Sea of Galilee

Hello from Israel!!  What beautiful words to write...

When we landed in Tel Aviv and boarded our tour bus, we met "Jimmy," who is serving as our tour guide.  He's a 40 year veteran of Holy Land tours, and he is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about the life, times and places of Jesus.  

His first words to us were beautiful..."welcome home."  He said, "this is your home because it is the home of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  It is your home."  

And, above is the view from the terrace of our hotel room.  Not kidding.  It really is.  

We are staying in Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee in the norther part of Israel.  We open the glass door to our terrace and can sit and look at the Sea of Galilee.  This pic was taken early this morning just after sunrise.  

We have had an incredible day.  We've been to the Cana-to-Capernaum Roman road that Jesus would have walked in his time.  We've been on a boat in the Sea of Galilee.  We've been to the traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount and I got to read the Beatitudes for the group.  We've seen an ancient fishing boat from Jesus' time, discovered 20 years ago in Galilee.  We've eaten "St. Peter's fish" at a local restaurant.  We sat in the cave that is traditionally considered the place where Jesus would go by himself to pray and rest from the crowds that followed him.  We have been to the site of John 21, where the resurrected Jesus forgave Peter 3 times and told him to, "feed my sheep."  We've put out hands in the Jordan River and remembered our baptism.  

Wow.  What a day.  

I'm going to try to post some more pics, though it's very slow going and not sure how the internet connection will hold from one moment to the next.  It should get better once we get to Jerusalem tomorrow.  

We are very happy.  We are exhausted.  Thanks so much for your prayers, we feel them.  Talk to you soon!  Adam and Holly