Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.

Maya Angelou

To my Israeli soldiers…

I admire you. You’ve moved me, inspired me, scared me. My experience in Israel was incredible, but wouldn’t have felt as “real” had I not met you; you made it so much more profound, meaningful, and emotional. You’ve exposed me to an unsettling reality of people my own age (and younger) overseas – you’ve been forced to grow up faster than the majority of us due to the constant threat of violence Israel faces. I can’t imagine mandatory enlistment, much less having to do so at such a young age. Thank you for your service, and for helping to create the strong connection I feel both toward you and Israel; your friendship elevated the entire adventure and I won’t ever forget you guys. You’ve filled me with a sense of belonging that I have yet to experience in any of my travels thus far.

Many people were concerned about me heading to the Middle East; they warned me that perhaps I was taking my wanderlust too far. The problem here lies in the fact that many people in the United States are ignorant as to what’s going on in Israel. Sure, the country may not be located in the most geographically stable area, however, I felt safe in Israel. I felt safe when alarms were going off on my last night, and I felt instantly connected to the beautiful people. Negative news goes viral, positive news does not. What the networks have failed to mention here is the unequivocal genuineness and goodness of the Israeli people. There is an immense sense of unity, commitment, and understanding in Israel that is truly contagious.

Getting to know you was the highlight of my trip. Thank you for touching me so deeply and you will forever be in my heart.

!!!אוהבת אתכם ומתגעגעת כל כך

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

Psalms 122: 6

Old City Jerusalem – Part 2

After exiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we walked through the 11^th Century markets to the Jewish Quarter where we learned about the Jordanian takeover of Eastern Jerusalem. Two weeks after Israel was declared a state in 1948, the Israelis had to surrender Eastern Jerusalem to the Jordanians in the Arab-Israeli War and the Jews were forced to leave the Old City. It wasn’t until the 1967 Six-Day War that the entirety of Jerusalem was annexed to Israel; it was then that they lifted the Wall that separated East and West Jerusalem.

On our way to lunch, we walked the Cardo Maximus, where we initially hugged the pillars on our first full day in Israel three weeks prior. It was crazy to think about how much we had seen, learned, and experienced in a matter of 21 days.

After a fabulous falafel-filled lunch, we walked past the Huvra Synagogue and went inside the four very basic, Sephardic Synagogues. Here we learned more in-depth about the eastern orientation of Jewish altars; east-facing temples are unique to Judaism solely, as those of other religions are oriented in other directions.

We continued exploring Jerusalem, ultimately walking through the Armenian Quarter to the Tower of David Museum. Here, we discussed the history of Jerusalem and had a great view of Temple Mount. We exited the Old City after 11 hours of walking, not realizing that it’d be our last time within the city’s walls. For anyone interested in hiring a guide for Jerusalem, I highly recommend Ariel Birnbaum! He was incredibly informative, passionate, and thorough when discussing the history of this remarkable city. Please, do yourself a favor and go on one of his walking tours – you won’t regret it! Feel free to message me for his contact information.

David and I strolled back to the area surrounding our hostel, planning to relax before our Tunnel Tour (the remnants of the first temple) later that night. I received a concerned text from some of my new Israeli friends asking if we were in Jerusalem and safe. Somehow in the midst of all our site-seeing, David and I were unaware of the fact that there were a lot of riots occurring not far from where we were; my understanding is that those riots were a reaction to the finding of the Palestinian boy’s body. After further consulting with our Israeli friends, and their friends, we ultimately decided to err on the side of caution and skip the Tunnel Tour.

We were up early to head to Ben Gurion Airport. Our time in Israel was complete and it was time to head back to New York. With teary eyes and full hearts, we boarded the plane, knowing that we would be back again someday, but we were unaware that we had witnessed the beginning of a war…

Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

Matthew 20: 17-19

Via Dolorosa & Church of the Holy Sepulchre

We began walking the Via Dolorosa, considered to be the path that Jesus walked, carrying the cross, on the way to His crucifixion. It is clearly marked with the Stations of the Cross along the way, so, naturally, we started with Stations One and Two, the trials by Pilate. We visited the Church of the Condemnation and Imposition of the Cross, the Church of the Flagellation, and the Church of Ecce Homo; it was on the site of these three churches that the Bible deems as the location of Pilate’s judgment of Jesus.

