Western Wall, Sabbath visit to Gethsemane

First things first: Random photos which don't fit elsewhere:  Pop Rocks Chocolate!.  It's not a favorite of gourmet chocolate connoisseurs (you know who you are) but my kids think it's a lot of fun. 

Mealworms are not kosher, so this package guarantees there will be no worms so the Jewish homemaker doesn't have to worry about resifting the flour.

Friday night the Judds and Esplins went through the heart of the old city to the Western Wall.  Lisa was practicing her head scarf fashions so she could look chic at the plaza at sundown.

The kids were all excited to depart from the lower gate.  There was a lot of scary trash just outside our lower gate, as the locals use this area for a bus stop and picnic area.

Amanda has been working out a lot in P.E.!  Take it easy, Amanda!

The view back toward the BYU Jerusalem Center from just outside the old city walls.

Damascus gate is a fun entry point on the north of the city, usually very busy with vendors and foot traffic.  We saw a cart come careening down the hill on the right, then the "driver" stepped on a tire hanging from a chain to slow it down.  Tonight the gate was quieter with many closed shops and light crowds, but there were still tons of interesting sights and smells to greet the children as we walked.

We had a very nice experience at the Western Wall.   No photos at the Western Wall once the Sabbath begins.  We all got to touch the massive, ancient stones and pray with hundreds of others who were welcoming in the Sabbath.  I waited to touch the wall behind a female Israeli soldier in full uniform who wore her  semiautomatic weapon slung on her back.  Quite an interesting juxtaposition, prayer and weapons, but I guess they're in close proximity in the Bill of Rights, too.   In addition to those silently swaying, books in front of faces, lips moving to the cadence of ancient Hebrew, we saw many who welcomed the Sabbath more vigorously, singing, linking arms and swaying, or dancing joyously.  I thought, how can I bring that spirit of anticipation and joy into our family's Sabbath?

Speaking of Sabbath, we have four young women in our branch, all from the Judd and Ludlow families, so it was nice to have a visitor from South Africa, Genevieve, at church that day.

The Jerusalem Center has many beautiful garden areas for contemplating the beauties of nature and plants of Biblical importance.  We took some group photos on our Second Sabbath here.

Below is an ancient olive crushing wheel.  A lot of the oil is released when the pit is crushed, so this heavy wheel would have been turned, probably by animals, to completely pulverize the olives.

 Lisa is holding the youngest Esplin, a very cheerful little boy who doesn't mind long car or stroller rides and smiles at everyone.

After the photo shoot, we went to the Church of All Nations on the Mount of Olives.  This is located on the traditional site of the Gethsemane, which means the olive press.  The gardener told us the roots of the trees are very old and probably go back 2000 years.  Olive trees send up new growth from the roots which can then be transplanted elsewhere, so the essence of the old trees is preserved in the young shoots rather than just in the seeds.  The Church of All Nations has a dark, starry mosaic ceiling and a cool, dark interior, reminiscent of the night when the Savior suffered for our sins while his exhausted disciples succumbed to sleep.  Christian congregations from around the world donated to the construction of this church, and flag insignias dot the ceiling mosaics.  Christ's atonement truly is for all people, all around the world, and it is heartwarming to see how the combined efforts of Christians around the world helped create this peaceful place of contemplation.

From Gethsemane, we walked up a steep hill to Dominus Flevit, commemorating the place where the Savior looked out over Jerusalem and lamented that so few would listen to his message and be spared from the calamities to come.  He would have gathered them to safety like a mother hen, but most went their own way.  I am grateful for the principles of the Gospel that will connect us to Christ and help shelter us from storms, or give us strength to keep us afloat during them.

The view from Dominus Flevit.

The setting sun fills the tiny tear-drop inspired chapel through an ornate window.

This is Amanda's thoughtful face.  She is a very thoughtful person.

Off to the south, a Jewish cemetery silently waits for a prophesied day of messianic judgement. Stones, rather than flowers, show that the loved one is still thought of and remembered.

Later on in the evening, our teen daughters met youth from the Tel Aviv branch at a seminary fireside.  Margaret Ludlow was just called to be the seminary teacher, so she will prepare daily lessons for the 14 and older crowd on the New Testament.  What a great course of study for this location!