Israel - New Testament Jerusalem

We made it!  Two planes, three airports, 13 hours in the air, and we are in Israel!

We made a friend on our flight to Istanbul.  Hayden (middle picture, on the right) was headed to Athens while we were off to Israel.   Bon voyage!

This whole trip is still so surreal.  If you didn't know, Sean and I are on a two week study tour in Israel with a group from our church.  Crazy, right?  I'm here, and I still can't believe it.  We are here to learn the Bible in its context - how the geography and culture plays out in real life, and what we can learn from the land that we don't necessarily understand before visiting.  There are so many references to the land and the agriculture and the places in scripture that come alive in a different way when you can stand where the stories happened.  We've only been here one day and I have learned SO MUCH.  Seriously, if I start rambling, it's because I want to remember every. single. detail.  And also because we walked all day in the hot sun.  And also, jet lag.

We had orientation at Jerusalem University College (JUC) this morning (yay college!) and spent the afternoon on a New Testament walking tour of Jerusalem.  And now, pictures!

First day of school?
photo cred: Sean Welshimer

Modern Old City Wall - this part of the wall is a reconstruction of the outer edge of Herod's Palace.  Those steps are likely the entrance to the Palace in Jesus' time, which means Jesus' trial with Pontius Pilate could have happened here.
photo cred: Sean Welshimer

Zion Gate - bullet holes from Israel's war for independence in 1948.

Dome of the Rock
photo cred: Sean Welshimer

Mount of Olives

Temple steps.  This was the main entrance to the temple, so Jesus certainly walked here.  And Mary, and Peter, and the disciples... 

Dr. Jack Beck.  Teaching us things.
photo cred: Sean Welshimer

Temple

Temple - triple gates

Rubble from when the Romans destroyed the temple. That's me - to provide perspective.   I know I'm tiny, but those stones really are gigantic.  Even compared to a tall person.
photo cred: Sean Welshimer

Temple selfie

Temple - Robinson's Arch

Church of the Holy Sepulchre - within the footprint of this church, Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected

Showing both the Greek calvary and the Latin calvary - the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is shared by Greek Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Roman Catholics.  There is a Syrian chapel, Greek chapels, an Ethiopian chapel, an Armenian chapel, and several others.  I love that even though there is plenty of disagreement, these different denominations can agree on the things that bring us together, rather than divide us.  Jesus is Lord - he was crucified, died, and was buried.  On the third day he arose.  Praise the Lord!

When 12th century crusaders rebuilt the church, they left the basket column from Helena's design.  Different times, different styles, same intentions.

So surreal.

Port Aransas

Oh how I love the beach.  Beach vacations truly make me feel like I'm getting away.  We almost decided not to go to Port Aransas, since we leave for Israel this weekend. (Oh my goodness, so excited!)  But the beach was calling to me.  And I'm so glad we went!

The mister and I made quite a road trip out of it.  We started with a stop at Sonic for a little indulgence:

Yes, those are Slushes.  Yes, there is candy in them.  Yes, I do know that I should not put things in my body that look like they should glow in the dark.  Yes, I am a little ashamed.  Yes, it was delicious.

After a long drive, we finally made it to the beach house that Sean's family had rented.  It was an adorable circular little house on stilts, just a few blocks from the beach.  It was getting late when we arrived, so we hung out with the family a little while before heading to bed.

Saturday, we woke up bright and early to the smell of coffee and sunshine streaming through the windows.  We spent the morning at the beach, soaking up the sun, playing frisbee, boogie boarding, and enjoying the salty air.



Around lunch, we headed back to the house to eat sandwiches and clean up. Then we headed into Corpus Christie to play some mini-golf and drive some go-karts.

This is about my luck:

womp womp.

We all raced on the go-karts the first round, but I chose to sit out the second round to take some pictures and watch this professional:



All in all, we had a wonderful vacation. It was a great little getaway, and I only wish we could've stayed longer!

here comes the sun

SUMMERTIME!

I do realize that as a working girl, summertime does not equal a three month break from reality anymore.  But that doesn't stop the feeling of freedom I get when the pools open, schools let out, boats head to the lake, and we break out the beach towels, sunscreen, swimsuits, and suitcases.

And let me tell you what, this summer is going to be chock-full of sunshine trips all over the world!

Here's the list.  Are you ready?

June 6-8 - Port Aransas, TX

Sean and I are heading down the coast for a little beach trip with his family.  I'm looking forward to relaxing and spending quality time with his clan.  Life just gets so busy here, so it will be great to kick back and enjoy each other's company.  And a trip to the beach is always a win in my book.

June 15-28 - Israel

You read that right - We're going to Israel!  Sean and I headed off on a two-week study tour with a group from our church.  The trip is through Jerusalem University College and is led by Jack Beck, a brilliant professor there.  It's a mini study abroad trip, complete with a textbook to read and homework to complete before we go.  It's heavy on history and geography and making the Bible come alive in it's setting.  It's completely nerdy, and I'm completely excited.  I know God will move in incredible ways on this trip because it's already such an amazing blessing that Sean and I have the opportunity to go at this stage in our lives. Prepare for massive photo dumps.

July 24 - 28 - Eureka Springs, AR

Family reunion with my side!  We're renting some cabins near the river and it's going to be a blast!  Floating the river, a winery or two, lots of board games (per the usual), and of course, all the love and laughter that is guaranteed with all 19 of us going!  I love how that number gets higher every trip as we add significant others and brand new family members.  There's a joyful chaos in these huge family gatherings that I wouldn't trade for the world.

And of course, we'll make a few Galveston day trips throughout the summer.  Say what you want about Galveston, but it's only an hour away and has a warm place in my heart from so many summer trips.  And hey, it's still the beach!

Bon voyage!  Go grab some sunshine!