We made it back safely to the United States Saturday. What a trip!!

Definitely the question I have been asked most often since I returned... "What was your favorite part?"

My answer--well, my answer has been different every time. First of all, I'm too indecisive for favorites, and second of all--too many of the experiences from my trip were incredible! How can anything outshine another when they're all shining so brightly in my memory?!

Maybe my favorite thing was exploring all of the historical places we visited. Hurrying through a thousands-of-years old fortress because we only had 30 minutes and I was determined to explore every nook and cranny I could! Walking up and down the steps Paul would have taken to enter into the sea. Going underground into ancient aqueducts and secret tunnels important to those civilizations during times of peace and war. Stumbling upon ancient burial grounds and tombs (see "tomb" photo).

Maybe my favorite part was admiring the landscape. Looking at the beautiful flowers (see photo of the flower at Tel Dan), interesting birds and wildlife, rolling hills, still waters, roaring ocean (see photo at "Caeserea")... Who can decide?!

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the trip was getting to do things I've most definitely never done before... like ride a camel! (See "camel" photo) Or stick my fingers in the Dead Sea. Or walk along the Via Dolorosa. Or bump into a modern-day goatherd while his goats are grazing in a cemetery on the Mount of Olives. (see "goats" photo) *I certainly never knew that goats could jump like that. Or going to my first-ever Holocaust Museum (see photo of the Holocaust memorial). Boy was that incredible and heart-breaking. I could have spent all day there, looking at the pictures, reading the facts, hearing the personal testimonies of those who experienced it first-hand. What a tragedy. And yet, it reminded me of the genocide, war, murder, and everything else that is still going on today... often in places that never receive proper news coverage. It was a reminder to pray... a reminder to do more than pray... a reminder to act. To stop living so comfortably here in my skin and continue to reach out and get out to the dark and broken places of this world.

This trip will continue to impact my life for years to come... surely for my entire life! The Bible truly is coming alive even more than before. As I read it daily I'm reading about events that occurred in places I can now say that I've been too. Unbelievable! If you ever get an opportunity to go to Israel--GO! I'm already hoping to go again. It was such a whirlwind trip, I was only processing a portion of what we were seeing and experiencing. There is still so much to see and understand. The only thing I would change is that next time I would love to go with some of my closest friends and family. It would be so special to experience such an amazing place with the people I love most.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers for safety and a great time. I definitely was blessed with both!

(To read a fantastic daily play-by-play of this incredible experience, check out my friend Christie's blog: http://smilingattomorrow.blogspot.com/)