Day 9, 10, & 11 - Armegeddon, Divine Appointments, and Passover

 Days 9, 10, & 11
March 3, 4, 5, 2026

 

Total miles traveled to date: 8,811

Steps taken last three days: 22,286

Steps taken to date: 76,473

Details: Tel Aviv to Megiddo - to Zichron Ya'Akov - to Jerusalem - to Tel Aviv

Total Miles Driven Last three days: 107 

Today you are getting a triple portion – It's been a busy few days, and a Sabbath.  Thanks for your patience. 😊 

Day 9: Armageddon and Foot Washing - March 3

To anyone close to me who lets me talk about it too long, you know that I’m a prophecy nut.  Today was a fulfillment of a dream for me – one of the items long on my list – to visit the one place we know exists in future prophecy – the Valley of Megiddo – otherwise known as Armageddon.

This morning we woke to no alarms. The blessed silence was almost eerie.  I woke at 7am the most rested I’ve been since we arrived.  We trickled in and out of the breakfast room, chattering and enjoying coffee.  While I sipped I asked my daughter for a picture of Sadie. 

Picture by Karen

It’s silly, but the thing I miss the most when I travel is my doggy.  At home she is my constant companion – literally following me from room to room, even camping up outside the bathroom.  Usually only a few days into a trip, I am missing my doggy.

Eventually, we gathered in the lobby to head out.

This day we say goodbye to our friend Randy.  Randy has been a force for good here in Israel.  His is always the positive voice, the jovial attitude, and his presence will be sorely missed.  However, he has commitments at home and he wants to make it back to Texas before the pesach. 

God Speed, Randy.

We headed to the cars and travelled east toward Jerusalem.  Because of the war many things are closed.  The Home Front Command ordered them closed for safety.  Businesses without access to bomb shelters are all closed, and the public sites have no staffing.  So we were able to get to the base of Tel Megiddo, but no closer. 

You may not know that a “tel” is an archeaological mound, where one or many vilages or towns is buried.  The Megiddo tel once was the home of a huge community of administrators and solders and a royal city.  You can see more about that here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Megiddo

We have come to search for the barley, and directly across the road from the Tel was a gigantic field of barley!  Much of it was bent over, which means it’s almost ripe.  Not ALL of it was ripe, but certainly enough to make a full bowl of barley.  We spent a long time enjoying the sun and taking photos and enjoying the barley.  I stood in barley taller than me and sang the Aaronic blessing over the country of Israel.

Today is the first day that I found out that not everyone has a song in their head all the time.  I thought this was normal.  For me, whenever we are out in the Land, I had been hearing various versions of the Aaronic Blessing as we drive along and walk on the paths and study the archeology all around us. I try not to sing aloud too much because of the many times I’ve been asked to sing solo – so low we can’t hear you!!   I finally asked if I might sing it, and I sang the version my daughter Rebecca wrote.  The English goes like this: May YHVH bless you and keep you,  May YHVH make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.  May YHVH lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.  Except I sang it in the Hebrew in the wind and the sun with the nearly ripe barley all around me. 

Following, we wanted to go to a winery and enjoy cheese and wine, so we looked up Carmel winery.   It is a very old winery, and that would have been a great experience. Unfortunately, we did not know it was closed due to the war.  However, Joe met two beautiful ladies, Tamar and Tal – who invited us back to their home!!

That’s when I met these two buddies!  This is Toto and Pandi (as in Panda.)  They were rescues by Tal, and YHVH knew I needed some dog lovings so bad this day.  Toto trotted along with us, clearly knowing I was coming to his home and guiding me there as I walked along.  He was a consummate host, and I am so grateful for him. 

The two ladies took us through Tal’s charming home and out to a beautiful shady courtyard.  They shared a bottle of wine and some chips.  Joe explained to them what we are doing there, and Tamar wanted us to know that we are welcome in their town. 

While chatting with us, she casually said that we came at the right time because in two to two and a half weeks, everything would be brown.  Joe practically jumped out of his skin!  This is exactly what we are doing here, and he didn't prompt her to say this in any way.  We keep Passover “early”.  Ahead of the Hillel calendar, based purely on the idea that the “Aviv” barley, the green ears, would not be green at all a month later!  The barley we saw in the field today would be nothing but dried, brown grass under the hot Israel sun.

Following our refreshing visit, and all those the dog lovings, we made our way to the center of the tiny village of Zichron Ya’Akov – (which means remembering Jacob).  We bought bread for our evening ceremony, then down the block to a wonderful wine and liquor shop.  We crossed the street to the parking lot, and found a tiny schwarma place.  I had a delicious humus and salad pita, and enjoyed a fantastic bottle of grapefruit juice beneath the Israeli flag.

