聖地考察團是屬靈旅程的一個學習，從埃及到以色列再到約旦都有不同的感受。西乃山對我們印象很深刻，讓我們想起昔日神召摩西到山上與祂會面，走的路是那麼艱難，但是他卻沒有發出一句怨言，實在是一位很偉大的領袖。在那次的旅程中我們再次對主說：「我們願意更忠心的服事你，直到見你的面。」

在以色列和在埃及的經歷特別不同，因為我們感受到神對以色列的應許，那裡真是聖經上所說的「流奶與蜜之地」，一切的土產豐豐富富，水果蔬菜的新鮮，使我們看到神對以色列的愛護與保守。

到約旦時又有不同的感受，一路上看到路邊的山嶺好比紅土。聽說青草生長的壽命只有兩個星期就枯幹了，與此同時我們也看到許多又高又特奇的岩石，真是看到神的偉大、慈愛、公義和憐憫！

總之，這次屬靈旅程與眾不同，因為在主裡我們都是一家人，團友有老有小，但是大家互相照應，雖然疲乏還是追趕。今次的旅程真是体會到神的話，感謝蔡牧師及師母盡心盡力為我們計劃並一路講解。在此我們不單鼓厲信徒去參加聖地考察，也鼓厲神的僕人們有機會也一定要去，相信屬靈生命必能得到復興。

俗語有云：讀萬卷書不如走萬里路，果真不錯！兒時學習書本中的聖地，一切似是熟悉而又陌生的名字，出曠野地、上西乃山、入紅海，耶穌走過的腳踪...一幅幅美麗動人的圖畫，如今親歷在眼前！

聖地遊踪，可說是基督徒一個非常值得經歷之旅程。而今次兩個星期的行程，感恩之處多不勝數！

(1) 身體軟弱

可能是舟車勞頓關係，未入埃及，在機上已嘔吐大作、頭痛，心裡唯有求主幫助。可幸出埃及的第一天，居然龍精虎猛！這樣整整兩個星期，雖然行程緊湊，我卻精神飽滿，隨團家人，也是健健康康！感恩！

(2) 寒濕雨凍

首日進入以色列伯利恆城，天色昏暗並下着雨，氣温更由十多度驟減至四度、冷得我們震驣驣，但有神保守及帶領，當我們團友要下旅遊車，雨便停下。奇妙的是整整一個星期之旅程，沒有灑下一滴雨，太陽還高高掛上歡迎我們。感恩！

(3) 滿有得著

旅程結束同時，心靈卻是滿有更新，就像返回年少時代的中學生夏令營一樣，心靈滿有得著，心裡有股衝勁，巴不得再重讀一遍舊約以色列人的歷史，體現自己曾親身走過的地方，原來自己也像昔日的以色列人一樣出埃及、走過以往無法想像的荒蕪曠野、上西乃山之巔細看日出奇觀、巒巒山脈。最後進入豐盛物產之流奶乳蜜之地，與沙漠曠野之比，真是感受造物主之奇妙！

(4) 體驗主愛

天路難、誰敢攀！踏上耶穌走過的腳踪「苦路」，萬般滋味在心頭，更深深體會耶穌的愛何等偉大。主耶穌本是王，卻竟為我們一班罪人背起十架，受人欺凌、辱駡，甘願擔當沉重的刑罰，在苦路上一步一步，救我們脫離罪的捆綁！

(5) 福音使命

今次旅程加深我對以色列歷史的認識，明白以色列是被揀選的族類，卻硬着心腸離棄神，以致成為史上被外敵侵佔最多的國家。在耶路撒冷，昔日輝煌的聖殿、敬拜神的地方，如今正有回教寺矗立，真是令人傷感！眼見不少在以色列的基督徒因着政治、宗教的緣故，紛紛移民他國，令回教徒的比例日益增多！祈願我們能實行主耶穌給我們的大使命，福音能遍及全地，使萬民得救！ 最後當然要感謝蔡牧師、蔡師母的隨團悉心講解，無論多倦，也不厭其煩；還細心為團友安排生日蛋糕、結婚周年慶祝等等…令我們有一個既充實又開心的旅程！

“The 13 day Holy Land is something I could reflect on every time I see pictures or mention of the Holy Land. We actually walked and lived the Bible everywhere we went. This was a wonderful experience and further our appreciation for the sacrifice Jesus had done for us. Nadia’s profound knowledge and explanation provided us better understanding of the historical background of the Bible. She was not just a good teacher but also a good negotiator for a bargain during our night out shopping. Thanks Nadia.

