Peace

Today was another awesome day full of walking, but before we start on that I want to own up to something I forgot. Yesterday we also, while in King David's City, walked through the Cannanite Tunnel, which was an old tunnel used to pass water under the city walls.
Now that that's done, on to today. We started off at the Garden Tomb and Gordon's Calvary, one of the places where it is said that Jesus was crucified and buried. We saw the skull in the hill, giving the place its name, Golgotha, and the tomb where Jesus was said to have been buried. It was really interesting to see how all the pieces fit, and it made some of us think how we can't be sure, and maybe that's a good thing. Then we had Communion there as well, and that was an awesome experiance. Then we visited St. Ann's church, who was the grandma of Jesus (Mary's mom, not God's). This was also the first stop on the Via Dolorosa, or the Way of Sorrow. We walked this path, which is the one that Jesus is said to have walked from Caiaphas' house to the hill where He was crucified. There were 14 stops on the way, places where Jesus stopped on His walk, and many of us did not catch all the names, but there are many ways to learn about this path (http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-via-dolorosa). The last few stops on this path were at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the other place where Jesus was said to have been crucified and buried. It was a beautiful church and the artwork in it was very intricate (ask your kids to see pictures). After this we got on the bus and went to Bethlehem, where we had really good chicken or falafel for lunch. Then we visited the Church of the Nativity, where it is said that Christ was born. This was another gorgeous church, built before the time of the Crusaders. We saw the manger where Jesus was said to have been laid after He was born. Then we visited the Church of St. Catherine, the first female Christian martyr. This is where Christmas services are held in Betlehem. Afther that, we visited Yad Vashem, which is the Jewish Holocaust museum. It was very well done, and informative, and huge. But we only had an hour there and many of us felt rushed. Then we returned to the hotel for dinner and then Janet Lahr Lewis from the General Board of Global Ministries came and spoke to us about the state of Israel from a side that tourists don't normally get to see. She was really neat and informative, and we ended our day with her talk.
Today was a really good day, full of good things and lots of information. But we all need some process time, rest, and to pack, since we leave tomorrow. So, pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Israel, and the World, and goodnight.
Abby Clark and Kourtney Berg
youth conveners