The Times Advocate, 2006-06-14, Page 18Crossroads
18 Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Exeter Times Advocate
From Centralia to the Valley ofArmageddon
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — Four
members of Centralia
Faith Tabernacle took
a journey recently not
just to another coun-
try but thousands of
years back in time.
Katie Fox, Crystal
Russell, Nikki Cyr and
Greg Hummel were
among a group of 24
people who journeyed
to Israel from April 30
to May 9.
Planning for the trip
began last June with
the desire for a mis-
sion trip and required
a lot of fundraising
according to the
group, with drama
nights, barbecues and
frozen food sales.
Although a few of
the group had visited
the country, the
majority had never
been to Israel.
With the security
questions in the area,
the group members
said their parents
were worried about
the trip.
"They were worried
more about the Gaza
Strip area, " said
Hummel, although the
group wasn't travel-
ling near the area.
"No tourist compa-
nies will allow you to
go there...they only
bring you where they
know it's completely
safe."
"None of us were
worried, just our par-
ents," said Fox.
Expectations among
the group varied as to
what they wanted to
see, with some, such
as Fox more focused
on meeting the people
of Israel.
"I wanted to be
immersed in the cul-
ture," said Fox with
Hummel saying he
was looking forward
to seeing places such
as Old Jerusalem and
the Western Wall.
For Cyr, another
important part of the
trip was getting the
chance to meet sol-
diers of the Israeli
army.
"The army is a big
deal over there and
it's so different...it was
exciting."
Women are obligat-
ed for two years of
military service and
the men for three
years in Israel.
"We met a lot who
were approaching the
age they would have
to be in and they were
excited about it and
were looking forward
to it. Which is a totally
different because they
take pride in their
land and want to
serve," said Cyr.
"It's an honour to be
in the army over
there," said Hummel.
One of the aims of
the trip was to help at
a food distribution
centre called the Jaffa
Institute, which sends
food to needy people
in the country.
"We went there to
help them, and they
just want to help you,"
said Russell. "You're
working too hard,
here's a bottle of
water."
"They value life so
much," said Cyr. "You
can see it in all the lit-
tle things they do."
"They have a differ-
ent attitude in their
country...we take our
country for granted
here and we don't
appreciate a lot of
things," said Russell.
"They know the his-
tory of their country
and they take pride in
it and everything they
do is done to the best
of their ability. You'd
see a little girl on the
playground and she'd
pick up a piece of
garbage she found
and she'd see some-
thing else and she'd
go out of her way to
get it."
The Israeli people
were very friendly,
according to Fox.
"They're so happy to
share their experi-
ences and their way of
life."
Hummel said he
wasn't sure what to
expect based on
media reports.
"You figure they
wouldn't be as friend-
ly...because there is a
lot of unrest. But the
second you go there
they love you."
Despite the media
reports, after arriving
the youth group didn't
want to leave.
"You're so at peace
there. It felt like it was
the safest place in the
world," said Cyr.
"If you have any fear
or apprehension at all,
it disappears the
minute you get there."
said Fox. "The news
doesn't portray it for
what it is."
Another surprise,
according to Russell,
was the diversity of
the country. "For such
a small place, they
have everything
there."
As well as staying in
Jerusalem for four
days, the group stayed
on a Kibbutz for a
night and a hostel in
Tel Aviv.
"I didn't want to
leave Jerusalem," said
Twenty-four members of Centralia Faith Tabernacle recently traveled to Israel.Above at the Garden Tomb, where it is
believed that Jesus' body was laid after the crucifixion and where the stone was rolled away on the third day are
Kenneth Hockey,Adam Cyr, Greg Hummel,Amy Hubert,Aaron Toman,Casey Cyr, Nikki Cyr and Amanda Clapp. Below
is the group at their arrival at Beit Immanuel Hostel in Jaffa. Below from left are group bus driver Nadev, Anna Brenner,
tour guide Ari Ram, Hubert, Crystal Russell and Katie Fox. (photo/submitted)
Russell. "It was so
unique."
"The city has been
built and destroyed 18
times. The lower you
go the older it gets.
Everytime they build
something or want to
move something, they
find something old
and they have to stop
everything."
Some of the places
the group visited
included Mount
Scopus, Masada,
Capernaum, the
Mount of Olives and
looking over the
Valley of Armageddon
from the top of Mount
Carmel.
They also swam in
the Mediterranean
and the Dead Sea.
"Not so much swim
as float,"said Fox.
"You can't stay in
there very long
because it starts to
burn," said Hummel.
One of the hidden
traits of Israelis the
group noticed was
their sense of humour.
"That's the other
thing, about the
Jewish people, is that
they're funny," said
Russell.
"They have this
funny, quirky sense of
humour and they all
have it."
"It wasn't like it was
us and them, like our
tour guide and bus
driver, " said Cyr.
"We would invite
them to come in with
us, we weren't a
group of 24 anymore,
we were a group of
26."
"We absolutely loved
them and they
absolutely loved us,"
said Hummel
Fox also got the
chance to ride a camel
on her birthday, cour-
tesy of the bus driver
who stopped the bus
although it wasn't on
the schedule.
"He (the camel) was
beautiful, but he did
smell," said Fox. "I
almost fell off, but it
was worth it."
The group agrees
they would like to
return to the country
for another visit next
year with fundraising
already started and a
barbecue planed at
Hansen's July 1.
"I can't explain what
this place does to
you," said Russell.
"It hit me when I
was flying over
Toronto and I started
crying. I just thought
how am I ever going
to explain this to peo-
ple when they
ask...Everyone needs
to go and experience
it themselves."