A Lot of Catching Up To Do

I fully intended to write about the rest of our Petra/Aqaba trip, but time truly went by so quickly and busily these last couple of months that I was never able to give the attention needed to finish the story. It's really too bad, because now you'll never know about our amazing adventures in Petra, which included a camel ride, getting ripped off again, spectacular scenery, Wilma's donkey ride, and other honorable mentions.The Treasury


My Fun Camel Ride


Wilma's Donkey Ride. (There is a much funnier picture of this, but she would kill me if I posted it.)



On the Edge of a Very High Cliff. Very dangerous. Look at how calm I am.


More Carved Stone. . .


My Summer Home/Guest House. As you can see, I had some guests. They didn't seem to understand that it's actually my house. I couldn't get them to leave.


My Winter Home. That little speck in the doorway is me.


Camels in Petra. I really like this pic.


And you'll never hear of our stay in Aqaba, which included getting ripped off yet again on the way there, sleeping in a mosquito infested room for a night, a romantic swim through the coral reef in the Red Sea hand in hand with an Arab man I had never met before - yes, indeed...please ask me about it (it's really not what it sounds like), and my miserable journey back to Palestine. (I was terribly sick, but God was wonderfully gracious; the kind people at the hostel in Eilat really helped me out!) It was a truly wonderful trip & I would love to go back someday.
About a month later, Wilma, another teacher named Mary (from Tennessee), and I decided to go to Turkey for our 2nd Easter break (Orthodox Easter). It was a really cheap trip, so that's how we were able to manage it. We went to Antalya - oh my goodness...the scenery was breathtaking and we had such a great time. We met such wonderful and interesting people - lots of Russian speaking people (which I absolutely love), the hotel was really nice, and there was lots of entertainment. I didn't quite know what to expect in Turkey, but I certainly had no idea it would be so beautiful. I must go back. The highlights of this trip were: meeting great people, an unexpected fashion show, the beautiful city of Antalya, and participating in the hotel's evening entertainment. This consisted of an Easter egg painting contest in which I tied with 3 other people for the best egg, and then had to do a dance-off to Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back" in front of a room full of people to determine the winner. (Just so you know, the winner was the only guy in the dance-off & I don't think he even danced. I totally won.) The journey home was a bit frustrating because our plane was delayed for 7 hours, but it turned out well because we met some more really great people. It was a fablulous trip.The Fashion Show


Ridiculously Expensive Rings. Wilma's was worth about $250,000 & mine was worth about $500,000. Some people have entirely too much money. My ring wasn't even pretty-I can't imagine anyone paying half a million for that gaudy thing.


Waterfall In Antalya


Antalya's Harbor


Turkish Boat



Our Hotel.  Aren't the mountains deliciously mysterious??


The Coolest Chicken Ever.


Proof That I Won the Dance-Off. See, that guy's just standing there.  His wife was screaming like a banshee for him & that's why he won.  Seriously, I hesitated to put this pic up, but whatever. This is me, and yes, I did.


School was now coming to a close and there was no slowing down from then until the end. The last day of school was on June 4th, and I really miss my kids. I love them so much! Something really great happened during the last week, but I won't share it here...I'm sure that I'll have an opportunity to share it with most of you this summer. On top of the end-of-the-year responsibilities at school, we then had to start packing up our apartment as well. Jerusalem School is moving and so are all the American teachers. It was a very hectic time, but we did all that we could before we left. Wilma and I are now back in Georgia as of last Tuesday night, and as far as I know we'll be here until sometime in August. Erin and Eric stayed behind for a little over 2 weeks to help out with everything at the school, which is what I was intending to do, but there are 2 weddings that I wanted to be home for, and so...here I am. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be surrounded by family & friends and the beauty of NW Georgia again. I'm looking forward to a great summer break, and the leading of the Lord as to what exactly I'll be involved with next year in Palestine. Your prayers are greatly needed and appreciated. Much thanks to all of you who have kept me in your prayers this past year - I couldn't have made it without you!!