Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Sometimes, when Missionaries bring their slide presentations to a close, they often choose to use as their last picture a Beautiful Sunset...Well, I thought of one better.....As I now "Officially" bring this Travel Blog to a close, I thought it
would be especially touching to use a picture of a Beautiful Sleepin'Beauty.....
Kim Wilkerson catchin' some Z's on our long flight home from ISRAEL.............
Howdy!!! Sure is GOOD to be HOME...Got in the house about 1:45am last nite...
Dilly was only semi-conscious, but she was glad to see her Bubba... I slept about
6 hrs., and was up about 8am... Got to have my coffee in my own chair and watch
FOX News... Haven't been out to the garden yet, but it looks OK... since June 1st
we've got 16'+ of rain... I'm keepin' my promise to Dilly to take her to McDonalds
for lunch... Sara, James, and Eli are flyin' back from Florida today...
The California Group didn't have as good a trip home as we Ohio folks did~
when they finally got to L.A. Airport (several hrs. after we got home) the fellow
that was 'spoze to meet them thought it was the next day... they eventually had to rent 2 vans for the 3+hr. ride home...Paul called this morning at 9:30am, and they were just then gittin' back to Fresno(9.5 hrs. after we got home...) So, we
want to say an EXTRA BIG WORD OF THANKS!!! to Ol'Richard & Moose for not
fergittin' us and bein' there to pick us up right on time...


Monday, June 14, 2010

Well~ We's back on American Soil~ PRAISE YE THE LORD!!!!!!
We'll be flyin' out of Newark/New York shortly for Columbus...
Hopefully, we'll be back to Saltair by Mid-Nite... It's been a L-O-N-G
Day... Dilly says she's gonna stay up till her Bubba gits home...
The Airlines managed to lose one of the Wilkerson's suitcases...but
hopefully it'll turn up... We had to bid farewell to our California
group~they're already on their way back to L.A.
....Signin' Off fer now... Bro.Bob

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Last Post From JERUSALEM........
Monday morning, June 14th, 2010
7:00am JERUSALEM Time
(Mid-nite Ohio Time...)
We will soon be gittin' on the Bus
to head back to Tel Aviv Airport...
We'll be flyin' out of Tel Aiv at 11:45am
JERUSALEM Time(4:25am Ohio)
12 hr. flight back to Newwark...then a
3 hr. lay-over...then we head back to
Columbus on Continental Flight#2613,
to arrive at Columbus at about 9:25pm
Monday night...We should guit back to
the Church at about Mid-night...
Againm PRAY! for our safe travels...
Everyone is rejoicin' in our unbelievable
Experience together... Truly! all the
pictures I've posted times a Million
just can't capture what we've shared
together...
See Ya Soon! GOD BLESS!!!
****************************************************************************************
HERE'S OUR FLIGHT SCHEDUL, & MIKE E FOR TOMORROW... We'll be leaving the Hotel at 7:30am Jerusalem time (12:30am Ohio time Monday) We are scheduled to fly
out of Tel Aviv at 11:45am Jerusalem Time (4:25am Ohio time~so by the time you
git up on Monday morning, we'll be on our way back home...) our flight from
Tel Aviv to Newark NJ is about 12 hrs...we will arrive back in Newark at about
4:35pm Ohio Time...we have a 3 hr. lay-over there... We will arrive back in Columbus at 9:25pm Ohio Time on Contenental Flight#2613... If all goes well,
we should be gittin' back to the Church at about 12 O'clock Mid-nite.....
EVERYBODY CALL RICHARD WELLS, MOOSE BORCHERS, & MIKE DITTMAN
TO REMIND THEM TO BE AT THE AIRPORT TO PICK US UP BY 9:30 pm....
PRAY FOR OUR CONTINUED SAFE TRAVELS...THANK YOU!!! GOD BLESS!!!!!
************************************************************************************
This is the Shrine of the Scroll at the JERUSALEM Museum, which houses many of the Dead Sea Scrolls... No pictures were permitted on the inside...
This is a scaled-down reconstruction of the Temple Mount complex...only the structure in the center is the Temple Proper...the rest is the Retaining Wall
which was built to expand Mt. Moriah...that is the Eastern Gate in front of the
Temple...This was how it would've looked in JESUS' day...
The long pillared structure with the reddish roof there at the far side of Temple Mount is the Portico of the Temple, where Peter preached on Pentecost and likely
where JESUS chased out the money-changers... this is a scaled-down reconstruction of what the Temple looked like at the JERUSALEM Museum...

This is the scaled-down replica of Herod's Temple at the time of Christ...

