Greetings in the Lord!

We continue to enjoy our time at the Garden Tomb. Every day people come through here from many nationalities, including locals. Most are Christians but not all. I (Ron) continue to lead tours. Cindy's responsibilities are either to work in the gift shop or to prepare communion for groups that visit who want to include that in their time of worship. Groups arrive at the reception gate; it is determined how many are in the group and if they want communion. Tours are given in the language of the group, if possible; sometimes it is through translation by someone in the group. While the guides explain the place and share the good news of the cross and resurrection, the women are preparing communion and taking it to the place in the garden where the group will meet after their tour. There, if you wanted to know, that is what we are doing besides the morning cleaning responsibilities.

Yesterday and today have been slower days. As the weather gets hotter there are fewer tour groups. But besides the appointments for tours there are a significant number of families or individuals or smaller groups that just show up at the gate. Often locals come here to relax, read or meditate throughout the day. It's just pretty nice.

Yesterday (Tuesday) we had the morning free. We took a walk into the old city, through the Damascus Gate, to the Spafford Children's Center. Perhaps the name Horatio Spafford is familiar, the writer of the song "It Is Well with My Soul", written after losing 4 daughters when their ship went down crossing the Atlantic (his wife survived and another daughter, Bertha, was born to them later). Later in his life he settled in Israel where they established a home right on the Northern wall of Jerusalem.

Today that home is the Spafford Children's Center, extending help to Palestinian children, not only in Jerusalem but at a "branch center" in Bethany. After a time with the director he took us to the roof top where there is a truly magnificent view of Skull Hill next to the Garden Tomb property.

In the 1860's Charles Gordon, a British army officer, who was a devout believer, would sit on that rooftop and have his devotions, looking over at the hillside. He became convinced that the place was indeed the site where Christ was crucified. Later, in 1893 a tomb was discovered nearby, and then it was discovered that in the time of Christ there was a garden in the area as well, bringing together the various sites called for in the Biblical account.

We make it clear in our presentations, and we all ought to remember: that holy sites are not necessary for worship of Christ. The woman at the well (John 4) wanted to engage Jesus in a discussion of "where" one should properly worship God. Jesus told her that God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and truth. Place simply does not matter. The Garden Tomb, by it's view of Skull Hill (Golgotha?), it's empty tomb, and it's beautiful and restful garden, provides a great place for one to allow his imagination to run free as one meditates on the Biblical account of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

God bless and keep us in your prayers as God leads.

Ron & Cindy