On Christmas

This evening, I can genuinely say I was glad to have been here for Christmas this year. This may seem like an obvious conclusion, but leading up to this day, even 24 hours ago, I wasn't sure this would be the case. But my thought process got a re-tuning, and I'm not sure I'll be able to articulate everything, but I have to try. Last night, as we walked into part of a carol sing at Christ Church in the Old City, those already present were singing "O Little Town of Bethlehem." While we were finding our seats, we sang the next-to-last verse, the words of which helped me frame my thoughts then and now. (Please forgive me the length of this post.)

How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given.

When people back home ask me "What is Christmas like where you are?" the first thing I want to say is "It's quiet. Very quiet." With just a 2% Christian population in the country, I guess this should not have caught me by surprise, but it did and broad-side. Today was in many respects, "just another day" in Jerusalem. Oh, it was Shabbat, so there were fewer cars driving and most of the grocery stores and restaurants were closed, but traffic will be back and the places of business will be open again after sundown. One has to look very hard to find any hint of a Christmas decoration in any part of town. It was a much busier day 5 miles south of here in the no-longer-so-little town of Bethlehem, but even there, the day was occasionally trumped by those taking advantage of the crowds for the purpose of political posturing. It didn't "feel like" Christmas. At all. How can this be, as we are (metaphorically speaking) in the shadow of the stable?

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.

Two days ago, we took our kids to Bethlehem, not really sure of what we would encounter there, or even what our purpose should be. I got lost driving, but suddenly, after making a spontaneous right turn (both directionally and in terms of correctness), we were in Manger Square. So we went to the church there, which was surprisingly not busy at all on December 23, and we had a really good talk with our boys about the Christmas story. It strikes me now that the roles have reversed somewhat when it comes to the events surrounding Christmas, at least in terms of activity. Today, Bethlehem was all a buzz and Jerusalem not so much. Upon the visit of the Magi (not exactly the same time as the events of Luke 2, but remembered at Christmastime today), Bethlehem was quiet and all Jerusalem was disturbed at the news (probably because Herod was disturbed). Without the distractions of shopping sales, the TV specials, and the decorations, Christmas was boiled down once again to its very core. Jesus, while "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Phil. 2:6-7). The ultimate result for us: life now and forever reconciled to God! The blessings of heaven indeed.

No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin...

Still, something was keeping me from joy. While Michelle was with the kids on Christmas Eve at the rehearsal for the Christmas pageant, I was doing some grocery shopping in the open air market (more truthfully, I needed some 'wander time'). On my way back, very near the church building, the police had a road I wanted to walk roped off. What was this about? After a few minutes and an explanation offered to me in broken English, I discovered that a suspicious item had been discovered nearby. The police were taking care of it. It soon occurred to me that 'taking care of it' was going to involve a detonation device. Honestly, my initial reaction was, "Cool!" After the bag was 'taken care of' with a loud bang (it turned out to be just an old pack filled with trash that someone had discarded near, but not in, a dumpster), the sound reminded me of the ongoing tension that makes events like this less joke and more everyday reality here. I already mentioned the carol sing at Christ Church; the day before, there was a memorial service there for Kristine Luken, the American who was stabbed to death one week ago today (we did not know her, and we still feel safe here, but please pray for her family and friends). These recent events turned my thoughts once again to the Christmas story. What was it that the angels said? "Peace on earth; goodwill toward men" (or "toward men of goodwill," depending on your translation). What was it that Isaiah said He would be called? "Prince of Peace," among other things. Really? Here? It is easy at this point to see the despair Longfellow saw as he wrote the penultimate stanza in his poem-now-turned-song "Christmas Bells." But his poem had one more verse, and this story has at least one more part as well...

Where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Christ enters in.

Energized this morning by thoughtful wishes and actions of good friends, but still turning all this over in my mind, we came to corporate worship this morning, with an angel and a sheep costume for the pageant. Perhaps you think that a Christmas pageant here would have better costumes or would be less chaotic than such things elsewhere. You would be wrong on both counts. This is in no way a reflection on the effort, skill, or patience of the wonderful people who organized it--as anyone who has taken such a thing on can attest. Nevertheless, there was stage-fright, tears, and a meltdown (not by our kids), but it in no way detracted from the beautiful simplicity of the story and its telling. During worship, stories were heard of encounters with not-yet-believers in Jerusalem and Bethlehem both, and I realized that there are people here who are hungry for God. Perhaps they aren't even sure of what they are looking for, but they are curious about Christ! And that's the idea. Christ was born in the relative quiet (minus the angel chorus to the shepherds) of a stable in Bethlehem, but the message was one of deep transformation and salvation just as it is today. And on our walk home, I heard the Christmas bells pealing loud and deep. Even in the face of silence, apathy, and darkness Christ is on the throne: the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and yes, the Prince of Shalom--which He is bringing about in His time.

O Holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray.

Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell.

O come to us, abide with us our Lord, Emmanuel.

Hezekiah's Tunnel

Well, as Michelle told you, Caleb and I went to "City of David" today to go ahead and try Hezekiah's Tunnel. If you're curious as to what that is, it's a 2700 year old engineering masterpiece that Hezekiah's men undertook to get the water from the Gihon spring (Jerusalem's primary water source, but outside the main city walls and vulnerable) to a pool lower in elevation, but inside the city wall. For more information, check out 2 Chronicles 32 (especially v. 30) and this web page.

Taking Caleb into the tunnel was something I had wanted to do since we've been here, but I was never quite sure how he'd feel about a 1/3 mile walk through a narrow, dark (except for flashlights) tunnel with (cold) water running ankle to knee deep. I was also nervous because (as those who have been there can attest) it is a 1-way deal. Once you've started, you're in it for the long haul. When the time came, however, he just got right down in there like nobody's business, and we had a great time. Nobody was behind us (as far as we could hear, which, if you've been there, is actually quite far), and only a small group of noisy boys was ahead of us, so we could move at our own pace. We noticed the cavities for lamps in the tunnel as well as the chisel marks in the walls. Also, in my previous treks through the tunnel, I had never paused long enough to consider the exact place where the two sets of tunnel diggers met, but together, we noticed a definite place where the direction of hewing quite abruptly and obviously changes, so I learned a new thing, too. At one point, Caleb even wanted to turn off his light (and mine!) for a few seconds to see how dark it would get (answer: completely dark!). It was pretty cool! For all you archaeology buffs, the third picture is of a structure that Eilat Mazar (the excavator here) believes to be the remains of David's Palace. The picture doesn't do it justice, but if she is correct, this is a find of enormous importance.

Caleb in Hezekiah's Tunnel. It's tricky because he's smiling in the dark until the camera flashes! Still...not bad.

Today, the tunnel empties into a pool dating to the time of the Crusaders, but in the 2nd Temple Period, the water system emptied into this, known as the Pool of Siloam (John 9).

If E. Mazar is correct, this is part of what remains of David's Palace (2 Sam 5:11, or "House of Cedar" in 2 Sam 7:2).

You Know You've Been in Israel for a While When...

... you walk into the living room to see your 3-year-old playing with his toy cash register. He says to you, "Mommy, I want you to buy something from my store." "Okay," you respond, grabbing a toy to buy. "How much does this cost?" you ask. Josiah responds with, "20 shekels." :)

Tim took Caleb to David's City this morning to walk through Hezekiah's tunnel! He just called me and said they got through, and Caleb did GREAT. He loved it. I was afraid he would be scared because it's pitch black inside (they took flashlights), and the tunnel has about a foot of water in it. But Tim said they had a very good time together and they're glad they did it.

Tim is Home!

Whew! Tim made it home safely last night, and we are so happy to have him back. Please forgive my last post; I think I had a rough day with Josiah and was a bit hard on him in the blog. The following days were much better. Thank you for your prayers! We have had an amazing day. I declared it a "teacher in-service day" because normally it would be a school day, but we all just needed time together to play. Tim and Caleb went out a couple of times while Josiah and Abby and I stayed home together. Tim also spent a lot of time playing with the kids here, and it was so refreshing.

I wanted to post about our Hanukkah experience with our neighbor before Tim left. Our dear neighbor across the hall invited our family over for traditional Hanukkah snacks, songs, and the lighting of the candles. We had a delightful time!

This is Ruth Joy. She is a sweetheart and a wonderful neighbor!

Here, Ruth Joy is showing Caleb the different Hebrew characters on the dreidel. If you purchase a dreidel set (Hanukkah game) in the U.S., the 4 characters stand for "A Great Miracle Happened There." The dreidels that are made here in Israel have a different 4th character because the last word is here ("A Great Miracle Happened Here.") Isn't that cool?!

