Our Israel First! raffle winner Karrin Young shared her Root Source Tour  experience.

Dear Gidon,

I felt greatly privileged to be a part of the groundbreakingSeventy Years To Israel’s Rebirth tour.  Especially as the recipient of the raffle drawing!  Thank you again so very much for the opportunity!

This was my first time in the Land so of course it was profound, yet I could tell it was especially rare and wonderful having yourself, Gidon at the helm, along with pastor-teacher Trey Graham and of course our official guide Charles – all experts and bursting with information and perspective at each point.

What I brought home with me is as solid as the ancient stone we saw and felt everywhere, especially in Jerusalem.  Just the sense of the Land under your feet is more substantial than anywhere else in my experience.  It brings Psalm 102:14 ALIVE, “Surely Your servants find pleasure in her stones and favor her dust”.  This has an enduring effect.  I felt very at home.

But my greatest personal take-away was the tangible sense of being a daughter of Abraham!  First, when we gazed across the Judean Desert from your own back patio and you mentioned Abraham having received the promise of the Land to the north, south, east and west, from around there – up toward Hebron.  That hit right in my spirit.  Then, again at the Caves of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs.  So I looked up Genesis 13:14,15 and 15:5,6.  I personally identify with the Land, the promise and the four directions, being ordained in Native American ministry.  And with Romans 4:16 and Galatians 3:29 which link me to the faith of Abraham!  Sarah, too.(Is 51,Heb 11).

There are of course, way too many highlights to number.  From all the significant high overlooks to the deep mitvahs to the lowest place on earth: the Dead Sea – buoyant fun!  The Jordan River and Valley, Galilee, Nazareth, Capernaum, Caesarea, Bethlehem and of course Jerusalem and many more familiar names, places where Y’shua lived and walked, now familiar from being there, by sights, sounds and juxtaposition.  Hard to beat the experiential, right?!

Seeing the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found was awesome – will more be found?!  Plenty of Roman ruins and Catholic churches.  It was supremely satisfying to worship at King Of Kings in Jerusalem as worship of Most High is my favorite thing!  The Psalms so familiar, being sung at Synagogue were also wonderful and even more-so in the home of Rabbi David and his lovely family for Shabbat – a specially treasured time to me.

It was incredible when you got us into the Temple Mount area with the group of Orthodox Jews!  I enjoyed that identification also.  Can’t believe we showed up in the media!  (But I couldn’t read the Hebrew transcripts of the report that you sent.  Next time I will!).

Of course the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem was extremely moving.  The multitudes of photos, the video interviews with survivors, being immersed in the names and places, all so well-presented, gripping.

So was the Western Wall, spiritually gripping.  Stones saturated with prayer – WOW.  The Memorial Day and 70th anniversary were such a huge part of the over-all experience.  The evening speakers were so special, seemed almost historic coming together to hear them.  And being at the Knesset – phenomenal!  Especially when we were invited to sit at the round table, hearing such amazing people – some familiar from Root Source!  Sneaking into the Yeshiva was fun too:), and informative.

I’m glad it was a small enough group to interact with everyone on board.  But as the Texans of the bunch would say, Y’all would’ve loved it!  The whirlwind pace was a bit tough for me, being used to a somewhat contemplative lifestyle with my retired husband.  The jet lag was hard to shake, being from half-way around the world here in Washington State, but all SO WORTH IT!!!

So THANKS AGAIN greatly!  I hope to send a couple more pictures soon of a few of us, and a few more memories – like, Oh, yeah, hiking down the backside of the Masada – memorable!

Shalom to you and Root Source friends,

Karin Young