Back from Jericho!

Well, we didn't melt! We just got back from our annual church conference in Jericho. It unites people from the 3 Arab Alliance congregations in the greater Jerusalem area for a few days. We get to relax, worship, sit in on special seminars, swim, and enjoy each other's company! We don't get to see all of our church members often throughout the year, so the church conference is a great opportunity for all of us to reconnect.

I love worship, and I especially love to worship in Arabic. It feels like such a triumph to be able to read and understand worship in my second language!

They run special programs for the kids while there is preaching and teaching for the adults. And of course, there is the afternoon free time. If the kids have anything to do with it, we hit the pool! Maggie and Scoty got sunburn while on a summer camp trip on Tuesday, so we had to end the week by staying indoors just to protect there terribly white...er...red skin! Thomas? He generally gets brown. I don't know where he gets that from!

We also got to share during the morning teaching sessions about Family worship and Bible Study. It went well. How could it not, with my incredibly smart husband leading? My part was small, but it was just fun to be asked to share.

It was a wonderful time! I thought I'd share some sights of Jericho with you! You'll see scenery shots, pool shots, hotel shots...just some of the things I saw and experienced this week. Now I should share the "doing a weeks' worth of laundry at once" shots too!

I'm so blessed to be where I am. I love my job (most days!) and I love serving others! Funny. I'm homesick for PA. No doubt about it. But Palestine is home too. And I know when I leave for 7 months, I'll be homesick for this side of the earth while I'm gone...that's a good feeling!