There were so much to see in Jerusalem, I wished we could spend more time there at a slower pace to absorb and digest all the information and scenery. Egypt is a politically unstable place and tourism has decreased sharply, leading to a loss of income. Souvenir sellers are becoming very aggressive as a result, so be prepared when you visit Giza. Also, ladies, take care to wear modest clothing to avoid unwanted attention – long pants and shirts with sleeves, like the locals.”

這次聖地旅遊帶給我們一家人一個很特別而又嶄新的經歷和體驗。從來我們去的旅行團都是一些響導介紹當地的風土文物、古今歷史等等。今次卻與別不同，我們很感謝神在旅程中有蔡春曦牧師和師母，細心把聖經中的真理穿針引線配合在每一個地點，描繪得盡善盡美。他們的講道信息內容，無論在聖餐儀式中或在不同場合，都使我們刻骨銘心，直此想到神的偉大、慈愛和公義。我很願意推篤其他朋友，在不久將來都能組隊同行，在蔡牧師、師母攜同下，一齊經歷神為你預備的豐盛。

The trip was excellent and was a memorable one for me especially the following:

- Preparation: The pre-trip meetings and the booklet arranged by Pastor Francis and Nadia were very helpful for me to know the history about all toured sites and how they were correlated in Bible.

- Children: Nadia did an excellent job to educate them about the background of the historical sites and keep their spirit up at the right time and the right place (restaurants, hotels, and sites).

- Meals: They are perfectly arranged so that we have abundant. In fact, we gained weigh after the trip despite of all the walking.

- Places: We visited many historical sites that gave me deeper understanding in biblical knowledge. These places are impressive and I will remember them for a long time.

- Guides: Pastor Francis and Nadia are very knowledgeable in all historical sites and they relate it really well to Bible. Also, the local guides with good knowledge of Bible share their insight based on their own culture and custom. It opens my eye to local Christians. The most appropriated is the right sermons at the right historical sites by Pastor Francis and Nadia. These excellent sermons not only gave me a good spiritual teaching but also arouse my interest in that site.

- Overall: I have to praise the Lord that I see unity, love, care, and good fellowship in this amazing group of multi-language (English, Mandarin, and Cantonese), multi-generation (little kids, teenagers, middle-age, seniors), and multi-church. God gave Pastor Francis and Nadia extra wisdom and strength to deal with this complex group.

籌備一年半多的十四天舊約聖地考察團已經完結了。今次一行54人，分別有中、英、國語，六歲至七十歲，我們乃街宣道會佔33人，內中九位小童，由蔡牧師、師母帶同下一同出發。

回想出發前，師母給我們的資料及聖經準備，像書一樣厚，但閱讀數次後，心裏興奮，很想親歷其景，同時在鼓勵/壓迫子女們的學習中，大家互相討論，也得益不少，他們說：「早知多看一點。」

3月10日出發的早上，我們得知飛機將延遲兩小時起飛，導致時間不足夠在歐洲轉機，可能要遲一天才可接駁飛機（即是少了一天行程）。所以大家都匆匆忙忙（有的還沒有收拾好行李）的趕早到機場，希望可乘早一班機趕到轉機。我們22人滯留在機場等候數小時，感謝神的安排，原本的航空公司為我們買了另一航空公司的機票給我們轉機，這才解決了問題。他們還給我們$10機場當日晚餐票，但check-in後只餘15-30分鐘入閘，只好匆匆的吃。

我們今次的行程是出埃及，經西乃進迦南，參觀埃及、以色列、約旦等地。但未到埃及已經受試探，同時像以色列人一樣匆匆忙忙的趕緊行。還記得那時我對一位姊妹說笑：「現在只是開始。」到了目的地埃及的開羅辨認行李，我發現找不到自己的行李，查後得知兩天後才到，賠償了US$65，但要連同購物單證明，所以師母要流夜找朋友車我到Shopping Mall購物。兩天後的早上，起行前的一小時終於得回行李，發現破開了，但這些事也沒有影響我的心情。

今次的旅程，起初真有點不慣，因為6:30（morning call），7:30（行李放門外），8:30（起行），了解原因後非常贊同且很快便習慣了，實行早睡早起（吃早餐），但也少不了晚上的額外餘慶節目：Shopping活動，齊齊出動！

最令我難忘的地方太多了！重要的是西乃山（神的聖山），本因腳的舊患及心臟問題而不想去，只想留在酒店睡。但看完聖經後，決定一定要去親身感受神的榮光及山上的……因當時百姓是不能上山，只可自潔遠遠在山下敬拜，除了神揀選的那些人。我決定騎駱駝上山及落山，最多不再行上750級階梯到達山頂（但九成的都再上）。結果我還是沒有騎駱駝下山而是女兒細心扶著下慢慢行落山（我是最慢的那位）。幸好這樣才能夠拍多些照片，觀賞到那雄壯的西乃山，可惜忘記了在山上唱詩讃美神。我的腳雖然一天後已腫了，但這也是值得的；我早有預備藥，也不是問題。我終於完成了這次的挑戰，否則真後悔了！

