Travel to Israel: Experience THE BOOK, Part 9

To start at the beginning of our Experience THE BOOK Tour to Israel CLICK HERE. Or simply begin with today’s post and catch up later!

Season for Giving Thanks

Roy and I are a little less than two weeks from celebrating Thanksgiving with our family and a little more than three months from visiting Israel again. Our basement in-law suite is nearly ready for move-in (lots of finishing work left to do), and I’m waiting to hear from my publisher on my next contract. The holidays are approaching, and our calendars are filling up fast. Life is full. But I’m determined to count my blessings!

A Good Reminder

While chatting with our Atlanta daughter last week, she said they had embarked on their annual family ritual: Operation Thankful Heart. I’ve included a picture of the simple things our five- and seven-year-old grandkids get to play with during this Monday thru Friday of learning to be thankful. They talk about children from all over the world who have very little to eat, wear, or toys to play with.

Then they’re allowed to choose a single toy, a stack of paper, a pencil, and a couple of crayons that they get to use all week. No electronics or TV, and they wear the same clothes all five days. (My daughter emails their teachers to let them know what’s going on so they don’t think there’s a problem at home.) Mom and Dad also wear the same clothes all week and only use their cell phones for calling and texting when necessary.

The Big Finish

They finish off their week with a shopping trip on Friday to purchase items for their Operation Christmas Child (OCC) shoe boxes, eager to share with others what they themselves would like to receive. OCC is dear to our hearts since we live twenty minutes from Samaritan’s Purse and so many of our dear friends work and serve in this amazing ministry. If you or your church has never taken part in OCC, CLICK HERE for more information on collection week, Nov. 18-25.

I’m Thankful for Israel

I was inspired by my daughter and her family’s commitment to count their blessings—even when it disrupted their lives. Lord, I have so much to be thankful for. A second trip to Israel—after twenty years of longing—is HUGE on that list of blessings! Thank You, Jesus!

Today’s summary of our Israel trip will be abbreviated to include our last day in Tel Aviv, our farewell to those going home on 3/17/20, and a peek into the two-night/three-day extension to Petra (for those staying through 3/19/20).

Hang onto your hats ‘cause we’re gonna fly!

Last Day in Tel Aviv

On Monday, March 16, 2020, we’ll enjoy a breakfast at our hotel in Jerusalem and travel to Tel Aviv. After a motor coach tour of the city, we’ll experience a fun day of shopping in this very modern place. Why would we choose to end our trip like this?

Because we want you to see all of ancient Israel first so you’ll gain a heart to pray for the people of Israel today. These are God’s chosen people, and after a little shopping, we’ll visit Jaffa (Joppa), the city where Peter experienced the vision that opened his heart to a Gentile named Cornelius…

“The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends…Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right…’ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.” Acts 10:23-24; 34-35; 44-45

Our first day in the Holy Land began with a visit to Caesarea, where we Gentiles were first grafted into Abraham’s family. And we’ll end in Jaffa (Joppa), the place where Peter—Apostle to the Jews—was told plainly that God was about to pour out His Spirit on ALL nations who believed.

Overnight and Farewells

Our last overnight accommodations in Israel will be a chic urban hotel called the BY14 TLV Hotel. Close to Tel Aviv’s boardwalk and beaches, it—like all the other accommodations our tour director, Bev Henry, has chosen—will give us an unforgettable taste of Israel’s unique charm.

The next morning, some of us may bid farewell to the Holy Land and fly home while others will drive to the Allenby Bridge Border crossing into Jordan. With the assistance of our hostess, we’ll meet our Jordanian guide after the crossing formalities and tour historic sites all the way to Petra!

One site I’m really looking forward to is Mt. Nebo—where Moses stood and looked over at the Promised Land and was then buried by Yahweh Himself. After a few moments to consider God’s tender care of the man He called friend, we’ll drive to our hotel at Wadi Musa and enjoy a lovely dinner at the Petra Moon Hotel.

Petra, Here We Come!

I must confess—I’m sooooooo excited to see the ancient Nabatean city of Petra. This will be a new experience for Roy and me, one I’ve yearned for since the start of my research for Love Amid the Ashes. When I discovered some scholars believed Petra to be Job’s home, the “Land of Uz,” this fascinating ancient city went to the top of my bucket list.

“In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” Job 1:1

And I’m so excited that Love Amid the Ashes, my 2011 debut novel, releases on audiobook TOMORROW! (You can CLICK HERE to pre-order it.) At the time I wrote the book, I had to use online NASA imagery to track the natural springs in the mountains and rely on YouTube videos to see the Petra Siq Trail.

On March 18, 2020, I’ll walk (or maybe ride a camel!) on the Petra Siq Trail and experience the red-rock city I could only imagine ten years ago. I’m preparing to be totally overwhelmed!

Goodbye to Israel

After our last night in Petra, we’ll enjoy breakfast at our hotel, cross the border into Israel near Eilat, and visit the Tabernacle Experience. The stunning true-to-Scripture Tabernacle replica weaves a crimson thread through every Old Testament and New Testament site we will have experienced on our two-week journey.

We’ll then drive back to Tel Aviv to pick up our stored luggage and board a plane at Ben Gurion International Airport for the non-stop United Airlines flight back home (if you’ve registered for group air).

Want to Experience It With Me?

If you’re feeling drawn to these amazing experiences, please join us for “Experience THE BOOK Tour” on March 6-17 (or 19 with Petra extension) in 2020! The relationships and spiritual experiences we share on this trip will change our hearts, deepen our faith, and enrich our lives in so many ways.  

To see the full itinerary and more details, go to: http://bit.ly/theBOOKtour. Have specific questions? Please contact tour director, Bev Henry. Phone: 714-512-8167 or Email: bhenry@luxetm.com. 

Tweet-Ables!

• Seeing Petra will be a new experience for Hubby and me on the extension of our “Experience THE BOOK Tour” of Israel, Mar 6-19, 2020. Join us!
• ALL our accommodations in March 2020—a kibbutz on the Sea of Galilee, an Old City Jerusalem boutique hotel, and a chic urban inn near Tel Aviv’s beaches—show Israel’s unique charm.
• Why am I thankful during this Thanksgiving season? Because after 20 years of yearning, Hubby and I finally get to return to Israel! Won’t you join us? March 6-17 (or 19 w/Petra extension).