Yesterday we had church at the kibbutz and then we left for Tiberius, which is on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. On the way there, we stopped at some ruins from the Roman-Byzantine time period. When I walked into the theater, the first thought that came to mind was, “I wonder how long it took to dig this out!” I definitely have a lot more appreciation for ancient ruins and a greater appreciation for those who excavate them! We wandered on our own for a bit and it was really fun to just go off, take pictures, look at the different styles of the architecture and layout. Because I was by myself, I had a good time setting up timer, pushing the button and running as fast as I could to get in the picture! It was actually really fun, though some other tourists looked at me funny…oh well! We drove through the city of Jericho and stopped at a mini-mart that was by the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point in the world. Um…I road a camel in the parking lot…for free! I did give the guy a tip. I had to. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to ride a camel again! I felt kinda funny, but it was pretty fun. We also stopped the spot of the Jordan River, where right before it flows into the Galilee, where many people believe that Jesus was baptized. Then we went to the hotel for dinner.
This morning, the first thing we did was take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. After cruising for about 10 minutes, the driver stopped the motor and raised an American flag next to the Israel flag. We said the Pledge of Allegiance and then they played our national anthem as we sang along. The whole episode gave me goose bumps (I don’t cry, I get goose bumps!). It was really cool…I don’t know how to express the experience in words. We then had a brief testimony meeting. We were taken ashore and from there we drove to Mt. Hermon where Jesus conferred the keys to Peter, James and John and then Jesus was transfigured. There were some ruins of a Roman cathedrals which the Romans built in places they felt was holy. We also went to Capernaum and then to the Mt. of the Beatitudes. Our tour guide took us there so late that we could only spend an hour there. We had a short informational meeting about the significance of Beatitudes, then we had to leave because it was closing. I was sad. I wanted to spend more time there. It was very humbling to be in places that are so significant to my beliefs. I honestly don’t really know how to explain it. When we returned to the hotel, Bishop Walkenhorst, John and I went walking in the streets of Tiberius. As we were walking, we heard shots….we thought they were gun shots from a pretty big gun! We were a little paranoid, but also dumb enough to stand out on the street like all the other tourists and look around to see where the shots were coming from! We started asking people on thee street and three different people told us that they are fireworks shot off to celebrate weddings and other things….though we didn’t see any fireworks, we concluded that if they were gun shots, everyone would probably be running for cover! It was fun to watch these two dads shop for souvenirs for their children. I found a place that sold the cutest skirts! I won’t tell you how much I bought, or how much I spent, but I got a screamin’ deal! The bishop and I spotted McDonalds…I rarely eat McDonalds at home, but it felt so good to get chicken nuggets, a coke and a hot fudge sundae!!! Another couple and I walked down to the same area (located on the water front)with a group of kids and watched them shop for trinkets and such. It was just a really fun atmosphere, and though the day was rushed, it was a good day!
Here’s some info about life in Israel. Children near the country’s borders start school at age 3, while children in the big cities start school at age five. After high school, every person is required to serve in the army, men for two years and women for 18 months.
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