Bethlehem Live

Our school went to Bethlehem yesterday - no extensive travel plans, no expensive air fair tickets, no hotel bookings. Just a short bus trip to Gateway Covenent Church in Winnipeg, where they have been offering 'trips to Bethlehem' for eight years. 400 volunteers have been busy for months, planning, building, sewing, practicing for this interactive Bethlehem experience. And they do a superb job of making this experience realistic and enjoyable.

Roman soldiers and tax collectors, ready to put people who don't pay their taxes behind bars.

Turned out one of our own, a German teacher no less had to serve some time.

We visited a school where the teacher and students taught us a Hebrew song, and blessed us before we continued our journey.

We were granted an audience with King Herod.

While we were there some very important visitors from the east showed up. A somewhat flustered scribe helped them sort out where to find the newborn King.

There happened to be a wedding in Bethlehem while we were there. 

Here they're practicing some wedding music.

We celebrated with the couple for a little bit, but then we were shuffled

away from there by Roman soldiers.

The Bethlehem market place was a bustle of activities, where merchants were trying to sell us

everything from smelly fish to woven baskets.

Animals added their own aroma to the smells of Bethlehem.

We met a rather tired innkeeper and his family. The little girls excitedly told us

about the new baby born in their stable that night.

The stable, with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus

The angels bringing the good news to the shepherds.

A leper thanked us for telling him about Jesus, who would help both the sick in body and spirit.

We'd never seen anything like this before and highly recommend it