Jerusalem 2023. Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Thanks to the Canada Board of Directors of the World Student Christian Federation, I was able to receive financial support for my pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This support was made possible by a bursary through the Lois Freeman Wilson Fund. A Journey of Pilgrimage & Discovery was an opportunity offered through the Anglican Church of Canada. I was fortunate enough to have been offered a spot on this tour. The length of the trip was May 1 to May 12, 2023. A group of about 20 young adults (ages 20-26) accompanied by four leaders, left Toronto May 1, and flew about 11 hours to Tel Aviv, Israel.
Prior to the journey, the group had several Zoom meetings with the leaders in preparation for the trip. Even with all the discussions prior to departure, I really had no idea what I was about to experience. Our itinerary was very full each day. We were able to visit so many sites, some being: Mary’s Well, Mount Tabor, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River baptismal site, Nativity Church, Wall of Separation, Mount of Olives overlooking the old city, the Diocese of Jerusalem. We also walked the Way of the Cross to the Empty Tomb, and later that day, we met with a group of young adults in Jerusalem and got to learn a bit about their lives, and they we able to learn about us. We had asked them what was something they wanted us to share back home in Canada. They told us to come visit more often. The list of experiences goes on, of course!
I knew I was touring in the land where Jesus once walked but it really struck me when we were on a boat, dancing, on the Sea of Galilee, “Jesus has been here, and I’m where he has been.” A couple of other highlights for me were getting to know other young people around my age, and learning about their lives and culture, in addition, floating in the Dead Sea was pretty cool, just sayin’. There was so much more to this trip that it’s difficult to sum up. I can say that I’m still processing and imagine I will for years. I could talk for hours about it. This journey has had a most positive impact on my life and faith. The bonds formed with my fellow pilgrims are immeasurable. Learning about the lives of my new friends, near and far, has shown me that just because we live in different provinces and countries with different cultures, traditions, and religious beliefs, we truly have similar goals, joys, and heartaches. When I arrived home to Canada, I told my mum, “After this experience I am going to listen closer to people when they speak. I want to hear what they have to say.”
On a final note, the day we started our journey home, May 12, it was my birthday. With the eight-hour time difference it was like having two birthdays. It was a special honour to have “Happy Birthday” sung to me in 10 different languages.
A true blessing…all of this.
