The 2011
Journey Home to Israel

Day 8 - Jerusalem

Monday’s meaningful highlight

Members of the Journey Home Tour spent their final day in Israel eagerly volunteering at a distribution warehouse in Kiryat Malachi — packing 500 boxes of flour, canned tomatoes and corn, pasta, rice, oil, spices and other pantry essentials for the needy, as a meaningful way to leave part of themselves in the Holy Land. Soon, the Colel Chabad Food Bank, which receives ongoing financial support from The Fellowship, will deliver the tour-prepared cartons plus others packaged by paid workers to 25,000 needy families in 70 Israeli municipalities.

Dr. Freddie Litton and his wife, Beverly, found it particularly touching because of their similar endeavors in their home town of Alexandria, La., where she teaches at a school which provides a meal per school day and even on weekends for her school’s poverty-stricken students. “We’re talking about kids who are unable to identify a picture of an apple when they first arrive at the school,” Dr. Litton noted.

At the enormous warehouse, chatty and industrious tour participants worked on both sides of a conveyor belt adding the food items to boxes. As the 500th box reached Fellowship Vice President of Communications Jim Jewell of the Fellowship’s Chicago headquarters, and was taped by Dr. John Standifird of San Antonio, Texas, the volunteers erupted in cheers.

Somber remembrance

Following their volunteer experience, the group paid a somber visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum and memorial in Jerusalem, and learned of the heroic efforts of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who, with her father and other family members, helped many Jews escape the Holocaust. She authored her autobiography, The Hiding Place, which later became a film, and frequently spoke on the concepts of God’s love and forgiveness prior to her death in California in 1983.

Closing visit

The tour’s final visit was to the Garden Tomb in downtown Jerusalem, which many Christians believe marks the spot where Jesus was buried and rose from the dead. There a communion, praise, and worship was led including triumphantly singing “Because He Lives.”

There was also an emotional ceremony renewing marriage vows for Rev. Kenneth and Darlene Stanford-Adams of Valley City, N.D.; Loran and Duby Baxter of Anchorage, Alaska; Larry and Carol Creech of Tucker, Ga.; Don and Carol Godsey, of Bella Vista, Ariz.; Dr. Freddie and Beverly Litton of Alexandria, La.; John and Carole LaRue of Chicago; and Bob and Peggy Kennedy of Chicago.

Monday’s airport farewells

With the exception of Loran and Duby Baxter, whose flight to Alaska from Tel Aviv departed five hours later, the Journey Home Tour headed to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for the first leg — from Tel Aviv to New York City’s JFK Airport — of their trip home. With hugs and tears, and carrying souvenir-laden luggage, they said their sad farewells to new-found friends, knowing that once they arrived in New York tour members would scatter in many directions.

Final thoughts

Cortney Bruner of Indianapolis, still brimming with excitement, stood in the security line at JFK Airport summing up her feelings — emotions shared by many — saying, “Indeed, this was the trip of a lifetime, but I’ll be back. I might not be able to save to come back consecutive years, but, for sure, I’ll join The Fellowship on another visit to Israel. It’s been unbelievable!”

2012 Journey Home Tour

The 2012 Journey Home Tour is November 3-12, 2012. Information about the tour can be found at www.ifcj.ca/tour.

Today's Photos
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