Road Trips to Northern Israel and the Mediterranean Sea

 I am writing this blog at 6:00 in the morning and the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee is in the later stages.  To be wearing shorts and a t-shirt this early in the morning and having light is something that I am not use to.  It also gets dark quite early - 5:00 - which means we need to take advantage of the light and start the day earlier than some would want!  In Saskatchewan, when it is warm out, we have sun til pass 10am, this sunset before supper plays tricks on my mind.

Monday started with a trip to the Northern edge of Israel where we saw the ancient city of the tribe of Dan.  A famous high place is there where the Northern Kingdom worshiped God and the gods of the lands around them.  There is water all around the nature reserve with some springs that flow with great speed.  The forrest is lush and beautiful.  At the edge of the park is a lookout where you can see towns of Lebanon and the trenches that Israeli soldiers used in 1948 to fight their war.  Modern day trenches right beside ancient walls that date to the time of Abraham.  Israel is the place to see history.

Abraham's Gate - Abraham went through this gate to rescue Lot!

The next stop was the ancient site of Caesarea Philippi, one of my favourite places.  It is where Jesus asked the disciples who they thought he was, and Peter answers the question with the Messiah.  Jesus says "upon this rock I will build MY church and the gates of hades will not overcome it".  We see the rock that Jesus may have used as the object lesson and a spot in the rock where occult worship happened and may of referred to the gates of hades.  I always find it powerful that Jesus brought the disciples to this spot, where pagan worship happened all around, to give the vision for HIS church.  Two thousand years later, His church is here giving tremendous strength to the declaration Christ made.

The park also had a waterfall that was great to see and a view of the Herman Mountain Range to the North.  From that spot, we could see a Fortress on a mountain top.  And we thought, why not go check out Nimrod's Fortress!  So we drove up a mountain and played around on the mountain top fortress made in the Middle Ages by the Amyyubids and Mamluks after the Muslims had conquered the Holy Land from the European Crusaders.  There are over 4000 years of history in this land to see and touch!  We had fun exploring the massive fortress and checking out the views from the mountain top!

When we made it back to our home at the Sea of Galilee, everyone was starving and we went out for falafel and shawarma pitas.  So much to see, do, taste, hear, touch and love.

The next road trip was to the magnificent Roman city of Caesarea along the Mediterranean coast.  We dipped our feet into the ocean water, walked along the beach, taking in the sites of an ancient hippodrome and a large Roman theatre that is still in existence today!  This was the city that Paul was taken prisoner before being sent to Rome.  It is also famous for the first gentile, Cornelius, hearing the good news from Peter and his whole family was baptized.  We then went to see the large aqueduct that brought fresh water to Caesarea.  The Romans lived well!!

The next stop was Mount Carmel, the site where fire came down from heaven to start Elijah's altar to Yahweh.  There is a famous statue at the site commemorating the event and a beautiful view of the Jezreel Valley.  This stretch of precious farmland stretches from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River and is where many wars have been fought.  After viewing the sites (while ChristyAnn was having a great chat with the second group of Brazilians she met today), we sat down and had a study from 1 Kings 18.  The place was crowded when we came, but then everyone left, and we had the place to ourselves.  The group appreciated the time to connect, reflect and let it all soak in.

Next stop was Megiddo, an ancient city that is now a world heritage site.  Many archeologists have come to this site as 30 layers of civilization can be found at this spot.  It is also known to be where Armageddon will take place (another war in the Jezreel Valley).  We enjoyed seeing the video explaining the site and strolling around on ancient history.  We saw stables that Solomon made to keep his chariot horses, and a large water system that included walking through a 50 meter tunnel.  Then we went to the gift shop and people purchased different items - Jacob got a Hebrew-English Bible.

After driving back, we again were starving and went out for falafel and shawarma pitas.  So much to see, do, taste, hear, touch and love.

 We have had two great days on our pilgrimage to Israel.  Our desire is to soak in the experience and spend time praying, studying and walking.  We also want to meet other people who are here as visitors and as residents.  This has happened!

