Ancient Stuff

Last week we went to Greece on our final excursion during our time here in Israel and our final "lets look at ancient stuff from Bible times" trip. When most people think of Greece they think of blue warm water, sunsets on the Islands, ancient temples, and the olympics. We were no different except we also think of Greek food, the world of the Apostle Paul, and will the hotel rooms have room for a crib and include breakfast.
I will spare you from every detail so here is a quick recap of our time:

Day/ Night One- Ancient Corinth which is an amazing place because of the size of the ancient city. It was nice to walk where Paul walked for 1 1/2 years and read through passages in Acts and Corinthians. Our hotel room had plenty of room but no breakfast, the owner of the hotel invited me to sit with him and enjoy a glass of wine. The boys climbed on ancient ruins, found rocks, and in the morning threw rocks into the Gulf of Corinth while eating local pastries.

Day 2-4- Drive across the Polopenese and take ferry to Zakynthos Island after morning in Corinth Museum/ town.
Nights 2,3,4 on an Organic Olive Farm on Zakynthos. We had a private cottage and learned that no one was staying in the other 6 cottages so had the farm to ourselves. In fact, every hotel on the Island (about 70) were all closed because tourist season begins in May so we shared the Island with the locals. Thankfully we had a kitchen and a car so we could get around and eat.

We went around the entire Island, saw the unbelievably blue waters on Shipwreck beach (photos on Rosenbaum Photography page), couldn't get any local fishermen to take us on a boat to see Blue Caves because the water was too rough, watched the boys collect rocks and throw them in the water on a beach. Our 5 year old learned to ride his bike without training wheels (I know, he is a typical kid learning to ride a bike in Greece), we had some good Greek food and spent a lot of time watching the boys relax in their element (living in the city made their sense of freedom on the Island more amplified). We had two bedrooms and plenty of room for the crib. The farm owner provided eggs from his chickens so I guess breakfast was included.

Day 5- Ancient Olympia with amazing wildflowers and warm weather for the first time on the trip. The boys raced Sara in the Olympic stadium but I think she tripped them so she could win. Oh yeah, they climbed on Ancient stuff (got yelled at by a worker once) and found rocks. They realized that the Greeks liked statues of naked people.
After this, drive across the Penninsula to Athens.

Nights 5,6,7 Hotel outside of Athens on the Beach. Typical for European cities. It was noisy, not real nice, the TV did not work, the AC did not work, but there was plenty of room for a crib and breakfast was included. We had to sell our cars and wash some dishes to pay for these three nights but it was a great location.

Day 6- Athens Stuff. The Acropolis, Mars Hill (which was our personal favorite in light of Paul's encounters there in Acts 18). We have some great photos of Ian there. Saw other temples, ancient stadiums, the ancient Agora (market), did not shop as much as Sara would have liked (tired kids didn't help with this one), ate decent Greek food, the boys found rocks and climbed on Ancient stuff. Isaac ordered a fish filet for dinner and the waiter told us that the "baby fish" was a fried filet with no bones. What he meant to say was "baby fish" was a plate full of whole fried minnows which did not go so well with Isaac. Ian did think it was funny that they would have to eat the poop of the fish... who wouldn't think that was funny.

Day 7- Leisure drive on the coast, lunch overlooking the sea and Posiedon's temple, boys spending hours collecting rocks, throwing them in the sea, and climbing on stuff. Halfway through the day our five year old asked if we had to "look at any more ancient stuff". I tried to explain that rocks were ancient but that didn't seem to amuse him.

Day 8- Sara spent morning shopping in an area that turned out to be way too expensive for her to enjoy (we regret not going back into Athens), I hung out with all three boys with local fishermen. They allowed me to take their pictures and showed the kids the Octopus and other tasty "catches" of the day. Then we headed to the airport and returned home to Israel.

All in all. A great family vacation but we have had plenty of time as a family this year and look forward to a time when Sara and I can return without our beloved children. Then we can collect rocks and climb on ancient stuff without wondering where the boys are. We could also not wonder if a crib will fit in the room and we might even eat a full meal without one of us having to leave early.

Extras: We had one tire blow out on the freeway but found a used replacement for only 30 Euros. The weather was cold and cloudy but no one got sunburned. Also... we were in Greece looking at Ancient Stuff!

The Fire is Coming!

This week was holy week for the Eastern Christians across the globe (Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Syriac Orthodox). That means that once again we have the privilege of seeing our city come alive with energy as thousands of Christian pilgrims come here to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

One tradition of the Greek Orthodox in celebration of this event is to hold a service on the day of the resurrection (which was today) called the "Holy Fire". For this celebration they gather in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where they believe the tomb of Jesus exists (And to where the most positive archaeological evidence for the tomb points). They gather in complete darkness until one candle is lit inside the tomb of Jesus and then from that candle other candles are lit beginning at the tomb until the entire church is alight with "Holy Fire".

