September 4th, day 12- Israel trip

September 4^th, 2016- Day 12
We headed out that morning with new friends that we met from New Zealand who were also staying at the Aliyah Return Center.  They have three children and their sweet little daughters have the most adorable accents ever. We visited a mountain that has caves where Yeshua would have walked toward Jerusalem, and many other historical and archeological sites. Our family was riding in Chaim, our tour guide’s car and it wouldn’t re-start at the gas station. So we had to drop off his car at a dealership and then he went with us in our rental car. While we were waiting for Chaim we went to “The Juice Man” shop. He was a nice older Jewish man that knew my older sister. Right when we walked up he was like “wait a second, you’re Alexandra’s family aren’t you?” It was so funny! He let me juice an Israeli pomegranate and apple and he sang a song while playing on the guitar for us… in Spanish. Lol, it was great!

We headed over to Magdala where Mary Magdalene was from. The excavators there found a synagogue, house, original coins, a stone that has really cool meanings to it, and a water channel. The synagogue they suspect is the first one Yeshua would have spoken in. One of the biggest highlights from the trip was seeing spots that are talked about in the Bible. The Bible really came alive for me in the Sea of Galilee area and a stronger, deeper passion grew inside of me. Also in Magdala, we toured around in a worship center they is being built. Downstairs was a beautiful painting of Yeshua’s feet when the lady came, touched His cloak and was immediately was healed. Our tour guide told us the story of a family from Iran who came to that place and the children were so scared from all the bombings that were happening in their area. Our guide had them write/draw their biggest fears. Then she told them to put the paper on the ground, stomp all over it and then they were to put it below the painting signifying that Yeshua’s power protects them.  They can stomp all over the evil one for “perfect love, God’s love, casts out fear”. I thought that was a very powerful testimony especially because I’ve dealt with a lot of fear in the past.

Upstairs several of us stood around a ceramic bowl where the best acoustics were and sang a worship song with each other. There was beautiful harmony and the acoustics were fantastic in there. It was powerful. Before lunch we visited where the thousands of people stood while Yeshua multiplied the fish and the bread. Even though it was really great to be there, they also have a Catholic church built beside where the miracle happened. This happens throughout Israel, and these sites become commercialized, which is very disappointing.

After visiting Magdala, Chaim took us to dip our feet in the Sea of Galilee where Yeshua talked to His disciples in Matthew 4:19 saying, “I will make you fishers of men.” Next, we had lunch at a Christian restaurant where Chaim ordered a whole fish-head and tail included. When his fish came out he said, “oh look, I found Dory.” It was so funny!  Afterwards, we went to Capernaum. We saw where Peter’s house was. It was large for that time and was like a maze. Then we went to the Mount of Beatitudes (Matthew 5:2-12). On the mountain there is a beautiful view overlooking the Sea of Galilee and just imagining thousands of people standing there listening to Yeshua speaking. The Mount of Beatitudes was my favorite spot we visited that day and one of my favorites on the whole trip. It was a really powerful and touching moment to be there.

Chaim then took us to the Jordan river where Yeshua was possibly baptized. We were going to be baptized there too but it was closed off. It sits beside a location that buses of tourists come to be baptized with buying a white robe and receiving a certificate and also. That was way to impersonal for us. Secondly, there was another spot along the river Chaim showed us, but there was a restaurant and youth gathering. It was very loud, so we decided to go elsewhere, and  do our mikvah (baptism) in the Sea of Galilee. Chaim left us so we went by ourselves. I think it was more special and meaningful to me to get baptized in the Sea because of all that happened on the Sea. I had a very powerful time doing my mikvah where you essentially just lower yourself under the water. My soul was renewed and I could feel my Abba Father smiling down on me. I’m not going to share what my heart felt because that is private to me. But I just want to say that it was a really special moment. If you ever come to Isarel and you want to be/get baptized I highly suggest doing it. We had a blessed day that day.