Some very exciting items are beginning to accumulate in my dining room. There are travel hair appliances, a travel bag, a neck pillow, a name tag, luggage tags, and an itinerary.
Did you spy the LPM logo? Our whole LPM crew and lots of our volunteers are taking a journey together in a couple of weeks. Wanna guess where we’re going?
The Holy Land!
My passport’s a little rusty, but it still works!
When I was 17 years old I had the amazing blessing of going to Israel with my mom. I found that old photo album this morning. Pardon the unfortunate quality of these pictures. I don’t have a scanner and rather than drag my babies up to the office to use theirs, I just took pictures of my pictures. I’m a skilled blogger, y’all! Melissa and I are going to blog from Israel and I don’t want to steal our future thunder, so these will be pretty random.
Here I am in the airport with my friend Debbie.
Here’s Mom in a funny hat on our 12 hour layover in London. I fell in love with England that day.
This is Mom with Mary Helen Davis, whom our resource center is named after. We love her so much.
This is something that will never happen again as long as I live – a mother-daughter overalls picture. Wrong…very, very wrong.
Here’s the wonderful Nancy Mattingly in the airport on our way home. I’m sure she was calling her family to say she would see them soon. Her youngest, Sara, would have been 5 years old at the time. Sara is now my kids’ babysitter and her graduation announcement is sitting on my counter. Time? It is a’flyin’!
Have you ever been to the Holy Land? If so, what is one of your favorite memories of being there? If you’ve never made the pilgrimage but hope to one day, what do you look forward to experiencing?
I had the privilege of going to the Holy Land in November 1979 just a couple of months after my husband and I married. My parents and all three of my sisters went too.
We went with a group from our church and it was amazing. I’ll never forget it!
It’s very difficult to name one favorite place, but if I had to it would be the Sea of Galilee.
I know why Jesus loved this area and why he spent so much time there. It was beautiful. We took a boat ride and sang while we were out on the water.
My other favorite place was the Garden of Gethsemane. We took communion and sang “In The Garden” while there.
You all are going to have a great trip. I’ll be so anxious to hear updates along the way.
Love,
Valerie
This would be a dream trip of mine. My husband and I went to Greece and Italy this past November. I was in awe on the Isle of Rhodes knowing that the Apostle Paul had walked the streets there and preached the Gospel. I just love the History of the Bible!
One of the other Siesta’s, named Beth, recounted her trip with your mom in 2002. She posted what she blogged at that time. It is simply beautiful and so well written. As I read what others write about wanting to walk where Jesus walked I have the same feelings. Wanting to be where He actually walked the earth, spoke to the people, fed the multitudes. What an awesome experience. But then I become overwhelmed with the sense that He is right here walking with me. The Holy Spirit resides in me, draws me closer to Him and I know that right where I am standing now is where He is and I am overcome with emotion. I may never make a trip to the Holy Land but I know that I am standing on Holy Ground. Praise Jesus!! I can’t wait to read your blogs on the trip!
Lori
I WANNA GO!!!!!!!
My mom and I were just talking the other day wondering if Beth would ever consider taking a group with her. There are a select few people on this earth that I would flat out love to go to Israel with and Beth is one of them.
I hope y’all have an awesome time (how couldn’t you?) You’ll be in our prayers!
I have been blessed to go to Israel twice. Once when I was jsut your age with my parents and once when I spent a semester there studying archaeology. My favorite place is En Gedi where David hid from Saul. I love the waterfall and the foliage there. It makes the Bible come alive to be able to see the places where the stories take place! Enjoy your trip, I know you will learn a lot and make many memories.
Wow, I really should read who is writing the post before I start thinking thoughts in my head. My first thought at the picture of you with your friend at the airport was “Gee, Beth sured looked like Amanda when she was 17.” Then I looked at the picture of your “mom” and I thought and “Beth’s Mom sure looks like her. I guess Amanda knows how beautiful she will continue to be as she ages.” Then, as I continued looking, I thought OH! Amanda is writing the post. Now it all comes together.
