Mary Letter - Day 19

1 The LORD, the God of gods, has spoken; * 

and has called the earth from the rising 

of the sun to its setting. 

2 Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, * 

God shines forth in glory.

3 Our God will come and will not keep silence; *

 before God there is a consuming flame, 

and round about a raging storm. 

4 God calls the heavens and the earth from above * 

to witness the judgment of the chosen people. 

5 Gather before me my loyal followers, * 

those who have made a covenant with me 

and sealed it with sacrifice.” 

6 Let the heavens declare the rightness of God’s cause; * 

for it is God who is judge. psalm 50:1-6

Dear Elizabeth,

We set out long after dark last night and made a slow trek across the 5 miles or so to Joseph's cousins Rebecca and John's home. They are an older couple who never ad children. They welcomed us with open arms and were very concerned for our welfare. The ride for me was not easy, nor the walk for Joseph after such a long day. We must have looked frightful! On top of that they had received word from Mama and Papa that a small bunch of angry men had shown up to the house looking for us, armed with clubs and rocks. The group was not happy that they couldn't satisfy their blood lust. They grabbed Papa but he got away, went inside and locked the house tight. Roman constables came and got things broken up. Mama was very upset. We immediately sent word that we were safely here.

The night was almost cold but the sky was beautiful. We were bundled up well enough, so we did not mind the chill on our cheeks. We walked mostly in silence, although I could hear Joseph humming to himself, which I found to be quite comforting. As I get to know Joseph, I am more and more amazed at how fortunate and blessed I am. He is always gentle and thoughtful, never impatient with me as I lumber around. We will probably try to move on a bit more tonight, if the weather is good, Papa and Joseph have a list of relatives we can stay with a night at a time, so I am not strained too much. When we get closer to Bethlehem, and have gone a good distance from home, we should be able to travel in the daylight. Right now, I will enjoy the hospitality given. They are spoiling me and fussing over me. I really like it! Bye for now. Praying for you as I know you are for me.

love,

Mary