The Refugee Crisis: Stepping into the Story
As we slowly say good-bye to the Middle East, to Turkey, Jordan, Israel, and Greece and head farther west, it’s impossible to not take time to reflect on the Syrian Refugee Crisis that has been intensifying over the past four plus years and affecting all of these countries and more. While in the above mentioned countries, we enjoyed the history, century-old traditions, the cultures, and delicious food. And let’s not forget the fresh hummus, the lamb gyros and falafel, or the creamy Gelato. Our memories are intense and we were at times overwhelmed by the… Read More
Day 393: The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem
After the encouraging Easter service (The Beauty of the Empty Tomb), we took a walk through Old Town Jerusalem, dodging friendly shopkeepers and aggressive tourists. We visited the Western Wall, and more specifically the Wailing Wall, which is one of the most sacred sites in Judaism. I’ve often heard of the Wailing Wall but was not prepared for what greeted us as we entered the plaza and began to slowly descend the stairs. Before approaching the walls, we encountered hand washing stations used to ritually cleanse oneself prior to praying. While I… Read More
Day 392: The Beauty of the Empty Tomb
On Easter Morning, we celebrated together at the Garden Tomb with Nick and Angel and about 1000-1500 other believers from around the world. It’s hard to describe just how special that experience was. As we viewed one of the likely spots where Jesus may have been buried and then risen on the third day, I marveled at the beauty and significance of the empty tomb! For some reason, I had never thought through that before, but having the empty tomb with the words “He is not here, for He is risen” displayed just outside the… Read More
Day 390: Israel and Old Town Jerusalem
We have dear friends in Israel who invited us to visit them during the week of Easter, as they had some time off. We were surprised by the timing, as we’ve wanted to visit Nick, Angel, and their children for several years now, as well as spend an Easter in Jerusalem. To have the opportunity to do both at the same time was a wonderful and unexpected treat. Just being with “family” again after so many months on the road was its own kind of special. Add to that the love and kindness… Read More
Day 380: Jordan/Israel and the Dreaded Border Crossing!
After enjoying a few days in Jordan, we headed to the Jordan-Israel border at Allenby/King Hussein Bridge, as we had opted to drive to Jerusalem versus fly into Tel Aviv. We found that the easiest way for our family of six to do this was by arranging for a taxi to the Jordanian side of the crossing from our hotel by the Dead Sea. It was so much faster, we thought…just an hour or two away to our destination from the Dead Sea by land. Why go through the hassle of checking in… Read More
Day 376: Discovering Jerash, Jordan
I have to confess, I knew NOTHING about the city of Jerash, not one, single, solitary thing. I had never even heard of it! Our discovery happened because we chose the only available nonstop flight between Istanbul and Amman, Jordan leaving at 1am in the morning from Istanbul. We had initially planned to fly out the day after, but choosing this late night route allowed us to maximize our short time in Jordan. Making this decision ended up being very fortuitous, because just 9 hours after we departed, there was a country wide blackout, a suspected act… Read More
Turkey and Kebab Delight ~ by Ryan
Istanbul was one of my favorite places to visit. Why? Because there were an endless amount of shops selling Turkish Delight, Baklava, and Doner Meat Kebabs. Istanbul is another place that is filled with history, like Rome, or Greece. It was not always called Istanbul. Before the Turks conquered it, it was called Constantinople. Named after the first Christian Roman Emperor, it was the capital city of Rome. Then, the Ottoman Turks conquered it, and it became Istanbul, a place of delicious dessert and very nice meat kebabs. But the Hagia Sophia, one… Read More
Day 360: Istanbul and the Famed Hagia Sophia
Istanbul! What can I say? It’s always held a special draw for me. I can’t exactly explain why, but I’ve always perceived it as mysterious, beautiful, and exotic. We decided to take the kids and visit Istanbul for just under a week before going to Jordan and Israel. I’m so glad we made this decision. Of all the destinations we visited, Istanbul is definitely one of our favorites. The people are friendly and the city is so unique. Below is our new best friend. I don’t remember his name, but he was… Read More
Danny
Deena Gainor
Kathryn
Ryan Gainor
Ryan Thomas
Mikayla
Six Hearts One Journey 
Recent Comments