Visiting The Western Wall and Crashing on a Parisian Couch

I’ll have many more pictures and stories over the next few weeks, but this is my final “broadcast” from Jerusalem. On the last day of our Holy Land tour we went to The Western Wall (The Wailing Wall) which is the only part of the Second Temple that remains after the structure was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. We begin with a video.

It is amazing to see how fervently Jews in particular pray at this holy site with thousands of pilgrims and tourists around them. This young woman stood close to me with her head buried in her prayer book, swaying forward and back.

Many believe this is as close as one can get to The Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum of The Tabernacle where God’s presence appeared and The Ark Of The Covenant was held.

They were cleaning the plaza in front of the women’s section while we were there, so our tour guide took our prayer papers (they are called petitions) to The Wall in the men’s section. We all said our own silent prayers, then did what we do every Sunday in our Sunday School Class at St James, we held hands in a circle and prayed together.

Of course, we couldn’t leave without doing what women do with their friends, we took a picture!

Our travels home began later that night as we left the hotel in Jerusalem at 9 pm to reach our 1 am flight out of Tel Aviv. An 8 hour layover in Paris had us all thinking of how we could spend that time. A quick driving tour around The City Of Lights? A spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower? Or maybe a croissant and coffee at a lovely bistro?

Turns out my first ever significant time in Paris was spent like this.

Thank you to fellow St James UMC member Jay Gadberry for capturing me at my finest moment at Charles de Gaulle airport. He said it would be “the best picture of the blog.” Thanks, Jay! I did at least have lots of female airport workers say they liked my leopard palazzo pants. That’s about as European as I got.

But I leave this trip with so many sweet dreams and thoughts in my head. I think like many people told me, this trip will change you forever. It will add “texture to the text” to The Bible. You have lived it and walked it. And now you can continue living it in an even better way. That is my hope and prayer.

Going to get some more rest now. I’ll have more here on the blog in the days ahead, so please keep following and commenting. See you Monday on KATV Daybreak!

X Marks The Spot

We are wrapping up our Holy Land Trip today, but we saved some of the best sites for last.

Here’s a little about our visit to The Teaching Steps. And I want to thank my tour group from St. James UMC for appearing in this one. They are my family and I appreciate them putting up with my TV shenanigans these last 10 days. They are the best!

Forgive me for getting a little teary. That’s happened at least once or twice everyday on this trip. The Teaching Steps will make my top 5 list of Holy Land sites for sure!

Scooby and Sam

Camel #1 in The Holy Land – Scooby.

He did not care for me that much. After giving one of my church friends a big kiss, Scooby turned to me, bared his teeth, and growled. Nope, looks like Scooby and I just were not meant to be. Maybe it’s because I was scratching him behind the ear like I do for my Maltese Ozzie. Apparently, that’s not what Scooby likes.

Camel #2 in The Holy Land – Sam

Then just as I was about to give up on pachyderms forever, I met Sam. It was outside a restaurant in Jericho, the oldest city in the world. We hit it off right away, and after literally the biggest kiss I’ve ever had (Like my WHOLE face!) I think we are BFFs now!

Sorry, Scooby. I tried. I’ll always be a Sam girl now! ❤️

A bit bigger and a lot saltier!

First, play the video…even if it looks upside down right here.

And here are some of our group “getting their float on” at The Dead Sea. You’re instructed to walk out to about your knees, sit down and then just lean back. It’s actually very easy, and fun!

Before you ask…yes, I did float too. The pics of me and my buddy, Gayle Teague are on her husband’s memory card and we can’t get to them until we return home. Perhaps that’s a blessing, no bathing suit photos at this time!

We’ve already seen and learned so much, Tomorrow, we visit Jericho and the site of Jesus’ baptism. Then we turn our attention to the final days of Jesus’s life as we head into the gates of The Old City Of Jerusalem! Thanks for following along. I am reading all the comments between stops on the tour bus!

But a not so “Silent Night”

This was a big one yesterday. The Church Of The Nativity in Bethlehem was one of the places I was most looking forward to visiting on my Holy Land trip. The spot where most scholars believe Jesus was born. The first Christmas morning!

