This is our friend, Abdullahim. He is our local street cleaner that I have been sharing lunch with for many months now. He is from Bangladesh. He misses his wife and daughter back in Bangladesh. The other day I was going through some old magazines to give away and I stumbled upon this Christianity Today on the bottom of the pile. I looked at it and had chills. This image of Jesus looked just like my friend Abdullahim to me. I stared at for a long time thinking about what God was showing me in this. you may not see any resemblance, but I think it wasn't necessarily about that. I believe it was God showing me who I was sharing cold water with and God revealing to me to not lose hope. Today I said to the children "Say Masalaama (goodbye) to Abdullahim." He spoke in Hindi to our housekeeper, Francisca, "Ma'am remembers my name!" I did not get the translation until he had smiled broadly. I assured him that I indeed remembered his name, in fact I may never forget him and pray for him and his family for the rest of my days. Please pray for Abdullahim and his family. Pray that I will be able to show Christ's love to him. God is working even in Kuwait, may he alone be glorified!!!

MATTHEW 10:40-42

40 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.

It has been over a month since we went to the Mount of Olives. I have been so busy with caring for my five kids, now that school is out for summer. I am sorry to be behind on my blogging, but I have to engage the children otherwise they wake me up at 4:00am saying "I can't fall back to sleep, Mom!" I guess better late than never, right?

The morning we spent on the Mount Of Olives was just gorgeous. I am so glad to have spent time there. We spent time at The Church of The Pater Noster(In English :The Church Of Our Father), enjoying the view of Jerusalem, saw the Garden of Gethsame, and visited the Church of Mary Magdalene.

On this morning in Jerusalem we had three children with us, Grace, Faith and Timmy. Luke was not feeling well and Hope had been up most of the night before, so we choose the three with the most energy : )

The church of the Pater Noster was so amazing to see. It is believed to be the site where Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer to his followers or the "Our Father" prayer. The unique aspect of this church is the large tiles that line the walls of the entrance, grounds and the chapel. Each grouping of tiles has The Lord's Prayer written on it. There are over one hundred different languages. Some of our favorites to stumble upon were Cherokee, Swahili, Lugandan and Arabic. We had to take a photo of the kids by English (Anglais in French, it is a French church) and we took a photo of Timothy by Lugandan which they speak in Uganda where he was born.

After visiting the Church of The Pater Noster we drove around the hillside to see the spectacular views of Jerusalem. We made a friend with a Palestinian man who welcomed us on his property and took our photo altogether with Jerusalem in the background. He shared with us about a park within walking distance of his property that was a place where many Christians visited to sit and pray. We strolled out there and looked over the city that Jesus loved. I was able to get a crash course from our new friend about growing an olive tree. The photo of the olive tree is on his property. This was a nice time that was unexpected stop.

The views from Jerusalem from the hillside were truly breathtaking. I can see why Jesus came up here to pray and look over the city that would be destroyed after he was back home in heaven. I couldn't help but think of his second coming and the joy I will have at that time. I could truly feel my heart break for Jerusalem with all it's history, hate, war and sadness. While on the Mountain I wanted to scream the truth, I wanted all to know what Jesus did for them, and I wanted peace for the whole world. I could feel Jesus sadness for this part of the world and the condition we find ourselves in as humans.

Our next stop of the morning was the Garden of Gethsemane. What a special place this was. It contains many old Olive trees there and it is the traditional site that Jesus is supposed to have prayed for God's will on the night of his arrest. It is also believed to be a place that Jesus and his disciples visited often. This is supposed to be the place where Judas betrayed Jesus leading to his arrest, torture, death and (most important) his resurrection. This garden was the beginning of something that God had foretold from the beginning of time. It was very humbling and awesome to be here. I am aware that this may not be the exact spot. But, again I used this time to focus on what Jesus went through during this time. I was able to picture the time in my mind's eye while contemplating the garden.



Grace stands next to the rock it is believed Jesus prayed on the night of his arrest.

The Church of St. Mary Magdalene was a beautiful sight. As we went inside we were treated to a choir singing a hymn in English. We all enjoyed the artwork contained in the sanctuary. My favorite was the stained glass windows and beautiful ceiling tiles.

