Southlake couple rushes to get out of Jerusalem as war ensues
SOUTHLAKE, Texas - A North Texas couple spent the last couple of days trying to get out of Jerusalem and back to North Texas.
Back home in North Texas, Southlake couple Greg and Sharon Bowdish returned to DFW on a flight Tuesday morning.
"As we were leaving the airport in Tel Aviv, we could hear the bombs going off, sirens and bombs," Greg said.
They were in Israel on a trip that started Oct. 3. It was intended to be a peaceful, reflective 12-day mission throughout the holy land.
"Got there Friday night and woke up Saturday morning to sirens and the bombs in the attacks," Greg said.
Cell phone video shows the massively crowded airport in Tel Aviv in the midst of several scheduled and canceled flights.
The husband and wife were a distance from the most intense violence in the Gaza strip but close enough to feel and hear the violent showdown between Hamas and Israeli forces as it was happening. They photographed a sign warning of the military zone and possible mortal danger beyond it.
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"You could see the rockets flying in the air. In the Israeli defense system are domes hit the rockets and blow them up," Greg said. "Everybody was on the highway. All the cars pulled over. It was like the locals knew what to do. Everybody got out of their cars, including us, and just hit the ground and stayed face down until the bombing stopped."
"This was normal for them, and we are experiencing it like something as if a tornado was happening but realizing missiles and bombs are going off," Sharon said.
Sharon and Greg are feeling fortunate and emotional to be back in North Texas.
"All I could think of was everybody back home, trying to say the Lord’s prayer over and over and couldn’t think of the words at first, but I did. I just repeated the Lord’s prayer over and over trying not to cry, just so surreal."
"I’m grateful for God’s grace. I am grateful for God’s grace and my family," Greg said.