The sun is just coming up here in Nazareth. We have been in the holy land for a little over a week now; we began in Jerusalem with an overview of the city, and then I took people down by the Jericho road into the wilderness, along the dead sea (with the obligatory float), Masada, Qumran, and then back up to Jericho. That leg of the trip took us about 2 days, and on the third day I took the group into Bethlehem, to explore the Shepherds' and then around Manger Square and the church of the Nativity. Despite what you may have heard, the checkpoint into Bethlehem was quite smooth, and the town itself has remained mostly peaceful (it is part of the west bank).
One of the great sights which one must not miss in Jerusalem is Shabbat celebrations on Ben Yehuda Street. There is everything from jugglers and street musicians to groups of Orthodox men dancing in the square and inviting men passing by to join in. For Pentecost we worshipped with the Anglican community of St George's cathedral - a mix of Arabic and English, which seemed a fitting mix for the day. Monday and Tuesday we took people around the Sea of Galilee, and managed as well to get up into the Golan Heights for a spectacular view of the entire region. We renewed our baptismal vows in the Jordan, and have continued on west to Nazareth. I am planning to introduce our group to a local Anglican parish (Abbouna Fuad is the priest & I have a connection with him) and let the group learn about life as a Christian in the Holy Land, away from the souvenir shops and trinkets. Will update later in the day...
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