Author: Jenny Visick

Update from Jackie on Wilson’s 96th

Hello everyone,

Before I forget details just wanted to send out an update on our very busy and successful weekend of July 15 and 16.

We held the first ‘Jesus Atlas’ Workshop on Sat the 15 of July. We started at 10:00 am and went till around 5:00. There were a total of 15 in attendance although, all were not able to attend all day, which brought us to around 11 at any given time.

Dad started with an intro to the project, which had it’s beginning during the time he was recovering from Lymphoma. He wanted to memorize the events in the life of Christ from beginning to end.

As you can imagine memorizing 212 events cold turkey was difficult. He tried various different ways of organizing the material including his own version of a Gospel Harmony, but it was still an uphill climb. Finally recalling his map reading skills as a Missionary Jungle Pilot, he came unto the idea of dividing the life of Christ into the various journeys Jesus had taken during his life and using those journeys as a way to memorize the events that occurred along the way. This seemed to do the trick and the Jesus Atlas was born! It consists of 32 maps with 212 events. Each event is represented by a 2 1/8 inch circle picture created by an artist my Dad met while on a research trip to Israel. With the help of the maps, journeys, locations, pictures and scriptures, it becomes possible to remember the order of the events in Jesus’s life and consequently get to know and understand him, Jesus, on a more personal and deeper level.

All together there are 32 maps with 212 events. One quarter or 8 of the maps are completely finished. The others are at various stages of completion.

Our workshop concentrated on going through the first 8 to demonstrate the ability to hold in our memory the unfolding of Christ’s ministry for the goal of knowing HIM.

We’re aiming for total completion of all the maps and pictures by the end of next year (2024). We covet your prayers towards this goal.

My sister – came out early to help me and my daughter set things up; -, My brother and his wife – and my son – arrived the evening before; – my other sister and her husband – were hoping to be here but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. They were stuck on the tarmac at the airport for most of the day and finally the flight was cancelled.

Despite odds and ends of glitches, we had a great day! We all agreed it went better then any of us had expected.

On Sunday afternoon, a few more friends dropped in and we celebrated his 96th Birthday !

We are praying for God to keep him with us through the end of next year so he can see this project through the finish line.

Hoping this gives you a little more insight on what’s happening in the Blackwelder household.

– Jackie for all the extended family (There are 40 of us now with 2 graduated to Heaven and 2 on the way to earth)

Israel Trip 2016

Looking down on Mary's Well in Nazareth
Looking down on Mary’s Well in Nazareth

JENNY: The big news here at the Jesus Atlas project is that we in Israel, midway through the fourth “location scouting” trip! The goal is to research, confirm & photograph the most probable locations of events in Jesus’ life.

While this is Wilson’s fourth trip to the area, it is my first. (Perhaps we’ll post flashbacks to previous trips a little later). I’m no stranger to international travel, but there have been some firsts for me on this trip so far. First time being extensively interviewed before being able to check bags (hello El Al security), first time driving in a foreign country… (Roundabouts are fun… Turning around on steep narrow windy roads with cars parked on both sides and pedestrians in the street, not so much.)

But I digress. On to the itinerary. We stayed three days at the Jerusalem Hills Inn at Abu Ghosh (Modern day Abu Ghosh is a possible location of Emmaus, where Jesus surprised two of his followers after the resurrection.) Great little B&B, by the way. Lovely view and friendly hosts. Plus, driving up their “street” is like a mini-course in mountain driving skills, which seem to be necessary here. I did not realize how many hills there are here… There I go talking about driving again.

After a day exploring Abu Ghosh and the second day zipping around (and sitting in traffic) in Jerusalem, we attended the Narkis street Baptist Church on Sunday and went out to lunch with friends afterward. One cannot stay too long with friends not seen in years, especially when discussing the Jesus Atlas project (and other things). That lunch lasted 4 hours…

Then it was on to Netanya, Nain, & Safed; and (today) Nazareth. I asked Vo to summarize the Jesus Atlas location work on this trip so far.

WILSON:

  1. We photographed the location of Bethphage.
  2. We retraced the route of the Roman highway to Jericho as it descended from the Mount of Olives (it was very steep) to the conjunction with Highway 1 which parallels the Roman road.
  3.  We also drove down the very steep Tyropean Valley Road – this would be where Jesus entered first-century Jerusalem in his triumphal procession.
  4. We photographed the only spring in Nazareth – where Mary would have drawn water while living there. A church now surrounds the spring, and the water is piped to a fountain nearby (photo).
  5.  From the Mount of Precipice just outside Nazareth,  we got a full picture of the location and relationship of Nazareth to the Jezreel Valley, Mount Tabor, and the city of Nein (Nain) at the foot of the hill of Moreh.
  6. We photographed some steps leading up to the Western Wall in Jerusalem along with the paved area nearby, which is the most likely place for Jesus to have been judged by Pilate.

JENNY: That’s all for now… We’ll try to post again tomorrow. 😀