Israel/Palestine, Wednesday, 2 March

View of Augusta Victoria from the tower of Redeemer Church

On our last day in Jerusalem, we began with a drive to Augusta Victoria Hospital. It is at a site founded and built by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the late 19th century. It has had serval incarnations and became the present hospital about 60 years ago. It is a Lutheran hospital run through the Lutheran World Federation, serving the Palestinian population of the entire West Bank. Now there are several hospitals in the West Bank, mostly near Jerusalem, serving that population, so each hospital has specialized in what services they provide. Augusta Victoria is a miracle of Christian Lutheran charity for the people of the West BanK. It was great to hear their story. And please add their work to your prayer list, and if possible, your charity.

The Palm Sunday route down the Mount of Olives

From there we went to the Mount of Olives to retrace the route of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The route is essentially the same after all these years, but fortunately for us it has been paved. There are great views of the old city of Jerusalem from there across the Kidron Valley and its many cemeteries. There are, of course, several churches along the way, notably the Russian Orthodox church with its cluster of bright gold onion domes. At the bottom of the hill is the Church of all Nations, commemorating the Garden of Gethsemene. There are twelve domes in the roof of is church, one for each of the twelve nations who participating in its construction. A small grove of mostly very ancient olive trees, some claimed to be 2000 years old, sits next to the church. Once again, its exact location is less important than it's symbolism.

Lunch today was at a kibbutz just outside Jerusalem. The food and selection of the typical buffet style restaurant was very good.

From there we returned to the Old City for a visit to the Pool of Bethesda and the Church of St. Anne. There is no water in the pool any more, but one can see the complexity of its structure. St. Anne's church is nice for it's simplicity, and its wonderful acoustics. There was another group in it singing, and after they left, we sang the common Doxology. What a great thrill to sing God's praises in Jerusalem in such wonderful acoustics!

To the east toward the Mount of Olives from the
Redeemer tower

The group then returned to the hotel for a free afternoon. We bypassed the hotel and walked straight to Redeemer Lutheran Church so Dick could climb the tower for one of the best views of the Old City. Since there was a group having a service, the tower closed at 3:30, but a half hour is plenty of time. The rumor is correct: it is the best view of the Old City from the highest church tower in the Old City. After two rounds of pictures in all directions, he headed down the very narrow stone circular staircase, much like cathedrals in Europe.

Along the Cardo

Karen was waiting at the bottom and we did grandchildren shopping. On the walk back to the hotel, we went through the suk, trying to avoid all the eager shopkeepers. We did a Rick Steves and got a little lost. That led us to the Cardo, the old Roman main street in Jerusalem. We found some areas we had not seen before, which made our "detour" worth the effort. On the way back to the hotel we asked directions several times. It was a good thing the Gloria Hotel is near the Jaffa Gate so everyone can help.

Back at the hotel we rested till dinner, our "farewell" dinner. It was the usual salad buffet with Nile River fish and beef. After dinner we moved to a meeting room for Mark & Miriam to hand out "tour awards" to each member of the group. It was a fun time.

Happy Hour at the King David

A little later, about 2/3 of the group went out to the King David Hotel for drinks, or maybe late Happy Hour. It was about a 20 minute walk from our hotel. A couple waiters gladly set up a large area with three small tables. We all ordered a drink and sat sharing stories and thoughts about the pilgrimage. It was a great social finish for our tour. The walk back to the hotel was good. It was then time to finish packing.