This is going to be short but sweet.
This evening we went into the city to attend the baptism of Peter and James, the sons of our friends Mark and Naomi who are here until June.
We went in early and first visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. As Wikipedia says,
The site is venerated as Golgotha,[1] (the Hill of Calvary), where Jesus was crucified,[2] and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important Christian pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the resurrection of Jesus. Today it also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, while control of the building is shared between several Christian churches and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for centuries. Today, the church is home to Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.
We were only there for a short time, but it was incredibly large and one at the same time ornate and rudimentary.
What an overwhelming thing, to be on such sacred ground.
It was very meaningful, to go from the site of Jesus' death, the very gift of Himself to us, and then to attend the beautiful baptism of the twins, a tangible manifestation of the fruits of Jesus' sacrifice.
The baptism was at the church of Simeon and Anna and I want everyone to go there.
It is tiny, simple, full of soft light and an intimate, welcoming community.
The Mass (apart from the baptism) was in Hebrew, and the music offered haunting Hebraic melodies where one feels transported to the earliest of liturgies.
Pictures and more reflections to follow....
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Wild Animals=A Mama's Saving Grace
Jacob and I had a date on Friday.
We went to the Jerusalem Zoo, and it was AWESOME!! We bought a membership and will likely be going at least once a week. In addition to being huge, having tons of picnic spots
they have 2 playground areas. One is made up of cool mosaic sculptures for kids to climb on and in!
There were many beautiful animals---so many that we only got through half of the park in 4 hours (which of course included time ample time to play and get a snack).
Jacob has been having the hardest time adjusting to life here, which makes complete sense. At home, he went to 3 full days of ECDC a week with a dozen and a half classmates in addition to Village life, which rivals any social butterfly's schedule. Here, there is Mom. Sissy. Dad, when he's not working and little Rojet, who is the sweetest kid but does not speak much English. Oh, Jacob does love wrestling with Brian or chatting with Hannah and Lisa, but he certainly has a monopoly on the kid scene.
We are also very close with our families and being away from them is quite difficult. I often hear Jacob singing to himself about missing his family and friends, that it's hard and he is sad. But then there are many times throughout the day (like right now as he and daddy are doing manual labor in the gardens), that he is happy as a clam. He won't be scarred for life, right?
Anyhoo, that ridiculous tangent was to say that the zoo is going to be a great boost for us. My plan is to go at least once a week with the kiddos so they have open space, playtime and interaction with other children, albeit only through observing the animals or taking turns on the playground.
Things are starting to feel normalish.
And how did we feel about a day out at the zoo?
Yup, that pretty much sums it up.
~~~~~~
I have a little request. If you have a few moments, as a boost to Jacob, would you send an email/video/photo to brighten his day? It doesn't take much to put a smile on his face, and knowing people are still thinking of him would certainly soothe his tender heart. You can email me or send a facebook message. THANKS!!!!!
We went to the Jerusalem Zoo, and it was AWESOME!! We bought a membership and will likely be going at least once a week. In addition to being huge, having tons of picnic spots
and affording amazing views
they have 2 playground areas. One is made up of cool mosaic sculptures for kids to climb on and in!
We are also very close with our families and being away from them is quite difficult. I often hear Jacob singing to himself about missing his family and friends, that it's hard and he is sad. But then there are many times throughout the day (like right now as he and daddy are doing manual labor in the gardens), that he is happy as a clam. He won't be scarred for life, right?
Anyhoo, that ridiculous tangent was to say that the zoo is going to be a great boost for us. My plan is to go at least once a week with the kiddos so they have open space, playtime and interaction with other children, albeit only through observing the animals or taking turns on the playground.
Things are starting to feel normalish.
And how did we feel about a day out at the zoo?
~~~~~~
I have a little request. If you have a few moments, as a boost to Jacob, would you send an email/video/photo to brighten his day? It doesn't take much to put a smile on his face, and knowing people are still thinking of him would certainly soothe his tender heart. You can email me or send a facebook message. THANKS!!!!!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Come Away With Me: Jaffa Gate and The Cenacle
Reflections from our first trip into the city:
What a day, what a day!
I feel energized and totally wiped all at the same time.
There's something about navigating a foreign city that makes me feel "together." Though my zany outrageous personality might lead one to believe I'm a bit spacy about navigation, be not fooled. I like to know exactly where I'm going and exactly how I'm going to get there. Outside of that, I can be spontaneous.
