Madi's Persuasive Letter

So the other day I got the following letter from Miss Madison Fowler (age 9). She had written this in school and brought it home to Jenny to see if they could send it to me.

Click on it if you need it bigger to read....


So apparently when you tell children things at age 5 they remember them! Looks like I may be making a trip to Disneyland soon........

Israel Highlights....

So yes I did go to Israel and I've been back for over a month, but I have over 800 pictures and it was overwhelming to blog about. Finally after much persecution from my friends and family I am posting what may seem like a long post, but is actually very, very brief post.

I plan to put together a DVD and photobook with the whole trip but let's be honest....that may take me until next Christmas. So here is a quick picture recap of my favorite places (but not every place we went). My favorite picture that I took is the one of the Garden Tomb at the top of this blog post. Here we go...

The view from our hotel room in Tel Aviv


Me with my feet in the Mediterranean Sea
Nicole and I in Caesarea at a theater built by King Herod (22BC - 9 BC)....yep it is really that old and you can see it is still used! Amazing that they could build something so big back then



Good to know I'm one of the "losers"


Nicole and I at the Jordan River

My lunch on the Sea of Galilee....St Peters Fish. For those of you who know me I don't eat fish. Since I was literally on the shores of the Sea of Galilee I felt I must eat the fish since this is the same type of fish that Christ and the apostles caught and ate. As it came out staring at me, I was sad to know that in the last 2000 years since Christ the way it was prepared was exactly the same way He likely ate it.......except I had a plate.


Me at Capernaum where Christ performed many miracles and did much of his ministry.


Israel up near the Sea of Galilee and Nazareth....on our way to the Dead Sea.


And 2 hours later.....here we are at the Dead Sea. Such a drastic change in vegetation.


I'm happy I didn't really have to use this 1500 year old toilet....


Floating in the Dead Sea.....it was crazy how you floated like you were laying on a floatie in the pool because of all of the salt. I felt that I had been healed by the Dead Sea since I was puking on the way there, but unfortunately there was no Dead Sea miracle and I was still sick after we left. At least I felt good while we were there.

People pay a lot of money for this Dead Sea mud......


Nicole and I at the Dome of the Rock (holy to Islam) on the Temple Mount.


Me at the Western Wall (aka the Wailing Wall). I should probably be praying....

A picture of what Jews do at the Western Wall (pray and put their prayers on paper in the wall). The women and men are separated....

Sick!!!.... I saw this the day after I threw up all day (I think I got food poisoning) and let's just say I never ate meat again while in Israel.


My new Israeli friend.....oh wait that's Nicole in the rain. LOL!!



Bethlehem.....so much trash. Not my favorite place.

Where the Savior was born. Not quite like I imagined it. If only this church hadn't been built on top of it and if incense wasn't being burned in every lamp (STINKY!)

Orson Hyde Park (where Israel was dedicated by Orson Hyde for the gathering of Israel) with the Temple Mount in the background.


Me at The Garden of Gethsemane


Some of these Olive Trees are over 2000 years old and may have witnessed the Savior's atonement

Golgotha where the Savior was crucified


Me in front of the Garden Tomb....

Where Christ was laid to rest and resurrected. When the apostles looked into the tomb (without going in the tomb) they could see Christ was gone. Thus this is the only burial spot in the tomb that could be seen without entering the tomb (from outside the door).


Nicole and I and our cute tour guide. D. Kelly Ogden. He was a fantastic guide!