=)
Tammy
Great pics from your previous trip and we must pray that overalls don’t come back in style. 😉 Yes, I had the privilege of going to the Holy Land in 1996 and celebrated the New Year there. So many great memories I treasure and the first was flying in to Tel Aviv and being overcome with the magnitude of what was awaiting us. Just a few special times….getting up early and going down to the Sea of Galilee to watch the sun rise and noticing a man waking up in a sleeping bag…thinking, Jesus probably slept here too but without a sleeping bag, being baptized in the Jordan (very cold in December but awesome experience), communion in the Garden of Gethsemane, walking the Via Dolorosa, special service/message led by my pastor and life-long friend on a fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee, waking up several mornings and able to look out over Jerusalem (stayed at Seven Arches) and finally…riding a camel!!
Blessings and traveling mercies to you all!! Thanks for sharing and look forward to the blog posts.
Cindy
Have a blessed and safe trip. A trip to the Holy Land is on my “bucket list.” Two places I would want to see – the Garden where Jesus wept and the whailing wall. Will pray for wonderful caretakers and good health for AnnaBeth and Jackson while you are gone.
I’ve never been to the Holy Land, but my husband and I are planning to go in the hopefully not-so-distant future.
I think the thing that I would like to experience the most is seeing a sunrise on the Sea of Galilee. I’d like to reflect on the same scene that Jesus drank in during those quiet moments He had with His Father. I can think of nothing more electrifying than to seek out peace in the same environs that my Lord did.
I am so jealous with a godly jealousy of course!! I could squeal! I can’t wait to hear the stories and I will be praying y’all up! The mother/daughter pic cracked me up! I so want to go oneday!
What a blessing for you all to go on this trip together! I used to live in Israel and Jerusalem is really so special!
I was only baptized when I came back to Berlin and my friends were thinking it would be a great idea to bring along my own water from the Jordan River.
So because of my finals in school I didnt have time to make the trip, but they went up North and came back with a large bottle of water. Mind you it was filled up in a regular water bottle.
After a few days at home one of the friends asked me where I had put the water and I said- well its right there on the cabinet,…and she went- did you fill it into a new bottle?
Of course I didnt ,…I mixed up the bottles and drank the water for the Baptism,..
Funny memory!
When you are in Jerusalem you might want to go see the Schmidts Girls College. It is a school opposite from the Damascus Gate. It has a gate, but they will let you in. Inside to your right you will find adjacent to the christian school there is a convent and a pilgrims house. They do have a rooftop terrace and it has one of the best views of Jerusalem! The nuns that serve there are very special and I am sure would love a visit by you ladies!
Love, Ann
Hey Siestaville – it’s so late here, but I can’t wait to reply to this! Yay! This is going to be my most favorite blog posting from you guys, ever!!
My most, most favorite memory of Israel comes from early December of 1989. God had put it on my heart to go and pray in Jerusalem at the Wall before the new year started. I went from just after Thanksgiving ’89 until a couple days before Christmas. I’d been to Israel twice before (as a college student – and then b/c I’d so fallen in love with my Israeli family and considered them my own – and b/c I also had lots of Palestinian friends in East Jerusalem).
But this was a different trip b/c I was going solely to pray. Most of the month I just walked around and around and around the Old City walls – praying and worshipping (and I walk pretty fast so when I’m by myself, as I was that month, I can circle the Old City in 55 minutes!). But at night time, when it wasn’t safe to walk around in the dark, I’d plant myself at the Wall and pray into the wee hours of morning.
One of my last nights there I stayed up all night at the Wall praying. It was SO MUCH FUN – even though it was actually really serious to me. The squadron of soldiers who patrolled the area knew I was there and they so doted on me through the night watches (like warming up a jeep so I could hop in and warm up at around 4am; and making me a huge breakfast at around 5am – and standing around to watch while I ate; or, turning a blind eye when I did a little Nancy Drew maneuver and scaled part of the wall that encircles the City so that I could literally live out the Psalm that says “I will awaken the dawn” – from on top of the wall.
They all knew why I was there: praying that they would one day come to know Yeshua as their Messiah. God was so sweet to me. I just knew to go and pray – but had no idea what it was I was supposed to be praying about – but He straightaway led me to Jeremiah and I pretty much spent that whole month praying the word “gather” (that the Lord would gather the children of Israel from where He had scattered them and would bring them back to the Land).