We continued to walk the path of the cross, stopping to acknowledge and learn about each station of the cross (typically inscribed above a chapel of sorts). Nine Stations of the Cross are located along Via Dolorosa, while the remaining Five Stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Church to which Via Dolorosa leads. As this is considered by many as a Christian Pilgrimage, one would assume that it was a solemn walk. That was not, however, the case as the Muslim markets lined Via Dolorosa, which detracted from the spiritual atmosphere.

Before entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we sat in the courtyard to learn about the history and the division by sector of Christianity (like the Tomb of Mary). Constructed in 326 after Constantine’s mother, St. Helena, discovered the “True Cross” (a piece of the cross upon which Jesus was crucified), it is said to be the site of the resurrection of Jesus.

We entered the Church and navigated through the crowds to take in the Eastern Orthodox influence; while it was a bit flashy, it was beautiful all the same. Upon entering, we climbed the stairway to Golgotha, traditionally considered the site of Jesus’ Crucifixion. The main altar (belonging to the Greek Orthodox) contains the Rock of Golgotha (sealed between glass), and beneath the altar there is a hole said to be the place where the cross was raised. There was an overflow of people waiting to kneel, cry, and praise at the altar. Directly beside this alter was the Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross (belonging to the Roman Catholics), and beside that was the statue of Mary working wonders (the 13^th Station of the Cross, where Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and given to His family).

We went down a floor, directly beneath Golgotha and the two chapels, to the Chapel of Adam. Supposedly, Jesus was crucified over the place where Adam’s skull was buried. According to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, “the place of the skull” (Mark 15: 22-25). What’s more fascinating about this chapel though was the visible cracking in the Rock of Golgotha behind the altar. This splitting of rock is traditionally attributed to an earthquake that occurred when Jesus died on the cross – “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split” (Matthew 27:51). We were positioned directly under the main altar of crucifixion.

We exited the Chapel of Adam and found ourselves back near the entrance, in front of the Stone of Anointing. It is said that that was the spot where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea.

From there we wandered into the Rotunda (located under the larger of the church’s two domes). The chapel in the middle, the Aedicule, has two rooms. The first room is said to hold Angel’s Stone, which is believed to be a piece of the stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb, and the second room is the tomb itself. Waiting in line to enter was a sobering experience, and to be at such a profound site so important to the Christian faith was immensely moving and emotional. We could have spent all day going in and out of every chapel (from the Prison of Christ to the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene where Mary met Jesus after his Resurrection to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament), but we realized that we needed to keep moving.

Only God can change a season of war into a season of peace. Would you agree with me in prayer for peace?

Mike Evans

Old City Jerusalem – Part 1

David and I decided that before we left Israel it was necessary to do an all-encompassing tour of Jerusalem. We were up early to go to Temple Mount, waited in line, and were subsequently turned away an hour later as it was closed for the day due to riots. From there, we walked to the City of David and peeked through a fence to look at an excavation center. It was fascinating to learn that so much of Jerusalem is still underground but inaccessible due to the houses that had been built over the years. This excavation area was originally a house that was bombed by terrorists. After the attack, the Israeli government burned it to the ground and the plot has since become an excavation site. We admired some of the ruins and learned that above the ruins is said to be the remnants of the palace of King David.

We then went down to Kidron Valley, which has the richest concentration of tombs on the eastern side of the Old City of Jerusalem; it separates Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives. We stopped beside Absalom’s Pillar (the Tomb of Absalom, King David’s son), which was constructed in 1 AD. It is customary amongst Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike to throw stones at the monument. It is said that residents of Jerusalem would bring their kids to this site when they misbehaved to teach them what became of a child who disobeyed his parents, since Absalom had disobeyed his father which resulted in his death.

During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day (2 Samuel 18:18).

 

From Kidron Valley we went to the Jewish Cemetery on the Mount of Olives. It was very simply laid outside the city walls, as tombs were never inside the walls of the city. On the Mount of Olives there is a small lookout that gives a great view of Temple Mount and the Old City.

We then went down to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations, located at the foot of the Mount of Olives. This site is most famously known as the place where, according to the gospels, Jesus prayed and His disciples slept the night before Jesus’ crucifixion; it is said to be the place where Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. The Garden faces the Golden Gate, the sealed gate through which it is believed that Jesus will walk through upon His return.

