Bethlehem

OK, Ali, this one is for you since I know you have been checking the blog. Aren't these shoes adorable? I decided to take your advice and "assemble" an outfit for the shoes you made her. I packed up her shoes (still in their packaging, of course, because I couldn't bear to unwrap the presentation) and when I reluctantly pulled them out of the bag, I discovered they were still too big for her. I was so mad at myself because I knew I would never be able to make the ornamentation look the way you have and hence no longer be able to have it on display in her room. Oh well. I guess I will need you to come and reconstruct everything! She's obviously still fantastically adorable and I couldn't resist adding this picture too:

Wow! I have five minutes to try and tackle two huge days of things. I will only start on one day. Bethlehem. We went yesterday. We had to rent a bus and a driver because we were not aloud to go into the city without a resident of the city. The city is about 15 minutes from where we are but its all part of the difficult social division between the Arabs and the Israeli's. The Israeli's have put up a 30 foot separation wall that spreads for miles and prohibits all Arabs from entering Israel. The unemployment rate is 30% in Bethlehem. I saw many groups of men just standing around and wondered how they were taking care of their families. Most of these unemployed people worked in Jerusalem until the separation wall came up. The wall is heavily policed and we had to bring our passports to prove our citizenship coming in and out of the city.

As we began walking into the city, we went through an arched pathway. My father-in-law explained to us that this was the entryway into Bethlehem that Joseph and Mary would have gone through to get into the city. Wow! I was standing right where they had been two thousand years ago. I couldn't believe we were in the same place and words can't express the feeling in my heart as I looked at that archway and thought about a young, probably frightened, young woman about to give birth to her first child - alone, away from the comfort of home and loved ones. Only with her fiancee' to help her through this difficult time. I'm sure Mary came to love, trust and rely on Joseph deeply during this brief and holy period.

When we got into the city, it was pure craziness and mayhem. Here is a picture of us struggling to get through the markets without losing our children:

And actually, we stuck out so much it wasn't too hard. People would come up to touch Cassidy's blonde hair. Can you believe cars were coming in between all of this? They would honk and we would have to shimmy up to the sides of the shops to let the cars through. I wouldn't let go of Sam's hand and he wasn't too happy about that.

Here is Julianne asking for a hamburger.

Freshly squeezed OJ! Brandon, is your mouth watering?

After we got through the marketplace, it cleared into a plaza with a church. The church is traditionally standing where the Savior was born.

Traditionally, his actual birthplace.

After this sacred experience, Kent and Gayle took us to a Tent for some authentic Palestinian Dinner. The food was delicious and the ambience was amazing. We literally dined in a tent, over Persian Rugs, with Christmas music! It was fun and we were very spoiled.

OK, friends, its getting late and I have only written about 1/5 about what is on my mind from that day. Mostly, my testimony is growing. My gratitude for the Savior is deepening as I catch a glimpse of the world and customs He grew up in. I am also so grateful for his mother and the man who raised him, Joseph. They are such examples of faith and loving parenthood to me.

Tomorrow night (Christmas Eve) we will spend the evening at Sheperd's Field near Bethlehem singing hymns. Merry Christmas! Thanks for your comments - its fun to be hearing from all of you. And since I am incompetant, will you all please resend me invites to your private blogs? I have tried to get on but my invitation has expired.

Love you, Jill