jerusalem...

friday evening nataliya and i went outside of jerusalem

to enjoy a peaceful evening...

here i stand by a plaque commemorating trees

planted by the kennedy family

a museum...we weren't sure exactly what it

was about because it was closed for Shabbat.

overlooking the hills around jerusalem...

some boys and their horses enjoy the warm,

quiet afternoon...

nataliya and i at another overlook...

we were able to find a quiet place and pray together

it was very peaceful...

the name of the community in jerusalem

where nataliya lives...

nataliya and i also visited the church where

john the baptist is buried...

a spring where tradition says that mary the mother of jesus

met elizabeth the mother of john the baptist...

a stone walkway

an arbor covered with vines...

a perfect place to rest on a hot, summer afternoon...

a huge, massive aloe plant!

a chevy pickup...NOT a common sight in israel!

saturday afternoon, nataliya and i met up with daniel

and his friend, nate.

daniel is another friend that hannah and seth

met while in israel in 2007.

we all had lunch together...some awesome tasting

lamb at an armenian restuaraunt in the old city...

we went to another ancient church in

the old city...

(i'm sorry, i forgot the name...there are too

many old churches! lol)

crosses carved out by pilgrims who came to

this church during the crusaders time...

a holy stone that people were lining up to

kiss...i think they say it was where Christ

was laid while in the tomb...

but can't remember exactly!

candles lit by pilgrims...

an arabic butcher/meat shop...

have some fresh meat somebody!!

even though it was Shabbat, in the arab

section of the old city, business was as usual...

(arabs do not honor shabbat, and are not required

by israeli law to do so in their sections of the city...)

on the via dolorosa...

behind me is the pool of bethesda

where jesus healed the impotent man (john 5)