In the mornings of that month, I’d scoot over to Jaffa Street for hot Nescafe and to read the International Herald – and I’d read all about how the Soviet Union was finally letting Soviet Jews leave and return to Israel. The Berlin Wall had just come down and I would think to myself: how wild that I’m praying this word “gather” in all it’s wonderful promise and hope and glory – and then I’d wake up, read the paper, drink my coffee and learn all about how God was doing just that: gathering His people from the North where He scattered them.
I will now force myself to stop – b/c I am so terribly tempted to tell you about an old acquaintance, Nir Barkat, who I heard speak in a small Jerusalem living room when I was just a 20 yr old college student, and he a 26 yr old university student. He was at the home of his girlfriend’s parents. He spoke so movingly and eloquently to me and a handful of my friends about the importance of Israel – and I sat there and told myself: “He’s going to be prime minister of Israel one day and I may as well get started praying for him now.”
That was 24 yrs ago. Just last year he was elected mayor of Jerusalem. Pray for him! He knows not to divide Jerusalem (sorry to get a little political here in Siestaville).
Now I really will stop.
Warm (and overflowing with memories) in Alaska.
Wow! How extremely cool. This is one of those stories that stays with you. Praise God you were so obedient and sensitive to His leading to pray. Thank you for sharing. How heartwarming that the soldiers hovered near almost like angels protecting your vigal. Makes me wonder if some of them were. Hmmm
The wailing wall. I’ve never been but my husband and I are talking about going next winter. I can’t imagine it actually happening, but the idea of it makes me smile from ear to ear.
I am so excited for you all! I REALLY WANT TO GO!!!! I have already been praying about being able to go and to take my daughters with me. I can’t wait for the blogs!!!
I went in January 2010 and felt very safe the entire time! It was an humble experience just thinking the entire time this is where Jesus walked. I loved riding into Jerusalem while the song “Jerusalem” played and seeing the old city for the first time, the mount of olives, and the hills surrounding Jerusalem. Hope you all have a wonderfully blessed trip!
I have been there and it is incredible! My favorite thing was how it brought the bible alive for me – and still continues to do so!
Last week at this time I was somewhere over the Atlantic heading towards Israel. It was the most meaningful, personal trip I have ever been on.
My favorite part was the entire city of Jerusalem. I think it is one of the most beautiful cities I have been in, and I don’t mean just the architecture. Jerusalem holds a lot of meaning for our future and it was incredible to be able to be there and see it.
How exciting for you. Please be safe.
How do we get one of those tote bags?????
Yes! I went for a 2 week trip in college for part of my studies. It was amazing! My favorite was the Sea of Galilee. We play ultimate frisbee in the sea and just got to soak up the beauty of the land Jesus’ feet walked upon. I was struck most of all after touring and touring that it was not about the sites that Jesus wanted me to be most effected by, but His people still living in such strife. I would love to go back again now that I’m older and love on those people much more than what I knew to do in college. Eat some lamb and pita bread for me–I loved that part too! : )
I have never been there, but oh so long to go and see His city! I would have no idea what He would plan for me to experience, but I know that it would exceed my wildest imagination!! Have a great time
I was on that same trip with you in ’97!!! It would be hard to pick out one thing. The Wailing Wall, the boat, the sunrise service,the daily bible talks, the camel ride, just knowing that we were walking in Jesus’ footsteps. And the layover in London was great, want to go back.
You girls are going to have the best time, I wish I could go! I was at bible study when the announcement was made about there being a few more spots left!
I was able to Tour the Holy Land for 10 days back in 2000! We were scoping out places to hold a conference there for the next year so I think I have been in every hotel in the Greater Jerusalem area!
So hard to pick just one thing I like the most…the old city at night, seeing actual road signs for all the places you learned about as a kid like the city of Jericho! I think I most enjoyed just seeing the beauty of the Jewish people and the reverence they hold for their past.
Too Cool!!!
Can’t wait for the blogging you’ll do…I like the video blogging idea if you can make it happen…
Love to all 🙂
Deborah
Was there for the filming of “Jesus the One and Only”. What a fabulous experience. Our bus had the BEST tour guide!!!
Oh, I am so excited for each and every one of you!!!!
