It has been a dream of mine to travel to the Holy Land ever since I chose to follow Christ. As I grew more in my faith and read more of the Bible, I had this desire to see where everything took place, to walk in the same place Christ walked. I had little to no expectation coming to the Holy land, just excitement and a feeling of longing… longing to be in the place where our faith began.  

The beauty of Israel is indescribable. Green rolling hills that exemplify “he makes me lie down in green pastures” and “still waters” like the Sea of Galilee. Seeing the “Valley of the shadow of death” All the places we read in scripture come to life. Not only are we seeing these places in scripture, but we are feeling the holiness of these places. When we entered the church of the annunciation, the place where the Angel Gabriel came to Mary, the presence of the Holy Spirit was overflowing. I could feel and almost see Mary, young and scared in her home listening to the message the Angel was delivering. This was a large church with beautiful stained glass and mosaic all around. In contrast, later in the week we visited the high priest Caiaphas’ home where Jesus was kept prisoner before he would face the Sanhedrin. This was called “the pit,” which was dug out of the stone with a hole in the ceiling that would have been used to lower a prisoner down. I could see and almost feel Jesus praying to his father, knowing what was to come next. Both places are different in appearance, but similar in their presence. My spirit and soul were renewed on this trip, and I am incredibly grateful I had the opportunity to attend. I have a new perspective on the Holy Land. I cannot wait to share my experiences with my students and help them see the land of our faith in a new way!

Written by Isabella Lopez, Director of Youth Ministries at Colonial Hills UMC