Sunrise Service and the Galilee!

Today has been such a very long day. It probably wouldn’t have been so long if I had gotten more than one and a half hours of sleep. (Right - Mandi, Mindy, and I standing in line waiting to get into the Garden Tomb). But, surprisingly, I don’t regret my decision. So, I woke up around quarter to five, got ready and headed out the door. I left with a group and we hurried to the Garden Tomb. We were already behind a large line of people. Some of is started singing hymns while we were waiting. That was really cool. Finally, they opened the doors and I went in. I got a really good seat, I guess. That is what we were told. We were right in front of the pulpit. They were recording the entire service, so maybe I will show up on TV or something like that.
(Left - Brea and me ready for the service to begin). Anyway, it was a lot of fun and very different from the mass I went to hours before. The mass felt gloomy, but this was rejoicing! We rejoiced because the Lord is risen! I had a lot of fun and it was easy to sing along. We even made it back to the center by 8 am. That was good because we were supposed to leave at 9.
We drove first to Megiddo. That was very interesting. Megiddo is a city known for its battles. It is more commonly known as Armageddon. That comes from the Hebrew Har (meaning mountain) and the name. (Right - The preacher giving his sermon). Har Megiddo has then come to be Armageddon. It was very interesting because that place is going to play such an important role in the future.
After Tel Megiddo, we went into town to get lunch. I just ate the sack lunch that we got from the center, but I went with people who wanted to get falafels. We went to this place where the guy making the falafels flips the falafels in the air and catches them inside of the pita. It was really cool to watch. I tried the falafel and it was delicious.
Next we went to Sephoris. That is the city where the Mishna (used to be the Jewish Oral Law) was written down. It was interesting because they have beautiful mosaic tile floors there. (Left - Megiddo, another Tel). One mosaic is known as the Madonna. It was beautiful and amazing. It made me want to have a mosaic tile floor someday.
That was our last stop before heading to Ein Gev and out resort hotel on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. That is where I am right now . . . sitting in a hammock along the bank of the Sea of Galilee. It is dark and I can hear animals and people singing while strumming a guitar. It is very pleasant, even though the insects are starting to get to me. On the way here, we had a quiz for New Testament. I tried to sleep (because I got so little sleep) but sleep wouldn’t come. (Right - Sephoris, more ruins. Here is one of the beautiful mosaics that can be found there).
Right after arriving I couldn’t find my luggage. I had allowed one of the guys to carry it up and he told me that he would make sure it got on the right bus . . . well he didn’t. It didn’t even get put on the bus. Luckily, the Lees drove up in a van and brought it with them. Otherwise I don’t know what I would do. At least it all worked out.
Once that was all worked out, I went to my bungalow to drop my luggage off and then went down to the beach. I made it just in time to watch the sunset over the Sea of Galilee. It was very beautiful. (Left - Sunset over the Sea of Galilee). I skipped rocks, too! I was able to skip a lot. That surprised me because before tonight, I’ve only skipped one rock . . . and that was on the Baltic Sea.
I’m about ready to go to bed. It is still early, but I don’t want to be tired for tomorrow. Tomorrow we are taking a boat across the Sea of Galilee!