Steve Galloway posted his pictures earlier today, and I had to steal some. These are from the Jerusalem marketplace that we did on Thursday night for the Couple's Night Out. Having all the kids in costume made all the difference. It was a really, really cool night for them. Here's our rhythm section playing Biblical instruments. They were so fun!

But I had to post these pictures from the elephant camp. I love that Steve captured the feel of the elephant ride. I just found out yesterday that this camp is where they filmed the Rambo movies. That makes perfect sense. I can't justly describe how beautiful this place was, but hopefully the pictures help a little.

Here is a fantastic shot of one of the elephant artists. The deliberate strokes they were making just blew my mind. I knew I was a terrible artist before, but not even measuring up to an elephant is just embarassing.

Here's one of the elephants playing soccer. What you can't see in this picture is the other elephant playing goalie. He blocked a few shots with his body, but then this elephant picked up the ball and stormed up to the goal and slammed it in. We were laughing and clapping like crazy.

We learned that these trainers actually live with their individual elephant all the time. They have to always wear the same clothes, because the elephants can smell them from 10 miles away. Watching them have fun and play makes you forget how dangerous their job actually is. These are mighty beasts, and could crush these little guys without even breaking a sweat.

Our guide told us that the elephants and their trainers start to look like each other over time, kind of like dogs and their owners. I didn't really notice this to be true, but I guess I haven't spent enough time with elephants to see their unique characteristics. They all kind of look the same to me.

Thanks for the pictures, Steve!