令我最難忘的，就是第八、九天。這兩天豐富得很而并不是走馬看花。第八天上橄欖山，去升天堂，主禱文堂，棕樹主日路，主哭堂，馬可樓，客西馬尼園，大祭司府，花園塚紀念主復活及聖餐，錫安山，耶路撒冷歷史博物館。晚上牧師還安排額外節目選擇：Shopping或去大衛塔看Night Show。這天最開心的就是在客西馬尼園中，最後臨離開時，懇切的祈禱下，在地上拾到一橄欖樹枝，仿佛是2000年前耶穌時期的橄欖樹枝；同時又實現了在主為自己預備驢進城的棕樹路上，把衣服鋪在路上，大聲喊叫：「和撒那………」

第九天，大家決定早點起床，在10:00前可進入聖殿山，因為10:00後不准進入。我們在那裏排了兩小時，一邊排隊一邊追擊師母，發問、學習及記錄周圍的地方。在太陽下拿著雨傘遮陰，齊心學習，真是沒有浪費，值得贊賞。這天我們去了糞廠門、聖殿山、哭墻、畢士大池，更行完十四個站的苦傷道（當日主背十架的路），鋪華石處，聖墓堂（加略山上），髑髏地，以色列博物館，死海古卷博物館。除了在很多的館內詳細察看及聽講解（有中、有英），還有唱詩、默想、祈禱及聖餐紀念主。這次還有其它寶貴的回憶，如該撒利亞及提比哩亞港，和古城拾的石頭（由於牧師是研究石頭的），跳舞泛舟橫渡加利利海，死海的暢泳，超水準的自助餐，當中三個人不同日子的生日會，一對夫婦結婚紀念日及兩人約旦河受浸的慶祝（一個就是我十歲的女兒安安），車上播放的聖經影片及回程車上的問答比賽及溫習，真是行程額外想不到的。

此外，這次的親子團還要多謝師母晚上及午膳時，對孩子們的分享及講解，讓我們沒有浪費金錢。我們不止非常滿意今次的旅程，同時衷心多謝蔡牧師、師母細心的照顧、詳盡的講解、不同形式的教導、實用的提醒，豐富特色不同的膳食（中式豆腐魚頭湯），及忍耐我們高要求額外的安排，這十四天的旅程好比學了十四年的知識。我提議一生人最少去一次，這是一種福氣，行程前的聖經準備功課，更令你嚮往及不會後悔。想不到旅程後，神更為我們安排生命之道（會幕功課溫習），主日學（聖地的地理重溫），我們在默默微笑中認同。我們更將會有Reunion，又可繼續發問啦！這麼有意思十四天的旅程，真令我畢生難忘；同時更十分飽足（心靈、肉體、體力、聖經），我們也默默的希望有機會去新約團的考察。

經過二年多的籌劃, 以色列之旅終於在今年三月出發.

這次聖地之旅真是非一般的旅行, 除了遊覽地方多之外, 不但令我對以色列的歷史認識多了, 而且對於聖經的地理, 背景也知多了, 真的要在此向蔡牧師及蔡師母說聲 “辛苦哂” 及”謝謝”!

整個旅程中, 給我最深刻的有三處地方. 首先要提及的是騎駱駝上西乃山. 因為我們摸黑上山, 所以當騎上高高的駱駝時真的有一點點緊張, 但仍是帶着興奮的心情上山去. 雖然沒有燈光, 但漫天的星星和半邊明月已照得整個山頭都明亮起來. 雖然讀書時我曾是觀星學會會員, 但我從未見過有這麽多燦爛的星星, 叫我驚喜之餘, 不得不讚歎造物主的偉大! 也不期然想起詩篇所說 “ ...世人算什麼, 你竟眷顧他…” 當我遙望這駱駝隊伍時, 感覺到我們像是在遠古時代在絲綢之路經商的商隊一樣， 浩浩蕩蕩， 場面偉大!

原來騎駱駝一點也不辛苦, 很快便已到達終點, 懷着依依不捨的心情向 ”我” 的駱駝說聲再見! 跟着下來便膽膻心驚地向山頂進發. 其實我是很少爬山的, 所以也不知道自己能否登上山頂, 只是盡力而為. 但行行覆行行, 我與二位小朋友竟是女子組中最早到達山頂的! (如果我沒有弄錯) 從遠處看見又橙又藍的光線將漆黑的天空劃分為二, 漸漸地那線條越來越清晰 … 期待已久的太陽叔叔終於緩緩地從群山中升起, 而且耀眼得像火球一樣! 當我環顧四週時, 見到身邊同伴的臉兒和群山都頓時變了金色時, 真叫我驚訝萬分! 究竟神的榮光又會是怎麼樣的呢?

