Spices, Vegtables, and Bread

How about some spices from Jerusalem (a creative tower of spices)...

or some vegtables (what a sweet lady)...

...and some bread (Yum...love the bread here).

Petra

Our Jordan/Petra trip was amazing. After walking for a kilometer through a narrow gorge, it opened up into the city of Petra, which was inhabitated by the Nabataeans, an Arab people, 2000 years ago during the time of Christ. They lived here for over 400 years, carving their city into the sandstone cliffs, making temples, arched gateways, theaters, tombs, etc. and the most famous monument, The Treasury (pictured above). It truly is one of the New Wonders of the World.

District Youth Activity in Haifa

Haifa
Tanner at the gravesite of LDS missionary
Baha'i Gardens
Playing games at the Becksteads apartment
Anteater game--save Tanner!
The youth of Israel

The Master Teacher

Here he is--doing what he loves the most--teaching!! And what better way to do it--On the site. See that smile on his face, and the thumb is up. He is thinking, "This is the greatest thing ever." We are at the Sorek Valley--one of the five valleys of the Judean Shephelah. Sampson was reared in the Sorek Valley and this provides the setting for the Sampson narratives in the Book of Judges. Beth Shemesh, a fortified Israelite town in the Sorek Valley, was a safeguard for the valley against Philistine. When the Philistines suffered for possessing the Ark of the Covenant, they put it on a cart and directed the animals toward the city of Beth Shemesh. Fun stories to tell here.

Therapy and Stress Relievers

Making homemade cinnamon rolls relieves some stress

Tanner getting some stress relief

I found some cookies and cream ice

cream. And a big bottle of coke has

become essential.
And see Eliza'a cute picture--that

makes us happy.

Putting a puzzel together is relaxing therapy

Driving in Jerusalem is quite the stressful ordeal. I take a deep breath, clench my fists to the steering wheel and head out. I say to myself, "I don't really want to do this." And then the thought comes back to haunt me-- the thing I always said to my kids--"You don't have to want to."

Traffic laws here, and signs, and signals are just a "suggestion" of how to drive. The light signals turn yellow before the red light AND before the green light--at which time everyone behind you starts honking. It is like they are trying to create a honking melody. Cars nudge into your lane at no warning. Scooters and people appear in front of you out of nowhere. You should never plan on going anywhere in a hurry, as the traffic is always busy. All cars have dents and scratches. (I wonder why) If you get lost, (which I have done often) there is no where to pull over to rest your mind and figure out where you are. You just keep going around and around listening to the honking melodies until at last you see the "Mt. Scopus" sign and you heave a sigh of relief because you know you are headed in the direction of "home"-- even if you never found where you wanted to go.

And if you are lucky and find where you wanted to go, don't shout "hur-ray" too fast because---Where do you park??!! " To lose yourself is to find yourself " is my new motto. I know the more I get lost, the more I will find my way around. It just has to happen.

In the meantime we need some "stress relievers and therapy."

Shopping in Jerusalem

G

"Yuppie" Mall Grocery Store

Old City

Shopping in the Old City is amazing--street after street, alley after alley, winding here and there--shop after shop--and everything and anything to buy. And shop keeper after shop keeper yelling, "I make you a good deal. Come and look." There are people and language of every kind. You could wander for hours and get lost and when you find your way out and walk a little ways you can find yourself in the "Yuppie Mall"--a very fancy and up to date shopping plaza, with a brand new Gap store. Which do I like best? The Old City is definitely more interesting and where I have a yearning to go back to over and over. But I do like the clean bathrooms in the "Yuppie Mall."

And grocery shopping is another adventure. I miss the nice big parking lots and parking that don't cost money, the wide aisles to go up and down, baskets that you don't have to put a 5 sheckle in to use it. The other day I walked in a grocery store and a man sitting at the door said something to me in either Arabic or Hebrew. I didn't know what he was saying. Finally a lady behind me said, "He wants to search your bag." Ok--that is a new one too.

"Walking in the Footsteps of Peter, Andrew, and Philip"

Bethsiada, located on shores of the Sea of Galilee, was the home to three of Jesus's apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip (possibly the home of Nathanael as well). As Iwalked along the cardo of the village I was reminded of Andrew's declaration to his brother Peter, "we have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ," (John 1:41). Not all knowledge is of equal value and to know that Jesus is the Christ is the greatest knowlege one can posses. I testify along with Andrew, "come with me, for I have found the Messiah."