A blessed Trip!

I was asked to describe a happy memory for one of my job applications and this is what I came up with.

It is difficult to explain just one single happy memory as there are so many happy memories.

But if can think of one, its from my trip to the Holy Land. It was a 5-day trip with my parents in the year 2009. It was a trip organized by our local Church and it was something we had been looking forward for a very long time. There are two days in this trip that stood out to me and touched me the most, making it the most memorable and miraculous trip so far.

A priest was supposed to accompany us on this trip, but due to the tensions at the time in Israel, he dropped out at the last minute, but we still moved on with the plan and it was the best decision ever.

 Our first stop was Jericho, we had a lovely lunch buffet, the thing I remember the most is the taste of fruits there. It was just amazing; I haven’t tasted such amazing fruits in my life, and I still haven’t found something that matches that taste. And then we took a lovely zip line trip to The Monastery of Temptation, and I have always wondered how hard they would have worked to set up the monastery on the edge of a cliff in the 6th Century when no modern construction techniques weren’t available. Its amazing to see the intricate work and hardwork involved in the construction and I really appreciate every person who put their heart and mind into making the Monastery a reality.

 The second day was even more miraculous. Walking the banks of Sea of Galilee during sun rise was a dream. A nice, quiet, meditative walk which brought in a lot of perspective and a new outlook to life. From there we headed to visit River Jordon, the place where Jesus was Baptized. Since we didn’t have a Priest with us, we knew we wouldn’t have the chance to renew our Baptismal vows. But God works in miraculous ways when we least expect it. It was the most touching moment in my life when a group of people with a Priest saw our helplessness and agreed to help us renew our vows. I don’t know if I will be able to explain the kind of emotions that I went through at that point. It was the most touching gesture we had received during our trip, and it was a dream to be able to renew our vows at river Jordon. I remember coming out after the renewal and hugging my dad and there were tears of joy in my eyes and my dad knew exactly how I felt at that very moment, and he left me feel what I felt. When I look back today, I know nothing can replace that memory. It was the most joyful I felt in a very long time. I would say out of the 5 days that we spend there, this was the most touching memory I have and something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

When life rewards you with the most unexpected gifts, that’s the happiest memory you will ever have. I know this has been that happy memory that I would shout out to the world no matter how old I get.