Walking the mount of Olives and eating Arab style

Today we started on the Mount of Olives the place of Jesus' ascension into heaven and the starting point of his ride into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  It is a wonderful walk that starts with the great view of the city, goes past several beautiful churches and ends at the Garden of Gethsemane were Jesus was betrayed by Judas.   To pray in the church of all nations at the garden of Gethsemane is quite a special privilege.  I prayed today for all of you back home, for our church, and for all our ministries.

We walked up from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Lion's gate of the old city or Stephen's gate.  Here the first martyr died for his faith in Christ--they dragged him outside and stoned him.  Inside the gate is the Crusader era church of St. Anne (mother of Mary) and the Bethesda pools where Jesus healed the man who could not walk.  He asked the man:  "Do you want to be well?"  That is a great question isn't it?   So often we hang on to those things that keep us trapped in sorrow, guilt or despair.

We had an Arab style lunch then off to the upper room where Jesus had his last supper and of course where the resurrection appearances happened (not to mention the Pentecost event of the Holy Spirit), then to the church built on the ruins of Caiaphas' house where Jesus was brought after he was arrested.

Side note...when we got back to the hotel I went into the old city and prayed in the church of the Holy Sepulcher...no place like it on earth!

Here are the pix:

I don't think I'll ever get tired of this view
from the Mount of Olives.  Jesus would
have seen the Temple instead of
the Dome of the Rock Mosque

All kinds of pilgrims walk this way
of Jesus.  Here some Franciscans
are looking at the Jewish graves which
are all along the Mt of Olives

Such a view

Marlene and Linda at the church of
Dominus Flevet...Jesus wept

Pastor Roger reading at the Garden
of Gethsemane

One of the tricks if finding time to pray, even
in a busy church like here at the Garden
of Gethsemane

Here in the Church of All Nations, the quiet moments
to your self are often the best.  But you have to
be disciplined to make time for them

Marlene walking beside the Olive trees
in the Garden of Gethsemane

Hoofing it up toward the Old City...88 degrees

The Lions gate or St. Stephens gate to the
old city

Linda looking at St. Anne's church
a Crusader Church still standing

The ruins of the pools of Bethesda where
Jesus healed the man who had been lame
almost 40 years

Looking up at the Mount of Olives

A Christian symbol of the Pelican sacrificing
herself in the upper room

Marlene in front of the church built
on Caiaphas' house (The high priest who
condemned Jesus)

Linda and Marlene in the church of St. Peter
in Gallicantu  (The cock crowing) where Peter
denied Christ

First century steps that Jesus would have
used.

Marlene with the city behind her

Looking out over the South end of Jerusalem