...Went In Haste To The Hill Country Of Judea...

We were a small Group: a Helvetian, an Italian, a Frenchman, a Peruvian, an American and an Iraqi, who made an impromptu pilgrimage this afternoon to Ein Kerem, the Judean Hill Country village of Zechariah and Elizabeth.

We boarded the light-rail at Damascus gate and rode it to Mt. Herzel from there we hiked through the Jerusalem Forest to Ein Kerem.

There we visited the beautiful Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

After a quick Ice Cream Break, we hiked up to the Church of the Visitation.

It was a beautiful afternoon of prayer, and learning,  and growing friendships, for which I am very grateful.  The best things in life are not those we plan, but those that happen when we are open to the Spirit and wonderful opportunities that come along.  As the Spirit was present when Mary Visited Elizabeth, so again, the Spirit was at work today in Ein Kerem.