I spent the last ten days in Galilee, and absolutely loved it. Turkey and Jordan were incredible and Jerusalem itself is amazing but...something about Galilee was really special to me. Part of it was the gorgeous weather and scenery, but what I loved most was the quiet moments I had to ponder and reflect on the scriptures and my relationship to Christ. We had more “down time” and everything was more laid back in Galilee...it was really nice to slow down and reflect on my life and what I am grateful for and what I need to improve, and how I can strengthen my relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ, and with my Heavenly Father.
There are SO many things I wish I had time to write about, and so many pictures I would love to share with all of you but since things are crazy busy here the last couple of weeks in Jerusalem (with finals, trying to see the city as much as possible, field trips, etc) I’ll only be able to give a brief over-view...a little at a time. Enjoy!!!
Our first stop was Bet Shean, an important crossroads city throughout ancient times, which used to be the chief city of the Decapolis.
Me with Bet Shean behind me.
How's our re-enactment? :)
Dallin on an "ancient toilet"...
I'm so grateful for modern day plumbing!
Then Nazareth, the setting for Christ's childhood. This was a neat place for me to visit because I had done a report on this site for my ANES class this semester, so I felt like I knew a little bit more about it.
The Church of the Annunciation
(commemorates the angel Gabriel's announcement to the virgin Mary
that she would give birth to the Son of God)
Inside. This church was absolutely massive and incredible.
It' the largest Christian church in the entire Middle East.
Walking out of the church, this was the beautiful scenery.
I love the warm weather and the tropical trees here!
A stained glass window in the Church of St. Joseph
(the traditional site of Joseph's home and carpenter shop).
I love this portrayal of Mary and Joseph getting married,
esp. as I thought about my own marriage coming up!
Another window, showing the angel visiting Joseph.
This synagogue is the traditional site of the 1st century synagogue
in Nazareth where Jesus and His family would have attended, and where Jesus
announced His Messiahship (Luke 4:16-30). We sang
"Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King" inside this synagogue
and the spirit was so strong. This was a really special moment for me,
thinking about what took place here.
Mt. Arbel was our next stop after Nazareth. This mountain had an incredible view of Galilee. I loved stopping here and taking time to enjoy the beautiful scenery and to think about the fact that the Savior could have come up on top of this mountain (or one like it) when He would go “up unto the mountain” to pray to His Father.
I love Galilee :)
Such a peaceful place to ponder about Christ.
After these three sites, we ended the day by reaching our destination....our holiday resort, En Gev. This place was amazing! There were 4 of us in each apartment (which, granted, they were small - but hey, someone made my day every day and gave me clean towels, so I felt spoiled!) But the best part is that we were right on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The shore was lined with hammocks to relax in, and we had some free time to play in the water. My favorite part was laying in the hammocks in the sun during our break from class, or watching the GORGEOUS sunsets. They were incredible...most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen in my life. I already miss them. (You'll see plenty of pics coming up)
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