November 8, 2009--Sunday

Today is our last day here. We were on our own for touring. We went with the Maughams to the Old City. After walking around a while with them, Marla and I did the Ramparts Walk from the Joppa Gate to past the Dung Gate. It wasn’t what I’d hoped for. I wanted to see the city from higher up, but the area where we walked, there wasn’t much to see: parking lots, deserted field or two, garbage, some streets and sides of building. We could see out well, but I wanted to see in.

After that, we had lunch and then walked over to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There was quite a crowd there, it being Sunday. We turned right inside the doors and went up the stairs to Calvary. Marla and I sat on a bench in the back that was above the stairs coming up, and I pondered the Crufixion and how painful it was for the Savior to speak, yet He did--to forgive and to comfort his mother.

We moved on and eventually found a cab to take us to the Dome of Ascension, which is on the Mount of Olives above Gethsemane. The driver first took us to a lookout point which overlooks the oldest continually used cemetery and then out over Jerusalem. From there, I could see the Dome of Ascension which is built over the place where Jesus ascended into heaven, and the angels said, “Ye men of Galilee, why look ye up?:

We went inside the Dome. It was a little church. Just outside the door was a fenced out sort of patio area that had a very old tile floor with flower and vegetable designs.

I know it is not about the places, but I want to be where I can feel the Spirit, and I can feel it where Jesus has been.
We are headed home tonight. It is a 12 hour flight to America (Phill.) and then to anther 2 hour flight to Atlanta. Thank you for sharing this with us. We have memories for a life time.