Days 2 & 3 - From Lisa Jones

Greetings from Tiberias! This is a continuation of the report of activities from Day 2 and then I'll get into Day 3's activities!!

Day 2 con'td -

• Church of Multiplication - This is the site where Jesus is believed to have multiplied the fish & the loaves to feed the 5000+ people who had gathered to listen to Him.
• Church of Peter's Primacy - The site where Jesus restored Peter after His denial of Christ during His greatest hour of need. This was an absolutely beautiful place. I could picture Jesus standing there on the rocky beach to greet the fisherman as they came ashore. Since this has always been one of my favorite Bible stories, it was a very touching place to me. "I love you, I love you, I love you, Jesus."
• Capernaum - Jesus' adopted home town after the people of His own home town of Nazareth had run Him off by threatening to throw Him off a cliff for His proclamation of being the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. There was a lot to see there as not only were there the original synagogue ruins but also the rebuilt synagogue remains of the 3rd-4th century. There was also the House of Peter and a monument of great architectural feat of engineering built on top of his home without ruining the integrity of the original structure.
• Sea of Galilee - This was a truly awe-inspiring experience. We boarded a boat and set sail upon the sea. As we drifted in the middle of the peaceful waters, we sang some praise & worship songs both in English and in Hebrew. I have to tell you that when we sang "Agnus Dei" I truly was overwhelmed with the thought that my Lord and Savior had sailed upon the same waters. I couldn't even sing from being so overcome with emotion. We were able to see the "city on a hill" and the many lights of the surrounding villages that dot the perimeter of the sea. It was absolutely amazing. Definitely one of my favorites so far.

Day 3 - Mount of the Beatitudes, Tel Dan Nature Preserve, Caesarea Philippi, Golan Heights, Yardenit (Jordan River baptismal site)

• Mount of the Beatitudes - This mount was where Jesus delivered His most famous sermon. Not only does the site have significant Biblical meaning but it's a beautiful site to behold. The area has been extravagantly landscaped and is an oasis in a dry & dusty land.
• Tel Dan Nature Preserve - This was the land that the tribe of Dan inherited in the northern region of the Promised Land. Because of its beautiful vegetation and springs, the area has been turned into a nature preserve. Just like Texas contains practically every type of environmental landscape, so does the country of Israel. Mountains, streams, lakes, rivers, deserts, hills, etc. It's all here! Through the preserve flows one of the sources of the Jordan River.
• Caesarea Philippi - Also located in the north country, this was the site of the famous exchange between Jesus and the disciples when Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ. The backdrop of this exchange was a cliff that had been turned into a place of idol worship during the BC era for several gods, such as Pan, Zeus, and Caesar Augustus. When Jesus said "the gates of hell shall not prevail against the kingdom," I can't help but think that He was also so good to give practical metaphors that the people of the day and age could instantly grasp and understand.
• Golan Heights - What used to be a military bunker and lookout for the Syrians to keep watch over their enemy Israel has now become a place to view the now peaceful borders between Israel and Syria. It offered a fantastic view from its mountain top.
• Yardenit - This is the place on the Jordan River where modern day baptisms now take place. We witnessed and cheered on as 9 of our group was baptized in the river. Same river as Jesus' baptism but a different location.

That's all for now. Keep watch for further posts.

Many blessings,

Lisa :-)