What is it worth to your family?

Elder Neil L. Andersen's wife, Kathy, spoke at the Saratoga Stake Conference and shared a story where I felt a parallel narrative from my own life.

When her children were young, Sister Andersen took the General Conference Ensign to make photocopies for each of her children so they could study the talks together as a family.

After making the copies the charge was $50. Sister Anderson felt sick to spend so much on such a small thing until she asked herself the question, "What is it worth to you to have the words of God's prophets for you and your family?"

My narrative is not quite as impressive but I did have a similar experience. Before our trip to Israel last Christmas, our tour guide, Garland Dennant, sent me 2 copies of the workbook he put together on the Holy Land.

After glancing at the workbook I felt really strongly that each family member should have their own personal copy to read, to take notes on, to save, etc. So, I proceeded to make 3 more copies and when the total was nearly $100 I had a similar reaction to Sister Anderson. I wondered if it had been silly to have 5 printed copies of Garland's Holy Land guidebook.

But, as I used my copy during the our trip to highlight and write notes, and, as I've used it since as a great reference and to remember places; I'm really grateful to have my own personal copy and can't really put a value on how much it is worth. While my kid's copies may not get heavily used now, I hope it's a workbook they'll return to over the years to remember the places they went where our Savior walked. And, how much is that worth? ...Obviously, priceless!

A Reluctant Presenter...

I prefer to sit in a class rather than lead one, but I was asked to give a little presentation on the Holy Land at the Saratoga Ward Relief Society Enrichment on Tuesday night.

The preparation was the fun part for me; if only I could enlist an extrovert for the delivery! I did enjoy reminiscing on our trip to Israel; especially reflecting whether the adventure has changed me in any way.

If only thoughts, feelings, and awakenings on vacations could linger more permanently in our psyche! How quickly we return to our daily routines!

But, like my original trip to Israel 30 plus years ago, I'm much more excited about the scriptures. The places have added context; the scenes are easy to visualize!

And, I'm more appreciative of the blessing of having temples. I've thought a lot about the reverence the Jewish people have for the Western Wall of the Temple Mount since that is the closest they can get to where their temple once was!

I take for granted how fortunate we are to have sacred things in our lives! Without the sacred and holy, life wouldn't have nearly as much meaning and purpose!

I probably fumbled through my presentation but I was glad to have an opportunity to take me back to the Holy Land again, even if this time it was just via a slideshow!

"I wish there could have been an invention that bottled up a memory, like perfume,

and it never faded, never got stale. Then whenever I wanted to I could uncork the bottle and live the memory all over again." -Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca

Come Follow Me....

"Follow me," the Savior said. And we realize that to follow him is not impossible. The miles which he traveled, each of us can travel, for he took them one step at a time, one journey at a time.

You could walk from Jerusalem to Nazareth. You could walk to the Mount of Transfiguration and back and forth from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, Bethany, the River Jordan. All these, you could do.

But this is not the kind of following that he expected. He meant for us to follow his teachings and his example. Anyone with normal health can walk those miles and climb those hills and ford those streams. But it is quite another thing to be "even as I am," (3rd Nephi 27:27) as he said to the Nephites." -President Spencer W. Kimball

I love this quote. Despite all the gratitude I feel for the opportunity to visit the Holy Land and be in places that were important to the Savior, I realize that President Kimball's message is true. We don't ever need to take the pilgrimage to Israel, the most important thing is to emulate the Savior's life and learn from his teachings.

"Following Him" by striving to be our very best is really all he asks of us. And in every single way we fall short (for me the list is long!) his Atonement has paid the price! The days we spent in Israel it was easy to "follow" some of his actual journeys. Returning home, I hope to be able to better follow his ways!

Taking Israel Home With Us...

