Private field trip

Yesterday, which was Friday the 13th [huh, I just now realized that it was Friday the 13th!], 2 of the faculty with wives, and Kent and I went on our own field trip to Jericho. Because it is in the West Bank we had to have one of our security guys be our driver and stay with us for the day - hope HE had fun! We also had to have passports to get through the check point.

Our first stop, once we arrived in Jericho, was an archeological site called Hisham's Palace. This is inside the entrance - guard seats.

This was once a window in the palace:

This is the 6 of us: Margaret and Jared Ludlow; Kent and me; Elaine and Eric Huntsman

[Side note - Elaine was sustained today [Sabbath] as our new RS President and I am one of her counselors] 

 A mosaic floor:

 This is the largest, intact mosaic in existance -- The Tree of Life:

Sorry - you'll have to wait for the rest! Love you all   :)

Parking in Jerusalem

When it comes to parking in Jerusalem there are several options:

Double Parking

My personal favorite -- 

Parking on the sidewalk

Buying a parking tag - 1 time use only

[you scrape off the date/time etc. and hang it in your window facing the sidewalk]



Israeli form of meter parking

You find one of these:



You put coins in this and then push the green button:

The machine prints out a receipt, which you hang in your side window:

 OR the all too frequent option -- GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! :)

Sunday and Monday

Yesterday morning, I drove the Snack Bar committee to purchase treats for the snack bar. At one point I turned down the wrong street! Not a street, really, more like an alley with cars parked on both sides and a dead end. :) Since I had 7 or 8 people I was in a van so I couldn't turn around - I had to back all the way down the alley. At one point there was a car in front of me trying to get out and a car behind me trying to get in. STRESSFUL! The students were very kind and patient and gave me directions as I tried to steer my way. Whew - that's a trip none of us will forget in the near future!

Sunday evening we attended the first concert of the winter semester. It is the 25th anniversary of the Jerusalem Center and the marvelous organ we have here! Richard Elliot - the Morman Tab organist - was the guest performer. Now, I don't really enjoy straight organ music, but THIS was amazing! He played everything from a Bach fugue to George Gershwin - all of it unbelievable!

Monday, today, was our first field trip. Here was the conversation I had with myself as I was getting ready to go. Me1 - "I don't want to go on this field trip. I've seen these overlooks multiple times before. I'm too tired - blah, blah, blah". Me2 - "What do you mean you don't want to go? You're in Jerusalem for crying out loud! How many other people are getting up today with a Jerusalem field trip on their schedule??"
Long and short - I went and I loved it.

We did Jerusalem overlooks today. Below is at a place called the Haz Promenade. We are looking at the south end of the Old City - where there are steps remaining that Jesus would have walked on.

Below is a close up of the previous view. On the left is the wall of the city - somewhere within Christ and his disciples would have had the Last Supper. Then he would have walked down into the valley and up onto the Mount of Olives, somewhere in or around those 2 churches - into the Garden of Gethsemane. I've seen this sight before but this time I felt a sweet confirmation of my testimony of Jesus' atonement. Not a confirmation because I am here, but because it actually happened -- for me. And for you.





 Another look out was at the Augusta Victoria Hospital. In addition to the hospital, the complex also includes a hospice, a restaurant, a kindergarten and a church. I've shown you pictures of the church before but I took more today because they still had their Christmas decorations up and they had some really interesting paintings on display.

This is the altar

Some of the Christmas decorations

As the sign says the following pictures are of an altar taken from a Syrian orphanage: 

I thought this was a really sweet little nativity scene

Sorry this is way blurry, but I wanted a picture of Kent teaching:

  I wish I knew where these paintings were from. They were all bible stories, but the colors were what I found so interesting:

  

 

Our last stop of the day was at a place called Nabi Samwel - Prophet Samuel. There is a synagogue downstairs and a mosque above. These are some of our girls preparing to go into the synagogue:

 

Students have arrived

Just some reflections on the past week. The students arrived on Wednesday afternoon. All  of us had been busy Monday/Tuesday preparing for their arrival. Amazingly, for the first time in I don't know how long, all of the students were on 1 flight. The worst situation, was probably last semester when there were about 9 flights!!
Anyway, even this time there was a glich - wouldn't be Jerusalem without. :)
For some reason, the airlines had to change planes and the new plane was short 3 seats. Who got put on standby? 3 of our students. Who made the flight? 2 of the 3. One young man had to spend the night in New York and take the same flight the following day. That means he missed all of the orientation that we give the students. It also meant that one of our faculty had to make a second trip to the airport to pick him up. Ah, well - he did arrive safe and sound.

As soon as the students arrived we sent them into the Auditorium for a 30-minute orientation. Then we divided them into small groups and took them on a tour of the building. I think they probably remembered 2 things from that tour - where the cafeteria is and where their apartment is. Jet lag erased anything else!
We had dinner with the students that evening in the Oasis. It was fun to have them here and to be eating Center food again - it is GOOD!

