It all started in Egypt....
My grandma and I were with a Meander tour group of JWs, many of whom have long records of faithful service to Jehovah in all kinds of fascinating places. For more than 2 weeks we were like a traveling congregation of gypsies.
First was a 3-day Nile cruise. As we sailed, we toured the ancient ruins along the way: Luxor, Karnak, Valley of th Kings, etc, etc...
And we learned a lot about the world that the Israelites would've known before the 10 plagues and Exodus. We saw the areas where Moses would have grown-up and ancient straw and mud bricks that were probably made by Israelite hands.
Also the incredibly old Step Pyramid that Joseph and Jacob would've seen when they were in Egypt. At that time, it was the tallest stone building on earth. And of course, we stopped at some of the more traditional sights too.
There was also time for shopping, swimming, good food, Nubian music & dancing on a sailboat, a Watchtower study, the Aswan dam, and a botanical gardens.... it was... wow! There are stories upon stories...
We wore badge cards everywhere that read simply "Bible Tour" and some people asked questions about it. I'll just say that it lead to a couple of very unique and interesting conversations that won't soon be forgotten.
From Egypt, we traveled by bus through the wilderness of the Sinai peninsula, and stopped at many biblical sights along the way, such as: Suc'coth, where Israel's exodus began (Ex. 12:37); The shore of the Red Sea near the place Israel crossed and they sang the Victory Song for the first time (Ex. 15); Ma'rah, where Moses made bitter water sweet (Ex. 15:23-25); The wilderness of Sin, where Jehovah began providing Mana and the Sabbath was observed for the first time (Ex. 16:1-3,13-15, 22-24); and Reph'i-dim, where Jehovah used Moses to provide water from the rocks and the Amalekites were miraculously defeated (Ex. 17:1-13). Seeing and standing in these places has given me such a new perspective. It was like reading the bible in 3-D.
We slept in simple little cabin at the foot of Mount Sinai, on the same desert plain where the bible says Moses brought the people to "meet the True God". It was the middle of the night and I sat awake, looking up at the silhouette of the massive mountaintop against a star-filled sky. I tried to imagine things the way they would've seen it thousands of years ago; the mountain smoking and trembling before them.... (Exodus 19)
At 1am it was time to get a coffee and and a camel. (Ok, maybe two coffees ...or was that two camels??) Anyway, the plan was to climb to the top in time for sunrise, and there was an option to either walk or rent a camel. Mostly, I just think it's really REALLY fun to ride on camels and wasn't about to let an opportunity like that pass by! So, off we went. It seemed like there were thousands of people making their pilgrimage to the top, most with torches or candles. Against the dark night, the trail became a tiny ribbon of light snaking it's way up, and up, and up into the rocky hills.
(I know you LOVE the socks, don't you??! Haha It was really cold up there!)
It was awesome to think that these are the stones where the presence of Jehovah touched the earth. My imagination opened wide and I found so much to think about up there.
One of the highlights of the trip wasvisiting Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. But, it's certainly changed since the first century.... now it's considered a Palestinian settlement and surrounded by a HUGE grey security wall with guards, barbed-wire, and machine guns. The Palestinian side of the wall is covered with colorful and sometimes pretty imaginative graffiti. I think this one says quite a lot...
The small sign reads: "Welcome to Bethlehem"
As tourists we were able to get through security, and so we spent a few nights there in a restored antique palace. Being inside the wall has all the charm of a prison camp, but we found the people to be kind, hospitable, and friendly. The best part of all was getting to attend a special meeting with some of our Arabic-speaking brothers and sisters (although you won't see their faces here).
Later, we visited the branch in Israel and met friends from all over the world who speak Hebrew, Russian, Arabic, English, and Hebrew Sign Language. It's a really wonderful bunch of bro's & sisters there and it was a really special privilege to be invited as their guests. (Sorry, I can't show you photos)
Around Jerusalem there are amazing historic sights everywhere you look. These sure aren't the kind of road signs you see every day!
