It is time to catch up...

Yes we are alive and well... I know, I know... I did promise to be more faithful about keeping up to date with posts... sorry but not too sorry because we have been incredibly busy!  Lots of people visiting the Garden and we have been run ragged... We are tired but a very good kind of tired!

We have been blessed with a significant increase in visitors to the Garden, including some old friends as well!  

Larry & I graduated from High School together 50 years ago!

Jonathan Falwell's Father, Jerry, was our Pastor 1977-1982

Dr. Erwin Lutzer and his wife

Sarah Palin

Sarah and her husband Todd

Dr. Woodrow Michael Kroll

Dr. Kroll's daughter, Tracy

Dr. Kroll's son, Tim

Dr. Kroll's daughter, Tina

And... for my "Bloomin' Friends!"

The Garden is getting dressed up for Easter!

 Jerusalem is always a fun place during holiday celebrations...

In the midst of a very busy season, we did have the opportunity to get away to Eilat for a few days to rest.  On the way down through the Negev, we stopped off at David Ben-Gurion's tomb.  Incredible views!!!

 Jews, when visiting the tomb of a loved one, instead

leaving flowers leave a "Stone of Remembrance."

A great idea, if you forgot to bring flowers, there 

are always stones around!

 Awesome view!

 Now, the view is perfect!

 There were a number of Ibex in the memorial park.

We drove on down to Eilat for a restful couple of days.  Our hotel was on the water with a balcony overlooking a lagoon that emptied into the Red Sea... We were two blocks from the sea and about a mile from the Oceanarium.  Fun visit and very restful... much needed!

 View from our hotel balcony looking East

 Looking North

 Sun rising over the mountains in Jordan

 Koi Pond at the Oceanarium

 Oceanarium

 New Pet for Carly!

 We found Nemo!

 A pet for Ben!

 A pet for Al?

 We found this guy swimming near the beach...

 We stopped off in Timnah Park on our way back to Jerusalem

 Incredible!

 Solomon mined Copper from here.

 Copper Ingots ready to be transported.

 There is a full size model of the Tabernacle in Timnah Park

 Fascinating

 The Holy of Holies is behind the stripped curtain.

 Altar

 Table of Shew Bread

 Altar of Incense

 High Priest

 Menorah

 Ark of the Covenant

Inside the Ark: Arron's Rod, Ten Commandments and Mannah

Jerusalem, Israel 2011

We have returned to Jerusalem and the Garden Tomb.  

I (al) came over February 12th and Judy March 2nd.  

Judy remained behind to care for her brother who was dying.  Our daughter, Jennifer, wrote a wonderful tribute to him on her blog http://ryanmcgregor.blogspot.com/2011/02/this-is-my-uncle.html

She captured in words and pictures what all of us felt losing Judy's beloved brother, my brother-in-law, and our children's uncle. 

Judy and I are settled into our routine here in Jerusalem.  It is always good to be here.  I have had the privilege of taking over 1700 visitors through the Garden so far sharing the gospel with them.  

We have been blessed with groups from all over the world, including the Chilean Miners that were trapped underground in Chile.  

 They were our guests in the Garden along with their wives and at least one small child.  

We controlled the news Media (oh the joy of it all!), allowed only one camera in the Garden to film them.  Consequently their experience here was a tremendously worshipful experience for them.

Judy and I were off yesterday, walked over to the Garden of Gethsemene, visited "Mary's Tomb" - one of two... how does that work?  

Her other tomb is in Ephesus.  We went through the old city 

 

  to the Western Wall - prayed for our pastor, who was preaching a funeral service for a young man later in the day in Tampa.  We also prayed for many of you who are reading this blog.  We continued through the Jewish neighborhood of the old city, 

 stopped off for lunch, saw the remains of the city walls from the First Temple era (Solomon's Temple) 

and visited a museum that has a model of the First Temple and the city of Jerusalem in that day.  

 Very interesting.

As we draw to the close of our day in Jerusalem, it is with a sad heart that we  report that all is not well in Jerusalem...  We are reminded every day that this is a city for which Jesus wept and we are surrounded with a people that he loved, died for and wanted to come to Him.  Our daily reminder of that crushing need lies just outside our Garden... we cannot forget that it was for the lost that He came!

 

The Sun sets and the moon rises over our Garden and this city.  We are so thankful for the opportunity that is ours to represent the One who loved us here in His land!  

The Epicenter of the Universe!

We leave Tampa February 12th to return to Jerusalem and the Epicenter of the Universe for three months.  Our home, for the sixth time in just over two years, will be an apartment at the Garden Tomb just outside the Damascus Gate of the Old Walled City of Jerusalem in East Jerusalem.

The Garden Tomb



is the possible location of the Crucifixion, burial and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We return to Israel with a great deal of excitement in our hearts as we travel back to the most incredible place on earth.  We will be just a few miles from Bethlehem where Jesus was born.  We will walk where He walked, love people that He loves, pray where He prayed, share His gospel where He established that gospel and we will treasure every minute we are there.

We are volunteers at the Garden Tomb (Al gives tours sharing the gospel while Judy works in the shop, prepares communions and trys to make sure Al behaves himself). 

We have an apartment assigned for our use as our home away from home in the Garden,  We are looking forward to seeing and working with our Garden Friends again.  If you are good with dates, as our grandson is, you have already figured out that 3 months beginning mid February has us coming home to Tampa mid May.  Which means that we will be at the Garden to celebrate Easter again this year. 

We expect that we will have upwards of 3,000 visitors worshipping with us Easter Sunday as we are reminded that the Epicenter of the Universe revolves around the Cross, the death of Jesus, His burial, His resurrection (an empty Tomb!),

and His soon return to earth for us.

I am sure many of you would like to join us in Jerusalem for Easter.  Some of you are, some others perhaps will and others will be praying for us as we labor in Jerusalem for our Risen Lord.

We leave behind family

Friends

and our number one Groupies

Every blogger should have at least one groupie following their blog as faithfully as Nina and George follow ours!

Our promise to you is that we will TRY (emphasis on the try) to keep this blog updated faitfully this trip... send us your prayer needs and we will pray for you in Jerusalem!

Al & Judy