Hello friends,
It has been over a month since I've posted on my little cyber spot of the world. I've been so busy these last six weeks. I counted the days and we've been home in North Little Rock 9 days out of the last six weeks! We've been traveling the world and it makes me come alive when I board a plane and head to a foreign country. This trip took us back to Uganda - to Kampala and Pakwach. I've posted a few of the some 4,500 pictures that I took on the trip. More will be coming with time. But on the way home I got a treat when Eric arranged that we stay overnight in Amsterdam so that I could visit Anne Frank's house. I have been fascinated with her my entire life as many of you have been. She is the voice of millions that suffered at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. I'm still amazed that this occurred during my mom and dad's lifetime. It just wasn't that long ago. How did this happen? Why did so many follow Hitler? How could they! It's a mystery to me. So I wanted to visit her annex myself and stand in the rooms where she lived over two years in hiding and try to feel what she felt and see how she lived. Here are a few pictures that I took in her house.
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| This portrait of Anne hangs on the wall outside the door leading to the Secret Annex. |
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| The bookcase that swings open to the annex. The shelves still hold the files that were on it in the 40s. |
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| Anne's room. The movie star pictures from magazines still hang on the walls. They are protected by clear plastic cases. |
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| The church that Anne could see from her window. It has been restored and is used each Sunday. |
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| The line outside Anne's house. We waited for 45 minutes to purchase our tickets. The tour of her house was self guided. You could linger in the rooms as long as you liked. | | |
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I'm glad that I got to go through the house and stand where she stood. I tried to imagine my life as a Jew during that time in history. The Jews are not the only ones who are suffering the same fate around the world. I would have hoped that mankind would have learned from WWII but we didn't. It still goes on today. Only when Christ returns will it stop. In the mean time, I'm thankful for Anne's voice that still speaks today on behalf of thousands who are being persecuted, tortured and slaughtered. If you ever get a chance to see the Annex, you should most certainly go.
Staci
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
Anne Frank
