND REVISITED - Galilee/Jordan River

For lunch we headed for a little shopping district to get the best 'Falafels' in town. It was arranged for our group to choose between three small fast food places. The passageway was very narrow and the court yard was very small and belonged to the pizza place. Unless we bought their faire we couldn't sit there. We ended up in some chairs along a wall next door to a little boy who was washing his floor and pushing the water outside. We decided they were getting ready for the Sabbath. Marie ordered our lunch because she was pushier than we were. You had to be pushy because we were practically on top of each other. The Falafels were interesting, sort of like pita bread with a salad in it. We went back to the ship for our last evening where we experienced a night club act put on by all of the ships staff that were willing to participate. I understood why most didn't.

The morning of March 16th we said goodbye to the Aegean I and left Haifa and traveled to Galilee. On the way we passed Nazareth and Cana. A chartered boat was waiting for us at the Sea of Galilee. About 1/2 mile out the crew raised our American Flag and played our National Anthem. How soothing after 9/11 to be comforted in a foreign land by such a simple act. Sitting on this boat we could visibly take in a large area of Christ's ministry. The sea was bigger than we expected. The valley around was very rich and plush. Lots of farming of bananas, mangos, avocados and pomegranates. After this we drove to Capernaum and saw what the Catholics have designated as Peter's mothers home. It was hard to tell because the Catholic's had built upon it. Entering the gate which was covered with beautiful large bougainvilleas, we were taken back into a time of a memory that we only had read about in God's word. Nothing but ruins including a synagogue and an old olive press.

A short ways into the hills our of Capernaum was the place where Jesus preached the sermon on the mount. "Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down His disciples came to Him. He opened his mouth and taught them." Matthew 5:1-2 Most walked down the hillside from that spot along the Mt of the Beatitudes which was provided by the Catholics. Here there was a great view of the Sea of Galilee and I could only imagine the crowd sitting on the ground listening intently to the master preacher of all times, as He spoke of who they could be in Him. As He spoke of Godly things!

We lunched by the Jordan River. Our lunch was in a large room with long tables. We shared our table with 5 others. After lunch we visited some small shops and went out into the courtyard and walked down and looked at the river. The Jordan is pretty much like Bear Creek in Medford and some say it looks like the Lost River that runs through Klamath Falls. It is small with losts of over hanging branches and bushes winding its way down the valley, into the Dead Sea. "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John." Matthew 3:13

Jim wanted to have our picture taken together standing near and overlooking the Jordan. He stopped a man who didn't know much English and of course we didn't know his language at all, but it was understood when Jim put a camera in the mans hand that we wanted a picture. Low and behold, the man sent his wife to join us. Just another added bonus of a trip of a life time as we looked, pondered and experienced the part of the world where our Savior lived.

"And when Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying; "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:16-17 By Jane Ann Crenshaw 9/28/09