Last May, 18 of us made a Holy Land pilgrimage that took us to Biblical sites straight out of the Hebrew Scriptures as well as to those from the New Testament. We took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, tasted wine from Cana and water from Jacob's well, prayed at Gethsemane and at the Western Wall, visited the Tomb of the Patriarchs, gazed at Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and at the Holy Land from Mt. Nebo. After a stop at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by a Bedouin shepherd, we relaxed at a kibbutz by the Dead Sea, and some pilgrims took a dip, or rather a "float," in the salty, mineral laden water. We crossed the Jordan once in the north, where it flows vibrantly from the Sea of Galilee, and again in the south, where it trickles into the Dead Sea. Some of us rode carriages at Petra, one person rode horseback, but none us mounted a camel.

Our pilgrimages emphasize meeting the local people. We always stay in hostels--all rooms have a bath or shower--run by local people and organizations, and we go to fair trade shops. Our pilgrimages bring income to Holy Land businesses and also to outreach programs such as the school for special needs children at Our Lady of Peace Center in Amman.

We can organize a pilgrimage for your group, or you can join our pilgrimage scheduled for May 2011.

http://www.holylandinstitute.org/pilgrimages.htm

The following week our pilgrimage took us to Samaria where we encountered the Missionaries of Charity [the order founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta]. They gave us a warm welcome and seemed truly eager to practice English with us.

I have collaborated on English for special purposes projects including programs for engineers and health professionals. The vocabulary and corresponding activities address the needs of people in those fields. So why not have a program specifically for those engaged in Christian ministry?

A new website is under development. This undertaking is yet another example of building the airplane as you fly it. Though still in its infancy, the website has been launched. At the present time, we are posting the homilies of Father Tony Kadavil. In some cases, sentences from his homilies have made their way into grammar exercises. Eventually reading exercises will be based on authentic text like his. In case you're wondering, authentic text is originally written for a specific purpose, such as interpreting scripture or teaching first aid or documenting a sports event; it is not written intentionally as a tool for teaching English.

The website seems a bit heavy on grammar right now, but structure is important to many who are learning English. Native speakers, think about how you would teach a non-native speaker to say "the place has gone to the dogs" but "Dogs are man's best friend" Or "Mary told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them" but "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times not to run with scissors." That is the kind of thing that people whose second, third, or tenth language is English often find puzzling.

One listening exercise that you might enjoy, whether you are a native speaker or an English-language learner, is about the song "Amazing Grace" [click here].

Eventually the website will accept paid advertising. If English learners worldwide constitute a significant percentage of your customer base, contact us about promoting your products or services on our website.

www.ESLforChristians.com

The website offers a directory of dioceses and resources for the Deaf [Deaf is capitalized in recognition of their status as a people with a specific language] and posts announcements of upcoming events and programs. www.ncodwr.org

Father Paul is fluent in English and his native Lugandan as well as both Ugandan Sign Language and American Sign Language. His work also has him helping Spanish-speaking hearing parents of Deaf children. I was impressed by his dedication and accomplishments, and then he offered me a copy of the impressive autobiography of a Deafblind Jewish Catholic priest from South Africa, Father Cyril Axelrod, who could not speak until he was nine years old. Now, having served in his homeland, in Macao, and the UK, he has knowledge of 15 different languages. And so here is my book recommendation: And the Journey Begins by Cyril Axelrod [published in England by John McLean, 2005 and published in the US by Gallaudet University Press, 2006].

www.al-bushra.org

www.IsraelMustLive.org

On the other hand, while Israel Must Live does not have a flash introduction, it is basically a flash website with occasional links to documents, such as the annotated bibliography, as well as a link to Dan's blog which he will be able to manage himself.

Their flash website has an animated introduction, and the main page links to a combination of flash content, external websites, and a downloadable schedule and map.
 

Right: Yvonne, founder of Opera Lovers Meet, is pictured here with her husband John.

www.OperaLoversMeet.org

The embroidery pattern was inspired by the mosaic floor of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Prior to shipping a garment, Arlette or George or one of their five children takes it to the church to be blessed at the site of Jesus' birth.

