ISRAEL

We're here!!!! After 14+ hours on a plane and 14 hours between flights, we have arrived!!! Those of us who had a layover in Rome have averaged about 4 hours of sleep in the past 3 days, so I am going to keep this post short so I can get to bed.

The highlight of today was the trip to Nazareth where Jesus lived as a child from approximately age 4 to an adult (aaproximately age 30) when he left to teach and preach to his followers. I think (for me at least) I often think of Christ being born, teaching and preaching and of course his death and resurrection, but I don't really think of Christ as being a little boy, teenager and young adult. He livedhis early life the same as every other child in Nazareth. I'm sure he had chores he had to do and he had friends that he played with. The village of Nazareth was charming with costumer interpreters taking us back to another time and place. I very much enjoyed learning of the customs and traditions of the people of Nazareth.

We also visited the ancient city of Capherneum where Jesus spent time teaching and performing miracles of healing. This was the spot that Jesus drove the evil spirit out of a man (Mark 1:21-28). We visited the Mount of Beatitudes and the site were Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes.

The weather was very nice today (72 degrees and partly cloudy). The countryside is beautiful. We are staying at a kibbutz (more on that tomorrow) right on the Sea of Gallilee in northern Israel. Tommorow we are going on a cruise on the Sea of Gallilee and then off to the Dead Sea. Where we are staying the mountains literally end in the sea.

I will post more tomorrow. I have had about 4 hours of sleep in the past three days. We are having a wonderful time. The people are very friendly and we are very safe.

Shalom,

Diane