Author Archive | Rosemarie Pinto

Today is my last post from the Land of Israel for this trip. Yesterday we ventured to Bet Shean. Our itinerary called for us to be there for a few hours, but some of us wanted to get to Jerusalem early. Bet Shean is like Masada, Caesarea, Tel Dan, and Banais Springs. There is so […]

This is my third trip to Israel. (I still cannot believe I am saying that!) You would think that seeing the same sites would get a little boring, wouldn’t you? After all, how many times can you look at the same set of stones with wonder and awe? That’s the catch. Here in the land […]

I love when God sets things up. When He makes the arrangements, everything just falls into place. Yesterday was just such a day. I like to go on Daniel Carmel’s boat on the Sea of Galilee. He is a Jewish believer in Messiah. The only challenge is when you have a small group, you need […]

Boker tov! Good Morning! And what a glorious morning it is! I am sitting here on the balconey of our room in Karei Desche – the hostel, hotel, or whatever you may call it. It is an inexpensive place with the feel of a luxury hotel, situated right on the Sea of Galilee (also referred […]

This morning I write to you from a 200-year-old Ottoman Palace turned hostel. There is a pigeon cooing in the tree above my head, water running in the fountain, and the sun is waking on this new day. I’m looking forward to the new things God has for us as we venture toward Capernaum. Yesterday […]

Our group took a much needed rest. We were in Jaffa and just spent a couple of hours eating a meal and enjoying the ocean sounds and the atmosphere of Old Jaffa. Unfortunately, that meant we had little time for anything else – like exploring the ruins of Caesarea. Exploring ruins is one of my […]

Our second Shabbat started a little later than normal. At Abraham Hostel, they gather everyone to cook at 6pm, then start the Shabbat meal at 8. It’s already a few hours into Shabbat, but because they are dealing with tourists who are out seeing the sites, it works. Whether it’s right or not, I would […]

Walking through the streets of the old city last night, I couldn’t help but reflect on how I was feeling. It was a strange feeling. We had just finished a simple Shabbat meal at the hostel, and two of us were walking to the Wall to pray, excorted by the youngest member of our group. […]

Have you ever thought about what people were like in Yeshua’s time? Not just causually wondered, but really thought about it? When you are in the Land, it’s hard not to do just that. And while contemplating what they were like, you can’t help but look around (and in the mirror) and think how we […]

We are heading up to Masada today. As I’ve shared a room with 5 to 6 women, I am thinking about how those brave people, who looked to escape the Roman wrath, must have lived. The top of the mountain is huge, but 960 people were there. They had to have lived crowded into the […]