Thursday morning, bright and early, we had another orientation meeting followed by a 4-hour walk from the Center, through the Old City, to West Jerusalem. Vans brought us back to the Center in time for lunch. [The faculty/staff did this same walk on Tuesday so that we would remember the route to take the students. I knew I could do the walk but boy was I TIRED! -- both days]

More orientation in the afternoon, headsets distributed, committee chairs & advisors introduced. I am the advisor over the Snack Bar committee. Should be fun.

The In-Center activities committee held a get-aquainted party in the gym after dinner. We collapsed in our apartment. Thank heavens Friday was very low-key and we could recuperate.

Yes, we have arrived! Our flight to Jerusalem left Salt Lake at 11:00 am on Wednesday, December 28th. However, by noon on Tuesday, our bags were packed and we were MORE than ready to be gone! [The little sticky-notes on top show how much the bags weigh]

 

The only thing left in the closet - my shirt for the flight.

 

Here we are at the airport  

 

Apparently, checking in was too much for Kent  

 

He poses really well, doesn't he??

 
We arrived at the Center around 4:30 or so. Since it was vacation time - there were just a few people around. But, our apartment was ready and waiting.

food enough to get us started 



Treats from the Ohmans - with a cute little note attached:

We spent the evening visiting with the Ohmans and unpacking -- trying to stay awake until bedtime. We also had a surprise visit from our friends, Kirk and Lyn Belnap. They've been touring around Israel during the Christmas break and staying in the Center! It was so fun to see them - and so unexpected.

The next morning we went for a walk around the block. When you come out of the front gate of the Center, there is a small road off to the right that goes to a Yeshiva [a Jewish rabbinical school]. This stairway comes off of that street. The home on my right is Palestinian [Arab].

We live in a Palestinian [Arab] neighborhood, but there are several Israeli settlements that have gone up in the middle of it. This is another one going up just down below the steps in the former picture.

We got to see a few more people that day. Some of the security, office staff, and maintenance people. Everyone seems genuinely glad to have us back! The welcome has been very sweet.
Saturday was the Sabbath - we worried about staying awake! More happy reunions and a lovely day. It feels almost as though we never left -- except for the jet lag, AND the sleeping pills and Coke ingested to get over the jet lag! Poor Kent is especially suffering - he hardly ever uses stuff like this. Me - if I can sleep with a pill and stay awake with a diet Coke - bring it on! :)

Monday we both had work to do - the students arrive in a few days. We did, however, take a trip to change money and actually found a place to park so we walked on into the Old City. :)

 This bread is the best! Especially if you dip it in the Zatar - a really good spice mix.

 

 

Hah - just so you know how sweet and syrupy these pastries are - I dropped my glasses as I was getting out my camera. Kent picked them up for me and he and they were both a sticky mess. We had to buy some baby wipes at a shop down the street to clean them both up! :)

 

It is both hard to believe we are back, and totally normal to be here. We miss all of you at home, though!

The Week of Christmas

This past week has been such a swirl of emotions! One minute I'm smiling and thinking excitedly about being in Jerusalem and the next I'm already homesick and missing people here. Especially my grand kids! I went to the Robins & Tuomisto school Christmas program. The pictures aren't great because I was sitting back aways from the stage but:

This is Aspen - she was Cindy Lou Who. I loved her little Cindy Lou Who voice!

These are the "best friend" cousins, Lexi and Haley. Singing Feliz Navidad.

This is Lexi's twin brother, Crash doing the actions

This is Ethan [Haley's and Aspen's brother] singing his heart out

This week was also my birthday, and I got phone calls and texts from siblings and kids all day long! It was SO fun! Then, even though we had already celebrated together, my girls took me to dinner. Being with them was the best gift they could give me but then they also gave me a Kindle - I can't tell you how excited I am about that!! :)

Kent and I had Thai food and saw the new Mission Impossible movie! Great birthday - thanks everyone!!!

[I just realized what I wrote - these 2 celebrations took place over 2 different days. No, I did NOT eat 2 dinners in one evening!]

Then came Christmas Eve. We were missing a few family members - but got to talk to most of them on the phone, at least. What a wonderful family we've been blessed with! It was bitter sweet for me, knowing we'll be gone in a few days yet loving being with them all so much! We've even got the family pets in the picture. ;)

Grandpa usually hands out the presents:

Today, Christmas day, was also wonderful. Being able to go to church, made Christmas even better - and Kent was one of the speakers for the program we had. :) My favorite gifts?

A Jackson family picture calendar, made by Kent

and these sweet angels [also from Kent] - look how beautiful their faces are!

The word "Angels" has a whole new meaning to me now and I fell in love with these the minute I saw them. They represent ALL of the angels in my life! I feel very blessed, lucky, and in my Heavenly Father's debt! I hope all of you had as wonderful a Christmas as I did! :)

Jackson Danger with Bailee Blue " Cry of a Tiny Babe " by Bruce Cockburn

Not to be an adoring grandma or anything [ ;) ] but this is my 12-year old grandson, Jackson, singing with another voice student, Bailee. They sang this in Sacrament meeting yesterday! I hope you enjoy it.