Holy Land Shephers Book Drive Update 10/10/2011

  Wow,


Today we boxed up 1104 donated books for the book drive to help support Pastor Mitri Raheb’s ministry in Bethlehem. We still have three more weeks to go and have set a new goal of 2000+ books. The books cover a varied range of ages from pre-school through High School ages. Thank you to all the people who have worked so hard on this ministry. We have a lot of work to do yet, but Jesus it with us so the goal will be attained.

If anyone knows where we can get some boxes for packing, please let us know at gilly54@charter.net

Christ is with us!

Gilligan





 Janet Bardahl and Dan Aase sort through some books before packing.






Sandy Olson sorting at one of the tables. She is feeling fine, this is just a comfortable chair!

Paula and Phil Swiggum join Dan and Carol Aase packing books in Janet's dining room Each box is sorted, counted and numbered for future distribution.

Holy Land Shepherds

DONATE LIBRARY BOOKS TO SUPPORT LUTHERAN MISSION WORK IN BETHLEHEMAND THE HOLY LAND

Peace Through Reading and Education.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) acts as a much needed voice of faith reconciliation and grace in Bethlehem, Palestine and Holy Land by providing quality education to youth of all faiths.

Lutheran Pastor Mitri Raheb ministers to Christians in the Holy Land

Pastor Duane with some of the books donated by the SOTV Holy Land Tour.

Please consider donating a gently used or new book for this Lutheran ministry in Palestine and drop them off in the Narthex during September.
Please donate or gift books for the Christians in Palestine. Knowledge provides opportunities for better living conditions, hope and confirmation of faith.

We hope to ship 1,000 books by October, 2011. Please help.

For more information, speak with one of the Holy Land Shepherds from SOTV’s recent trip to Bethlehem.

Good bye Songs

March 25, 2011

Ayman, Gilligan and Gio



Our Tour Guide and our Bus Driver were instrumental to the success of our Pilgrimage. Our guide was Giovanni Anbar a Palestinian Christian. Our bus driver was Ayman Abu Ghannam also a Palestinian.



Jay and Ann, I recognize the back
of their heads. :)

 We were also blessed with a tune setter! Now some of you may remember the teacher blowing into the funky little round thing that looks like a harmonica pressed into the shape of a donut. I had nuns growing up as teachers and each time I heard a sound from the tuner, I started to shake. It meant that we HAD TO SING. Now, Jay Boekhoff looks nothing like a nun so when he pulled this little tune thingy out of his pocket, I knew I was going to be ok. Jay is much larger than any nun I ever had. Enough of that, I told you that to tell you this.

Jay and his wife Ann are talented writhers of quips and songs. The group was honored to sing some songs written by Jay and Ann Boekhoff about Giovanni and Ayman. These are the lyrics to the “Going Away” songs we all sang to them prior to departing for the airport on our last evening.

AYMAN (Sung to the tune of Amazing Grace)

Amazing Ayman drives our bus and never hits a thing.
He sees an ibex; he drives backwards through all of Bethlehem.
He wheels and deals, goes up and down, thru curves and swerves and hills.
He does all this without a frown and still he gives us thrills.

Ayman

********************************************************************************

Giovanni (sung to the tune of Just a Closer Walk with Thee)

Refrain:
Just a longer walk with Giovanni.
Where 10 minutes turn to 33.
Oh, the countless things you’ll see.
And, dear friends, your hearts will open actually.

Verse #1:
First we start in Tel Aviv. To the Golan Heights he leads.
With headsets on, we all proceed. Along the steps of Jesus on Galilee

Refrain:

Verse #2:
Jordan River, Bet She ‘a and Jericho, Gio in our ears tells us what to know.
Dead Sea bobbing, Dead Sea Scrolls. On leads along the holy roads.

Refrain:

Verse #3:
Qumran, Masada, Philippi, Sweetly lead us by and by.
Koreans singing made us cry. Oh dear Gio you are quite a guy.

