Adventures in Israel
”Seeing this controversial land with our own eyes and experiencing its rich history first-hand was a fantastic experience.”
This autumn, Brunstad Christian Churcharranged a conference and tour of Israel. On September 18, around 100 young people and a handful of older ones set off for the “promised land.” The group was a mix of people from Netherlands, Germany, USA, England, Denmark, and Norway.
Since childhood, we have heard of the different important events that have been played out in this much-disputed country, from the time of Abraham right until today. We have also heard many prophecies regarding Israel‘s future. Seeing this controversial land with our own eyes and experiencing its rich history first-hand was a fantastic experience. Sverre Riksfjord accompanied us on the tour and gave us a complete account of the country’s history and the relationship between the earthly and the spiritual Jerusalem.
We went first to Jerusalem. We started our tour at the Mount of Olives. We stood looking over Jerusalem, and sang and prayed for the peace of Israel. The song, which we had sung so many times before, took on new life, and our prayer for Israel took on new power.
With our heads full of knowledge and all our experiences in Jerusalem, we climbed back into the buses and headed toward the city of Arad in the desert. After an exhausting but exciting Jeep drive through the desert, we finally arrived at a Bedouin camp where we would spend the night. Some of us got to ride a camel for the first time, and then we sat down to a delicious Bedouin dinner.
Early the next morning, we turned our feet to the steep mountainside path up to the top of Masada to see the beautiful surroundings bathed in the light of the rising sun. The day was still young so we had time to take a dip in the En-Gedi fountain as well as in the Dead Sea.
Next stop was Tiberias. The highlight of the day was a boat trip on the Sea of Gennesaret (Galilee) where we learned a native folk dance, and where some of us were tempted to take a walk on the water!
In the evening, we gathered together to hear words that strengthened us in faith and in our fight against the sin that dwells in our flesh. The conclusion of our Israel adventure was a fantastic conference where the young people from Oslo, Norway were also present. God worked powerfully in our hearts, and we were encouraged to get more of a love for people and to acknowledge the truth about ourselves—and to remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem! (Ps. 122:6).
October 2008