Journey Home to Israel

Daily Journal for Wednesday, November 7, 2007

The Day's Itinerary: Our busiest and most significant day was saved for our final glorious day in Jerusalem, as we visited the Western Wall; the Garden Tomb, in the area where it is believed Jesus was buried and rose from the dead; the last stations of the Via Dolorosa ("Way of the Cross") including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, marking the location where many believe Jesus was crucified and died on the cross; the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Western Wall Tunnels.

Prayer Request For Kidnapped Soldiers: Addressing the breakfast for Journey Home to Israel Tour 2007 participants, Rachel Raz, director of Communications for Diaspora Affairs from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office, urged us to pray for the return of three Israeli soldiers kidnapped 18 months ago. "We have three whole worlds on hold," said Raz, further explaining that, in the Jewish religion, "Every person is a world to himself. If you kill a person, you kill generations."

Rabbi Eckstein's Prayer For Peace: Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein met with us at the sacred Western Wall, which he called "a place of peace." "You are a part of what’s going on … you're grafted onto our rich olive tree," he said, adding, "Two are better than one." Before asking the 114 tour participants to pray at the Wall for 14,000 personal prayer requests submitted by Fellowship donors, Eckstein offered his own prayer: "Instead of having police women and men, and having guns and having weapons, may we come to the day of shalom [peace]." After requesting that the Christian visitors also pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Eckstein pointed to the Cotel Chabad, a free kitchen for the needy supported through The Fellowship’s Guardians of Israel program, visible from the Western Wall plaza. "You and hundreds of other donors - my friends and Bible-believing Christians have had a part of feeding the hungry from that kitchen every day."

Serenity Of The Garden Tomb: A serene garden with pink, yellow, red and fuchsia flowers, pine trees and palm trees was the serene setting at the Garden Tomb where Rev. Jerry Clark, The Fellowship director of church relations, led us in singing "Holy Ground," "The Lord’s Prayer," "Amazing Grace" and "Because He Lives" before commemorating the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus with communion.

Western Wall Final Stop: The ancient stones of the Western Wall, including the Foundation Stone (the traditional site from which the world was created) and the site of the Holy of Holies, were the subject of a guided tour on our final stop on the 2007 Journey Home Tour. In 1967, soon after the liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel's Ministry of Religious Affairs initiated a project to expose the full extent of the Western Wall including a section of a Second Temple road, a Hasmonean water tunnel, and a pool.

Heading Home: Those tour participants flying to the U.S. on Delta Airlines left for Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport immediately after the visit to the Western Wall and dinner; there were hugs and tears as the new-found friends said farewell to Jerusalem and their new friends. Passengers on El Al and Continental Airlines flights will arise between 5 and 6 a.m. Israel time on Thursday for their flights home.

Next Year, Jerusalem: Many Journey Home to Israel Tour participants, elated with their trip to the Holy Land, vowed to return to Israel next year when The Fellowship commemorates its 25th anniversary with sponsorship of its Journey Home to Israel Tour 2008.