We made our way back and prepared for the ceremony.  This was not my first foot washing ceremony, and I always find it loving and gratifying.  So we stood on the roof our our hotel, peering out over the city and the sea, and communed with one another as Yeshua communed with his disciples.

We completed our footwashing and read the Bible, and then off to bed. 

Day 10:

Day 10: Wednesday March 3, 2026 -  Prepping for Pesach and Divine appointments

Of course we were woken up for a few bomb warnings, but we were able to get some sleep.  The alarms made sure we would all be ready for our outing for the day.  This morning, on the way out of Tel Aviv, I requested the Father give me some cat love, because I so miss my cats.

On the way out, knowing we would keep Passover that night, we took all of our bread and some leftovers over to a nearby park where the birds hang out.  There were none of the birds actually in the park, but I could see them waiting for us on the light posts.  As soon as we tossed bread, they came swooping down so beautifully!  Dozens of pigeons and some of these adorable hooded crows which are everywhere in Israel.  Suddenly, we saw some parrots among the mix!   

 

The birds loved the food, and I felt like the Pied Piper of birds!

Video by Johan

Joe took us to JERUSALEM!  This is the second time I’ve visited the land, but it was so good to go back to the Beautiful City!  It was also nice to see it through the eyes of others who haven’t been there.

We went someplace private: The Maison d’Abraham – the house of Abraham.  This required going up the tiniest roads and the steepest, which Joe, our intrepid leader, does with no fear – all the fear is in the back seat!!

The fellow at Maison d’Abraham remembered Joe and was kind enough to give us a few moments.  What we went there for was the tomb of Messiah. The tomb where he was laid. The tomb where he was resurrected.  I know the world believes it is another tomb, but they would be mistaken.  The tomb beneath the convent and monastary is the real deal.  They asked us to leave, however – and so we did.  

He is RISEN!!

 We stopped at an overlook, and I took all of these pictures – see below.  The Mount of Olives was on my list last time I visited, but I never did get up the hill.  This time, I took my time and took a good long look.  I also sang a song, which is becoming a theme for me.  This time is was, “For From Zion Comes Forth Torah” which I can sing in English and Hebrew, so I did repeatedly.  

We went back down the crazy steep roads, and Joe showed us, prophetically what is going to happen when the Mount of Olives splits in two and the refugees go through it.  It was fascinating, and again terrifying, but eventually, we stopped at a lovely park full of purple lupine nearby the UN Headquarters, and looked across Judea toward the Dead Sea.  It wasn’t quite clear enough to see the sea, but the view was still impressive.

Just then, Joe received a call he had been waiting for.  I don’t want to go into it too much here, but Joe was given a small bit of the red heifer’s ashes while he was at a convention for Christian Broadcasters. Now he was in need of an unused jar, and the person who gave him the ashes told him he knew someone who can sell him a jar. For purification, the priests required ashes from the red heifer, water, a clean never used jar.  The ashes are mixed into the jar with fresh water, and they are sprinkled on the priests with hyssop. 

 

This was the beginning of divine appointments for us, but the first on was mine!   Joe received a phone call just as we finished at the UN headquarters in Jerusalem The call was from the lady about the jars.  We agreed to wait nearby at an overlook for her to come to her studio, which was very near where we were.  The overlook was a beautiful park with sculpture. 

While we hung out there, I was leaning over a railing and saw a kitty cat down below.  I called the cat, and I swear to you she looked up at me like she recognized me, and broke into a cat jog.  I stepped away, thinking she was hunting something, when suddenly her came above the stairs.  I said out loud, “That cat is here for me!” 

For the next half hour while we waited, I was loved on by that cat.  I also loved that cat, but she really loved me.  She cuddled me, purred, climbed in my lap.  Shawna (thank you, Shawna!!) gave me a beef stick, and Miss Kitty loved on me while I fed it to her.  Then we had some cat club time, and she literally laid on my feet.  I named her Ariel, and asked the Father to find her a good home, with good loving people for her obedience in coming to bless me!  This is twice in two consecutive days that YHVH heard my heart and sent me the love I needed!!

The  next divine appointment was with the lady with the jars.  She met us at her studio, very nearby where we were.  While we were there, it was a bomb threat, so we all went into the building with her and sheltered there.  When we left, we knew we needed to prepare for the Passover that evening. 

Clip from Video by Johan

Joe drove us to a store, and just as we pulled up, there was another alarm.  We ducked into the store, and the proprietor welcomed us in.  He guided us to his shelter, so we bought a BUNCH of food.  While standing there waiting for the all clear, I spotted a pair of scissors!  I’m so excited!  I had an opportunity to cut my hair once, at Elah, and I didn’t have the scissors to do it.  Now, they are in my bag, and I am ready for the next opportunity. 

