On December 1, 1994, 252 members of Living Word Church (and some guests) converged on Hancock Airport in Syracuse to embark on a pilgrimage to Israel. This followed a previous trip the year before, involving some 40 church members. Because that first adventure was so fulfilling for all who went, a second trip was conducted. In these comments, Sis. Theresa Wichert shares some of the excitement and enrichment experienced by those who visited the Holy Land. We often sing the words from Psalm 122 during the time of worship at regular meetings of Living Word Church, "Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem...Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee."

250 saints from Syracuse converge on the steps of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

But did we ever think we would actually stand within Jerusalem's gates before the arrival of the Millennial Kingdom, when true Christians return to earth with Jesus Christ after the Resurrection?

As we boarded the El Al Boeing 747 at Kennedy in New York, it was hard to believe that after a full year of planning, saving, working extra jobs and sacrificing, the group was finally on its way overseas, for the experience of a lifetime.

The Eastern Gate of Jerusalem awaits His Return.

To describe the trip and experiences encountered on it is almost impossible. Everyone came away from it feeling they had a new bond with God's Word, the Bible. They had actually walked, eaten and slept in the same land where their Savior, Jesus Christ, had walked, eaten and slept! They had seen first hand the archaeological evidence of thousands of years of human history, and gained a new perspective on the transience of a single lifetime. Several guests were saved and/or filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Church of All Nations in the Garden of
Gethsemane at the foot of Mt. Olivet.

Some places on the tour were more poignant than others, such as the Garden Tomb, where we assembled to break bread and have communion together, and the Upper Room where we gathered to worship the One who was broken for us. Is there another place on earth like the Western Wall, the Eastern Gate, the Mount of Olives, or the Via Dolorosa? Did we ever hear of the Cheese Maker's Valley before? Was that a windmill we saw in the heart of Jerusalem? And our Jewish guides and bus drivers, what a crew! Those war veterans, scholars and prickly, sweet Sabras certainly left their mark on us in indelible ways.

Garden Tomb... "He is not here, He is risen."

Archeological sites are everywhere in this part of the world, many of which have profound Biblical significance.

Mt. Arbel, rising sharply from the shores of the Sea of Galilee, borders the valley where Jesus walked down from Nazareth.

next page »

About the Church

• A Ministry of Caring
• and Outreach

• The Beginnings

• The Preached Word

• Our Doctrinal Statement

• Outreach Ministries

• Internal Ministries

• Living Word Camp

• Trip to Israel

• The Local Church

• Praise, Worship, and Music

• Our Father's Business

• Where to Find Us