Bethlehem to Nazareth to Galilee
We loaded our bags onto the bus for a new destination, our sixth in as many days. But what an exciting day it was! Following the life of our Lord, we traveled from Bethlehem in the West Bank to his childhood home of Nazareth and on to his adult home near the Sea of Galilee.

Our first destination was Nazareth Village, a 6 acre simulation of Nazareth at the time of Jesus. Here goats and donkeys are tended, olives and grapes are grown and harvested, olives are pressed into oil, and the Gospel is shared as staff and volunteers demonstrate and tell about life in the “insignificant” village of Nazareth during the time of Jesus. We sat in a first-century synagogue and read from Luke 4, hearing about how Jesus declared Himself the Messiah in keeping with Old Testament prophecy.

Still in Nazareth (a village of about 70,000 today though there were no more than a few hundred in Jesus’ time), we visited the only constant spring in town, one that has provided water since the time of Christ. Here Mary certainly drew water daily, and perhaps it was even here that she learned she would have a child. Ken and Jan Stone, friends of the Foggs , at Mary's well

After a lunch of Falafel, we proceeded east to Galilee where we saw a first-century fishing boat before boarding a larger boat to spend time out on the lake. This proved to be a highlight

experience for many of us, as we first viewed the many biblical sites pointed out to us by our guide, Julie, and then Pastor Graig read from Matthew 4 and Matthew 8 before praying Christ’s peace for all of us, as we floated on the silent, peaceful lake just before sunset.

Violinist, Peter, from the Czech Republic

Then the boat crew played devotional music for us, including live violin music, starting with “How Great Thou Art” and “Blessed Be Your Name”, followed by Jewish music. It was a sweet and unforgettable experience that occupied the thoughts of each pilgrim as we then proceeded to our dinner and rest at Ma’agan Kibbutz at the southern end of the lake. A magnificent day.

Pastor’s Note – “Hello, blog readers and especially Lake Grovers. I need to tell you that this Lake Grove group is making a positive impression wherever they go. Merchants, guides and drivers (we have had 5 guides and 6 drivers so far) remark to me that this group is different from most – friendlier, more polite, not demanding or pushy, cooperative and actually personally interested in the people serving them on this trip. They are representing Lake Grove, Oregon, and the Lord very well. You can be proud of them.

“Also, we invite your comments to the blog – is anybody out there following along? Doug puts a lot of effort into these posts, so leave a few comments if you can! – Pastor Graig.