Good-Bye, parting is such sweet sorrow...

Sun. Nov. 12, 2007
It is hard to believe that by tomorrow night we will be back home with the ones we love. But this also means that we will be leaving the ones that we have learned to love: the members of our group (they have become our little family) our guides and bus drivers and all of the fantastic people we have met along the way. We keep running into members of the Benny Hinn tour group. I have no idea who Benny Hinn is, but I've been told that he is some famous t.v. evangelist (like Billy Graham?). Anywho, apparently there are 1800 (yes, you read that right) people touring with this group, so we are seeing them wherever we go. The people I've talked to have been so nice, and they are certainly visibly excited to be in the Holy Land. This morning we took taxi's back over to the Western Wall. We were able to tour a recently excavated tunnel that runs further along the Western side of the Temple Mount. Any time you dig in any spot in this area, an ancient cite is discovered. And if you were to continue to dig, you would find even more. Like they say, every stone has a story. At the end of the tunnel we walked over to the Arab cemetary, built right at the foot of the Golden Gates. The Arabs are burying their dead here in order to prevent Christ from entering the Golden Gates at the Second Coming, since the tradition is that a Jew would never walk through a cemetary of a Gentile. As if that would stop Him!

We went into the market where there are many colorful shops selling their wares. We ate Falalfals (Jewish hamburger, ha ha), many in our group shopped for sovuniers to bring back home and we even walked the ramparts surrounding the Temple Mount. We hit the taxi's just as the heavens opened and poured out rain. We have had the greatest weather for this whole trip, and it didn't start to rain until we were all done--how lucky is that?

A quick word about the food--it's pretty much the same, where ever we go and no matter what time of day: morning, noon, and night it's rice, chicken, beef, fish, huge selection of salad items (cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, etc.), some fresh fruit (kiwi, apples, persimon, pears, sometimes bananas), humus, yogurt, selection of breads, hard boiled eggs (sometimes scrambled), cheese selection and desserts. Yesterday we walked down to breakfast and it smelled different: pancakes! with syrup! and yummy omelets! As Taylor Hawkins would have said, "It was a party in my mouth!" Steve and I acutally paid for some french fries and ketchup today, we were missing our American food--pretty sad, huh?

Monday, November 12, 2007

I am taking a quick minute to finish this blog while waiting to board our plane to come home. This has been such a fantastic experience and I say to all my friends: Come to Israel! It is safe, it is awesome, you will remember it for the rest of your life. Boka Tov and Shalom!

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Sat. Nov. 10, 2007-Shabbat Shalom!
Today we visited Bethlehem. Quite an interesting story about getting to this city. It is not very far from Jerusalem, about 30 miles, but it is under Palestinian control. In order to visit the city, we had to change buses at the "border" and take on a Palestinian guide. Asher and Gilly, being Israeli, could not go with us. We also had to have our passports. Our guide, a beautiful young lady by the name of Eman, was very gracious and mentioned to us several times how much she enjoyed sharing the story of the birth of Christ with true believers. She took us to Beit Sahour ("house of people who watch at night"), commonly known as Shepherd's Hill. It is here that a cave, similar to one that the Savior would have been born in, has been preserved (the Shepherd's Grotto). The surrounding hills were not very pastoral, and are in fact very rocky. It did not fit my imagination of rolling green hills, similar to the ones we saw in Galilee. Our group had some private moments by the grotto, where we talked about the shepherds and the wisemen. We read the account in Luke 2 and sang beloved Christmas hymns: The First Noel, Hark! The Harold Angels Sing, Oh Come, All Ye Faithful, and O Little Town of Bethlehem. Everyone loves the story of the birth of the Savior. There is something so holy and innocent about a newborn babe. There is something so familiar and moving about a mother's intense love for a new little life, and a father's tender care of his beloved wife and baby. We left Shepherd's Hill and visited the Church of the Nativity. Again, this is the "traditional" site, but Pres. Harold B. Lee said, "...There seemed to be in this place a kind of spiritual assurance that this was indeed a hallowed spot although marred by...shall I say, unhallowed embellishments. Down in the basement is the cave hewn out of the rock that seemed to us to mark a sacred place." We had to wait in a line for about 40 minutes to be able to see this "cave" in the basement of the church.
A couple of funny notes about the Church of the Nativity. First of all, the entrance is a short little door to 1) keep the horses and animals out, 2) force all that entered to bow reverently, and 3) to keep the invading Ottoman Turks from riding their horses into the church. Also, inside the church, hanging from the fancy incense burners and chandeliers are round glass Christmas ball ornaments, similar to the kind you would buy at Kmart or Target.
We went back over the border into Jerusalem, enjoyed a quick meal and then proceeded to the Garden Tomb and Golgotha. Both of these sites seem to be a more logical choice for the events of the cruxifiction and resurrection. The hill of Golgotha (hill of the Skulls) has natural features that look like nose and eye sockets. A slew of other evidence has been uncovered to support this theory, but all I know is that this area was conducive to the crucifixion and the nearby tomb was of the type that would have belonged to a wealthy man (such as Joseph Arimathea). The area of this Garden Tomb was so lovely and peaceful. A much different feeling and experience than what we found at the Church of the Holy Seplechre. The most important thing to remember is: it does not matter what tomb, only that there was a tomb. Our faith is not dependant on places. "He is not here, for He is Risen."