We bought so many things in that store, and then Joe said he knew where there was a schwarma shop.  Schwarma is a sort of middle easter sandwich in a pita.  Find about schwarma here.  Joe practically ran to the shop, all of us ladies and Johan huffing and puffing behind him, and began to order everything.  Of course, we didn’t want the pita for Passover, so Joe bought some of everything else they had for sale.  All of it.   It filled a box.  While we waited for them to fill everything, there was another alarm, and they invited us to the back of the store. We waited again, and then Joe gave the man the money, plus a generous tip, and the man, knowing we were headed to Tel Aviv said, “If the alarms go off, get under a bridge.”  This was our second divine appointment. 

We rushed back to the car, and headed back to Tel Aviv.  One of the fun things about traveling around Israel is that so many things are still named after the places in the Bible!  I find myself constantly looking things up and reading the word as we drive along.  In this case, we passed Lod, and I invite you to look it up and see what happened there!

Our third divine appointment happened in traffic.  We reached a red traffic light just as the alarms went off.  A lady pulled up next to us and for no reason started shouting.  Joe opened his window and she also told us that we should get under the bridge, just like the man at the schwarma shop.  We did, of course, and had time to talk to an Israeli there who told us we were “Better than Jews,” since we came to Israel and are blessing the people here.  Then the alarm was over, and we we got back to the hotel with time to spare. 

I grabbed a shower and threw out the last item that might be yeasty, then we settled in for dinner, surprisingly delicious, and a reading.  I was so tired, I actually fell asleep, to the great amusement of my travel companions.  To their credit, no one woke me, they just read on without me. 

Finally it was bedtime.  We got interrupted 3 times, but no booms this time.  We all got four hours of good sleep. 

Day 11: 3/5/2026 Pesach at the beach

The day started slow.  I woke up to peace – which is something I will never again take for granted. 

You really don’t know what it’s like.  I think some of the folks in tornado alley in the US understand a little, but even that is not the same, because there is plenty of warning for bad weather, and when it’s over, it’s over.  There is very little warning for missiles, and there is always another coming.  When our phones go off, it’s an advance warning that launches have been detected.  Depending on where they come from, Iran or Lebanon, we might have ten minutes – we might have a few minutes.  Then the alarms go off on our phones – and the air alarms in the city.  By then, most of us are out of our rooms and thumping down the stairs.  We crowd into the shelter and close the door, and wait.  Sometimes we chatter, but at four in the morning, we just read our phones and pray quietly.  Sometimes we hear a boom as the Hand of Yah (my name for the Iron Dome) takes out a missile or drone, sometimes nothing at all happens, and then we get up and go back to doing whatever we were doing – sleeping, jogging, going to work.  The people here are accustomed to this, and strangely, we are also becoming somewhat casual about it. 

But this morning was peace.  I wandered down in my jammies and grabbed coffee and spent a little time with my new friend, Sir Richard.  We ate breakfast, and as the afternoon approached, a large number of us headed down to the beach.

There we were, enjoying the sun, and suddenly the alarms went off again. We sheltered in the rocks of the jetty, but for the first time I could clearly see the Hand of Yah in action!  We watched two launches – the first one headed north in a hurry.  We didn’t any hear any booms from that one.  The second one launched to our right, and that one hit something out there.  We heard several booms, but eventually we found out that nothing was hit.  The Hand of Yah protected benei Yisrael (the children of Israel) yet again.

 I just want to note that nobody on the beach responded except for us.  The young couple did not stop canoodling, the joggers never stopped jogging, the dog walkers kept right on walking.  In Israel, people just keep right on living while the Hand of Yah swats down missile after missile.

We came back to the hotel for some leftovers and conversation and to join the Passover Zoom for the people back home. 

In the next few days, we will confirm the state of the Barley, find a place that is open for Joe to mikvah (baptize) himself, and complete the cutting of the barley ceremony.  We also have Sabbath tomorrow evening, and then Sunday, we are moving to Jerusalem! 

Only nine more days remain of my trip here.  I have no idea if flights will resume and make it possible for me to get home.  I have no idea if there will be problems getting over borders or making my way to another country to fly out.  There’s a lot of uncertainty in our midst, but I am still not afraid.  I’ve been nervous, anxious, and alarmed at times, but I have yet to be afraid. 

We always covet your prayers.  Please shower us with your prayers, and pray for the whole country of Israel, and the IDF and US troops that are fighting to make freedom possible for even more people.  Thank you for your outpouring of love and your caring kindness.  Shalom to you all!  May peace be upon you, upon the US, and upon all Israel.