Royal Jordanian Airlines made no fuss about baggage over weight problems so after a couple of hours wait in Amman we were en route to
Tel Aviv just 25 mins away from Amman by air. Jonathan had been compiling a 50th wedding anniversary souvenir for his father in law, Howard Harper, which
had included pictures of me when I was with Howard in my early 20s. He says I have not changed all that much so soon recognized us out of the incoming
crowds. No visa hassles at the immigration so we must still look like a couple of harmless old codgers on world tours!
Staying with Howard・s daughter Faith who has married into this American origin Israeli family has made a great difference to the tour. It has given
us a much more down to earth picture of life in modern Israel The soci-ety is an affluent westernized one. Incoming groups of new Russian immigrants who abound around
Haifa take about 5 years to come up to speed.
Real believers are a small minority amid the prevailing Jew then Arab and nominal Christian groups. We enjoyed a Sabbath day weekly service with the group that
Jonathan and Faith worship with founded by a New Zealand Gospel Hall type Brethren many years ago. The service a mix of English and Hebrew, Arab believers exist but are fewer in number. The
nominal people are migrating as opportunity affords, Nazareth once a strongly Christian town us now 70% Muslim.
With Faith and Jonathan we visited the northern sites. Mt. Carmel with its statue of Elijah slaying the prophets of Baal, a replica Jesus period village in Nazareth and a kibbutz initiative
which has boats going out into the Sea of Galilee then pausing for a half hour of worship. The group we tagged on to were Russians so the songs a mix of Hebrew and Russian filled with fervent
hallelujah・s, a unique and different experience. The group operate 3 boats taking around 50 people each.
Following the Carmel visit we stopped in a Druze village for their traditional pita style bread eaten with humus or feta style
cheese. Another day more Arab type rice, kebabs, salads and egg plant preparations.
A novel evening picnic meal was held in an ancient Jewish burial ground where pious Jews paid to have themselves buried in underground caverns. Now mostly looted by grave robbers
they stand as testimonies to the faith of these people.
By bus to Jerusalem in 2.5 hours and into the real tourist area around the Jaffa Gate. A Sound and Light show at the newly restored Citadel of David is a triumph of technology
but somehow did not covey as clear a mes-sage of the history of the place as the one at the Red Fort in Delhi which lacks the sophistication but comes
through much clearer with the message.
A walk down through the old narrow streets of the Suq or bazaar brought us to the Wailing Wall where the pious Jews gather to remember their past and pray for their interpretation of
their prophetic future .It is a chal-lenge to grasp the piety of the event amidst thronging crowds of gawking noisy tourists.
We had to change accommodation from the Christ-church Christian Guest house to a local hotel. The Guest House was America home away from home. The New Imperial had much more local
character and flavor lacking that sophistication and no doubt efficiency of USA. Free but very inefficient internet here they charge $5 an hour at the other place!
A visit to the Garden Tomb was a more pleasant less touristy experience. A group were there celebrating communion something like the praise and worshippers on the Sea of
Galilee. More content less gawking!
The last weekend has beeb spent at Modi・in, a ultra modern planned and purpose built town midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv where our host・s mother lives, home to many
of the younger high tec Israelies who are the economic engine of this country.
On the Sabbath we joined first in a traditional Jewish type sabat meal as these folks are Messianic Jews. The meal opens with a bottle of wine from which a glass is poured and then all
present take a sip then break off a piece of bread, not a communion service but strong cultural links. The Sabbath (the Jewish, only holiday in the week so all churches hold services; 6 days shalt thou
labor so high productivity in this country! ) the church service was held in the property of a Lutheran monastery amid bottles of olive oil and wine. Just a few believers in a house Church style setting all
in Hebrew. This then followed by a big family meal with 3 generations present back at the Mother・s home. All valuable Jewish cultural traditions to preserve as Messianic Christians.
On the Sunday a fun day out going to the valley where David slew Goliath passing the Road to Emmaus on the way as well as a new railway bridge and planned tunnel that will take the
rail link through to Jerusalem. That mix of the old and the new that is this country!
A great experience then of the old and new; of the spiritual, the commercial and the pilgrim trail, unique and different making us deeply grateful to the Lord and our gracious hosts.