But first let me start somewhere else. Have you ever been to The Alamo? If so, were you surprised to find that it basically sits right in the middle of busy downtown San Antonio? I mean, you’re picturing this fortress in the middle of a Texas battlefield, and when you get there, there’s a Walgreens right across the street.

The Church Of The Nativity is kind of like that, in the middle of this bustling city of nearly 1 million people. Cars and buses honking, souvenir vendors trying to get your attention. But then you step inside the church (through a couple of very low doors).

The grandeur of the church is what greets you first, and then you see…the people. Lots and lots of people, in a line that loops back and forth, almost Disney World style. The wait can be as much as 2-3 hours to visit the actual spot of Jesus’ birth, but what a view you have while waiting!

The Church Of The Nativity is actually three churches of different denominations under one roof. While we waited, a Greek Orthodox service began. Lots of shhhh! More talking, Shhhh! We did our very best to be respectful.

You are eventually funneled into smaller and smaller rooms of the church, and then you make the final descent into the grotto where Jesus was born. It’s actually under the main altar of the church. This is part of our group going right in front of me. At this point, my heart is pounding.

Suddenly, you turn a corner and it’s not a manger you see, but a VERY small cave with a silver star on the marble floor and a rock in the middle. You have to get on your knees to really see it. Perhaps that’s the point, to come humbly before The King.

But you won’t be down there long. To say we were rushed through this most holy place is an understatement. Some in our group say they weren’t even allowed to stop as they walked through. I guess I was lucky (or maybe no one was going to stop me!) and the next 2 or 3 seconds I’ll remember the rest of my life.

I dropped down to my knees, put my right hand on the stone, and quickly kissed the silver star. All I could think of to pray…”Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.” I mean what more can we Christians really say?

Then as quick as I’m down, I’m back up, because my time is gone, but the memory? It will never go away. So, how many days now until Christmas?

And why this year I got to go through spring forward TWICE

Two days of travel through The Holy Land and my heart and mind are already so full of new adventure.

I have a special greeting for you from The Sea Of Galilee, but am having trouble getting it to load here. Please go to either of my Facebook pages, Melinda Mayo or Melinda Mayo KATV. You should be able to click on either of these links.

https://www.facebook.com/687399362/posts/10157466959284363?sfns=mo

https://www.facebook.com/229461220418343/posts/2343597975671313?sfns=mo

Meantime, I think I’ve taken about 300 pictures in 2 days, so I will share just a couple favorites here and much more to come!

Yesterday, we began in The Valley Of Wind And Doves. It is the path that Jesus would have walked to travel from Nazareth to Galilee where he called his first disciples and began his ministry. It would have taken three days. I can hardly describe the beautiful wild flowers, the birds, the nearby stream, and most of all the peace.

And while we have seen some magnificent churches, I was most touched by a tiny synagogue in Nazareth. With what is believed to be the House Of Mary nearby, scholars agree Jesus would likely have come to this tiny room to worship and read the holy scrolls.

As our small group sat, prayed, and sang we all agreed, “Surely, the presence of The Lord is in this place.” It was the first time many of us cried on this trip. Probably not the last.

After 21 hours of travel time in which I’ve seen day twice change into night, our tour group is finally in Tel Aviv. Earlier today, I was in Paris for the first time…but only at the airport. It was under some renovation and not very pretty, but I smelled wonderful fresh bread! Oh Parie! I promise to be back someday.

Our travels the past two days have taken us from Little Rock to Atlanta, Atlanta to Paris, and Paris to Tel Aviv. I did have time in Paris for some of their fancy bottled water.

However, I got much more excited just getting my first glimpse of Israel from the air. The seat of so much of our human history. I can’t wait for The Land’s mysteries to unfold this week.

83 pilgrims on this trip with hundreds of pieces of luggage and only 1 lost bag. Not too bad! We told the airline where to send it or else they’ll have an angry Arkansas mob on their hands! We stick together at the airport like a huge traveling family (because we are!) Everyone’s set. And, now we’re off!

