A Day Trip Up North

Yesterday we got to spend a looong (and wonderful!) day up in the northern part of the country with a tour group who was visiting from the States. Our pastor went along for the baptisms in the Jordan River, so he invited us to come, too. Our first stop was Beit She'an, an ancient Roman city with some pretty spectacular ruins.

On the "train" to Beit She'an 

Well-preserved ruins of an ancient theater

Our next stop was the Mount of Beatitudes. I have to admit we were quite rushed during our visit here, but we still loved the incredibly scenery.

Church at the top of the Mount of Beatitudes

The Sea of Galilee

Boating across the Sea of Galilee -- Charis' first boat ride

When we reached the middle of the Sea of Galilee, they killed the engines of our boat so we could have some quiet time of reflection with our pastor. Funny enough the boat actually wouldn't start back up for a few minutes as we were trying to leave...a bit disconcerting. :)

Our next stop was the town of Capernaum where Jesus lived for a while with Peter.

The old synagogue

Our last stop was the Jordan River. Several people from the team got baptized, but we opted to just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Charis looking scared of the Jordan :)

There were a couple of these little guys swimming around

All in all it was a wonderful trip. In fact, as the bus was pulling into the hotel after our 15-hour excursion, our guide told everyone over the microphone that he had never traveled with a baby who was so calm and well-behaved through that much activity. And the more I see of this country, the more I love it.