Refrain:
Verse #4:
Jericho is at an all-time low. Gethsemane has seen some woe.
Plans so well the places us to send, we shall surely miss our dear friend.

Refrain:

************************************************************

Thank You (sung to Amen tune)

Ayman, Gio, Ayman, Gio Shoocrah!



Thank you Jay and Ann and others from our group who put these lyrics together. I have emailed them to both Ayman and Gio.

Gilligan

April Gathering

The Dead Sea Floaters

Don't forget our April 17th Gathering at SOTV. Again our favorite meal, pot luck will be served. If you can make it, we will see you there.
Duane, Phyllis, Char and Gilligan 

March 22, 2011

March 22, 2011

Ok, so I didn’t blog on the actual date. I was tired. (Smile) But the day was really interesting. We walked the Via Dolorosa, the road Jesus walked from Pilate’s house to Golgotha where he was crucified. The question was asked “Who killed Jesus?” It was not the Jews, or the Romans, he voluntarily went to his death on the cross for ALL of us. He was and is the Servant King who gave his life for all people. Walking the along the stone street your senses are accosted by all the noise, clutter of shops lining the way and the mass of people. Especially during the call to prayers by our Muslem brothers and sisters. It is however, not difficult to feel Jesus’ presence and glory within the stones and people. One can only imagine the pain and suffering the human Christ was feeling as he traversed past the jeering crowds of people who only days before had cheered him as he entered Jerusalem. The Divine Christ was filled with love for us and his Father even unto his physical end. He walked the stones of trouble, fear, confusion and sin for us, so that we would be spared death to sin.



Randy Hurley looking for
Kari in the crowd



There are so many marvelous shops along the modern Via Dolorosa. As a shopper it is possible to find most anything you wish. This includes by is not limited to hanging goats and chickens, next to a jewelry shop. For the most part the shop keepers are happy to talk with you, being good salesmen as they are. (I should know). I shook hands with many of them simply to acknowledge them and say hello. Some of the expressions of surprise were fun to see.

If you want a fast paced shopping trip, hitch a ride with Baerbel McNally, Janet Bardahl, Rose Mahlum (Wally too for directions), Lorraine Michaels and the other wonderful ladies who helped me find the gift I wanted to purchase for my bride, Julie. Thanks ladies.

The Mount of Olives. Again, Jesus presence is strong and comforting in this place where He prayed often, within in view of the Temple. This quite peaceful place must have been a haven for Christ’s silent prayers. The Old City spreads out in front of us as we look toward the Temple Mount. From the Mt of Olives we walked, (like mountain goats) down the Palm Sunday road to the Garden of Gethsemane. The road itself is steep to descend, and steeped in the celebration of Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It was a difficult walk, but well worth the effort.

The Garden of Gethsemane is located at the bottom of the Mt of Olives. The garden we visited was beautiful, with olive trees, another view of the Temple Mount and the Golden Gate which is the gate Jesus passed through on Palm Sunday. The gate is now walled off centuries by non-Christian people in the belief that if the gate were closed, Jesus could not return to Jerusalem. As Christians we know that Jesus never left us, He is around us always in His spirit and His works through people.

Mark

Churches Churches and more Churches :)

Beautiful Stained Glass

Churc of the Nativity

We have been in many churches the past two days. I have included some photos of some of them. More to come tomorrow.

It is all ok in Jerusalem

3/23.2011
I am sure all of you have heard on the news that a bomb exploded today in Jerusalem. This blog is simply to inform all of you of our safety. We are all fine and the tour will go on as scheduled. I will keep you posted if anything else changes.

