The Last Word

So I believe this is my final post as I am FINALLY home! From my home computer I am able to upload pictures (but just five) so here are the first five of things I think I will never forget from this trip.


This is the view where we gathered in Miletus and the power of God was thick in the atmosphere! The presence of God was so overwhelming in this place.

This is me on Don-kay. The picture is not at all representative of how chaotic or treacherous this ride was! What fun. I don't know if I'll ever laugh so much in my life again!!

Here we are "washing our clothes" in the Mediterranean. This picture represents the spirit of the people who went on this trip. Everyone so fully wanted to "immerse" themselves in the experience!

This is the backdrop for Paul on Mars Hill. It is representative of the many times the Bible became ever more real and practical in reading it in the world in which it was composed. I have been to the Holy Land before, but being here, where the church actually developed and grew, was amazing!

This photo represents the coffee and the food, both of which were plentiful and delicious!

In closing, I apologize for the sporadic nature of the blogging this month. I wanted to go, go, go the whole time and it was difficult to make the time to find a connection and pay for it! UGST is planning a trip to Rome in three years and I fully recommend that you take advantage of the opportunity. There is no real way to express the benefits in terms of insight, friendships formed, and personal/spiritual growth. God is truly good all the time!! May He richly bless you and cause His face to shine upon you!

Jane also sends her regards and I so ardently thank her for filling in the gap! So, until we happen to cross your path again (or you ours) we will continue to be taking on the world!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Still not home

So, I am in D.C. but not yet St. Louis. I've somehow set myself up for some kind of hitch-hiking adventure across the US of A. To be honest I just went online and bought a plane ticket to go home tomorrow afternoon. I give up on the living out of a suitcase. So my reports have obviously been sporadic at best. A combination of paying for internet, inaccessibility, and general fatigue actually did have an effect. So now a summation in bullets!

Cruise Highlights:
1. Learning the Zorba the greek dance
2. Deborah (a member of our group) getting to praise dance to "Jesus Kept Me" at the end of the evening's entertainment which was a weird assortment of caberet sung in strange accents. She was powerful and several people from the cruise approached her to tell her how moved or encouraged they were.
3. The donkey ride at Santorini! What a blast! This was a Greek island formed from a volcano and the only way to the village at the top of the steep mountain was by donkey or cable car. Several of us opted for the donkeys and we laughed all the way up.
4. Totally gross beds. Everything in the cabins seemed to remain perpetually damp.
5. Taking a cab to Lindos (1 h 15 m from dock in Rhodes)with 5 of us plus the driver who delighted in yelling duck on the way there to support his obviously fabricated tale about how a cop would fine him $300 if the number of passengers was discovered. We also generated a saying for the rest of the trip: "Stairs? Ha! I laugh at your stairs! I've been to Lindos!" We got to see at Lindos a port which is the only absolutely positively natural landmark that Paul would have been to.

Thoughts on Athens
Reading Paul's speech on Mars Hill in light of what the Areogapolis looks like is life-changing. You must imagine the parthenon and all the major temples (incredible feats of human ingenuity and skill) setting the backdrop for his speech in Acts. Also knowing that Corinth and Athens were ancient cities with rich histories even at the time Paul was there really nuances how you would read correspondance and interaction with these churches versus some of the others. Corinth in particular with its central space being defined by a water/wine event performed in a larger than life space for renactment of the gods activities.

Attempt at photos
I never did succeed in uploading photos but for a complete portfolio of everyone's pics go to
http://66.34.188.80/ugst/pathsofpaul/ The pictures are not all there yet, but they will be very soon!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Somewhere in Greece

Today, Marjorie should be on the airplane home from Athens. Sunday was a free day in the city and the last tour day was Saturday. There are lots of pictures on the blog titled I LOVE THIS. Follow the Ben Cohen link to the days labeled Hellas. I'm not sure that the blogging style is the same as you have been accustomed to. From what I understand, Athens is a little dirty and touristy compared to the rest of Greece. She should be getting into NYC tonight. I think the group is happy to be back in the good ole' states, especially in time for the Fourth.

My parents are flying military airlines so they have just been informed that they won't be leaving until Friday, maybe Saturday. They did get a VIP upgrade at their hotel. The military flight saves money but my goodness, the wear and tear on these world travelers...Is it worth it? I can see my Dad nodding his head even as I type.

Imagine all of this travel when Paul did it. If these folks think they are tired now; how did he manage it? No four and five star hotels, no cruise ships, no internet cafe, no airplanes, no espresso! There wasn't even a tour guide to explain that he should step carefully, as he was creating a museum with each footprint!
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!