Mount Tabor

Our last stop on this day trip was Mount Tabor and we really enjoyed it. It was early afternoon and the lighting was great.

This is were it is believed Jesus took Peter, James, and John and was transfigured before them. If you have time, click on this picture and read the plaque.


When we first got there, there wasn't a lot of people, so the inside was quite and peaceful. Up front they had set up a beautiful nativity.






The front portion of the Church had this beautiful arch that was all done in tile. It was really well kept. As I was taking the picture I heard Nathan ask Anabelle, "Isn't this a beautiful painting?" Anabelle quickly replied, "No, daddy, this is a mosaic. Not a painting." I think "mosaic" was here favorite word during this trip.

As we exited the Church, I noticed that under this metal gate there were literally thousands of letters and photos. Most of them written on behalf of loved ones who were sick or ailed in some way.

I am still learning to use the camera and so I didn't know how to use the panoramic setting like i did in our previous camera. So here's my very bad attempt at capturing the view as we exited the church.




















The view from the top.


Some more pics of the grounds and stuff.


We tried taking a family picture at the end of our visit, but Anabelle had other ideas.

Nazareth

As part of our Caesarea trip we also stopped in Nazareth for a day. We started at the Church of the Annunciation, where Mary received the marvelous news from an angelic messenger about her miraculous pregnancy(Cupola of Church above). There were some beautiful mosaics displayed outside and even the doors were a work of art.



















The insde was breathtaking too.



The lower level was built around some of the remains of where it is believed Mary and the Angel stood (represented by the small and large pillars).


Right next door, we visited Joseph's Church.


This too housed ancient remains on the lower level. These steps lead to Joseph's shop.

As we continued walking trhough Nazareth...

















we came to an old Crusader Church, build atop the old Synagogue where supposedly Jesus declared that the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah had been fulfilled in Him.


After some lunch of Shwarmas (sp? Lamb and flat bread wraps) and chocolate Canolis we visited Mary's Well and...


The second Church of the Annunciation (Greek Orthodox). It isn't uncommon to find two different buildings where the same thing supposedly happened, and typically one building is Catholic run and the other is Greek or Protestant.


After heading out of Nazareth, and before the sun set, we headed over to Mount Tabor. The pictures of that visit were so amazing that I think I'll make that a separate post. But here's a sneak peak.

Festival of Lights

Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights is not quite as big for Jews as Christmas is for Christians, but in Jerusalem it makes quite the impression. We had the opportunity to visit Jerusalem (for the last time since the war began) on the last day of Hanukkah, and we got to see the lighting of the Menorah at the Western Wall. It was a very solemn assembly, in many levels, considering the political situation.


Afterward, we walked around the Jewish Quarter and we were amazed at the beauty of the mostly empty streets lit by Menorahs.

Galilee and Nazareth

Two days after Christmas we went to church at the LDS church in Tiberias, a city on the Sea of Galilee. The previous couple weeks the Tel Aviv LDS church was disrupted since it is next door to a Discotec that was still open, kicking and billowing smoke into our church during our 10am church time, so it was nice to enjoy the sights and clean air. It was pretty cool. Afterwards we went a saw a nativity reenactment in Nazareth, in a little replica village area that looks like Nazareth possibly looked like ~ the time of Christ. It was really well done and Anabelle loved petting the donkeys and holding the baby Jesus.

Christmas in Bethlehem

When some friends of us told us that they had scheduled a little bus for a trip to Bethlehem on Christmas day, we seized the opportunity to go. There we saw a few sites, such at the Church of the Nativity, where according to catholic tradition Christ was born.

Here's a few of the friends we went with, and an authentic Franciscan monk!

In the church is a little Grotto, or basement where a shrine for his birth place is found. Being Christmas, however, the stairway down there was dangerously overcrowded, (and since I'd seen it 10 years ago) I decided to pass on going down there.

After that we went to the Sheperd's Fields, where it is believed that the angel visited the shepherds to tell them where Christ was then night of His birth.
There's now a small, but very pretty church there, and some caves that one can explore... to top it off, there was also a beautiful rainbow out.

Anyway, it was a great trip for Christmas day. We ended the day by enjoying a dinner with some other friends and finally opening presents at 10pm.

This Nativity set was pretty cool... but a few dozen grand out of our budget...

Happy New Year!

The past few months have been packed with a lot of adventure, discovery, and blessings for our family. Being in Israel has been challenging at times, but also very rewarding, and not just because of the road trips (althoug we have had some memorable ones). We've floated in the Dead Sea, walked the Villa Dolorosa in Jerusalem, played in the sand with friends in Jaffa, celebrated Christmas Day in Bethlehem, visited the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, and stood atop Mount Tabor (Mt. of Transfiguration) on a beautiful sunny day. We really can't complain. Despite the struggle with language and a bit of initial homesickness, moving here has been one of the best experiences of 2008.

Nathan has really enjoyed making new professional contacts, getting to know some great people, and learning to juggle two jobs (he's still working on stuff from the Sand Diego lab). He loves the pace of life here and enjoys the small town feeling of Rehovot, especially because despite it being small, the Weizmann can boast of having several prominent scientists, especially in Nathan's field. This trip has also been a source of much inward reflection for him. Nate came to Israel over seven years ago as a college freshman on a study abroad program. It's been interesting for him to see how his life is so different now. He has changed alot since those days. I personally like the man he turned out to be, I think Anabelle agrees. She's always telling him, "Daddy, you are my friend always." I think that there is something to be said about a person who can win a child's sincere friendship.

Anabelle's reaction to our big move has really taken us by surprise. From week one she has adjusted amazingly well; even the time change did not faze her for more than one night! She's taken to Israel like a fish to water. She knows several words in Hebrew and uses them regularly in everyday speech. She loves calling me "Ima" (mom) and she likes telling me "lo hayom" (not today) whenever she doesn't want to do something. Every time we go out she calls out "Shalom, shalom" to people we pass. She's even picked up some Dutch words from her new "little friend" and neighbor, Sarah. Wherever she goes she makes friends and just as many, if not more, admirers. She gets free treats on a regular basis!

For us adults, making friends was a bit slow at first, but the ones we do have now, we will remember long after we leave Israel. I am especially grateful for the warm welcome and friendship that those in our small Tel Aviv congregation have shown us. Our Church is quite small here, but what they lack in numbers they more than make up in warmth. I've had he opportunity to teach our scripture study class here, but I think I have gained far more from those I teach than what they have learned from me. They really exemplify kindness and selflessnes. I have been impressed by the sincerity of the Israeli people overall. My Hebrew teacher told me that a key to learning Hebrew is understanding that the language is all about using words efficiently. No need to be verbose and over-flowery. The less words it takes to say something the better, direct and precice. I've found the people to be similar. I feel like they are more likely to tell me what they really think and feel without beating around the bush too much. It's very refreshing. I must admit I'm still working on those skills though (as you can tell from the length of this letter).

As this new year begins it is our hope that each one of you knows that we love you and that we are grateful that our lives have touched at some point in this wonderful journey. We miss you and remember you fondly. For those of you who have inquired about our safety, please know that we are doing fine. We are staying informed and have registered with the American Embassy (and thus receive email updates from them). In addition, the Fulbright offices (the source of Nathan's funding) here in Tel Aviv have expressed that if at any time they deem it unsafe for us to stay here, they will advice us immediately and aid in our return home. So, don't worry too much about us. Know that we will do our best to stay safe and more importantly remember that we love you. Happy New Year!