Mark

The Jordan Valley

3/20/2011



Gabriel presents a new stole to Pastor
Duane



“Welcome to the land where our faith began,” greeted Gabriele, the 80 year old patriarch of the local Palestinian Christian tour company that partnered with Lori Moline of Crossing Borders to organize our trip. We were standing under grape vines, munching on home grown bananas and oranges in his Jericho home as he discussed his 50-year passion for bringing Christians to the Holy Land. He explained that Christians need an increased presence here in the Holy Land: our message of love and forgiveness is a moderating voice between the other peoples of this land. Indeed, Ellias, the headmaster of the Mars Ellias School of Education, a Christian school we visited yesterday, indicated that as Christians we needed both vision and action. “Vision without action is just a daydream,” he proclaimed. “Action without vision is just a nightmare.” This morning, during sunrise worship on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, we read the parable of the Good Samaritan. Of course, we all want to be the Good Samaritan in that story…but Pastor Duane asked us to consider whether, in reality, we are the traveler in need of help along the roadside. Who on this trip has helped us: people like Gabriele and Ellias have certainly helped us as has our guides, Giovanni and Ayman, understand the delicate and complex nature of the relationships in this land where our faith began. We have been having all sorts of fun and fellowship: floating in the Dead Sea this afternoon, now savoring the warm sea breeze and cold Goldstar as we talk and laugh in the evening. Tomorrow we are on our way to Jerusalem with stops at Masada and Qumran (Dead Sea scrolls) on the way. Lot’s more to come. Randy

Jenna, Eli, Samantha, Sawyer, Michael & Gabrielle, we love you! Seeing a lot of ruins & water & having fun. Hi Agnes from the whole SOTV gang. Marla and Dan Larson.

Shalom from Israel!

We are having a most incredible time. We’ve visited so many special places, walking where Jesus walked, making the Bible come alive before our eyes. Last night we had songs and devotions on the Sea of Galilee; tomorrow we begin four nights in Jeruselum.The land is incredible, the food bounteous and beautiful, and walking with the Master simply cannot be put into words. We hope you are all well. See you soon. Blessings, Mom and Dad / Jane and Gary Matson.

Blessings to my family and friends. Five wonderful days in the Holy Land-breathtaking! Filled with joy and the wonder of Christ’s love for us all. My prayers are with you throughout every day and at every site. I love you all! There is so much to share! I am sitting on the hotel lounge balcony overlooking the Dead Sea. Tomorrow we are off to Jerusalem. Mom, Nanna and Janet.

Holy Land greetings to my family and friends. Last night I watched a big orange full moon over Sea of Galilee, with the light shimmering over the water! Today, you also would have enjoyed floating on the Dead Sea. After about five days of being very busy following in Jesus footsteps we are half way through our pilgrimage. The geography of the places we visit really shows why the location was very important. Sent with love, Cathie Walstad.





The start of the Jordan River Valley



The trip from the Galilee is a journey of contrast. The Galilee is vibrant with colors, water and orchards. Within a short time of traveling south from the Galilee, the landscape begins to change to one of golden browns, grey and very little greenery at all. We are traveling south along the Jordanian border with Israel. From the road the Jordanian hills rise grandly from a fertile valley fed by the Jordan River. It seems so peaceful until the abandoned pill boxes, bunkers, land mine signs and military posts become visible. Yet even with this reality check, is the thought that this is a beautiful place with its contrasts. I have said before that photos cannot show the beauty of the Jordan River Valley.

Albeit void of water in most areas, the mountains and striations of the rocks contribute to the wonder of the place. Mark

Sounds of Galilee

3/19/2011
Sounds of Galilee




Here Jesus asked "Who do you think I am?"
Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God" Matt: 16:13-20

 Although I have often read about the Holy Land, the area in which Jesus did his ministry and which we have been staying, and I’ve even seen pictures of the Holy Land, until the other day I had never heard the sounds of it. From the noisy streets of Tel Aviv, Nazareth and Haifa to the night sounds of frogs and birds along the Sea of Galilee to the variety of languages spoken here, I have heard a rich variety of sound. Hearing these sounds fills in the gaps for me about the feel of the Holy Land. The picture of this place is more complete for me now because of these sounds. It’s like giving a black and white picture some color. I’d not thought before about how the sounds of a place can give you a feel for it until I awoke at the Sea of Galilee the other morning and heard the birds chirping. That’s when the peaceful feel of this place came alive.

