Wow, just when I thought I couldn’t get any more squeezed
into a week, we did! On Sunday we spent some time getting ready for Galilee,
took kids around to do things with their friends, and then we all led the
students to the Palm Sunday walk. No one had really told the students what it
was about, how it worked, where or when to go, or much of anything. A couple of
little things were said, but the night before they still had so many questions
and didn’t know what was going on. So we just told them they could come with
our family. And it ended up being great! We had a great experience. We talked
about the Triumphal Entry, and about accepting Christ as our king. We sat
outside the church of Bethpage, where it all starts, and saw the procession
begin, and fell in behind not too far after the beginning. It was great to feel
like we were such an integral part of the community of Christians. There is
something powerful and wonderful about being with so many different
denominations of Christians from all over the world (we were by a group from
the Philippines and a group from Italy, but mixed with people from everywhere).
To have such a group celebrate Christ and testify of Christ together is an
important and powerful thing. We all loved it! And this time our kids were old
enough to get it and to enjoy it.
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| On the Palm Sunday march |
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| With other Christians on Palm Sunday |
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| The family on Palm Sunday |
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| The family on Palm Sunday |
The next morning we left at 6 am for Galilee. On the drive I
tried to teach them about some various things, and some even stayed awake for
it.
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| The students were so tired on the bus |
Our first stop was Bet She’an, where Saul and Johnathan’s bodies were hung
for ridicule after they were slain. We talked about Saul, Johnathan, David, and
the strategic importance of the place in general. We also talked about how the
huge Roman ruins were the remains of Scythopolis, a Decapolis city. The Savior
preached in the areas of Decapolis, and people from Decapolis followed him. We
gave them a bit of free time, and then we moved on.
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| Beit She'an from above, looking from the Old Testament site down on the Roman period site |
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| Alexia in the Roman Theater of Beit She'an |
I tried to teach them about where we were traveling, and
ancient trade routes, as we went. We went past so many places with such famous
stories. We went past Ein Harod, where Gideon had his men drink from a spring
before he thinned out his army and went to defeat the Midianites just across
the valley. We went past Shunem, where Elisha raised a child from the Dead. We
went past Mount Tabor, a possible site for the Mount of Transfiguration and the
place where Deborah and Barak began their battle against the Canaanites. And
the list goes on. I tried to help the students (and my kids, who were all with
me) to get a feel for how much this place is the Land of the Bible. I love
having my kids with me on these trips, they listen to me in a different way
than they do when it is just our family.
We finally got to Nazareth. We went in and taught about the
annunciation, and how much Mary was like her son in her willingness to do God’s
will no matter what. Tashara helped translate the Latin on the church, and it
was quite fun. We enjoyed our time inside, we prayed and sang and contemplated.
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| The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth |
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| Julianne and Sabrina in the upper part of the Basilica of the Annunciation |
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| The women of our program in front of the statue of Mary |
Then we went outside and talked more about the Savior growing up. We went to
St. Joseph’s and thought about Joseph. We went to the traditional site of the
synagogue in which Jesus taught, and Andy Skinner taught about Jesus there. It
was all wonderful. I am so grateful my kids get this good education and hear
from all these great people.
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| Our students in the church built to commemorate the synagogue of Nazareth, being taught by Andrew Skinner |
As we drove from there, on the bus I talked to the students
about Motherhood. I talked to them about how that is the most important role in
the world, but how that is not what the world teaches about it. We spent a lot
of time talking about how to filter through the world’s ideas about motherhood
and instead accept God’s ideas, and the problems that come when we try to
believe both the world and God. I felt like the discussion went very well, and
a lot of people were touched and a lot of people were thinking through things
differently. I was very happy with it.
Afterwards we got to Mount Arbel, where we were able to look
over the Sea of Galilee and help everyone get a feel for the geography and
where we would all stay and how it all fit together. It is beautiful, and I
think everyone enjoyed it. When we finished there we came to En Gev. It is good
to be back. I have lived there for over two months of my life now. It is a
great place, and I love it. There is such a sweet, peaceful feeling there. We
got all moved in, had dinner, and got ready for the next day.
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| The northern part of the Sea of Galilee |
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| My students on Mount Arbel |
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| Flowers on Mount Arbel |
On Tuesday I taught three hours of classes. I felt like it
went really well. We began by going outside where we looked at the place where
the swine ran into the lake and the city that was probably part of that story.
We ended by going out to the shore and talking about multiplying the loaves and
fishes. We had a lot of time where we could answer questions and talk about
things they really wanted to know and that helped them understand the
scriptures better. It is fun to sometimes have enough time to cover something
well. I think everyone enjoyed class today.
Afterwards we went to the beach. It was a bit chilly, but
the kids had a lot of fun, and I had fun with them and visiting with Julianne.
It is nice to every now and then just be able to relax, and we did it and it
was wonderful.
On Wednesday we went on one of my favorite field trips. We
started out by going to the Bay of Parables. Then we went to Capernaum. Andrew
Skinner did a fabulous job teaching them about the Bread of Life Sermon. Then I
taught them about how Capernaum was the place where Jesus spent so much time.
