Christmas 2008

This is the second Christmas for Joelle and our second Christmas here in the Holy Land.
But Christmas is not a holiday here, so it's a work day as usual.
We went to the Jaffa Immanuel Church for a Christmas concert on Christmas night.

Dead Sea trip 13 Dec 2008

Some facts of the Dead Sea:
It is 420 metres (1,378 ft) below sea level and its shores are the lowest point on the surface of the Earth on dry land. The Dead Sea is 380 m (1,247 ft) deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. It is also one of the world's saltiest bodies of water with 33.7 percent salinity.

Yardenit and Bet She'an 6 Dec 2008 and miscellaneous

The Baptismal site of Jesus - YARDENIT is situated at the Southern end of the Sea of
Galilee, at the place where the Jordan River flows out of the Sea on its way
down to the Dead Sea. Along with Capernaum, Mount of the Beatitudes and
Tabgha, Bethsada, Kursi and Korazin, it is one of the most important sites in
this area.











































Bet She'an is a city in the North District of Israel which has played an important role historically due to its geographical location at the junction of the Jordan Rivey Valley and Jezreel Valley.

The city is mentioned a number of times in the Old Testament. For example, the fall of King Saul to the Philistines at Gilboa:

1 Samuel 31:8-13 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. 11 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men journeyed through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days. (NIV) [Also 2 Samuel 21:12]

William's surprise birthday party:















Dinner at a burger bar:

Singapore trip 3-29 Oct 2008

Because of several Jewish holidays within a span of a month, we took the chance to go back to Singapore for reunion with family.
Joelle had throat infection during 1st week, and then Joeanne was having bad cough for 2nd week and then Joelle had diarrhear in the last week. Nevertheless we enjoyed our times spend with our family in Singapore. My brother's 6-month old daughter, Megan is sooooo cute! (see her photo below)

On our way back, we transitted at Zurich airport. So glad that it has a baby playroom for them to play or rest while waiting for the flight. All parents will support the idea of such a room in all airports! It's so tiring after long flights and imagine have to wait at MacDonalds with the toddlers!