We are staying in a house located at Magdal, a few minute drive from the Sea of Galilee shore.  We purchase groceries at a small neighbourhood store (one block away) and a larger market that is a five minute drive.  We buy coffee at Aroma, connect with the neighbours and landlord, have people saying Shalom as they walk by our house.  We have a small feel for what it is to live in the Galilee area of Israel.

We met a Canadian named Paul at Magdala and he was so excited to see people from Saskatchewan that he asked to be our tour guide for Saturday.  After spending some time at Capernaum, the town where Jesus lived, we went to a local congregation of Messianic Jews and spend a few hours worshiping and listening to a sermon (translated into English from Hebrew).  It was great to be with the local Christian community of the Galilee.

Then we went with Paul to see some sights.  He took us to "the City on a Hill" where we spent some time looking at the ruins, found some pottery and glass shards from the Roman time period, and explored the city on the hill that Jesus talks about in Matthew 5.  This site is the city of Hippos and is not a common tourist site, it is new and will become one that is visited more in the future.  We then went back down the windy road (sorry Alysia for the fast turns) and came to a site that some think is where the demonic man was healed and the pigs went into the Galilee (the other option is the more traditional Kursi site).  Joe read the passage and along with Paul shared a great devotional.  Then a tour group from Oregon showed up and we listened to their pastor share on the same passage.  So great to join in with other Christian groups in Israel.

Joe, Daniel (Paul's Friend), Cassidy, Alysia, Jacob, ChristyAnn, Mark, Paul

On Sunday morning we went up to Mount of Beatitudes and read the sermon on the mount together.  We got there at 8:00am and could see the place get much busier as 14 tour busses pulled into the site.  ChristyAnn met a Brazilian family from Sao Paula and was able to practice her Portuguese.  We also were able to find a small quiet space where Jacob shared his testimony as we were next going to the Jordan River for his baptism.

We drove to the Yardenit Baptism Site and had a special moment as we participated in Jacob's baptism.  We had one of the entry areas to ourselves and were able to take some time to soak it in.  It was good!  We also saw lots of people from Mexico coming and getting baptized in the Jordan River.

We then went to Beit She'an and explored another Roman city, and it is massive.  Jacob and Alysia had fun acting out a scene from Shrek at the large stage.  We enjoyed exploring the large Roman Theatre, checking out the ancient public bathrooms, climbing a long hill to see the view from above.  We walked on a Roman road, and saw a gymnasium and ancient bathhouse with hot water cauldron, warm water pools and cold water swimming.  Who needs to go to Rome when you can see sites like this in Israel.

At the end of the day, we thought we might as well have a boat ride on the Galilee.  So we went to the dock and were able to join a tour group of Nigerians that were going for a cruise.  We sang and danced with them, they took more pictures of us than we took of them, and we saw the sunset from a boat on the Galilee.  It was great to hear their pastor share about the story of Jesus walking on water and spend time in prayer.  It was special.

An amazing pilgrimage to Israel.

Israel 2022 - The Sea of Galilee

 In November of 2022, six of us have journeyed together to be in Israel.  Four are a part of our internship program - ChristyAnn Dyck, Alysia Wielinga, Jacob Bendel and Cassidy Janzen.  We are also joined by Joe Siebel who lived in Israel for a school year while in a Masters program.  I feel blessed to be able to take this group to Israel, our second trip based out of the Youth Farm Bible Camp and my fourth journey to the Holy Land.  It was also nice to come to a land with Palm Trees.

We started by going to one of my favourite spots, Magdala.  This is only a 5 minute drive from the house we are staying at and has a recently discovered first century Jewish Synagogue.  A large retreat and conference centre has also been developed on the site.  My favourite building is the Doc Altum.  It is a piece of architectural beauty with many small chapels where individuals or small groups can gather for prayer, reflection or sharing.  The building is dedicated to women in the life of Jesus, both biblical figures and todays women who are disciples of Christ.  In the basement is a beautiful painting depicting the moment a women reached to touch the cloak of Jesus.