Mike & Kim sittin' together on the
ancient steps leading up to the main
entrance to Temple Mount...
Saltair's Ol'Preacher sittin' on the steps
that lead up to the entrance of Temple
Mount in JERUSALEM... The first 6 or
so rows of steps are the original ancient
steps that JESUS & His Disciples, Paul,
etc... would have certainly walked up...
This is at the very southern end of the
Temple Mount...
Our Group below the southern end of
Temple Mount, near to the ancient
steps of the main entrance...
These are the ancient steps of the main
entrance going up to Temple Mount in
JERUSALEM...There is absolutely no
doubt that JESUS & His Disciples walked
up these very steps... this is located at
the south side of Temple Mount...The
Portico of the Temple was located just
above this area...
This is one of the dozen or more
ceremonial purification baths that
are just beside the main entrance to
Temple Mount (just a stone's throw
from where Peter preached in Acts
chap#2) There is little doubt that
this is exactly where the 3000 were
immersed in Christian Baptism in
response to Peter's sermon, in Acts
Chap#2... It would've been the most
practical and convenient place near
to the Portico of the Temple...
Ol'Tim was quite the gentleman all
thru the tour...he was Gail's escort
whenever the walkin' was rough...
don't worry Tina~she's old enough
to be his mother...
"How Beautiful are the feet of them that
preach the Gospel" ... Yes, these are your
Ol'Hick preacher's bare feet planted upon
the very street pavement that JESUS &
His Disciples, the Apostle Paul, etc...would
have walked upon...
Jus' look at the mess that Tim made.....
No, not really~ this is the rubble from
when the Romans tore down the Temple
stone by stone and pushed it over the
walls of the Temple Mount retaining
Wall in 70A.D.
Mike & Kim standing in the entrance
of an ancient shop front, in which JESUS
and His Disciples might have bought
their lunch...
Two poor beggars beggin' for alms on
the ancient streets of JERUSALEM.....
Mona & Hope's bare-feet planted on
the very street paving stones that JESUS
would have certainly walked on.....
This is an excavated main street in
JERUSALEM near the Temple Mount
that JESUS & His Disciple, Paul, and
all would have certainly walked upon
very often...
Some more of Israel's Finest...the one
was camera shy... and Yes, I always ask
permission first~ I mean, afterall, they
got the guns...
Margaret Dwelly wanted to pet one of
the baby goats...Praise the Lord!!! She
was feelin' much better today...
Bethlehem is on top of the hill on the
horizon...the hillside is called to this
day "The Shepherds Fields"...very likely
where the Shepherds were when they
saw the angels who announced the birth
of JESUS...
Some Bedouin children with their
goats & sheep posing for us under
an Olive Tree on the hills outside
Bethlehem...(of course, it is customary
to give them a few sheckels for their
willingness...but when I put it in their
hands I spoke the Name of YESHUA...)
Our Jewish Bus Driver, "DOV", (pron. dove,
as if you dove into the water...it means bear)
He is truly a friendly fellow...and, a very
skilled driver...
*****AGAIN...REMEMBER, YOU CAN
ENLARGE THE PICTURES BY CLICKING
ON THEM... ALSO, TO SEE THE EARLIER
PICS FROM PREVIOUS DAYS, YOU MUST
CLICK ON "OLDER POSTS" AT THE
BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER IMMEDIATELY
UNDER THE LAST POST ON EACH PAGE...
This is a view of the Judean Wilderness
from the end of the Holocaust Museum...
It is now green and lush~but before 1948
it was a desert waste-land... The Jewish
People are bringing new life to the land...
This is the building that houses the
Holocaust Museum...it is a very long
triangular building, which is meant
to symbolize the Valley of Death.....
It is a very solemn and somber place.
The precious faces of the little children
that were murdered by the Nazis that
appear everywhere were the most dis-
sturbing to me, as I see the faces of my
own precious Grandchildren... and then,
to think that we "civilized" Americans
are guilty of murdering millions of our
own precious babies through abortion.
ANYBODY who votes for politicians
that support, condone, or turn a blind-
eye to the horrific SIN of abortion is
just as GUILTY as the Nazis and German
people who committed such atrocities
upon the Jewish people during the
Holocaust.
Here's our entire Group (Ohio+California+
Texas) seated in front of the entrance to
the compound of The Holocaust Museum.
No pictures are allowed to be taken inside
the museum... But, it was surely a moving
experience... For me, it just drives home
the need for we Americans to be all-the-more
vigilant to withstand the tyranny and the
imposition of MORE & MORE socialist/
marxist government...With the people who
are the close advisers of the present regime
in the White House, we have MUCH reason
for concern. PRAY!!! GOD SAVE AMERICA!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

