Image: My passport which had to be renewed before I could go, to the right is a pocket size New Testament, provided in 1940 by the Pocket Testament League, to my late Uncle Clifford who fought in Palestine in WW2, it was passed on to my late father Norman, I acquired it in 2007, it came with me on the tour, like it was going home.

 

26/11/2016 - 1) It had long been a dream of mine

To be in Bethlehem at Christmas time

A special place on earth to remember the virgin birth

And Jerusalem at Easter because I wanted to walk the way of the cross

To where Jesus died on the Good Friday

And Sunday to make my way to where he rose on the third day

But it would be a dream it did seem

Then a brochure caught my eye showing

Where a pilgrimage was going

It looked alright even the times of the flight

Decision to go made, Deposit paid

Single room my intent so paid the supplement

Balance paid then wait, till departure date

There was more to know we were asked to go

First an information meeting with a welcome greeting

Where we would see who our fellow pilgrims would be

Information to share before we got there

Then final details came to show what we could expect,

When and what to wear out of respect

To take care and of pick pockets beware

Where we would stay, lay our heads at the end of the day

The main language they speak and where bargains to seek

In a way to understand the customs of the place they call the Holy Land

 

27/11/2016 - 2) Tomorrow I fly to where it all began

The journey of the Son of Man

To the Holy Land I’ll head, in his steps I’ll tread

From Bethlehem where he was born

Along the shores of Galilee

And follow in his footsteps to Calvary

To the place where his body lay, from where he rose on the third day

Rising in glory to begin Christianity’s story