"And half the fun of nearly everything, you know, is thinking about it beforehand, or afterward." - Uncle Wiggily's Story Book, Howard R. Garis

We had lot of laughs during the long flight(s) homeward bound! Plenty of time to replay funny parts of the trip. Our family vacations are usually rife with moments we break out in hysterics over something someone said or did!

But besides all the humor and goofy moments, I want to remember more than silly antics of this trip. One challenge of an amazing trip is figuring out how to make sure we don't leave the lessons behind.

Our tour guide Garland was a saint! He was always patient with us. If I got ancy, Garland would say "We're Good" assuring everyone we we right on schedule! It was classic Garland, unflappable, never ruffled.

Our Israel vacation felt like a pilgrimage to me! Every box seemed to contain another box in the history of this place! So, while my knowledge of the Holy Land increased tenfold I'm still at the tip of the iceberg in really understanding all the mysteries and wonder of this holy place! But my passion for the land, the history, the people and the places was definitely ignited from our journey! Reading the scriptures last night after returning already felt different; having those visual pictures makes things so much more interesting!

While the Grinch might say that our 2009 Christmas "came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!" It was probably the most memorable Christmas holiday we've had!

Coexist!

Whether it's the Los Gatos Interfaith group or the Coexist Foundation, there are lots of people in the world hoping we can find common ground among differing religions. The headline news shares violent stories of extreme fanatics and we sometimes forget that many other good individuals work and hope for peace. Peace here in Israel and Everywhere!

I feel grateful and blessed to have internal peace, something I really do believe was Christ's message to us. If his gift was his atonement and resurrection, I think his life's message truly was one of finding peace and to "be of good cheer." (John 16:33)

Our last full day in Israel yesterday followed Christ's Final Day and subsequent Resurrection. Many Christians tourists come to the Holy Land just to walk the Via Dolorosa (latin for suffering way). We followed this trail (with some added locations). Some of the places we saw:

Gethsemane - the olive orchard garden around the Church of All Nations replicates the place where Christ retired.

St. Peter in Gallicantu - the Roman Catholic church on the possible site of Christ's pretrial hearing before Annas. Gallicantu is Latin for where the rooster crowed (signifying Peter's betrayal)

The Antonius Fortress - thought to be the most likely location of Pontius Pilate's hearing.

Church of Holy Sepulchre - the traditional site of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.

Garden Tomb - while there is no archeological evidence for this site the garden tomb fits the physical description and is a beautiful spot. Garland shared his testimony of the resurrection with us here. You do feel a sense here that the knowledge that "he is not here, but is risen"(Luke 24:6) really does make ALL the difference!

A few other sites we visited:

Orson Hyde Garden - a beautiful area on the Mount of Olives, owned by the church, named after the Apostle Orson Hyde who came to Israel in 1840 and dedicated the Holy Land for the return of the Jews.

Pool of Bethesda - the place where Christ healed the man who had been lame for 38 years.

St. Anne's Church - thought to be the location of the home of Anne, mother of Mary.

We meet an Israeli couple for dinner that Garland has known for many years. Just like meeting the Bedouin family, this was another bonus of the trip; not something the typical tourist gets to experience.

Temple Mount: Western Wall & Dome of the Rock

"Jerusalem: the city which miraculously transforms man into pilgrim; no one can enter it and remain unchanged." Elie Wiesel

The Temple Mount area of the Old City in Jerusalem is such a sacred place for 3 world religions it's hard not to feel the convergence of faiths with shared but diverging beliefs coming to a head here.

Religion can be such a conundrum. We're taught not to judge and yet we have to make judgements. We're commanded not to kill but there are times when killing becomes justified (Laban, etc.). We should show respect and tolerance for all faiths but are still admonished to share the gospel. I guess this is one reason we can't solve age old religious questions intellectually and it makes me grateful for modern day revelation.

Most of our sight seeing yesterday took place inside the Old City. We did a little souvenir shopping; Webb finished that up in about 20 minutes and had to wait patiently while the rest of sought out all sorts of tchotchkes (Yiddish for knick-knacks!) Actually, an older Arab man befriended Webb while we shopped sharing tales of 3 wives and his tiring life (with multiple wives who wouldn't be tired!).

