Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, March 01, 2000, Page 12, Image 12

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/Religion
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Wrosrnirr
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Travel-Path o f Jesus
believed found
Leap Day babies come to
terms with missing
birthdays
In the midst o f green hills and springs
in the Jordan Valley, archaeologists
have unearthed what they say is the
real site of the baptism of Jesus Christ,
instead o f the traditional spot on the
Israeli-controlled western shore of
the Jordan River.
“This is where Jesus was baptized,”
insisted Tourism Minister Aqel Biltaji
during a recent visit to the site. “This
is where John the Baptist lived. This
is where the first Christian community
on earth emerged.”
Biltaji and a team o f Jordanian
archaeologists are convinced the site
is the biblical “Bethany beyond the
Jordan” recorded in the Gospel of
John. Their claim has sparked a
friendly cross-border dispute on
whether Jesus was baptized on the
eastern or western shore o f the river.
Israel has long held that Jesus was
baptized by John the Baptist at Qasir
al-Yahud, a West Bank area just north
o f the Dead Sea that is still under
Israeli military control.
Pope John Paul II is expected to visit
the Jordanian site during an upcoming
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Caitlin Smith isn’t quite sure how old she is.
Her parents tell Caitlin that she is 4, but the calendar has skipped her Leap
Day birthday each year since she was bom.
“Sometimes she’ 11 hold up one finger because a lot o f people say this will
be her very first birthday,” said the Bel Air girl’s mother, Judy Smith.
About 200,000 Americans were bom on L.eap Day, and many remember
a time when they were unhappy about their quadrennial birthdays.
“You have to realize, o f course, that these poor people only have a
birthday once every four years,” said Barbara Sutton-Smith, author o f
“The Leap Year Book.”
“Especially when you’re a tot, that's very hard to understand,” she said.
Feb. 29 comes along every four years to compensate for the fact that one
year is slightly longer than 365 days. It was created in 46 B.C. during the
reign o f Julius Caesar.
Pope Gregory XIII adjusted the calendar i n 15 82 to strike leap years from
three o f every four century years, making this Feb. 29 the first Leap Day
to land on a century year in 400 years.
“It’s an extremely important day.” said Sutton-Smith, who lives north of
Toronto, Ontario. “If we didn ’ t have a Leap Day, everything would be out
ofw hack.”
But that can be difficult to explain to a child.
Raenell Dawn, co-founder o f the Honor Society o f Leap Day Babies, was
the oldest o f three girls, all with February birthdays. Her mother wrote
their birthdays on the calendar _ the youngest on Feb. 6, the middle
daughter on Feb. 25 and Dawn in the empty box next to Feb. 28.
Dawn now calls her predicament “Empty Box Syndrome.”
“The whole line _ ’ Your birthday isn’t on the calendar because you’re
special’ _ that only lasts so long,” Dawn said.
But there are some benefits. A 64-year-old bom on Leap Day can throw
himself a Sweet 16 birthday party. And the Motor Vehicle Administration
gives them until March 1 to renew their driver’s licenses.
And while Caitlin remains confused about the technical aspects o f Leap
Day, the 4-year-old has mastered one concept: One birthday every four
years means four times as many presents.
This year, the little girl talked her parents into buying her a lop rabbit _
appropriately named “Rabbit” _ for her first real birthday.
“This will o f course not happen every leap year,” her mother said.
“Otherwise w e’ll be coming out o f the woodwork with pets every four
years.”
A Tisket A Tasket
The place for cards, gifts and baskets
Celebrates the special meaning of
Black History Month
284-7344
tisketgifts@yahoo.com
1305 NE Fremont
Portland, Or. 97212
weeklong tour o f holy places in
Jordan, Israel and the West Bank
sc h e d u le d to sta rt M arch 20.
Jordanian officials interpret the
Pope’s plans as implicit confirmation
that their site is where Jesus was
baptized, but the Vatican has not
taken a position on either side’s claim.
The Vatican has added Bethany to a
list o f sites that Christian pilgrims
could visit to celebrate the new
millennium, but that declaration that
fell sh o rt o f any o u trig h t
acknowledgment that the area is the
baptism site.