 

We continued to the Tomb of the Virgin Mary in the Kidron Valley and descended down the dim-lit stairs. It is believed by Eastern Orthodox Christians to be the burial site of Mary (Jesus’ mother). The church is divided by three Christian sects – Orthodox, Catholic, and Armenian – and they were each praying in their own expressive ways. It was quite interesting, overwhelming, and a bit strange to view the religious rituals of three different sects of Christianity occurring at the same time. There was chanting, incense, singing, spoken prayer, silent prayer, low-lighting, and three huddled (albeit separate) groups.

 

We entered back into the Old City through the Lions’ Gate in the Muslim Quarter and entered the Pools of Bethesda, which is historically known as a place of healing. It is said that Jesus performed two miracles in Jerusalem: he cured a cripple and a blind man. It was at Bethesda that Jesus cured the cripple, a man who couldn’t walk for 38 years.

 

We quickly stopped in St. Anne’s Church, located at the start of Via Dolorosa, which is considered by many to be the birthplace of Mary, Jesus’ mother. This church is said to have amazing acoustics; too bad I can’t sing.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Dolphin Reef

I slept restlessly that night and woke up around 5am to check the time. A text showed up from my mother saying that David and I might need to re-think heading back to Jerusalem later that afternoon. When I asked why, she sent me a link to an article: “Palestinians shooting into Israel. Israel retaliating by attacking 20 terror sites. Alarms being set off in Jerusalem.” Fantastic (please note the sarcasm). We spent the morning trying to figure out where would be the safest place for us to go, if Jerusalem was out of the question. We had decided to go to Sinai then Tel Aviv, but after much consideration we opted to head back to Jerusalem as planned.

With that figured out, we went downstairs for yummy breakfast. The Eilat Youth Hostel definitely has the best breakfast spread I have ever seen at a hostel. We hailed a cab and headed toward Dolphin Reef. The cab driver was so friendly and we chatted the entire time. I told him that I want to come back and work on a Kibbutz and he said that after a week of working on one I’d call home saying, “Mommy come get me. It’s too harddddd.” It was hilarious and we had quite the laugh. Upon entering Dolphin Reef, we were struck by its beauty. It was virtually empty when we arrived, so it was just us, the glistening water, and the dolphins.

It really was quite a unique area. The snorkeling was a major letdown and a waste of time, but oh well.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing (and unintentionally frying) on the beautiful beach, and made our final decision to catch the 4:45pm bus back to Jerusalem. We left Dolphin Reef, grabbed a quick falafel, and caught the four and a half hour bus. We stayed at the oh-so-fabulous Abraham Hostel in Jerusalem, watched some of the USA World Cup game in the overcrowded and rambunctious common area, and passed out for a few hours.

Be calm. God awaits you at the door.

Gabriel García Márquez

Off Roading in Wadi Rum

We spent our final day in Jordan off-roading in Wadi Rum, the largest wadi (valley) in Jordan. Wadi Rum has been largely occupied by the Bedouins who, until recent years, led nomadic lives. The valley is home to huge rock formations, temples, rock bridges, and ancient inscriptions. Ali drove like a maniac throughout this deserted valley – driving vertically up thin, narrow rock bridges, flying down sand dunes, and everything in between. Even though I consistently thought we were going to flip over, it was a ton of fun and the landscapes were beautiful.

After a delicious lunch of salad, chicken, spicy peppers, and hummus (prepared by another guide in the middle of the desert), we headed back to the Israeli border where we had some good laughs with the border personnel.

Once successfully across the border in Israel, we asked our driver to be taken to the Desert Eco Tours office to place a complaint about our guide, Ali. The man we spoke with was completely unsympathetic, shrugged me off, and said someone would be in touch within a few hours. No one called. Fast-forward – I spoke with the Owner of the company the following day and he didn’t see an issue with the fact that we were harassed in a canyon, despite the fact that we paid for a local guide to ensure that that wouldn’t happen. I do NOT recommend using Desert Eco Tours for your next trip to Jordan (with the exception of their Petra day trip) as they were not only unprofessional, but they didn’t seem to care that our safety was at risk, not only in the canyon, but also when our so-called guide was texting and swerving while driving 90mph/144.8kph on not-so-great roads. Desert Eco Tours did, however, acknowledge that the texting and driving was not of the norm.

