The Siak Five: January 2013

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Israel Day 3 - Part 2

At lunch we went to one of the only stores owned by Christians in Jerusalem. They had tons of olive wood items and jewelry you can only get in the Holy Land. Then we headed out to another authentic lunch. From there we went to one of my other favorite places Caiphus house. This is where Jesus was brought from the garden of gethsemene while he waited to be put on trial. We stood on the rocks where he walked after sweating tears of blood. We stood and prayed in the hole of a cave where He was lowered, and held, and alone. It was so moving and amazing.

The Olive Wood Store

Eating Shwarma. Again. With Uncle Tim.

Some of my grace group

Hells Valley - where Judas hung himself

The View from Caiaphus' house

The view from Caiaphus' House

Hells Valley - view from caiaphus house

The view from Caiaphus' House

Where prisoners were held in Caiaphus house

The hole Jesus was lowered down to be held.

The room where Jesus was held before trial

The 1st century steps where Jesus walked on his way from the garden to the house.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Sometimes Mom Caves in and Lets Them JUMP!

Noah and Matt have been trying to beat some Mario game in the evenings so that leaves Ella, Luke, and I some time to ourselves. While I was cleaning up the kitchen I heard a whole bunch of nonsense going on in my room. I walked into Ella teaching Luke how to jump. So instead of reprimanding like I should, I grabbed my camera and we tried to get some "action" shots.

This is his "cheeze" face. I LOVE IT!!

Pretty like her mama (that's me)

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Israel Day 3 Part 1

Shepherds Field

Reading the Scripture WHERE it happened. Amazing.

Add caption

The caves

The church at the Shepherds Fields

They tried. And failed.

The stone (in the middle of the star) believed to be the floor of the stable where Jesus was born.

A shrine over the manger where Jesus was laid as a baby

The church of the Nativity

The catholic church of the Navitity

This is the most my dad has posed for pictures in years. He was a trooper.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Israel Day 2 - Part 4

People have asked me what my favorite part of my trip was. And there is so much that I LOVED that I can't just say one. One of my favorites though, was the Valley of the Shadows. Seeing such an amazing sight puts Psalm 23 into perspective. I would NEVER want to be walking alone in the valley of the Shadows. There is nothing - for miles and miles and miles. But it is beautiful. I took a few stones from the road here. It was an amazing way to end our second day.

Mount of Temptation.

Sycamore Tree like the one Zaccheus was hanging out in.

The site of the walls of Jericho

The valley of the Shadows

Jericho Tels

Valley of the Shadows

My guys!

Some of our Grace people

The Valley

Literally on the edge - he had my BP going crazy!

Day 2 - Part 3

The whole time we were there Matt kept talking about how the mountains look like the setting for the ending of the 3rd Indiana Jones movie.

After an interesting lunch, we headed out to the location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. These are some of the oldest written copies of the Old Testament. After hanging around there for awhile we journeyed over to the dead sea where we scrubbed our bodies with mud. Cade (one of the pastors with us) even threw on his wet suit and floated!

Schnitzel. Pita bread, fried chicken, salad, french fries, and hummus all together. Blecch.

Dead Sea is in the distance

Village ruins at the base of the mountains

At the base of the mountains

The cave where a majority of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found

Dead Sea scrub - free spa day!

Dead Sea!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Day 2 - Part 2

The Ruins of Bet Shean

Bet Shean was one of the major cities. The ruins were amazing. They went on and on and on. We hiked up to the top of that mountain (a tel - not a mountain) and took some great pictures. This was one of my favorite places. Historically, the philitstenes took Saul's body and hung it on the walls of this city.