Our Israeli guide, Rafi greets us at the bus with roses for the ladies and chocolate for everybody. Shalom! He is so knowledgeable about his homeland. At dinner, he and I visited about Israeli weather and the European weather models. Supposed to rain here tomorrow! (60% chance).

As the bus pulls out, (not sure how this happened), we’re all singing The Beatle’s “Love Me Do” karaoke style, led by one of our group leaders. Also, a great tenor. Israel, better get ready for this group.

Already amazed at the lights of the very cosmopolitan Tel Aviv, YOLO is still a thing here, and we found a taste of home… the unmistakable golden arches! Ace Hardware, and they still have a Toys R Us!

Off for a night of MUCH needed sleep on the coast of The Mediterranean Sea. Lots to see and do in this country and it all starts tomorrow morning!

It’s Time To Start Packing!

I leave in one week for my trip to The Holy Land. And sorry John Denver, I cannot say, “All my bags are packed. I’m ready to go.” I’ve read up on the trip, got the passport renewed, now it’s time to literally start putting stuff in a suitcase.

Do you get packing anxiety? I think it’s a real thing. In fact, I’ve started having dreams (nightmares?) about it lately. Usually, I’m at my destination and have absolutely nothing appropriate to wear. Why did I bring only this?

The other night I dreamed specifically about this trip. A friend in my Sunday School class and his wife picked me up to go to the airport and as soon as we left my house I said, “Stop! I forgot my wallet.” While I’m back in the house, I remember I also forgot to pack any makeup and the cute maxi dress I was planning to take. Then I wake up and realize, “Whew!, I still have a chance to get this right.”

So, everyone keeps saying pack light, pack light, pack light! My group leader says, “You do not need 5 pairs of shoes.” Um, I know we haven’t been friends that long, but I don’t take less than 5 pairs for a weekend in Hot Springs! And I’m going halfway around the world to a climate that goes from cool mornings to warm afternoons? Ok, I promise to try.

“All you need for Israel is a Bible and a good pair of walking shoes.” That’s what I’ve heard. Got the Bible of course, and now I think I’ve made a good decision on the shoes.

For my Holy Land walking shoes I journeyed all the way to….Benton, to see my friend Bart at Tops Shoes. He talks all about comfort on my show, so why not? I picked out these super comfy sandals. They are Naots and they are made in, wait for it….Israel!

In fact, here’s a pic of a Naot store in Jerusalem. Funny that they came from Israel to Arkansas, and now are headed back with me. Thanks to KATV’s Matt Mershon for the pic from his trip to Jerusalem at age 16.

Probably going to need some good tennis shoes, too; for those chilly mornings. So, now we’re up to at least 2 pairs of shoes. Bible: check. Walking shoes: check.

Now, a word about hair care and what I’ve learned about electricity. The outlets in Israel (and Europe, too) are different than ours. You’ll need adapters with the round plugs for everything. I bought a set of cheap ones like this.

But that doesn’t mean you can now plug in your precious hair dryer or curling/flat iron and go to town. Since Israel uses a 220 voltage system and the U.S. is 110, you need a power converter or you’ll fry those babies. I chose instead to buy an inexpensive travel hair dryer and curling iron that have dual voltage. I can switch from 110 to 220. Also, this little pink dryer is so small it looks like Barbie would own it. I’ll let you know how it all works out. I’ve got a lot of hair to tame in the desert and a sun hat as a backup!

Those seem to be the most important things to know about packing for Israel; good shoes, the right voltage, also layers for dressing, and a Bible to remind you of why you’re really there. Do you have some “must haves” from your trip to The Holy Land? I hope you’ll share them and your packing tips with all of us. And if you see me at the Little Rock airport next week, I hope I’m not the woman who looks like this, but no promises.

This is my third journey through the Lenten season since joining the United Methodist Church in 2016. Growing up Baptist in Arkansas, Easter was of course our “Super Bowl,” the biggest day of the year celebrating Christ’s resurrection. However, we did not observe Ash Wednesday or Lent, the 46 day season leading up to Easter. I never before had to decide what to “give up.”

