Hi there,

We began our day in Athens with a bus ride toward Corinth, where we stopped at the Isthmus with a manmade channel that connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea. This channel makes it possible to travel from Turkey to Italy without having to go all the way around the peninsula as in Paul's time. The shippers with lots of money, at that time in history, paid to have their ships put on sleds and drug on animal fat across the Isthmus, where the channel now exists. The alternative was that they wintered on one side waiting for spring to sail around the peninsula.
On the way we passed a Greek military base and watched as an American made C-130 dropped a platoon of paratroopers, fun for all us old GIs.

We left the Isthmus and drove to Corinth where we first visited the Museum and saw much of what was salvaged from the ruins and perserved inside rather than leaving them in the ruins proper.

We left the museum and walked around the ruins, marvelling at the places we know Paul taught, the Bema (pulpit), still intact today.

While at these ruins, we had a wonderful conclusion to our trip, the last time all of us in the remnant, were together, as Graig led us in worship and we spent time in Scripture tying all we'd learned together.Our first place to visit in Athens was Mars Hill, where Paul ministered, Acts 17 and told the philosophers about the "unkown God". We were able to stand very near where he must have been.

The final destination for us, after we let the Roberts off to begin their trip home, was the Acropolis, with all the ruins and the Parthenon (Temple of the Virgins) . The site is a center piece of Athens, named after the goddess Athena, for whom one of the temples. in the Acropolis was built.

We left the Acropolis and on the way to the hotel, passed the Olympic Stadium, the home of the fisrt modern day Olympics in 1896. The Stadium is still in beautiful shape and apparently used for sporting events even today.
Before we got to our destination, we passed the Greek Parliament to take pictures of the guards and our single pilgrims couldn't pass up the opportunity to introduce themselves to the dashing examples of Greek majesty.

Our time in the Holy Lands has come to an end and we all meet it with mixed emotions. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity God has given each of us to walk where Jesus and our spiritual ancestors have walked. We've learned things we'd never have learned any other way, whetted our appetite for Scripture in ways that will keep us in His Word forever, developed new relationships that will strenthen each of us spiritually and been blessed beyond our wildest dreams.

Tomorrow morning early will find us on our way home and looking forward to seeing each of you.

Help us pray for a safe trip, see you tomorrow.

Doug