APMF HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE TOUR JOURNAL By Rachel Angiwan With all the places we visited and people we met on our trip to Israel, my actual full journal is about 19 pages and thats with no pictures! Ill try then and condense all of that into this article. Our trip was from May 14-25, 2014. The tour was hosted by Roger Walkwitz, led by Ted Franco

and guided by Rami Danieli of Tour Your Roots. There were a total of 45 pilgrims on this tour. 41 from the Philippines, 2 from Canada who are both Filipinos and Lolo Rog and Ron Walkwitz from the US. There were supposed to be 2 more Filipinas from Canada but there was an unfortunate incident that prevented them from coming on the tour. Day 1 May 14, 2014

We left Manila on time on PAL on May 13, connected through Bangkok on El Al and arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv at about 8:00 AM of May 14. Day Summary: We first visited Old Jaffa in Tel Aviv where we saw the traditional site of Simon the Tanners house. We then went to the Diaspora Museum also in Tel Aviv where we saw the history of the Jewish people in the Diaspora. We then passed by

the Valley of Ayalon where Joshua commanded the sun to stand still on the way to the Tank Museum in Latrun where we were guided by a female soldier. We then made our way to our hotel in Netanya. After dinner, we met with Asher Goffer and family. Asher is married to a Filipina and they converted to Orthodox Judaism when they moved back to Israel. Asher is a friend of Lolo Rog.

Impressions: A good quote in the "Community" portion of the Diaspora Museum from Rabbi Israel Salanter: "A rabbi whose community does not disagree with him is not really a rabbi, and a rabbi who fears his community is not really a man". The Diaspora Museum brought home to me that it is only by God's design and grace that the Jewish identity was kept and maintained while they were dispersed. This just reaffirms how essential the Torah is to preserving the Jews and fulfilling God's plans. Both my buddy (roommate) Manang Claire and I wished that we could have stopped at the Valley of Ayalon and in the middle of the valley also tried asking the sun to stand still. Day 2 May 15, 2014 Day Summary: Leaving our hotel in Netanya, we first visited Caesarea (Qasaryya) with its Roman amphitheater and hippodrome. We then drove by Mt. Carmel on our way to Haifa and the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum. From Haifa, we went to Acre (Akko) and visited the Acre British Prison Museum. We then ate our first Falafel or Shawarma lunch for NIS30.00. From Akko, we went to Moshav Tsipori and Ellis Goat farm owned and operated by Tal and Adi Ellis, Messianic Jewish friends of Lolo Rog. From Tsipori, we drove to the Galilee for our 4-night stay in Tiberias. On the way, we drove by the suburbs of Nazareth and through Cana. Unfortunately, these cities are now Arab. After dinner and a short group meeting, Lolo Rog showed me the 4th floor patio where we could

see the full moon over the Kinneret. A great end to a great day! Impressions: Gods faithfulness in building the State of Israel despite the machinations of the enemy as seen in the Clandestine Immigration museum. At the Ellis farm, Tal told us the story of how they got the land for the farm and what struck me is their great faith as well as their perseverance in continuing to run it. Tal related that even as his vision for the farm has not yet been realized in the 25 years they have been running the farm, they still feel that God has called them to the land and will continue to work it even through the disappointments. Day 3 May 16, 2014 Day Summary: Leaving our hotel, we prepared for a full day of touring the sites where Yeshua taught in the Kinneret area. We drove by Mt. Arbel and the Arbel pass where Yeshua and his disciples would have passed through to go up to Cana. We also drove by Migdal, the village where Miriam Magdala is from. We drove by the Mt. of Beatitudes where the topography causes a natural amphitheater so that when Yeshua taught both at the top of the mount as well as on a boat in the Kinneret, his voice would have naturally carried through and be heard by the crowds as related in Matthew. We arrive at our first destination of the day, Capernaum. It is actually Kfar Nahum (the village Nahum like the prophet Nahum). The site is now a Catholic church. There we saw an ancient synagogue and the site of Simon Peters mother-in-laws house where Yeshua taught. We then went to

