WE ARE NOW IN ISRAEL!

Five of us from Calvary Chapel Norco are in Israel (February 21-March 4) for a tour of the Holy Land. We were able to go with Pastor Chuck Smith and 500 people from Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.

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This is Gabe and Elvia Campos who drove us to the airport. Their twins (Dean and Gaby) are on the trip.

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Meeting up with the Costa Mesa group at LAX and waiting to board the plane.

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We flew El Al ... the Israeli airline. Tops in security! 14 hours direct flight to Tel Aviv. When we arrived we took a bus to the hotel in Tel Aviv. It's the largest city in Israel and is a coastal city. We ate dinner and then walked along the boardwalk on the beach. It felt good later to plop in a comfortable bed and sleep off that jetlag!

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The next morning (TUES) we had breakfast and then got on the bus to head to nearby Joppa where pastor Chuck Smith had a great devotion. He led us to God's Word on the subject and said Joppa is where Jonah got on a ship to Tarshish to flee from the presence of the Lord. It's also the site of Peter's praying to raise Dorcas from the dead and Peter's vision that prepared him to preach to Cornelius' household and open up the gospel to the Gentile world (Acts 9 & 10).

(Jonah 1:3) But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish...


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Here is our bus of 49 people. There are 10 busses total and we all convoy to the Biblical sites. Lots of great people to meet and the fellowship in Christ is sweet! I am privileged to be one of the 10 bus pastors to serve the saints and help keep things organized.

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This is Stephen our tour guide. He is a Messianic Jewish believer and loves the Lord Jesus. He is very informative and has a great sense of humor. He has a way of making every topic very interesting.

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Here is my beautiful sweetheart Cheryl. Her making the trip is quite a story. Our daughter Kelsey had emergency surgery to remove her appendix just six days before the flight. Then Cheryl threw here back out. She packed her suitcase by faith and got in the car to drive to the airport. On the plane she experienced a tremendous healing from the Lord and has been good to go ever since. Our God is good!!

(Exo 15:26) ...For I am the LORD who heals you."

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Here is Dean and Gaby and Patty goofing off after our dinner tonight. The food is abundant and the deserts are delectable!

(Neh 8:10) ...Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

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Here we are in the Elah valley where David slew Goliath. Watch pastor Chuck sling a rock and get a quick glimpse of the people from our tour group.

(1 Sam 17:49) Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

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Make you want to be here? Good! Then next trip you'll be part of our group!! : )

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Miss you all and thanks for your prayers! Stay tuned.

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