We embarked late this morning on our first journey out of Tantur. Tantur is the arabic work for hilltop, and as you can guess, it sits atop a huge hilltop, providing gorgeous views of both Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Just as Tantur itself sits between two different world, so I feel I do. Now I'm not going to even feign knowledge of the intricate political realities that are deep-running in this ancient land. I know absurdly little considering we have chosen to live here. In acknowledging this lack of knowledge, and quite possibly sounding trite, the division is a painful reality.
As we arrived at the bottom of the [very] steep hill, there was an accident clean-up taking place. Of course Jacob was astounded by the whole situation, and kept remarking on how they should be doing things, and laughed when they drove the tow truck away with the front bumper dragging on the ground.
After a few minutes of waiting, bus 124 pulled up, which would take us right to the Old City. There are Arab buses and Israeli buses, and this particular one is Arab. (This segregated bus system is just one of the sad realities of the cultural division). Basically, it's kind of a cross between a minivan and a bus---the size of a mini van with a bench in the back and 3-4 rows of double seats aside a TEENY aisle. Being both a large woman and a bit claustrophobic, it is quite uncomfortable to try to squeeze between the tiny middle row with backpack and children in tow.
We are certainly an oddity among the normal bus folk of women going to market and men going to work.
We are white.
We are American.
We are large.
Jacob is chatty and Ceci is flirty.
It is called such because it used to be the heart of the city until they began expanding beyond the walls in the mid-19th century. There is a huge stone wall surrounding the Old City which is remiscent of a castle. People stream, push, run, scoot past us as we saunter a bit slower than the general crowd.
We have arrived.
Kevin has Ceci in the Beco carrier on the front, with a full backpack on his back. I have a full backpack on my back and Jacob shuffles between the two of us. We move as quickly as we can, though Jacob's dawdling tendencies become complicated on ancient stone streets with narrow passageways.
Walking through the bustling Old City evokes memories of my time in India---crowded, colorful, stimulating, fragrant (for good and for bad),with many people selling their wares and curious about the strange visitors.
The streets in the Old City are narrow, stone, ancient, well-worn. One often feels that walking about is like a game of Hopper, navigating around corners praying that a compact car or scooter isn't zooming around the corner. All in all, we did quite well, only having to stop a few times to remind Jacob that lollygagging and silly walking weren't a good idea in such a bustling place.
After a short walk, we made our way to the Cenacle.
For those of you who are wondering, this is the place traditionally attributed to the Last Supper, and it was one of the sites I most looked forward to visiting.
You see, I have this thing about the Eucharist.
When I present the Cenacle work to the children in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, I almost always start crying, talking through my tears as if they're not pouring down my face because---in giving of His very Body and Blood, we have life within us. Forever.
In some ways, I have been nervous about visiting these places, these places about which I've heard my ENTIRE LIFE. One of my earliest memories is of going to the atrium as a child and learning about the places Jesus walked.
Would it be anti-climactic?
Would I be disappointed?
There was certainly a bittersweetness walking into the Cenacle. It's a room. Just a room.
But that's just it----it's a real room, where I believe a real person sat. And offered His real self, His Body and Blood for me.
It is a simple room, stone with beautiful stained glass and the gorgeous sun filtering through.
Jacob was super excited to see the Cenacle, walked in looked around and said,
Classic 5 year old.
So Kev generously took the kiddos out to the courtyard area and left me to wander a bit.
...and I began to take pictures. I started in one area of the room and just shot and shot and shot---different settings, diferent angles.
And all of a sudden I realized.
I was alone.
**For those who so desire to see the insane amount of pics I have taken thus far, you can go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/danielamuse/TheOldCityPartIJaffaGateTheCenacleAndKingDavidSTomb?authkey=Gv1sRgCIqwwJbb0JvhSQ#
and for pics from before we left:
http://picasaweb.google.com/danielamuse/BeforeOurDeparture?authkey=Gv1sRgCLTU7Naks9nNHQ#
What a day, what a day!
I feel energized and totally wiped all at the same time.
There's something about navigating a foreign city that makes me feel "together." Though my zany outrageous personality might lead one to believe I'm a bit spacy about navigation, be not fooled. I like to know exactly where I'm going and exactly how I'm going to get there. Outside of that, I can be spontaneous.
