FARM LIFE FROM A FARM WIFE: A life-changing trip of biblical proportions

By: 
Kay Reminger
Columnist

My daughter approached me with the idea of traveling with her to Israel. I had every excuse to say no, but what joy to experience this with her. Praying for divine guidance, I felt Him gently urging, “Go, daughter.”

Without seriously thinking this would actually happen, I said yes. We started planning. We booked flights out of Green Bay to Chicago to London to Tel Aviv to arrive the day after we started out. The door started opening. I developed an eye twitch.

In between agreeing and actually forging ahead, I heard stories about conditions, volatile in nature and unsafe. Our contact person assured me they had successfully completed many tours throughout Israel and knew exactly where and when to steer clear. The door remained open.

Our original group did not meet the quota. I thought, “Oh. We won’t be going.” An invitation was extended to join a different group. The door stayed open.

My brain decided to go in the “what if” category. What if I got sick? What if Israel closed its borders at the last moment? What if there were mandatory vaccinations in place? What if my bum knee gave out? What if my husband needed surgery after his woods accident? My eye twitched relentlessly.

Finally, I decided to completely trust God and, as a result, every question was met and I felt my Father say, “Trust Me.” This is something I often hear. I kept saying yes. The door continued to remain open.

The day came when it was time to depart. My eye twitch left.

We spent the first three nights in Bethlehem. Days started out on the bus by 7 a.m, getting back to our hotel around 6 p.m. Visiting first century sites, we received in-depth teaching on biblical places and events, tying the Old Testament in with the New Testament. God is incredibly detailed. His dazzling plan of redemption had layers and layers of precise events, leading up to the arrival of God made flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Our leader was a man of God, a good shepherd guarding well his 41 sheep on this journey of the heart. He reminded us daily, “You’ll need your travel guides, your bibles, walking sticks, seat cushions and water. Don’t forget to stay hydrated.” Daily, on the way to the first site and on the way home, we recited the Sh’ma in Hebrew and English.

Our leader’s watchwords were: A teacher can’t teach what a teacher can’t see. Pointing to a millstone as Jesus taught, he then pointed to the sea. We saw a millstone, we saw the sea. We were at Azekah where the Philistines pitched camp and David reaching into the stream, chose five smooth stones, one of which he used to slay Goliath. I have a stone from that stream. At Ein Avdat (Wilderness of Zin) the Israelites complained again about the lack of water and Moses struck the rock so water rushed out. Seeing these places with my own eyes, touching the rock; it was all so surreal.

The next four nights we stayed in quaint, individual cabins on the Sea of Galilee. We breakfasted on charcoaled fish on that seashore and there partook of communion. Later, at sunset, we experienced a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. Emotions were ebbing and flowing like the water. The Dead Sea was another unreal moment, floating buoyantly in the salty water. Listening to the Sermon on the Mount preached from memory verbatim from Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7 by our leader on Mount Arbel (one of the places Jesus preached) moved me to tears.

Ending our 12-day journey we stayed three nights in Jericho, walking the path Jesus walked to Golgotha, through old Jerusalem. After spending time at the Jerusalem Museum and the Garden of Gethsemane, we toured the Temple Mount and visited the Western Wall.

It was time to go home.

Jet lag is a physical ailment with symptoms ranging from weepy exhaustion to swollen ankles to confusion to brain collapse accompanied by repetitive “what” questions as in: “Repeat that. I did not comprehend although I clearly heard you.” Also, a desire to robotically follow the leader because obviously I couldn’t make a human decision — about anything. I think it should be declared an official illness.

Since returning, my heart has changed as I read the precious Word with fresh eyes. I feel the Father’s pleasure at my obedience to “Go, My daughter.” I was hesitant, but I did it. Because I was obedient to His persistent, loving voice, He paved the way, all the way.

It’s peaceful and mind-blowing, convicting and unsettling. Preconceived notions and images of what I thought I knew were blown out of the water. He is radical; to know Jesus is life-changing, challenging and wild but what depth of joy there is in the knowing. Hiking mountains, experiencing waterfalls, picking my way along stony paths in the Promised Land, the Word came alive as I realize He loves us with an overwhelming, relentless, all-consuming love.

We toured with Geoff and Jamie Carroll of Travel the Text (www.travelthetext.com). If you’d like to know more, please contact me. You’ll experience a life-changing trip.

(The Sh’ma: “Hear O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might! And love your neighbor as yourself!” Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18)


Kay Reminger was born and raised on a dairy farm, and she married her high school sweetheart, who happened to farm for a living in Leopolis. Writing for quite a few years, she remains focused on the blessings of living the ups and downs of rural life from a farm wife’s perspective.