Two of my best buds, David and Brandi Gehrels. Look at those faces and you'll know why I love 'em.
A beautiful tree by the side of the road.
I wish we would have had time to walk the Snake Path instead of the cablecar.
The Snake Path goes up the side of Masada.
The Dead Sea
Looking down from Masada onto the ramp built by the Roman army.
The floor of the bath area that Herod had constructed.
What a massive undertaking!
Watch that first step. It's a lu-lu.
There were a lot of birds that had taken up residence on the top.
Bro. Don St. John taking in the view from Masada.
On the left you can see some of the Roman fortifications built during the massive seige of Masada.
I would hate to be a Roman soldier and know I was supposed to attack this place.
Looking down on a bird circling the huge wonder.
Looking toward the Dead Sea from the top and watching the shadows of the clouds move across the desert landscape.
The view from Masada was priceless.
An Israeli mountain goat on Masada. (Brandi Gehrels)
They will be digging up Beit Shean for years to come and still not get all of it.
Some of the remains of Beit Shean. We could have spent two or three days there and not seen it all.
Some friends and I climbed to the top for a view.
They believe it was destroyed by an earthquake.
The Ancient City of Beit Shean.
These pillars are granite...or I take them for granite.
Is that a big pillar or a little man? This is a pastor friend of ours that came with us.
David Poppins (David Gehrels)
The back of the ampitheatre.
You can see the levels of the different civilizations that lived at Beit Shean.
You may have to use your imagination, but those are toilets. Yes, I said toilets.
Bishop McCoy Murphy blest us with a song.
I think I'm gonna behave around this guy. That gun hasn't got a orange piece of plastic on the end.
A sunrise worship service by the Sea of Galilee.
This is the boat that Jesus calmed the wind and waves in. Ok, it's not really, but it's a boat on the same water.
Our pastor friends, Carroll and Glenna Pennell standing by the sea.
A hotel in Tiberius by the sea.
This was taken as I fell over the bow of the boat.
A bird flying over the boat we were in on the sea.
Pastor Mike Williams and our brilliant guide, Dave.
Don't ask me how I got this picture.
What a view across the water!
You know those small trees that we keep in pots to decorate our houses over here? Well, that is one of them. It's a ficus tree and believe it or not, they were much bigger in places. This is at St. Peter's Church.
'All you can eat fish buffet' for the crabs in the sea.
David gave a devotional before I sang.
I sang "He Saw It All" on this spot at Caesarea Philippi.
Don't it make you wanna jump in for a drink?
The source of the Jordan River.
The Jordan River flows out of the base of a cliff.
Looking from the Mount of Beatitudes into the Sea of Galilee.
Sunset over Nazareth.
The city of Nazareth and the Church of the Announciation.
A village in the distance from Mount Carmel.
The Valley of Meggido.
Gorgeous!
The olive trees in the Scripture Garden.
Entering the Scripture Garden.
The ceiling of Caiaphas' house. It's huge!
The house of the high priest where Jesus was kept overnight in a cistern before He was crucified.
Everyone was so blessed by the places we visited.
A tree that I planted in the Ben Shemen Forest.
The Ben Shemen Forest.
There is a large graveyard the Muslims put in front of the Eastern Gate in an effort to keep the Messiah out. I know it's not going to work, but you could call it a Muslim plot.
I hurried through one of the exhibits so I could run along the walls of the city before everyone else left.
Jesus walked on these steps all His life on earth.
The south wall fortifications.
David and Brandi Gehrels on the steps leading to the temple.
The southwest corner of the Temple Mount.
Standing in the Kidron Valley.
The Western Wall at sunset.
The south wall excavations.
They are an amazing people. If only we had their persistence and devotion as Christians.
A section of the Western (Wailing) Wall. People come from all over the world and put prayer request into the cracks.
I bet you recognize this place.
Pastor preaching on the Mount of Olives overlooking the Holy City.
Jerusalem! I want to rest on the banks of your river, in that city, City of God.
Singing on the Mount of Olives. Believe me, you'd cry too.
Jerusalem! I want to walk your streets that are golden, and I want to run where the angels have trod.
Singing "Jerusalem" overlooking Jerusalem.
Right after I sang...what a night!
You can see red spots on the rock.
The rock that Jesus 'sweat great drops of blood' on.
I remember this meal! I'd move there for the food!
These windows inside the Church of All Nations are made of alabaster.
The entrance of the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane.
A Russian church on the Mount of Olives.
Inside the Church of All Nations when they believe Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives.
The Garden of Gethsemene outside the Church of All Nations.
The front of the Church of All Nations.
Olive trees from the time of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemene.
I'll meet you in the morning, just inside the Eastern Gate.
The flowers over there are fantastic!
A flower by the entrance of the baptismal site.
A 'little' friend that joined us for the baptism in the Jordan.
Ancient history comes alive...
You think this is beautiful? Look at the next picture.
What an amazing place!
The synagogue that Jesus taught in.
Flowers in the city of Capernuem.
This was built on the same foundation as the one of Jesus' time.
On the Tel of Megiddo.
This is seconds before the synagogue fell down.
At the Holocaust Museum. The most sobering experience I can imagine.
This is the view when you get to the end of the Holocaust Museum.
A Jewish father and son heading off for the days work.
See if you can make out what the writing is...
A solid gold piece of furniture that is ready to be placed in the rebuilt temple. This is the monorah like the one in Solomon's temple.
Our Pastor was interviewed in Jerusalem by a news crews that 'happened' to be there from our TX area. God is good at making ways for His Word to be heard, even on the 6 o'clock news.
Looking from the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus preached the famous sermon, into the valley where the crowd would have been.
One of the many side streets in the residential area.
I will never be able to pick up my Bible and read it the same.
The Kidron Valley
The view from our kibbutz where we stayed a few nights.
The dining area of the kibbutz.
The Tel of Meggido with the valley in the background.
Bro. Tom Crouch giving a devotion on the Tel of Meggido overlooking the valley.
No, this is not "the" tomb. This is just one they found by the side on the highways.
Looking over the edge of Mount Carmel into the valley.
The view from the shore the Sea of Galilee looking at the pass that Jesus had to have travelled regularly.
Yup, it is.
Harlie and Robbie Williams have passed away since we took this last trip. They are sorely missed, but are now in the real Holy Land.
Some dear pastor friends of ours joined us on the trip.
Our busdriver, Joseph.
Even in the Holy Land they have to deal with politics.
An almond blossum in the Scripture Garden.
Inside the Scripture Garden.
A grove of trees in the Scripture Garden.
Yes, this is what it looks like. We had to pick up a car and move it so the tour bus could fit down the street.
Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.
A view of the Mount of Olives from the City of David.
Looking at the Temple Mount from the City of David.
Absolutely gorgeous!
In the City of David.
Wow!
Singing, "He Washed My Feet" in the Upper Room.
Elder Harlie Williams blessing the communion we had at the Garden Tomb.