We wandered around Eilat for a little bit before settling into our hostel for the night. While laying in bed, we found out that the three missing Israeli teenagers were found murdered. Heavy news and a heavy reality to have witnessed, as we were there from the beginning to end of their search. RIP Gilad, Eyal, and Naftali.

When you encounter uncomfortable situations, you can either decide to be victim or an over-comer. Always choose to be an over-comer. Grace is within our reach to be an over-comer.

Lailah Gifty Akita

Almost Mugged…

We awoke to a beautiful view of the Dead Sea and drove to the entrance of Wadi Mujib. Our guide decided not to tell us that we would get soaking wet, so we spent a few minutes scrambling to waterproof our bags. We put on the mandatory life jackets and started hiking. Within a minute, we climbed down a ladder straight into the water in the middle of the canyon walls. In knee-high water we began walking through the canyon, figuring that we were about to have a refreshing and relaxing morning hike. Refreshing, yes. Relaxing, not so much. Next thing we knew, we rounded a corner and realized that we would be hiking against (and up and over) rapids. While it was a blast, it was quite challenging on my hurt shoulders. Thank goodness for my fabulous brother who helped lift me up and pull me over some of the boulders (no thanks to our guide, Ali, who pretty much ignored us).

The water finally started to calm, and we figured that we must have looped and reached the end somehow. Then, we heard what sounded like immense, powerful rapids. Uh-oh. Instead, we turned the corner to find a beautiful waterfall between the canyon walls. We threw our lifejackets to the side and decided to go swim in the waterfall. The power of the falls felt incredible on my very sore shoulders. We crossed under the waterfall and found a small cave; we sat in it and looked out through the waterfall. After a bit of relaxing and free massage therapy, we decided it was time to head to our next destination. We slid down some slippery rocks with the rapids, subsequently getting sucked under the water every few minutes. Since we were going with the current, we later laid on our backs and let the current carry us down the canyon while we floated – so much easier! Even though we were soaked, the minute we exited the water-filled canyon we were dripping with sweat. It was that hot.

We took a short drive to Wadi Hisa for our second canyon hike of the day. Our guide manically drove us through the ins and outs of the canyon so fast that we were fearful that we would collide with the canyon walls. I opened my car door into water up to my thighs! Ali told us that he had to stay in the car to watch our luggage because it wasn’t safe to leave them unattended in an empty car. That should have been our warning sign.

At the time, David and I thought nothing of it and were happy to have some time away from the miserable Ali. We trekked through the water for about ten minutes before we felt like a man was following us. David thought I was being paranoid and that we should give the man the benefit of the doubt. We did. We slowed down and he passed us, but then we heard a group of village teenagers approaching us from behind. They went ahead of us, whispered something to the man in front of us, and began to circle us. They shouted and we ignored their shouts. They asked if we were Israeli. They asked what we were doing. They asked where we were going. Each time, they got closer and closer. At this point we were uncomfortable – we had money, passports, smartphones, and cameras on our bodies – and decided to turn around calmly and head back to the car. They followed us.

Despite trying to avoid a straight path by climbing behind and over various boulders, our scurrying had nothing on the Jordanians. It was, in fact, an environment to which they were accustomed. When one of the guys poked me, that’s when I knew we had to keep moving. We tried to gain speed as they closed in on us. After what felt like ages, we rounded our final bend before reaching the car. A sense of relief overwhelmed us, that is, until we realized our car doors were locked and Ali was not in the car. A few seconds later we saw him praying in a canyon cave. He looked up and saw the boys yelling at us. Ali instantly unlocked the car doors and started screaming at the boys in Arabic. We’re lucky to have been unharmed, but it was too bad that we were unable to explore another beautiful canyon.

Happy to be in a car, we drove about half an hour to a lookout over some of Jordan’s canyons. Here, we ate a disgusting fly-infested lunch…or at least tried to.

It was time to head back to Petra for the night. Along the way, we stopped to look at Jordan’s largest archeological reserve from above. People say that the reserve is 6,000-8,000 years old. The far end of the reserve houses copper mines that King David and King Solomon used way back when.

Ali drove 90 mph (144.8 kph) all the way to Petra on narrow, windy, rocky roads. We arrived in Petra at 3pm and spent the rest of the afternoon unwinding from our eventful, stressful afternoon.