Inspirational Setting

Dry, hot, brown, rocky, desolate and the only water for miles that you can't drink is the Dead Sea. Funny that this is what Moses saw when looking into the "promise land". Now I know that the desert they were doing 360's in wasn't an oasis, but I'm just sayin' that must have looked better 3000 years ago.

Today I woke up with an excitement for the day. Eager to finally see some true David country. A man after my own heart...wait...I mean a man after God's own heart (and mine too). I was excited to see the scenery that David might have written "as the deer" or "my flesh faints for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water".

We woke up by the Dead Sea and since I weigh in a just over 200 lbs, I thought it'd be cool to feel what weightlessness feels like. After eating a quick breakfast I changed into my damp baptism trunks from the day before and headed to the beach. It was a cool morning and there was a slight breeze so I was a little cautious of entering the water, but it wasn't like I'd be back anytime soon. Hesitant but purposeful I entered the clear blue waters of the Dead Sea. Finally after several dips in the water I gave up my footing and began to float. The floating is amazing. There's no effort at all, in fact, with my legs, arms and head out of the water I still float.

Fun fact: the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth.

After the Dead Sea we travelled a short distance through the desert and arrived at an oasis. Greated by Ibex (a small goat creature with long horns) we knew that something was different here because of our live friends at the entrance. We were at Ein Gedi, a place where David hid out from King Saul with his men. Instantly you get a great understanding to so many of the Psams by seeing this place. Rich with vegetation and fresh flowing water Ein Gedi for an extended amount of time would definitely inspire me to worship. I didn't want to leave. The hike to the amazing waterfall was almost therapeutic. Especially before the 100 Asian teenage girls arrived.

Our next dot on the map was Masada, a fortress at the top of a mountain built by King Herod. Pretty impressive, but at this point I'm getting a little burned out on ruins that have nothing to do with Jesus. The view from on top of this actual mountain was awesome! Maybe the coolest part was that ancient scrolls were discovered there that contained Ezekiel 37, and I read from that book in the Synagog there...pretty special.

After that we traveled from the area around the Dead Sea south to the Southern tip of Israel at the Red Sea in Eilat. On our way we stopped of at the most random rest stop I've ever seen. It had everything from bathrooms to a petting zoo complete with goats, chicken, a peacock, parrots and a two headed snake to an old fire truck, a supermarket, an arcade, a cafe, an ice cream shop, and a dog that could clap it's paws together.

After two hours on the bus we arrived to our hotel by the sea. We had dinner and even had time to watch church service back home from our room on the live stream.

The day was great, and we look forward to having a day off tomorrow.

Overwhelmed by God's greatness,

Justin