Things I love about Jerusalem: People. And food. And people who cook good food!

 

I left some pretty amazing people behind in the States.  That has been tough.  Each time I come back, more of our kids have graduated and moved on to college and beyond.  

As hard as it is to be away from family and friends back home, it is satisfying to meet and get to know some wonderful people.  

When the students aren't here yet, our church congregation is small but full of sweet sisters and brothers who try to look out for each other!

Being away from family and home gives the Americans among us something in common! There are several local members here, too, but for most it is difficult to meet in person, which is a challenge, but so satisfying when we get to see them!

This is Sana, a good friend and amazing cook!  Her specialty is stuffed grape leaves, but she also makes meat-stuffed potatoes in tomato sauce that are out of this world!

Good times with Heather, Marvel, and Elna at HaMesila restaurant in First Station, where Elna knows everyone and ordered us Shakshuka with white sauce (eggs poached in savory cream).

There are youth for Emily to hang out with!   (the Marcous kids)

Friends from the past in the building:  (The amazing Properzi kids!)

Future friends in the district: (Tel Aviv, Beer Sheva, and Jerusalem youth near Absalom's tomb)

Young Women and Young Men Leaders (after a rockin' game of chair soccer--only one bloody nose and one black eye)

There are friends in the ward to explore with (Properzis and Ferrells at Haniya Spring)

And friends from school to invite over: (Eva, friend since kindergarten)

More people pictures:

We booked a tour called Mount of Olives: Herstory with Sara Yarden.  Sara is the ultimate collector of female friends, most of them deceased, because she loves keeping alive stories of influential women from the past.  It was outstanding how she made history more clear and connected the dots of different women in the history of the holy land.  She told us about queens of Jerusalem, a female rabbi who challenged the "Hebrew is for boys, Yiddish is for girls" barrier, wealthy women who built churches, and princesses who became nuns.  She gets really excited when she sees instances of inter-denominational worship, such as this site, which is venerated as the tomb of a Muslim Sufi poetess (Rabia Al Adawiyya), a Christian nun (Pelagia), and a Jewish prophetess (Hulda).  

Noemi Weinstein is a music afficionado and former head of the concert program at the Jerusalem Center.  Now she is retired but still enjoys the free concerts when she can!

The Properzis as well as some of our delightful service couples came over for cake and ice cream last month!

Eran Hayet, the director of the BYU Jerusalem center, welcomes Kent Jackson, former Associate Academic Director, here leading a group of alumni.

These two have put a lot of years of their life into the Jerusalem Center and could tell you a lot of crazy stories!  Jo Ann came here for the first time in the 80's with a young family, husband finishing his dissertation, and three weeks' notice!  Tawfic handles security, staffing, technology, and the biggest Christmas celebration on the Mount of Olives.

New friends!  We actually met Nili at the grocery store in French Hill, and we had a nice visit a few days later with her good friend.  

Jihan Khoury is teacher's aide at the Anglican School, a dear friend, and an amazing cook. 

Avital, Elaine, and Jo Ann are just a few of the amazing, organized women who make this program work!

Shulamit near is the talented woman who painted the panorama of Jerusalem that hangs in my living room at home and in my apartment here.  Frank always thinks it is funny to have a painting on the wall here that is so similar to the view from the window, but I love it!  

Raghad is the sweetest, kindest person I know, and I know a lot of amazingly kind people!  She works at a school for older children with special needs and is a college student as well.  This girl is going to go far!

Nahum was involved in the construction and maintenance of the center way back in the early days!

Chef Mervat cooks amazing meals for the BYU Jerusalem Center students.  Her specialty is a creme brule dessert which we ate at our simulated Seder meal, painstakingly and beautifully browned with a culinary blowtorch!

And you gotta love these students!  They bring the center to life!

The Seder flower committee

Helpers assembling school kits for the Humanitarian activity.

Field trippin' with Brother Judd!

My niece's companion's younger sister!  I love the small world connections!  

The neice of a former student when we were here in the past.

Great-neice of Janna Coombs, one of the service couples from a few years ago.

We are fasting and praying for a student who is experiencing kidney problems right now.  Health is fleeting, we are all in God's hands, and it's a miracle when all those organs and tissues do their jobs right without us even thinking about them!

We never know when might be the last chance to say something encouraging or visit someone or stop and listen.  Last time we were here, I had one friend pass away, another friend had a stroke, then covid shut down nearly everything.  I hope to do better this time to seize the day! 

My favorite people in the Holy Land!