第二難忘的地方是該撒利亞國家公園. 這裡到處都是遺跡, 有趣是古代的公罘洗手間, 既簡單又自然! 最令我感動的是當我們在 ‘劇院” 裹, 牧師簡略地提及保羅將福音傳給外邦人, 然後提議我們二位一小組去祈禱. 保羅為了將福音傳開而受到許多逼迫 – 這是我知道的, 但那時的我是首次真的衷心感謝保羅願意將神的愛傳給外邦人，感謝神讓我有機會去認識祂! 那我又能為神作什麼？

第三是哭牆。那天晚上我們經過保安檢查後便到達了聞名的哭牆。見到哭牆一分為二， 男左女右。我在女方哭牆見到她們有些只用手貼著哭牆在祈禱， 有些則手拿經書， 口中唸著而且全身搖動， 經過師母講解才明白這是表示全身敬拜， 全身讚美的意思。師母亦講解哭牆的由來。原來將軍當初拆毀聖殿時刻意留下西牆, 原意是為了將來人民見到西牆時便會提及他。但正因為剩下了西牆， 當猶太人見到西牆時便會勾起對國家的回憶而下淚和祈禱. 哭墙亦被猶太人視為信仰和團结的象徵。這令我想到 創50：20 “從前你們的意思是要害我， 但神的意思是好的， 要保全許多人的性命， 成就今日的光景”. 但願我能像約瑟一樣有屬靈的智慧, 明白神的心意, 亦樂於參予神的計畫.

最後不得不提及牧師及師母的“超好” 及精力充沛。現略提一二: 牧師為我們去購買 “Sound of light” 門票時, 為了能令我們能節省一點金錢而四出奔跑…. 又或是師母為了 ”醫治” 我們的 “Shopping 病”, 而甘願拖著疲倦的身軀陪我們去行夜市. 我們只是吃, 坐, 玩已感到疲倦不堪, 但二位牧者卻仍精力充沛地為我們打點, 講解, 回答問題…. 在此再向二位牧者致敬!

蔡師母:

感謝您帶領我們這趟聖地之旅 讓我得到很多不僅看到摸到更學到在主裡的愛在侍奉上有更多的順服和更靜心的等候期待下次聖地之旅的來臨。

王德敏 Tina Wang

Fiona Lo

今年三月我终於夢想成真與團契的弟兄姊妹及一家五口踏足聖地! 以下是我們出發前的感受和旅程後的回應:

感謝神! 祂的恩手每天在帶領及保守我們! 且舉例如下:

• 出發當日因加航航機延誤，我們在機埸滯留多個小時苦候地勤人員安排轉機，總算順利安排我們一行廾二人轉乘同一班機飛往開羅，雖然在凌晨一時才到達酒店，稍經休息後我們仍可趕及第一天的行程!
• 神保守各人 (大人和小朋友) 平安的騎駱駝往西乃山上看日出! 挑戰自己體能攀上七百五十級石級的弟兄姊妹在有驚無險的情况下完成壯舉，登上西乃山山峯靜候日出，欣賞上帝奇妙的創造!
• 雖然有許多有關當地動亂的新聞，神保守我們安然無恙!

旅程的趣事

• 出發前只担心自己暈船浪，豈料每次登上旅遊巴士都因為路途崎嶇而暈浪不已! 感謝神身邊很多弟兄姊妹送上 Gravol、薑和白花油，及時得到舒緩! 我和另一位姊妹Amy更是叮噹碼頭，這一程我暈浪，下一程她暈浪，雖說 shopping 能醫百病，只可惜她其中一個暈浪的地點偏偏是耶穌水變酒的迦拿，店鋪只出售淡如水的酒，Amy 一於繼續暈浪下去!
• 另一位姊妹Phillis更因「不聽老人言」，不將家人的「细軟」收拾在不同的行李內，結果裝滿她私人物品的行李誤送往倫敦，苦等數天才送到酒店，但卻絲毫沒有影響她旅遊的心情，我更有幸被邀陪她往開羅的大型購物商埸精打細算地運用航空公司的小量賠款選購用品呢!

