"Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!"
Psalm 133:1
The Beginning of My trek through Israel began with John Bonner's Israel/ Jordan Bible Study Tour Group with students and those from Calvary Chapel in 6 different cities from Peru, to Japan, to a few states in America. There was lots of sweet fellowship and PACKED with visits to sites in Israel, Bible studies, good food, lots of travel, and fellowship with new sisters and brothers in the Lord.
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
We visited the temple institute in the Old City of Jerusalem where they house the newest vessels they plan on using for the next temple in Jerusalem. We saw the pieces, plated with gold, a live model of the second temple, paintings of how the temple was used and we also watched a film. This institute is rich in informing us about the Biblical parts of the temple, it's significance for Israel, and why it is their future hope. Their goal is to educate the world about this goal, raise monies, and wait for
Hashem ("the name" for G-d) to make a peaceful arrangement to build the temple where the Dome of the Rock now sits.
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| (Left) Jason Bonner blows the priestly trumpet as a demonstration. Behind him is a golden altar and a mannikin of a High Priest with his priestly garments. (Right) Simon Friedrich is holding up the demonstration of the parts of the lampstand. He has to hold it with 2 hands because of the great heaviness with the help of our Israeli Institute guide. |
The gold plated "menorah" lampstand is located outside of the Institute on the way to the Western wall and is encased in a glass casing equipped with an alarm system since its worth millions. It weighs half a ton and is covered with about 90 lbs of gold. This is ready to use in the temple. But the temple can hold up to 11 of these for the 12 tribes of Israel, excluding the Levites, as they did in Solomon's day.
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| Ian Ballman from Calvary Chapel Williamsburg at Hezekiah's tunnel. |
HEZEKIAH'S TUNNEL is one of the few intact, 8th century BC structures in the world that the public can not only visit, but enter and walk through. The tunnel, leading from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam, was designed as an aqueduct to provide Jerusalem with water during an impending siege by the Assyrians, led by Sennacherib. It is mentioned in the Word in 2 Kings 20:20 and 2 Chronicles 32. It's purpose was to provide water when they were under siege.
NAZARETH
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At Nazareth, "Joseph" the carpenter and our tour guide explain how the people of Jesus' time and village used to live. John Bonner translates into Spanish for the Peruvians, like Rosita (in back). The Nazarite village is remade at the YMCA in Nazareth and is a ministry that shares the gospel to all visitors that wish to learn about the old days and customs of villagers. In it we saw shepherds and their sheep, a traditional well, the remains of an ancient winepress, a tomb, a typical kitchen and the work of Proverbs 31 women weaving. Today the city surrounding this "village" ministry is predominately Muslim, and outside this quaint village are many mosques and modern Arab civilization that are anti-Christian. |
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| Jason Bonner as our typical Nazarite by the oil press. |
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| Brianna Hudson as the woman at the well drinking. Jesus met the woman at the well to ask her for a drink. This action out of the norm for the customs of his time. It usually wasn't appropriate for a man to approach a woman like that. However, Jesus offered her the living water and promised her she would never thirst if she drank from Him. |
THE SEA OF GALILEE
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| John Bonner teaching about Peter's love for Jesus at the Sea of Galilee. He recalls the three times that Jesus asked Peter: "Do you love me". Peter loved Jesus, even though it was only his brotherly "phileo" love. Jesus love was "Agapeo", unconditional. The only requirement from Jesus was for Peter to "Feed my sheep". And although Peter denied Christ 3 times at the crucifixion, the Lord had mercy and continued to use Peter in the ministry of the church. |
 THE REED SEA |
| Nancy Hudson and her daughter Brianna at the shore of the Reed Sea in Eilat. They are missionaries that have lived in Peru and Papau New Guinea and currently help with Wycleff projects in Virginia, U.S.A. |
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| Pauly was my roommate and I was blessed to see her, coming from a Catholic background in Peru, to join the group, allow her heart to be open the word and this experience, and then join in on the baptism with us at Calvary. Praise the Lord! THE RIVER JORDAN  Doves flew above while the skies parted from the rain, for most of these baptisms. Just like Jesus baptism. It was divine that in the morning we read Matthew 3:13 that records how "Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him." This was precisely our journey from the Galilee to the Jordan, to be baptized by John, Bonner that is! |
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| We were blessed to see a rainbow of God's promise, with all the rain and sun mixing that day. Before Passover, it is the prayer of many Jews that were would be rain, because the next 6 months are mostly dry summery months with no rain. |
JORDAN
We left Israel for 3 days which seemed like a week and discovered a neighboring country, Jordan. Jordan is 80% Muslim, 10% Christian, and many rich Iraqui's have settled in the area because of their oil monies. Jordanian women are the freest of all Muslims in the Middle East. They say that every Muslim woman wants to be Jordanian. We richly learned and experienced this culture and Muslim beliefs in these 3 days that were a stark contrast to Israel and enlightening to the life of Muslims of faith.
