February 7 Part 2 Blog




Incredible day!

Azar and Lynda at a Falafel shop in the Old City of Nazareth

Azar Ajaj is the Vice President of the Seminary. He took us on a walking tour of old Nazareth, where he grew up. He went to school at the Nazareth Baptist High School. Today they have over 1,000 students and is open to all faiths but maintain a distinctly Baptist flavor through required Bible classes and chapel.

We then walked the streets of the old market in Nazareth—Suik. Since it was later in the afternoon most of the shops were closed. We will have a lot of opportunities to visit here.

Just before entering the Suik, we stopped at Mary’s well, dates back to Jesus’ time. Note you can’t drink the water now.

Nazareth is known for the Basilica of the Annunciation, where it is believed that Mary lived and the angel came and announced that she would give birth to the Messiah.



As you walk the streets of Jesus’ hometown you are continually aware that this is a community built on the ability of three religions to live together peacefully.

Received my first assignment today. I will be writing an article (booklet) giving an outsider’s perspective on the Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary and the context of Nazareth with the tension between Jews and Arabs, Arabs and Christians and Messianic Jews with Christians and Jews and Arab Christians with all of them! Quite an undertaking. Tomorrow is the Shabat (Sabbath) we plan to take one ourself!

We appreciate your prayer for us!