My love for the Holy Land

LAKE FOREST, CA (ANS) - In my many years as a journalist, I have been able to visit the Holy Land on at least ten occasions, and each time the Bible has come alive for me as I have visited the many Biblical sites both in Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.

The highlight for me is always being in Jerusalem, one of the world's most exciting and historic cities, especially visiting the Old City which bustles with life and history as the world's three main religions, Judaism, Islam, Armenian and Christianity live side-by-side in this bustling area.

There are so many wonderful places to visit, especially for evangelical Christians, such as the Garden Tomb in East Jerusalem, and, of course, The Mount of Olives.

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem sign inside the Garden Tomb

Some years back, I took my wife Norma to the Holy Land for her first visit and there we experienced something that still makes us laugh today. We had walked down from the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane only to be confronted with a sign which read, "The Garden of Gethsemane is closed for lunch." My wife observed, "It's a good job that this sign wasn't here when Jesus came to pray."

Bethlehem

Dan Wooding and Dr. Bishara Awad in  Bethlehem

Most visitors to Bethlehem go to see the Church of the Nativity, but each time, besides visiting the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ, I also go to the Bethlehem Bible College which is run by Dr. Bishara Awad and is always worth a short stopover to meet with Bishara and also to see the many Palestinian students who are studying for the ministry in the Palestinian areas.

Dan Wooding outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

Jordan

Jordan, too, is a favorite places for me to visit, with its many Biblical sites, including Mount Nebo, where Moses looked into the Promised Land and the recently-opened Baptism Site at Bethany-Beyond-Jordan. Petra is breathtaking and an overnight stay in Wadi Rum is quite incredible as you stay in a tent and watch the stars light up the nighttime sky.

So to sum up, I believe all Christians should visit the Holy Land at least once in their lifetime - many times if possible - as it is a life-changing experience to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to learn more about the Jewish and Islamic faiths. You will never be the same once you have been to this wonderful diverse and historic part of the world.

And the best way to book your trip is through www.travelujah.com

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Dan Wooding, 69, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 47 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC, and now hosts the weekly "Front Page Radio" show on KWVE in Southern California and which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Wooding is also a regular contributor to The Weekend Stand on the Crawford Broadcasting Network, and a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel "Red Dagger".