Walk The Via Dolorosa

We Are Safely Home

I just wanted to let everyone know that we are safely home. I think some of our family members developed a more devoted prayer life while we were away.lol! I know there are dangers, but we didn't experience anything that caused alarm. Thank all of you for your prayers-I know they made the difference. Josh and I both had to go back to work Wednesday after getting home at 3:30 a.m. that morning. The jet lag majorly kicked in that evening, and I slept for almost 24 hours straight!!! Josh hasn't had the luxury of a day off, yet, so he is still felling the effects of 30 hours of travel. We would like to thank each of you for sharing this journey with us-It's great to know that the late hours we stayed up to post were not in vain! It truly has been a special joy for us to share this amazing trip with you. Now that we are home, we would like to add more pictures and reviews, perhaps filling in gaps for sites and activities that we didn't have time to post abroad. If, like us, you are sad this trip has come to an end, stay tuned for more from Israel...

Sights from Day 10

Hey guys!
Sorry the blog updates have been short and sweet the last few days ... We have been running all over the place ... long hours of touring, very few hours of sleep, and time for the blog has been hard to find!
That's the case again tonight because we have to get up in about two hours at 1:15 am to leave for the airport! Ugh!
The next day will be crazy: we have over 30 hours of traveling ahead of us ... We'll be in five different airports, on four different planes, an 1 1 / 2 Hourbus ride, a 2 1 / 2 hour car ride, in three different countries, through international customs three times, through eight different time zones ... .
Wow ... I'm getting tired just thinking about it!
But even though I do not have time to create an amazing, inspiring, detailed blog entry ... I still wanted to share some snapshots from today ... So here you go:

The Old City

Standing by the West Wall of the "Old City of Jerusalem"

(Sarah & Danae)

Danae-Inside "The Old City"-Sarah

The Bizarre (Market)

 Scarves,                                               Hats,                                     Coffee!!!

Guess where we ate for lunch???

Jerusalem's best Pizzeria-Basti

I think God answered Josh's prayers:)

More to come...

The Garden of Gethsemane

Day Nine - Jerusalem

The geo-political center of the world... Jerusalem!

Today we had the amazing experience of walking the streets that Jesus walked...going to the temple just like he did...

Sitting on the original temple steps that Jesus walked up!

Sarah, standing in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed before his crucifixion.

Day 8-Palm Trees & Wilderness

Today, we visited Jericho,
"The City of Palm Trees."
(Sort of like Miami Beach of the United Sates)

This is where Joshua fought the battle of Jericho (not, my Josh, Joshua in the Bible.)

In Contrast, we also visited the Judean Wilderness...

• Psalm 23-"The valley of the shadow of death"

I guess all of us have a different image of the valley of the shadow of death, but this is what David was talking about when he wrote the 23rd Psalm. The sun doesn't reach the lowest part of this valley. I am so thankful that even when the sun isn't shining, I don't have to fear, because God is with me!

May He be with you.

God bless!-Sarah