First of all, we're all fine. You may have heard that there was an explosion in Jerusalem. It was near the main bus station, just outside the Damascas Gate of the Old City. We didn't hear the explosion, but we heard the sirens.
We are staying near the Jaffa Gate, in the Christian Quarter of the Old City.
We started our day at Kibbutz Almog. After breakfast, we got on the bus and drove to Jerusalem. We started our tour at the Mount of Olives. The first picture is of an ancient olive tree at the Mount of Olives.
It's such an amazing feeling to be in the places we've read about in the Bible...the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem. The hills are steep, the paths narrow, and there are so many people doing the same thing as we are...walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
We shared Communion in the garden. Terry read from the Bible, then said a prayer. At the end of the prayer, each of us spoke the name of someone in need of prayer. It was a very emotional experience, and many of us left with tears in our eyes.
We continued toward Old Jerusalem, and saw the Holy Steps. These steps have been here since Jesus' time, and it is said that Jesus walked there.
We entered the Old City through Jaffa Gate. After checking in to our hotel, the Gloria, we went on a walking tour of parts of the city. We met Tony's (our guide) father-in-law in his tailor shop on St. Mark Street. He told us about himself, then spoke The Lord's Prayer in Aramaic...Jesus' language.
It's been an intense day. We're all tired. It rained this morning, and was a little chilly. The sun is shining again. Tomorrow: more parts of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Love,
Dawn and Chuck
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