Today we traveled all across the north part of the lake. It was a jam packed day full of amazing moments.
Just a few fun facts about the Sea of Galilee:
-It is also known as Yam Chinnereth in the Old Testament, Sea of Tiberius by John, Lake of Gennesaret by Luke, and today called Lake Kinneret
-It is 7 miles wide and 13 miles long
-It is about 700 feet below sea level
-The Jordan River feeds into it
Mount of Beatitudes
This sweet lady came down and talked to us in the gazebo about the beatitudes and how important it is to pick a beatitude to work on because it will improve your spiritual life and how you won't be perfect, but we must try. She said that Christ invited us to come to him. With the 10 commandments, they are "shalt nots", but the beatitudes are "blessed are". They bring people in, not push them away.
Dr. Muhlestein and his two youngest kids sang I'm a Child of God for us. It was precious.
Tabgha Churches
We walked down here from the Mount of Beatitudes. It was just for the experience so that we could say we actually walked where Jesus walked on one of the same dusty roads in the heat that he would have. Although I don't appreciate being sweaty, I appreciated the experience to reflect on one of his journeys.
You can see the mosaic shows the loaves and fished. The Tabgha churches commemorate this miracle and the Savior's command for Peter to "feed my sheep". This story got me today. Dr. Muhlestein explained it in a way I had never really thought about before. When Christ found Peter and the disciples fishing after he had been resurrected, he must have felt a little disappointed. He didn't ask them to go back and be fishers. He asked them to go preach the gospel. When we have spiritual experiences that change us, we can't just go back to what's comfortable and do what we have always done, we have to align our will with his and do what he has asked. In the church, we sang I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go. I reflected a lot on my mission and about my life now. Am I doing what the Savior has asked me to do? Am I allowing him to navigate my life and lead me to people and experiences that allow me to grow and become more like him? It was a humbling experience to really process this whole thing. Especially since we are near the end of the semester. What am I going to do differently when I go home?
Capernaum
This is the city where Christ lived most of his adult life. You can see that up here in the galilee, the stone is a black basalt, very different from the white limestone that is more common in Jerusalem. They built that church over Peter's house. It looks kinda like a space ship huh.
If you want to know more about Capernaum, read Matthew 9: a day in the life
This was a first century boat they found in the sea a few years ago. It would look similar to a fishing boat and Christ and his apostles would've spent so much time on.
Just a few fun facts about the Sea of Galilee:
-It is also known as Yam Chinnereth in the Old Testament, Sea of Tiberius by John, Lake of Gennesaret by Luke, and today called Lake Kinneret
-It is 7 miles wide and 13 miles long
-It is about 700 feet below sea level
-The Jordan River feeds into it
Mount of Beatitudes
Tabgha Churches
We walked down here from the Mount of Beatitudes. It was just for the experience so that we could say we actually walked where Jesus walked on one of the same dusty roads in the heat that he would have. Although I don't appreciate being sweaty, I appreciated the experience to reflect on one of his journeys.
Capernaum
This is the city where Christ lived most of his adult life. You can see that up here in the galilee, the stone is a black basalt, very different from the white limestone that is more common in Jerusalem. They built that church over Peter's house. It looks kinda like a space ship huh.
If you want to know more about Capernaum, read Matthew 9: a day in the life
Our last stop was a boat ride back to the other side of the lake. It was perfect. They even put up an American flag for us and played the National Anthem. It was a little piece of home.
This was a first century boat they found in the sea a few years ago. It would look similar to a fishing boat and Christ and his apostles would've spent so much time on.
Boat rides are my most favorite. They are so relaxing. In the middle of the lake, the driver turned off the boat and we just got to sit there and sing and enjoy the sunset. It was glorious. It was an amazing first full day in the galilee.
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