Garland took us on some neat tours in the Old City:

The Southern Steps & Archaeology Garden - where Paige shared that when Astronaut Neil Armstrong learned that Jesus had walked upon these steps he said: "this means more to me than walking on the moon."

Zedekiah's Cave - the stones for Solomon's temple were quarried here. Webb got a little claustrophobic but manned it up!

The Western Wall Tunnels - walking back into history you can see the Herodian, Byzantine, and Crusader constructions. Andie was enamored here with a little down's syndrome Jewish boy (no surprise); apparently a highlight of her trip!

For New Year's Eve we went to see the celebrating on Ben Yehuda street, wandered around, ate a nice dinner, but were all exhausted by about 10 pm! Guess we'll have to ring in the New Year back in the states!

Have Falafel, Will Travel!

Falafels have become my new staple! They're so much better here than in the US! Some Middle Eastern food I haven't been sold on but as long as I can find a falafel I'm good to go!

We started yesterday visiting the ruins of Bet Shean, a Roman city that would have been here in Christ's time even though there is no mention of it in the New Testament. While Christ's comment to "render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's" is open to many interpretations, seeing the affluence of this Roman city gives added insight.

We drove to Jericho in the West Bank (Palestinian controlled) and saw Old and New Testament sites but the best part of Jericho was visiting Nuwall and her family. In 1985, Garland's family tried to adopt Nuwall when she was a 12 year old Bedouin girl but didn't get government clearance. Nuwall and Garland had not seen each other for 24 years and now she is married with 4 beautiful daughters and 2 darling little sons.

Quite honestly, one of the best parts of this trip was being at the home of this sweet Bedouin family and feeling of the love they had for Garland. It was really tender! It made Garland really happy to see that things had turned out well for Nuwall. Knowing Garland, I'm sure he's been praying for Nuwall daily!

Another big hit of the day was our visit to the Wadi Kelt canyon and the St. George's Monastery! The canyon is steep and winding with Arab boys selling donkey rides down to the monastery. The monastery dates back to the early 5th century and there are still icons and Christian art dating back to the Byzantine empire. It was absolutely amazing. About ten monks are currently living at St. George.

St George's Monastery isn't a big tourist attraction because it's difficult to get to and obviously the visit to Nuwall's Bedouin family isn't something a typical tourist gets to experience. We've decided these are often the best parts of any trip; surprises and meeting people of a completely different culture but finding our hearts still connect!

And last but not least, Paige got her highly anticipated Camel Ride in Jericho! So that was a touristy part of the day! But a fun one!

Sojourn in the Holy Land continues....

We leave the Ha'on Kibbutz today and spend our last 3 nights back at the David Citadel (same hotel as the first 3 nights) in Jerusalem. We're excited to get back to a little luxury!

But to be honest the kibbutz experience definitely grows on you. It was character building; not a 5 star Ritz, a little more like a hostel, camp, or, more correctly (what it actually is...) communal living.

The kibbutz location was a gorgeous setting on the Sea of Galilee and as a working ostrich farm we've been enlightened, everything you never knew about ostriches!

Yesterday we traveled to Dan, and went hiking just a stone's throw from Lebanon, Israel's northern border. Dan shows the ruins of the ancient city where Jeroboam instituted idol worship. When "Dan to Beersheba" is referenced in the Old Testament it identifies the territory of the Hebrew kingdom.

In Caesaria Philippia we saw ruins from different layers of historical periods. Fascinating! The Greeks and Romans built pagan temples here to Pan (their god of nature). Caesaria Philippia is also the place where Christ asks his Apostles "Whom do men say that I am?"

