- "Our church is taking
a tour to the Holy Land and I am planning to go.
The girl I have been dating is planning to go too.
I am still praying for God’s guidance but was
considering proposing to her on this trip.
Maybe at the site of the wedding in Cana. I
am a planner and wanted to begin my research in
advance so if this were possible, I would be ready
way before I get there.
My question would be your thoughts on that or are
there other places that would have more meaning?
I love that married couples renew their vows there
but we are not married yet. Where would be a
good location to begin our journey together?"
M.D. Tennessee
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How nice! What a great idea to propose on your
holy land pilgrimage. The first thing is to
coordinate in advance with your pastor, the one who
will be leading the trip. He will have
speaking time at various of the sites and he could
lead up to you making your proposal. If I were
you, I would speak to him about two to four weeks
before the tour, so he could put some thought into
it. And then you will have to be flexible, to
be ready. If it doesn't work out at one venue,
then the second. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Courtyard of the Wedding Church in
Cana where Jesus turned water to wine |
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The Cana church is a great venue if you are Catholic
and a mass is planned. Seeing as you will be coming
in peak season, the space outside the church which
others who are not Catholic use, will be crowded and
not private. Here are some alternatives:
The Mount of Beatitudes where we remember Jesus
giving the Sermon on the Mount. It is a lovely spot
and more than likely your group can gather in a
private spot. You can study the Sermon on the Mount
beforehand (Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7) and draw
something out as inspiration. |
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Photo courtesy of Tom Holdman |
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Mount of Beatitudes commemorating
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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The Mount of Beatitudes is under
the left side of the rainbow |
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Another possibility is the boat ride on the Sea of
Galilee. You would need to check in advance whether
your group will be the only one on the boat. Then
when the boat stops in the middle of the sea and and
the captain turns off the engine, you could surprise
your "intended" (and the group!) with your proposal. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Wooden boat on the Sea of Galilee |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee as
seen from Tiberias |
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You could say she is the one you have chosen to ride
out the storms of life with the help of Jesus. And
you could bring some music (gospel or church music)
that summarizes your relationship (and your hopes)
and play it over the boat audio system, or even have
the group sing it. "What a Friend we have in Jesus"
is a good choice or "How Great Thou Art." Perhaps
you could play her favorite hymn. There are many
romantic and creative possibilities here. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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A fisherman casting his net out
into the Sea of Galilee |
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Or you could propose on the two thousand year old Temple Steps. They are
outside the Temple Mount, below the southern wall. There is a lot of room and private space. You'll be
on the steps where pilgrims in the time of Jesus
ascended to the Temple. They joyfully sang the Song
of Ascents. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Hulda Gates in the southern Temple
wall once led into the Temple Mount |
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My favorite is psalm 126 – a happy psalm: "When the
Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were
like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with
laughter and our tongue with singing. Then they said
among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things
for them.' The Lord has done great things for us and
we are glad." |
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Yet another possibility, at the end of the tour would be
the Garden Tomb where your group will have some
reflection time. Again you will need to coordinate
this with your pastor. Usually the group takes
communion at the Garden Tomb. The theme at the empty
tomb is the burial and resurrection of Jesus. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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The Garden Tomb outside
Jerusalem's Old City |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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The Garden Tomb is empty! |
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I hope I have given you some good ideas. Good luck
with your proposal. One thing you might want to arrange, in
addition, is to have flowers put in her hotel room
after you propose. You can arrange this with the
hotel or the guide a day or two beforehand or even
afterwards. |
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I'm sorry that I am not the guide of your tour. I LOVE
arranging this type of happy event on tour. Your
group will love being included and "the proposal"
will be one of the highlights of the pilgrimage for
everyone! |
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Copyright 2020 Gila Yudkin. Permission
needed for any reuse. |
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Coming to Jerusalem this
year? Does the hustle and bustle of
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Gila's Guide
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