We took them on a walk through the Old City of Bethlehem:
We also went to Bethlehem University and had a question & answer session with some of their students.
We visited the church on campus. It was there before the university was built and the university inherited the church.
The funnest part for the students was when we let them loose to wander campus and talk to students. It was a lovely campus.
An interesting mix of Muslim women with and without head coverings.
After our univeristy visit we were treated to lunch at this Tent Restaurant. The food was delish!!!
This was on a bush outside of the restaurant. You know us a flowers!!!
This is Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity:
The morning that we went to Bethlehem, the Palestinian president came to visit the Church of the Nativity so there were no tourists allowed until after he left. That meant that all of us were there at the same time!!! We waited in line for 2.5 hours so we could see the spot where the manger was supposed to have been, which I don't even have a picture of and the sight of the stable:
As we were waiting in line, there was a section cut open in the floor so that you could look down and see this Mosaic floor:
This is at the front of the church. The part with the candles on it is called the Chansil screen and it hides the altar from the view of the worshippers. It is covered in icons.
This is also at the front of the church. Close to the steps that go down into where the manger is.
They are refurbishing the buidling, so most of the inside is covered in scaffolding.
This was once a baptismal font. Now it appears to be a workers station.
More scaffolding and the line of people waiting.
By the time we came out it was dark. It is lovely at night, isn't it??
Kent and I home teach the families in Bethlehem. We also try to go to church there every Sunday. These are the families:
This is at the front of the church. The part with the candles on it is called the Chansil screen and it hides the altar from the view of the worshippers. It is covered in icons.
This is also at the front of the church. Close to the steps that go down into where the manger is.
They are refurbishing the buidling, so most of the inside is covered in scaffolding.
This was once a baptismal font. Now it appears to be a workers station.
More scaffolding and the line of people waiting.
By the time we came out it was dark. It is lovely at night, isn't it??
Kent and I home teach the families in Bethlehem. We also try to go to church there every Sunday. These are the families:Mohammad, Toqah, Saida, Rachme, Kareem Alshiabat. He is a member, she is not but wants to be.
Yara, Sana, Ameer, Odeh, and Nadeem Marcous. He is a member, she is not. But, she would like to be.
Kent always loves the babies!!! This one is beautiful, isn't he???
This is the place where we cross back and forth, on foot. Coming into Bethlehem we show our passports at one window. Going back through we go through 3 windows and an x-ray machine. Such is daily life for Palestinians who work in Jerusalem and live in the West Bank.
Yara, Sana, Ameer, Odeh, and Nadeem Marcous. He is a member, she is not. But, she would like to be.
Kent always loves the babies!!! This one is beautiful, isn't he???
This is the place where we cross back and forth, on foot. Coming into Bethlehem we show our passports at one window. Going back through we go through 3 windows and an x-ray machine. Such is daily life for Palestinians who work in Jerusalem and live in the West Bank.
There are shops and kids with post cards and lots of taxi drivers waiting as you come into Bethlehem to take you around Bethlehem and sell you souveneirs.
When we go home teaching, the Center rents a taxi for us so that we can drive through. We come back from a sweet visit and are greeted at the wall by soldiers with machine guns.
When we go home teaching, the Center rents a taxi for us so that we can drive through. We come back from a sweet visit and are greeted at the wall by soldiers with machine guns.
We pray for a change of heart in all those who keep things as they are now!
