Anyone who has visited this blog for any length of time knows I like to travel. In recent years I have been fortunate enough to travel in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
If our health holds up, Wife and I will continue to travel. And if you have read my accounts of our trips, you know we do it on our own, following loose itineraries Wife plans in advance based on extensive research she does. We have never wanted to join a tour group.
One place to which she and I have never had much of a desire to go, however, is Israel, or the Holy Land. Over the years we have a had a number of friends who have gone, and they have always returned with stories of how wonderful it is, and how if you are of the Jewish or Christian faith, it really makes that faith come to life.
Perhaps, we have thought. But we still had no plans to visit there. We'll look at our friends' picture and listen to their stories.
A couple months ago, one of our pastors, who is also a longtime close friend, going back to our single days in Little Rock, asked us if we would like to consider going with him on a trip he will be leading to Israel in the spring of 2025.
We talked about it, and I went to a meeting of folks who might have an interest in going. Wife and I decided maybe this would be the time to go. We love our friend who will be leading the trip, and we will know many of the people going. And even though we have resisted tour groups as such, to see this part of the world, that's probably the way to do it.
The deadline for making our deposit to reserve our spot was noon yesterday, about 24 hours after we had heard the news that war has broken out in Israel. I know there is always some type of upheaval there with the continuing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, but this appears worse than what has happened previously.
We will see how things progress. But deposit or no deposit, I will not be boarding a plane bound for Israel if this is not resolved by the time we are supposed to go. That date is a long way off, but resolution of this particular matter seems as if it could take a long time.
In all seriousness, it really does seem like a grave situation, and my heart aches for innocent families who woke to witness fighting nearby.
6 comments:
I have pondered a trip to Israel too over the years but have never pulled the trigger on one. While the biblical history of it intrigues me, the recent history of it not so much. It just reinforces my belief that one country shouldn't meddle in another countries affairs while thinking they know what is best for that country's inhabitants. Since Britain created this country, it has been nothing but problems and as time goes by, reasonable solutions are harder to come by.
That's one place (along with Egypt) that we've often considered visiting, but I honestly think my traveling days are over. The whole situation breaks my heart. My cousin and her husband were in Haifa when it began, but made it to Amman today and are flying back to the US tomorrow. Warfare, natural disasters, oppression. So much misery and tragedy in the world.
Oh gosh, Kelly, how scary that must be for your cousin, and what a relief it will be when she is home.
We look on in horror and dismay over the war in Israel. I can imagine a tour trip to this part of the world would be quite the experience, but I can't imagine there being such trips there for a very long time.
The whole situation is heartbreaking, and I can't imagine anyone traveling at such a time. Most airlines have suspended travel onto the country, as I understand it.
What's happening there is terrible and will just make both sides more entrenched.
I had considered going in 1991--but then the first Iraq was started and they were shooting missiles over Israel and it was cancelled. One day, maybe. I would also want to travel to Jordan and Egypt (especially the Sinai and climb what's thought to be Mt. Sinai.
Post a Comment