Bethlehem Walk

The past couple of years I have seen an add for "The Bethlehem walk" but always seemed to miss it.  This year, I finally took note of when it was occurring and marked the calender.  It is a production put on by an area church where you/visitors walk and experience how it would be for a family to travel to Bethlehem at the time of Jesus Birth.  It was a raining day Saturday thankfully stopping by evening although it made for a soggy walk.  We arrived and were each given a name with family lineage.  Becca was Adina (she could never remember her name) Andrea was Zora and I was Tabitha.  I don't remember the guys names because us girls/women were considered baggage and had to be in the back of the line.  It was a lot of fun seeing the kids try to process each stop along the way.  We were greeted as we started by some angry Roman solders demanding to see our papers-I never saw the kids so worried about losing something!  We each had to state our names....Becca could hardly talk, Andrea fared a  little better.  I do have to say the soldiers were quite mean to us women and kids...Becca was ready to cry, Andrea just wanted to run up with the guys and get going.  We then ran into some wise men with a camel and then some shepherds along with some Angels professing some wonderful news.  The Shepherds urged the kids to go and find the baby and then come back and tell them-I have never seen the kids listen with such seriousness.  Almost to Bethlehem we were surrounded by lepers/beggars-I think the girls tried dragging/pushing me and the stroller, they couldn't get out of there fast enough.  We were last and Becca kept saying, "faster mommy, they are coming....their going to get us!!"  Well we made it to Bethlehem, paid our taxes and got our papers stamped.  At the little town the  kids spent time running around to different shops-basket weavers, rugs, herbs, and a jail--fascinating to the boys.  Brayden and Becca braved the man sitting by the fire and tried some of his "buzzard" meat.  Then off to the inn, where we were turned away because our family was too big and what do you know reached the stable with a baby, baby Jesus!  THE KING!  As we continued on our journey some of the kids were concerned because we were supposed to go back to the shepherds and wise men telling them we found the baby-I just love kids and their minds.  The walk proceeded  by jumping forward in time with the crosses and then the empty tomb with an Angel proclaiming his resurrection.  The walk ended back at the church were we left our leader/family head and enjoyed some hot chocolate and crafts for the kids.  Andrea told one lady that they found baby Jesus but he was in a YUCKY barn. Even though the day was dreary the night turned out to be a wonderful even to do with the kids-making me think how much more "proclaiming" we should be doing about the birth of our Saviour!