After we spent some time listening in the church we went back out to Gethsemane. I was excited to see my favorite flower the Hollyhock. This was an amazing morning and I was blessed to see it all with my own eyes. Some may ask "Were you afraid to be visiting Jerusalem?" There were moments of fear, but honestly when you live in another Middle Eastern country, it puts a great deal in prospective. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for our family. We were greeted by the Israelis with kindness and hospitality. God is beginning to teach me that fear is futile. If it is my time to go home to heaven, I will not avoid it by worrying or living frozen by fear. I am not saying I invite danger. I just realize my place in the world and I trust God to provide in any and all circumstances. Those circumstances lately have been vacationing in two "war" zones, driving in Kuwait(talk about taking your life in your hands) and living abroad with five children. God protected us and we were able to see the city that he loved and grieved for. If you have a chance to see Jerusalem, do it! Soon, I will take you to the Sea Of Galilee, The Jordan River and the city of Nazareth.

This was one of my favorite locations in Jerusalem. By the time we arrived at "The Garden Tomb" we were hot, very sweaty, tired and thirsty. We had walked the streets of Jerusalem and had been begged to buy too many cheap trinkets for too long. We needed to be away from the similar religious craziness that Jesus was fighting against in his time, we needed to walk with Him in the garden.

I will be totally honest here, I am an Evangelical Protestant Christian. I see the world through that lens and it makes everything clear to me because of my relationship with Christ. The Garden Tomb was a place for me to connect with God and contemplate his sacrifice for me. From the moment I walked in I was at peace, not because I knew 100% that Jesus was buried and rose from the dead here in this exact spot, but because I could leave the noise of the city and focus on God. It reminded me of Jesus leaving the people, the hustle and bustle of his life and going to the garden to pray. I may never know if this is the place where Jesus lay dead and three days later was resurrected, but that was not the most important part for me. It was an opportunity to focus on His life, His sacrifice and His AMAZING grace!

We were able to see the place where there is evidence of a burial around the time of Jesus' life. The tomb is carved out of the rock and the place where the body was laid was carved inside of that area.

In 1883, near to the Damascus Gate, Major-General Charles George Gordon CB found a rocky escarpment (now situated just behind a Palestinian bus station), which from several angles resembled the face of a skull; since one of the possible etymologies for Golgotha is the Aramaic word for skull, and may refer to the shape of the place, Gordon concluded that the rocky escarpment was likely to have been Golgotha. (Taken from Wikipedia HERE)

There will always be arguments over the validity of The site at The Church of The Holy Sepulchre and the Garden Tomb. It was an amazing blessing to be privileged enough to see the area and picture the time in my mind. This is definitely one of the most popular places for Protestant Christians in the city. Our families favorite truth of the site came as we were preparing to exit the tomb. The sign on the door of the Tomb reads " He is not here, For He is RISEN!"

Ultimately that is the message of the quite and peaceful garden, the message that I pray the world understands and accepts before he returns for the second time. If this is the place he was buried, or if the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the true location, or if it is another unmarked spot, it does not change my belief in the Risen Jesus Christ! He isn't in the tomb anymore, he doesn't hang on the cross still, He is the one true hero of my life and he has been victorious over my struggles with sin. Someday I hope to ask Him where the location was that He was buried, but then someday I hope to ask Him many things : ) It was nice on this day to just refresh and walk in the garden with my Risen Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is what God brought to mind while I was in the garden. One of my favorite hymns:

IN THE GARDEN words & music by C Austin Miles

Verse 1 I come to the garden alone,

While the dew is still on the roses;

And the voice I hear,

Falling on my ear,

The Son of God discloses.

Chorus: And he walks with me And He talks with me,

And He tells me I am his own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

Verse 2 He speaks and the sound of His voice Is so sweet

the birds hush their singing;

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

Chorus

Verse 3 I'd stay in the garden with Him,

Tho' the night around me be falling,

But He bids me go; Thro' the voice of woe His voice to me is calling.

Chorus

I still can't believe we were able to visit Israel. It was an amazing experience and I thank God for the opportunity to see where his son was born, lived, died and was resurrected. We flew in Jerusalem very late at night on our first day of travel so the next day we just explored the neighborhood our apartment was in. We went out to eat lunch and enjoyed the cool (when compared to Kuwait) temperatures.








On our first day of sightseeing we decided we would drive our two rental cars to Masada (click on Masada to read the history of this amazing place)and the Dead Sea. We took the tram up to the top of the Plateau. It was very HOT when we arrived at the top. We saw the top of Masada pretty quickly due to the fact that there is minimal shade and no air conditioning. After hiking around the top Masada viewing the Synagogue, the ancient Cisterns, The watchtower, and the areas where the Jewish zealots lived, I was tired and hot. We had planned that Kelly, myself and the three oldest kids would hike down Masada. I took one look at the tram at the top and said "I am taking that down". Faith followed my lead and said she would like to have a big drink of water and an ice cream at the bottom. Kelly, Grace and Luke made the trek down Masada. They all did a great job!! It was VERY hot and humid that day. When our three hikers made it to the bottom of the Plateau, Grace looked like her face was on fire. She was bright red and drenched in sweat. Both she and Luke were real troopers and I am glad they did this fun thing with their Dad. I must admit, I am equally glad I took the tram down and watched a movie about Masada while eating Ice Cream. With everyone hydrated and tired we drove off to find the Israel side of The Dead Sea.