I do not think I will ever get over there, but if I did, Just the thought of being places that Jesus walked and seeing all the Bible history….puts me in awe…I’ll be sure to follow the blog there and back : ) By the way: I remember the day of the overalls-ugh!- Ditto on never again : ) Love you all Tammy in SD
Just returned this past month! There is SUCH A PULL TO RETURN HOME! Being baptized in the Jordan River, praying at the Western Wall, and having communion in the Gethsemene Garden were some amazing moments…anything that I could TOUCH or be immersed in brought such power. They call the Southern Steps the Steps of Ascent (though I wonder since they are outside the wall), but we all wanted to re-take Steps of Ascent after that climb 🙂 Nothing more physically powerful in my life than standing on those sands. Nothing.
Our pastor said upon returning, “At first, I was longing to walk WHERE Jesus walked, now I am longing even more to walk AS Jesus walked.” That said it all for me.
I would love to follow the “Where Jesus Walked” route. I Would love to see the place where Jesus was born – suppose nobody really knows. But would also like to walk along the shore of Lake Galilee. My best would be to have a tour guide who would be able to teach me the significance of each place. I bet my Bible reading would have so much more meaning after that. I can’t get enough of in depth Bible Study the way Beth does it. Studying Esther at the moment & God is really dealing with me & my stuff. Agree with the Siesta who would like to walk up the steps of the Temple reciting the Psalms of the Ascent.Loved that study too & would so love to do that. Well, if wishes were horses… & all that. Will enjoy the trip through the blog.
Love
Colleen
Have a great time on your trip and travel safely!
Quick question….Will there be a summer Bible study this year? Loved last year’s! My neighbor and I did it together. (often watching your video blog in our pj’s in the morning and finding ourselves still deep in the Word–and in our pj’s–long after lunch!)
God Bless!
Kim
P.S. It is amazing how much you look like your mom in those trip pics and how much your daughters look like you did at the age you first traveled to the Holy Land. Generations of beautiful women!
The “Where Jesus Walked” route should be the Jesus Trail. have just checked out the website & it looks amazing. Just my cup of tea.
It was a privilege for me to go to the Holy Land in February this year. I walked where Jesus walked, was baptized in the Jordan River as He was, had a boat ride in the beautiful Sea of Gallilee, stood atop the Mount of Beatitudes, walked the Via Dolorosa, and even rode a camel! It was an awesome experience and I too plan to go back again. It is too much to comprehend in just one trip. I pray everything will go smoothly for all of you.
About 60 members of our church will be traveling to the Holy Land in December. We are going to participate in the premiere of a new Christmas collection titled “The Gift of Christmas”. We will be singing in Nativity Square in Bethlehem on December 27! Got goosebumps just thinking about it!
I’m so jealous! That is the trip I have longed to take for many years. I wanna see it all! I dream of taking the workbooks from these Bible studies and reading up on what I’d be touring the next day so I could just go deeper and let God reveal special things between us. I want to set in the Garden of Gethsemane, see the Temple, Golgatha, and The Tomb, the Wall of Jerusalem and put my prayer requests there. Picture what it will look like when Jesus returns. I pray you all have a wonderful time together and growing closer to our LORD!
I want to go…what an amazing trip that would be. Hope you girls have an awesome time. I’ll pray for God to bless your trip and delight you with HIS presence every step of the way.
I wish I had a reason to have a passport! I’m so broke I can barely afford to leave my house even! So grateful for the blessings God does provide, however!
That is tremendous!!! I am so excited for ya’ll. Do you want me to come and babysit your little ones Amanda? I have hopes to go one day but until then make sure you fill us in on all the great stuff your going to experience:)
Is it too late to volunteer to be a volunteer? JK What a fabulous idea for blessing your staff and helpers. Admittedly jealous with godly jealousy. No, probably just the regular variety 🙂 That’s ok, though. All of us siestas will make it to the New Jerusalem.
Possible fav? Do the words “garden tomb” make anyone else just want to weep? Can hardly wait. My husband says we’ll have to wait ’til it “quiets down over there”. Yeah, right. Like that’s going to happen. Don’t worry. I won’t wax eschatological on you. Yes, I think I made that word up.
Blessings to you LPM darlings. Really. I’ll be praying and looking forward to details…lots of details.
Oh, BTW, when I first started leading a women’s Bible study I asked one of the directors if I needed to “dress up”. She replied, “No, just don’t wear overalls every week.” True story. Ouch!
