On the weekend of April 29-30, “Bridges for Peace” had its monthly activity for staff, volunteers, and families: a trip into the Negev desert! It was a fantastic experience, led by a Messianic believer named Arye (“lion” in Hebrew). He loves the desert, often leads groups like ours on desert experiences, and his understanding and perspective on Scripture enriched all of us. Arye is also a “sabre” (native-born Israeli) and he said his family were the first Messianic Jews in this area, going back almost 100 years. It seemed like he knew every square inch of the land, what happened on it, its importance to the nation, and how it relates to Scripture.

Our itinerary took us to the southernmost border of Judah, which you can read in Joshua 15. I also saw some of the most bleak, desolate land that I’ve ever encountered, but seen through Arye’s eyes, it became beautiful, meaningful, and significant. He pointed out so many places and things, with references to Scripture, that I couldn’t remember most of the specifics by the time I got home! But the significance of this Holy Land, and the power and truth of our faith in Y’shua, were affirmed for me once again--and I am so grateful for all that God has done for us, right here on this earth, to redeem and save us!

Places we visited:
--Yad Hashmona (Messianic kibbutz, and Arye’s home)
--Tel Azeka (where the sun stood still in Joshua 10 and the Philistines gathered before David killed Goliath)
--Valley of Elah (below Azeka) where David killed Goliath
--Lachish (ancient city that went up against Joshua, was besieged by Sennacherib (II Chron. 32:9, and was destroyed by the Assyrian king)
--past Beersheba to En Avdat (“spring of Avdat”--a huge desert canyon that we hiked through, and some of us climbed up and out of, over the rim of the canyon!)
--spent the night in a bedouin camp, in a goathair tent, with bedouin food and hospitality, and a camel ride into the desert at 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning
--the Nabatean city of Avdat (spectacular archeological site in the midst of the Negev), --Machtesh Hagadol (unusual geological site; deep valley full of minerals of all kinds--colorful and stark)
--Maaleh Akrabim (“Scorpion Pass” in Joshua 15:3; Judges 1:36, and where an Israeli bus was ambushed in 1954 by Arab guerillas who killed everyone except two babies who were found buried under their parents’ bodies)
--En Hatzeva (a miracle in the desert: literally miles of agriculture flourishing in the desert at the extreme end of the Dead Sea--the lowest point on earth!)

I have 45 photos in this post! Hope you catch a glimpse of what I experienced throughout the week. Shalom!






Photos: 1: our guide, Arye, on Tel Azeka (notice the sundial--in honor of Joshua and the day God made the sun stand still!) 2: Valley of Elah, where David killed Goliath 3: me at the entrance to the En Avdat desert canyon 4: our group in the canyon (see us in the distance?) at the top edge of what would be a raging waterfall if it had been the rainy season 5: some of my adventurous friends who ventured up the steep side of the canyon (our tour bus came to get us at the top, so we didn’t have to walk back down!)