Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Wednesday, March 4th











Wednesday, March 04, 2009

The sun came out today. After our spectacular breakfast, we went to see a boat before we got on a boat.

The boat we saw was a boat from the first century that was just found in the mud at the bottom of the Sea of Galilee a few years ago. The lake level in the Sea of Galilee (which remember is not a sea at all, but a lake) is going down. One day, a fisherman saw something sticking up out of the mud in the bottom of the lake. It was this very, very old boat that is very old, perhaps from the time when Jesus walked the land here (and remember he walked on the water of the Sea of Galilee, as well). I have included a picture of the boat. It was pretty large and could hold several people and a bunch of fish!

We then got on the boat and sailed around the Sea of Galilee. That is when the sun came out. Alleluia! We stopped and read the bible passage about Jesus walking on the water. The disciple Peter sees him and says, “I want to come out there, also.” So Jesus says, “come on out”. Peter is OK walking on the water for a little bit, but then sees the waves and gets nervous and starts sinking. Jesus takes his hand and pulls him out and says, “Peter, you need to have faith.” I have included a picture of myself and one of my professors on the boat. His name is Dr. Horton and he taught me New Testament Bible from way back when I was in college at Wake Forest University.

At the end of the boat ride we stopped at a kibbutz. A kibbutz is a place where people live in community and work together, usually as farmers. The children are all raised together and go to school together. It would be like if the children of the church also all lived in the same neighborhood went to the same school, the parents worked all together and put their money together and ate their meals together. I have included a picture of me on the playground of the kibbutz.

After lunch at the kibbutz, we got on our big bus and went to a spot on the Jordan River. The Jordan River is the river where Jesus was baptized by his cousin, John. I went in the water. It was brown and muddy and pretty cold. It reminded me of rivers in Florida. My friend Joy and I poured water on each other’s heads and gave each other a blessing. I also blessed a pastor named Beverly and a pastor named Alfredo. A very special thing is that my roommate, Tiffany is pregnant. I took water from the Jordan and held it on her belly and blessed the baby who is not even born yet! I have included a picture of me in the river Jordan.

Shalom Ya’ll (I bought a small sign that says that), Pastor Laurie

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