Pastor Duane

Hope


We have been really busy the past few days. There really is no way to describe the feeling here. Even though I have read and studied the Bible, I was not prepared for the impact of being here, in the places where it all happened, the places where our Lord and Savior walked. The beauty of this land goes beyond the descriptions we read, or the photos we see. The area of the Galilee is green, lush, fruitful and full of fruit trees, banana trees, apple trees, bamboo and Eucalyptus. The flowers are fragrant and plentiful. Green grasses are growing on all the hills in a multitude of shades throughout the large boulders and cliffs.
 

Today we traveled to the village of Ibillin in the northern part of the Galilee. This village is 90% Palestinian and 10% Christian. We visited Mar Ellias Chacour school in Ibillin. ElliaAbu Ghanimas director of Mar Ellias Educational Center. This school is for both the Palestinian and Christian children from the grades of 1- 12. The incredible part of this school is that the Palestinians are Muslim and they are Christians and Druze. There is no way to tell them apart from each other. They were laughing and behaving like any high school students with the exception that they are very polite, and openly eager to talk to us. They joked around with each other and smiles and laughter are everywhere. They walk arm in arm in a peaceful existence of friendship, respect and trust. I look at the students attending this school and it gives me hope that these young people will be the ones to change the condition of the people in the Holy Land.

Children are still the hope for change in the world.

God has been good to me, I am where Jesus walked.

Gilligan






Residence at Ginosar Kibbutz

 Our tour guide for the Ginosar Kibbutz was Adva which in Hebrew means “Ripple” like a ripple in the water. She grew up at Ginosar and explained what it was like. She lived in the baby house which meant that at 6 weeks of age she was taken away from her family and raised in a house with 12 other babies in a baby house chaperoned by one nanny. She lived with all the other children in such a house until high school when she went to live in a smaller group of 6 to 7 young people both boys and girls in the same suite. They grew up side by side like brothers and sisters. Each day they would go to their parents’ home about 4 pm and return to the baby house at 7pm so that their parents could go to bed because they would have to be up and working at 5am. Adva talked about the fact that she was still part of the Kibbutz and said that she did not put her children into the baby houses when they were small. Although she had a pleasant childhood living with lots of other kids and doing mischievous things such as rigging a bucket to dump over the guard when she did her rounds, she said that she missed her parents and wanted to have access to them when she had had a bad day. She said that she realized when she became a nanny after high school for one of the baby houses that it is the parents who actually form the values of the child. She recounted that she had spent a whole year working with one boy on his table manners only to find out that his father was the cause of the impoliteness of his son. So during the 1970s and 1980s things started to change on the kibbutz and it was no longer required to send kids to the baby houses. Kristi Kuhnau 03/19-2011

WHERE HAS JESUS WALKED?

3/17/11

Yes it is St. Patrick's Day. At breakfast this morning, after I went up to the buffet for a generous helping of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, scrambled eggs with green peppers and an additional supple of fruit; I returned to the table to find green farmers handkerchief wrapped in with a green ribbon. Inside was a green plastic carnation, a bag of gold covered chocolate candy, a small candle light (plastic) and a green balloon. It was such a great surprise

Our journey today was full of history and tradition. We started out from Tel Aviv (tel means mount) and drove north on the Coastal Highway along the Mediterranean Sea toward Caesarea. Caesarea was a man made harbor constructed by Herod the Great. It was a seaport for trading with other sea going countries. Herod built himself an elaborate palace, amphitheater, public bath house, and hippodrome. Our guide told us today the Pontius Pilate had a home in Caesarea Meritima as well as being in Jerusalem to govern. The Mediterranean Sea is a deep blue, and around Caesarea it is clear as glass. When the sun is in the right position, the foundation of the seaport and palace can be seen under the waves.

