Tel Aviv

Thank you for your prayers. Checked in and at gate. Look forward to being in Alabama tomorrow.

Last Day in the Holy Land

This is our last day. We had free time until 11am which is check out time. Our bus will be here and we will leave around 11:30am to go to the Temple Mount and on to visit Joppa (Jaffa) which I really like, of coure I love any place on the Mediterranean Sea. After that we will have our farewell dinner together and on to the airport. This morning many of us went back to the Prayer Center and spent time in the Interactive Prayer Room and visiting with some of the workers there. One of the areas in the prayer center that is my favorite shows the many names of our LORD. I wish I had time and space to mention them all. It is wonderful to praise him for being our everything! Praise is where God lives (see Psalm 22:3). This is another beautiful day, one of the most beautiful of all. It is sunny and will be 70s at Joppa area, feels really warm here this morning as well, so probably close to that here. We had our last visit with our friend Abraham and I purchased a couple of last minute items from him. Scotty and I will be back in 5 weeks to volunteer at the Garden Tomb for Easter. We are looking forward to that but not to the flight. Our friend who is the director of the Garden Tomb will be retiring in November so this is a unique and probably one time opportunity for us to come and volunteer for a short time. Most volunteers commit to 3 months. As I ask yesterday, please pray that all goes well with our flight. We are praying for all the requests that have been shared with us via email and text. Internet access is limited but we can send and receive texts just fine and purchased a plan for that. Text us if you wish, we would be happy to hear from you on our journey home. We stop in NY, Atlanta and then on to Huntsville. Some are worried about getting "stuck" in NY but trusting all will go well. With all that is going on in our world that woudl be a minor problem. Remember in Israel we are 8 hours ahead of you in time. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel and our world. We know that peace truly only comes from knowing Jesus as Savior! Many blessings to you all,

P.S.

It was a gorgeous day here today...again.  The dust settled and skies were clearer.  Pray for us as we tour our last day and fly out around midnight.  Its always very hectic and moreso with a group of 25.  Only the Lord know what all they have put in their suitcases...

Prayer Center & Garden Tomb

This was our free day.  We walked in the Old City, had falafel for lunch one last time and of course some needed/wanted to shop.  Imagine that.  Our highlight of the trip was visting The International Prayer Center (SBC) for worship and prayer.  Go to jerusalemprayercenter.com to learn more.  Horatio Spaffords daughter and her family lived in this house for 25 years.  We enjoyed singing "It is Well" there.  Wonderful place to pray for Jerusalem and the nations!

The Garden Tomb was our next visit.  We had glorious time there as we remembered the price He paid for our sins to be forgiven.  The tomb is empty!  Ron Horton shared a wonderful message and we had the Lords Supper together.  Until He comes!

Western Wall, Rabinical Tunnels, Ecco Homo, Bethlehem, Herodian

Early day.  Wake up call at 5:30, breakfast at 6, on the bus at 6:30.  We visited and prayed at the Western Wall then a tour of the Rabinical tunnels.  Then to Ecco Homo where Pilate said Behold the Lamb.  We went to the Pool of Bethesda where we joined hands and prayed for many of you by name.

Great visit at the Church of the Nativity and sheoherds fields in Bethlehem.  Worship time at shepherds fields as we imaginex whst it must have been like that night as the sky wsd filldd with angels announcing His birth.

Our last stop was Herodian, another of Herods palaces.  Since we visited that site in 2000 Herods tomb was found.

Continued

Continued

Masada, Qumran & the Dead Sea

Another great day!  We began with a worship service on the bus as we traveled to Masada.  Bro. Scotty shared a message about being "In Christ".  We had a good visit on Masada.  I will not take time to share the story but please do a search and read about it.  Awesome story!  The ruins of Herods palace and everything he had built are unbelievable for 1st century BC.

We visited Qumran where the Essenes lived and copied the scriptures and hid them in caves.  Almost 2000 years later these were discovered...the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Many enjoyed a mud bath and/or floating in the Dead Sea.

