So much to share, so little time! We’ll harken back to yesterday’s visit to Caesarea by the Sea. Just up the northern Mediterranean Coast from Caesarea is an ancient aqueduct, built by King Herod. It is a true marvel, and also the place where our group experienced something very unique and thrilling for me as the tour host. It happened like this:

One of Israel’s offshore gas wells out in the Mediterranean Sea is visible with the naked eye from the aqueduct, and I was bound and determined to seek out the perfect picture of the gas well framed by one of the arches of the aqueduct. Meanwhile, it was the very first access we had to the shoreline, so our entire group made a beeline to the water’s edge while I sneaked off to find the perfect shot!

My photo op was a great idea, but the day was too hazy to get a good picture of the gas well and its giant platform, so I made my way over to where the group was. To my joy and delight, I found 30 grown adults frolicking playfully in the surf. They were arm-in-arm shooting small group photos while laughing and giggling like school children! Something special was happening!

It was in those moments I believe this group became a family!

As we enjoyed dinner at a very quaint little restaurant in Haifa, the laughter and fun continued, the family atmosphere grew sweeter, and this group bonded as one large mishpacha (family). It set the tone for the rest of the trip, and I could not have been more blessed than I was in those hours as I watched a group of people from all over the US come to love and enjoy one another to depths I never imagined possible. The Lord had just answered my months-long prayer right before us all! What a glorious God…and what an incredible journey it turned out to be!

With that as the backdrop, I invite you to become part of that experience virtually. Imagine yourself in the photos you see, and in the stories you hear! Be a part of the family! Enjoy!