Shabbat Shalom!

Happy Birthday on November 2nd to my wonderful dad! Today we celebrate the Sabbath (Shabbat) along with the Jews of Israel, and it has been a fantastic experience. First of all, we stayed in a hotel that catered to observant Jews. This meant that the food was not cooked on the Sabbath and the rooms all had a muzuza on the doorway (it contains sacred scripture from Deut. 6, 11,& 13) and even an elevator designated as a Sabbath elevator that automatically stops at each floor and opens and closes the door without having to push any buttons (this would require creating energy, which is against the Shabbat). The Shabbat begins on Friday evening when the first three stars appear and then ends on Saturday evening with the appearance of the first star. For our Sabbath day observance, we visited the site of the multiplication (no, not math) where the miracle of the fish and loaves took place. We then went to Capernaum, the city Jesus lived after he was run out of Nazereth, and it was here that he began his ministry. There is an archeological site there of a synogogue that was built in 400 A.D. over the foundation of an older synogogue that was built in the days of Christ. This is where Jesus Christ taught and lived with Simon Peter! (Mark 1: 21-22 "And they went into Capernaum; and straitway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.") Following our visit to Capernaum, we drove up to the Mount of the Beatitudes, where the Sermon on the Mount was taught by Christ. There is a very beautiful Church on this "traditional" site. There is no archeological evidence that this is where Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount, but Pres. Spencer W. Kimball felt very strongly that this was the place, and there definitely is a very special spirit here, although that could be said for every site we have visited. I think that there is just a beautiful spirit in this whole country. While at this site, we were able to have a sacrament meeting, complete with sacrament, a beautiful talk and testimony by Bro. McKay and then he asked me and another sister in the group to bear our testimony. As much as I hate to be put on the spot, I loved testifying of our Savior and the incredible gift of His infinite Atonement. One of the greatest blessings of my life, after my wonderful husband and beautiful daughters, is the opportunity I have had to study and teach the New Testament this past year. I have gained such a love for that book of scripture and how, along with the other standard works, we can really come to know the great love that our Savior and our Father in Heaven has for each of us.
After a wonderful sacrament meeting we went to a lunch where we were able to have St. Peter's fish, caught from the Sea of Galilee--the only place where this fish is found. We then went on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, talked about Jesus and Peter walking on water, sang Hebrew folk songs and tried our best to learn the folk dance. Following this fun excursion we boarded the bus and went over to Yardent, which is along the Jordan River. Bro. McKay walked right down into the Jordan River in his dress pants and talked with us about the baptism of Jesus Christ and the restoration of the priesthood and authority given by John the Baptist to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry to baptize in these times.
We ended our day, after the end of the Sabbath, by taking a night swim in the Sea of the Galilee.
Shalom and good night!