Thursday, February 9 - Northern Israel

Click here for photos from the day (Facebook)

We were off to another busy day here in Israel. Our itinerary took us up north to the Golan Heights, along the Lebanese and Syrian borders.

• Our first stop of the day was to Tel Dan, a city in the very northern part of Israel. This old city has been excavated and left in almost perfect condition. We took a long walk/hike though the nature reserve and saw the headwaters of the Jordan River. We had a great walk through the old city, including the city gate and the site of the temple made by Rehoboam to keep the people in his kingdom from going down to Jerusalem in Judah to worship, and this is also where the golden calves were set up and worshipped. We also saw the Lebanese border another gate (called Abraham’s gate) that dates back to the Canaanite period around 4000 years ago.
• Next, we made a quick stop at Caesarea Philippi, and the Bainass, a rock formation that was used as a place of pagan worship to the god Pan. Jesus used this place to ask His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:13-20). We then had lunch in a Druze village high up in the Golan Heights.
• On our way to our next place on the itinerary, we stopped by the Syrian border with Israel. There is a UN outpost in the "no man's land" between the two countries. Damascus was just about 15 miles from where we stood (just out of sight). We took time to pray for Syria, and those affected by the conflict in that country.
• We then went to the reconstructed village of Katzrin, where we got some great teaching on the olive press and crushing grapes to learn about Jesus and his sacrifice for us. We also got to see what a fully built house from the first century looked like.
• Our last stop of the day was to the Golan Heights Winery for a tour and tasting (plus some shopping!).

Overall we had a great day with amazing weather (again) and we’re looking forward to tomorrow!

Prayer requests: David is pretty sick with a bad cold. Others are battling illnesses and soreness too. Please pray for healing and good rest for them all. We've added Jericho to our itinerary for tomorrow, so please also pray for the smoothness of that trip as we cross into Palestinian Authority Territory.

• Friday, February 10 – Fourth Day of Touring: Travel Day from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea with a few stops along the way – Pray specifically for safety today, as we spend most of our day driving through land that belongs to the Palestinian Authority. Pray also for no “snags” at any border crossings. And finally, pray for a fun time floating in the Dead Sea that evening. Pray also for Kari Edwards, celebrating her birthday today. (Overnight in the Dead Sea)