旅程的得着

短短十四天的行程，我們怱怱走訪多個聖經提及的地方，當中不乏耶穌曾到之處，所經歷及學習相信一生受用! 趁印象猶新，且分享其中兩點:

• 永活的主 -我們曾到訪兩個相信是耶穌墳墓的所在地:
  • 聖墓堂 - 在苦傷道十四個站的最後一站，相信是各各他山，耶穌被釘死及被埋葬在附近。
  • 花園塚 - 在這個墓地附近有一山丘，形状很像骷髏，所以此地也有可能是耶穌的墳墓。

  雖然我們無法知道耶穌墳墓的真正所在地，但最重要是耶穌真的復活了! 祂是一位永活的主，今天與我們同行生命窄路!

• 粉飾的墳墓 -由於當時墓地不足，後人往往在先人被埋葬的數年後，將墳墓的大石推開，進入墓地將先人的骨頭取出，將墓地讓给其他剛死去的人; 至於其先人的骨頭便放置在一個外表裝飾得漂亮的小盒子內，以便認出是墳墓。

  耶穌曾責備法利賽人:
  「你 們 這 假 冒 為 善 的 文 士 和 法 利 賽 人 有 禍 了 ． 因 為 你 們 好 像 粉 飾 的 墳 墓 、 外 面 好 看 、 裡 面 卻 裝 滿 了 死 人 的 骨 頭 、 和 一 切 的 污 穢 。」馬 太 福 音 23:27

  蔡師母鼓勵我們要追求內心敬虔，多花工夫在神的話語上，別人雖然看不見，但日子有功，當我們多思想神的話語，我們的行事為人必顯露出來!

旅程的特色

我們是参加以斯拉培訓網絡舉辦的「聖地考察團」。蔡黄玉珍師母為我們编訂行程，先到訪埃及，繼而效法以色列人出埃及進迦南，經過多個不同地勢的曠野，我們舒適地坐在冷氣旅遊巴士內用行車的方法走畢曠野路，進到流奶與蜜的迦南美地 - 以色列。

今次考察團有蔡春曦牧師和蔡黄玉珍師母一同帶隊，令旅程生色不少!

蔡牧師亮如洪鐘的聲線及異常的幽默感常引得我們哄堂大笑! 他對考古的研究更挑起我們對歷史的興趣!

至於蔡師母就像一本會說話的釋經書，隨時隨地耐心地解答我們各式各樣的聖經問題。除此之外，為了滿足一眾姊妹的購物慾，縱然蔡師母希望我們集中精神在考察上，她仍利用空餘時間帶我們到不同的店舖購買女仕們至愛- 護膚品及首飾! 還充當顧問給予我們寶貴意見，更出盡百寶為我們講價爭取最好價錢呢!

由於参加考察團中有多個家庭帶同子女同行，蔡師母更用了一個晚上在飯後給學童一個特別的課程，細心講解所到之處，務求讓學童更清楚行程。多謝你，蔡師母!

今次的聖地考察團，滿載而歸(靈性上及行李內)! 求神幫助我們藉着考察團的經歷帶我們攀上屬靈的高峯! 亦願神繼續使用以斯拉培訓網絡造就信徒，叫我們靈命更新，與主更親近!

我跟很多基督徒一樣，都認為「一生人應該去以色列聖地一遊 一次」，只不過是什麼時候。

在今年三月我一家五口與團契一班弟兄姊妹參加了蔡師母主辨的聖地之旅，這旅程給我有很多深刻的思想和見証耶穌基督的事跡。

在今次聖地之旅其中一個令我有很深刻的印像地方是耶穌基督在客西馬尼園禱告和在大祭司的地窖下受淩辱和鞭打。當我在現場看見那個地方的環境時，我的心有很大的震撼。深深感受到耶穌基督當時的心情是難以形容的傷痛，孤單，無助，被人遺棄，甚至神也離開他，一班曾說誓死跟隨耶穌的門徒都逃走，他所愛的彼得三次不認主，但主耶穌並沒有責備他們，祂仍是愛他的門徒，一心要完成救贖工作，成就神救恩的計劃。死在十字架，三天後復活，使相信祂的人能夠與神和好，得到永生。

當我看見這兩個地方，我再一次向主耶穌禱告，我會好好珍惜神給我這個救恩，這救恩是神所賜的，我是不配得到，但我要作好見証，不要辜負，榮耀!

To start, when my mom first told me about the Holy Land tour around a year before it occurred, my immediate reaction was “Why do I have to go?”, “It is going to be so boring….” And “This is going to be the worst spring break ever.” She told me that my friends were going to be coming with us, but in the end, they didn’t because of a variety of reasons. This lowered my reception of the trip even more. In fact, the only reasons I agreed to go was because my mom would rant on for months if I did not accompany her and because she would allow me to go anywhere for vacation afterwards.

As the day of the trip crept closer, the situation got worse because people kept calling our house and it was very annoying because I always had to answer the phone. The day of the trip was even worse because our first flight was delayed, causing us to miss the second day which complicated everything and tripled the amount of incoming phone calls.