Korazim and saw the Seat of Moses. From there, we went to Vered Hagalil (the Rose of Galillee), a Guest Farm started by Yehuda and Yoni Avni that raises horses. We then went back to Tiberias for lunch then on to Rami and Gabys house in Poriya wehre Gaby played the harp and sang for us. We visited Gabys Galilee Gallery and did some shopping. We ended the day with a boat ride on the Kinneret to feel how the disciples must have felt when they were on the Kinneret and a storm came. Impressions: The design of the synagogue in Yeshuas time, as evidenced in ruins found in Kfar Nahum, is that there were benches all around the room so that those attending faced each other and interacted with each other. A mezzanine or second floor would have been an area for more people or visitors to sit if the main area was full. Women were not separated at the time and they sat with their husbands when they went to synagogue with their husband speaking on their behalf and the women listening to their husbands. On the boat ride, learning from the disciples reaction and Yeshuas rebuke, the best way is to trust Yeshua through the storms of our lives instead of asking Him to make the storm stop. Day 4 May 17, 2014 Day Summary: Shabbat! Since it was Shabbat, we took the day slow and started late. We attended a Shabbat meeting in Poriya then had our own group fellowship in the afternoon. After the group meeting, we had dinner then went down to the Kinneret for the Galilee experience.

The Galilee Experience is owned by a believer. We saw a movie showing the history of the Galilee then did some shopping at their shop. Impressions: Unfortunately, like Lolo Rog said, the Shabbat meeting was church on Saturday. At the Galilee Experience, boy did the group shop! We finished at 10PM and our poor driver Roni got a bit annoyed by how late we were. After this, Rami now calls us his shopping group. He says we even beat the Americans he has guided with how much shopping we do. Day 5- May 18, 2014 Day Summary: Leaving our hotel, we went to the Ancient Galilee Boat Museum, which Rami also calls Yeshuas Boat Museum. The museum displays a 2,000-year old boat found in the 1980s by 2 amateur archeologists during a drought and the Kinneret was very low. From there, we drove by the Jordan River and the Valley of Bethsaida to go up the Golan Heights where we first went to a lookout that looks over the Kinneret. From the lookout, we drove to Moshav Kanaf and the dairy farm run by Ilan and Ruhama Matalon. We were met by Shmuel Evens, a pioneer of Puyat Strawberry farms in Baguio. His daughter is Ruhama. We saw the dairys fully automated and mechanized operation. After the dairy farm tour, we drove up to the ancient synagogue where we met Pearl who lost her son Ashi in the 2nd Lebanon War on August 9, 2006. We went to the park that his wife created as a memorial and that the moshav maintains. Leaving Kanaf, we drove some more on the Golan and saw the

fenced-off fields that are still full of land mines from the 6-day war. We drove to a lookout to see the ceasefire line and the border with Syria. We actually saw some Syrian villages on the Syrian side of the border. There is also a UN base for peacekeepers on the Israeli side. From the lookout, we went to Banias, also called Caesarea Philippi. We then drove through Druze villages on the edge of the Golan near Mt. Hermon. We also drove by Nimrods Fortress, ruins of a fortress from the Crusader era. We continued driving through the northern tip of the Galilee and Israel and saw Lebanon. We also drove by Tel Dan (but didnt see the headwaters that feed the Jordan) and the Senir (the second of the 3 headwaters that feed the Jordan River). We also saw Mt. Hermon but it didnt have any snow. We also saw Qiryat Shmona, Israels northern-most city. After a long day, we drove back to our hotel in Tiberias. Impressions: After a long day, what impressed me most was how technologically advanced the dairy farm in Kanaf was. Also, we had very good teaching from Rami in Banias about Peters confession of Yeshua as Messiah. It was great to be in the place where it actually happened. Lastly, only 7% of Mt. Hermon (which is actually a mountain range) is part of Israel. Fortunately, this is the most strategic part. Day 6 May 19, 2014 Day Summary: Leaving the hotel in Tiberias, we bid goodbye to the Kinneret and drove for our day in Megiddo and the Israeli/Jordanian