V assilios T zaferis, head o f the
excavations department in the Israel
Greater Faith Christian Center welcomes the
anointed ministry of TBN personality Evangelist
Patricia Hyche, to their 9th Annual Women of
Excellence Conference. March 9th through the 12th
at Greater Faith Christian Center C.O.G.I.C.
located at 3839 NE Killingsworth St. With services
beginning at 7 pm, and Sunday Service at 7 p.m.
Host Pastor: Rev. H. Bernard Ings, Jr. Director of
Women’s Ministries at G.F.C.C.: Mrs. Regina
Ings.
Evangelist Hyche will be bringing the message on
“Preparing a People for the End Time Harvest”
guaranteed to stir up our pure minds. Recognized
as one with a Prophetic calling, she brings
encouragement and the Presence of the Lord into
the lives of women and men of God.
PHARM ACY
F E A T U R IN G
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NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN
& CONVENTIONAL PHARMACIST
CONSULTATIONS
PRESCRIPTIONS
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NATUROPATHIC MEDICINARY
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COMPOUNDING
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Antiquities Authority, says there is
no proof for either claim.
“ArcIdeologically speaking, wedon’t
have any real evidence,” he says.
“ Pilgrims are connected by faith,
religion and dogmas. You either
believe it or you don’t.”
Roman Catholic Monsignor Raouf
Najjar o f Amman believes Jordan’s
version.
“Nobody can contest that the real
site o f baptism is across the Jordan
River on the eastern side,” says Najjar,
an assistant to Jerusalem Bishop
Michel Sabbah.
T h e M in istry o f T ourism and
Antiquities sponsored celebrations
at the site in early January to mark the
millennium and the Eastern Christmas.
M ore than 2 0 ,0 0 0 Jo rd a n ia n s
re p re se n tin g th e c o u n try ’s 10
Christian sects sang Christmas carols
and beat drums in Wadi al-Kharrar on
Jan. 7.
The government also is issued coins
and Christmas cards depicting John
pouring water over the head o f a
kneeling Christ with the maxim:
“Jordan the Land o f B aptism .”
Souvenir shops are selling for two
dinars ($3) tiny bottles said to contain
“holy water” from the Jordan River.
Jordan is also building a guest house
and paving roads to the site, a
development costing an estimated at
$7 million. Much ofthe money came
from the U.S. Agency for International
Development.
Biltaji, the tourism minister, says
Jordan is seeking to win its share o f
millennium tourism. He expects a 20
percent increase in tourists this year
over the estimated 1.2 million a year.
But that optimism could be dampened
by the recent arrest in Jordan o f 14
M uslim m ilita n ts suspected o f
planning terrorist attacks on the
baptism and other tourist sites.
M a k e -A -
Wish penny
drive in final
week
L O M K i B L im s io m
kor T ue P ortland Q rseryer
T here’s still time to raise money for
the Make-A-Million for Make-A-
Wish Penny Drive. The 5,h Annual
cam paign runs through Friday,
March 3. Businesses and Schools
can participate by bringing in their
change, checks or bills to any U.S.
Bank branch.
Over 80 schools and nearly 50
businesses are already participating.
The numbers grow by the day. Your
pennies help make wishes come true.
Dig into your pockets, purse, and
drawer comers for coins and put them
to work helping the Make-A-Wish
F oundation o f O regon to grant
wishes for some very special children
struggling w ith life-threatening
illnesses.
Currently over 55 children across
O re g o n and C la rk C o u n ty ,
W ashington have their wishes in
process. The Foundation grants
wishes to children between the ages
o f 2 16 and 18 who are battling life-
threatening illnesses. Trips to Disney
theme parks and computers are the
most popular wishes. With the help
o f many, the Foundation expects to
grant 120 children their wishes this
year.
A pound o f pennies is worth $ 1.61.
One thousand pennies equals $100.
It doesn’t take long for pennies to
grow into a full wish. Each wish costs
an average o f $5,000. 80 children
received their wish last year.
So put out your containers, challenge
other businesses in your community
and encourage kids to help kids in
their school. For more information,
contact Make-A-Wish at I -800-934-
9474.