This was an amazing day! First we had the renewal of baptisms at the Jordan River - it was very emotional and special with a guitar playing in the background and the beauty of the river around us. At first I was distracted by the small fish nibbling at my feet, but when we got into the renewal of baptisms I didn't notice them anymore; it was precious to experience the renewal of faith with so many people close to my heart. And Rip took pictures, watched them all and then renewed my baptism. We were all in white robes and because we were early it was not overly crowded.
From there we went to the Mount of the Beatitudes; a gorgeous setting of gardens and church where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. It was beside the sea of Galilee so the water view along with the flowers and garden and walkways with mosaics of biblical characters was beyond description.
From there we went to Caeserea Phillipi or the Bania Springs, passing the Golan Heights. Here we found a lovely spring with lots of fish (Rip love this!) and a large rock area where Jesus asked Peter build a temple - the beginning of the Christian church.
Back down the mountain area to have lunch on Peter's fish (tilpia) - a whole fish on our plate with delicious Middle East salads and pita bread.
Off we went in good time (our guide says "time is holy"! to the boat ride on the Sea of Galilee - wow! The boat was rich wood with a curved floor and they raised the Canadian flag and we sang our anthem - very moving.
Then we heard some Israeli music and the crew got us dancing in a circle and singing songs in a round.
After deboarding we were back on the bus to Capernaum (the "village of Nahum") which was considered a hometown of Jesus. We saw the ruins of the temple there and the new church built carefully on top.
Then off to Tabgha the site where Jesus fed the thousands with the few loaves and fishes and the Church of the Multiplication. They had a live fish pond outside! also good in Rip 's world!
We ended our day by the Sea of Galilee - very tired but privileged to have been part of the journey and all the variety of experiences that the day has brought.
Our hotel is fabulous - a 5 star and most of the rooms have a view of the sea of Galilee; at least in part. The food is delicious with lots of selection.
Our guide and bus driver are really working hard
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