Twenty-four individuals from our congregation left February 23 for a 12-day visit to Jordan and Israel, sponsored by the Pilgrims of Ibillin. While in Israel, they will visit the Mar Elias schools in Ibillin and will worship in Haifa with Archbishop Elias Chacour. Rev. Deborah Knott will be sending us regular reports on their journey. This is her first post; check back often for more news of the travelers.

After a long flight, the Holy Land Travelers arrived safely in Amman, Jordan and headed immediately to their hotel near Petra, passing through the Biblical regions of Edom, Moab, and Amman along the way.

The next morning, after a 6:30 am wakeup call, we took a short walk from our hotel into Petra. Petra, named Sela in the Bible, was originally a Nabotean city, built between the 3rd and 1st century BCE. Today, it is considered one of the seven great wonders of the world.

After using various means of transportation – whether on foot, on horseback, or in a carriage – we all managed to find our way down to the center of the city, where a beautiful Nabotean monument carved out of the side of a sandstone cliff greeted us. While there, several small children welcomed us, selling rocks, postcards, jewelry, and other souvenirs. On the way back up, several group members chose to travel on donkeys and even more opted for adventurous camel rides.

In the evening, we gathered for a time of reflection in honor of Ash Wednesday, and several choir members led us in song. Aside from a bit of jetlag, everyone in the group is in good health and in good spirits.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. And please continue to pray for all those who dwell in the Middle East.

— Grace and peace, Rev. Deborah Knott

• ‹ previous
• 1000 of 1127
• next ›