border. On the way we saw Mt. Tabor (story of Deborah, some believe to be Mt. of Transfiguration), the Nazareth mountains, Mt. More (story of the Shunnamite woman and Elisha and also Yeshua and the widow's son), and Mt. Gilboa (story of Gideon). We drove by the Jezreel Valley/The Valley of Megiddo (Armageddon). At Tel Megiddo, we saw a short video about the site and also toured it a little. Rami then gave a very good teaching on Rev. 16:12ff at a lookout. We then went to Mt. Gilboa and En Harod/Gideon's Spring then to the Bet Alfa synagogue. An archeological find where they found a mosaic floor with both Jewish symbols and the zodiac. We drove on the border with Jordan and the so called PA territory of Jericho on the way to the most likely baptismal site of Yeshua on the Jordan River. Kuya Ted, the Lagdao's, Manang Emily, Mike, Kuya Louie, Auntie Rose, and Kuya Ray immersed themselves in the Jordan. We drove through the Judean Wilderness on the way to Jerusalem. We went to a lookout on the Mt. Scopus campus of the Hebrew University to have our first look of Jerusalem. What a view! After, we went to our hotel for the night. Impressions: As we learned in Megiddo, Rev. 16:14 does NOT speak about a Battle of Armageddon but a battle on that great day of God Almighty. v.16 only says that Megiddo is where they will GATHER. v.15 which talks about nakedness and exposing our shame brings us back to Adam and Eve who were ashamed when they realized their nakedness. They were initially clothed with the

Shekinah glory as Paul says that we are clothed in Messiah. It is quite fascinating to me really how literally, Israels enemies are just a stones throw away. I mean you just stretch out your hand and its in another country. After seeing Syria and Lebanon so close yesterday and Jordan today, we need to keep in mind that these are HOSTILE neighbors to Israel. I think it really will be only God that will be able to save Israel when these nations declare war. Up to Jerusalem! Rami played a song as we entered Jerusalem that really gave us a feeling of homecoming and love for this very special city. Day 7 May 20, 2014 Day Summary: We left our hotel and on the way to our first destination saw the Knesset on Government Hill. We also saw the house of the PM when he is in Jerusalem. - We then drove by the Hinnom Valley, also called Gehenna or the Valley of Hell. We finally reached the City of David and watched a 3D movie of the history of Jerusalem and saw the ruins of the city that King David built. The visitors center/gift shop actually stands atop the ruins of the citadel/tower of David. After the movie, we went down to the entrance of Warrens Shaft. We went down Warrens Shaft and to an area underground that they are still excavating and developing. We then walked through Hezekiahs Tunnel. The water for the majority of the tunnel came up to mid-calf for me so I didnt get too wet. The tunnel was quite narrow and low in some places. My shoulders could touch both side

of the tunnel. We came out to what archeologists first thought to be the Pool of Siloam but later found out was not as the stones found there were only dated to the Byzantine era. Further excavation later revealed the actual pool which is dated to Yeshuas time. One of the archeologists on that dig was there. Rami gave a short teaching beside the pool then the group walked up to another archeological road dated to King Davids time. After Hezekiahs Tunnel, we went to the Western Wall Plaza and proceeded to the Western Wall and prayed there. I inserted my prayer in the wall. After praying, we went to the Western Wall Tunnels/Rabbis Tunnels. The tunnels run under the now Muslim Quarter of the Old City and along the entire length of the Western Wall. In Yeshuas time, this area used to be a bustling street and marketplace. We came out of the tunnels and had lunch at a small Arab restaurant where we ate Falafels! After, we exited the Old City through the Lion Gate. Rami explained that the walls of the Old City are actually quite young and dated to the Ottoman Empire only. On the way to the Jaffa Gate to visit the Jewish Quarter, we drove by Gethsemane and the Mt. of Olives. We also drove by the 3 closed gates on the southern side of the Temple mount. Also on this side are the southern steps of the Temple where Rami believes Yeshua would have driven away the money lenders and businessmen. We entered the Jaffa Gate to get to the Jewish Quarter where we saw a lady playing a harp. In the Jewish Quarter, we saw some

of the preserved ruins of the walls built from the time of the Kings of Judah to Yeshuas time and up to the Byzantine era. We then went to the Cardo. The Main Street built by the Romans when they conquered Jerusalem. We saw a Raven while sitting in the Cardo listening to Ramis teaching. We saw the newly built and refurbished Hurva Synagogue, the biggest synagogue in Israel. We also

saw the menorah built by the Temple Institute in readiness for the 3rd temple. On the way out of the Jewish Quarter, we saw part of the walls originally built by King Hezekiah. We then went to the Arab market to do bargain shopping. After dinner, we had a meeting with David Friedman. He shared that the Messianic Community in Israel is still quite small (less than 10,000) and the number of Torah-believing Messianics in that number is even smaller. His prayer

