Virtual Holy Land A Christian retreat and renewal centre

In the late fall of 2000, a couple of people on retreat wanted to walk the trails at Bethesda. They asked if there was any possibility of getting lost and our response was no. This question did raise the conversation with Lorna and I about creating a map of the trails. At first we were going to create a simple map with trails marked with colours (like cross country ski trails).

As I was walking the trails myself in late fall and thinking about the map idea, I had the thought of naming the trails along the lines of 'The Road to Damascus', the 'Road to Jerusalem', and so on. after all this land is Holy Ground and a Christian Retreat Centre. As we have many areas along the trail that are great places to stop and pray, I started getting the idea of making these stops named 'Damascus', 'Jerusalem', so that as you walked the 'Road' you could actually come to the 'City'. Possibly as one walked to the city, one could read the letters or scripture accounts associated with that city.

In a conversation with Larry and Sue (the previous host family), we asked about any trail maps, of which there were none, and we were told there was an aerial photo of the property (taken in 1982). I used the computer to scan in this picture and then went on the internet to find a map of the Holy Land so that I could overlay the cities to the Bethesda property and create the roads and cities in the rough geographical grid of the Holy Land. I found a map of Paul's Second Journey that had many of the cities in Acts and his letters identified. I overlaid the two, shrunk the Paulian map to fit Bethesda's wooded trails and oriented North to North. To view an enlarged version of the pictures, click on the thumbnail pictures. Warning that if you are on a dial up modem, the loading could take a minute or so.

In early March 2001, Rob O'Gorman came up to Bethesda and as we walked the trails in knee high snow, I described the dream that was starting to evolve. He loaned me a GPS (Global Positioning System) and I spent a number of hours over the next few weeks mapping out the property boundaries. In the late spring of 2001, another friend - Kevin - had a walking wheel that allowed us to measure the trails as we walked with the GPS system. We were 'blown away' to realize how exact the existing trails were with the Paulian map overlaid on Bethesda's property. We confess to using some creative licence in moving trails or cities slightly to meet the landscape. The biggest 'licence' was the positioning of Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Had we used the map scale, the cities would have been about 16 feet apart. So we stretched the distance to about 200 yards as we had the room in the open field.

We started making road signs, cleared more of the trails and designed a map. On Easter Saturday (March 30th) 2002, we hosted our first annual Holy Land Pilgrimage. The walk went from Galatia around the trails to Bethlehem and then onto Jerusalem. At Jerusalem we had erected a temporary cross, so that as people approached the empty cross on the day after 'Passion Friday', each was invited to meditate and pray.

Each year has seen changes to the land and the story. For the Holy Land walk in 2003, I (Ray) took some fallen cedar trees and using an axe, chopped and hewed the cross. It was an amazing experience thinking about the man who may have been chosen to make the cross for Christ's crucifixion and wondered if he even realized who would be killed on the cross that he made. Did he have family? Was he a centurion or a slave? After building the cross, and taking it by truck to the edge of the field, I unloaded it and slinging it over my shooulder, I started to carry it towards 'Jerusalem where it was to be erected. As I started to walk, the Ray Boltz song 'Watch the Lamb' jumped into my head and I heard "You, ...Carry the cross!" Suddenly the 'Virtual' Holy Land became very real and I wept and wept.

Many have stopped at the cross, in the middle of this wide open field, amidst the silence and felt the power of the Holy Spirit take this virtual Holy Land and make it real. What's your story? When will you make your own pilgrimage and encounter the living Christ? Visitors are advised to bring sturdy boots or waterproof boots (especially in late winter/early spring) if they want to hike. The trails can be wet.

There are many dreams yet to be realized and with God's grace and leading, we dream of people walking the trails and truly experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit through reading and meditating on God's word on their 'virtual pilgrimmage'.

•Use much of existing trails, keeps front land open to farming and other pursuits
Build up the low areas of the trail so that wet areas are not an obstacle
•Expand trails for longer or purposeful walks
•Clearings (with gazebo, fire pits or prayer shacks) can be ‘cities’ where one can go to read the letters, pray or hold services •
•Work with church teams to become ‘road crews’ to maintain trails
Expand the area around Nazareth, Jerusalem by;
- Digging a pond to be the 'Sea of Galilee'
- Dig a smaller pond to be the 'Dead Sea'
- Dig a ditch between the two seas to be the 'Jordan River'
- Add a pump system to keep the river flowing
- Using the pond dirt to build up a 'Mount of Olives' and 'Golgotha'
- Develop a 'Garden of Gethsemane'
- Build a tomb (under Golgotha)
- Add three crosses to Golgotha
•Become a ‘virtual Holy Land’ pilgrimage
•Create audio tapes on history or geography of that time for walkers
Have Bible on audio tapes available for walkers
•Show videos of Holy Land in barn before walks…

Yes the dreams are big, but 'With God all things are possible'.

If you would like to help with labour or donations, contact us.


