Written by a tour member from the Netherlands, one of the 46 travelers, who joined the group.
- The arrival in the Holy Land: my first steps in the Promised Land! Can you imagine that Jesus walked and lived in Israel? I thank God for this period in my life that I could see with my own eyes next to all the wonderful studies from the Holy Bible, who is God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit! His Word is alive and His love endures forever!
- Sheraton Hotel Moriah in Tel Aviv: beautiful sight (2nd floor) from my hotel room and very good food!
- The Roman theatre in the Caesarea National Park, where we received our 1st Bible study. Amazing and very intelligent how they built a water carrier (aqueduct) to the Roman and Byzantine city. The beautiful view from Mt. Carmel in Haifa
- Acre: a unique meeting place of art and religion, where many nations and religious movements left their mark: the Canaanites, Jews, Greeks, Romans, Byzantine Empire, the Crusaders, Turks and British. The Knights Hall and the hall with the very big pillars, as well as the Templar tunnel were gigantic .
- Crown Plaza Hotel in Nazareth (3rd floor): a special place for fellowship with some new friends.
- The tour around the Sea of Galilee, where the miracles of Jesus took place: sailing in a replica wooden boat and eating the St. Peters’ fish! Delicious… Mt. Tabor: Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them (Matt. 17:1-3). Mt. Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12). Capernaum, Tabgha: the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes (Math. 14:14-21). Mt.Megiddo ruins. In the book of Revelation, this place is marked as the site of the last great battle of the world, Armageddon, which in Hebrew is Har Megiddo.
- The baptism of 2 people from our group in the Jordan River at Yardenit including myself. We lift up the banners “the shofar” and “the Living Water”.
- The beautiful view of the Jordan Valley and the visiting the old city ruins Beth Shean: the theatre, the Byzantine bathhouse and what laughter… the open public lavatories… and the streets with all the gigantic pillars and the ones collapsed in the earthquake. The ruins of the synagogue in Bet –Alpha with the beautiful mosaic floor, where probably the Holy Ark stood.
- Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world.
- Sheraton Hotel in Jerusalem: beautiful view (17th floor), king sized bedroom, delicious food!
- The tour in Old and New Jerusalem was beautiful and impressive: Mount of Olives; the old city walls with the Lion’s Gate, Jaffa Gate, New Gate, Damascus Gate, Herod’s Gate, Dung Gate, Zion Gate and Golden Gate (Mercy Gate). The Christians believe that the Golden Gate will reopen upon the 2nd coming of Christ; the route of Via Dolorosa, Garden of Gethsemane, the Room of the Last Supper (Mark 14:12-16), the Garden Tomb, Knesset (House of Parliament) with the bronze candle; the history of Jerusalem of the 1st Temple and 2nd Temple period, the quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem: Jewish, Armenian, Christian and Muslim quarter (Model of Ancient Jerusalem – Holyland of the 2nd Temple period); the pools of Bethesda; the Western Wall, the Israel Museum (Dead Sea Scrolls); the route through the Jewish-Orthodox quarter.
- The Holocaust memorial museum in memory of the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II in Yad-Vashem. Here the memories of my birth (1954) in one of those Jewish barracks came alive and I was so shocked. A time of hurt, pain and anger came to the surface… I remember the time that my parents who were from the Dutch East Indies came to the Netherlands… temporarily… by boats in 1951-1952. They were Moluccas KNIL(Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Lege) soldiers who served the Dutch Nation for many decades. They did not move by their own choice or their own free will. Why did the Dutch people put the Moluccan people in the same camps from where the Jewish people were transported to the gas chambers? During this tour, the Lord showed me the first 7 years of my life, before we moved to a normal stone house. Temporary was changed to For Always! The curse was broken. Yes, I saw pictures of the camp in Westerbork in this museum and I was so shocked, because a part of my family were terrorists in the seventies and they were born in Westerbork! The Holy Spirit revealed the affliction and the hate towards the Dutch people and I realized that this is the right time for me to ask for forgiveness and reconciliation for the Moluccan people to the Dutch people. Almost at the end of the museum tour I saw the orange banner of the Netherlands… and my heart was lifted high with praise and worship, with thanksgiving to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I am free, indeed!
- After the beautiful tour on Mt. Masada, we went to Qumran – the Dead Sea Scrolls – and I decided to swim in the Dead Sea! This was a historical moment in my life… I could not sink!
- In Jerusalem we met a Dutch man from Tilburg, who lives there for several months and who was married to a Palestinian woman. It was amazing how God aranged for us to meet this young man on our way in Jerusalem . Before we met him we took pictures of the Hadassah Medical Center and we were surprised to learn that he works in this Center. God is a God of miracles!
- GALA and farewell dinner: the lovely presence of the Lord was in our midst! How lovely and wonderful was the fellowship with each other in the beautiful dresses! It was quality time and my heart was touched… with Gods love and blessings.
- DEPARTURE: I went home and He gave me on again a miraculous meeting with a Dutch reporter of the Daily News on Thursday, 27 November! A short report was placed with my picture about the trip to Israel… Onderweg… Yes, I am always on the road… with Jesus!
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