request is that younger men will be found who love Yeshua and His Torah who are willing to teach the current generation. Impressions: At the Western Wall, for me, this was one of the places where I became emotional. Being able to put my prayer in the wall, you could almost believe when Rami says its a local call to God in Israel. Seeing the people, touching what would have

been the wall to the Temple courtyard and knowing the history was quite emotional. At the Cardo, Rami explained the origins of the word Palestine. In 132 CE during the Bar Kokhba revolt, Roman Emperor Hadrian, in order to crush the revolt, changed the name of the LAND to Palestine. During that time, it was actually the Jews from Palestine who were called Palestinians! The Arabs in the area refused to be called Palestinian. Of

course now, the whole thing has been turned around. The enemy is quite clever that way in deceiving people and saying something is black when it is white. At the meeting with David, he also told the story of their conference called Crossroads that aims to inform Jewish and Arab believers of the Torah. He related that there are Arab speaking believing communities in Turkey, Tunisia and Nice, France that follow Torah and love Israel. He and his son have been to the one in Tunisia. He also related that he saw a poem that a grade 7 Palestinian student is supposed to memorize that says their only purpose in life is to blow themselves up and kill many Jews. Oy vey! Day 8 May 21, 2014 Day Summary: From Jerusalem, we went to Genesis Land in the Judean wilderness. It is a park that recreates the time of Abraham and where we rode camels! After Genesis Land, we drove through the Judean wilderness down to the desert and Qumran. At Qumran, we saw a short movie about the Essene community that lived there during the 2nd temple period. It is also of course in the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. The scrolls were found in 11 different caves and they had portions of the Torah and Apocrypha, other Rabbinic writings and the complete book of Isaiah. After Qumran, we went to the Ahava laboratory where we watched a short movie about how they harvest the minerals from the Dead Sea. Rami said that Dead Sea minerals is the number one economic income generating industry in Israel.

Tourism is only about 4th or 5th. We went to En Gedi and walked up to the highest and 3rd falls and to what was like a semi-cave. Rami read the story of David hiding from King Saul in 1 Samuel 24. He explained that the rocks on the ground now would have been the ceiling of the cave back then. Most likely an earthquake opened up the cave. From En Gedi, we drove by Masada on the way to our hotel on the Dead Sea. After checking-in to the hotel, we put on our bathing suits and walked to the Dead Sea to float. We even ran into some Filipino caregivers working in Israel taking a day-off in the Dead Sea who knew some of the people in our group like those from Metro Strata and Mt. Zion. Impressions: Riding the camels on the edge of the Judean cliffs was both fun and a little scary. At the second falls in En Gedi, Rami pointed out the rock shelf that looked like a big shade and read from Isaiah 32:2 that exactly described what we were looking at. On the Dead Sea, it was really weird because you really would not sink. I was sitting like I was on a deep cushion with my feet up. Fun! Day 9 May 22, 2014 Day Summary: Leaving our hotel in the Dead Sea, we travelled on to Masada which we had seen from the road the day before. Rami did not allow anyone to make the climb up the mountain fortress (actually a rock plateau) on foot as it was too hot. Masada was built up by Herod the Great as a mountain fortress due to its strategic location. We toured the fortress and saw a house, the store

houses, Herods palace, the bath house and sauna, saw a silo and simple mikvah, and finally the synagogue. Leaving Masada, we made our way to Arad for lunch and tree planting with Yoel Berkowitz. Yoel explained that the city of Arad is expanding the public park with fruit trees. The goal is that when the trees mature and bear fruit, those less fortunate in the area will be able to go to the park and pick fruit from the trees for them to eat. Manang Claire and I worked together and the first tree we planted was a peach tree. We then moved to another area and planted a pomegranate tree. From the park, we then proceeded to Ramis surprise site. We went to the house of a sculptor named Rick Wienecke where his sculpture The Fountain of Tears is displayed. It relates Yeshuas crucifixion and his last seven phrases (seven panels) to the Holocaust. From Arad and on our way back to Jerusalem, we drove by the Shefela Judean Foothills which had some important places mentioned in the Bible: Lachish, the Valley of Elah and Bet Shemesh. We then entered Jerusalem again with Rami explaining the meaning of the word Jerusalem. Impressions: At Masada, Rami taught us from Ezekiel 37: the Valley of Dry Bones passage. He interprets the breath going into the bones as the Ruach. The picture of the bones rising from their graves is Israel dispersed into the nations (from the four winds north, east, south, west) and coming back to Israel. During the tree planting in Arad, I thought that the soil/sand would be soft like the

