Israel 2011

    The Diamonds sitting in the terminal.

Our airplane, El Al

I am doing a blog on Israel for extra credit in English class at HACC and, Lord willing, it will be something I can go back to, to help me remember my amazing trip to Israel, 2011. Enjoy...

Day one: meeting my tour group family.

   We began our journey to the Holy Lands on Monday, March 28, 2011. I rode to the Newark, New Jersey airport with Mr. and Mrs. Diamond, an elderly couple that went to church with me. I didn’t know the Diamonds very well, but I knew that this was their second trip to Israel. I thought it was a little strange that they would spend that much money and go again, but they seemed financially stable. Mr. Diamond was retired and Mrs. Diamond worked at Indiantown Gap. During the 3 hour drive to the airport from Lebanon, they told me of the many countries they had been to and how Israel was their favorite. It still hadn’t hit me yet; I’m going to Israel. I’m going to walk where my Savior walked! The thought was overwhelming. It was my first time flying since I was a baby and I was a little nervous, naturally.

   When we arrived at the airport, our trio met up with Dr. and Mrs. Griffith, the sponsors of the trip – this was their 9 trip to Israel – and their son Pastor Griffith and his lovely wife. Then there was Mrs. Hoffman, Dr. Griffith’s sister. She was 69 years old and she was to be my roommate for the trip. I was told that we had a lot in common with racehorses, but I wasn’t too sure about spending 9 more days with someone 50 years older than me, but I wasn’t going to let it ruin this incredible opportunity. There were 2 other couples coming on the tour, The MacAvoys and the Hughes were both in their fifties I’d say. Then there was Terry, a middle aged man from New Jersey going to Israel to take pictures. He seemed very smart and very different and he made me uncomfortable with his towering height and his little beady eyes moving behind his glasses.

   That was the tour group, thirteen of us. The smallest Dr. Griffith had had. At one o'clock pm, we loaded on the El Al airplane and enjoyed the eleven hour flight to God’s chosen counrty.