Bethlehem

A family in our ward invited us to go with them to a "must see" in Texas.  In a little town about an hour northwest of us a baptist church built a replica of the city of Bethlehem.  For the first two weekends in December every year it is open to the public.  People dressed in garb similar to what would have been worn in Bethlehem wander the streets of the city, selling their goods, weaving baskets, making yarn from wool, making rope, offering you some of the Jerusalem bread they made in a large stone oven.  You see all this as you move through the torch lit streets, into their homes where they are having dinner, to the Inn where Mary and Joseph were turned away, past camels, sheep, chickens, ducks and end at the stable with Mary, Jospeh and baby Jesus.  I thought it was a fun experience.

According to the family that we went with, this year was abnormally crowded (we waited in a "Disneyland" line for over an hour... it usually is a ten minute wait).  It all ends with free cookies and cocoa.  Here are some pictures.

We left smelling like campfire.

Soldiers in the streets, even a prison in the center of the city. 
All of the walls are real stone.

Family having dinner

Loft is where they slept, underneath it was the table and living space.

Making ladders, I think.

You could go in and upstairs

Real Camels

Joseph, Mary and Jesus.  Stable was more like a big cave. 
There was even a star lit above the stable you could see from anywhere in the city.