We embarked late this morning on our first journey out of Tantur. Tantur is the arabic work for hilltop, and as you can guess, it sits atop a huge hilltop, providing gorgeous views of both Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Just as Tantur itself sits between two different world, so I feel I do. Now I'm not going to even feign knowledge of the intricate political realities that are deep-running in this ancient land. I know absurdly little considering we have chosen to live here. In acknowledging this lack of knowledge, and quite possibly sounding trite, the division is a painful reality.
As we arrived at the bottom of the [very] steep hill, there was an accident clean-up taking place. Of course Jacob was astounded by the whole situation, and kept remarking on how they should be doing things, and laughed when they drove the tow truck away with the front bumper dragging on the ground.
After a few minutes of waiting, bus 124 pulled up, which would take us right to the Old City. There are Arab buses and Israeli buses, and this particular one is Arab. (This segregated bus system is just one of the sad realities of the cultural division). Basically, it's kind of a cross between a minivan and a bus---the size of a mini van with a bench in the back and 3-4 rows of double seats aside a TEENY aisle. Being both a large woman and a bit claustrophobic, it is quite uncomfortable to try to squeeze between the tiny middle row with backpack and children in tow.
We are certainly an oddity among the normal bus folk of women going to market and men going to work.
We are white.
We are American.
We are large.
Jacob is chatty and Ceci is flirty.
I'm sure we provide much fodder for dinner conversations. :)
After a 20-25 minute bus ride, we got off at Jaffa gate, one of the many entrances to the Old City.
It is called such because it used to be the heart of the city until they began expanding beyond the walls in the mid-19th century. There is a huge stone wall surrounding the Old City which is remiscent of a castle. People stream, push, run, scoot past us as we saunter a bit slower than the general crowd.
We have arrived.
Kevin has Ceci in the Beco carrier on the front, with a full backpack on his back. I have a full backpack on my back and Jacob shuffles between the two of us. We move as quickly as we can, though Jacob's dawdling tendencies become complicated on ancient stone streets with narrow passageways.
Walking through the bustling Old City evokes memories of my time in India---crowded, colorful, stimulating, fragrant (for good and for bad),with many people selling their wares and curious about the strange visitors.
The streets in the Old City are narrow, stone, ancient, well-worn. One often feels that walking about is like a game of Hopper, navigating around corners praying that a compact car or scooter isn't zooming around the corner. All in all, we did quite well, only having to stop a few times to remind Jacob that lollygagging and silly walking weren't a good idea in such a bustling place.
After a short walk, we made our way to the Cenacle.
For those of you who are wondering, this is the place traditionally attributed to the Last Supper, and it was one of the sites I most looked forward to visiting.
You see, I have this thing about the Eucharist.
When I present the Cenacle work to the children in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, I almost always start crying, talking through my tears as if they're not pouring down my face because---in giving of His very Body and Blood, we have life within us. Forever.
In some ways, I have been nervous about visiting these places, these places about which I've heard my ENTIRE LIFE. One of my earliest memories is of going to the atrium as a child and learning about the places Jesus walked.
Would it be anti-climactic?
Would I be disappointed?
There was certainly a bittersweetness walking into the Cenacle. It's a room. Just a room.
But that's just it----it's a real room, where I believe a real person sat. And offered His real self, His Body and Blood for me.
It is a simple room, stone with beautiful stained glass and the gorgeous sun filtering through.
"Okay, let's go to the next thing."
Classic 5 year old.
So Kev generously took the kiddos out to the courtyard area and left me to wander a bit.
...and I began to take pictures. I started in one area of the room and just shot and shot and shot---different settings, diferent angles.
And all of a sudden I realized.
I was alone.
There was not one. single. person.
No one but me.
In the Cenacle.
It was as if God blessed me with this moment,
this annointed moment in a place where hundreds of thousands of people visit and hundreds of thousands more wish to.
Just little ole me in the Upper Room.
A Body given, Blood shed, and the gift of eternal life.
**For those who so desire to see the insane amount of pics I have taken thus far, you can go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/danielamuse/TheOldCityPartIJaffaGateTheCenacleAndKingDavidSTomb?authkey=Gv1sRgCIqwwJbb0JvhSQ#
and for pics from before we left:
http://picasaweb.google.com/danielamuse/BeforeOurDeparture?authkey=Gv1sRgCLTU7Naks9nNHQ#
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