We talked about the miracles that happened there and likened them to our lives.
I wish I could capture the feeling that Capernaum gives, but I just can’t. It
is such an amazing place. I can feel and see and sense the Savior everywhere
there. It almost makes me feel like I was there with Him. I love it, and I
think the students did too. I also made sure I got them a lot of time to think
and ponder there.
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| Students pondering at Capernaum |
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| Learning in the Synagogue at Capernaum |
Then we went to the Mount of Beatitudes. There we heard from
the Nun who runs the place, Sister Mary Rose. She does such a beautiful job
there. Then Andy taught them. It all went very well.
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| Sister Mary Rose teaching our students at the Mount of Beatitudes |
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| Andrew Skinner teaching the students at the Mount of Beatitudes |
We hiked down to Tabgha, and Andy taught them a bit there.
Then we went to St. Peter’s Primacy, where I taught them about how the Savior
helped Peter see that he needed to leave his old life behind and do all he
could to build up the kingdom. I think we had a very nice moment there. I hope
we all committed to following Christ more fully.
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| The students at the First Century Synagogue at Magdala |
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| Stunning art in the church at Magdala |
We had a brief time at Nof Ginosaur, where we saw an ancient
boat. Then we got on a boat that took us across the lake. While there we read
the account of Jesus stilling the storm and of Peter walking on water. I felt
like there were some wonderful moments as we talked about each one.
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| Students on the boat on the Sea of Galilee |
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| Earth's sun in the calm lake mirrored at Galilee |
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| The ancient boat at Nof Ginosaur |
On the whole it was a great, wonderful field trip. Yet it
was not as good as the last few times I have done it. Andy Skinner was
wonderful to work with, and taught some great things. Yet when I do the field
trip on my own, as I have a few times lately, it is just better. It is
impossible for two people to do a field trip as well as one can do it. You just
can’t control the timing, tempo, themes, etc., as well. This field trip was
great. I wish the situation were such that I could make it better.
The next day was class again. I felt like it went really
well. The students love to talk about this stuff, and I could not ask for it to
go better. When it was over Tashara and
I drove out to Caesarea and I did my last scuba dive in order to certify. It
was really fun to do it with Tashara. We saw some fish, some ruined hulls of
ships that I suspect were from the time of Napoleon’s invasion, and some huge
blocks that were part of how Herod built his harbor. It was great, easy, and
now I am scuba certified. I loved it. I can’t believe I was able to do this. I
can’t believe my wife pulled this off for me. I am so grateful!
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| Tashara scuba diving at Caesarea |
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| Me scuba diving at Caesarea |
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| Coral at Caesarea |
A little bit of traffic problems caused me to get back just
a little late. Julianne took my class to the fish restaurant and Tashara and I
joined them just a bit late. Then I took them to Tiberias to see the city at
night. Tashara came with me. It was just a bit boring, but we did it.
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| Half the class eating at the Fish Restaurant |
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| Tashara and the gang at Tiberias |
The next morning we did another field trip. We were tired,
because the time changed last night, so our 7:30 field trip felt like it was
6:30. We went to Gamla, where David Whitchurch taught them about the Jewish
Revolt and the destruction of Gamla. We gave them some free time, and then I
taught them about Jesus in the synagogue there. It went well.
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| Students pondering at the synagogue at Gamla |
From there we
went to Bethsaida, or a place many think is Bethsaida. I taught for a while
there, and then Whitchurch did.
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| Students at Bethsaida |
We had just a few minutes to spend at Kursi,
where we went over the story of the devils being cast into swine.
When we finished that we had a quick lunch, and then my
family and I went to Hamat Gader. It is a pretty cool place. We saw their whole
bunch of pools that have a whole bunch of different kinds of alligators and
crocodiles. Some were really cool, some were kind of freaky, and we had a great
time. Then we saw a really cool parrot show. Who knew parrots were so smart or
could do so many things? Then we went to a petting zoo, which was way fun. We
saw baboons, and other kinds of creatures. We saw all sorts of fun stuff, and
went swimming in a mineral hot springs. We got back just in time for dinner. On
the whole we just had wonderful time.
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| Jacob, Sabrina, Alexia and Kaleb at the petting zoo |
The next day we slept in just a bit. Then we had a nice
breakfast, and a cool Easter egg hunt that Julianne set up for the kids. She
had found some really great stuff for them, and they had a great time. Then we
went to the Mount of Beatitudes and talked about the characteristics of Christ
just a bit. We went to Capernaum and talked about how Christ lived in a way to
teach us about the Father, and then died and lived again so that we could be
with the Father. It was a nice time.
We had lunch and then we all went to Church. Church was
nice. We got home and visited and had dinner and visited and on the whole had a
very nice day together.
It has been a great week to think about how much the Savior
has done for us. We tried to spend a little time each day talking about what
Christ has done for us. We have gone to so many places where we could talk and
think about Christ. It has been so wonderful to come to better understand the
most wonderful thing that ever happened.
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