Apr 21, 2011

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Old City of Jerusalem, Israel

By Lisa T. Bergren

Golgatha, literally, “the rock of the skull” (John 19:17) once was outside the city wall, a part of an ancient quarry. This is traditionally considered the spot where Jesus was crucified, along with the other Roman prisoner riffraff, and therefore, it is one of the top pilgrimage sites for the world’s Christians–Calvary. Continue reading

Nov 18, 2010

The Pulse of Jerusalem

Living Like a Local

By Lisa T. Bergren

I pour bitey, new wine (kosher, of course) for myself while my husband does a taste test on Israeli vs. Palestinian beer (FYI: Palestinians win). We’re in the garden of the guesthouse, our favorite spot to feel the pulse of Jerusalem. Continue reading

Nov 3, 2010

Faces of the Holy Land

Eye on Israel

Photos of people in Jerusalem and beyond…(image above is of a Bedouin in the Judean Desert). Continue reading

Aug 23, 2010

The Wall

Crossing the Border from Palestine to Israel

By Lisa T. Bergren

Think crossing the Israeli border is easy? Think again. We began our day as we did many others in Jerusalem, all packed up, water bottles filled, cameras stationed around our necks. We walked through the winding streets of the Old City, through the Damascus Gate and over to the bus station, where our guide made arrangements for our group of twenty-two to be dropped in Bethany. Continue reading

Jun 9, 2010

Hezekiah’s Tunnel

And the Pools of Siloam

By Lisa T. Bergren

Heading to Israel with kids? You gotta add this Indiana Jones-ish excursion to your itinerary. The City of David is to Jerusalem what the island of Torcello is to Venice — the ancient sites from which each grand city was born. David came to this Jebusite stronghold in 1000 BC, and sneaking through the tunnels that brought water to her inhabitants, conquered her. Continue reading

Jun 7, 2010

Arriving in Jerusalem

By Lisa T. Bergren

We arrive in Tel Aviv, sleep deprived, wide-eyed. We hop on shuttle buses and wonder at the changing landscape as we climb higher and higher, en route to Jerusalem, forty minutes away. Here there are woods that somewhat resemble those you might see in Northern Arizona or parts of California, there, the barren valleys of a desert in a hundred lands. The buildings—uniformly limestone—are built in a sort of pueblo style, close together, one atop the other, and in some cities, extend to high rises. But black water tanks top all, like giant, bulbous smokestacks.

It’s been twenty years since I’ve been in Israel. Part of it feels familiar—the high fences topped with barbed wire, the hills, the consistent stone of all the buildings—part of it feels new, something forgotten I need to rediscover. Continue reading

May 20, 2010

The Bergrens Have Left the Building!

Hey, we’re going to radio silence until we return in early June, when we get back from Israel. Grandparents have arrived to take care of the kiddos and dog (God bless ‘em) and we’re thrilled that we’re boarding a plane. Soon we’ll see:

Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Qumran, Masada, Ein Kerem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Wadi Kelt, Nazareth, Capernaum, all around the Galilee, Bethany, Bethphage, Mt. of Olives, and then more of Jerusalem.

We’ll be staying in the heart of the old city of Jerusalem and beside the Sea of Galilee for our entire trip. We’re so looking forward to being immersed in Middle East culture and witnessing the intersection of the world’s three largest faiths. I’ve (Lisa) gone before (twenty years ago), but this will be Tim’s first visit.

On occasion, as we find WiFi access, we’ll post to Twitter (@TheWorldCalls) and Facebook (The World is Calling). Look for us there!