Reflections after coming home!

I really thought I'd be posting information and uploading pictures to this blog and our website on a daily basis. The reality was that internet access in Israel is very hard to come by. When we did have it, it was terribly slow - it took about 45 minutes to upload a day's worth of pictures. Once we left Jerusalem there was literally one evening when the computer access was working and you can see by the picture that Fr. Bill drew quite a crowd as he tried to quickly send news back home that we were all safe and continuing on our journey.

Now that we are home, I am sorting pictures and will begin uploading them very soon. We saw so many sights and were constantly given historical information from our guide, George, that I'm sure I'll need help from other pilgrims in identifying places/stories, etc. This trip was a blessing for us all. I especially feel blessed that I was able to be Fr. Bill's "helper" on this journey - an experience I won't soon forget!

Some pilgrims have shared thoughts as we've returned:

WH:
I came home and decided to take a nap.. bad idea. I woke up at 7 pm and tried to go back to sleep. I woke again at 3:30 am and have been awake since. Thus my early morning e-mail. Hey, maybe this will be my big chance to start getting up earlier for my day.
Our pilgrimage was so wonderful! Everyone was so gracious and positive throughout. It was an experience I'll always treasure. Thank you all!!

PT:
What I wish I'd said at the banquet, but probably couldn't have gotten out without getting all choked up, was how much I appreciated our community of pilgrims. What an unexpected gift. When friends & family have asked me "How was your trip?" - I am at a loss to describe the religious experiences and the community of Christians I was with. Thank you all so much!

MS:
I couldn't stay awake past 6:30 pm last evening, and so I awoke at 1:00 am to start my Thursday! I found myself cutting my grapefruit a little differently this morning, and making my oatmeal a little runnier. It was my way of trying to hang on to the past 10 days a little longer, and I reflected how travel to a different place opens us up on many different levels, to have seen and experienced not just different places, but different ways to live, and different ways to perceive things. It was especially true for this pilgrimage.
Thank you all for your contributions to making this a wonderful adventure and a life changing experience.

DW:
I too would like to add my thanks for such a wonderful experience. What I experienced was not what I had expected. The sites seen and knowledge shared and prayers said reaffirm my Christian beliefs. It was pretty special to be standing by the site of the discovery of the dead-sea scrolls and hear a Japanese group singing a Christian song. Or, to be at the loaves and fishes chapel and see the African group praising Jesus.

BOH:
Wow, what an experience
Now I'm back into "America" - kids, Fred Meyer, TV, mail....
I hope that I, and you, can maintain the peace and spirituality we had on this trip - blessings to each of us, and to everyone we encounter!

RB:
I can only echo others about the wonderful experience sprained ankle and all. What a blessing to travel with each of you. My plan was to stay up until 9 PM last night. At about 5 I realized I was running a low fever. The cold has me thightly in it's grip this morning. I have a good excuse to spend the day in my pj's.

DP:
I just returned back from the Dr’s with a sack full of medications. I have an ear infection and a pretty good case of bronchitis on the verge of pneumonia. As I walked through Fred Meyer, I kept thinking I saw some you and realized I was home. As I went to sleep last night, I imagined myself walking down the steps from Jerusalem to the Garden of Gethsemane and before I finished the journey I was asleep!

There are so many memories, new friendships and certainly a wider view of the world in which we live. Mass and reading the scriptures will never be perceived the same way again.

I want to, also, thank all of you for the encouragement and fellowship as we journeyed together. I feel blessed to have journeyed with you and will keep you all in my prayers.

I suspect the impact hasn’t been fully realized yet as we take the next few days to slowly digest all we’ve seen and learned.

May God bless you with rest, improved health and an unquenchable desire to be Jesus’ light in a dark world.

LW:
We tried to stay up till 9pm but kept nodding of while we attempted to watch tv. I was up at 3 and was craving my morning olives and pickles. Steve was able to sleep till 7 but both of us are a bit draggy today. We are so glad that we made this journey with all of you; it was such a wonderful experience.

SB:
I to tried to stay up late and made it to about 10PM, then I woke up at 3:30 and have been going strong since. At mass this morning Fa. Juan's homily made me immediately think of some people we encountered though out the holy lands, but realized who we really need to response to the person next door.

JR:
Thanking all of you for sharing your Holy Land experience with us. What an amazing thing it was to walk where Jesus walked and taught. As the days slip by, we'll realize more and more the impact that will have on our lives. Thank you for welcoming us into the St. Anthony's group. You're all so lovely. We hope we meet again.

God Bless You All!
Diana