I Stand All Amazed

Friday, November 9, 2007
We began our day today, as we have done everyday, with prayer as a group on the bus. Steve was asked to offer the prayer, and it set such a spiritual tone for our day. Today is Friday, the day before Shabbat. We expected larger crowds at the holy sites we would be visiting today, but we also had to make sure we went to the sites that would be closing early because of the upcoming Shabbat. As we made our way to the Mount of Olives and parked the bus, we looked behind us and could see bus after bus (I counted 10 just behind our bus alone) of groups like ours wanting to see the same sites. As we walked down the narrow winding road towards the olive garden, we could see masses of people, along with street vendors hawking their wares. Then Alan and Asher took us to a small gate by a church where our group was allowed to enter and be by ourselves for a small amount of time. As Alan talked to us about Gethesemane, we all sat in awe as we thought about the Great Atonement that took place in this area. The greatest gift of sacrifice to man, for man, that was offered by the Only One who was willing to complete the most diffiult of all tasks: D&C 19:16-18, "...Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of the pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit..." It is my testimony that there was one plan of salvation presented in the pre-existance, and two proposals of how that plan would be accomplished, and that Christ's proposal-his willingness to be our mediator so that we could retain choice--was the only way that our Father's plan would be completed. Lucifer never would have submitted himself to the agony and pain that would be required--he is too selfish. I know that those of us who voted for the Savior's proposel inherently knew that He had what it would take to fully complete the task that He promised He would do. I am truly amazed....
As a group, we realized that our time alone in the garden was a miracle, because soon after we had our little devotional, the gates were opened to a flood of people. We continued to walk around the site, which included a church built around a rock that is one of the "traditional" sites of where Christ offered up the intercessary prayer on our behalf.
After leaving Gethsemane, we continued to another area that contains the largest Jewish cemetary in Jerusalem (and the world, I am sure). On many of the headstones we could see rocks, placed in remembrance of the Exodus in the dessert and also to symbolize that the loved ones of the dead are still building a monument. From here, we boarded our bus and went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. It was a very moving memorial to those who died at the hands of the Nazi regime, but at the end it offered hope for the future while honoring the victims.
After lunch at Pasha's, a Turkish restaurant, we went back over to see the remains of the Pools of Bethesda, which we know is an ACTUAL site of where Jesus performed miracles, including healing a crippled man soon after Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem at Passover. Near the pools is the Stations of the Cross, the pathway many devout Christians follow to retrace the steps of Christ on the day of His crucifixion. The end of this found us at the Church of the Holy Seplecure, another "traditional" site. This is a huge church that is claimed by six different religions: Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Armanian, Syrian, Ethiopian, (?? an Egyptian religion, I can't remember the name). It was a crazy mass of people and each "church" was performing their individual services (Mass?) all at the same time. Wow! Alan quoted Pres. McKay as saying that there were three things he would never advise someone on: who they should marry, what profession they should choose, and to go to the Church of the Holy Seplechure. It is important to remember, however, that even though we do not feel that this was the very site where Jesus was crucified, washed and buried, there are all of these masses of people who do believe in Christ and that he died for us. They are all here to worship and give thanks for the gift that Christ gave to each of us. As daunting as the crowds were, it was neat to see so many devout followers of Christ, from many different lands throughout the world.

I walked today where Jesus walked...