A hike in Wadi Banias led us to an impressive waterfall that was the inspiration for the 42nd Psalm! We drove to many great lookouts around the Golan Heights and borders of Syria and Jordan. It feels like every valley here is a site from battles fought or miracles performed. It's all a little overwhelming at times!

By lunchtime yesterday Paige was quite famished; luckily there was a Druze settlement (the Druze are a small sect of Muslims living on the border of the Golan Heights and Syria) that our fearless driver, Jack, knew where to get Druze Tacos! They weren't anything like a taco and we aren't sure what they were but when you are hungry anything works! Jack and Garland make a great team! They must get tired of traveling with our goofy crew 24/7 but they've been wonderful!

Last night it was inspiring to walk down the piers on the kibbutz, read from the New Testament, glance around at the Sea of Galilee and just take in what a special place this is. I feel really lucky to be able to be here and experience the Holy Land.

Scenes surrounding the Sea of Galilee....

One of yesterday's poignant moments was listening to Garland read The Beatitudes as we sat in a caved nook overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Even when we wandered downhill the acoustics on the hillside were impressive; you could imagine Christ addressing a large audience here. Very neat!

Our experiences here run the gamut from tender feelings of the heart as we sat quietly on The Sermon on the Mount while just an a hour earlier we were dancing it up to gospel songs on a boat ride filled with Nigerians on a Christian Pilgrimage! Never a dull moment!

A few of the sites from yesterdays travels include:

Kursi: This location was the likely place where Christ performed the miracle of the man possessed by demons, and the swine casting themselves into the sea.

Bethsaida: A fishing village and home to Apostles Andrew, Peter, and Phillip. In Bethsaida Jesus healed the blind man with 2 blessings.

Wadi Hammam: The most direct route from Capernaum to Nazareth lies within this canyon. We filled Paige's water bottle at a fresh spring that would have been used by ancient travelers; a place Christ would likely have stopped to rest and drink. Cool!

Ginnosar: A kibbutz where two archaeologists discovered a 2,000 year old fishing vessel. In a painstaking process they removed the boat from the Sea of Galilee so you get an idea of the very look of the boats that the Apostles would have fished from or the boat that Jesus would have calmed the tempest.

Tabgha: The purported site where Christ met the 11 Apostles after his resurrection. This is where he asked Peter 3 times "Do you love me?" and encouraged Peter to "Feed my Sheep."

Yardenit: A tourist stop where Christians can pay a fee for the experience of being baptized in the Jordan River. The likely spot of Jesus' baptism is actually further south near Jericho. But this is an interesting visit just to see the many forms people choose to show their devotion. We saw one man dunk himself multiple times, another couple blessed by their priest but not completely immersed, and sometimes entire groups will hold hands and get baptized altogether.

Tiberius: The largest of the 15 port towns around the Sea of Galilee. We tried the touted St. Peter's fish (tilapia I think) at a restaurant right on the water. Paige was adamant about ordering the fish (head, eye sockets and all) and Webb was adamant about not trying it (too many bones) but the fresh warm pita bread and hummus has become a crowd pleaser for all of us.

Spending time in the Sea of Galilee you really get a sense of why Christ loved to be here. It's a beautiful place; a peaceful place and it would have been a nice change from the congestion of Jerusalem.

Heading up the Israeli Coast....

Every day is another adventure here is Israel! Every day my understanding of stories in the Bible becomes a little more clear.

Sunday (but not the Sabbath) we left Jerusalem and headed north up the coast. We stopped in Caesaria, another fortress built by King Herod. Caesaria is also the place the Apostle Paul baptized the first non-Jewish convert, Cornelius (Acts 10).

Haifi is a large port city where we saw the headquarters of the Bahai faith; incredible terraced gardens and a huge shrine. Mount Carmel overlooks the city of Haifa where Elijah fought the priests of Baal.

When we vistited a necropolis in Beth Shearim you felt like you were in an Indiana Jones movies, walking through the catacombs filled with coffins! Brent hopped in one of the coffins; it was just the right size.