desert in Abu Dhabi but the soil/sand was packed pretty hard and difficult to dig up. It is truly a wonder how Israel has been able to make the desert bloom! Definitely only by Gods grace. About the name Jerusalem, the Hebrew should be correctly Yerushalem instead of Yerushalayim as known today. Yerushalayim means two cities or two Jerusalems like the Old and New or the Now and the Future. Yerushalem is from Yah and Shalem. This instance of Yah is imbued with the meaning of God as Provider as in Jehovah Jireh and Shalem of course, like Shalom, with its root meaning peace God will provide for Himself that will cause peace. Day 10 May 23, 2014 Day Summary: Leaving our hotel, we made our way to the first stop of the day: the Mount of Olives. We went to the top of the hill and saw a great panoramic view of the Temple Mount. Rami taught us from Luke 19:28-44. We made our way down the Mt. of Olives through the Jewish Cemetery where Rami explained Jewish burial customs. We exited the Jewish cemetery and went to the grounds of a Catholic church where we saw a tomb carved into the hill. From the tomb, we walked down to Gethsemane. The church (Catholic) in Gethsemane was closed so we just went around the garden and saw the oldest olive tree they have. It is believed to be about 2,000 years old. We then drove to the traditional location of Cayafas house. It is now a

Catholic church called Peter in Gallicante, since it was in the courtyard of the house that Peter denied Yeshua. In the building, before reaching the dungeon, we entered a room where people would have been disciplined by the priests. There were holes in the ceiling and wall where they would have been tied. Rami emphasized that this room would have been used for discipline and NOT torture. This would be the room where Yeshua would have been flogged. From the room, we made our way down to the dungeon where Yeshua would have been kept for about 3 hours before being brought out. From Cayafas House, we made our way to Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum). The name Yad Vashem as explained by Rami, is taken from Isa. 56:5. We saw the Historical Museum and Childrens Memorial. We also went to the grounds and looked at some of the trees planted for the righteous Gentiles who helped Jews during the Holocaust. From Yad Vashem, we proceeded to the Garden Tomb, one of the places believed to be where Yeshua was crucified and buried. It is run by a Christian British volunteer organization. The guide first brought us to where Golgotha or the Place of the Skull is believed to be then to the actual tomb. From the Garden tomb, we went to Yad Hashmona, a moshav started by Finnish believers. All the residents of the moshav are believers. We visited their Biblical garden which has a synagogue and ancient olive and wine press. After the short tour, we were met by Bill Schlegel of IBEX, the Israel Bible

Extension program of Masters College in the US. Bill explained the importance of Biblical geography since it proves what the Bible says and show in his terms, facts on the ground. We said thank you and goodbye to Bill S. and boarded the bus for the trip to our Tel Aviv hotel. We had a farewell dinner with Rami. Gaby and their son met us at the hotel so they joined us for the farewell dinner and picture taking. After dinner, Manang Claire and I walked to the beach about 5-7 minutes away. We dipped our feet into the Mediterranean and took some pictures. We walked some on the promenade to see what Tel Aviv and the beach is like at night then walked back to our hotel for our last night in Israel. Impressions: Seeing the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives, I reflected that Yeshuas prophecy about Jerusalem was quite sad. In about 37 years, the temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed. Really, in the words of Yeshua, If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace but now it is hidden from your eyes. But I guess it was His plan all along so that we, the Gentiles and the rest of the nations, would find out who the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is and His Son Yeshua. At the dungeon in Cayafas house, it was quite moving and emotional to be in the place and imagine Yeshua there. It brought tears to my eyes thinking about what Yeshua suffered just for me. Another emotional place of course was Yad Vashem. The Holocaust is just one of those things

hard to explain. We just trust that God is sovereign and in His wisdom, these things happen for a reason. Day 11 May 24, 2014 Day Summary: Since it was Shabbat, we started the day with breakfast first then a meeting at 10 AM. Lolo Rog facilitated and taught from Ezekiel 36. After our Shabbat meeting, we went for lunch and a few of us ended up having lunch at a Chinese dim sum place near the hotel. Dinner would still be at 6 and we had already checked-out of our rooms so most of us just waited around or took a nap in the lobby. Some visitors/relatives arrived at the hotel to greet some from the group. At around 4:30 PM, Meir and Shlomit Lavi with 2 of their 3 sons showed up at the hotel to greet us. They are friends of Roger he met at the

