Israel update #2- in progress

still trying to type it all... but here's some of what I have ... this will be updated :)
TBC= to be continued!


9/4 7:45am TLV //12:45am BOS
Adjusted to time change already! hott! went "swimming" in the Mediterranean Sea at 6am... i say "swimming" because there were lots of waves =scary, so really I waded in the water and let the waves splash on me. The water was wonderful and refreshing- it was already so hot and muggy outside. Nice coldish shower cuz my room was already boiling and I needed to cool down! Breakfast with two women- Claudia and Sue- from Springfield, MO. They are so cute and very friendly! Ate eggs, cereal, very good casserole with spinach, mushroom, cheese, potatos, etc, and desserts (chocolate cake and crepe). LOVE Israeli buffets.. best idea in a foreign country, get to try a little of everything! Very hot already- oh boy! Talked to Chris online and phone yesterday- I love technology! There wasn't even a delay! It's nice to still be connected when we are so far apart. Excited for today! On the bus now, actually got good leg room today- yes! Sweet! and thank GOD for AC!!!
What I did today:
Caesarea:
King Herod founded this city during his reign in the late 1st century BC. He founded the city as a pagan site, not a Jewish site. Throughout history, it has changed hands with the Muslims (638 AD), Christian Crusaders (1099 AD), Bosnian Muslims (19th century AD), and now belongs to the state of Israel as of 1948. In Caesarea, we saw Herod's theater, a Roman Ampitheatre, and that is still amazingling intact (it was built between 22-10 BC... so it's over 2000 years old!). We also saw the remains of the palace that was built for the Roman governor, so Pontius Pilate, lived there (and there's a stone with an inscription for him there too!) We also saw the remains of the hippodrome, a horse racing stadium, also built in the 1st century BC. This is where chariots fought, horses raced, gladiators killed each other, and the spectators gambled. This of course was all Pagan, for the Talmud prohibits Jews from gambling. We also saw the remains of an aquaduct, which Herod built as a pipeline to bring freshwater into the city.
In the bible, Caesarea was the place where Peter and Cornelius met (in Acts 10:23). Paul was in jail here, and Phillip was taken by the spirit to here (Acts 7). Jesus did not come here, mostly because it was a strictly pagan city, but after his death, his disciples came here. Faith in Jesus spread from here because it was an international city of trade.
Mt. Carmel:TBC

I met some really nice people today- Alton- a youth minister, graduates in December and has been called to Grace Bible Church in Portage, WI. Sharon is from the South and has the sweetest accent! and David Ortega, who always offers to take pictures of me! Yummy Lunch in a Druze village: $6 for a big pita with falafal and chicken schnitzel and all the veggies you could fit, and a big bottle of water. Lots of people were too scared to try the falafal and had never even heard of it!! One woman said, I'll just have chicken, you can't screw up chicken" and another woman said, "i'll wonder if we'll ever stop at a McDonalds, you can't screw up McDonalds." Ugh ugh ugh!! why is it that people wont try foreign food?!?
One more quick funny/upsetting note: saw a T-shirt for sale that said : J E R U S A L E M with the USA in red white and blue. hahahahahaha... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Meggido:TBC
Nazareth: TBC
4:50pm TLV// 10:50am BOS
Traffis is terrible here! Can't believe there is a rush hour in Nazareth! CRAZY!
Get to hotel- it is amazing, right on the sea of Galilee. beautiful! room is not too bad.. comfy bed, huge rooms, but slightly sketch (ants, holes in furniture, stains, etc)
went swimming in the pool and the sea! made friends with Erica and her mom Gwen (Erica is a little older than me and never finished college and stays at home with her baby and her husband is in the military, and Gwen is her mother). They are little too conservative for me (they are southern baptist, but consider themselves more liberal than other SBs because they drink alcohol and like Christian Rock. but they are very nice. Dinner- ate rice, potatoes, chicken, stuffed eggplant, tomatoes, yummy cookies, a pudding/flan thing, and a very ripe sweet native peach. Talked to Chris online and posted my pics on Facebook. Enjoy!