At the airport, we waited for 5 hours (3:00 PM – 8:00 PM) for Air Canada to sort out the issue with British Airways and ended up having to rush our dinner so that we could get on the plane.

When we finally arrived at Egypt, almost a day later, it was already past midnight and everyone was tired. Surprisingly, however, there was a buffet dinner waiting for us at our hotel. After eating, I looked around the hotel and found that the renovations were amazing. Shockingly, our room was clean, tidy and organized.

Visiting the pyramids and the artifacts was very interesting because we learned the lifestyle of the ancient Egyptians (although I already knew some because of school). I was shocked at how we ate dinner so early (around 5-7 PM) because normally eating dinner at 8:00PM would be early for me.

Camel riding at Mount Sinai was pretty fun as well, even though my camel was kind of crazy. It ran down the middle of the trail once and it would run at varying speeds (walk, trot, jog etc.). The steps that led to the very top of Mount Sinai were relatively easy to climb and I think my brother and I scaled them quite quickly. Although going down the mountain was tiring (I had to keep checking if my brother was okay because he was sick) it was definitely worth it because the sunrise was very beautiful.

For me, the best part of Eliat was watching hockey on TSN in the lobby of the hotel and the buffet which had a huge variety of food for me to choose from. I clearly remember squeezing oranges and making my own orange juice in the morning.

Beside Jerusalem and Petra, the Dead Sea was the place I enjoyed the most. “Swimming” in the Dead Sea was extremely interesting and partially intimidating at the same time because we had to keep our eyes out of the water. The hotel there was designed luxuriously, although the layout of the hotel was confusing.

I do not remember the first day in Jerusalem too clearly, but I really enjoyed the second day in the Mount of Olives. It was fascinating to see the Lord’s Prayer written in hundreds of different languages – although I am not even sure if it was accurate and not a changed version. The best part of the second day, however, would be eating at the Chinese restaurant. In my opinion, it was the best food that I ate throughout the entire trip (especially the meat!).

Moving on, visiting the two areas where the tomb of Jesus were rumoured to be located was a good educational experience because in Joseph’s garden, we got to see the layout of the tomb and in the second area (14th station of Via Dolorosa), we got to visit the more accurate location of Jesus’ tomb.

In Joppa, I enjoyed visiting Caesarea because I got to see the ruins of what used to be a majestic city that survived through wars and other disasters. I liked being in the theatre because I could hear everyone talking even though I was sitting at the very top.

Unfortunately, I didn’t really like the hotel in Jerusalem that we spent 3 nights in. Mainly because I didn’t like the food too much and we ended up eating almost the exact same food for 3 nights (It wasn’t bad but I had higher expectations because the previous hotels were a lot better).

Also, seeing each country’s impression of Mary the virgin was quite impressive because of the contrasting ways that each country’s version of Mary. It was sad (embarrassing) to see the Canadian version of her because it was confusing, unclear and vague (based on First Nations).

Next, the boat ride in the Sea of Galilee was very entertaining because we got to feed the birds bread and watch them fly around our ship and catching our bread in the air. I was also pleasantly surprised when the Canadian flag was raised on the ship.

Finally, Petra was one of places that I found more enjoyable. When we got there, we only had to walk a short distance to the horse station where we were taken to the entrance. While walking in the roadway, I found countless spots of colourful rocks that formed a beautiful pattern together. I remember one of the rock formations reminded me of a whale swimming in the ocean, while another had faint carvings of a camel caravan. However, I found the most beautiful carving at the very end of the roadway – Al Khazneh (“The Treasury”). I was also fascinated by the coloured patterns of the caves behind the treasury of Petra. Personally, one of the most memorable moments of Petra was the donkey ride back to the treasury.

Throughout the entire trip, I liked how our tour guides would explain the history, or the current situation of the places we were visiting. I was also shocked by the food that we ate because in most of the restaurants the food quality was very good and it definitely exceeded my expectations. The hotels we went to was another positive because I honestly had no expectations for the hotels before going to the Holy Land.

In addition, I was pleasantly surprised by how Rev. Choi would add humour to his teachings. For example: I remember when he was talking about Solomon’s wisdom at the moving 3D model of Jerusalem during Solomon’s era. Also, I appreciated how Nadia “see mo” would give us detailed explanations at all the attractions we visited, even if there was limited time. Before going on the boat in the Sea of Galilee, I was delighted when Nadia “sea mo” presented me with a dish of chicken and beef kabob, which she bought for me personally, along with a dish of fish (that everyone was supposed to have for lunch). She told me that she remembered how I told my mom I was hungry in the morning so she bought me an extra dish so I wouldn’t be hungry throughout the day. In summary, I really appreciated the small things that Pastor Choi and Nadia “sea mo” did for our group throughout the trip because it made the trip much more enjoyable.