I’m still learning a lot about Methodist traditions and theology, (I call myself a Baby Methodist). However, last night as I knelt at church and received the ashes on my forehead, I realized that this Lenten season will be a true journey to the cross for me. Before Easter morning comes I will have traveled to Jerusalem, prayed in the Garden Of Gethsamane, walked the Way Of The Cross, and stood on Calvary. And of course most importantly, I’ll visit the empty tomb.

I’ll be back in my regular pew on Easter Sunday morning, a changed person? A more dedicated Christian? We’ll have to wait and see. I already tear up every year when we triumphantly sing and literally “Lift High The Cross.”

A Reading Update

Remember my reading list for Israel? Well, I’ve finished the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Luke is next and I believe he’s the lengthy one, right? It’s so interesting to see how the different apostles describe the same events, what they leave in, what they leave out. Each year, our senior pastor at St. James UMC gives us a Lenten reading schedule and this year it’s…Matthew! So, I’m thinking for the first time ever I’m ahead on a reading assignment. Just ask any of my former English or Literature teachers!

Last year for Lent I chose to give up my cell phone (social media) in the evenings. My hope was that this would free up time for more important things like visiting with my family, relaxing, reading and getting to bed on time. I did “ok” last year, but not great. I probably freed up more time for Netflix than anything else. So, I think I’ll give that another shot, especially since I have so much to read and think about. Is that OK to give up the same thing?

Tell me what this season of Lent means to you. Are you giving anything up to show your devotion to God or to make you a better Christian? Maybe you’re adding something to your life instead. Or do you attempt to do this year-round, always trying to be as close to God as possible? I hope you’ll share your thoughts with all of us!

(All those appearing in this post have given their permission, and I didn’t even have to pay them!)

I’m not exactly a world traveler. I’ve only left the U.S. mainland for my wedding in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and a few cruises to The Bahamas and Mexico. So, when my passport gets stamped as I travel to Israel next month, it will be a first!

How did it happen then, that my first big trip abroad would be to The Holy Land? Well, it all started three years ago, here.

When my husband and I found our way to St. James UMC in Little Rock, we knew almost immediately this was where God wanted us to be. The Senior Pastor at the time, Siegfried Johnson (Sieg) was from Pine Bluff, like us; and we had lots of connections. Plus, the church had so much of what we wanted, it just felt like home.

One of the many things I admired about Sieg was his knowledge of The Holy Land and the Hebrew Language. He was about to lead another group to Israel that coming May, but if you know anything about the TV business you know you’re not leaving the country for two weeks in May! It’s ratings and severe weather season.

We soon joined an adult Sunday School class led by Dr. Scott Stern and found out the class had long term plans to visit the Holy Land with Sieg in 2019. Immediately, God told me, “Go.” And so three years later, I’m going.

Scott and his wife, Cindy have since become dear friends of ours. Scott was raised in a Jewish family, and his knowledge of Israel and its culture is also amazing. I’ve already learned so much in our weekly Bible class.

So, what began as a small class travel group back then has grown a bit. We now have 50 travelers (Sieg calls us pilgrims) from St. James and another 33 from Christ Of The Hills UMC in Hot Springs Village, where Sieg is now pastoring.

And a bigger group means two buses traveling our way through Israel. The Sterns have graciously agreed to co-lead our group along with Sieg and his wife, Sherry. Yep, she’s a Pine Bluff girl, too. 👍

This will be Sieg’s 14th trip to Israel. A pilgrimage he says “adds texture to the text” of The Bible. Here he is on The Teaching Steps at The Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a place where Jesus walked and likely preached during his ministry.

The thought of standing there soon with The Johnsons, The Sterns and 78 other pilgrims is awe-inspiring. We’ll also stay in beautiful hotels on The Mediterranean, The Sea Of Galilee, (you know I love a beach!) and in Jerusalem. Here are Scott and Cindy on their previous trips in 2013 and 2015.

Our tour company is EO (Educational Opportunities Tours). I’ll talk more about them in my next post, but here is their website if you’d like to take a look at this and other trips they offer. http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/#eotours

Oh, and hair dryers & curling irons in Israel? It’s a whole different thing. We’ll get to that, too. Please let me know if you’ve traveled with a group to Israel and how was it? Our conversation group is growing.