Ready to light the Hanukkah menorah!

There were several musical instrument toys out for the kids to play with.

Tim and Abby

Josiah and Caleb eating their Hanukkah snacks

The following morning we put up the little Christmas tree we found in a closet here. The lights didn't work, but that's okay. We've seen very few holiday decorations here in Jerusalem. There were some Hanukkah menorahs up in windows, plazas, and even on top of taxis; but Christmas isn't really celebrated here, so there are no Christmas trees, lights, or other decorations. We are celebrating in our own way and are even enjoying not having the hype and busyness that often comes along with the holiday season.Later the same day, we took the kids out to McDonald's for milkshakes because they earned their 50 tokens for getting along with each other over the previous two weeks. :) (Yes, it was December 3, and we were out eating ice cream in short sleeves! As of yesterday, it finally feels like winter, with cold winds and temperatures in the low 50's during the day, and low 40's at night!) Thank you for praying for the relationship between Josiah and Caleb. They have been getting along better with each other and sometimes even enjoy playing together! :)

We look forward to our last month here as we learn and explore together as a family. Tim is hoping to post soon about his amazing week in Egypt. Thanks again for your continued prayers for health, safety, and for God's provision. We are learning so much and look forward to returning in less than a month to share what God has done in our lives here.

Update/prayer concerns

I just wanted to let everyone know we are back online! It only lasted a couple of days. The company made an error and it's still not resolved as far as I know, but they're leaving us alone now. However, we are having problems with our laptop chargers now. One quick working, and the other seems to be giving us trouble, too. If we lose both chargers, we will have no computer access. Thank you for your prayers! We want to be able to stay connected with everyone, play DVD's for our kids, and load our pictures onto our laptops so we can reload our memory cards. :)

This has been an extremely difficult week for me with Tim gone in Egypt, but God has given me so much grace to handle everything. Josiah has been a HANDFUL. He is in a very difficult stage right now. Those of you who remember his relationship with baby Abigail - you know how much he adored her for the first several months of her life. Lately he has been picking on her - hitting, pushing, name-calling, etc. It hurts me to see him act that way toward her. He's also not getting along with Caleb a lot of the time. He's been having frequent potty accidents and is defiant and often disrespectful to me. Whenever I praise him for doing something good, he wants to do the opposite. I have been praying that the Lord will show me how to love him in his own love language, in a way that he will feel loved and accepted. He desperately needs one-on-one time, which he will get when Daddy returns. Please keep him in your prayers, and pray for wisdom for us as we seek to love, encourage, and discipline him appropriately.

When I have more time, I will post some pictures and give you another update. We love hearing from you and pray you are enjoying this amazing season, not losing sight of the One who created it.

No Internet

Hello everyone, I just wanted to let you know that our internet is down, and I'm not sure how long it will take to get it back up and running. The internet company is claiming we haven't paid the bills, but we have. Please pray we get this taken care of soon! We hiked over to a friend's house to post a quick blog and let everyone know.

Tim made it safely to Egypt, but I have no communication with him until he returns on Saturday. My heart aches for him, but the kids are doing well. We praise God for his constant protection and provision and trust Him to help us all through this week!

Thanks for your prayers!

Fire

Just a quick post to let you know that the fire in northern Israel, while serious, is not near us at all. Still, we appreciate your thoughts and prayers for those affected by it and involved in the effort to put it out.

On Thanksgiving

Today is the nationally proclaimed Day of Thanksgiving in my home country. Today it feels strange not to be there. Perhaps it is because 35 years of accumulated tradition that tend to be absent here: the leaves changing color, the smell of cooking turkey, the Lions losing on national television. Perhaps it is because today is “just another day” for almost everybody here. Whatever the reason, I think it is good for me. Since, there are none of the traditional cues, I need to be intentional about being thankful. This is frustrating for me. Not because it will be difficult, but because I needed to be reminded, again, that every day is an occasion for thanksgiving to God. No day deserves the appellation “just another day.” Zeh hayom asah Adonai—negilah v’nismechah vo. This is the day that the Lord has made—let us rejoice and be glad in it. My attention was drawn yesterday to an article in the Wall Street Journal the day before touting a scientific finding that thankful people are healthier people. As Christians, we understand this is because God hard-wired us to respond to His goodness with thanksgiving. So today, despite—no, because of—the situation, I’m exercising my attitude of thankfulness, and I’ll start right now: I am thankful to God for His grace poured out through Jesus and for the supportive communities He has given us both at home here and at home in the States, which, if you are reading this, includes you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His love endures forever!