Banaue Hotel. Right before dinner, we met as a group and shared our testimonies about the trip. We wrapped up the meeting, had dinner, retrieved our bags and boarded the bus to go to the airport. Since Rami was no longer with us, Kuya Ted

became the head of the group and I became the tail. Oy its difficult to corral 45 adults! Sheesh! It took some time, about maybe an hour in line, before it was our turn to go through security and the questioning portion. Unfortunately, there were some problems with overweight luggage and too many carry-ons for some of the group. Again, sheesh! Anyway, we finally all made it through security and check-in just in time for the boarding call of our flight. When we got to Bangkok, our flight was delayed and we ended up waiting for about 5 hours. That was a long wait. Our plane for Manila finally arrived and we left at about 9:00 PM Bangkok time. We arrived in Manila at about 1:00 AM, May 26 and went through immigration, baggage claim and customs pretty fast. As soon as I got

my luggage, I was out of there. I think I was the first one out of the airport. Finally, home sweet home. Or at least Manila for me. Impressions: From our Shabbat discussion: our Abba Father takes it

personally when Israel is persecuted. This applies also to you and me. Yeshua will take it personally. Lolo Rog also emphasized the importance of studying ALL of scripture and not just parts. During the testimonies meeting, the comments from those who had already been to Israel before was that it was better than their other tour since we were able to go to some unique places and meet some real Israelis. Manang Euli also shared that she was grateful they were included in the tour even if they arent related to APMF. She said she learned a lot and is thankful for Ramis guidance. CONCLUSION - Thank you to Lolo Rog, Kuya Ted and Rami for a great experience! - This trip for me was definitely life changing and faith affirming. It brought the Bible to life and made what we read and believe even more concrete and tangible. - Having Rami as our guide made a big difference. Him being a believer in Yeshua and a Torah-observant believer at that, made the truth of the Bible leap out before our eyes. - I now agree more fully that you cannot confess to believe in Yeshua and reject Israel. It is impossible. Those who claim to believe in Yeshua as their Messiah but reject Israel, I would have to question the genuineness of their faith because the Bible clearly shows Gods love for Israel. As Rami says, faith in Yeshua and Israel are a package deal and cannot be separated. - Definitely, something every believer should do outside of Israel is visit Israel. When Lolo Rog says that going

to Israel is not a vacation but an investment in your life, I wholeheartedly concur. - This trip made me even more appreciative of what Yeshua did for me. This trip made the Bible not something that you just read or something abstract but it made the truths in Gods Word something you can touch, see with your own eyes and something you can smell and taste. Its something that as mere humans, sometimes our faith flags, but this trip made me realize how awesome and great our God is and how compassionate and full of grace in sending his Son Yeshua HaMashiach to die for us. Amen! TESTIMONIES FROM THE APMF HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE TOUR From Gay Douglas: Adonai be praised indeed for the more than amazing recent tour our roots in the faith at the Holy Land. Overall impact is very, very good for a group of 45! Credit goes to our excellent tour-guide and teacher Rami, how every place & sight he points goes with an insight of the past and present events that made every visit and captured scene awesome, alive & something of importance; how he cared for us like a shepherd cared for his flock and his fitting/invigorating/good-feeling address to us as "Beloved/ Sweethearts"; his hilarious jokes, to the left and to the right...11 o'clock, 3 o'clock turns, etc. made that part of our lives really, really unforgettable to make us smile as we

