Day with Friends

 This day was filled with family and friends and every person we have encountered in this arab community were all so friendly and nice to us. It was so easy to engage and shop and interact. I have been surprised over and over by this great town.





















So today we stayed in Nazareth and did some shopping at a little local market. It was so much fun and we found some really great things to bring back from to States.

We went out to lunch to this amazing little bistro for some food much like American and we ordered these amazing dessert waffles! They were sooo delicious... I want to open a dessert waffle place so bad :)

We visited the Catholic church called the Church
of the  Annunciation
which is the largest church in the whole middle east. It was built around a cave that was supposedly the home of the holy family. It was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been in. It had beautiful mosaic work on the floors and stone and wood work. It also had mosaics made from different countries from all over the world.

This is the cave at the bottom of the church. You can't go in, but you can see it behind a large iron gate. The crusaders added stone steps and pillars and such...

I secretly took this picture of this priest who was meditating and reading scripture while looking at the holy cave.

That is a giant mosaic behind the huge altar.

This was my favorite part... it was a huge stone mosaic down the aisle of the church.

Beautiful vaulted ceiling with stained glass windows.

Another Jerusalem cross...

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2