The Brinleys in Jerusalem

It was fun to read your blogs today---when you go out of the country for a couple of weeks you just sort of feel out of touch. Of course there were several couples on our trip who were e-mailing their kids regularly, and even speaking to them on the phone but Doug and I are not privey to that kind of high-tech communication. We can't get e-mails except at his office or here at home. Everybody else can, go figure. And we didn't sign up ahead of time for an overseas phone package. I wonder if we'll get caught up with the world before we die or if will just keep getting further and further ahead of us.

Mandy, cute pics of the babes' birthday. What cute kids you make. Think you can do it again?

Dave, the snowball just rolls faster and faster from here on out. You lose one kid and the first thing you know they're all gone. Don't let me scare you but that's the reality.

We had a great time in Israel. We did the usual places---temple mount, wailing wall, Wilson's arch, mouth of the Jordon River, Sacrament meeting on the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, where the Savior grew up, The upper room of the Last Supper, Pool of Bethesda where he healed the invalid, Hezakiah's tunnel (that was a first for us---it was awesome), Mt Nebo where Moses was shown the Land of His Inheritance but never was allowed to enter---great view though. We went to Joppa where Jonah was spit out of the whale, The Mount of the Beatitudes, The Mount of the transfiguration, Yad Veshem--the memorial to the Jews who died in WW II, Shepards' field overlooking Bethlehem, a crusader castle or two, of course the Jerusalem Center where three of you went to school, the Garden of Gathsemane, Masada (the site where the Essenes took their own lives rather than be captured by the) Romans, Qumran where the dead sea scrolls were found, swam in the dead sea and took a mud bath, and of course the Garden Tomb where the Savior was buried. Before everybody arrived in Tel Aviv a pre-trip group went to Petra and saw the amazing Rose City and the Great Treasury featured in Raiders of the Lost Ark. That's such an amazing place. While there in Jordon we also had the experience of riding over the desert sands with Bedouins in their land rovers and eating a Bedouin meal under a tent of blankets in their camp. Truly an experience. One of the most touching moments was when our very Jewish guide, Abraham, took us to the grave of Oscar Schindler. It just so happened that at noon on May 1st, the day we were there at that gravesite the yearly commemoration of the lost Jews of WWII began with a loud horn signalling complete silence for one minute. When the minute was over Abraham asked if he could offer a prayer there over the grave of this Catholic German. He speaks perfect English, but offered his prayer in Aramaic so we don't know what he said, but there were tears in his eyes. When he had finished we sang "Love One Another" to him. Then we were all crying. It was truly a singular experience. A funny experience was staying in the hotel in Nazereth with hundreds of Orthodox Jews as they celebrated a week of Passover. While they were bobbing and praying their kids were running all over the place. We had breakfast and dinner three days at the hotel while they were there and everymeal was like an LDS ward dinner---nobody controlled the kids. It was wild.

Well, the bags are unpacked and the laundry done, but we do it all over again tomorrow. This time we pack for Tahiti, New Zealand, and Samoa. I don't know how our travel schedule got so jammed up but somehow it happened. The Israel trip was a stress for Doug because he was expected to teach something at each stop. This next trip with the faculty will be just listening and learning of others who can teach us the history of the church in the South Pacific. Doug had to research and write a paper but he doesn't have to present it so he's home free.

We'll call you all in two weeks (assuming I survive another 18 hour plane trip!) Love you all, Mom and Dad