We went to the top of the Mount of Olives and looked out at the place where Jehovah's temple once stood. The brother taking the lead had us read from the bible about numerous events that took place on that spot. Then we walked down to the city- by way of the same road that Jesus likely used in his triumphal procession recorded at Mt. 21:6-9, and eventually came to the Garden of Gethsemane. There we were invited into a private grove of ancient olive trees and listened to a fascinating bible talk about Jesus and his apostles; around the same spot where Jesus himself would've sat and talked to them. 
There was so much more... we went to where the Sermon on the Mount was given, Jericho, Nazareth, Joppa, Ceasarea, Masada, the Dead Sea, Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered), and Megiddo. (I was given a hat from the "Armageddon" gift shop! hahaha)
We went to the Synagogue in Capernaum and saw the place Jesus taught and healed a demonized man (Mark 1:21-28)
Grandma and I waded through Hezekiah's Tunnel
On a boat at the Sea of Galilee we got a real life fishing demonstration. Even more fun though was just being together with some good friends, who also happen to be expert fishers [of men] in, shall I say, "particular countries". Keep up the good work!
After the tour had finished and most of our friends had left for home, a few of us continued on into Jordan. First stop: Wadi Rum. Spectacular! (If you've ever seen the movie Laurence of Arabia? this is where it was filmed)
Climb-up. Slide-down. Shake-sand-out-of-underwear. Repeat!!
We had the pretty incredible treat of being invited as guests to a Bedouin BBQ...
Deee-licious!! can you guess what animal that is/was??
Where are we???
COFFEE SHOP? Out here??! HahahA Now that's what I call an "OASIS"!!
Petra. What can I say? There's a reason it's one of the wonders of the world. It's remarkable...! (I'll have more pictures from this trip in Picasa web albums soon)
We had a great time! But what goes up, must come down.
This was the capital of an empire built by the Nabataeans, or Edomites (descendants of Esau). On our tour we learned that it had become a "lost city" until 1812 A.D., and (although it contains over 4,000 tombs) to-date not so much as one single bone has been found here. There's no DNA evidence, or record of any kind to prove who these people were or who are their descendants today. This amazingly wealthy and advanced civilization just slipped into extinction without a trace. Very interesting when you consider what Jehovah said would happen to Edom in the Bible book of Obadiah and other prophets.
I always knew that one fine day I'd come to the edge of the world! Turns out it's in the middle of the Jordanian desert. Who knew??
And when you're there, it actually does feel like the edge of the world. Clinging to the side of a cliff is a traditional-style Bedouin tent with carpets on the floor and a collection of teapots nestled in the fire. Just inside was a bird- a falcon- the kind used for hunting. It sat on it's perch with a fitted leather hood over it's face. "This is my best friend" said a man in black, and invited me in for a cup of tea.
It's a touristy place and I figured that either the tea was going to be outrageously expensive, or I was to expect a hard sales pitch for some tacky plastic souvenirs (made in China). But it was such a pleasant spot, with cool breeze and shade from the relentless sun, I decided to sit for a while and enjoy the moment.
Instead of trying to sell me something, the man removed the falcon's hood, showed me how they use it to hunt, and let me take pictures. Another guy began playing music on some traditional instruments. Later, when it was time to go, I tried to pay for my tea and he wouldn't take any money. "No, I invited you as my guest. No money." he said. Wow. We live in a world where nothing is free anymore.... but apparently if you travel all the way to the very edge, a few things still are.
proof that even if you go over the edge, you can climb back
There's something about being on top of a mountain... alone with the wind and the sky. No matter how many places I go, there's always a new mountain to climb, and I'm always happy to be there.
As I reflect back on this last month, I feel so grateful to Jehovah for this trip. The fascinating Bible lectures, coupled with the amazing association of the brothers and sisters traveling together, and the natural beauty of the places really touched my heart and made my imagination run wild. It's given me thing to ponder for a long time to come.
The last day, I got up early and went snorkeling at a coral reef in the Red Sea (relaxing and incredible) Then spent 6 hours being interrogated by Israeli security in two separate airports (not relaxing and horrible) Yikes! That place is ridiculous!
Next stop: Cambodia. Stay tuned for what comes next...
"Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding" -Prov. 3:5
