The Dead Sea

 

THE DEAD SEA
 After our hike to the St. George Hazevit Monastery, we had a real treat:  We had lunch by the Dead Sea and then took a swim.  Everyone was amazed at how we floated and couldn't get our feet under the water!

Second Hike to see Mountain Monasteries

The next day we went to the Monastery of St. George Hazevit.  This was a much more difficult day.  Suddenly, we realized that yesterdays' 105 degrees was a blessing, because for this hike the temperature rose to 110 degrees.  Also we had to hike down a steep road and then climb up.  Again, we walked in silence, praying, preparing to see and pray before the incorrupt relics of St. John the Romanian.  Again the photos will convey the full story:   (the rest of the story:  we went to the Dead Sea after this experience...)

the entrance gate

view of the terrain

view of the monastery

105 degrees in the shade....

An ancient form of transportation

we survived!

The River Jordan

We arrived at the Holy River Jordan very early, and were lucky to be the first group there.  First, Fr. Sergei performed the Great Blessing of the water.  Afterward, each pilgrim was submerged into the water three times as the rest of the group sang the Tropar.  Then we all swam together in the river.  The river was a pretty green color, and the currant was so strong, that swimming upstream was virtually impossible.  The vegetation along the shore was lush, and as we stood in the water we could feel little fish nipping at our ankles. 

 

    

Most of the photos in this blog are taken by Katia Pokrovsky,  (thank you!) and the individual photos she took at the Jordan river are especially beautiful.  We can’t include all of the individual ones in this blog, but here are a few to give an idea of how our submersions took place.  

We then headed to the Mount of the Beatitudes, the place of the Sermon on the Mount.   There we sang the  nine Beatitudes from the Liturgy, on the mountainside where Christ preached His Sermon.  Our next stop was Tabaka where Christ performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes

Then we went to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Apostles (below) in Capernaum right on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.This is where Christ healed the paralyzed man whose friends let him down through a roof to see Jesus in a crowded house. Afterward, we rested under the grape arbor where peacocks roam.

  

We took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.  First, Fr. Sergei read the Gospel about Christ commanding the Apostles to cast their nets on the other side of their boat and then we listened to music and even danced.

In keeping with the theme of the Apostles being fishermen, our lunch was at a beachside restaurant and we were served the fish of St. Peter. 

A stop at the Greek Monastery of St. Gerasim of Jordan and his lion capped off our day. This is where St. Zosima left from to go to the desert and give St .Mary  of Egypt Communion.  

In the evenings in our hotel, many of our pilgrims play card games popular at camp – durak and mafia.  Scouts from Washington, NY and Russia can be found altogether around tables talking, eating ice cream or  playing cards.  All the youth ae mixing well and getting to know each other, and now there is a family feeling to our group.

Mt. Tabor/Spring of Mary/Cana/Caperneum

Mosaic at the Church of the Annunciation - the Spring of Mary

The Church of the Transfiguration at the top of Mt. Tabor

Today our pilgrims visited Mt. Tabor, where the Transfiguration of Christ took place.  We started with a two mile hike up the steep mountain road.  Our hike was a quiet and contemplative one, since Fr. Sergei asked that we walk in silence and pray.   Luckily, the day dawned a little cloudy, and so we were spared the searing sun on our hike. At the top we prayed in the Church of the Transfiguration at a Greek Monastery, and then had a delicious Italian style lunch in a Catholic Pilgrimage center also at the top of the mountain.  The views from the terrace were breathtaking!  In addition to our group, there was a group of students from Italy who were impressed with our singing of Oche Nash before the lunch.  Although they finished their meal before us, they stayed specifically to hear us sing the prayer after the meal!  After lunch we walked the two miles down Mt. Tabor, and headed toward the Sea of Galilee, a two hour trip.  On the way, we stopped at the Church were the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.  There our pilgrims collected and drank water from the same spring that Mary was getting water from when the Angel greeted her!  We had a short stop in Cana, and went into the house where Jesus performed His first miracle: changing the water into wine at a wedding.  Then we headed to the Ron Beach hotel right on the Sea of Galilee.  Our hotel had a salt water pool and was right on the Sea.  After dinner, we all enjoyed a long, refreshing swim in the Sea and in the pool under a full moon.  Happy Birthday to Pete Zaporoshan and Happy Namesday to our two Marinas: Marina Zacharin and Marina Bezdornaya!

