Last Day in Israel

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Here it was.  The last day of our trip.  There had been years of hoping, months of planning, and weeks of preparation.  And then two weeks of amazing experiences.  It was coming to an end.  We didn't want it to end.   The weather was warm and fabulous--the cold front that had settled over the city for the last couple of days had finally moved away, and we had beautiful weather.

The last few days we spent with Steve and Jennifer in the Jerusalem Center were fantastic.  The perfect blend of relaxation, time with family, and amazing sightseeing. 

Seth and Steve at Seth's baptism

On our final day we took a trip back to the river Jordan for Seth's baptism.  He had waited several months for his grandparents to be able to be there for the special event.  We were lucky enough to get to be there for the experience too.  It was wonderful!

We had been to the Jordan River the previous week with our tour group up near the Sea of Galilee.  This time, however, we went to a spot much farther south, closer to the Dead Sea and Jerusalem.  It is probably much closer to the spot where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.   The water was definitely more of a muddy brown in contrast to the green water farther north.  Because the Jordan river is the border between Israel and Jordan, we had to go through a security checkpoint to get to this spot.  Armed guards watched us from above.  The deck on the other side is in Jordan.

The Jordan River

The Jordan River

We sat on these benches and witnessed the baptism.  Sarah led us in a song.

The Harpers at Seth's Baptism

The girls had to put their feet in the water and experience it for themselves. 

Hannah, Sarah and Rachel

After the baptism we went back to the Jerusalem Center and took a few photos.  Some of you might recognize this as our Christmas Card photo.

Steve and Jennifer and their family

David, his parents and his brother

My mom and me

Beautiful Rachel

The big girls wanted some photos of them in their matching two-layer skirts they got together at the Old City.

And then it was time to pack up.  Time to go.  Time to end this amazing trip.

It seemed fitting that the last picture I took on the trip was of the sun setting over Jerusalem.  Goodbye beautiful city!

I sat on the patio outside our room and watched the sun go down.  I listened to the call for prayer that happens several times a day.  This time it called to me, telling me goodbye, but to remember what I had seen, experienced and felt for the past few weeks.  I tried to soak it all in--the sights, the sounds, the way the air felt on my face at that moment.  I wanted to remember it all.

Our trip home was long.  We drove to Tel Aviv, and took off around midnight.  We flew directly to New York and tried to sleep as much as we could.  We had a two-hour layover in New York, but it was barely long enough to get through customs and back through security and run onto our plane.  They let us cut to the front of a really long line at security and we were still the last ones to board right before we took off.  We had another flight across the country, and then we were home.  Home, but not quite the same after these amazing experiences.

It has been a few months now since our trip.  I've had time to ponder and process all of what we experienced.  It truly was a trip of a lifetime.  I have loved going back through all my photos and remembering it all once again.  I now read the scriptures with more insight.  I feel the love of the Savior more poignantly as He calls to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and begs them to repent and come unto Him.  I see Him walking on the Sea of Galilee, calling to Peter to come and join Him.  I see Him walking the hills around Jerusalem, serving and loving others.   I imagine Him on the Mount of Olives and in the Garden of Gethsemane and so many of the places that we visited.  But mostly, I know that He lives.  And that He loves us.