The Dead Sea is something I have wanted to see since I was little and learned about it in Vacation Bible School. I always wondered what it would look like. Can you tell from far away it is basically "dead" and filled with salt? In a word, NO! It is amazingly a beautiful aquamarine color and looks very refreshing on a hot day. The kids had been asking all day long "When are we going swimming in the Dead Sea?" Needless to say the anticipation was built. Before we arrived I kept thinking, there might be some disappointment as far as the "swimming" in the Dead Sea. We pushed on and arrived at the beach in the later afternoon.



The picture of the UN SUV was taken to show you how commonly on both legs of our vacation we saw UN vehicles. We really vacationed in two "war" zones and the UN was everywhere. We went through so many check points in Israel it was hard to keep track of which part of the country we were in. We were in Palestinian territory at some points and always felt safe in both areas. People were all very helpful. There was only one time I felt uncomfortable and it was when we drove through the Muslim area of Jerusalem. We were trying to get out of the city and home to our apartment. We were winding around on these small streets up and down little hills. The next thing I know we turn to the left and WHAM, in front of us is a forty foot wall topped with barbed wire and shards of broken glass. Kelly and I are communicating this whole time via "walkie talkies" while driving. I immediately radio to him "I don't think we are supposed to be here and we both know what that wall is!" My husband is so relaxed, he says "Oh, no problem we will turn around up here." As we drive by the wall it has graffiti written in spray paint all over it. Some that I noticed as my flight or fight response was kicking in were "Free Palestine" "No More Occupation" and many things I don't care to repeat on the blog. As we drive by the wall, mouth agape, we come up a hill to a gate. Standing at the gate are two young men in uniforms with large semi -automatic machine guns. Kelly rolls down his window and asks if we can go through the gate because we are trying to get out of the city. He asks"Are any of you Hebrew?" "No" Kelly replies and then someone in the back seat of his car chooses this moment to pipe up and ask "Dad, I'm hungry can we eat something?" The gate guards proceed to offer our children something to eat. He offers them all yogurt. Our kids refuse the yogurt with a scowl. The guards very kindly tell us we might want to turn around. We immediately acquiesce! I have already begun training the children that if you are offered food by someone with a gun take it and thank them with a smile : ) This trip was rarely boring!!!





I digress, now back to the Dead Sea. We all had to change our clothes in a shower room and then we were off to the beach. On our way to the water I had told the children for the millionth time not to get this water in their eyes because it will sting. Swimming in our family is never a spectator sport and rarely undertaken at a leisurely relaxed pace. I should have known this would cause some problems. At this point in the day all our tired and cranky. Kelly and I are trying to encourage them and show grace as far as some children's attitudes. Finally the moment has arrived. We all get into the water, except for Daddy, he is going to take some video and photos. Grace and Faith are in the water doing the "floating" thing with ease. Luke, Timmy, Hope and I are the next to enter the crystal clear salt bath. I immediately sit down with the babies and say let's sit here and try out the water. The next thing I know I hear someone splashing wildly in the water next to me, before I can look to see who has not heeded my warning I hear" I AM BLIND, AHHHHHHHH, I AM BLIND!!!!! I AM BLIND, OH NO, AHHHHH. HELP ME!!!!!"



Before I go further with this story I must explain something. Luke has ALWAYS had extra sensitive eyes. If he gets anything in his eyes he goes crazy with screeching and crying. I remember the first time he got Lake Michigan sand in his eyes, you would have thought he had broken a bone the way he shreeked. I am sure because of this little explanation you can ascertain who went head first into the Dead Sea.



