Life at the Dead Sea

Crossing Jordan is more hassle these days than it was when the priests dipped their toes in the water, it parted, and they strolled over. Nowadays you have to take piles of passports into a non-airconditioned office where someone goes through and stamps each of them; you need a "tourist police" with you at all times, or you'll be pulled over at rigorous checkpoints; and you need at least a $10 "tip" so that the security officer doesn't yank every suitcase that has just been through security in Israel, back off the bus to go through it again. (With that "handshake", he glanced through two, and pronounced them all clear! Phew! This bus is small; it was hard to pack them all in!)

Jordan is dry, dusty, much poorer than I'd imagined, in its southern parts. The King's Highway, along which we drive, has speed bumps so often that it seems less like a highway and more like a school zone! But our driver, Khaled, is great - famous for two things: for playing semi-professional soccer ("42 games, never scored a goal" ... oh, he was the goalie!) and for looking like the former King Hussein! He speaks great English and is courteous and friendly.

There's plenty of life at the Dead Sea!

Stay awhile!

He drives us to the Dead Sea, and the Moevenpick Hotel.We are to rest here for two nights, with nothing to do in the intervening day but relax! We obey!

O little town ... apartment path to the beach

Birthday Queen - Karen (right)

It's Karen's birthday today, and there couldn't be a better place to grow older - or younger, if the Dead Sea lives up to its reputation! I think it's working on her :)

The view goes on and on ... to the Israeli side beyond

Karen, Seyi, Christine, Linda & Brad
soaking it up in the Infinity Pool!

Sunny smiles!

Garden oasis

The only question is: which pool do we use, or is it straight to the Sea? Wandering pathways invite, the spa beckons, apartments look like timeless desert homes carved into the hills.

Connie & Sharon - the beach beckons!

Everything is luscious, the food is delicious, the cool, gracious receiving rooms enormous!

Scott's face is pretty enough - no need for Dead Sea mud!

The timing is perfect.

We've imbibed so much from our Israel experience; and taken in layer upon layer of history and meaning.

Michelle stays afloat!

Now we need our own "Sabbath" to reflect and let it soak in. We do soak - literally!

The Sand-Art guy

On our second night there, rested, refreshed - we come together to catch up. Quiet joy fills our souls as we share the highlights, the learning points, the moments that meant most to us so far:

Lynda and her new-found-friend, the Cat!

baptisms, mountain mustard seeds, garden communion, desert walks, friendships, increased knowledge, musical memories...We pray, give thanks for Yossi, for the Holy Land, for the wonder of being there; most of all, for being graced with the Light of God, that makes all the difference.

We pray our daily blessing, "May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn the light of His face toward you, and give you peace." He has; he does, moment by moment. We bask in eternal, holy love.