remember and want more...a part 2 perhaps. Of course, kudos to the organizers as well, headed by you Roger & Naomi, Ted and Rachel that did all the details/processes to make things happen as it deed from beginning to end, without which nothing started...in circle too. We appreciate your efforts..t'was not in vain, you were the brains behind the success. And to rest of the team including me, we created new friends/ acquaintances, ...special appreciation to my buddies Emily, Euly & Jurgen.. sorry for our near-miss experience in the bus... our shopping experiences, our salvation of the flesh, our exodus at the desert lands, ruins, masada climb, etc... I appreciate and thank everyone's contribution, from the youngest Joshua... to the oldest Roger, that made our team tour really worth more than the money we paid. Lets make a way to share the Holy Land experience. To God be the Glory! Toda rabah everyone, see you all someday..who knows, to the other places un-punched in our guide postcard. From Josie Cablog I would like to share a bit of my experiences on our Tour in Israel. First and foremost, I thank God for the privilege of allowing me to visit "His Land." Secondly, I thank Deborah for shouldering all my expenses, a spiritual investment on her part. I enjoyed hiking and eating green foods, especially yogurts and olive fruits. Rami was an excellent Tour Guide. He didn't miss a bit

explaining to us the Torah in its context. If only he could bring us back in history, I think he will do it. Good job, Rami! What struck me most was the lesson in En-Gedi, the cave where David hid from King Saul. Why was King David so special to God, the man before His heart? Yet he committed adultery and murdered the husband of Bathsheba. He is just like us, a sinner. Oh no, He forgave and forgot, He pays good for evil. He loved King Saul regardless of his evil plans toward Him. That was a good shot from the Torah. I know my Bible. I read it and teach it to students, but when I saw the placethat caveI felt ashamed. I have a long trail to walk and lessons to learn. I would like also to thank Sir Roger for his undying love and concerns to the people of the Philhe is indeed our great spiritual mentor. I bless Adonai for the Tour. Toda Raba! From Edith Tria May13-25, 2014 The APMF pilgrimage to the Holy Land was the most unforgettable sightseeing tour I have ever experienced. It may serve now as my benchmark for any future tours. The educational benefits along with the exciting, fun and enriching life changing experiences during this trip to the Land of the Bible will never be forgotten. It was so thrilling to me that I am still elated and enthusiastic upon arrival back home. Even though I experienced serious jet lag and felt a little hung over, I managed to post all 2000 photos I brought home in my 2 digital cameras to my Facebook page under my name and

under the name of our Bible study group called Metro Strata Learning Center. For those interested, you are invited to see all those pics posted for each day of our tour. I recall how I was encouraged to join this because I had met our tour guide, Bro. Rami Danieli, when he was our APMF conference speaker in Baguio City, April 2013. Rami is an extra miler, exceptional, superb teacher, wholly knowledgeable of Torah/Bible scriptures, history, culture and the Land of Israel. The way he custom-designed and guided our tour of the Holy Land gave us a Messianic Jewish perspective on those sacred Biblical sites. He re-enforced in me the importance of the study of the Bible is best way to understand and experience travel to Israel. It really was a spiritually-enriching time that deepened my Faith and connected me to my Hebraic roots as we see the Bible in a whole new light by seeing the scriptures come to life. Visiting the Biblical sites of Israel gave me a visual and tactile experience as I envisioned myself with my Messiah, Yeshua in the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was truly awesome to have walked those paths and stand in the same places where God worked and Yeshua walked. The tour was chronologically designed and generated in me a new Love and Passion for Israel, its land and people; and the desire to bring others to experience what I have experienced. I yearn to come back here again with much joy in anticipation for Part 2 of this Holy land trip. I wish again to enrich my walk with the Lord, love for

Yeshua my Messiah and the knowledge of Gods Word, as I encounter the truth of Scriptures on location. The extra pluses of this tour were the visits to some Messianic families in Moshav/Kibbutz and various Jewish couples. The visits were so well-coordinated by our team leader Bro Roger Walkwitz, that I have been blessed all the more as they shared with us their life testimonies; how they were instrumental to the love and care for this holy land, and the people who live here. Such encounters with them, though short-lived, were enough to encourage us all the more to love and bless Israel. Finally, it was indeed a privilege for all of us on this tour, to be a part of the Tree Planting project in the desert of Arad through our former APMF speakers Berkowitz family. I pray that the trees we have planted will grow to be tall, soaring and mature, and it is my hope that I can be like such trees in the future. For all my co-tourist friends and acquaintances on this trip, lets continue to pray that we can attend the Part2 tour with our Beloved Rami and his nice family in the future. Whereas, for our beloved families and friends, lets urge and appeal that they attend the Part1 Holy land pilgrimage like us, so that their lives will never be the same. Baruch Hashem!