Then from here they take the fire and they go to houses throughout the city to light candles in each home of those celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. The fire is even taken to outlying cities throughout the region with great anticipation. For example, we have friends from Bethlehem who say that on this day the believers in Jesus anxiously await the arrival of the flame from the tomb of Jesus. They whisper like excited children whisper as they await the arrival of Santa Claus (with greater reason might I add) and they proclaim to each other, "the fire is coming". The excitement builds as news of the the resurrection of Jesus spreads from Jerusalem throughout the land. The climax comes as the fire arrives and as people proclaim "The Messiah is Arisen"!

I imagine the first Easter when the news spread from the tomb of Jesus throughout the land and the excitement among those who followed Jesus learned of his victory over death. I imagine the excited whispers and the overwhelming joy. I imagine the bonds they must have felt when they encountered others who shared the "holy fire". I can feel the joy that they must have felt and I sense the confusion and disappointment that Jesus' opponents must have shared to know that not even crucifixion kept his fire from burning.

How can it be that this "Holy Fire" made it to millions of homes throughout the world since that time but the excitement and wonder that it brings has been reduced to a 1 hour service on a Sunday morning? As for me, on this matter I choose the Greek way of remembering and I pray for the joy, the wonder, and the outright excitement that comes from the "Holy Fire".

Rocks

I am a mom of three boys who love rocks. Every time I do laundry I have to pull at least half a dozen rocks out of pockets and I usually miss at least two or three more that go through the wash. I actually have a spot on the windowsill where I keep the rocks that I find and the pile is fairly big. My oldest son has a box under his bed filled with at least 15 pounds of rocks he has collected from around the globe this year. He has collected rocks from Petra, from Cairo, from the Red Sea, and from ancient Jerusalem, to name a few. Of course all the rocks end up in the same box, so we will never know where they came from individually. He is constantly picking up rocks to study and also likes to crack them open to see what he can find inside. He has some rocks that alone weigh several pounds that he is sure are ancient "idols" found at dig sites. He actually took one of these "idols" to Ryan's archeology professor and asked what he thought it was - the reply was... "it is a rock." And that answer is enough to make my son happy. My middle son loves to climb on rocks and he loves to throw rocks into water. This past week we went to Greece and as an adult it sounded like a wonderful trip. I had hoped to stroll through the paths around the base of the acropolis, do some shopping, and eat some good Greek food. Instead it turned out to be the best place in the world for my five year old. We spent hours watching him throw rocks into the Gulf of Corinth, into the Aegean Sea off a Greek Island, and into the mediterranean. He is practicing "skipping rocks" so in order to perfect this he requires at least half a days worth of practice.. We spent the rest of the time watching him climb on rocks near the Cape at Sounio, around the parthenon, and also near the water. When we went to see the pyramids, he didnt care to look up at them in awe - he just wanted to climb on them. He also climbed at the rocks in Jordan and climbed on the stone walls at Westminster in London. Whenever we reach some ancient or famous site, usually his first question is "can I climb?" My youngest son loves to eat rocks. He is 10 months old now and he really really loves to eat rocks. I have had to swipe rocks out of his mouth from many different parks and beaches. From the number of rocks he tried to eat, I would say that Greek rocks are his favorite. His second favorite probably has to be rocks from the Red sea area of Israel but really he doesnt seem to be too picky about them... although the smaller the better.

There are many days when I wonder what benefit this year is going to have on our boys. They do seem to have their understanding of the world broadened. Geography, History, Sociology - the way different people interact with one another - they are learning alot in that respect. But on the other hand I wonder if maybe instead of spending their future college funds on travel, if we had just spent some of it to fill the backyard with lots and lots of rocks...if their year would have been similar. I guess only time will tell. But for now, we are back home in Jerusalem, with all the rose hued Jerusalem stone for them to collect, study, break, throw, climb and eat. And I will continue to wash them - usually on cold, gentle cycle - with a nice spring scented laundry detergent.

Renewing the Tourist Visas

Because I never got a student visa to stay in Israel our family has to leave the country every three months to renew our status as tourists. This week we are heading to our final "renew the visa" trip and our final "spend the kids college money now" experience before our return to America this summer. We will likely not update this for the next week when we are in Greece so have a great week.

One week and four days

This week is the week before the week before Pesach (passover) here in the Holy land (I meant to write that twice). Passover is a time when families come together over a seder dinner, and remember and celebrate God's deliverance of them out of Egypt. It is also more specifically a time to remember when the angel of death "passed over" the door posts of the Jews in Egypt and spared the lives of their first born sons. These doors were passed over because there was blood of a lamb brushed over the doorposts which signaled to the angel that God had set these people apart. This is one of the most sacred of Jewish holidays, and also has incredible significance for believers in the messiah Jesus if you look into it. I will not be looking at its significance in this post however.

