September 2019

Quick post, photos to follow:

My birthday was fun.  I was intending at first to go low key which is easy when school starts in September and people don't think about birthdays because so much else is going on.  Then I realized I was feeling a bit isolated, so I decided to just bite the bullet and let the cat out of the bag.  One box of cupcake mix, 2 cartons of ice cream, and lots of napkins later, I felt much better.  The kids and Frank got me a potted plant (day 4 still alive) and I got 2 bday cards from my mom on the same day.  It was a DIY poem, with every other line of the poem blank.  So it says, "You're birthday's here, I just can't wait...." and I have to finish with a rhyme.  Then my parents called and we took turns reading our version of the missing lines.   I did the obligatory 46 pushups plus 1 to grow on (cheater style, in 2 sets).

I went out to lunch with some other moms-Zuni's sweet potato ravioli were the best!

 Our branch--the Jerusalem branch-- now has a young women's presidency and primary presidency.  I am the district R.S. secretary. Frank is in the district presidency as a counselor.   Still waiting on Seminary callings.  They do a hybrid seminary program here, some online with 2 weekly meetings.

I visited the Tel Aviv branch today in the 4th floor of an office building, and I met so many pioneers who joined the church in their home country and then found their way to Israel for work.  One lady from Cameroon said, "I was baptized 11 years ago today.  Today is my other birthday, when I was born to Jesus!"   Across the hallway from the Tel Aviv branch is the worship space for a Baptist congregation, so two groups of believers were filing into the building, and you know how you try to figure out who is new in the ward and who is visiting without revealing that you are kind of hoping for the former?  This was just as tricky.  We shared an elevator with a Chinese man and made small talk, and I asked him which congregation he was looking for.  He said, "The Church of Jesus Christ!"  #revealednameofthechurch.