Thursday, November 8, 2007
Today, we truly did walk where Jesus Christ walked, as he travelled the road between the house of Caiaphas, High Priest and head of the Sanhedrin and the Roman fortress where Pontius Pilate served. But first, we visited the Temple Mount, the site of the Temple that was built and rebuilt several times, and is now where the Dome of the Rock is built. The only part left of this impressive Jewish Temple is a very small section of the Western Wall, where Jews visit and worship and pray for the Messiah to come. Because it was Thursday, we were able to witness several groups performing Bar Mitzvahs. The women are separated from the men by a wall, but many women stood on chairs so that they could look over the wall in order (I assume) to watch their young son/brother/relative go through the Bar Mitzvah. The men of our group, however, were able to enter the mens section as long as they had their head covered. Paper yamulkas were even provided for those who did not have a hat. From the Temple Mount, we headed over to the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Easterm Studies. As we entered this beautiful structure, I was immediately enveloped by the spirit that permeates this special building. It was designed to allow as much light in as possible, and it's massive windows allow incredible views of the old city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. I was very affected by this building, in fact I was weeping through the introductory DVD! Am I a boob, or what? There is such a feeling of peace and serenity, due to the archtectural design and a unique waterfall within the main stairway of the building. The soothing sounds of the water can be heard throughout much of the building. We were treated to a demonstration of the Center's Organ, by a very talented Bro. Golbraith (sp?) and then we were allowed to walk in the well kept gardens, which feature many native plants. The garden contains several olive trees, which the students harvest and press on ancient olive presses. After leaving the Center and having lunch at an Armanian restaurant in the old city, we walked to the traditional site of the last supper. Once again, President Kimball has indicated that he feels this is the correct spot, and that is good enough for me. We talked at this time of how Christ washed the feet of his apostles and we also talked about the failings of Peter (when he denied Christ three times) and Judas. Bro. McKay reminded us that despite their failings, Christ still loved them, and so it is with each of us. There are so many times I have failed to do (or not do) what I should have and we all have regrets for our actions/inactions. The example of Christ kissing Judas and loving Peter all show that Christ knows our hearts and our regrets and gives us a chance to make it right--he forgives us when we bring to him our broken heart. It was at this time that we walked over the the house of Caiaphas, and then walked the road that Jesus Christ would have walked many times before, and for the last time on the day of his trial, scourging and subsequent crucifixion.

Will It Float?

I titled this blog in honor of one our favorite David Letterman skits.

Wed., Nov. 7, 2007: We started our day early at 5:30 a.m. so that we could be ready to leave the hotel and head back to Israel. We had another border crossing, similar to the one on Monday, only this time, they kept my passport and I had to submit to a little extra searching. It was a little unnerving for me, even though it was a basic pat down search. A quick note about Jordan and the people we met in that country. It is a poor country right now. A few years back the king of Jordan made some deal that really hurt the economy and strength of their dollar. One of their national treasures is Petra because of the tourists it brings to their country, and tourism is a huge part of their economy. This could be why the people we met were so friendly, but I choose to believe that they are friendly by nature. The more I meet and talk with people, I discover that we are all the same in that we just want to be happy and free to love our families and live a peaceful life. While in Jordan I met and visited with an Israeli Jew, a Jordanian Muslim, a bedouin and Christians from the U.S. and all of these wonderful new friends express the same thoughts and feelings. They love their families, they love meeting and getting to know new people. We had a lot of fun conversations, just talking about our families and cultures. I found the bedouins we did business with in Petra to be very nice, great sense on humor, very gregarious. They depend on the tourists for their living, and so they are very friendly and respectful. But I tell you what, they sure teach their children at a very young age how to sell to "the pretty ladies." They know the lines to feed you and knew english really well. One little boy sat down right next to me, glued to my side and while riffling through my bag (think Brian Regan, "hey, that's my gum...!) asked me what everything was. I ended up giving him my hand sanitizer, tissues (he needed these!) and tour ball cap for "very special price, just for you" free. He did not even trade me anything for it. Oh well, he was a darling boy. Last night, Steve bought an arab out fit complete with kofea (head dress) and wore it to dinner on a dare from me. The hotel staff loved it. They were showing him all the different ways to where the kofea, and they thought it was awesome.
On to Israel...after surviving my search, we settled in for a nice long 3 hour bus ride to Masada. I won't take the time to tell the history of what happened here (you can rent the movie) but it is a very impressive fortress that King Herod built as a place a refuge or to hide out in if the native Jews or Egyptians ever decided to come after him. One thing I must say about King Herod: he was one mentally ill man, but he sure knew how to build things. Most of the impressive ruins (Casearea and the acqauducts, temple in Jerusalem, Masada to name a few) were built by him. From Masada, we drove along the Dead Sea and stopped at a resort for lunch and a "float" in the Dead Sea, hence the title of this blog. Yes, you really do float and with very little effort. (to give an idea of the salinity, it is 33% compared to the Great Salt Lake which is 11%) We had to be very careful not to get any water in our eyes or mouth and we could only stay in for about 20 minutes, but it was SO DANG COOL! The water felt a little slick, like baby oil, and when we got out it evaporated right off our our skin. We quickly showered off, got back on the bus and headed over to Qumran to see the site of where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Again, another amazing discovery. They have found fragments of every New Testament book, except Nehimiah and Esther, AND the whole book of Isaiah in its entirity. Another testament of the Bible and, therefore, of the Book of Mormon and, more importantly, Christ.

