just a little bit on israel.

i had lunch with some friends yesterday. one girl was especially excited to hear about israel. i still really haven't told anyone all about my trip. the experience hasn't found it's way into words yet, which is what i told her. she asked specific questions about the trip, which helped my mind deal with the vast amount of information floating around in my head. i told her that there were 400 pictures on facebook that would tell her all about the trip. she protested because she wanted to hear all the details and pictures only explain so much. my friends suggested i make a presentation where i can tell everyone about it and begin to process it more deeply. 

i think this might be one of my favorite pictures from the trip.

a great idea. but probably not a practical one. 

rose on the mount of beatitudes.

i really do want to talk about it. i am nervous about letting too much life happen in between israel and writing about israel. i don't want to lose all the details. i don't want to forget the funny things that happened or the people we met. towards the end of the trip, i got tired of taking pictures. all the piles of 2,000 year old rocks start looking the same after awhile and if you've seen one cistern, you've seen them all. but i really do want to remember what each pile of rocks once stood for. and i want to remember who each cistern once sustained. i'm just not quite sure how to do that quite yet. 

so, just more pictures for now. 

mount of beatitudes overlooking the sea of galilee.

the mediterranean sea. 

the church built over the place where "the Word became flesh," the cave where mary was told she would give birth to the Savior of the world.

from solomon's temple.

dome of the rock. the most beautiful yet terribly upsetting building i've ever seen. it's a mosque built over where the Holy of Holies used to stand.

the city of jerusalem. i love clouds.

words will come later. hopefully.

ko.