After lunch we boarded a bus for our first journey into Jerusalem with our first stop being the House of Abraham monastery – a place that has a magnificent view of the old city and a spot for our leader to point out all sorts of hills and valleys. Then we walked the Palm Sunday way stopping at the Dominus Flevit Church where Jesus is believed to have wept over Jerusalem and her peoples. Then we walked further down passing the large Jewish Cemetery and stopping at the Church of All Nations and then Mary's tomb--all important Christian sites and connected to Abraham.
There are 12 of us all together--3 from Australia (lay, clergy & Sister of Mercy), 1 seminary student from Canada, 1 priest from New Zealand, 1 priest from American Samoa, an Episcopal Deacon from Indiana, 2 lay people from Colorado, our leader who is an American Methodist clergy and course director, St George's College Dean who is an American Episcopal priest and our course chaplain, and me. We're 12 pilgrims studying together, reflecting on what we see and hear, praying together, and walking this Holy Land. It's a remarkable group and a blessed time. After dinner 6 of us walked to and into the old city. The breeze at night is divine--a gift after hot days!