We went to Nazareth (home to the family of Jesus) and visited the spot on the outskirts of town where the men in the synagogue tried to throw Jesus over the cliff for declaring that he was "the one" who had been prophesied of in Isaiah.

Garland Dennett, our tour guide extraordinaire, does a great job of sharing insights and gives you things to ponder! Yesterday I really liked his thoughts on how often people come to the Holy Land expecting to find Christ here but can sometimes leave disappointed. Garland feels like the best chance you have to really find Christ here is when you bring him with you! In terms of opening our hearts, I like Garland's sentiment.

Shabbat Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom! The LDS church holds their worship services on Saturday in Israel in keeping with the Jewish Sabbath. So, yesterday we began with Sacrament meeting at the Jerusalem Branch that meets at the BYU Center. The BYU facility is beautiful; a classroom and living space surrounded by gardens.

After church we took gifts to Aya and Assel, 2 young Palestinian girls Rachael Holland met while studying abroad. I was amazed we found their house! And what a darling Arab family!

On our visit to Bethlehem we learned our driver, Jack, an Armenian Christian, has connections! The Church of the Nativity was crowded and the line to visit the grotto below had a huge line! Our driver, Jack, got the Armenian priest to let us in the back way and saved us a 2-3 hour wait! Score! It is touching to see the devout Christians who come from all over the world and wait for hours to pay respects at the cave that is purported to be the site Christ's birth took place.

Shabbat ends at sundown and Garland took us to the Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, the happening spot, where all the Israeli youth come out to party at the end of the Sabbath. Stores and restaurants all reopen, there is music and dancing, and the streets are filled! It's definitely a celebratory feeling, every Saturday night!

Beyond Jerusalem; Discovering the Israeli Wilderness!

One highlight yesterday was Webb's safe arrival! Because of work he flew out a day late and because of a big mid eastern storm we thought he might get stranded in Chicago!

Another highlight was our swim in the Dead Sea! The lake is 1348 feet below sea level; the lowest point on earth! Since's Andie's had a bad cold, we're testing the claims of the Dead Sea's therapeutic healing powers, hoping she'll be miraculously cured! With the salt/mineral content of the water at nearly 30% you can sit back and float with no effort. Very fun!

Hiking around Masada is an incredible history lesson! It was originally build by King Herod as a fortress but in 70 A.D. Jewish rebels took over the mountaintop for 3 years until a major Roman siege.

When the Jewish zealots realized they had no hope but to be captured they chose to commit a mass suicide (almost 1000 men, women & children). Rather than submit to slavery, abuse, and loss of freedom, they felt it was more honorable to die. "Masada shall not fall again," is a swearing-in oath of the modern Israeli army.

Ein Gedi is a beautiful National Park near the Dead Sea where we hiked to David's Waterfall and read the Old Testament story of David fleeing from King Saul, hiding in the caves. Ein Gedi had some unique animals, the Ibex (looks like a moutain goat) and the Hydrax (looks like a big rat).

Qumran was next, the location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947 by a Bedouin shepherd boy. These scrolls were meticulously written on parchment/animal skins by the Essenes, a sect of Judaism.

Shabbat begins at sundown on Friday so it was a perfect evening to visit the Western Wall; the most holy site for Jews. Since they believe that shekhina, (God's presence), dwells within the walls it is a sacred place for them to pray.

With everything closed on the Israeli side of the Old City we found a Palestine restaurant for dinner. We told the owner to bring a little bit of everything, which he did, and we loved, but he charged us three times as much as he should. Since we hadn't agreed on a price we were stuck. It's an expensive way to learn that some will take advantage of tourists! So, we're learning not just history but some important bargaining skills too!

Far, Far Away On Judea's Plains....