As our oldest son is screeching, moaning and blindly groping for the shore, Kelly comes to his aid. I must admit that Kelly and I are both laughing so hard at this point we are in tears. You must understand that we told Luke MANY times to not jump into the Dead Sea. We told him to just swim carefully because the salt would sting his eyes. Before you think we are terribly cruel, also know that it was HOT we were tired and our nerves were shot. It was much needed comic relief. Once Luke was finally seated on the rocky shore wiping off his eyes with his daddy's shirt, the rest of us go back to swimming. All the other tourists have finally stopped watching us when Timmy decides to wiggle out of my protective hold. He says " I want to swim, Mommy." I respond with an "that is fine, just don't get it any eyes like Luke." Not one minute passes and Timmy is dunking his head underneath the water! After the wailing quites, the girls and I have our photos taken and decide enough swimming for one day. On the way up the cliff back up to the parking lot Luke says " It is a Miracle! Jesus and Dad's sweaty shirt healed my eyes!" Again Kelly and I were laughing so hard we were crying. I must record all this for posterity because we took no photos of the boys in the Dead Sea. After nearly going blind neither would take a chance and go back in even for a photo opportunity.



On our way back to Jerusalem we stop to eat at a rest stop in the middle of the Desert. Please note how bedraggled we look after our Dead Sea experience. We were lucky to have made it out of there alive and with our eyesight!

The next day we decide it is time for some of us to go see the "Old City". Kelly, "The Big Three" and me decide we will head for the Via Dolorosa.

In Latin Via Dolorosa means "way of suffering". It is traditionally believed to be the path taken by Jesus before his Crucifixion. We entered Jerusalem through the Damascus Gate. The Damascus gate is the entrance to the old city that is very close to the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem. Upon entering the Damascus gate you enter into a bunch of narrow alleyways and streets with vendors selling everything from freshly butchered goat to shops full of every gummy candy imaginable. As we walked through the Muslim part of the market we stumbled on right where we wanted to be the Via Dolorosa.

As we walked the Via Dolorosa I was surprised at the number of "Money Changers" along the route. I couldn't help but take a photo of one because they are mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible when Jesus turns over their tables.

12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a 'den of robbers.

Matthew 21: 12 and 13

The Via Dolorosa was a very moving walk to take in the city. I couldn't help but think about Jesus and his sacrifice for us. It was also neat to see all the different people in Jerusalem as we were walking. God opened my eyes to the fact that he has died for us all Jew, Muslim, Christian, Hindu and people of all races and creeds. He didn't just die for me or you, but us all. It was powerful to see all the people he died for as we walked along this trail.

I am not a Catholic, but my understanding of the stations of the cross is this. The stations of the cross are used as a devotional tool to remind Catholics of Jesus' sufferings and his last hours on earth. Catholics often will during Lent or Easter week have a special service that walks them through these stations in a devotional format. We used it as a reminder of all Jesus did for us as well. I used it as a time to think about how much he sacrificed for me and my family. I am so thankful to God for this experience. I most likely will never convert to Catholicism, but through this experience I can see how it can used as a powerful time to reflect on Christ's death and sacrifice. The stops along the Via Dolorsa were very amazing to see with your own eyes.

Two of my favorite stops were the Third station or where it is believed Jesus fell under the weight of the cross the first time. The church archway there was very beautiful and moving. My next favorite was the Ecco Homo Arch. This is believed to be the site where Pontius Pilate condemned a beaten, bleeding Jesus crowned with thorns. This area of Jerusalem was quite and beautiful it was easy to picture the true scene in my mind. The Stations all come to a climax at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Church of The Holy Sepulchre was breathtaking to see. It was very crowded when we arrived and many pilgrims had come to see all the final stations of the cross that lie inside this huge church. We were able to see where they believe Jesus was crucified, where they brought him down from the cross and where they believe he was entombed. It also was moving. Apparently people are supposed to pay for the candles they are going to light up near Golgotha. As we went through a large group of Russian tourist were there lighting candles and praying. As I was watching the people and the scene a few women were taking candles without paying the Priest standing near Golgotha and the donation box. He immediately began to yell something and bang on the box pointing to the candles. I again came back to this verse.

12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a 'den of robbers

Matthew 21:12 and 13

We left that area quickly as that Priest disgusted me. We them moved on to the Main Chapel where they believe Jesus was entombed. The girls wanted to light a candle and pray, so we let them light a candle that had already burned out. We watched long lines file into the place where it is believed Jesus lay dead and them rose again. After seeing what we could we headed out towards the Stone of the Anointing. Faith and Grace were curiously watching as people placed anything and everything on the stone to be blessed. It was interesting to watch our children watch all that was taking place. Both girls wanted to touch the stone and they did. After seeing that we decided it was time to go out of the "Old City" and on to my favorite place The Garden Tomb a second site that claims it could alos be were Jesus was buried. This was a moving experience for me and one of my favorite places. More on that tomorrow~