HPUMC has a reputation for doing everything in a style that glorifies God and showers our members and visitors with blessings. In 2015, my wife Sherry and I joined HPUMC on a 10-day trip to the Holy Land, and to say it was a spiritual blessing would be an understatement.

The trip awakened, nourished and expanded our spiritual minds, truly helping us grow closer to God.

We walked where Jesus walked; we sailed on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus sailed. We stood at the steps leading up to the House of Caiaphas, knowing Jesus went up those same stairs 2,000 years ago to be beaten, placed in a pit overnight, and crucified. What a sobering experience!

As we walked these famous sites from our Bible, they began to come alive for us. The Western Wall, Teaching Steps, City of David, Dome of the Rock, Temple Mount, Nazareth - visiting these places changed the way I read the Scriptures.

I remember praying in the Garden of Gethsemane when it struck me that Jesus had also prayed here with his disciples two thousand years before, knowing he would soon be arrested. I was walking where Jesus had walked, praying where Jesus had prayed. For the first time, I thought about what it would have been like to be among the disciples, watching the man I respected most in the world be taken away to be beaten and crucified. The emotion I felt in that moment was overwhelming. It changed my life, bringing me closer to Jesus.

Now every day is different

That moment in particular, but really the trip as a whole, inspired me to get on my knees morning and night to pray to God. Now, the first thing I do as I wake up is say, “Good morning, God.” And when something positive happens during the day, I quickly say a prayer of thanks.

Our goal was to come back from the Holy Land journey as better Christians. These were lofty expectations to be sure, but how God moved in us through the trip leaders, fellow travelers, and the Holy Spirit greatly exceeded anything we could have expected or imagined.

We still work on being better, on becoming more deeply devoted followers of Christ every day. We recognize that not everyone will have the same opportunity we did, to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and explore the physical places talked about in the Bible. But we do have an opportunity to represent God no matter where we are. Our lives may be the only Bible some people read, which is why we must always remember that we carry the name of Christ on our shoulders when we call ourselves Christians.

You will never be the same

We have traveled extensively, yet this trip will remain the most wonderful trip of our lives. You can’t place a value on getting closer to Jesus. If you want a deeper perspective of Jesus, to see how he lived, worked, preached, and how he became our Lord, I invite you to visit Israel as we did.

I promise that you will never be the same.