Shalom Israel

DAY TWELVE - Tues. Jan. 6, 2009

It is hard to believe that this is our last day here. It has been a journey of wonder and excitement, joy and hope, while at the same time ever increasing in my knowledge and faith. Every day we are up early, feet pounding the pavement (literally, most days), and we go until dark. We have seen so much it is hard to process. I have filed a lot away, saved until later when I can bring it out in bits and pieces in order to understand and contemplate it more fully.

Today we visited the archaeological City of David, the original site of Jerusalem just below the Old City, and Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. It was interesting to end our visit here seeing the beginnings of this magnificent city and the attempted destruction of the race and culture that began in this Land.

I am sad to leave. Not only has it been a wonderfully enjoyable trip, but in many ways I have connected to the Land, the people and the roots. As I think back on our time here I am filled with many different thoughts and emotions. This is an ancient land, a land that has withstood many different cultures and empires living on its soil. It is a country torn by war, but, it is also a land of refreshing and newness. Currently the country is at war, but there is still an air of peace. Jerusalem, the capitol city, means the foundation of peace, and it definitely has been that to me.

The City of David is an archaeological site on the south side of the Old City. It is down the hill from the Old City facing the Kidron Valley. Amazingly, there is a piece of Nehemiah’s wall left intact. We decided to hike down to Warren’s Shaft which connects to Hezekiah’s tunnel, which still has water from the Gihon Spring running through it. To go into the tunnel requires water shoes and a flashlight and skin of steel. I decided not to make the others wait while I went spelunking, but I didn’t really feel like wading in icy cold water up to my waist, either. However, we did go through a Canaanite tunnel, one of those which David and Joab ventured through to get into the city of the Jebusites to conquer them.

Today, the City was full of young boys in training to be soldiers. They come here to train in the foundational history of their nation. It was sobering for me to stand as the groups of them passed by me, thinking that some of them might be killed in battle in the years to come. I met two, ages 14 and 15, who came here for special training. They were excited and geared to fight, yet so young, so naïve. They will come to the city as boys and leave closer to being men. It was inspiring to see many of their heads bowed over the Scriptures, reading and praying - something you see a lot of here, but not at home.

Yad Vashem is a spectacular memorial to the Jews who suffered and perished in the Holocaust. What a sobering place. It is good not to forget, but it is good to forgive. We saw the tree planted by Corrie ten Boom in memoriam to her family, and also the tree for Oskar Schindler. It was a nice touch to tie our first day in with our last - Amsterdam with the beginnings of Corrie’s story, her courage, internment, and the death of her family and her tribute to forgiveness and life at the end. What a message for the rest of us who struggle with forgiveness. We get so caught up with petty things, taking offense, holding grudges . . . when true life only comes when we forgive.

It has been an amazing two weeks and I am sorry to see it end, but, at the same time, I am excited to take part of this Land and what I have learned here back home with me to use and grow in my own walk with the Lord and to hopefully share with more understanding with others.