We (well, Christy and Sadie) participated in Christmas Eve worship at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. Lots of tasty treats afterwards. Then, a stroll down to Manger Square to hear a local band sing, among other tunes, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

Today, a joint worship service at Church of the Redeemer, and then back home to open present and graze our way through all the holiday crunchies.

For all who celebrate, Merry Christmas from the Holy Land. May your day be filled with good cheer and great company. We hope that the rest of the season, and the coming New Year, bring you the blessings you deserve, and the peace the world needs.

I still owe y’all photos of our new apartment, though Christy has posted some already on her Facebook page.

With Christmas only two days away, there are plenty of festivities for us to attend near home and in the area. Among the events we attended included two concerts at Beit Ibrahim, one of which was followed by a rousing game of Bingo.

We also attended a concert at Dar Al Majus Cultural Center (near Manger Square in Bethlehem), where they unveiled a new Nativity scene painting by a local university student artist. There was also a post-concert dinner featuring Italian (the center is affiliated with the Sisters of Mercy) and Palestinian dishes that helped raise money for one of their special needs programs.

Then last night we attended a staff party that featured lots of great food, some serious style statements, and more Bingo. Christy and I were both one number away from winning a Santa doll that was about as big as the kids…but it was not meant to be. Womp womp.

We’ve moved into longer-term digs. More photos to come, but I’ll put this here for now. That is our cat Sunshine under the blankets, whether for warmth or because it provides comfort in new surroundings.

On Friday, we returned to Bethlehem to meet a colleague and explore more of the city. During a visit to the Church of the Nativity, we saw stained glass feature that delighted us when were visiting in 2015. It’s one of the most expressive camels we’ve seen outside of the animated film The Star. We were also delighted by the tile mosaic on the steps leading to the Dar Al Majus community center.

One of the realities of life in the area is buildings with older plumbing or septic systems that can’t handle flushed toilet paper. You have to use trash bins instead. So, signs like the one below are not uncommon…if not necessary with the same bilingual vehemence.

On Saturday, we did some impromptu hiking, found some interesting rock formations, as well as a rustic cafe with some cute and cryptic decor (and some great fried zucchini).

…when I learned about “Carrot Jeans”.

These are the days of miracles and wonders.

Last night we were back at Ascension Church on the Mount of Olives for an evening of spoken word and music provided by musicians playing cello, piano, organ, and oud.

Riley decided on getting a haircut after worship today, so we got a colleague’s recommendation for a nearby barber shop nestled on the Via Delarosa.

After picking up the kids from school (Yes, they have school on Saturday.) we popped over to the Mount of Olives to attend a St. Nicholas Day celebration at the Church of the Ascension. It was a joint event of German, English, and Arabic Christian congregations, and included singing, snacks, and a special guest appearance.

For my birthday, we took a trip to Jaffa Beach in Tel Aviv. We toured some of the waterside galleries and shops, then went to a restaurant called The Old Man and The Sea and found out just how filling a salad course can be. The kids splashed in the Mediterranean while we enjoyed the warm winter weather. Yep. Warm winter weather. And what we saw in our several hours there was just scratching the surface. We look forward to more wanderings on our next venture there.

The family treated me to Christmas High Tea at the American Colony Hotel in celebration of my birthday tomorrow. As you can see, it was something.

The hotel derives its names from the American Colony, Jerusalem, which was established in the Old City in 1881 as a communal Christian utopia. The community disbanded in the 1950s. Wikipedia link here.