	In the late fall of 2000, a couple of people on retreat wanted to walk the trails at Bethesda. They asked if there was any possibility of getting lost and our response was no. This question did raise the conversation with Lorna and I about creating a map of the trails. At first we were going to create a simple map with trails marked with colours (like cross country ski trails). As I was walking the trails myself in late fall and thinking about the map idea, I had the thought of naming the trails along the lines of 'The Road to Damascus', the 'Road to Jerusalem', and so on. after all this land is Holy Ground and a Christian Retreat Centre. As we have many areas along the trail that are great places to stop and pray, I started getting the idea of making these stops named 'Damascus', 'Jerusalem', so that as you walked the 'Road' you could actually come to the 'City'. Possibly as one walked to the city, one could read the letters or scripture accounts associated with that city. In a conversation with Larry and Sue (the previous host family), we asked about any trail maps, of which there were none, and we were told there was an aerial photo of the property (taken in 1982). I used the computer to scan in this picture and then went on the internet to find a map of the Holy Land so that I could overlay the cities to the Bethesda property and create the roads and cities in the rough geographical grid of the Holy Land. I found a map of Paul's Second Journey that had many of the cities in Acts and his letters identified. I overlaid the two, shrunk the Paulian map to fit Bethesda's wooded trails and oriented North to North. To view an enlarged version of the pictures, click on the thumbnail pictures. Warning that if you are on a dial up modem, the loading could take a minute or so. Bethesda Aerial Paul's 2nd Journey Map Overlaid on Aerial Jerusalem 3 Crosses In February 2001, I had the privilege of going to the Holy Land and witnessed the tragedy of the Intifada and struggles of all peoples in this area. My time there was an eye and spirit opening pilgrimage. After I returned, many of my friends told me that they would never go until there was peace in the Holy Land and this is another tragedy. I then started to dream that if people wouldn't go to the Holy Land physically, maybe they could go there Virtually and Spiritually by walking the 'Holy Land Trails' at Bethesda. In early March 2001, Rob O'Gorman came up to Bethesda and as we walked the trails in knee high snow, I described the dream that was starting to evolve. He loaned me a GPS (Global Positioning System) and I spent a number of hours over the next few weeks mapping out the property boundaries. In the late spring of 2001, another friend - Kevin - had a walking wheel that allowed us to measure the trails as we walked with the GPS system. We were 'blown away' to realize how exact the existing trails were with the Paulian map overlaid on Bethesda's property. We confess to using some creative licence in moving trails or cities slightly to meet the landscape. The biggest 'licence' was the positioning of Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Had we used the map scale, the cities would have been about 16 feet apart. So we stretched the distance to about 200 yards as we had the room in the open field. We started making road signs, cleared more of the trails and designed a map. On Easter Saturday (March 30th) 2002, we hosted our first annual Holy Land Pilgrimage. The walk went from Galatia around the trails to Bethlehem and then onto Jerusalem. At Jerusalem we had erected a temporary cross, so that as people approached the empty cross on the day after 'Passion Friday', each was invited to meditate and pray. First (temporary) cross @ Jerusalem Each year has seen changes to the land and the story. For the Holy Land walk in 2003, I (Ray) took some fallen cedar trees and using an axe, chopped and hewed the cross. It was an amazing experience thinking about the man who may have been chosen to make the cross for Christ's crucifixion and wondered if he even realized who would be killed on the cross that he made. Did he have family? Was he a centurion or a slave? After building the cross, and taking it by truck to the edge of the field, I unloaded it and slinging it over my shooulder, I started to carry it towards 'Jerusalem where it was to be erected. As I started to walk, the Ray Boltz song 'Watch the Lamb' jumped into my head and I heard "You, ...Carry the cross!" Suddenly the 'Virtual' Holy Land became very real and I wept and wept. Many have stopped at the cross, in the middle of this wide open field, amidst the silence and felt the power of the Holy Spirit take this virtual Holy Land and make it real. What's your story? When will you make your own pilgrimage and encounter the living Christ? Visitors are advised to bring sturdy boots or waterproof boots (especially in late winter/early spring) if they want to hike. The trails can be wet. There are many dreams yet to be realized and with God's grace and leading, we dream of people walking the trails and truly experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit through reading and meditating on God's word on their 'virtual pilgrimmage'. The Ongoing Dream •Use much of existing trails, keeps front land open to farming and other pursuits Build up the low areas of the trail so that wet areas are not an obstacle •Expand trails for longer or purposeful walks •Clearings (with gazebo, fire pits or prayer shacks) can be ‘cities’ where one can go to read the letters, pray or hold services • •Work with church teams to become ‘road crews’ to maintain trails Expand the area around Nazareth, Jerusalem by; Digging a pond to be the 'Sea of Galilee' Dig a smaller pond to be the 'Dead Sea' Dig a ditch between the two seas to be the 'Jordan River' Add a pump system to keep the river flowing Using the pond dirt to build up a 'Mount of Olives' and 'Golgotha' Develop a 'Garden of Gethsemane' Build a tomb (under Golgotha) Add three crosses to Golgotha •Become a ‘virtual Holy Land’ pilgrimage •Create audio tapes on history or geography of that time for walkers Have Bible on audio tapes available for walkers •Show videos of Holy Land in barn before walks… Yes the dreams are big, but 'With God all things are possible'. If you would like to help with labour or donations, contact us.
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