Photos by Katie

Remember the Rojas family? Well, Katie, who is 14 years old, enjoys photography and got several snapshots of our kids, especially Abby (the boys were much too busy playing and being active) at a park near our church. For some reason, when I downloaded the photos onto the blog, some came out large and others tiny. Hopefully you can see them anyway. Here they are:

Day 100

It has been way too long since we last posted! Yes, we are still alive and well, and we are thankful for the Lord's faithfulness in everything we have experienced. Tomorrow marks the 100th day that we have been in Israel, and despite its challenges, our experience has been amazing. We praise God for the ways in which He continues to show us His provision, His power, and His presence. We are seeing growth in our children (physical and mental, but most importantly spiritual), which has been a blessing.

This afternoon Josiah was sitting next to me on the couch, holding my Bible. He said to me, "Mommy, I'm gonna show you where the disciples went to the German Colony." (Note: the German Colony is an area of Jerusalem that we visit often - it has lots of shops, cafes, restaurants, bakeries, and even a McDonald's.) He opened up to Proverbs and told me the story: "This is where the disciples went to the German Colony. The disciples knocked down all the buildings. But the good guys came and rebuilt the buildings."

This made me laugh, and I had to write it down right away so I would remember it. We've visited many ruins, and he often hears about cities being destroyed and then rebuilt, but he's got his facts a little mixed up. :)

Some of you know, because I asked you to pray, that our boys have been fighting a lot and using put-down language with each other and hitting/kicking, etc. Thank you for your prayers! I started a token system this week where they have to earn a certain number of tokens for saying or doing kind things for each other, and then Tim and I will take them to McDonald's (a costly treat here, but well worth it!). This system has been working wonders and has totally changed their attitudes as well as my own. I've noticed Caleb has even been encouraging other kids. Josiah said to me today, "Mommy, you are the best mommy in the whole world!" When I responded with a hug and said, "Thank you, Josiah! What made you say that?" he responded with, "I want another token." He has a little ways to go, but he's trying.

Our friends, Allison and her mom Mary Jane ("Mary James," as Josiah called her), visited for 2 weeks, and I have a few pictures - but not very many since Tim had the camera on his trip to Jordan when we visited Bethlehem and the Desert; plus they did some of their own excursions with local tour companies.

Ramparts Walk (on top of the Old City Wall)

Pizza for lunch in the Jewish Quarter

Recess in the park - Allison and Abby

Dessert with my 24-Day Challenge group

Thank you for your prayers about the weekend that Tim was gone. He had a good trip, and Allison, Mary Jane, and the kids and I all had a good time in Bethlehem and the Desert (En Gedi, Qumran, and the Dead Sea). I ended up feeling quite comfortable driving around the country, which I didn't expect at all (very much a "God thing")! God took care of our rental car when I took the boys to the restroom at En Gedi and glanced in the parking lot only to see an adult male ibex deer standing on the roof of our van, using it as a stepstool to reach the tree leaves above it. I kindly asked him to move, but he looked me in the eye as if to say, "I'm a lot bigger than you are; what are you gonna do about it?" I tried again to shoo him away but he startled and almost slid down the windshield. I thought I better leave him alone otherwise he might do more damage than if I just let him be. He was gone by the time we came back out of the restroom, and the park ranger said that this happens all the time. I wonder if car rental insurance covers damage done by an ibex on the roof! (Unfortunately, I did not have my camera and therefore couldn't get a picture of this hilarious sight!!!)

Tim has three term papers under his belt, two more he's working on, plus two final exams next week. He then heads to Egypt for a week, and his semester will then be officially over. In the meantime, I am co-planning our homeschool co-op Christmas party as well as another co-op activity/event, and trying to keep up with Caleb's curriculum, as well as manage laundry without a dryer and dishes without a dishwasher. :) Speaking of appliances, our fridge is working better now that the weather is finally below 80 degrees. Hopefully we will no longer have food spoiling. Our washing machine went out last week, but thanks to our neighbor downstairs who hooked us up with a repair company, it is in good working order now, washing even better than before!

