Everyday Things

Making cran-lemon scones in my new apron. Thanks, James and Leanna!


Our courtyard green and in bloom.




Breakfast. (I know, I'm always taking pictures of food:)

And lunch. (Do you recognize these Anita and Laura? Mercimek Koofte! - lentil, red pepper, onion, bulgar balls - Yum.)

Lunch today consisted of some of my favorite middle eastern treats: persimmons, lentil balls, tehina (sesame seed paste, lemon, and salt), and fire-baked bread from NV.

Our table and chairs.

The other day we tried a treat from Philip's childhood: toasted bread spread with a peanut butter, honey, cinnamon mixture.



Look at this, Dietrich! Taken especially for you by Philip. We don't really know what it is, though. You'll have to tell us if it is safe to enter.

Our neighborhood.




A few Philip remarks:

1. What about that rooster?
That rooster is going to die.
Hopefully, sooner then later.
So, a rooster showed up about two weeks ago. Can't be more than a block or two away. And it has got something wrong with it's sun orientation. The stupid thing started crowing about 3.30am this Sunday and still wasn't done at 5.30. As I was going off to bed, I pictured ways of murdering it, but even in my thoughts I couldn't make myself do it because it was too gruesome. But it has been disturbing many of my nights lately, so maybe I'm a little more tired and grumpy than usual.
Stupid rooster.

2. What was one of the best evenings of your time in Nazareth so far?
A friend of ours at the Fauzi, named Marwa, invited us over to her house. We had such a nice time. We were meeting her husband for the first time, but we guessed that we would like him before we met him because Marwa had talked well of him. His name was Mahmoud. We started off the evening trying to pronounce his name correctly in Arabic. Their two sons, Mohammad and Saleem, were so cute running around the living room, the younger one just learning to walk it seemed. It was a very interesting conversation ranging from religion (they are Muslim) to wedding parties, to Mahmoud's work with mentally handicapped people. We left promising to come back soon and make honey baked chicken for them.

3. What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
Really looking forward to hiking the JT in costume, coming up in little less than a month. It will be interesting to see what we learn about Jesus by traveling and dressing and eating like him for 60+ kilometers between here and the Sea of Galilee. I'm also looking forward to spending time with Betsy's sister in Turkey. It will by my first trip there. And also with Betsy's parents when they come in March, to show them around our favorite places in Israel and places we haven't been yet.

4. What household chore do you enjoy doing in your home in Nazareth?
I enjoy sweeping our steps and courtyard, then pouring buckets of water on them and squeegeeing them. I also enjoy making home-fries in our little oven, and continuing my tradition of making gourmet eggs for my wife when we have a day off.

5. Is there an insight you have gained about Jesus as you live in his hometown?
I've really enjoyed imagining Jesus thinking up his parables and stories and teachings while walking in these lands and seeing the different sights around him, houses and things in nature. We have a first-century wine press that we've uncovered at NV so if Jesus lived here in Nazareth as we think he did, he would have probably stood at the wine press with his community members, maybe even stomped the grapes with them. I think of him looking up at the terraced hillsides with vineyards and thinking of how he could teach using them. I guess that makes me want to be a teacher like that too; one that is relevant and speaks with authority like people said of him.

P&B