One thing I would take away from this experience is the merchants on the streets and at the tourist attractions. I really disliked and was angered by how they would follow us around and ask us to buy stuff (Of course, I understand that this is out of our control and they are only doing what they have to in order to make money). The other thing I didn’t like was paying to use a majority of the public washrooms. I was also disappointed because we spent so less time at Jerusalem (and all the other tourist attractions) because I feel that we missed out on a lot of information because of our rushed schedule.

However, the most glaring negative of the trip was going through the customs. I did not, and still do not understand why we had to go through a few x-ray scans to get from one country to another. It is also confusing why the border officials at Israel questioned us about not getting a stamp because if they gave the option to not use it, we should have the right to decide to stamp our passports.

In summary, the trip to the Holy Land was very enjoyable and I learned a lot through my experiences there. I’m not sure if I would like to visit the Holy Land again in the future because of the complications with the customs. I do know however, as a result of the trip, I learned a lot more information about the bible and can relate more to the bible because I can actually picture what is going on now that I have personally visited many of the key locations in the bible.

Same as my brother, Ernest, when my mom told me that we were going to go to Israel, I did not want to go. I even told her that if she really wanted to go to Egypt/Israel/Jordan, I could print life size pictures of the Pyramids and etc. and post them all over the house so she could take pictures with them. I did not want to go because I heard that the Middle East is really sunny and hot, which means I would get tanned. I did not want to return to Vancouver as a roasted pig. Also, there has been a lot of news recently about the chaos in Israel, and I was scared that if I went, I would end up dying there.

On the day we left for the airport, I was really glad to hear that the Air Canada flight was delayed, and the parents were having a hard time getting the connecting flight. Throughout the few hours at the airport, I was secretly wishing that we would not be able to get the connection flight and we could go back home instead of going to Israel.

When we first arrived at Egypt, to be honest, I felt really scared and intimidated by all the people. Some of them were shouting at each other and they all looked really angry, but once we reached the hotel, everything was okay. It was not scary or anything.

Going to the Pyramids was a great experience. Not only was it a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but to think that I am actually at the places that we have learned about in Socials Studies was pretty amazing. Although the pyramids were not exactly that cool, it just felt awesome to actually be near it and be able to take pictures with it. They were also bigger than what I imagined them to be, especially the Sphinx. I thought that the Sphinx would be only as big as a regular house, but it turns out that it was much, much bigger.

Riding the camel was really fun. At first, I was scared when I got on because I was so high up, and the camel I was riding on kept on walking close to the edge of the cliff. But after, when I realized that all the camels were walking close to the edge, I started feeling calmer and safer. During the ride, I felt like I was in a movie, because I have never actually heard of anyone who had ridden on a camel before. At Petra, I also rode on a donkey, which also seemed unrealistic. If I had to compare the two, I would say that the donkey is much more comfortable than the camel, and smells better.

The biggest highlight of this trip was the Dead Sea. I was really looking forward to going to the Dead Sea because I heard that when you go in, you float, and also because it heals many skin diseases. I was one of the first ones to go into the Dead Sea, and it was really fun! It was also really funny watching people who had a hard time floating, and they would just start screaming and kicking around.

I also really liked walking down the Via Dolorosa, and seeing the 14 different stations of Jesus’ death road. It was really interesting, and really proved to me that my knowledge of the Bible was not that good. I had always thought of Jesus’ death road as a really long and bitter road, but it was actually short enough to complete in around one hour’s time.

My all-time favourite place though, was on the tour bus. I met two extremely hilarious people who almost gave me a heart attack from laughing too much. But sadly, throughout the last few days, I lost my voice and was not able to laugh until after I returned to Vancouver.

This trip to the Holy Land really proved me wrong. Originally, I had thought that the trip would be boring and dangerous, but it was actually really fun, safe and entertaining. Rev Francis Choi was really funny, and Nadia “C Mo” was really descriptive, and the stuff she talked about on the tour bus was really interesting. To me, my trip to the Holy Land still feels like a dream. I know it was real, but looking back at the pictures; it just seems too amazing to be true. I want to thank Rev Francis Choi and Nadia “C Mo” for hosting this trip, and allowing me to experience the Holy Land in a completely different way than I expected. I also want to thank them for teaching me so much more about the Bible. I feel as though I have actually lived through different parts of the Bible, such as Jesus’ death road, and how the Israelites wandered around in the desert for 40 years, except without the pain and suffering. When I read the Bible now, I feel like I have actually been through the different events and I understand more about the environment the people were living in.

