Testimonies from Missouri - Dream Come True
/We are continuing to share testimonies from Brookdale Presbyterian Church who traveled to the Holy Land in March 2016. Kim C. tells how this trip was a dream come true for her.
“Our journey to the Holy Land was a dream come true for me in that for years I had wanted to go and see, hear, and be present to where Jesus walked in his own ministry. I was not prepared for how incredible the pilgrimage could truly be.
I was touched in every part of my sensitivities and thinking of how awesome this Sacred Story is as it became unveiled for us each new day. It was very meaningful to me to be asked to read scripture before we entered the Upper Room. I felt God wanted me to have a new awakening to the meaning of this event for the benefit of others as well as myself and I hope that will be reflected in time in my ministry.
The Sea of Galilee captured by heart and senses and gave me such a visual of the area in which Jesus did much of his ministry. Also, I was touched deeply in reading scripture at the Garden of Gethsemane and God’s Spirit affirmed to me that Jesus’ “nevertheless” faith of going forward, even if the way is difficult, has already given me new strength and insight for ministry.
Every sight, every moment, every day with friends with such devotion to the gospel message has encouraged my own faith. Mike was a gift in just the person he was created to be in being our guide and friend on our pilgrimage.
The final touching moment possibly for me was when we sensed being “a family of friends” on the street corner of Jaffa. Having seen John in such pain in the last hours of our journey, our compassion captured us together to offer a prayer of comfort for John, each praying in his own heart and with tender hands stretched towards him for his comfort and peace as words were said over him. In a few short hours John was able to get the medications he needed and his body responded to attain some comfort. In the hard labors of days of walking, climbing and touring, relief could have been delayed by the extreme stresses to his body but John received the blessing of his body responding to the medication and stages of relief came to him to endure the long flight home. Praise God.
I will be forever grateful to John and Terri Lansbury for their hospitality and guidance in this tour. I will be forever grateful for the new friends in faith we have made. I will be forever grateful for the grace of God’s Spirit who has changed my life forever through this experience.”