As we were sitting and reflecting on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, two men came by with paddle-boards.   I recognized one as Father Kelly, who led a tour for in February, 2022 when Candace, Cassidy and I were in Magdala.  We watched as he was taught how to paddle board and then he gave us a tour of the building, praying with us, and preaching the gospel of Christ.  It was beautiful.  He shared that Migdal has been a place where many denominations can come together and learn from one another, it is a great blessing.

We then went to Tabgha, the site where we believe that Jesus fed the 5000.  Jesus took the time out of a busy day for the people of the Galilee region.  He had just heard that his cousin, John the Baptist was killed.  Then the disciples wanted Jesus to spend time as there shared tales from the ministry trip they had just gone on.  Thousands started gathering all around and the disciples wanted to send the people away.  But Jesus wanted to share a meal with the crowd.  Five thousand received bread and fish that day in a miraculous meal.  I am reminded by this to show compassion to others, even when they seem annoying.

Close to this site is the spot where Jesus fed the disciples breakfast in John 21.  Jesus also commissioned Peter for ministry by asking him three times "do you love me".  A special spot where the resurrected Christ spent time with his disciples.  While there, someone went into the water of the Galilee and started reading the passage to a group of people.  We joined in and heard the scripture and some teaching on the passage.  His name was Adam Brown and he is a seminary professor from Gulf Theological Seminary in Dubai, and a Canadian.  It was great to connect and meet Canadians (we also met some in the morning at Magdala.

It was our first day in Israel and it was good.

Journey to Jerusalem

We have spent five days wandering around the ministry sites of Jesus Christ.  We saw the house Peter hosted our Saviour at Capernaum; spent time at two Synagogues that our master taught both his disciples and the crowd; visited the town Mary Magdalene came from; went to the site Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount; saw a house in Nazareth that Jesus may have spent his childhood in; had a Bible Study at the spot where Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, and another where Jesus asked his Disciples who they thought he was.  These sites warmed our hearts as we sought to grow more intimate with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  The Sea of Galilee area drew our spirits closer to our Messiah.

Now it is time to take a journey to Jerusalem.  Jesus would have visited Zion three times a year to take part in the feasts.  Ministry was done at Sea of Galilee, atonement was accomplished at the intensely religious city of Jerusalem.  Jesus knew when it was time to shed his blood.  He agonized about it and obediently went to Jerusalem so that we can be forgiven and have a relationship with our heavenly Father.  His grace is sufficient for me!  Now we are following the footsteps of Jesus, reliving the most important three days in the world’s history.

We met our guide for the day at Aroma coffee shop near Jaffa Gate of the old city.  Stan Goodenough is a believer in Christ who has been a tour guide for the last six years.  He did a tremendous job in recreating the Passion week and sharing how the land of Israel is in our past, present and future.  We overlooked the city at the Mount of Olives and were told what the city looked like 2000 years ago.  We went to the Garden of Gethsemane (which means oil press) where Jesus sweat blood and tears.  We entered the Church of All Nations which commemorated the event and the agonizing Jesus went through as he contemplated his next few hours.

We went to the Garden Tomb, a possible site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection site of our Saviour.  It was not easy remembering what Jesus went through.  The tomb we went into was large and possibly owned by Joseph of Arimethea - the secret disciple who stepped up at the right time.  As Peter was denying Christ, Joseph was willing to donate his family tomb site for his Rabbi that he grew to love and respect.  A reminder for us to respond when God calls us to be part of His story.

We saw the pool of Bethsaida, the spot where a miracle healing took place in.  We went to a place called the Upper Room which could of looked similar to the same room where the Last Supper, foot washing and first communion took place.  We went to the Holy Selpucher, the other possible site for the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  A site that five institutional churches are fighting to have control of the pilgrim site.  A muslim family holds the key for the holy site because the Christian denominations cannot agree on who would lock the doors.  2000 years later, religion, traditions and rules are still having a paralyzing effect on this city.

These sites are important for strengthening and growing in our friendship with Jesus.  But nothing is more important then the simple act of believing in Jesus.  Giving our lives to Christ so we can be forgiven of sins and experience the freedom of the Kingdom of God!

Mark Wurtz

Cities, Seas and Camel Rides

Holly here again to tell you a bit about the last couple days.