When I first heard my family was going to go to Israel, I did not really like the idea and kept hoping the trip would be cancelled. The news always talks about riots in Israel and things are not positive there. I also have an impression that Israel is a dirty place full of sand. Initially my friends were also going with us and that was the only thing made me feel better. But after a while, I found out my friends actually were not going and that made me sad.

About a month before the trip I met one of our tour guides Nadia Choi in a special gathering tailored for families. She gave us a brief summary of what our trip was going to look like.

When we arrived at Cairo, we met Rev Francis Choi, the other tour guide. I was still picturing this place to be all sandy until we got to our hotel, Raddison Blu Hotel. This hotel was great and the food was actually pretty good. The next day we visited the pyramids. I was learning about ancient Egypt and the pyramids in school and it is amazing that the pyramids are now right in front of my eyes. However, I did not like how the people chased us around trying to sell their goods. After that, we went to the museum and there, not only did I get a review of what I learned already in school but also I learned some new things about the gods of Egypt. On another day in Egypt, I got to experience something that not everyone got to do, which was riding camel at 1am in the morning to Mt Sinai to see the sunset. Riding the camels was really fun. The sunset was gorgeous. Egypt was not such a bad place after all.

Then we went to Israel. But before being able to enter Israel, we had to pass through this huge border. In the border, they scanned our body for dangerous things about 3 times and the luggage as well. When we finally got out of this border, we went on a new tour bus and headed out. Swimming in the Dead Sea was the thing I enjoyed most in Israel. Though I had swallowed a few drops of the super salty water, it was fun just to relax and float there. Another thing I enjoyed was the hotel at the Dead Sea. There, the food was delicious. Since I could not find the pool, my sister, her friend and I went into the steam room instead. It was fun. Also in Israel, I got to experience many things many Christians would want to do but never have the chance to. First, the tour guide brought us to the Palm Sunday road. The Jews welcomed Jesus coming in to Jerusalem by waving palm branches, putting their clothes on the ground like a red carpet and shouting “Hosanna, Hosanna.” Then we walked on the Via Dolorosa, the place where Jesus walked on carrying the cross before being crucified. We also visited interesting places like the Garden Tomb, where Joseph buried Jesus after the crucifixion, the Church of Ascension, the place where Jesus was born and the Sea of Galilee, etc. Israel was not just fun but it was also a great place for me to understand more about the Bible. It helps me picture what it was like back then. Nadia C Mo and Rev Choi’s explanation also helped me learn.

The last place we visited was the Jordan River where 2 members of our tour group got baptized by Rev. Choi. In Jordan, we stayed in Petra and visited the “Lost City”. On top of riding horses and donkeys there, we got to see many beautiful statues and rock, the “Treasury” which was hand carved by the ancient people and was believed to be a royal tomb. We also visited an ancient outdoor rock theatre which had amazing stones with many patterns and colors.

Overall, this trip was actually a fun trip and it was nothing compared to what I thought it would be like. I am kind of glad I went to this trip because not only did I have fun, I also got to understand the bible more and understand how God wanted His people to live and how He wants us to live.

" Are you crazy ? Don't you know there's trouble in that part of the world ? ", was the common comment when I told friends that I was going to the Holy Land. I can assure you that we never encountered any danger or threat in any of the places we visited. In fact oft times I would venture out on my own at night or early morning and always felt completely safe.

We had extremely knowledgeable and friendly local guides, all Christians and all well versed in the history of the places they took us to, not just in terms in world history but also (and more importantly) in the context of the Bible. As one of the guides told us, his hope was to make the bible come alive. I can truly say that he did just that for me. Names and places we all read about in the bible now have so much more meaning for me. I had many an "Ah ha " moment, many of the jig saw puzzle started to fall into place. If I have one regret, it would be that I was not able to have experienced this earlier..... decades earlier.

Getting up at 1 a.m. to hike up Mt Sinai where Moses received the tablets of stone from God is not for the faint of heart, but a challenge I will never forget. Watching the sunrise was a stunning sight and reward enough for the huffing and puffing I had to do. For those not up to the challenge of hiking up as Moses did, there is always the experience of riding a camel.

Retracing the footsteps of Jesus as he bore the cross along the Via Delarosa, seeing the place of the Skull and receiving an explanation of how the name came about, tasting the waters of the Sea of Galilee (actually a lake) and going for a boat ride on the same, reading a paper and floating on the Dead Sea......... The list is endless and all of them memorable.

Most touching for me was seeing the scores of believers being baptized in the river where John did ther same for Jesus. Singing along with other christians as they sang in their tongue hymns so familiar to us all was another high for me.

Compared to other vacations I could have taken it was expensive. But somethings are priceless..... and this tour was one of them !