Dry heat at 45degreesC was tough for all of us after a bedtime of 3am on arrival at the Dead Sea. Mahaba offered us the Greek Orthodox church of St George. Its mosaic map

a wonder of the world – now a little fragmented but so ancient and so accurate. A quiet prayerful place.

Then food for the body followed by a trial of heat. One and a half miles all told in the heat as we visited the St John the Baptist church, third attempt after the early two were flooded, the third built on an arch to allow the Jordan to flood beneath it. Then another sunny march to the Jordan river where I bathed my hot feet and drew river water in a bottle to take back for the parish for baptism, if that is allowed. The cooling green water was little more than a stream as the river had shifted with the earthquake of 749.

The long walk back to the coach tested us all. I was so hot I was quite shivery and focused on the crosses on top of the churches. The air conditioning in the coach was a real blessing and lifesaver. We believed we wouldn’t make the final adventure but we all did .

An hour after arriving at the hotel we met in the lobby to venture into the Dead Sea. The salt stung as expected but the warmth of the water was silky to the touch. Many of us tried the mud from the beach – I suspect some perfect Facebook photos will result..

After this some of us swam in a more leisurely way in the hotel outdoor pool abutting the Sea. It was 715pm and the huge yellow sun was setting across the Sea over Jerusalem. Such physical and mental peace is rarely to be found.

A day of exhaustion in which I had to keep reminding myself with awe that we had visited ground walked by Moses, John the Baptist and Jesus as well as countless pilgrims like ourselves .
The pilgrim’s prayer from our morning service sheet:
Lord Jesus Christ
You too were a pilgrim in this Holy Land;
Make it’s holy places truly holy;
Make it’s people and us holy too;
Lead and guide us
On this pilgrimage to your heavenly Jerusalem.
Amen