These garments come in six different infant sizes ranging from newborn to 24 months. Embroidery choices are multicolor, gold, or white on white. Special orders are possible. Seven-year-old Thomas of Oregon chose multicolored embroidery for his baptismal garment made according to his measurements. Churches and stores may purchase garments at the wholesale price for a minimum order of ten.

There are plans to offer caps that match the infant garments, or parents may wish to create their own wreath. Garments for older children and adults are available for custom orders. None of the current garments is intended for immersion. They are suitable for sprinkling, for being put on immediately following baptism, for dedication, and for burial.

The website lists locations where the garment may be purchased directly including Arlette's shop in Bethlehem. A map indicating that shop is now on their website.
 

www.BaptismGarment.com

Et Voilà! is a restaurant that could be considered an extension of your own home--if you live on the Central Coast of California--because you can enjoy a hearty pot au feu in winter or spring lamb in the spring or lighter fare in the summer. Everything is prepared with loving care and the freshest ingredients. It's home style French country cooking, but there is an important difference. You don't have to do the dishes!

Chef José Dahan also changes the menu to suit special occasions such as New Year's Eve or, in July, Bastille Day. Lee Ray Ingle wrote: "My best Bastille Day meal ever and in the top ten of meals I've had in San Luis Obispo over my 32 years living here! A rare 'family style' meal, the main entrées were a magnificent coq au vin of which I enjoyed three ordinary portions and a wonderfully prepared sole. Most extraordinary were the bruschetta with steak tartare and the asparagus soup, both unexpected marvels of complexity and subtlety. The ratatouille--no wonder it was superb--it was French. The fresh salad had this amazing dressing. The twin desserts were notches above usual. The chef's daughter served unlimited bread, for which alone, I'd have paid the price."

Besides delicious cuisine and impeccable service, the weekly newsletter and weekly postings on the website are key to building customer loyalty. It is imperative to keep the clientele informed of menu changes and special events such as the October 30th dinner, costumes optional, to celebrate both Oktoberfest and Halloween. The flash website features weekly updates of downloadable announcements posted by Jodie of Et Voilà!.

www.EtVoilaRestaurant.com

P.S. Last fall in announcing José's tribute to Julia Child, I mentioned not being able to find a parsley grinder here in the States. Et Voilà! Francis Scarella sent me one from France! And I love it! Merci, Francis!

If you come to San Luis Obispo, I will also take you to Petra, the family owned and operated Mediterranean grill. The youngest son Rammy has recently graduated from high school; he and his siblings help out in the restaurant as they pursue studies and careers. Everyday their mother Sana makes delicious soup, and their dad Todd bakes fresh bread. Both parents are natives of Jordan.

Their flash website offers pictures of the family, the food, the restaurant, music, and the archeological site in Jordan. You will also find both a screen menu and a downloadable menu.
 

www.PetraSLO.com

Ron chose to feature here a signed first edition of The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury. Noting that Ray Bradbury is among the most outstanding American authors of our time, he also points out that Bradbury and he share the same birthday, August 22, though the writer was born 30 years earlier.

The book, published in 1951, described as classic Bradbury, is a collection of tales that "breathe and move...startling visions of humankind's destiny, unfolding across a canvas of decorated skin--visions as keen as the tattooist's needle and as colorful as the inks that indelibly stain the body." A movie version, starring Rod Steiger,  appeared in 1969. Of interest as well to me is the role Bradbury's wife Marguerite--Maggie--and eldest daughter Susan played in getting the book published. Ray met Maggie in 1946 as he was browsing in the Los Angeles bookstore where she worked. There had been a series of thefts at the bookstore, and so this customer wearing a military style trench coat on a warm day seemed suspicious to the young clerk. The romance began when she started a conversation with him among the bookshelves. They were married in 1947, the same year that Dark Carnival was published. Mostly, though, Bradbury was considered a pulp fiction writer; Maggie knew he had potential. She commuted by train daily to a job at an advertising agency so that he could stay at home and write about space travel and other fantastic things. The announcement of the forthcoming birth of their first child--Susan is the eldest of four--spurred Bradbury to make a trip to New York where he sold over one dinner the outlines to The Illustrated Man and The Martian Chronicles. Maggie and Ray enjoyed a happy marriage of 56 years; she died in 2003.

www.Red-Dragon-Books.com