Love you dears!
Love you dears!
Never will I forget the emotion I felt as I walked on the street of Via Dolorosa … the same road my precious Saviour walked with the cross on His back. It broke my heart, for I love Him so. Thank you, Jesus, for Your death on the cross … so I can live forever with You!
I’m so glad you all get to go again. Our church is going next May (2011). As many as would like to go with the staff of Rush Creek. Very exciting indeed. I can hardly wait to read your posts as you travel through The Holy Land. It will help me prepare for next year and my journey. You Moore women are always helping us Siestas with great information one way or another. Be safe and have loads of fun!!!!
Royana
Grand Prairie, Texas
That is awesome!! I have never been there. I don’t forsee that I will be going in this lifetime but I do plan on going during the millennial regin!!
I’m so jealous! My ultimate trip to Israel would be on a Beth Moore trip! My husband and I are talking about trying to swing a trip for summer 2011 for our 30th anniversary, but we have 3 kids still in college for the 10-11 school year and will have 2 still in after that, so not sure how the finances would work out! I’m sure we will do it some day, though!
Can’t wait to read the blogs!
Blessings,
Kathy W
I have never been to the Holy Lands (would totally love to go!!!!!), but my son is there now. Somehow that doesn’t seem fair!:)
I have to say, I thought that first picture was your daughter Amanda!!! WOW!!! What a strong resemblance.
Have you ever taken a team over to the Holy Lands?
Hope you all have a blessed time-I would love to go! Walk where Jesus did…what fun!
I have never been out of the country! I hope to one day travel to a few places! I definitely want to visit England and Japan(I know a couple girls there). The Holy Land sounds fabulous! I hear from others that you totally feel the Holy Sprit, and God’s precense there! How amazing is that? Can’t wait to read about your trip!
Oh, how AWESOME! I have never been and can’t imagine anywhere more amazing to go! I can’t wait to see your pictures!
Did you know that you look EXACTLY like you did at 17 NOW????? HOW do you do that???
I’m looking forward to reading what you and Melissa have to say from the Holy Land!
God bless you with safe traveling I pray!
Marilyn…in Mississippi
My husband and I went to the Holy land 2 years ago this month. It was life changing to say the least. We spent 13 days traveling through Israel and Jordan and the Bible came alive for the both of us. We had wonderful teaching by Ellen and Nizar Shaheen our tour hosts, as well as Ronan our Jewish tour guide, we learned so much. We also had the experience of being in Cana of Galilee, the place where Jesus performed his first recorded miracle at the Wedding Feast, on our 39th Wedding Anniversary. We along with others in our group renewed our Wedding Vows at a little Chapel beside a Church. What a very special day that was. I have a 2 volume digital scrapbook of all our pictures and memories.
May your trip be even more special this time and may the Lord reveal HIMSELF in new and fresh ways.
I loved your photos–that’s like a “blast from the past” when you look at older photos and see the hairstlyes and clothes!! Always lots of humor! 🙂
So fun… how does one find out about trips like these? Will LPM be taking another trip to Isreal in the next couple of years?? I would love to take that adventure with you all!
I’ve never had the pleasure of going to the Holy Land but, I’ve wanted to go for years. One of my friends said that if I ever went I would never read the Bible the same. What kind of tree is in the background of the pic of you and your mom in overalls…it is awesome!!
Jan
My husband gave me a trip to Israel for my birthday! I went with a group of girls from our church… Goodness almost 10 years ago! October of 2000.
I really want to go back because when we were there, Ariel Sharon, had just visited the Temple Mount and there was quite a bit of unrest. We couldn’t go to several places because of the unrest. I had looked forward to it for SO long and I was so mad at myself and felt guilty because I was so scared! Wish I could go back with you all! : )
My favorite memory was the Jordan River! We went to this secluded spot and had a time of worship! It was a beautiful day… And I had to just dive in! I was totally dressed but couldn’t help it! I had been baptized as a baby but since I had really come to know the Lord five years before… I always wanted to be baptized again… And who could pick a better place! : ) So I just prayed Jesus would baptize me and I think He did! It was so special! I can still feel how it felt! Such a precious, precious time! Thank you, Lord! : )
Have so much fun! Can’t wait to read all your posts! Will be praying for you all!