Elise In Uganda

Well, I made it! 

Here I am sitting in Israel. After 17 hours on a plane and two day flight travel I, along with 19 other peers and three adult leaders all made it safely. It's rather surreal that I am actually here to be honest. I feel like I have spent the last year since I returned from Uganda last August preparing for this new adventure that the Lord has me on.

Yesterday we drove up to Netanya after landing in Tel Aviv. We stayed at King Solomon's hotel, it wasn't his palace, but I thought it was pretty nice! A bunch of us went down to the beach, I forgot my swimsuit because as I was packing, I figured I wouldn't need one for Africa and totally spaced bringing one for this trip! Everyone jumped into the Mediterranean and I got some nice Jesus time as I walked along and stood in awe of God's creation. Then we all went back to the hotel, ate, and I think every single one of us curled up and fell asleep.

Today has been exciting. 

Really exciting.

We went up from Netanya to Caesarea. I saw where King Herod had his palace and hippodrome and the restoration of what was the amphitheater. It's amazing to me how for generations there are kingdoms after kingdoms that store up riches for themselves, only to find that just a mere thousand years later, their empires stand in ruins. As I walked through what used to be Herod's palace, I couldn't help but wonder what he would have thought of it now.

After Caesarea we traveled up to Mt. Carmel - this was probably one of my highlights for the day.We were able to stand on what may have been the top of the mountain where Elijah stood asking the Baal prophets to prove their Gods. Ever wish we were able to be as bold as Elijah? I went back and read 1 Kings 18, and was amazed to have the opportunity to see where that would have taken place. However what was most impactful and perhaps why it was one of my favorite places was when I thought of Revelation and how Armageddon will take place in the Valley just below, where millions have lost their lives already, and where the bible tells us that in the future the same valley will be a battleground once again.  

From Mr. Carmel we traveled to Megiddo, one of the gates entering into the valley. Before, empires would try to take over Megiddo. What was incredibly neat about this place was the fact that when a M

Megiddo would be taken over, the new rulers would just build on top of the old city. Thousands of years later, when the University of Chicago was excavating the mountain, they kept finding more and more cities below.

From Megiddo we traveled to Nazareth where we were able to see the the largest church in Israel. It was sad to see that the Muslim population here has grown drastically and they are taking over where the first church was originally built. The church stands in the center of the city, as broad as daylight, and the Muslim population wants to build a mosque right in front of it to cover the church. They also have very harsh signs from the Qur'an laid right below signs pointing to the church. Yet, even still we saw many people making their way up the church heading to mass. Below the second level, we were able to see parts of the original church. It was really quite a site! 

From Nazareth we went to Cana, where the first miracle was preformed. Jesus turned water from five different pots into wine when at a wedding where him and Mary were at, they ran out of wine. We didn't stay for very long, but it was fun to see a smaller town and the little church. I also had to get my niece, who is named Kana, a little gift from the town. 

From Cana we traveled up to Tiberias where we checked into our hotel for the night. All of us wanted to go swimming into the Sea of Galilee, however after a long walk down to the water, we found that there are no public beaches, only private ones that come with a rather hefty swimming fee. Myself and two other girls sweet talked one hotel worker into letting us just dip our feet in, however, as soon as we ran for the shore, 15 other of our peers followed us and I don't think he realized they were with us. But, in a way, I guess I can say I've been in the Sea of Galilee now!

It's been really exciting to be here. Sorry this post is so long, I honestly could right for hours more telling you in detail everything I learned today. I keep trying to get over this surreal feeling and come to the realization that I really am here! And this adventure isn't going to be over when my class leaves... I keep praying and asking what the Lord is really showing me and what he wants me to learn why I am here. Praying for open ears and an open heart so I won't miss what he is doing. 

Hope you are all doing well wherever you are reading this from! Thanks for joining with me in this journey... hopefully next time I might be able to get some pictures up!