Tim has been taking occasional study breaks to spend time with the kids. :) Last week we all went to the park and Caleb and Daddy played football together.

Tonight Tim read to the kids before bed. They read "Phineas and Ferb," which made them a bit silly!

Yes, Tim has reading glasses on. His eyesight has gone downhill very quickly, so he has had to purchase reading glasses here. We would appreciate your prayers, that his eyesight improves or that it doesn't get worse. It has made studying difficult, especially with the poor lighting in our apartment.

From my end, I've had my own personal struggles, wrestling with God about what my purpose is here in Israel, not being satisfied with God's repeated answer of "you are here to support Tim and to pray for him and your children." (For a while I was frustrated that Tim was traveling so much, and I wasn't seeing any growth in my children as a result of my prayers. Quite frankly, they were driving me crazy!) I had been wanting to serve in some way, not just survive every day. Well, the Lord has given me complete peace about my calling here, but He has also heard my heart's desire and given me opportunities to serve, through flute-playing (cool story about that below), preparing a meal for a family, and watching the four youngest of my friend's kids while she and her husband packed to move to England. (This family [the Rojas family] has 13 children, plus one on the way. Six of them are still living at home, and they left on Monday to meet up with four of the older siblings that live in England at the moment. They don't know where the Lord is leading them but are trusting in Him for guidance and provision for their family. They have been an amazing testimony to me, and I count it a gift from God that He allowed our paths to cross, even if for a short time.)

Here we are playing our flutes at a potluck after the worship service last Saturday.

Me, Esther Rojas, and Dahlia

The 4 youngest Rojas kids with our boys: Joy, Josiah, Caleb, Jonathan, Rebekah, and Cynthia

Okay so here's my flute story: Before we left for Israel, I was praying about our packing process, and God told me to pack my flute. I hadn't played it in about 4 years, so I complained a bit but said I'd go dig it out of the garage. Well, I forgot, and the day we left I remembered but reasoned that it wouldn't fit anywhere in our luggage. A few weeks after we arrived, Esther Rojas (age 16) asked me out of the blue if I play a musical instrument. I told her I played the flute, and she excitedly asked if I'd play with her sometime. I told her I had left my flute in the U.S., and she said I could play her old one (she had just recently bought a new flute). So I've been playing her old flute. Well, before she left for England, I thanked her and lamented that I hadn't been obedient in bringing my own flute because now that she was leaving, I wouldn't be able to play anymore. "You can keep it," she said with a smile, "I've been trying to get rid of it." So she is allowing me to keep her flute with the understanding that someday, if she ends up in the U.S., I will return it to her. The moral of the story: I should have been obedient because then I would be playing my own flute. BUT, the more important moral is that the Lord loves us so much that He redeems our mistakes and gives us so much grace!! He wanted me to use this gift for His glory - and to develop a beautiful relationship with one of His precious daughters, Esther. And He made it happen even though I didn't do as He instructed me. Thank you, Lord, for having mercy on me and for showing me your grace!

If you read this post all the way to this point, thank you for taking the time to "listen"! We miss our friends and family terribly and pray for you often. Thanks again for your prayers as Tim learns about and experiences the land, the culture, and the Scriptures, and for me and the kids as we support Daddy and do our own learning and experiencing in different ways. We'll try not to let so much time pass before we post again!

Israel Museum & City of David

Before Tim's parents left, we were able to get to the Israel Museum and David's City. The museum didn't allow pictures inside (and we obeyed). Nevertheless, museum highlights included: Tel Dan Stele (mentioning "House of David"), Silver Scrolls dating to the 7th Century BC containing a passage from Numbers 6, and large stone jars from the first century like those described at Cana. Outside the museum was a 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem in the year AD 66. The work put into the model itself is spectacular, but it gives us an excellent idea of relationships in the city as well.

Temple Mount on the right; David's City just in front of it.

Temple Mount

Grandma with the kids

The Shrine of the Book, where portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. Its unique roof is shaped like the lids of the jars in which the Dead Sea scrolls were found at Qumran.

