Well, after getting off to a rocky start all is well.  Our flight was delayed leaving from Calgary and we had to really boot it to make our connecting flight to Tel Aviv.  We met the other half of our group from Toronto on the plane and everyone settled into the long overnight flight.

Israel, Israel, my heart still here resides.  Arrive at Ben Guorin Airport now feels like another trip to home.  Breathing the fresh, salty air of the Mediterranean Sea as I walked out of the stale air of airports and planes my heart was at peace.

It was about 11.15 a.m. local time when our tour began.  "Johnny", our tour guide met us with smiles and reassurance as he looked out at the 30 some weary, bleary eyed travelers before him.  A quick trip to Jaffa, the ancient port city where flash bulbs began in earnest.  To take in all that you see and hear is such a struggle when you are traveling in the land that you have heard stories told about time and time again.

On to the hotel, The Renaissance, grateful for a clean bed and an opportunity for fellowship.  With the waves of the Mediterranean lapping up on to the shore mere meters from my window, I sleep perchance to dream.... 

Anticipation...Israel and Jordan 2011

The time has finally arrived to board the flight and embark on this latest adventure. After weeks of frantic preparation, watching the news with a cautious heart and taking care of final details for our worship, the moment has finally arrived.

It will be my third trip to Israel and my first trip to Jordan. I can barley wait to disembark in Tel Aviv and to walk out into the land of the Holy One. I do not know what new surprises lay before me but I know that they will come. I do not know what kind of surprises lay before the folks in my group but again, I know that they will come.

Before we begin I will chat with my group, along with my co-host, James & Valerie Clubine of Unionville, Ontario, and here's what I will say. I will say that you may not find God in the places that you might expect. While in the Church of the Nativity where the birth of Jesus is commemorated you might be too distracted by the crowds. While in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre you might be overwhelmed by the smells of insence and the sound of changing. But here's what I do know. God will find you here, in this place, surrounded by this history God will find you.

We go to seek a deeper connection with our Saviour, and to follow in the footsteps of God. We go to seek a deeper meaning, to have the scriptures that we hear week after week come to life. We go to understand an earthly place that is one nation, two peoples and three faiths.

And as always, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem.