The Breinholts in Town

Good friends are the best! We met the Breinholts when we lived on the Upper West Side…we were practically neighbors because we lived on the same block (76 and CPW). Our kids not only went to the same elementary school, but most lined up in ages as well. Thats a recipe for fun. So, when we moved to Tel Aviv, we were so sad to say goodbye to this family right here and then we were so so excited when they told us that they were coming to Tel Aviv on their way out of the city (they recently moved back to their home state of Arizona). What made this visit even better is that we managed to keep it a secret from our kids for the entire time it was planned. Our girls just knew Jason and Deborah were coming, but that the kids wouldn’t be able to. And, their kids (some of whom were in daily contact with Taylor and Lauren) were tightlipped about all of it too! On Thursday night, when Jason and Deborah came up to our apartment after a long flight, we were all so happy to see them and then a couple of minutes later, a knock on the door and then this happened…

It was so fun to have these friends reunited. Especially for our kids, who have been missing friends so much since leaving the city.

We stayed up wayyy too late talking and catching up. The next day was a slower day where we all slept in and played on the beach here in Tel Aviv. On Saturday we got up early to attend church in the BYU Jerusalem Center together. This is a magical place to show friends and family- the views, the feelings, the entire place is just something else.

After church, we took some pictures out on the lawn overlooking the Old City. It was really really cold.

We love their kids not only because they’re so great, but they have so much fun hanging out and playing (til the wee hours of the morning, even) with our girls. The entire week was pretty much a non-stop party.

After church, we headed to the Garden of Gethsemane. Probably the most special place in all of Jerusalem and what’s more is that the flowers were blooming and everything had greened up spectacularly. I love these red poppies (which I later learned are the actual Lilies of the Field).

Some scenes (below) from our Friday beach day. Deborah and I went on a gorgeous run all the way to Jaffa and back and then met these crazy swimsuit-clad kids on the beach in front of our building. It was chilly out, but they were intent on getting in the water no matter what. And they did. We also played several rounds of family-style volleyball (no spiking, catching the ball and then lobbing it over, etc) so everyone could do it and we all had so much fun.

Ok, this doesn’t really resemble the actual game of volleyball. But, its almost better because everyone can play no matter the age. We just had the best time playing for hours on the beach.

Stayed tuned for more from our week with the Breinholts…

The Breinholts in Town, Part 2

The number one thing on the Breinholt’s list was visiting the Dead Sea. We hadn’t had a chance to visit them ourselves yet, so we were so excited to go and experience this place. We drove the 2 hours down and our first stop was Masada. This ancient fortress in the Judean Desert is on a massive plateau overlooking the Dead Sea and was built around 30 BC. Once King Herod’s Palace, Masada is huge and has a ton of archeological ruins. Because we had a late start, we opted for the cable car ride to the top instead of the hike.

The views of the Dead Sea were pretty awesome. It’s amazing that Herod decided to build a palace in this desolate place, but if you wanted to get away from it all and enjoy bounteous sunshine year-round, this is the spot to do it in. The siege of Masada near 70 BC ended in the mass suicide (their final act of refusal to be captured) of 960 Jewish zealots, the Sicarii. A small few hid in this massive cistern below to evade capture.

Half of us rode the cable car back down and the other half raced on foot to the bottom of the plateau. They beat the cable car! Our next stop was the public beach here near Masada. It was gorgeous, as you can see. The water was so clear and the salt bottom provided a nice white background to the clear water, which was pretty unreal looking.

It was a chilly day out and the water wasn’t extremely warm, so we waded in slowly, but eventually everyone got it- no one wanted to waste this amazing opportunity to float in the Dead Sea.

The teenagers were able and wanted to stay in the water for a long time. Jason and Deborah did too. But the few of us that had cuts or sensitive skin only lasted a couple of minutes. The salt really burned and stayed that way for quite a while. But, pain aside, floating in the sea was unbelievably incredible and the weirdest, craziest feeling! We loved it.

Kate came prepared with a prop ;) Harry Potter. Proof that I braved the cold water (I am truly the biggest wimp!) and got in for a few minutes. Lauren’s face says what I was feeling a little more accurately than my face does. It was so cool to do this with my kids and see how much they enjoyed it.

I love Tessa’s face here. She was really hesitant to just “let go” and let the water hold her up- so different from any other swimming experience in the world! She finally relaxed and little and was giddy with the sensation of this experience. You had to be careful splashing around too or you’d get salt in your eyes.

When we were driving in, there was this perfect reflection of these mountains (the Jordanian side) on the water, which was as calm and flat as any water I’d ever seen. Also, it was wild to see zero signs of life (outside of tourists!) anywhere around the sea.

We went back to Jerusalem the next day for a tour of Hezekiah’s tunnel and more of the Old City. This tunnel experience was the coolest! We were unprepared for what to expect, so I didn’t know to have everyone wear clothes they could get wet, so most couldn’t do the tunnels and went on the dry tour instead. Such a bummer and I felt terrible about it.

Most of the water depth was up to the ankle, but the start reached halfway up the thigh, so I carried Tessa for that portion and she carried her shoes :) . We both loved how narrow and dark and warm the water was (compared to the chilly air outside). The 583 yard tunnel went on for close to 20 minutes and a few times Brian turned off his flashlight and I’ve never been anywhere so completely black with darkness- it was crazy.

This is in the beginning, where I carried Tessa for a short while. It was a pretty amazing feat to build this tunnel in the 8th Century BC and that it was started at the two ends and somehow managed to meet in the middle way before technology was invented that would have made this much easier to accomplish.

From there, we raced over to Temple Mount before it closed for prayers. We got a solid 10 minutes there before they asked us to leave.

We had to drag the kids out of there- pretty sure they could have held an all day photoshoot with all of the incredible architecture.

We also stopped at the Western Wall, which never loses its feeling of devotion for so many.

We ate some lunch in the Old City and then finished our day with a walk on the ramparts. This provided gorgeous views, both inside and outside of Jerusalem as well as some slides for the kids ;)

Israel is so green and lush right now and there was this huge empty rolling hills field right in the Old City that was peculiarly abandoned, from the looks of it.

It was a clear day, so you could see all the way to Bethlehem (as well as that crazy wall) from our vantage point. We made it to Bethlehem that night to visit the Church of the Nativity with some sketchy guides that we picked up at the entrance to the city and then they subsequently dropped us on the Palestine side of the border (and charged us almost double what they originally quoted- ugh) where we walked across this infamous crossing where thousands beg for the chance to live with more freedom almost daily. Such a complicated topic.

Brian and I took the Breinholts on our own food tour of Carmel Market, stopping at our favorite places. We had malabi, hummus, Thai and kebab pita. Oh, and we topped it off with some gelato for good measure. I will miss the colors, smells and fresh produce of this place so much.

The last day was spent playing on the beach for hours and then showering off so the Breinholts could catch their flight that night. I’m sure they went home exhausted and ready to get to their new home in Arizona. We were seriously sad to see them go and our fun week come to an end. More than that though, we were so grateful that they came to see us and what great friends and examples they are to our family.

Mount of Beatitudes

We had a handful of lessons from the new “Come Follow Me” manual that we taught and talked about here in this absolutely stunning area by the Sea of Galilee. Springtime anywhere is always glorious, but I don’t think we were prepared for how amazing this place would be when it turned completely green and sprouted flowers of every color of the rainbow. Which obviously added to the majesty of learning about the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. It didn’t take much for this to become one of our favorite places to go by the Sea of Galilee. This exact spot is just above Eromos Grotto, where many believe the Sermon actually took place (versus way up the hill near the Beatitude Monastery). Its location right off of the sea makes more sense, but as with most sights in the Holy Land, there is really no way of knowing exactly.

After soaking in the incredible 360 degree views, taking all the pictures and picking small bouquets of wildflowers (that the girls later pressed and are hoping to keep), we sat down and talked about the importance of things like laying up treasures in heaven instead of earthly ones. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. And the equally important lessons of not judging others and relying on the perfect aid and love of Heavenly Father to receive true joy in this life as well as the next.

There are a couple of simple monuments in the spot, marking where the sermon might have taken place. Its simple and gorgeous and peaceful.

These girls have learned and grown a lot in this place and I hope what we’ve taught them (and what they’ve taught us), the way they’ve felt and the important place they got to learn about these lessons sinks deep.

And then we watched the sunset. Cannot recommend this spot highly enough.

There is a little trail that leads from the grotto to the top of the hill and its bathed in wildflowers.

Later during the week, Brian, myself, Tessa and Lauren wanted to go for another longer hike. We started out toward Qmran, near the Dead Sea. But, Brian realized that he didn’t have the time, with work commitments later in the day, to make it back. So, we opted for a quick hike through the Kidron Valley in Jerusalem instead. We’ve always been intrigued with this valley that separates Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives so hiking it seemed like a great idea. Except there are no trails and parts of it are not exactly in the best areas of town. We had to turn around a couple of times when we encountered impassible sidewalks filled with trash and other debris. But, parts of it were really pretty! And, it’s always nice to get out and see a different part of Jerusalem.

Tessa has proclaimed that hiking is her favorite thing in the world…she says “you may not want to do it at first, but its always worth it at the end”. True statement.

We hiked to the top of Bible Hill for this new view as well . I had no idea how hilly this area would be and it gives you so many different views of the city from so many different angles (and lots of traffic as most routes are very circuitous).

See what I mean about it being so hilly?? Love this place.

We don’t have much time left in Israel, so we are trying our best to take advantage of every free second (and every sunny day as spring showers are a real thing here!). So glad we got to get out on this day.

The Jordan River

After church in Tel Aviv, we really wanted to visit the Jordan River in the Galilee region of northern Israel. It is believed that Christ was baptized in this river, but in the country of Jordan, which the Jordan River straddles for most of its journey south. But, we weren’t going to be crossing any borders today, so we opted to visit the Yardenit baptismal site instead. It’s a long drive for us to make on a whim- almost 2 hours each way. But, it was a beautiful day out and the kids were on board with the idea (at least 50% of them anyhow) so we jumped in the car and headed north to Galilee. Jenn and Jim had visited this place with a tour group when they came and told us a little bit about it, but it was still so interesting to be there!

There were a lot of different baptisms going on at several different points right along this bend of the Jordan River. Most people had draped themselves in a white sheet and were accompanied by loved ones or ministers. I was really fascinated by the words that were spoken before they were submerged and how clearly these people felt completely devoted to their actions. Anytime I see that level of commitment to something that inspires you to do more, be better and give of yourself, I feel so grateful for the goodness in the world.

This couple in the middle went down with what appeared to be two ministers from their church. The ministers mentioned that they had been baptized when they were young, but wanted to show their love and further commitment to follow God by being baptized again. There was a man across the way that was being baptized with sprinkles of water on his head. There were others that were cheering and excited after they emerged from the water at what must have felt like the climax of their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We watched for a few minutes and then walked beyond to what was a quiet area somewhat removed from Yardenit.

We found a beautiful spot where they must hold church meetings during busy seasons, but it was quiet, serene and right on the river. Perfect. We spoke about the lessons from Matthew 3, Mark 1 and Luke 3, which included the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.

I got each one of the kids these little journals that they can take notes in or write down their impressions. They’ve really liked having their own space to write what they want about our lessons. I’ve liked that its brought a little bit of investment for each of them to listen intently and record what matters to them. These lessons have been the glue for our family lately.

Love these verses in the Book of Mormon that expound on the baptism of Christ: (2 Nephi 31)

6 And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?

7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.

This is such a beautiful area- we were so glad we made the trek up and back to see it in person. And, it has continued to be incredibly powerful to study and share with each other the scripture stories that we hold so dear. There are so many deep, loving, consistent lessons from His life that will always hold a prominent place for me in my own life. He truly led the way and asks us to unselfishly follow Him, only because He knows the fulfilling joy and blessings that will enrich our own lives and souls in the process. I have felt so deeply convicted to learning more and living closer to His example as we have studied and learned these stories together in this special place that surely meant so much to Him.

There were all of these chickens (??) that the girls loved giving bits of food to eat. They were a tiny bit aggressive, so I enjoyed watching safely from the car! The coloring was so interesting though and the girls were laughing so hard at being this close to some wildlife!

I’ve said this before, but we really treasure our weekends and love that church is on Saturday and then having Sunday off of work before heading back into a busy week. Brian and I got out and walked all around Tel Aviv on the most perfect day. We love Neve Tzedek, one of the oldest and nicest areas of Tel Aviv. The water looked more gorgeous than it has in several weeks and it was so nice to soak up the warm sun as well as the gorgeous views all around.

I love this view of Jaffa as it sticks out into the water with its tall church spires and stone buildings. And, again, this water!!

As we near our leave date, it’s getting harder to imagine saying goodbye to this city and this country. Its taught us so much already- lessons that we would never have learned otherwise.

District Conference with Elder Bednar

A few years ago, some friends from London (shoutout to the Swensons) explained their term, “peak moment” to us over dinner. It refers to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that cannot be missed. Today was one of those for our family…a peak moment for sure. Elder Bednar and his sweet wife, Susan, came to our church for a visit during district conference. Jerusalem was their last stop on a two-week tour of the area that Elder Bednar presides over.

There were two sessions held, one in the morning before lunch and one right after. Our yummy meal was served in the Oasis, where BYU Jerusalem students eat every day they are in town. This day was stunningly gorgeous and perfect temps- despite the snow that happened here just a few days before. After lunch, we went on the patio to take some pictures and enjoy the warm sunshine.

Artwork ala Brian (above). A sketch of the Jerusalem Center from our seats. Below is the view of the Old City from the Oasis patio.

Brian and I have gone over the notes many times from Elder Bednar’s two talks he gave that day. While the feeling cannot really be described, we can always look back and remember the counsel he gave to our small group. It was such an incredible feeling to be there and to hear the power of his testimony and the words he spoke so eloquently and with so much intention. Seriously, it was nothing short of life-changing…and I know that can often sound trite, but we really mean it. It was that amazing. Here are the notes we compiled:

“I have learned for myself” - Joseph Smith after returning from the grove. Some of the most powerful words in scripture.

First, it’s important that we “look forward” when reading the scriptures and learning from the prophets. They weren’t exactly written for the people of that time. Remember when “The Family- A Proclamation to the World” was shared by President Hinckley? We were all like, yeah, duh. But today, the definition and role of the family is attacked every day. President Hinckley was looking forward.

… Family Home Evening was instituted back in 1915
… The Family, A Proclamation to the World in 1995 
… The many battles between the Nephites and Lamanites we read about in the Book of Mormon (as detailed below)

Second, know the intent of the enemy 

Alma 2:7, 10, 12

And it came to pass that the voice of the people came against Amlici, that he was not made king over the people.
Now when Amlici was made king over them he commanded them that they should take up arms against their brethren, and this he did that he might subject them to him.
Therefore the people of the Nephites were aware of the intent of the Amlicites, and therefore they did prepare to meet them; yea, they did arm themselves with swords, and with cimeters, and with bows, and with arrows, and with stones, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons of war, of every kind.

As someone that is damned, Lucifer hates:
… that we have a physical body 
… that we can live in families
… that as husband and wife, we can procreate and bring families into this world and for the eternities

Know the intent of the enemy. What does Lucifer attack? These very things.

Alma 9:18

But behold, I say unto you that if ye persist in your wickedness that your days shall not be prolonged in the land, for the Lamanites shall be sent upon you; and if ye repent not they shall come in a time when you know not, and ye shall be visited with utter destruction; and it shall be according to the fierce anger of the Lord.

The goal is for us to to be prepared at the time of their coming. If we are not righteous, we will not know the time.

Alma 43:29 

And now, as Moroni knew the intention of the Lamanites, that it was their intention to destroy their brethren, or to subject them and bring them into bondage that they might establish a kingdom unto themselves over all the land;

Third, “preparing your places of security”

Alma 49:1-2,4

And now it came to pass in the eleventh month of the nineteenth year, on the tenth day of the month, the armies of the Lamanites were seen approaching towards the land of Ammonihah.
And behold, the city had been rebuilt, and Moroni had stationed an army by the borders of the city, and they had cast up dirt round about to shield them from the arrows and the stones of the Lamanites; for behold, they fought with stones and with arrows.
But behold, how great was their disappointment; for behold, the Nephites had dug up a ridge of earth round about them, which was so high that the Lamanites could not cast their stones and their arrows at them that they might take effect, neither could they come upon them save it was by their place of entrance.

The place of entrance has changed over time … it’s not just our front door anymore … it’s our phones, it’s the TV, etc.

Now at this time the chief captains of the Lamanites were astonished exceedingly, because of the wisdom of the Nephites in preparing their places of security.
Now the leaders of the Lamanites had supposed, because of the greatness of their numbers, yea, they supposed that they should be privileged to come upon them as they had hitherto done; yea, and they had also prepared themselves with shields, and with breastplates; and they had also prepared themselves with garments of skins, yea, very thick garments to cover their nakedness.
And being thus prepared they supposed that they should easily overpower and subject their brethren to the yoke of bondage, or slay and massacre them according to their pleasure.
But behold, to their uttermost astonishment, they were prepared for them, in a manner which never had been known among the children of Lehi. Now they were prepared for the Lamanites, to battle after the manner of the instructions of Moroni.
And it came to pass that the Lamanites, or the Amalickiahites, were exceedingly astonished at their manner of preparation for war.

This, Elder Bednar explained, is the ultimate purpose of home-centered, church-supported learning. To be aware of the intent of the enemy (Satan), diligently prepare so that he cannot come through our place of entrance, and that he will be astonished at our preparation and we have the power to actually bind him in our homes. He also explained that Satan is waiting and watching for us to get casual with our obedience- like a cheetah stalking its prey.

Home church is a program that has been in the works for years because the Brethren knew that it would have a huge strengthening purpose for families in the last days, when they’d need it the most. Elder Bednar bore testimony of this and the revelation that has come and will continue to come for the church. He also spoke of how amazing it was for him to speak at this pulpit and compared it to other pulpits he’s been privileged to be at. He turned around at the end and looked at Jerusalem and then turned to us and bore one of the most powerful testimonies I’ve ever heard of the reality of the Savior.

We were sitting near the front, so after the meeting closed, our girls hurried up to shake Elder Bednar’s hand. He and his wife were so gracious with them and he even reached out to touch Tessa’s cheek. I hope they never forget this day and the way it felt.

After church, we changed and then drove to Ein Kerem a few miles away. Here we visited The Church of St. John the Baptist, the purported site of the cave where John the Baptist was born. We ate a small dinner in the courtyard right outside and then explored inside, where the cave has been enshrined. From there, we walked to The Church of the Visitation, where Mary is said to have visited Elizabeth, when the two were miraculously pregnant.

We found a perfect spot for our home church in the cemetery garden off of the Church of the Visitation, and overlooking the hills and valleys of Ein Kerem- seriously gorgeous place and perfect to watch the sunset.

We were still reeling from the meeting we just sat through, so we took a few minutes to discuss our favorite parts. Then, we talked about John 1.

Cannot top this day and couldn’t be more grateful for these girls, this gospel, our shared testimonies and this country that we have fallen hard for as we’ve learned about the life of the Savior. I wish I could rewind it again and again-whenever I need a spiritual boost.

Nazareth and Lauren’s birthday

Brian was in the States on Shabbat (Saturday), so we planned ahead to hold our home-centered church on Sunday instead. He walked in the door late morning and we were out the door early afternoon for a day in Nazareth. We have LOVED learning about the New Testament this year and have tried our very best to find places that correlate to the lesson being taught. Luke 2 and Matthew 2 landed us in Nazareth on a chilly day.

Winter has lasted about a month and our now thin-skinned bodies don’t wear this weather very well. Happy to report that we are back to 80 degree days! We began our day by climbing Mt. Precipice. As recorded in Luke 4, this is where Christ escaped from his fellow Jewish worshippers when they attempted to throw him off. He was able to miraculously escape.

While the west side of the hill faces the old city of Nazareth, the east side has incredible views of the Jezreel Valley, Afula and Mt. Tabor (and on a clear day, the Sea of Galilee). The view was so pretty and the cliffs…slightly scary.

We found a place off the path leading up the mountain to hold our family church. Brian loves to find a peaceful setting, one that may look similar to what Jesus may have seen 2,000 years ago, and this one fit the bill perfectly.

We cannot say enough how much this new church structure has been a massive blessing for us. I’ve loved learning intently about Christ’s life as I study on my own and then learning it again and even better when we all talk together about it. And I really love that we can talk about the birth of Christ, point to where it happened, and then go and visit it.

Lauren was not up for stepping onto this rock, but I assured her it was totally safe and then held her arms for a little added security :)

Picture above and right is the old city of Nazareth. After we left Mt. Precipice, we went to the domed Basilica of the Annunciation, where it is believed the angel Gabriel told Mary she would bear the Son of God. Below, this beautiful depiction is of Christ, as a child, with Mary and Joseph. It is right between the Basilica and St. Joseph’s church, said to be the site of Joseph’s carpentry shop.

The interior of the Basilica is really unique and modern. The walls are adorned with massive artwork from countries all over the world that detail their interpretation of the mother of Jesus. The organ, below, as well as the interior dome were so stunning.

Our last stop in Nazareth was Mary’s Well, where the Catholic church asserts that Mary was actually visited by Gabriel. Chasing these pigeons by the well might have been the highlight of the day for the kids.

