We all arrived safe and sound and tired on Wednesday.   We dined like kings at our Athens hotel, the Divani Palace, and then crashed.

The tour of Athens yesterday was breathtaking.  The weather was perfect—around 75—and the Acropolis was as magnificent as always.  Crowded as always, also.  I think the stats are that 3000 people visit the Acropolis every day.  I heard lots of different languages, especially Russian.  After our morning touring, we all went on a walking tour of the Plaka and had lunch.  And yes, there are Americans here.  I guess with all the talk of recession, they just want to travel and spend all that money.

The group seems to be getting along and meeting with each other.  I love it when I see them praying with and for each other.  We are having some really nice fellowship.

Off to the ship today and the tour of Mykonos, Rhodes, Patmos, Ephesus and finally off to Israel.

Happy birthday to my brother.  I won’t say how old he is, but he is my older brother.

The Fall tour begins in Greece and includes Athens, a 4 day cruise to Mykonos, Rhodes, Kusadasi in Turkey (actually Ephesus) and Patmos.   The island of Patmos is gorgeous and it is where John wrote Revelation.   In reality, next to Israel, I really like Greece.  I like seeing where the “good news” spread after starting in Israel.   Athens, Ephesus, and the islands of Greece are still where they were thousands of years ago.  I like walking the sites and seeing what the first apostles might have seen—where Paul preached.  It really makes the Bible come alive.

And of course, we will be in Israel seeing the Bible sites.  Fall is a great time to go to Israel.  The weather is gorgeous with crisp, cool mornings and warm days.  We end our tour in Jordan at the site in Petra.  I am looking forward to meeting new pilgrims and seeing old friends on the tour.

Please pray for the Fall tour, for travel mercies, and for eyes and ears to hear what the Lord is leading each of us to know about Him.

Look for the blog from Greece and Israel.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Yogurt Cheese

• 1 quart plain cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk yogurt
• Cheesecloth or muslin bag

Place a large wire-mesh strainer over a bowl. Cut 3 or 4 layers of muslin into squares, dip in cold water, wring out, and line the strainer. Spoon in the yogurt, bring up the edges of the muslin, squeeze the bottom a little to extract some of the moisture. Twist the corners of the cloth together and tie the two opposite edges into a knot.

Hang the package from the kitchen faucet for several hours or overnight, and let drip directly into a bowl at room temperature until the milk is the consistency of cream cheese. Squeeze the package gently from time to time to help it drain faster. Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and transfer to a closed container. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 1½ cups.

Though the recipe says to bring the cheese to room temperature and spread it on a plate, I prefer to serve it cold. Garnish with extra virgin olive oil, chopped olives, capers, and parsley. Enjoy!

What a week!  I always think I am ready for the tour and then something happens and I start all over again.  We were filming Tuesday and Wednesday for the new Ezekiel series, so the week was really packed with activities.  We went back for filming on Thursday, which was unexpected, but the series is now done and is in editing.

I have packed Will’s bag with the usual: pecans, Karo syrup, and pie crusts.  I am taking a smaller bag for him this time, so there is not room for the mac and cheese and tuna.  That will have to wait for the Fall tour.   Still, lots of goodies for him.

I must confess that I get so excited getting ready for Israel.  I am hoping the weather will be nice.  It could go either way… hot and very hot.

My bags are almost packed.  Let’s just say that I have decided what I am going to wear, and that is the biggest challenge for me.   I will finish Saturday night.

My grandson, David, graduates from High school Saturday afternoon and I am looking forward to that.  What a milestone in his life.  He is off to Texas Tech.  As an Aggie mother, I am sure, we will have some interesting football watching to do together.

I will leave Sunday for Israel and arrive Monday afternoon.  The group gets in on the 10th, so I will have a week to see things and eat at the wonderful restaurants I have come to think of as home.  My B&B awaits me.

Please pray for travel mercies for me and for the group.  We will have almost 100 people.  I must thank Immanuel Tours in advance for their hard work.    They are just the best.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me this time.  It is always an exciting adventure with Him.

