Pilgrimage Part 2

Last night I downloaded my pictures from Israel. As Roy looked over my shoulder I chattily shared with him where we were in the Holy Land. Funny thing, after a few pictures I had taken there were a whole bunch I hadn't because Dena had taken them. Most of these pictures had come as a result of a journey up and on stairs or steep uphill trails and more and more each day I had to decide whether to try or not. Roy was laughing so hard because in the narration and description I would say, I have no clue what this is about, Dena took this picture. This was actually the first time I had looked through them and realized I sat on the side lines a lot in Israel. I am not complaining because usually something really good happened while I was waiting for everyone to traverse hill and dale to see ruins and rocks. Those times were used wisely in that I could reflect, ponder over and think about all we were seeing and learning. I used the time for prayer and many a time I was just trying to slow my heart rate and breathe deeply to oxygenate my blood.

Bethlehem was hard on me, more specifically the Church of the Nativity. Tiny little steps with no handrail. I took in the irony that the priests were wildly enforcing the no hat rule even for women yet in the corner of the birthplace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was a huge trash bin, handcart, push brooms and dust pans. Hmmm....something a little out of whack here. Loved the Catholic side of the church much better. In 1988 when I was in Israel with the choir, the whole hole in the ground in Bethlehem was a bit of a disappointment for me. This time was no different except the information we were getting from our guide. Totally opened up my understanding. Even though I lagged behind the group in step I could hear Rauof. We were the first group of his to use the Whisper. It is an earpiece so that we can hear him directly and not through a din of noise.

Bethlehem was tiring but Tuesday just about put me in the tomb, whether it was Lazarus' or the Garden Tomb, it didn't matter. Of course I could get to Laz's because others would be carrying my dead, lifeless body and I wouldn't have to deal with heart rhythms and bad knees. Originally, we were to do the rabbinical tunnels in the evening and I knew I could stay at the hotel but due to scheduling mistakes, we were there bright and early Tuesday morning. Very, very interesting but I made the mistake of wearing my fleece top over my shirt and right off the bat in those long tunnels, I began to get hot. Then the stairs got to me and as Roy pointed out to me on Saturday, I have never fared well underground. He has the stories to tell of our vacation adventures to caverns and the like. So, while I learned a lot, I also depleted a lot of energy that I couldn't afford to lose. We finished up the underground portion of our program and went outside to the Western Wall. To tell you the truth, personally I have never felt good about going up their with the orthodox jews to pray or to mainly watch them. Felt that way in 88 and 2012 wasn't different. I sat back a ways and took in life at the wall from a far and life up close and personal in the square. We made our way to the southern steps, which was the exit from the Temple. Jesus would have used the exit and stood on the steps. I sat where Jesus walked...loved being there and thinking through the magnitude of it all. Soon we were back to our bus to go to the pool of Siloam. I waited after the teaching while the rest went upstairs, now you know why I waited, to get a closer glimpse of the spring or pool or whatever it is now. They also looked at Hezekiah’s tunnel but I had been fortunate in 88 to actually walk in the tunnel from start to finish. The hour I was dreading was close upon us, waiting in line to be on the Temple Mount from 12:30-1:30. While we waiting in the bright, warm sunshine, several bar mitzvahs passed us by. The drum beat enticing; it was like having your own drum line. Honestly, everyone enjoyed and took pictures of the first 3 but lost interest after that. Some shared the bread they had bought from a vendor since none of us had eaten lunch, while we stood in line. Peggy and I found shaded spots as the line snaked slowly toward security. I think I was the next to last one let in. We had all of 5-7 minutes to see everything. I saw the ground. By this time I was really fighting my irregular heartbeat. It would race 90 to nothing and then make a nano second stop which caused my heart rate to plummet. Kathleen was so kind to walk with me and let me hold onto her elbow. Peggy was worried that Kathleen and I would be locked in. When we turned the corner and I saw the number of steps we were going to have to climb I said the 'S" word. Nancy cussed, I Nancy 11:6. That I lived to tell this story while being so close to the Holy of Holies, which was somewhere beneath our feet, God must have had compassion on me. I hurt so bad and was breathing so shallowly, I began to cry. If you know me, I have a HIGH pain tolerance but this; it was too much for me to take. Dena said that is when she knew how badly I felt. Kathleen encouraged me along the way and she said to me, "what is the worst they could do to us? Shoot us?" I responded, "Yes, please." We got yelled at by men with guns as they told us to get out! I assume that's what they were saying. To tell you the truth the loud tone never changes in Aramaic. Saying a passionate love you and a passionate shout down, get off our property you stupid infidel do sound the same.  Not that anyone told me that they loved me in Aramaic on the trip.  It's an assumption.  We were out and found ourselves by St Anne's Church and Stephen's Gate. The owner of the tour company had accompanied us and he went to get his car and take WJ and me back to the hotel. Peggy sat me down on some slick concrete pillar and went to get me a Diet Coke. It was the best thing she could have done. After a wild ride through Jerusalem back to the hotel, WJ said she would call me when it was time to go to the Garden Tomb and I told her if I went, that's where I would die. So I went to the room and fell into bed around 2:45 and I woke up at 7:00, right before everyone returned. Mike, the owner, told me that if I needed a Dr he would take me to one because at a hospital it might be 24 hours before seeing anyone. He also told me to order room service, but rest sounded a whole lot better than hummus at that time. Dena, Peggy, Janie and Kathleen made me laugh and Dena and I ate dinner in our room. Peggy asked me on Wednesday, did you think you were going to die? Yep, I really did. On Wednesday you knew I was feeling a lot better because I didn't want anyone to shoot me, I wanted to live to see Tiberius.

These posts are going to be all over the place and hopefully when I feel like I have told the story, I can wrap it all up in a cohesive thought.