Tag: handbells

Israel Handbell Tour – Final Post

Final Image Slideshow

It is the final day of the tour and everyone is either home, on their way home or in Jordan (one went on to Aqaba). The day began by departing from Nazareth and then visiting the excavations at Meggido, which overlook the fertile Jezreel Valley. This ancient “tel” has evidence of 20 different settlementss, each built upon the remains of the previous one.  Because this town, with its strategic location on the primary route between the East and the Mediterranean, was the scene of so many battles over the years, John writes in the Book of Revelation that this is the place that Armageddon will occur.  For more information on Meggido visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Megiddo

Our next stop was in Haifa at the Baha’i Temple and gardens. This sight encompasses panoramic views of the city of Haifa, its port and surrounding geographty.  Traveling on up Mt. Carmel, we stopped to visit the church where the prophet Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal.  Because the church was closed for the afternoon, we all enjoyed a serendipitous time for lunch and taking photos from the top of the mountain.

Caesarea Maritime is located on the Mediterranean coast and was built by Herod the Great to function  as the seat of government for the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Our visit here included the ruins of Herod’s palace, the hippodrome and the theatre. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea_Maritima)  Because this was the 65th anniversary of Israel’s independence, workers were setting up the theatre and surrounds with a stage and lights, food stalls and fireworks for the celebration later in the evening.  Would have been fun to be part of the festivities!

Our final evening together included a farewell dinner in Jaffa at the restaurant Babai. It was a perfect way to end our journey together as we sat above the beach, watched the sun set over the ocean and had a wonderful meal and shared terrific fellowship. Words of thanks were expressed and we even managed to talk about the next festival! More on that in the coming months.

Following dinner, team USA headed to the airport for their flights home while members of team Canada went to the hotel for a couple hours of rest before heading to the airport for their flights.  Several members are currently in Jordan experiencing the sights in that country. Team Hong Kong had to leave before dinner in order to make their flight home.  As of this posting, I have heard from all teams and am happy all arrived home safely.  The Jordan extenders are the only ones still traveling and I hope to hear from them once they arrive safely on home territory.

I want to express thanks to Debbie Rice who, without her knowledge, passion and expertise with and for handbells, this festival would not have happened.  It was a real joy to partner with her in a wonderfully collegial way to make this festival such a success.  Also, thanks to my colleagues in Witte Travel & Tour’s Grand Rapids office for all their attention to detail, support (both with operations and mentally!); Rashid Tours for their on-ground expertise and support; Peimon Handbells of Israel, especially Brenda Alony, Fadi Ramadan and Itzik Goudeket; Schulmerich Handbells; Jeffers Handbell Supply; and to John Semingson for his unswerving support of me each day while on tour.  Finally, a huge thank you to all the ringers and supporters who gave of their time, finances and selves for putting their trust in Debbie and me.  This was a terrific group with whom to travel and would consider it a privilege to do so again at anytime in the future.

Thanks to all of you have kept up with us the past few days.

Shalom.  Keith Cole

Israel Handbell Tour – Day 8

Note:  I was unable to get online last evening…the service here in Nazareth has been sketchy.  So, here is yesterday’s blog.

I am currently sitting in the beautiful Gothic Church of Jesus the Adolescent (The Silesian Church) in Nazareth listening to an arrangement of “A Voice in the Night is Calling” while the Muslim evening call to prayer can be heard outside in the city…a real awareness that we are in the Middle East. The combination of a text from Isaiah and the Muslim prayers being broadcast over loudspeakers was a powerful experience.

Today was our “outreach” day…we began with a concert in St. Gregorio’s Church in Haifa. This small church, part of the Greek Catholic diocese, is located on prime property in Haifa…right on the beach of the Mediterranean Ocean. Our host, Sumaya Abboud, outdid herself with hospitality and publicity. The church seats about 100 people and it was packed full. The audience was appreciative and enthusiastic and was made up of people of all ages, both Jewish and Arab. At one point in the concert, Debbie invited audience members to come up to the tables and ring with the ringers…almost everyone did so! It was so much fun to play and interact with the people.

Click here to view these pictures larger

Following the concert, we had lunch on the front steps of the church while we overlooked the ocean and basked in the warmth of the sun and fresh sea air.

We arrived back in Nazareth in time to visit the Greek church that houses Mary’s well and the stunning Church of the Annunciation. Following an early dinner we traveled to our final concert destination.

Tonight’s concert is, as mentioned above, in the Church of Jesus the Adolescent and, once again, is full. This church sits on the mountain above the city of Nazareth and was founded by the Silesians, an order of the Roman Catholic Church that is particularly known for its dedication to education. The audience, as was this morning’s, was incredibly youthful.

This is our fourth and final concert of the tour. It is bittersweet: we have grown so much together as an ensemble over the past week and have had a great time sharing our art form and music with those who, for the most part, have never seen, much less heard , of a handbell; but we are also looking forward to two days of sightseeing in the Galilean area without having to worry about a concert.

From Nazareth, peace and blessings.