As we were driving back to Jerusalem we drove into a sandstorm which is even worse now.  Thankfully we arrived back to the hotel before it got too bad.

As we are waiting to go to dinner we hear the muslim call to prayer.  Few who live in this land know and accept Jesus as the Messiah.  Pray for the Muslims Jews and others to come to faith in Him.

We are praying for all of you as you begin your worship service soon.

Much love
Bro Scotty and Kathy

Jerusalem Day 2

We had a wonderful day touring Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. 

We went on to the Mount of Olives and walked down the road that would have been covered with palm branches as He entered Jerusalem.  We spent time at the Garden of Gethsemane which is located at the foot of the Mount of Olives.  Thank you Jesus for saying "Not my will but thine be done". 

We visited the Upper Room and remembering Jesus' last supper with his disciples and Caiphas house and the dungeon (prison) where Jesus was placed.  He paid a great price for us to have the privilege of salvation.  Not only the physical pain but the pain of denial of friends, especially Peter.  It makes me think of how many ways I deny him in my daily life. 

We went to the traditional site of the cruxifixion and burial of Jesus.  Since there is a church built over it it is hard to get the "feel" of it but it may be the actual place because it was tradition since very early on.  Tuesday we will visit Gordon's Calvary which was discovered in the 1800s and looks and "feels" more like the actual place.

It was a great day walking the actual steps of Jesus and remembering and thanking Him for what He has done for us.

Internet is limited so I have to keep my comments brief.

We are praying for many requests we have heard about since we got here including Jon & Jessica, Jordan & Ariel (granddaughter of one here with us).  Remember Bro. Mike Goforth (who is with us).  His dad had a heart attack but seems to be doing ok.

Many blessings to you from the Holy City!

Jerusalem

We have arrived in Jerusalem!   We left Tiberias and went to Jericho where we saw the Mt of Temptation, the Tel of Jericho and the sycamore tree.  We had a wonderful lunch and traveled on to the Bsptismal site on the Jordan River.  20 of our group were baptized.  At this site there is a fence down the middle of the river which separates Israel and Jordan.  It is believed to be very near the site of Jesus baptism.  We saw many date palm groves bananas and olive groves.  I say UP because Jericho is 1000 ft below sea level and Jerusalem is 2400 ft above and only about 30 miles apart.On the way UP to Jerusalem we saw shepherds with sheep, gosts, camels, and bedouin camps. then on to Bethlehem where we shopped at the Bethlehem Souvenir Center then back to our hotel (The Leonardo) for the evening.  We went to see our friend Abraham who owns a shop near here.  After a wonderful meal we met together to discuss plans tomorrow for touring the Old City, Mt of Olives, Gethsemane, and more. Wr appreciate your prayers as we continue the journey.

Around the Sea

Enjoyed visiting sites around the Sea of Galilee today where Jesus did much of his ministry.    Mt of Beattitudes, Tabgha (multiplication of loaves and fishes), Capernaum, Place where Jesus asked Peter "Do you love me more than these?" and Carsarea Philippi (where Jesus saix "On this rock I will build my church".  Short rest then we will have our boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.  Mike Goforth will share a message.  This is always a special time.

Tiberias

We had a wonderful day visiting Caesarea Maritime Mt Carmel Megiddo and Nazareth as we made our way to Tiberias.  We are now here at the Caesar Hotel on the beautiful Sea of Galilee.  All is well...weather is awesome. Im using my phone so posts will be short and sweet.  Thx for your continued prayers.  Pray for Ariel Alexander (grandaughter of one in our group) and Jordan Grisham who are at MD Anderson this week.  Much love to you from the Holy Land.

JFK

Holy God intervened...on flight to Tel Aviv.  phrase "by skin of teeth"comes to mind.  Prayets answered.

ATL

Delay leaving ATL due to air traffic at JFK.  Pray they hold the plane!

HSV

All 25 of us are boarded for our flight to Atlanta.  Prayers appreciated.