Holy Land: The Ultimate Pilgrimage – Traveling with Super Seniors

Our first glimpse of the Mediterranean from Jaffa, Tel Aviv

With the world opening once again, it’s time to thank the Lord for tiding us over this pandemic as we shake the dust off our travel bucket list. As for us at We Fly, we’re gearing up for our first post-lockdown Holy Land pilgrimage.

It must be every Christian’s dream to visit the Holy Land. For me, a trip to this sacred place where Jesus and other biblical heroes walked is the “ultimate pilgrimage”. I don’t use the term loosely. Holy Land is after all, the best imaginable connection to the history of our faith.

I, for one, had this at the top of my bucket list. My Papa, from whom I inherited my itchy travel feet, shared this dream. In 2017, my then 87-year-old father and I were blessed to join the Holy Land Pilgrimage headed by our Feast Builder Bro Arun Gogna. 

Chapel of the Ascension

Being there in the cradle of our faith made my spirit soar. To see the rock from which Jesus ascended,

The Ascension Rock, a slab of stone believed to be the one Jesus stepped on
before ascending into heaven. It is said the impression on it is His right footprint.

the rock where He cooked fish for His disciples,

Mensa Christi or the "Table of Christ" at the altar of the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter.
It is the rock believed to be where Jesus cooked breakfast for His disciples
on His 3rd appearance after the Resurrection. 

the rock before which He knelt and sweat blood knowing the suffering that awaits Him

The Rock of Agony at the Church of All Nations

are more precious to behold than the most expensive rocks – diamonds – in the world.

Israel is known for its high quality diamonds but they pale in comparison
to the rocks that played significant roles in the life of Jesus. 

“Ultimate pilgrimage” because it was also Papa’s last trip abroad. In 2020, he suffered a stroke and would now at 91 find it more difficult to join a pilgrimage dragging his walker around. One thing I realized in this pilgrimage with him is that we should prioritize the Holy Land in our travel list. Papa traveled all over the globe in his day and yet put this off until he was quite old. He almost missed the most meaningful trip of his life.

In this first of a series of blogs on the Holy Land, I’d like to share what it’s like traveling with Super Seniors. No, not “Super” as in having superpowers and who wear their undies over their pants but those who would soon get a 100k cash gift from the government, the 20% discounters in the upper age bracket. Let’s call them the SuperS.

If you can manage it, I highly recommend not to wait until you or your parents are super seniors to go on this trip. But if you really can’t go earlier, here are traveling with SuperS tips gleaned from our misadventures to help you not just survive but enjoy the trip. 

Misadventure #1 – The MIA (Missing In the Airport) SuperS

When we landed in Istanbul to change planes, the flight attendant asked if the SuperS (there were 5 in our group) needed wheelchairs. My aunt, not feeling up to the long walk to the gate of our connecting flight, asked for one. Seeing the motorized wheelchair, we were confident she’d get to the gate way ahead of us. We thought she was the lucky one because the other members of the Wheelchair Gang who opted to walk made slow, tiring progress. Imagine our distress when my aunt was nowhere to be found when we got to the plane. Apparently, the wheelchair attendant dropped her off in the wrong place. Thankfully the airline crew was very helpful. They had my aunt’s whereabouts traced and sent a motorized airport employee to fetch her. She came onboard just a few minutes before takeoff!

Tip: Use the wheelchair, it’s very helpful in big airports but give clear instructions to your SuperS and the wheelchair attendant where to go and remind them about the flight details. Do not assume the attendant would know where to bring them.

Misadventure #2 – The MIA Combination

Related to the above wheelchair incident, here’s my own misadventure. Thinking I was being the thoughtful niece, I offered to bring my aunt’s carry-on luggage. I didn’t know how long the walk was since it was my first time in the Istanbul airport, so I struggled with 2 carry-ons the whole trek. Then, I had a face palm moment when we got to the boarding gate because there was a luggage check. At that time, they were strict with flights going to Israel. And silly me, I didn’t have the combination to my aunt’s bag. Good thing God didn’t allow additional harassments. It turned out my aunt didn’t lock her bag. Whew!

Tip: Put the SuperS’ carry-on in the wheelchair with them. It will save you both the trouble.

Misadventure #3 – MIAA (Missing In Another Airport)

Our second scare was after we got our luggage in Tel Aviv. The group was getting ready to go with the tour operator when, upon head count, we noticed Papa’s childhood friend was nowhere to be found! Someone noticed him leaving the baggage area. But again, God found His lost sheep. It was no coincidence he was noticed by our tour guide (whom the group hadn’t met yet at that time) looking lost, which he literally was, and had put him on the bus. So, there he was sitting pretty when we all boarded.

Tip: Strap an anti-lost leash on your SuperS while in the airports. Just kidding 😊 But do make it very clear to them not to wander away from the group. Ask a travel buddy to keep an eye on them if you have to go somewhere.

There was a last MIA episode on the first day of our pilgrimage but of a very light degree. Our tour guide took us, minus the SuperS, on a very, very (did I say very?) long walk - about 5 kilometers - through downtown Tel Aviv to the marketplace, Shuk HaCarmel. We survived the trek, but no one wanted to walk back anymore so the tour guide arranged for 3 taxis to the hotel. The first group went in a big taxi which looks like the Israeli version of our jeep. It had other passengers and the driver assured our tour guide the route passes the hotel. When the 2nd & 3rd group arrived, group 1 wasn’t in the hotel yet. It took quite a while till they got back. Their story: the driver dropped them off about a hundred meters away and just pointed them in the direction of the hotel.

It was a minor misadventure, but it inspired this reflection from Desi, one of our pilgrim-mates: The Lord will not allow any of His sheep to be lost. He is there to guide our lost brethren back, be it literally or spiritually.

Our first day in Israel was not only about getting lost but also of making our way after a loss. It's significant that our first stop was St. Peter’s Church in Jaffa.

St. Peter's Church in Jaffa which commemorates the raising of  Tabitha from the dead
and marks the traditional site of Peter's vision of the Great Sheet
(depicted on the painting in the altar) from Acts 10

Before we entered, our tour guide explained it was from Peter’s vision after losing Jesus that the universal church started. Bro Arun said this is meaningful to us as Feasters because it is our mission to bring home the unchurched. Cornelius in that reading was an unchurched who became a devout follower. Truly, God finds His lost sheep.

Other Traveling with SuperS Tips:

• ·        Safely secure the SuperS’ carry-on bags on top of a luggage with wheels. One of our SuperS tripped on a carry-on dangling from her luggage and almost fell headlong.
• ·        Liniment is life. Bring them! We were always last on the bus because of Papa’s aching knees. It would have relieved him a lot if I had some with me.
• ·       Make sure the SuperS’ shoes are very comfortable, preferably those with additional cushioning and arch support. Towards the middle of our pilgrimage, Papa gave up on his shoes and was a funny sight walking around in his friend’s aqua shoes with toes.

Papa in his borrowed aqua shoes

• ·        If you’re escorting your parent or another SuperS, I suggest you prepare for it physically. Do some workouts before the trip so you’re strong enough to assist them and be fit for long walks and climbs you may want to take on your own. In some places, Belle, my cousin and our tour operator, kept all the SuperS with her, treated them to ice cream while entertaining them with stories about the places they can’t climb so I was able to go uphill with the rest of the group.

And finally, savor the time you’ll get to spend with your SuperS. The Holy Land will make both of you realize what a great gift God has given us in His son.