Israel Day 1: Tel Aviv / Jaffa

On the plane flying over yesterday, we met a lovely married lady from Leeds. She was in the aisle seat, her husband in the other aisle seat just across. They were to be  spending a long weekend in Tel Aviv. 

When we had started chatting, there quickly became an opportunity to share my testimony, so I did. She was of traditional Jewish faith believing in one God alone.

My story, which is His story,  was full of truth, redemption, a merciful God, the atoning sacrifice of the blood of Jesus.

I told her that I was lost and found. That the Holy Bible was true, a living word, specifically where in the book of Joel , Acts and Romans it says “ANYONE who calls on the name of the Lord , shall be saved“ that I like millions of others was an ANYONE who had called and He had saved.

A couple of hours later, whilst starting to descend over the Mediterranean sea, the plane dropped suddenly as we experienced the worst turbulence that any of us had ever been in. The lady was terrified, her instantaneous reaction was that she snapped to us “Please pray for me!“

It was only later when we were about to retire for the evening that it struck me. That she didn’t shout to the Jewish people sat in front, she didn’t turn to her husband to tell him to pray for her, No her immediate reaction in the face of danger was to demand prayer from 2 repentant sinners saved by the blood of Jesus.

We stopped last night in an overflowing with friendship , backpackers hostel on the border of Tel Aviv and Jaffa. The old town, in a lively bustling area about 5 mins walk from the expanse of the deep blue Mediterranean sea. A medium surf was rolling in  as about 50 surfers were braving the waves just after 7 am. The sun was rising steadily and the temperature faster still so after a light breakfast we packed and left the recommended Florentine Hostel and headed on foot to the bus station.

There is a real sense of cosmopolitan peace around Tel Aviv. The intensity of construction must challenge Dubai as the world’s most active construction city. Its skyline is peppered with giant metal cranes as  competitive corporations do battle to squeeze concrete mega-builds skyward. The huge multi-billion investment is abundantly clear.

Today is preparation day for Holy Sabbath tomorrow, consequently businesses and specifically buses stop at 2pm. We are taking the air conditioned coach to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. We have been warned that when things stop , they stop in Israel. So we rush to find the coach station. The last coach for 2 days left at 12 o clock precisely.

We got on the coach with a good 30 seconds to spare!

Praise the Lord

God bless