Hiking up to Mt. Tabor

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pilgrim Center

Lunch at the Pilgrim Center

View from the top of Mt. Tabor

Ready to Hike two miles down Mt. Tabor!

Happy Birthday Pete Zap!

 The Sea of Galilee

the courtyard of our hotel at the Sea of Galilee

Day 3 - Midnight liturgy at the Tomb of Christ

A path in the Garden of Gethsemene

Day 3

Today we were blessed to experience one of the highlights of our pilgrimage, and maybe our lives: Midnight liturgy at the Tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  We arrived shortly before midnight, having walked silently through the deserted streets of Old Jerusalem. Once inside the Church, Fr. Sergei administered confession at the site where St. Elena found the Holy Cross.  What a moving scene as we all asked each other for forgiveness, many tearfully.  Later in the evening, our whole group  received Holy Communion together as a Scout family at the Tomb of Christ.  Liturgy was served by a Greek bishop, and Fr. Sergei, along with other priests, co-served.  As we gathered outside the Church after the Liturgy, our whole group joyfully sang “Christ is Risen”. We arrived back at the hotel past 4:00 am, tired but exhilarated!

Since the Liturgy was served mostly in Greek, with just a few parts in Slavonic, many of pilgrims remarked on how it was interesting to see the roots of where our liturgy comes from.  They also had a new appreciation for our beautiful choir singing, versus the Greek chanting. 

After catching up on our sleep, we toured the Garden of Gethsemane.  It is amazing that in such a dry and arid land a garden flourishes with lush vegetation, neatly manicured pots of colorful flowers and cacti.  As we walked along there was a fragrance of cedar and rosemary, and many of our youth were amazed to see peppercorns, lemons, limes, grapes and even pomegranates growing on trees!  

In the Garden we visited the stone where Bogoroditsa threw down her Belt to the Apostles, the remnants of the road on which Jesus, on the donkey, rode to Jerusalem, the cave where the apostles fell asleep as Jesus prayed, and the place where Judas betrayed our Lord.  At the Church of Mary Magdalene, we were able to place our znamena on the relics of Sts. Elizabeth and nun Barbara, as well as on the relics of Mary Magdalene.

We then crossed the border to Bethany in Palestine where we visited a Russian Orthodox school which is run by the nuns of Gethsemane. On the property of the school there is a small chapel in which there is a stone on which Martha and Mary talked to Jesus.  At the school we met with the Headmistress, Sister Martha, whose cheerfulness, love and charisma in telling about the school and the students entertained our scouts.  It was suggested that Sister Martha, with her experience in keeping order at the school might want to visit the U.S. and work with the Belochki for a week!

Another chapel at the school is located in a cave.  There we prayed together, and Fr. Sergei presented Sister Martha with the copy of the Kursk icon.  Sister Martha said that just last week she had prayed for the Kursk icon to visit their convent, since it has not visited in many years!

Our day ended with a few hours of shopping in Old Jerusalem - Everyone had fun bargaining with the merchants!

Church of Mary Magdalene in the Garden of Gethsemane

A few more pictures!

Location of the Crucifixion of Christ - Golgotha

Entrance to the Tomb of Christ - place of the Resurrection!

Our AIR-CONDITIONED bus next to an ancient form of transporatation - one that spits!

In the Cave Chapel of St. Nicholas at the Orthodox school

Fr. Sergei presenting a copy of the Miraculous Kursk Icon to Sister Martha at the Orthodox School

Fr. Sergei serving with the Greek Bishop at the tomb of Christ during Midnight Liturgy at Holy Sepulcher Church

Happy 18th birthday Nicolka Pokrovsky!

Pictures, finally!

Our pilgrims at the Russian Monastery on the Mt. of Olives

Our Scouts at the reception with Abbess, Mother Moisseia

The Church of the Monastery

Enjoying fruit, pistachios, kvass, turkish coffee, and baklava!

Fr. Sergei presenting Mother Moisseia with the Kursk icon

In front of the Bell Tower

In the olive grove on the grounds of the monastery