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| Brianna Hudson and Betty Fernandez pose with the shop owner of the textile Bazaar. Jordanian scarves have a special way to be wrapped. Generally, the red ones represent Jordan, all black is for Palestine, and the checkered black ones are Iraqi. However, today they do not hold strictly to any political standards nor divisions therefore scarves are considered fashionable above all else. |
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| Wealthy Iraqui home |
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| Jenny Prado holds up a Coca-Cola can written in Arabic. |
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| Viviana and Estrella in their fashionable scarves. These Peruvians are both loving, wise, beautiful and full of laughs!!! |
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| Our bathroom keeper stopped us to fix our scarves appropriately. Much like in Mexico, the women stop to work off of tips and cleaning serving those who enter the restrooms. However, they do not force you to pay and are very yielding if you don't have a shekel on you. |
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| Our Tour Guide Iat, took care of us these 3 intense days. Much of the history he shared was mixed with separate and different historical accounts according to his Muslim beliefs and the Quran. However, we had the opportunity to share with him what the word of God said about the Promised Land to Abraham, Moses, and even Joshua. He considered it, although he warned us that two things you never enter into discussions with Jordanians are politics and religion. He liked to share many jokes about a fictional troublemaker character named Azuz. Despite the inappropriateness of many of them, we had some laughs, and were greatly informed about the realities of Jordanian life for Muslims and men. |
Gotta love the group photo and poses by the Roman Colliseums.
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| Amman is a HUGELY overpopulated city stacked and stacked with high rise buildings and living quarters for the millions that inhabit Jordan. There is a Western and Eastern Side of Amman. And a rich and poor. Most of Rich mansions are owned by Iraquis. |
PETRA
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| Carriages through Petra |
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| Calvary Chapel Jerusalem outside of the first temple facade in Petra. All carved out of the rock. |
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| Rosita on a camel |
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| Full facade of Petra Rock Temple |
RETURN TO ISRAEL
OH Boy, were we glad to return to our kind Jewish tour guide Adrian Wiesberg and we felt an oppression lift off of us as soon as we entered the Holy Land of Israel under the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Father of Yeshua, Meshiach!
EN GEDI
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| Pastor Tommy teaches us along the way through En Gedi, John Bonner translates to our spanish speakers. They describe the events in the book of Kings where King Saul enters the secret cave where David and his men are hidden by the waterfall. David had every opportunity to kill Saul then, but out of the fear of God, he only took a piece of his garment to prove to King Saul afterward that he spared his life. |
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| The Dead Sea with an afternoon mist. The Dead Sea is about 20% Saltwater compared to 5% Ocean Saltwater. Therefore nothing can live in the sea, yet the nutrients are highly curative for skin diseases, and the creams and products made from minerals, water, and salts from the sea are like none other. |
At En Gedi, Pastor Tommy from Calvary Chapel, Williamsburg shared about how En Gedi is actually called a fishing village. This didn't make any sense at first, given that there it is a desert and there is only a Dead Sea close by with NO LIFE in it. However, lined up with the prophecies Jesus splitting the mount of Olives and a river running down into the Dead Sea... one day it will in fact be full of life!
QUMRAN Inside the Qumran desert mountains are the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1948 that hold almost entire copies of the Old Testament. The Biggest proof of the authenticity of the Word is that the copies found are dated in the first centuries and are still precisely the same as our Word today, with very little to no difference, even after 2000 years of copies and translation. This goes to prove that the Word we read today is IN FACT historically accurate and reliable, and the Jews preserved the word in the most EXCELLENT WAY!
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| All the men and boys from CC Peru ISRAEL TOUR 2012 |
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| MASADA. Herod's getaway by En Gedi and Qumran. |
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| Adrian Wiesberg, our wonderful Israeli tour guide is the Wiesest Tour Guide in Israel. Here he demonstrates how the eunuch mountain men, the keepers of the Dead Sea Scrolls, would immerse themselves in this Mikvah, which is a ceremonial washing for purification. When the scribes wrote the Torah, and they came across the name of God, they would stop and immerse themselves like this. Found at Masada |
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| At the ancient synogogues. In ancient times, women were not allowed in these. |
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| John Bonner went non-stop full speed ahead to give us the most of our time and trip to Israel. Translating everything in English and Spanish. Thank you for introducing us to the HOLY LAND!!!! |
YERUSHALAYIM
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| Jerusalem at night |
Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
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