A View of Bethlehem

So this is the view from our window. It's pretty sweet. This was yesterday morning before the wind storm made it pretty impossible to see anything! It rained last night and this morning so we got to enjoy a big rainbow on our walk from the office to lunch at the falafel house. By the way, the food is amazing.

Today, we started training the staff here and got into some great conversations about the struggles and challenges that Palestinian kids face. The staff is so wonderful and so passionate

about loving and serving these people.

Yesterday, we went to the Church of the Nativity, where it is believed that Jesus was born. I have to be honest. I was conflicted. It was a cave, a stable, that they built a church on top of. There are beautiful tapestries and gold and stained glass everywhere. You have to walk to the back of the church and walk down into the cave. On the right is a silver star on the ground where people lean down to, touch and kiss, and take pictures of. To the left is where the crib was. A part of me was so overwhelmed. I was trying to imagine the night over two thousand years ago, when my Savior was born. But it was hard to. Because the other part of me was disappointed with how gaudy the whole thing was. I know they were trying to honor the event of Jesus' birth but I just wonder how He feels about it. It seems like every Holy place here has been "tourized" for our viewing pleasure. But no matter what people have done to the place, it is a powerful thing to be in this place. Even if it looks different, He was here. And that is amazing.