"Far, far away on Judea's plains,

Shepherds of old heard the joyous strains:

Glory to God, Glory to God,

Glory to God in the highest;

Peace on earth, goodwill to men,

Peace on earth, goodwill to men!" -John Menzies Macfarlane

The Shepherd's Fields outside Bethlehem was our first stop in Israel (on Christmas Eve no less)! It's pretty amazing to be standing in the fields that Bedouin shepherds heard the angels sing of the birth of the newborn Baby Jesus.

And, worth noting that with Jerusalem in the backdrop, many people would have heard the angels chorus but it was the lowly shepherds who heard the voices and went. Many others in the city of Jerusalem would also have heard but not bothered (too busy, not interested, etc.). Do I listen and follow or hear but just carry on? Can I learn something from the shepherds?

We wandered through Jaffa Gate last night, our first venture into Jerusalem's Old City. We happened upon an Armenian Eucharist Mass on Christmas Eve (a cool coincidence) and watched some of their processional, steeped in tradition. After leaving the Old City we found a fancy kosher restaurant with great middle eastern dishes for a delicious Christmas Eve dinner!

It's wonderful to experience the Holy Land, but especially at Christmas!

Frohe Weihnachten and Frankfurters in Frankfurt!

We've discovered an airline that Paige will actually eat their food! Lufthansa! Somewhere along the line, Paige became a bit of a "food snob" refusing to eat most airplane meals. This can be a problem for everyone (not just Paige) because when Paige doesn't eat, she gets ornery!

This trip she came prepared with snacks from Trader Joes but they're still untouched! She likes the Lufthansa fare! Whew! Flying "Business Class" might also help (like a lot!). In fact, after any international travel on a Business or 1st class ticket it is really hard to go back to sitting (and eating) in Coach! Trust me, I had to fly Coach to France in October!

We also like Lufthansa because it reminds us of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf! Who is probably the most handsome Apostle (not that we give much notice to those things)! President Uchtdorf was the Senior VP of Flight Operations when he left Lufthansa in 1996 to serve as a full-time General Authority. It's easy to picture President Uchtdorf as a Lufthansa Pilot; he's got the smile, the charisma and the confidence of a Captain Sully type! Yep, when the air travel is worth writing about it's either been really good or really lousy. Luckily for us, it been blog worthy in a good way!

Our initial direct flight from Frankfurt into Tel Aviv was canceled which left us overnighting in Germany. But it gave us a chance for some authentic German fare; dining out on bratwurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad (much different and better than American potato salad) and delicious apple streudel (the best part)! And a chance to sing Silent Night at Christmastime in Germany!

In other good news, Andie is making herself available for Sherpa Duty! Andie seems to like "picking things up" (well, maybe not her room, exactly, ....but people and luggage!) My carry-on bag is missing it's shoulder strap which is annoying but much less so when Andie carries it for me!

So, thanks to good food, Paige's disposition is pleasant, Andie is earning her keep baggage handling, and we meet up with Webb tomorrow on Christmas Day! At this point of the journey, we're glad we brought the kids along!

Who's in Charge Here?

Last night we flew out of San Francisco bound for Tel Aviv on our family trek to Israel! It's a long haul of a plane ride from SFO to Munich to Frankfurt to Tel Aviv!

Garland Dennett (pictured at left) is going to meet us at the airport in Israel. He's our resident expert; the man at the helm! We're hoping to kick back and soak up some of his vast knowledge of all-things-Middle-Eastern!

Most vacations require massive amounts of planning; figuring out all the logistics and trip details ahead so everything goes smoothly! This time we figured we'd try a new approach and hire Garland. He's the perfect combination of a brilliant scholar of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and an ardent student of religion, especially LDS theology.

The last time I was in Israel was 30 years ago in March of 1979. I was the same age that Paige is now! That's a funny thought! Jimmy Carter was the US President and he happened to come to Jerusalem the same week I was there to sign The Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty with Anwar Sadat. Imagine that! ....And no surprise, but, our paths never crossed!