LAUREN TURNS TEN!! (same weekend as our visit to Nazareth)

Our sweet Lauren (also known as “Little Lady” in our home) turned 10 on January 5. Brian was out of town for her birthday, so we delayed celebrating until he came back. She really loves gymnastics these days and was set on going to a trampoline park with the family, so we found this place just south of us. It was on a Monday, so the place was almost empty and had all of the bells and whistles any kid would enjoy- zip lines, rock climbing, raised obstacle courses, trampolines and foam pits. Our kids had the BEST time running around and playing and have begged to go back every day since.

Lauren lives for gymnastics. She got this cute leotard for Christmas and was so excited to wear it to the park. She’s been intensely working on her handstand lately.

We love this little lady with our entire hearts and are so so so sad about her entering the world of double-digits. But equally happy we got to celebrate what a great girl she is, in a place as fun as this.

Shabbat in Jerusalem

It is going to be hard for me to do justice to this day. Anything I write will fall short of the actual events and the way they felt. It was one of those times when you feel so deeply and so much. We decided to go to the Jerusalem branch instead of our own in Tel Aviv because we wanted to have more time to show our kids some of our favorite sites. We also wanted to take advantage of living so close to this sacred place and hold our “family church” (“Come Follow Me” LDS program) in a spot that had scriptural significance because we are studying the New Testament.

After attending two-hour church (hooray!!) at the BYU Jerusalem Center, one of our favorite places on earth, we wandered out to their front garden that overlooks the entire Old City with is ancient walls and many famous landmarks. I don’t know if there is a better view. My heart might burst sometimes with gratitude that we get to be here right now with our kids. And to see them experience all of it is more than I could ever hope for.

What’s better than sitting in church and overlooking this place and knowing you’re just next door to the Garden of Gethsemane while worshipping? Nothing.

After church, we drove to the Garden of Gethsemane and walked through it for the first time with our kids (every time we have come here in the past its been closed or we haven’t had the chance to get to it). It was pretty awesome to explain what happened here and see the recognition in their faces that the scripture stories they’ve read and heard so many times in fact happened, and happened right where they were standing. They saw the ancient trees (some of which were actually alive 2,000 years ago) and went inside the church to view the rock that is traditionally believed to be the rock that Christ had his Intercessory Prayer for each of us.

Its a different conversation with your kids about the scriptures when you’re actually seeing where these things take place. They had lots of great questions and definitely a recognition that this is all very real and true. It was extremely special to be there with them in this moment.

After that, we walked across the street to the Gethsemane Cave and were able to look inside (the screen was locked, but the door was open so you could see) where Christ often sat with his disciples and close to where Judas betrayed Him. They had regularly gathered here, so when Judas betrayed Jesus and was asked to show the guards where He was, it wasn’t hard to find him.

From there, we walked up the hill to the garden across from the traditional site of Gethsemane, which probably looks almost exactly like it may have those 2,000 years ago. After telling our kids about Orson Hyde (the park dedicated to him was just above us here) and why his mission in 1841 to Israel was important, we decided to find a quiet spot right here to hold our family meeting.

We gathered our scriptures and journals and sat overlooking the Old City while we reverently began talking about the story of Mary, Joseph, Elisabeth and Zacharias.

As we talked about our own experiences and lessons of how God can help us accomplish anything, even the impossible, a spirit of love and faith was felt so strong. We shared with each other for a long time and felt our testimonies strengthened that the Savior is real and He knows us and loves us and stands waiting to help us whenever it is needed.

I cannot say enough that we completely recognize how special this moment was and how grateful we are to be here and experiencing it with our kids. We know that we have been blessed immensely to be able to do this and we hope we can take as much advantage as possible before our time here ends. It was one of those moments that I don’t think any of us will ever forget. And, I do know this…today the scriptures came alive for our girls.

We really wanted to show the kids one of our favorite new places (for us) next. The Pools of Bethesda near the church of St. Anne. The story in John 5 of what happened here is so touching, so I wanted to include it here:

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked.

This site is gorgeous and feels so much more untouched than most in Jerusalem.

