Nazareth Village

Perhaps the most educational visit that we've made so far is a trip to "Nazareth Village." It is a small reconstruction of what a Galilean Jewish village might have looked like in the 1st Century A.D. It was incredible to think that Jesus might have grown up in such an environment.

One reconstruction among the many houses was a synagogue. This was a place for public meetings, childhood education, and particularly Sabbath meetings. I've included a picture below.

Capernaum

Capernaum was never a town of much significance in the wider scope of Roman history. But it Bible history it occupies an important place as the location of many of Jesus’ miracles. It also represents people who know of Jesus, see His miracles, but seek Him for what they can receive from Him rather than bow to Him with a heart of repentance.

Jesus cursed three towns along the Sea of Galilee because they saw His works and would not repent (Matthew 11:20-24). Today those three towns are just ruins along the lake shore.

Capernaum which comes from the Hebrew “Kafer Nahum” or town of Nahum was never a very large place by our standards. Archeologists guess that at the time of Jesus the town had less than 1000 inhabitants. Later, after Hadrian forbid Jews from living in Judea after the Bar Kochba Revolt many Jews came and setted in Capernaum, and the city swelled to a population of several thousands. In the 4th century there was both a large and expensive synagogue and a large church located near each other in the city showing a mixed population of Jews and Christians.

Because Capernaum was on the border of two Roman provinces and roads passed nearby that led from Jerusalem to Damascus many merchants and travelers would have passed that way. They would have spread the news abroad of Jesus’ miracles.

Below is a picture of the ruins of the Jewish synagogue in the 4th century. You can see from the picture how large and ornate it must have been, an indication of the wealth of the Jews at that time.

Jerash

Jerash has been continuously inhabited for the past 4,500 years. Today the ruins of the Roman city can be clearly seen. The agora, the temple to Jupiter, the Cardo Maxima, the temple to Diana, two theaters, and a church building from the Byzantine era were some of the things that we saw there. In Biblical times the city was named Gerasa and was part of the Decapolis.

Biblically, the city is not significant. In the Old Testament it would have been part of the inheritance of Manasseh or Gad. Between the Old Testament and New Testament period it was on the caravan route along the east side of the Jordan river. Greeks settled there after the time of Alexander. After the Romans conquered the area, they began to beautify the city.

There are two reasons to mention the city. Biblically, this may have been the city to which the demoniac of Gedara returned after Jesus cast out the legion of devils. Certainly, the story was heard in Gerasa. You can read the story for yourself in Mark 5:1-20.

Archeologically, it is one of the best preserved Roman ruins from antiquity with two theaters and many columns in good condition. It was an interesting first stop because the high state of preservation gives one the ability to imagine what a city in Roman times would have looked like. Below is a picture of the steps that lead up to Diana's temple. The temple is mostly destroyed. The arch you see in the picture is not part of the temple proper but only an entrance. It gives you an idea of the immensity of the ruins.

At PDX

We arrived at the airport extra early this morning which was a good thing. For some reason we could not check in using the normal system. The desk staff was cheerful and helpful. However, we all had to be specially helped to get checked in. Instead of checking all fifteen people at once—after all, we were all going to the same place, needed the same boarding passes, and the same baggage—they checked us two by two. So we waited nearly an hour from the time we reached the front of the line until the last of us was checked in.

United was able to give Kristie and me seats together for our first flight, however, the subsequent flights we are not together.

But we are all checked in now and waiting for our flight. More updates to follow.

Weekly update

To those of you who pray for us I want to again express how grateful we are that you care enough to pray! The family is doing well except that Kristie occasionally becomes nauseated at night for no apparent reason. She has seen a doctor about this and has yet to hear a diagnosis. We leave in two days for Israel; please pray that she will feel well for our trip.

The church in Mongolia continues to do well. I am pleased to hear the good reports from Roland, Bill, and Ganpurev (in that order this week). Keep praying for Dashka's wife Tonga who desperately needs salvation. Also, Ulzee's mother Aya has been struggling with some problems with her legs. She cannot walk and is experiencing considerable pain. I have included a picture of Aya; she is the one in the middle of my family. That picture was taken two years ago before her cancer was discovered.

I will attempt to update my blog while I am in Mongolia—perhaps even post a picture or two. But I cannot promise anything.

Simple story

Something different this Friday; something I received from my father-in-law. I don't know if this story is true or not but it makes a good illustration.

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.. ALL BUT ONE !!! He paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister......." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"

Do people mistake you for Jesus?

That's our Destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

Lots of illness

Aya bumped into something recently and injured her leg to the point that she is unable to walk. Ganpurev took her to the doctor but didn't seem to find much help there.

Roland has a nasty cold, and Joann his wife has been sick in bed for the last three days.

On this side of the ocean, the Elliotts still are dealing with Esther's cancer. It must be heart-rending; I can only imagine.

Please pray for these as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind.

Weekly update

One of the many joys of Christian service is watching young Christians grow to be mature Christians. It does not happen overnight; sometimes it seems as if our Christian brothers and sisters are going backward; but the work that God begins in each of His children will continue until the day that we see Christ.

Ganpurev mentioned as he talked to me this week that there have been times when he felt that he needed to be encouraged. He has noticed that at those times he has received encouragement from the Lord. I told him that I was happy to hear that because he needs to be encouraged for the church's sake. That is, the young, immature Christians of Faith Baptist Church are looking to him for encouragement and spiritual strength. He needs to find his strength in the Lord so that he can strengthen them. Please pray for Ganpurev's continuing growth.

Kristie and I leave for Israel next week. (I will be participating in two missions conferences before then.) Please pray for good health and strength. I see my trip to Israel as a chance to take many, many pictures to show to our Mongolians after I return. I have discovered when I am on a trip that I can either pay attention to the trip or pay attention to taking pictures. My trip to Israel will be my first experience as a photojournalist.

Quote of the week

"Education ... has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading."

A person once mentioned to me that Mongolia has one of the highest rates of literacy of anywhere in the world. I am not sure where the statistic came from; if it comes the 80's we should understand that many good statistics were exaggerated during that decade.

In my short eight years in Mongolia, I have only met one Mongolian who had trouble reading. The language is very regular and the orthography is so easy that you could learn to sound out Mongolian words rather quickly. The difficulty lies in understanding what one is reading.

Regardless of the literacy rate, Mongolians do not spend much time reading, and the ones who do read often spend much of their time reading cheap, sensational newspapers with stories of people who have sold their organs to feed their families and the like.

History tells us that most of the schools founded in the British colonies in the 17th century were started to teach children how to read the Bible. Almost all of the colleges were founded to train theology students. That is no longer the purpose of education today for a majority of Americans. What do you use your literacy to read?

Weekly update

I continue to hear good reports out of Mongolia. Despite a significant amount of illness in Ulan Bator this past week, there was a good number of Mongolians who came including some who had not attended for a while.

I have talked to Ganpurev and had an e-mail from Roland updating me. Dashka's wife Tonga is done with her chemotherapy treatments and is at home. Remember to continue to pray for her health.

Uganaa, the young lady who spent some months living in our household after Charissa left for the United States, is back in Ulan Bator after a visit to her parents in another town. She is discouraged and not attending church. Please pray for her to stay integrated with the "body" of Christ of which she is a part.