Still we are in awe of this whole experience. The last few days have continued to be full. June 9th marked Shavuot for the Jewish people; a holiday to celebrate God giving the Torah to the Jewish people through Moses on Mount Sinai. It was awesome to witness. There were people everywhere & the Wailing Wall was abuzz with activity that lasted all through the night, until the sun rose the next morning. There was spontaneous Jewish dancing happening, along with singing, hugging and just having a great time celebrating together.We toured the King David Museum, which filled us in on a lot of Jerusalem history. We climbed up one of Herod’s remaining towers of his palace & had an amazing view of the city. We’re not sure if the kids fully grasped the history and the richness of the experience or appreciated what they were seeing, but at least they had fun playing peek-a-boo and tag around Herod’s Tower.
Yesterday Jeff began his schooling. He has remarked numerous times that his brain is already so
full of new information….. He is enjoying every minute of it! They spent their first day touring the Old City seeing the sights from the ramparts (been there, done that!) and walked a bit of the Via Dolorosa. Today after spending 4 hours in class he walked more of the Old City from an Old Testament perspective, saw excavated city walls that were built over 2800 years ago (the walls now are a mere 450 years old), and toured the city of David. He had the opportunity to hike through Hezekiah’s tunnels again which made Reese super jealous! He ended the day at the Pool of Shiloam, at the exact place they believe that Jesus would have healed a number of people – pretty surreal.
Our kids were happy that we were able to find a park close to our hotel – we’re sure Michelle & the kids will be spending tons of time there while Jeff is in class. Carter is the hit around here - everyone seems to be fascinated with his blonde curly hair. All kinds of Arab men keep touching it! They do think he is a girl though! At least 10 people so far have asked if he’s a boy or girl or if him and Reese are twins. I know his hair is long, but for real… a girl???
There are so many different things for the kids to look at as we walk
through the city. There are so many different smells and sights. With so many different cultures colliding in the Old City, so many types of foods, languages, sounds, and clothing abound. Among them are Hasidic Jews with various types of hats. It is a tad embarrassing when we pass them because Carter points and yells out 'Hat, Hat, Hat, Hat, Hat!' until you acknowledge him. He hasn't quite learned cultural sensitivity yet. Reese brings a lot of smiles to our faces as well. The Jewish currency is called Shekels & Reese always asks how many Chuckles something costs. Silly her…
Anyway everything is well, we all healthy & enjoying life as we settle into a somewhat regular routine. It’s hard to believe a week has passed since our adventure began – in one sense it has gone by so fast but we also feel like we’ve been here a long time already. Hopefully the weather at home has finally turned warm & you are able to enjoy it!
Yesterday Jeff began his schooling. He has remarked numerous times that his brain is already so
full of new information….. He is enjoying every minute of it! They spent their first day touring the Old City seeing the sights from the ramparts (been there, done that!) and walked a bit of the Via Dolorosa. Today after spending 4 hours in class he walked more of the Old City from an Old Testament perspective, saw excavated city walls that were built over 2800 years ago (the walls now are a mere 450 years old), and toured the city of David. He had the opportunity to hike through Hezekiah’s tunnels again which made Reese super jealous! He ended the day at the Pool of Shiloam, at the exact place they believe that Jesus would have healed a number of people – pretty surreal.
Our kids were happy that we were able to find a park close to our hotel – we’re sure Michelle & the kids will be spending tons of time there while Jeff is in class. Carter is the hit around here - everyone seems to be fascinated with his blonde curly hair. All kinds of Arab men keep touching it! They do think he is a girl though! At least 10 people so far have asked if he’s a boy or girl or if him and Reese are twins. I know his hair is long, but for real… a girl???There are so many different things for the kids to look at as we walk
through the city. There are so many different smells and sights. With so many different cultures colliding in the Old City, so many types of foods, languages, sounds, and clothing abound. Among them are Hasidic Jews with various types of hats. It is a tad embarrassing when we pass them because Carter points and yells out 'Hat, Hat, Hat, Hat, Hat!' until you acknowledge him. He hasn't quite learned cultural sensitivity yet. Reese brings a lot of smiles to our faces as well. The Jewish currency is called Shekels & Reese always asks how many Chuckles something costs. Silly her…Anyway everything is well, we all healthy & enjoying life as we settle into a somewhat regular routine. It’s hard to believe a week has passed since our adventure began – in one sense it has gone by so fast but we also feel like we’ve been here a long time already. Hopefully the weather at home has finally turned warm & you are able to enjoy it!
No comments:
Post a Comment