What a fun and exciting day. We topped it off by driving into the holy city of Jerusalem. We came into the city at night time, with the city lights shining--beautiful! At every meal, when Jews offer a prayer, they say "next time, Jerusalem." How blessed and lucky we are to get to be here.

Prince Ali, Handsome is he, Ali Ababwa...

We are posting for two days, since we did not have access to a computer yesterday. We have packed so much in these last couple of days that Monday seems like a lifetime ago. We woke up Monday morning, loaded the bus and headed towards the Jordanian border. We took a quick side trip up to the Golan Heights that overlooks the Galilean valley. It is actually right on the border between Jordan and Israel and we even saw some old bunkers from the days before the 6 day war when Jordan possessed the mountain. From there we headed to the border where we had to do some elaborate transfers between buses at the borders. This process took about an hour, but soon we were loaded on our new bus with our Jordanian guide, Areef (again, I am slaughtering the spelling, although it is phonetically correct). I was a little shocked at the noticable difference in the towns we travelled through--not nearly as kept up as the little towns/villages we saw in Israel. We drove on up to Mt. Nebo, where Moses was able to look upon the promised land, but never permitted to enter. Off in the distance we could see the Dead Sea. There is a beautiful ancient church and ruins up on the top of the mountain, with very beautiful mosaic tiles. We had lunch in a city about 2 hours away, where there was another ancient church (St. George) with more mosaic tiles and incredible paintings. The mosaics were all made by local stone, and the variety of colors was immense. We then settled in for a long (3 hours) bus ride to Wadi Moses and stayed in a hotel just above Petra, where the ancient city is located. We had a relaxing evening and woke up at the leisurely time of 7 a.m., had breakfast and walked to the path the lead into Petra. We rode horses in for about a 1/2 mile and walked through narrow canyons (very similar to the narrows of Southern Utah) and then we turned the corner and BAM there was the most amazing facade of the Treasurey of Petra, carved out of the sandstone mountain. Many people think that this is all there is to Petra, but oh no, there is more. We could ride camels, donkeys or walk into a more open area where there were tons of caves, homes, and stuctures carved into the mountains. It took us most of the morning to get to the "end" (where we had lunch at a restaurant down in the valley of this site) and then some of us decided to hike up the "thousand steps" to a monastary at the top of the mountain. When we got to the top, there was an even bigger and better preserved facade carved into the mountain side--very much worth the climb! My words do not begin to do justice to this incredible site. On the way back out, Steve and I decided to hire a "taxi"--and we rode out on a camel. That was actually quite fun. After dropping me off at the hotel so that I could empty gallons of dirt out of my shoes, he went back down to barter with the shops and came home with an awesome sheik (or, should I say, chic) outfit. Thus, the title of this blog. I haven't stopped singing that song every since!

The Best of the Best

This morning we vistied Mt. Tabor, the traditional site of the transfiguration recorded in the gospels. A good reference is Matt. 17:4-5. When Pres. Kimball visited this site in 1969, his feelings about this site was recorded by Jeffrey Holland, who accompanied him on this trip: "...I feel very surely that this is where Jesus took his disciples Peter, James and John..." When Christ came to this mountain, he was getting ready to return to Jerusalem for the last time. He knew what was to transpire in the near distant future: the atonement and crucifixion. These events weighed heavily upon his soul, and it was with need for fortification from His father that he went to the mount, and there was visited by Moses, Elias and then a "voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." The Father came to Christ during a time when He needed him the most and it is the same for each of us. When we have hard times in our life, we too can kneel before our Father and recieve reassurance from Him that we are not alone. Our own personal pep rally.
To get to the top of the mountain, we had to take a taxi because the switchbacks were so steep and tight. Some of the drivers were pretty crazy, and our driver had the following sign posted behind his seat: "M. Schumacher is the Best, but I am the best of the best!" I think that describes our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ perfectly!
Our next stop was Herod's Spring, which is also the site where the Lord told Gideon to raise an army to fight the 150,000 Mideonites soldiers. After raising an army, the Lord had him whittle it down to 300--again, the best of the best. Because they fought for the Lord, they were able to conquer this army. As we go into our own personal battles, we will only win if we have the Lord on our side.
Following this site, we drove over to view a very impressive archeological site of an ancient Roman city, Bet'She'an, and following that we went to lunch at a kibuttz that also had pools fed by Herod's springs where we were able to go for a swim. What a fun day! It all ended with a quick shopping stop where basically Steve opened up his veins and they bled him dry. We did find a BEAUTIFUL olive wood Nativity for us to enjoy for the rest of our lives (and our children can fight over who gets to have it when we die:))
We love you all and miss we, but oh my what a fantastic experience this has been for us!
P.S. pictures of these last two days will be coming hopefully tomorrow when we have access to a USB port.