but if you have to be away from home, the Holy Land is a wonderful place to visit.
Our group left our hotel at 3:30 am in Jerusalem. After a very thorough screening process at Ben Gurion airport, we boarded our plane and left at 6:30 am to fly to Munich. Again, the screening process was quite extensive and after a three hour layover, we began the 9:55 long (and I mean long) trip to Denver.
The crew on the plane kept us well fed and watered but that part of the trip was tough - coming and going. It is very difficult to sleep on a plane. The seats are not comfortable, leg room has disappeared on most planes, and woe be to you should you have someone who wants to recline their seat. You feel trapped! The only good thing was that we had unlimited movies available and I think most of our group took advantage of the benefit. I watched the Churchill movie,"Darkest Hour" and found it riveting.
We bemoaned the five hour layover in Denver but it turned out to be a blessing. By the time we got through security, customs, picked up our bags, rechecked our bags and went through security again, it took just over two hours. I just kept reminding myself that if all of this was necessary to catch someone intent on doing harm on an airplane, it was worth it.
Our plane touched down in Phoenix at 8 am last night. Some of us did not sleep on the plane; we estimated that we'd been awake nearly 25 hours. By the time we got home, both Sherri and I were exhausted and she was ill; some of our travelers shared a bug during the trip but it seems that Sherri got the worst of it and she hasn't felt any better today. Praying for a good night's sleep and a better day tomorrow for her.
Obviously, we have many stories and pictures to share. I hope to do so in the days ahead. Needless to say, it was the trip of a lifetime; I'm sure I'll never travel to another place that was as important as the Holy Land. I walked where Jesus walked. I touched parts of buildings where Jesus had been present. I stuck my feet in the same water that Jesus calmed and invited Peter to come to Him.
I pray that I never forget any of it.