Sunday morning we packed up all of our belongings from the house in Tiberias where we had been staying, squished them into the car and headed to the newly discovered old town of Magdala.  Magdala was not on our itinerary until the evening before when Mark stumbled across their information while looking for something to pass a little bit of time in the Tiberias area. It has only been open for about a year - a new site with a lot of discoveries still to be made. This was a visit that was definitely a little gift from the Lord Himself on a Sunday morning. 

Magdala is the home town of Mary Magdalene.  She is one of several women who traveled with and supported Jesus’ ministry.  She witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus and planned on tending to His body after the Sabbath.  She was the first person to see the risen Christ and was given the task of informing His disciples.  We were able to see remaining walls and floors of the town synagogue, domestic housing area, market, and the Jewish ritual purification baths.  But more touching then these ruins was the chapel built at this site.  Eight pillars are featured in the entrance, the Women’s Atrium. Seven of these are marked with names representing the women in the Bible who followed Jesus. One is left blank to honour the women of faith all across time.  As a women of the Lord, I was delighted to accept the blessing written around the room in Latin, giving thanks to the Lord for the wonders He has worked in women over all time. Jesus healed Mary of seven demons because He knew she had works to do for His ministry.  He still works in us today, men and women! As we have been and will continue to follow the foot steps of Jesus on this trip, it was encouraging to be in a place that welcomed us in and sent us out to carry on this ministry still alive and active today. Our guide was a lovely pastor from South Africa, serving for a few months in Magdala.  She prayed for us and for the work of the Youth Farm Bible Camp before we carried on our way.  It was Sunday morning with untraditional church, planned for us by the One we came to know more about in His land.

They even have a petting zoo!

Our afternoon was spent in the fascinating national park of Bet She’an.  The remains of the ancient city built thousands of years ago and hosting many different rulers over those years.  Each conquering nation bringing their own style to meet their culture’s needs. Most of the remains are in a Roman or Byzantine style.  Huge pillars line the main streets and a Roman theatre still stands there today.  It was fun to walk around these walls, rocks, and pillars and imaging life back 2000 years ago.  (Read 2 Samuel 21:12 for an interesting biblical reference to this city.) 

We finished off our day at Yad Hashmona Country Hotel.  This is where Mike Unger has been volunteering for the past few months and our home away from home for the next couple days.  We met a few of the volunteers Mike has been working with and enjoyed a delicious Israeli  supper.  Check out Mike's Blog here.

Monday was a different kind of day for us as we carry on our journey towards Jerusalem.  We had a chance to visit the Jordan River, at the spot where Jesus was baptized. (It just so happens that tomorrow is the day believed to be the day he was baptized.  Pretty neat timing!) A few hours were spent at the Dead Sea. Floating on the surface of clear blue water and coming out with a layer of salt all over.  It is an experience worth having.  Never have any of us be able to float that well before!  And how else to round out this day but a camel ride up a mountain (and past a cliff!) on 3000 year old Incense Road!

Tomorrow we will step into Jerusalem and follow Jesus’ final footsteps towards the cross and celebrate His resurrection.  I trust this will be a powerful day as we head into it with thankful hearts for the grace by which we have been saved. 

Rocks and Churches

"This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" - Psalm 118:24

Today the Jewish Shabbat (Sabbath day) continued until sundown. It was a quiet morning out on the streets of Tiberias as we started a day of touring churches.  The sun was shining above the Sea of Galilee as we drove those peaceful roads to Tabgha, a shrine to remember the location of the multiplication of the loaves. On this site is a church build around the rock believed to be the alter where the simple offering of five loaves of bread and two fish were laid down to be blessed and multiplied to feed the 5000.  Even more amazing, the blessing left them with twelve baskets of food leftover! 

From Tabgha, we moved a little down the road to Mensa Domini Church. A lovely church build around the rock where the resurrected Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you!”  There they sat, a teacher and His disciple, again Jesus asked, Peter, do you love me? “Yes, Lord! You know that I love you.” And once more, “Do you love me?” “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” A powerful moment to remember in this place - the grace of Christ and the love He has for His followers.  This is where we had our bible study for the day.  Reading this passage from John 21 and reflecting on our own sins, the grace that saves us, and the ministry of Christ we are called to be a part of. 

