Israel Pilgrimage

As many of you saw, from October 21–31, I had the incredible privilege of going on an intense Biblical tour of Israel. Thanks to the leadership and generosity of Pastor Dave of Berea Baptist in Kearny, I got to see the Scriptures come to life in a way I never had—through the very land that Jesus walked. It almost sounds cliché, but my expectations were truly blown away, and I am even more convinced of the gospel we are sharing with international students in our ministry.

We visited 3–5 locations per day, covering thousands of years of history! Some highlights included Jericho, Dan, Mt. Hebron, the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Caesarea, Megiddo, Nazareth, Bethlehem, the Mount of the Beatitudes, the Jordan River, the Judean Desert, the Mount of Olives, the Temple Mount, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, the Garden Tomb, Damascus Gate, the Dead Sea, Qumran, the Western Wall, the Siloam Pool, and the Southern Steps.

Hands down, my favorite sites were:

1- The Southern Steps – These preserved steps are the very ones Jesus and His disciples would have walked on entering and exiting the Temple. Surrounded by Jewish ritual baths, this was likely the area where Peter preached and baptized 3,000 believers on Pentecost (Acts 2).

2- Capernaum – Jesus’ ministry hub by the Sea of Galilee. Here He healed a paralytic, a blind man, and Peter’s mother-in-law. We saw Peter’s house, later used as a church, and the synagogue where Jesus taught—the foundations are still preserved today.

3- Qumran – Near the Dead Sea, this desert city hosted faithful Jewish scribes from 300 BC. The nearby caves are where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered—the oldest complete texts of the Old Testament, a profound confirmation of God’s faithfulness.

Israel was simply mind-blowing. As people often say, “the Bible comes to life” here—but truly, you cannot understand it until you go and see it for yourself. God really guided history, Christ really incarnated, preached, healed, died, and rose again—and He will return to establish His kingdom on the new heavens and new earth. What an incredible mission we get to be a part of!

Please pray that this trip would supercharge our vision for reaching international students with the hope of Christ. Pray for upcoming on-campus dinners, home groups, ESL classes, one-on-one meetings, and especially our Thanksgiving outreach. Thank you so much for your partnership in Christ!