Christmas Day 2012

 

Christmas morning we had twists for breakfast and then opened our presents. Then we were able to go with 3 of the service couples to the Garden Tomb.

 

Carol & Clyde Bench [housing couple/doctor]. She is also the RS President:

Norm and Dorene Squires [organist/choir director/hosting]:

 

 

Bob & Elisabeth Schafer [humanitarian]. He is our Branch President:

We were a minority in this group - there were probably 400 Nigerians at the service. It was great! They really know how to sing and be happy.

 Ha, ha - Kent said he saw one man taking pictures of our row of white faces!

 

 

 

This is the director of the Garden, preparing for the service to begin. The staff at the Garden are very sweet, kind people. Right behind and below him, is the tomb. Nice setting, huh?

 They had a live band to accompany the Christmas hymns that we sang. Before the service began, the Nigerians were spontaneously singing songs of praise and the band joined in. It was a really sweet experience.

We couldn't help but clap along! 



Here is how the program went. There were prayers or scripture readings interspersed with carols. Each time we sang, everyone stood up.
This was such a wonderful way to spend Christmas morning. Wow!!! I can't really tell you how amazing it was or how glad I was to be there. Wish all of you could have been there as well.

We had about an hour break at the JC and then it was off to lunch. This time with all 3 service couples.

We went to the Notre Dame Hotel - very posh! :)

 

This is one-half of the buffet line. The other half was salads and appetizers but too many people in the way for me to take a picture.

Across from the buffet were 2 dessert tables. I'm sure there were better people than I who only ate the fruit! :)

This table included the traditional yule log - biggest one I've ever seen!

Here we are enjoying our delicious lunch! When we first sat down, Santa came around and gave each one of us a bag of Christmas chocolates! You can see one of them lying in the left forefront of this picture. I thought this was extremely generous - I thought maybe one per couple. . . .

In the background, in the private room, you can see several priests, enjoying their lunch. We had some fun interaction with them as the meal progressed. One of the priests came out and introduced himself and learned a bit about who we were and why we are in Jerusalem. He was a delightful man and seemed happy to know us as well.

After the priests had finished their meal they began singing Christmas carols - some in French, some in Spanish, and some in English. Father Kelly [the one we had met at first] brought us printed copies of the words so that we could join in. Then it progressed to the table next to us. It was so much fun!  Here we are singing along:

You would have to know Dorene Squires to fully appreciate these next  2 photos. But, she wasn't happy with the speed at which the priests were singing "Away in a Manger" so she went in and "encouraged" them a bit!!!

 

As so often happens in the JC's "random" contacts with other faiths - this association turned out to be very fortuitous. The priests were there with the new Papal Nuncio to the Holy Land. Our very next-door neighbor is the Vatican's ambassador to Palestine. So the man in this picture with Kent is that new ambassador - meeting his neighbors. Also, our humanitarian couple work quite closely with the delegate and had the opportunity to introduce themselves as well!

One of the priests offered to show us part of the hotel.

This is their chapel:

He let us go up on the roof and these are views from up there:

The best view of all - our Center. :)

I cannot imagine a more perfect day - well except for being home with family. I am so grateful for this experience that Kent and I have been allowed to have and for the wonderful people who have come into our lives because of it!!

Merry Christmas to all of you - whom we love and miss.

Christmas Eve 2012

 

 

Christmas Eve day Kent and I went into the Old City to pick up a gift for the Center from one of the shop keepers. We had fun wandering, having lunch, and taking pictures. Here are a few:

 

This man was selling fennel:

 

A busy intersection:

I loved this sign! ;) I also really like fresh squeezed pomegranate juice.

At one of the many coffee stands in the city:

 

 

That evening we were able to go to Bethlehem with 2 of the service couples. Carol & Clyde Bench to the left of Kent, and Ray and Bobbe Graham: 

After we ate, we walked to Manger Square and just wandered around for about an hour. It was fun to just observe people and soak up the ambiance:

 

Big tree in Manger Square:

Crowd picture in Manger Square:

This guy was selling those helicopter toys - only these were lit up. They looked like UFOs flying over the crowd. :)

There were lots of families:

 

Even Muslims:

 

 

 Of course, there were food carts, corn, cotton candy, nuts, coffee: 

Where were YOU on Christmas Eve, 2012? ;)

Aqaba

 

This past week Kent and I took a much-needed vacation.

We drove to Aqaba, Jordan for 5 days. It's equivalent to driving from Orem to St. George - approximately. It was the perfect place to get away.

 

There were parks to stroll through:

 

 Oh, I guess I'd better explain the cane. The day before we left for Aqaba, Kent went on a hike with some of the men from the branch. It was about 10 miles, I think. One spot, fairly early on in the hike, they had to go down several sets of steps - big, deep ones. Kent's knee strated to hurt - badly. He finished the hike in a lot of pain. That evening the couples in the center were invited to dinner at a friend's home. I went without Kent - he was hurting so much. We were both worried that our trip was not going to happen. I brought the doctor with me when we got home from dinner. The doctor diagnosed it as osteo arthritis. He recommended that Kent take anti-inflammatories and use a cane to help take the weight off of his knee. Thus, the cane in the pics. I'm happy to say that his knee has improved a great deal!! :)

This was a beautiful mosque surrounded by lovely grounds. 

We wandered the streets and people watched, window shopped, and soaked up the warm sun!

 

 

This is looking across the Gulf of Aqaba at Israel.

 

If I turned just slightly to my left I was looking at Egypt!

 

 These were some beautiful gardens - we wondered if they might be community plots or something.  

We had wonderful meals in fun places: 

With the best company!

 This is the Fort of Aqaba - the one that T.S. Lawrence helped conquer.

 

It was closed for renovation, so this is Kent trying to get some pictures of the inside!

 

He succeeded.



Unlike in Jerusalem, Aqaba decorates for Christmas:

 

 

This was the view from our balcony. We spent a lot of time playing games on our balcony.

Close up of the view from our balcony:

 

 

 

The beach was just a short walk away. Lovely!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our last night there, the hotel staff brought me a birthday cake and wished me a Happy Birthday!! Wow - I was so touched. The cake was good, too! :)

 

 

This was a terrific trip - we loved every minute of it!!