We begin the morning of our last full day
in Israel/Jerusalem... It's Sunday morning,
June 13th (of course, it's only 12:30am back
home in Ohio...) Today we'll be going to
The Holocaust Museum, The Jerusalem
Museum, The Southern Steps of the
Temple Mount, and to an overlook view
of Bethlehem (we chose not to actually go
into Bethlehem, because we would have to
leave Israel's security) Then tomorrow
morning early we'll be heading back down
to the Airport at Tel Aviv to begin our
journey home...we should be safely home
by late on Monday night..."Lord willin'..."
Everybody has had such a wonderful
time (although Margaret Dwelly was a
bit sick yesterday and chose to stay at
the hotel all day~but she's ready to go
again today...) As always Hope & Mona
are bubblin'...WORD of WARNING~You
can expect Hope & Mona to be VERY
insistent that everybody should find a
way to make this trip.....
Of course I can't help but think about
what's goin' on back at Saltair... I know
you will be blest by Bro.Leo Kuhn's
preaching...be sure to tell him Howdy!
and Thanks! for me... Also, I trust that
all those I put in charge of tormentin'
Dear Sharon have been doin' their best
to honor my request...
This Tuesday I expect to be a CRASH
day to rest from the long flight, etc... I
plan to be at Church on Wednesday eve.
for Prayer Meeting & Bible Study....then
on Thurs(my normal day off) I'm sure
I'll have lots of yard & garden work to
git caught up...
Well, I'll take lots more pics today,
and I'll git 'em posted tonight...
KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS, AS YOU
ARE CERTAINLY IN OURS.....
GOD BLESS & KEEP YOU!!!!!
Mona & Hope with Brother Victor Smadja,
a very Great Servant of the Lord... He's a
Messianic(Christian) Jew... He also was
well acquainted with Corrie Ten Boom of
"The Hiding Place"... He has come to speak
to our group both years that I've been here.
He is a sweet humble man of committed
Faith...
This is the exterior of the Garden Tomb...
This is very likely the very place where
JESUS' Body was laid after His crucifixion,
and where He arose from the dead...
There are armed soldiers everywhere...but they
are very friendly....
John Weber coming out of The Garden Tomb...
Hope & Mona coming out of the Garden Tomb...
NOTE... You can enlarge the pictures by
clicking on them...
My Sweet Sister departing from the
Garden Tomb...
Our Group waiting in line to enter
the Garden Tomb...
An Arab Busing Enterprise parks their
buses right up close to the place where
JESUS was crucified...
GOLGOTHA..."The Place of the Skull...
This is our group at the Garden of Gethsemane
being taught by our Great Guide Erez...
The Jewish Cemetery at the foot of the
Mt. of Olives...They believe this is where
Judgement Day will be held...
This is a view of the Kidron Valley from
The Mount of Olives....
The "King's Game" inscribed on the ancient
floor stones of the Roman's Antonia Fortress.
Which likely the very spot where the soldiers
cast dice to gamble for JESUS' Robe... To mock
those who were to be executed, the Ruler would
donate a costly robe to be put upon the condemned,
and then whoever won at the game received the
king's robe... (By the way, if you click on any of
these pictures, they will be enlarged, so you can
see the finer details...)
That's the Eastern Gate behind my head...
That's where the Prophets say that JESUS
will make His entrance into the city when He
comes to establish His Millennial Kingdom...
The Wilkersons & their Preacher Buddy
at the Garden of Gethsemane...
This is one very large ancient Olive Tree
in the Garden of Gethsemane...I love this
place...If these trees could talk?????????
This was originally one tree, but the center
has completely rotted away, and still ancient
shoots continue to grow from the root base...
Some of the Olives Trees are so old and
over-grown that their heavy old branches
must be supported with stone pillars...
One of the ancient Olive Trees in the
Garden of Gethsemane...
Oh! Look! Mona & Hope have an Angel
lookin' over their shoulders...in the Garden
of Gethsemane...
Tim Kern standin' on the Mt. of Olives,
with JERUSALEM behind him...
Towards the end of the week, my Bro-in-law,
Paul "Chippy" Bergquam was not lookin'
quite so chippy...
A view of the Eastern Gate from the
Mt. of Olives....

Friday, June 11, 2010

Good Mornin'!!! It's a HOT Sat. morning
in JERUSALEM...but lower humidity.....
It's the Jewish Sabbath... We're going to
Gethsemane & Golgotha & Garden Tomb
today, plus other places, etc... Will post
new pics tonight...
Some of us (esp.Mona) were greatly
worried that there would be no coffee
this morning due to Sabbath (we were
told that...) They just don't understand
that with we Americans, that coffee is
actually one of the main food groups...
Praise the LORD!!! we had our coffee
this morning...
Well, I've done my duty... I've posted
today's pictures... I hope you know
this requires about 2 hrs. each night
after a full day of touring... It's a labor
of love...But, I'm T-I-R-E-D...
The place of Peter's denial...