Shabbat Shalom!  I am penning this entry while sitting on the little beach on the shore of the Sea of Galilee near our lodging.  It is the Sabbath and the Israelis are out in the lovely weather swimming, barbecueing, and windsurfing and sailing on the lake.  The weather is warm but the breeze makes it quite pleasant.  We got up earlier than usual today - 6:10 AM and boarded a boat that took us out into the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum.  The sun had just risren over the hills on the eastern side of the lake (where Jesus went to cast out the legion of demons) for our devotion.  The captain and owner of the boat is a Messianic Jew who shared his amazing testimony.  We then had breakfast back at our lodging place then drove off to the Jordan River at a location north of the Sea of Galilee.  At this location the river is not wide (20 ft) but it runs fast and cool.  The headwaters of the Jordan are further north near Mount Hermon.  It is the snowmelt from this 9 thousand foot mountain and spring water from Caesarea Phillipi that provides much of the water for the Jordan.   8 members  of our tour were baptized at this location which was very special to witness.  We then went to what is believed to be the ruins of Bethsaida (House of the Fish) where 5 of Jesus' disciples (Andrew, Peter, James, John, Phillip).  It is a simple and small Jewish village (insula) of about 600 - similar to Chorazin.  It is fun to contrast Chorazin with the next site we visited - the Decapolis city of Sythopolis (Bet She'an).  One was unimpressive but housed religious Jews who followed God.  Those from Bet She'an were Hellenistic and worshiped pagan gods.  Bet She'an takes your breath away when approached and viewed from a hill above while Bethsaida is very simple and plain.   But Jesus chose almost half of His disciples from the small and plain because they and the village they came from had a heart for Him.  Shabbat Shalom from the Sea of Galilee.  More tomorrow.

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