The trip back to Dallas was very uneventful, for a change. Planes were on time, luggage was right at the weight limit, and the pecan pie was all eaten.

I am sharing with you some pictures that I took. They are of Zvi, our head guide, at the Israel Museum; Will and I at Tell Dan; Joni, our second guide, at Bet Shen; and Jeff, as we are filming. I thought you would like to see us in Israel.

The June tour is just around the corner!

The Spring tour group will arrive in Israel next Monday, the 24th, and then we will begin in Galilee.

I will try and blog from the tour, but will probably really start blogging on April 2nd, when the group heads back to the States.  Will’s bag is packed with pecans, Karo syrup, tuna, and the other sundry things I love taking him when I head to Israel.   I plan on returning to the States April, 13th.  I am sure I will have some adventures and will see some new places.

As always, please pray for travel mercies for all of us.  I know we are in God’s hands.

I am in Florida speaking to churches and visiting friends. It has been so wonderful to see the churches that Love the Lord, support Israel, and this ministry. Being with fellow Believers also makes me long to be in Israel. We get to talk politics, prophecy, and our favorite sites.

I had a Pastor ask me what my top three favorite sites are. Here they are: The Golan Heights, the Sea of Galilee, and the Garden Tomb. But, I also have to tell you, that sometimes there is a site that really gets to my spirit and I feel that God wants me to listen to Him and I do. So, while I love my three favorite sites, they can also change. I remember standing in the Garden of Gethsemane and crying. Thinking that our Lord prayed there for me was overwhelming and I was humbled.

I should be back in Texas at the end of the January and then on to Kansas at the end of February. February 1st and 2nd I am attending a conference on the dangers of Islam. It will be held in the Dallas area and I am looking forward to attending. We must know all we can about our enemies. I am not saying all Muslims are bad; I am saying that a religion that advocates the destruction of Israel and taking over the world is an enemy of God’s. For more information see our website.

Again, thank you for your prayers and for reading the blog.

I am looking forward to getting at the truth at what is going on in and around Israel.

I will try and update everyone from the tour. It will all depend on the availability of computers and how much time I will have to blog.

Please pray for travel mercies and for hearts, eyes and ears open to the words of Yeshua.

Israel, my spiritual home, my eternal home.  I can hardly wait.  It is about this time before the tour that I start saying to myself, this time next week I will be in Israel and I say that everyday until the plane lands at Ben Gurion.  I am packing, and finishing those last minute errands before I leave next Tuesday. We suggest only one suitcase for the tour, but I take two.  One is for my son, Will, and the other is mine for the tour.  Will’s suitcase looks like a small grocery store.  I have packed mac and cheese, Fig Newtons, Karo syrup (for the pecan pie), clothes, towels, DVD’s and other goodies.  I tell anyone that asks me what they can take to Will, that I have a grocery list.   Isn’t it something what we do for our children?

We have about 60 pilgrims on the Discovery Tour this time, including some teenagers.  The June tour is for educators, parents and children. We “dig for a day” and we even visit a first century village. It is really a fun time.  I want everyone to see Israel.  I think what a difference it has made in my life. Just saying the word Israel gets me so excited.

The group leaves on the 15th and I will stay until July 5th.  I will be doing the blog on a daily basis after the 15th and I will try and update it some while on the tour.

Please pray for myself, Jeff, Tony, David (our bus driver), Zvi (head guide) and for the pilgrims whose eyes are opened and hearts will hear the word of God, and that they will fall in love with Israel.

For those who would like to pray for us daily:   Travel mercies on the 5th, Galilee area from the 6th through the 9th.  We will be in Jerusalem from the 10th until the end of the tour on the 15th.  Please pray for travel mercies for those on the way back to the states on the 15th.

I have some new sites to see in Israel that I plan on visiting and I hope to get up to Sderot with Will for some first hand reporting.  I have got to see what is going on for myself.

Stay tuned.