Jerusalem Stone Quarry (near the museum)

A first-century tomb on Mt. Scopus (near Hebrew University's campus)

We also went to the City of David where there are ruins of what could have been David's palace, as well as ancient water tunnels such as Hezekiah's tunnel. We did not walk through this one because the kids were with us (it's pitch black and you have to walk through water), so instead we walked through a dry Canaanite water tunnel.

Ancient Remains at City of David

Inside the Canaanite tunnel

Entrance to City of David

We visited the Western Wall one more time before Tim's parents left. When we go up to the wall, the boys have to wear some kind of head covering. We didn't have their hats on this day, so they were delighted to wear kippas (provided at the entrance to the Wall).

A few nights ago we went to a concert at Christ Church in the Old City (the first Protestant Church ever built in the Middle East), which was a fun experience. But the best part was that it was Camp Kirkland's orchestra! We love Camp Kirkland. He is a conductor and composer, and our home church, Bethany, uses a lot of his music, particularly his musicals. Tim and I have both sung his music in the choir. Anyway, our family sat in the back of the small sanctuary and thoroughly enjoyed listening to the upbeat hymns and worship songs, singing along with them; but the time came for us to try and slip out, since it was way past the kids' bedtime. Just as we were about to get up between songs, Camp Kirkland turned to face the audience and asked if there were any children that could come up and help him out. Our kids were the ONLY children in the audience. So he looked straight at us and invited our boys to come forward. They were each handed a kazoo (Josiah calls it a "kazoozah"), and they were each instructed on how to play the kazoo (with applause from the orchestra and the audience when they were able to produce a sound), and they stood up there and played with all their hearts! Actually, Caleb played with all his heart and lungs; Josiah just stood there and watched the orchestra. They were overjoyed when they were told they could KEEP their kazoos. They played "Deep and Wide" all the way home.

Prayer & Praise: Tim will be in Jordan for 4 days, Thursday morning through Sunday night. Please pray for an extra measure of patience for me with the kids while Tim is gone, both while we do school here and there, and while we travel and sightsee. Pray for safety and health for Tim, as well.

We praise God that my dear friend and her mom are here visiting for two weeks! We are thankful for the opportunities God has given us to have friends and family visit while we are here. We hope to visit Bethlehem and the Desert this weekend. Please pray for me as I drive, and for safety for all of us.

We are thankful that, as of today, Abby has her first tooth! Hence the diarrhea on and off over the past few weeks, which finally stopped about 2 or 3 days ago. Josiah's never turned into anything. Thank you for your prayers! We are thankful for good health for all of us. (Note: there's a stomach bug and a cold bug going around, so we appreciate your continued prayers.)

Galilee with Grandma and Grandpa

Tuesday night Grandma and Grandpa returned to the U.S., and we miss them a lot! We had a wonderful time with them and made many amazing memories. I wanted to post about our one-day trip to Galilee last Saturday. We visited Bet She'an/Scythopolis (an ancient decapolis city dating back to the late Roman period, destroyed by the earthquake of 749 A.D.), Korazim (Chorazin in the New Testament - one of the towns in which Jesus taught), and Tabgha, where there is a spring flowing into the Sea of Galilee.

Bet She'an/Scythopolis...

The Roman Street of Scythopolis lined with columns

Josiah, Tim, and Abby showing the width of the columns

Michelle and Caleb examining the mosaic on the bathhouse floor

The ancient Scythopolis theater

Caleb and Josiah put on a sword-fight play for us on the stage of the theater.

Here they are taking a bow as we applaud.

Okay, ladies, get this: We think WE make the restroom a social gathering. The Romans had communal restrooms where they all sat on the toilets pictured below (right side along the wall), chatted with each other, and likely even had live music playing!

Korazim (Chorazin)...

Tim told us the parable about the woman who lost a coin. It was likely that her floor was a stone floor like this one, so we experienced how difficult it was to find a lost coin after Tim threw it into another "room" and had us go look for it.

Ancient olive press dating back to the time of Jesus (the large rolling stone you see

was what smashed the olives.)

The place where the boys are standing is where the olive oil was collected.

Tim with his parents at Korazim

Ancient roof roller used for rolling out the mud for a roof. The boys enjoyed trying to roll it themselves. It wasn't easy!!

Tabgha...

Our "hike" over the rocks to get to the beach

Our family in the Sea of Galilee

Tim told us some stories from the Bible that referred to the Sea of Galilee.

Sunset over the Sea