As we moved on from the shores of the Sea of Galilee, we were welcomed into a Messianic Jewish church service in Tiberias. It was a joy to fellowship with this group of believers in the land of Israel. They have a big heart for their country and a huge heart for worshiping the Lord. We were blessed with a translator to share the message with us in english. The pastor spoke on the passage from Ezekiel chapter one and his vision of the four wheels.  During his message he even spoke about the life of Peter and, amazingly, the moment located on the same rock we had just seen - Peter, do you love me? 

After church we jumped back in the car and headed to Nazareth.  Here we visited, a museum recreating a bit of the Nazareth village from the first century. We were toured by a wine press, a shepherd and his sheep, a weaver in her home, and even the workshop of Joseph the carpenter! Finishing in the synagogue, and hearing the awesome truth that Jesus is the light of the world.  We were giving a kind gift as we left, each of us our own oil lamp, to remember and share His light.  

Walking a little ways through the streets of Nazareth, we came to the Basilica of the Annunciation.  A beautiful and huge church built around the home of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Where she was told she would carry and care for the Son of God - where she was obedient to the Lord’s call.  And next door to this church is another.  One built around the home Jesus grew up in! His tiny feet pitter pattering up and down the stairs and growing into a teenager, learning the trade of a carpenter.  So neat to be there and see the home Jesus spent his childhood.  

Our day was finished with a delicious meal out on the town in Tiberias and a trip to buy a few groceries now that the sun had set and the shops were reopened.  Fresh pitas for our lunch tomorrow! Yum!

Holly Epp

Following Jesus' Footsteps

During our time at the Sea of Galilee, we have rented the home of a Finnish Doctor named Anni through AirBnB.  It has been great to have a house with a backyard, kitchen, living area and private rooms.  It has allowed us to have fun together in the evenings, cook breakfast, pack lunches and fellowship together. 

Today we drove to Capernaum, a special place that was the hub of Jesus ministry.  It is the location of Peter’s mother-in-laws home, a Jewish Synagogue where Jesus taught, and an abandoned townsite.  Jesus stated in Matthew 11:23 that the town was cursed because of lack of faith - if Sodom had seen the miracles Jesus did, it would still be here today.  There is a statue here with Peter holding the keys to the kingdom.  Keys that each one of us receives with belief that Jesus is the Messiah.  Allow the maker of this world to impact your life by reaching for the keys and believing that Jesus is King.

At the shore by Capernaum, we spent sometime skipping rocks, talking about the ministry of Jesus, reading scripture and having fun.  John found a large heart stone that he and Sarah are pictured with here.  And Susanah made sure to get her feet wet in the Sea of Galilee.  It was a beautiful time that everyone enjoyed.

From Capernaum, we went to a dock on the Sea of Galilee so we could board the Daniel worship boat.  Daniel Carmel is a Jew that became a believer in Yeshua (Jesus) through giving rides to Christian tourists in his boat.  He has a ministry where he takes popular worship songs and translates them into Hebrew.  Theses songs are played while you sail on the Sea of Galilee.  Our group was the only people on board, it was a very special experience.

Next on the Journey was Tel Dan.  In a beautiful forrest, we saw the start of the Jordan River, high city gates, an altar built by Ahab and Jezebel, and much more.  The altar and high place were used to worship other Gods then Yahweh and was the main reason of the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

At Caesarea Phillipi, we saw the rock that was in the background when Jesus told Peter that he was going build his church on the rock that is Peter - and the powers of hell will not conquer it.  You can see pictures of this cliff at a blog a wrote two years ago - http://www.yfbc.com/blog/11/

By the time that we got back to Tiberius there was no grocery stores or restaurants easily accessible - Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath) starts at Sundown on Friday.  We had to be resourceful with the ingredients we had, so I found enough items to make Nookala Soup - a Hutterite dish that I grew up on.  We also had a lemon tree in the back yard, so we picked some lemons and made lemonade.  It was a blessed day!