Next we went to Mt. Carmel.

ANN OIEN just has to say hi to her grandkids Elijah, Gracia and Samuel. “And here is a big hug to you three. Love you three, Mor Mor.

3/18/11



Walking with Jesus at Mount of Beatitudes



We have been really busy the past two days. There really is no way to describe the feeling here. Even though I have read and studied the Bible, I was not prepared for the impact of being here, in the places where it all happened, the places where our Lord and Savior walked. The beauty of this land goes beyond the descriptions we read, or the photos we see. The area of the Galilee is green, lush, and full of fruit trees, banana trees, apple trees, bamboo and Eucalyptus. The flowers are fragrant and plentiful. Green grasses are growing on all the hills in a multitude of shades. The land is rocks, all rocks with the hardy grasses growing among them. Most of the rock we see is basalt. As our guide Giuliani has told us, it will all change in a couple months. The rainy season is here, but with the arrival of June, the rain will cease, the streams will dry up and the grasses will all turn brown and dry until next winter again. Our travels today included Banias, Caesarea Philippi, Capernaum, Mt. of Beatitudes, Taiga and a secluded place on the Jordan River. Tabgha is the location of the commemorated site of the first loaves and fished miracle. This was when Jesus fed 5000 Jewish people on 7 loaves and a few small fish. Capernaum was Jesus’ prime location during the twenty months of his ministry in the Galilee and Peter’s hometown. It was the most important city in Jesus’ ministry where he performed many miracles. When we stopped at the Jordan River, Pastor Duane led us all in a affirmation of our Baptism. I was so moved I cried. Caesarea Philippi is where Jesus asked his disciples “Who do people say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The Mt of Beatitudes was where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Banias is the northern most part of Israel and boarders on Syria and Lebanon. It is a beautiful place among the Golan Heights. Its high peaks especially Mt Hermon which was covered with snow. The peaceful feeling is masking the incredible military presence of Israel. Mt Hermon is shared by Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Mark

 

From Judy Anderson:

 

Affirmation of our Baptism at the Jordan River



Today we experienced the blessings of water. Our tour started with a drive to Mt. Hermon (highest point in Israel) which was covered in snow. As the snow melts on the mountain side it sinks down into the soil to emerge from springs at the bottom. These springs flow into 3 streams which then flow into the Jordan River. The Jordan makes its way south to the Sea of Galilee. The Galilee is the source for almost all of Israel’s water. If feeds their crops and their homes. They are blessed to have this gift of water in the middle of a desert land. We ended our tour of the day on the banks of the Jordan. Our driver found for us a secluded and private site to celebrate the Affirmation of Baptism. Pastor Duane led us in the service and then sprinkled us with the waters of the Jordan. The blessing of the water a sign of grace as Jesus directed us to do; “Go therefore and baptize…” The moon was rising above us as we sang the song “Borning Cry”. God was truly in our midst and walked among us. We end the day at the beginning of the Sabbath for our Jewish, may God bless us all as we go forward on our journey. Judy Anderson







Short note

This is a photo of the Mediteranean Sea from my hotel room. Sorry about the plane in it. :)
I am not sure there will be internet access at our next hotel. If not, watch for more in formation in the days to come.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
God bless all of you from the home of Jesus Christ.
Gilligan

We made it!

We left home on time; it was a great flight with much laughter. The gate agent for UA Air was the mother of a member of SOTV. She had us all board prior to any other passengers. A fun way to start the flight. My seat mate Lois was quite surprised about the crew configuration for some reason. Shortly after takeoff from MPLS she commented to me “we have a pilot on this flight”! I, being a somewhat seasoned traveler look at her and calmly said, “Yes I know, that

