By Tatiana Feighan
I want to share my amazing, wonderful trip to Israel! Maybe you can visit there someday. Our guide was Ramon, and we had many marvelous adventures with him. He is the best guide. I am a girl who dreamed of going to Israel, and my incredible vision came true on May 2, 2017 when I received this blessed gift. My family flew 9 ½ hours from Houston to Germany and 4 hours from Germany to Israel and finally arrived in Tel Aviv. I had a marvelous view from our plane. We looked for our guide, but Ramon (the best) found us first. He took us to Jerusalem where we ate pizza and went right to sleep.

Then our adventures began. We loved the view from Mt. Olive because you can see almost everything. Incidentally, Ramon was born on Mr. Olive. Mt. Temptation is another great spot. That is where I rode a camel. I wasn’t sure whether to ride it like a princess or a Texas cowgirl. Cowgirl style was the winner.

I was scared to climb on the camel, and the smell was “eeeee uuuuu.” When the camel stood up, I thought I would fall off, but I didn’t. When the camel dropped down to let me off, I thought I would fall on my face, but I didn’t. Then Ramon and I climbed almost to the top of the mountain. I could see the Sea of Galilee and caves where people had lived long ago.

When you think of Israel, you may think only of desert, but a large part contains water. Two popular bodies of water are the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. I found Israeli sea glass at one spot. My parents and I baptized each other in the glorious Sea of Galilee where Jesus commanded Peter to walk to him. Later we joined some Australians on a boat ride.

The Dead Sea was really beautiful even though it is too salty for animals to live. That is why it is named Dead. At first I was afraid to try to float, but after my dad tried it, I tried also. Boy, could I float on that salty liquid. It was very satisfying.

One day my family and I visited Saint Vincent Ain Karem Orphanage for special needs children. My heart melted when I saw the orphans. Cute, adorable and smart John John became my special friend. He could think quickly, but not speak quickly. Some children were on feeding tubes.

Food was quite tasty. Breakfast was usually fruit, eggs and fresh bread. Most of our dining experience consisted of fresh eatables. One lunch had 15 different foods. I loved the crabs. Mom loved the humus.

I so enjoy my memories of Israel. Some include the Catholic Church that honors the birth of Jesus with a star placed in the fireplace, the rock where Jesus was crucified and the Old City. Everything fascinated me.

Reality exceeded my dream! Climbing mountains, swimming in the Dead Sea, and most of all, visiting an orphanage were highlights of my pilgrimage. You should go.

Be sure to ask for Ramon. He is the best!