I come from two young countries — born in Taiwan and now living in Australia. Both are just a little over a hundred years old.

Australia’s landscapes hold stories of ancient Indigenous culture, but as a nation, it’s still young. Taiwan, too, has a more modern history of its own. Growing up between these two places, I was used to thinking of “old” as maybe a few hundred years — a heritage building, an old temple, or a colonial street. But standing in Israel shifted my whole sense of time. Suddenly, I wasn’t looking at preserved history — I was walking through it. Every stone, every hill, every olive tree seemed to carry whispers of stories thousands of years old.

Israel, on the other hand, is the very first truly ancient land I’ve ever visited — a place where biblical history, archaeology, and faith all meet. Everywhere we walked, we were surrounded by the layers of biblical sites in Israel, from desert ruins to cities mentioned in Scripture. It was exciting — but honestly, a little overwhelming too.

The April photo in my 2026 Israel Calendar was taken at Tel Dor National Park, one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in Israel. It happened to be the very first day of our guided tour — and what a way to begin! The Mediterranean shimmered in the distance, the air was salty and warm, and the whole place carried that mix of history and peace that’s hard to describe. I had no idea yet how much this little corner of Israel would speak to me about God’s promises that never fade.

Tel Dor is one of the largest archaeological sites in Israel — holding over 4,000 years of history.

It’s about 33 kilometers south of Haifa, right along the coast. Back in the day, this was a bustling Canaanite port city before being taken over by the Sea Peoples — yep, those Philistines from the Bible!

You can still see ancient walls, broken pottery, and what used to be parts of the harbor. It’s crazy to think these ruins once echoed with footsteps, laughter, and maybe even the sound of kids chasing each other between market stalls.

To be real with you — names like Canaanite and Philistine always felt far away from me. They sounded like storybook words or history-class names I probably daydreamed through. I never imagined I’d one day stand where they actually lived, worked, and walked — it felt surreal.

But walking Tel Dor with a Bible teacher changed everything.

As we stood on the hill overlooking the sea, our guide opened Scripture and pointed out verses that mentioned Dor. He explained how it was one of King Solomon’s regional centers — part of Israel’s territory during his reign (1 Kings 4:11).

I remember thinking, Wait a second… this isn’t just some random ruin. I’m literally standing in a place that’s written in the Bible! That thought gave me goosebumps.

God once told Abraham:

“For all the land that you see I will give it to you and your offspring forever.”— Genesis 13:15

And honestly, “forever” really does mean forever. Empires have come and gone, rulers have risen and fallen, but Israel still stands — just like God said it would.

It’s one thing to read that verse, but standing there, feeling the ancient dust under your shoes… it’s another thing entirely.

As you look at this month’s photo, take a little pause.

Let it remind you that God’s Word isn’t just history — it’s happening right now. His faithfulness didn’t stop thousands of years ago. It’s still unfolding, still alive, still strong.

🙏 Pray for Israel — for peace, for protection, for hearts to know their Messiah.
🌍 Pray for the nations — that more eyes would see how alive His promises are.
💛 Pray for yourself — that your faith would be anchored like those stones at Tel Dor, weathered by time but unshaken.

The same God who kept His word to Abraham is the same God writing your story today. His faithfulness didn’t end in the Bible — it’s walking right beside you, wave after wave, year after year.

That’s the beauty of Tel Dor to me.
It’s more than ruins.
It’s a living reminder that God’s promises never fade — they just keep standing, just like this land.

Bring the beauty of Tel Dor and the faithfulness of God’s promises into your home with the Israel Calendar 2026.
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