it is one of the things we paid for on this trip”. She meant that one of our pilgrims is a pilot, but the humor of her statement lasted the entire flight. We had a 3 hour layover here in Pilli with a departure at sometime around 11 pm. The short time in the MPLS airport, the flight to Philly and the waiting time for the Tel Aviv flight have occasioned us to become better acquainted with each other. This group today, has an energy level that is strong and positive.
4:30 pm, and we are in the Holy Land well, tired happy and ready to explore. Our hotel is directly across the street from the Mediterranean Sea in the ancient port of Jopha modern day Jappa. The view from the balcony of my room is very nice. There are a few of the group going to walk on the beach before dinner. The leaders met with Giovanni, our guide for half an hour discussing the plans for the nest three days. He is a very nice guy and has many fantastic ideas as well as a vast knowledge of the history of this land which is Israel. Dinner at the hotel was buffet style. The food was delicious and all manner of dishes were served. Fresh fruit and vegetable, meats, breads, fish, humus and much more. Everyone came away from the meal pleased with its quality and satiated with the quantity. Of course, yours truly did not eat too much due to the pending celebration tomorrow. That’s right; it is St. Patrick’s Day! We had a short 30 minute meeting of the whole group where we introduced ourselves to Giovanni, sang a couple of songs, listen to a good message from Pastor Duane and closed with a prayer. It is now 9:30 pm Irsreali time, and :37 pm at home. At this point I am not sure what the current date is. After some sleep, it will be easier to figure that on out. Good night Minnesota!

Anticipation

It's been over a year since we began planning for this pilgrimage that 44 of us will be starting tomorrow. Lori Moline from CrossingBorders, the travel agency though which we have been partnering, said that was about the right amount of time to put a trip like this together. And now, to me, it does seem about right. Anticipation has been building throughout the year. And now, we're ready to embark.

I can't wait to see the holy land up close and personal, to get the lay of the land, to meet our guide - Giovanni, to connect with the people along the way, to get to know others in our group better, to walk in the places where Jesus walked, and to have an experience this Lent unlike any other Lent. People have been telling me that it will be a wonderful, memorable experience. That's what I'm anticipating.

Thanks for following along on this blog. In a couple weeks I'll let you know if the anticipation meets the reality.

In Christ,
Pastor Duane Paetznick

Who are we?

Christians

By Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
And need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!

Three days to go!

March 12, 2011

3 DAYS TO GO! I thought I was ready to leave, and found out I still have things to do! Tomorrow is Crossways, service in the Table with my bride the Swede, home to pack, early dinner out with some good friends, home to check on the packing. Bed after Ecclesiastes.
Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour.

Two weeks

Hi gang! In two weeks we will be flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The time has gone quickly in preparation for our spectacular pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Remember, we have our last Potluck dinner prior to our departure this Sunday at 5:30. Char has been working diligently on the booklet. It is a beautiful piece of work and inspiration from her.

If any of you would like to post something on this blog, please email it to me and I will enter it.

God is guiding us.

John 15:16-17. “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

Gilligan

Thank you Mark Gamm

Thank you Mark Gamm of SOTV for your great assistance in teaching this bumbling blogger what to do. Your friendship is most valued.
Gilligan

2-13-11

Most of the preparations are completed. We had another Pot Luck dinner on Sunday February 13th. The food was outstanding, and as usual around SOTV we had more then we could eat. Dan and Marla Larson made it all the way from Hannaford North Dakota. Lori Moline and Cindy Nichols from Crossing Boarders delivered a very informative presentation about packing and took questions from all of us. They both did a very nice job. Pastor Duane gave a "Brief" history of the Holy Land since 1 CE. Char Kilgore has been working on booklet for our trip. She has spent more hours constructing the booklet, then we will actually be in Israel

October 10, 2010

This was our second Holy Land Monthly Gathering. Mark Holmen, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Jerusalem was our guest speaker. Char Kilgor presented part two of the Old Testament, Intertestimonial Period. Thank you Char, it was very informative. Lori Lind was also in attendance this evening. She is the owner of CrossingBorders travel agency, the agency arranging our tour. This is the first entry into the blog.