Good Times

I've tried to write several times recently, but honestly I've been so busy and so tired that I couldn't finish what I started.  Oh, but there's so much goodness to tell!  First of all, Chrissie, a really sweet friend from home, is back in town & it's been great to see her again.  Wilma and I went to an "Esther" dinner with her and some other        Just to make you smile. 

ladies from home, and some local ladies - Jewish and Arab - several weeks ago.  It was a really nice time and I learned some sweet things from the Lord (there was some teaching before the dinner).  Since then we've seen her several times & she even stayed here for a couple of fun-filled nights.  I actually have lots to pray about these days, as Chrissie has given me several things to consider, but I'll write about that in my next post.  A couple of days after the dinner was Palm Sunday and Erin, Eric, Rula & I decided to participate in the annual procession from the Mount of Olives into the Old City to celebrate the day.  Erin & I didn't do this last year & so we didn't really know what to expect.  

At first it was really hot and pretty boring, but depending on the sect that you were near, the mood alternated between joyful and depressing.  Some groups were aware that this was actually a day of celebration and a happy welcoming of Jesus into Jerusalem, but others were determined to make it a mournful event with low, monotone chanting and stiffness of body.          

 

A Bit of the Palm Sunday Crowd

There were hundreds of people there, so it was slow-moving, but we finally made it into the Old City through the Lion's Gate after several hours.  Eric got his guitar out and we went through the gate singing praise songs...how lovely. But the best part was in the evening when Scout Troops exited the Lion's Gate and marched around the Old City wall up to the New Gate.  There were hundreds of kids in different troops playing bagpipes and drums, and it truly felt like a welcome worthy of a King.  This was my favorite part of the whole day.  There had been a threat of violence against the parade because of recent deaths from an Israeli attack in Gaza, but thank God nothing happened.  It was such a good time.

 

We found this donkey, untied it, & told the owners that the Lord had need of it.  Not really, but we seriously thought about it.

 

I went on a field trip the next day to the Monkey Park.  It was full of excitement which included watching two large monkeys chase screaming children in and out of "Tarzan's Tree House" and witnessing a peacock, trapped in an enclosed walkway with 50 very excited and curious Arab children, frantically trying to escape from certain doom.  The peacock made a desperate, yet successful, attempt to fly out, grazing the heads of teachers and children as it passed overhead.  In this instance, kids weren't the only ones screaming.  I tried to get a picture of the fly-by, but I just wasn't fast enough with the camera.  What a shame too, because it was awesome, but at least it's forever etched in my memory.  It would have been enough just to be out of school for the day, but it turned out to be surprisingly entertaining as well.  

When I got home that afternoon, I made some very exciting plans.  Wilma had been planning to go to Petra for our Easter break, but I hadn't quite made up my mind to go or not.  Michael (another Daltonian who works with the school) was going as well and came over to make the final plans.  I made the decision to go and so we booked the trip, just the three of us.  We were to leave Wednesday right after school and come home Sunday, which is exactly what we did...    

                    ~To Be Continued~