The Trip of a Lifetime

This January my wife, her family and I had the chance to go on truly "the trip of a lifetime". We flew from Denver to Chicago where we met up with six other folks, and our awesome trip leader George DeJong of Under the Fig Tree. From there we made the long journey to Cairo Egypt via Istanbul. Over the course of the next 14 days we essentially traveled the route of the Israelite exodus, and explored the land of Christ. We spent time in Egypt, Jordan and Israel.

Our lives were forever impacted by this trip, and I can tell you all about that and our trip if and when you see me. Writing about it here just doesn't do it justice; plus I still feel in shock that it even happened. So for now I'll share some of my favorite photos.

If you have any inkling to go to The Holy Land, I without a doubt and without any reservation recommend traveling with George DeJong!

[click on an image for the gallery view]

Cairo, Egypt.

The Great Pyramids of Giza - Cairo, Egypt.

Funny sights on the streets of Cairo.

Over the Nile in Cairo.

I loved this statue in Cairo. Reminded me of Aslan.

Outside of the Egyptian Museum and near Tahrir Square in Cairo 

where the "Arab Spring" uprising started. 

The street scene in Cairo.

Aswan, Egypt.

On the Nile in Aswan. 

Taxi in Edfu, Egypt. 

One of our guards taking a break in Edfu.

On the road from Aswan to Luxor (sugar cane on the roof of a truck).

Alabaster shop near Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

Luxor Temple.

Sunset over the Dead Sea (from the Jordanian side).

Jerash, Jordan.

George DeJong, He knows his stuff - here he is teaching in Jerash.

Petra, Jordan.

Sunset over Petra! What a magical and beautiful place!

The wilderness of Israel.

Sunrise over the Dead Sea (from the Israeli side).

The fertility of Israel. 

From the top of Masada, Israel.

Masada, looking out toward the Dead Sea.

Israel. 

Ein Gedi, Israel. 

Tel Dan, Israel.

Our new friend Dale getting baptized in the Jordan River, which was a lifetime dream.

Fall colors alive and well in January.

Sunset at the Sea of Galilee. That's Tiberius across the way.

The Sea of Galilee was much smaller than I'd ever imagined. 

Zippori, Israel.  

The Western Wall, aka the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. 

One of the many mazes of streets in the Old City - Jerusalem. 

Poppies in the countryside of Israel.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Jerusalem. 

One of the many churches in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem.

The Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock as seen from the Mount of Olives.

The Israeli police are well armed and ready at a moment's notice.