St. Anne’s Church is famous for their acoustics and because it was relatively empty on this day, I asked my girls if they’d want to sing a song together after we walked the pools. Lauren chose “I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus”, which was perfect for the occasion. We walked inside and sat on the front bench together while we gathered our courage- all of us are pretty shy- so this was a stretch. What started out quietly, was soon picked up by the incredible acoustics and made to sound much louder and more in tune than we could have hoped! Knowing a magical memory was being made, we sang louder the powerful words “Love one another as Jesus loves you. Try to show kindness in all that you do. Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought, for these are the things Jesus taught." and my heart almost burst again with how much I love my girls, this city, this memory and above all, the love that Christ has for each of his children.

Brian was taking pictures and didn’t know we were going inside to sing. He walked in at the chorus and recognized our voices and the song and began filming immediately. I hadn’t planned on recording us and he didn’t know what we were doing, but I am so glad he caught this! I’ve watched it hundreds of times already remembering how it felt. One of the best moments ever.

Right there, right then was something I never hope to forget. I cannot describe it…it was mostly felt.

Food Tour - Carmel Market

When Jenn and Jim were in town after Christmas, we scheduled a food tour at Carmel Market here in Tel Aviv. One of my favorite things is a food tour (the combo of culture, history and food is hard to trump!) and this is where I do most of my grocery shopping, so I felt like I knew the market and the surrounding alleys pretty well. I didn’t. This tour was amazing and showed me some real gems that I had never before noticed. So, here’s a small taste of what we saw and ate…

Our group gathered here at the main entrance to the shuk. From people-watching to live, local musicians playing at all hours of the day, you are never short of entertainment at this spot. Our first stop was at a raw juice bar where we tested some homemade concoctions that were lively, interesting and…mostly delicious. Then, the store purveyor opened the good stuff…what we now call booger lotion. Haha. It is this crazy stuff that he had us rub in our noses and POW! all of the sudden, you could breathe better. The guy was super entertaining, especially when he couldn’t keep his hands off of Jim!

From there, we wandered across the street to the self-proclaimed “only authentic Israeli food”, Sabich (pronounced sa-beek). Israel doesn’t have an original cuisine- its a new country full of many cultures and immigrants, literally from all over the world. They each bring their own food to the table, figuratively speaking, so Israeli food is a mash-up of all of that. Sabich, however, claims to be their ace. It came about when a bus driver, named Sabich, pulled out his lunch of last night’s leftovers stuffed into a pita and the sandwich was born. It has too many vegetables to name (and to count!) as well as a hard egg all thrown in with some sauce and its actually delicious- the line out the door at all hours would affirm that.

We tried some interesting Arab spices at this stall. Jenn and Jim didn’t love them, but we may have acquired a taste for a handful of new things here that heavily use this stuff so we partook and even enjoyed. We also snuck into a place that serves Turkish Sephardic malabi, a sweet mixture of sugar, dairy, cornstarch and rose water topped with crushed nuts and coconut. It was subtle and so good!

This place though…oh my goodness. It was hummus redefined in every magical way it can be. Truth be told, up to this point, we haven’t varied off the traditional hummus path because we didn’t even know another path existed. And now I cannot look at hummus the same way ever again. To begin with, they only serve hummus, which, turns out, can be eaten and is eaten for a main meal all of the time in Israel! This guy (who inherited this cafe from his father) served us shakshuka hummus, Balkan hummus and, the piece de resistance, Mexican hummus. I cannot even…it was so good. Want to know a hummus secret? If you cut up a yellow onion and dip it into hummus, it completely takes away the bitter taste of the onion. We learned that here. Yum.

We were all blown away…and as you can tell, I get passionate about good food.

Next stop was at the cutest old lady’s house that serves toasty (ie fried) homemade Armenian bread stuffed with egg and cheese and topped with a salsa. We were all stuffed at this point, but it was so good. And, she basically threw us a dance party for the 10 minutes we were there. It was so funny.

This cute girl was our tour guide and she did such an awesome job showing us around the market. Tour was Delicious Israel, if you want to check it out.

We wandered down the main thoroughfare while indulging in strawberries, which luckily for us, are a winter fruit here. They are so delicious. Really, all of the produce here is amazingly fresh since most of it is grown right here in Israel (mostly due to being surrounded by countries who don’t necessarily get along with you). You can get a few things from Europe, but they are so outrageously priced ($12 for a small clam of raspberries…no thanks!) so we stick to the local fare.

We finished off with some gelato at a local Italian-owned place that does unique combinations of flavors. I think I had a pear and goat cheese with pistachio cone and it was perfection. The tour was perfection too,