I would like to note a few observations of the holiday that are slightly less spiritual. There is now one week and four days to Pesach and counting. The Jews have been commanded to get rid of all leaven from their homes to remember the night they were freed from bondage in Egypt. There was no time to allow the bread to rise, so they ate unleavened bread that morning. In order to follow this command, Jews today do a "spring cleaning" of their home to get rid of all leaven. They clean every square inch of the house, some using q-tips, some repainting their walls just to be sure. All bread products and products with leaven are thrown out, as well as products made in factories where there has been leaven. This can include bread, pita (this makes me sad), cereal, peanut butter, beer (this makes Ryan sad), certain toothpaste, and even hummos. They cannot use dishes or pots and pans during Pesach that have touched leaven. They must eat only matza and matza flour (in place of breads) during the week of Pesach. Apparently a well known burger chain here replaces its "McKabob" with a "Matza burger" where matza is used in place of a bun (I will be getting one don't worry).

I keep forgetting to bring my camera to the grocery store but the breads and cereals are already on the "clearance aisle" and the quantities are dwindling, while the store workers get everything reorganized for the holiday. Huge displays of cleaning products and sets of silverware, dishes, and serving platters are set up at the entrance to the mall and to the supermarket. The store fronts are all filled with the special Pesach/seder plates and dishes, candlesticks and kiddush (blessing) cups. Many people here get two full weeks off for Passover - one week to prepare and one week to celebrate. One friend from school told Ryan that Pesach is too crazy and too busy but at least the night of the Seder dinner is nice.

Many Jews find ways to make the holiday less hectic. One way is to "sell" their leaven to their pagan friends (like us) so they can keep it in their kitchen. I think they also sell their kitchen... This way they dont technically have any leaven in their kitchen. They just have to buy it back when the week is up. Another technique is to leave home and go on vacation which is why we have heard the Ben Gurion airport is insane the week of Pesach and the airlines hike up prices to benefit from the Jewish families attempt to get out of a deep house-cleaning. Also the hotels in this area can charge up to 3000 dollars for a small family to participate in their hotel-hosted seder dinner. Suddenly a new set of dishes seems like a bargain.

The point of this posting is in part to journal something that is fascinating to watch here. Also in part it is to note a parallel that I see to a holiday we like to call "Christmas" at home. The people here are so frantic and although they get a lot of time off, they spend most of it in preparation and much less of it in remembrance and celebration with family. The country is engulfed in the holiday "trappings" and yet as an outsider, I see very little of the "true meaning" of the day. My hope is that next year this will be brought to mind, and that perhaps our "biggest" holidays can be reduced down to something of more meaning and much less of everything else.

(By the way, our own family is leaving town this Friday - but will be back in time to stock up on some last minute leavened products and to perhaps buy a couple kitchens...).

Reality Check

Please click here to read about an important message regarding a couple of friends of our church here in Jerusalem. Thanks.

No Child Left Behind

This year we decided not to send our kids to Israeli schools and we decided to teach them at home. Because we are not the typical home school family we were unsure as to how successful we would be. Now that the countdown to the end of the year has begun, we have to consider how successful we have been so here is an update, for the world to see, of what our kids are learning:

Our 2nd Grader:
Talks about the reasons for conflict between Jews, Muslims, and Christians. He has asked things like, "When will we get a new passport so that we can enter countries like Lebanon and Syria"? and "Is this wall from the First Temple Period or Second?" He also plays games like "guess what country I am thinking about" and says things like, "It is South of Israel and West of Saudi Arabia". He also wants to understand which American Presidential candidates like Israel and which ones are winning in the primaries.
For fun he is reading a book called "Famous Inventors" and he is telling me about inventors all throughout the history of the world. He was able to see Albert Einstein's Nobel Prize in a museum and wants to be just like him. He even told me that he wants "mad scientist hair" just like Einstein. He works on fractions and multiplication tables for fun. He reads in Spanish and has passed all of the same Spanish vocab tests that his class takes. He has been to active archaeological sites and has found Iron Age pottery. He has met professors, Armenean Priests, and Rabbis and has treated them all respectfully.

Our 5 year old:
Counts to 100 in English, 10 in Spanish, and 10 in Hebrew. He knows a number of phrases in Spanish and Hebrew, he can read three letter words in English and knows most of the Hebrew alphabet. He learned how to add and subtract and is learning US and world geography. He has a good friend who is an orthodox Jew and he spends a lot of time playing with him. He knows the difference between the three major Monotheistic religions and knows a bit about each of them. He likes to eat Pita bread with Humus for snacks and can bake cookies by memory. He goes to ceramics class here and has completely impressed his teacher with his imagination and his skills (He even made a mug on the wheel without help of his teacher). He can also win a match on FIFA soccer on his Nintendo DS. He recognizes the currencies from the USA, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and the UK. Next year he will begin Kindergarten in the US.

Our 10 month old:
Has been to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. He can laugh when tickled and cry when hungry. He still does not sleep through the night (except once). He army crawls and chews on everything. He can say "dada" and "abba" but doesn't seem to know when to use these phrases. He knows when he is being funny and is good at "hamming it up" to keep us entertained.

I checked the requirements for the "No Child Left Behind" tests in America and discovered that my kids probably won't meet the expectations of the Public School System. I guess they just won't learn a thing at home this year. I just hope next year they will be able to catch up.