A CUP OF COLD WATER

 DAY FIVE-SATURDAY 3 JUNE 2023 - This was a free day for us to enjoy the sights of Jerusalem and to shop for souvenirs. It was also the Jewish Shabbat, a day of rest for Jews in remembrance of the creation story when God worked for six days and rested on the seventh day. Jewish owned shops were closed and there was little traffic round the city. We took a slow walk from the Prima Royale hotel to the Mamilla Mall and walked through the shopping area. Most of the shops and restaurants were closed on a Saturday! We continued from there to the Jaffa Gate to go to the Market in the Muslim quarter. By the side of the market was the Armenian quarter. 

Before going into the market, we tried some local street foods - shawarma and freshly squeezed fruit juice which was good. The market had narrow and winding alleys, with many small stores on either side selling a wide range of goods from household items to wearing apparels, souvenirs, toys and religious items. There was a lot of haggling going on because prices are not fixed. We found some good bargains which we could pay for in US dollars or Israeli New Shekels (ILS). 

By the time we left the market, the Jewish Shabbat was coming to an end and life began returning to the streets. Back at the hotel, we prepared to join a worship session taking place in a nearby hotel. The worship leaders were in Jerusalem for the annual ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, Jerusalem 2023, worship event that was slated for the next day Sunday 4th May 2023. The worship event was inaugurated in 2016 and has been held annually in Jerusalem since then, except during the COVID-19 pandemic years. Also in Jerusalem were large groups of young people from U.K, USA and Nigeria who came to Jerusalem with Olive Tree Tours organisers to attend the worship event. The event that evening was a time of deep and heartfelt worship and praise to God and we had a blessed time. We went back to our hotel with great expectations for the actual event which was now only hours away!

YMCA Building