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!

School begins!

Wednesday morning, bright and early (actually 10:15 pm Utah time) eight beautiful kids are ready for their first day at the Anglican International School of Jerusalem.  A contracted shuttle bus drove them through the busy streets (thanks, Hassan!) and we heard good reports of meeting new kids, seeing old friends, and getting on the librarian's good side.  Lisa was praised for remembering how to write in Arabic.  Amanda learned several letters and words in Hebrew.  Emily was happy to have chocolate cake in honor of her teacher's birthday.

While the kids were in school, the mommies went out in the city to explore.  It's always an adventure!

From left to right, Janice Esplin, Tommy, Margaret Ludlow, and myself.  Jeanna Huff was behind the camera.

Zuni's has excellent French toast and omelettes.  It is an upscale restaurant in the Israeli section of town, and one of the few places that will serve bacon.  A glass of orange juice cost $3.50.

After breakfast, we checked out the mall and shopped at Super Deal, where they sell taco shells, guacamole mix, and Pringles.  Like many stores here, Super Deal doesn't refrigerate their eggs, you can buy milk in bags, and labels are mostly in Hebrew.    

I am grateful for the use of a car to bring home all our groceries.  Most people here take public transportation and have their large grocery orders delivered to their homes.  Even if that were an option, I would still need to schlep it all down two flights of stairs, which is not too bad because the elevator reaches my floor.  Last time we were here we had the luxury suite on the first floor, so it was seven flights of stairs, five without elevator access.  

By the way, if you want to learn the Hebrew letter of the day,  It's shin/sin ("sheen" or "seen") and it says "sh" or "s" depending on the placement of a dot, which is usually omitted.  Shin looks like this: ש.  Shin is the first letter in the word Shalom, and also shampoo, which makes it a very useful letter when you're in the shower trying to decide between two bottles of creamy colorful stuff.  

Also on Wednesday, I had the pleasure of meeting Rana Qumsiyeh, the cousin of my dear friend Sahar.  Sahar is usually is a pillar in the branch and district, but she is currently teaching at BYU-Idaho (and I hear she is working on a book!).  Rana (whose name in Arabic means to gaze ahead)  works just a few blocks away at World Vision gathering funds to help children in distress in Gaza and the West Bank.  Rana enjoyed seeing the view and asked me take a photo in the same spot where Sahar had stood years before.  She also enjoyed the ancient olive press on the grounds.  Olives are still a way of life here for many, only now the machinery is stainless steel and fully automated.  I felt like I had know Rana for a long time, she reminded me so much of Sahar and had such a gracious personality.  We had a lovely visit  with the promise of more to come.

 We look forward to the students coming soon!  It is fun to have this big beautiful building (and amazingly complex city) to explore, but it will really come to life next week when our seventy new best friends arrive.  It will help fill some of the emptiness of our best friends in the States being so far away.  It really is in our relationships with people that we feel the love of Heavenly Father, both for us personally, and for those we reach out to.  Maybe reaching out to other people here on earth fills some of that celestial aching that our spirits feel being so far away from our Heavenly Father.

The Third Time Around! Arriving at Jerusalem

Well, here we go again for our third stay in Jerusalem!  I am glad they keep letting us return; but this time is different because my two college kids will be staying behind to attend BYU.  So my heart is in two places.  We said goodbye to Megan and Carrie at the SLC airport and they drove our cars home.  There were hugs and a few tears and promises to video chat weekly.  

Ten checked bags plus 5 carry-ons plus 5 personal items, a little overwhelming even though it's less than previous trips.  A big thank you to those who helped us survive the last few crazy weeks of preparation,especially Lisa Merrill and Robert Francis and the Craig crew who helped us late into the night before we left.

The trip went smoothly, 18 hours from first lift off to last touch down.  We met up with the Esplins and their four children in Salt Lake City, and we look forward to getting to know them better this year. The stewardess handing Amanda and Emily's drinks said, "Sprites for Santa and the Shark."

 In New York, we met up with the Ludlows and enjoyed their company.

 Roy and Jeanna Huff met us at the airport and together with our friends in the Jerusalem Center Security Staff, escorted us to our new home.  This is an apartment we hadn't stayed in before, so here are a few photos.  There is a nice living room area which opens into the kitchen.  The patio surrounded by rose bushes looks out over the city

 I love the quiet-closing cabinets throughout the apartment.  We arrived on a Friday evening, with no chance to shop, so some food staples were provided for us, and we felt very graciously welcomed.  The apartment has the ability to adjoin the next suite over, but the connecting door is sealed off at the moment, and thankfully not even noise from flute practice seems to reach our neighbors.

 The bathrooms have been updated, very bright and modern looking, with distinctive tile around the mirrors.  And slam-free cabinets. Even the toilet lid lowers itself quietly.  The powder room is below:

 And below is bathroom  number 2 with a shower/tub.  So far, as of day four, sharing one shower has not really been a problem.

 Lisa's room is quite small, but this loft bed makes good use of the space. There is a deep closet on the wall to the left as well as a bulletin board.

 Amanda and Emily share this room below with bunk beds and a walk in closet off to the left.  We arrived around dinner time, unpacked a little, then most everyone went to bed about 9 and woke up around 2 or 3 am.  The early wakings are starting to taper off by now, four days later.

 The master bedroom has a patio door, nice bedside tables with lights, and an entire wall of cabinetry off to the right.

The day after we arrived was the Sabbath (Saturday), which was a real delight. There's nothing like singing hymns about the Savior while looking over the city where he suffered, died, and rose from the dead.  Actually, I was recovering from laryngitis, so I couldn't really sing yet, but I did get to play the piano for primary.  The oldest two Judd girls and the two Ludlow girls are the only teens in the branch, but there were about six other kids in primary besides Emily and the Esplin kids.  Two of our caregiver friends are still in town, but most other friends from the branch have moved.  Saturday evening we connected with Megan and Carrie, and they are adjusting well to our absence and their new upstairs neighbors, Paul and Diane Epperson and their two kids.  Diane is my sister's sister-in-law and a very dear friend, and I am glad to have her watching over things in our absence.  

We spent Sunday shopping in East and West Jerusalem.  I got to drive, which is quite the adrenaline rush and very fun as long as I have someone along to navigate.  We drove right through the heart of the Jewish section of town to a store which carried Kirkland dried blueberries and many American brands.  We were grateful for any English subtitles on packages as we struggled to tell the difference between the chicken nuggets and the corn-filled schnitzel.  Or the plain vs. flavored yogurt, and dozens of other little decisions.  Then we drove to the Palestinian section of town for chicken and beef, which was ground right in front of us, and fresh fruits and vegetables.  Frank was glad to see the plums are in season.  

We get our pita at a little store up a narrow alley near Saladin street, and the employees will usually give visitors a free sample.  My pita was really hot, and I accidentally dropped it on the floor.  The teenaged employee graciously said in very good English, "That's okay," then picked up my pita and handed it back to me.  I just smiled and held it until we got back to the car, then eventually threw it away and ate a different one.

On Monday, we gathered up the kids and headed to the Anglican school to meet homeroom teachers and help everyone feel comfortable before school really begins on Wednesday.  Most kids liked the new cafeteria's pizza and some saw friends they had met years before.  They are happy to have access to the Library, especially the younger kids whose Harry Potter fetish was interrupted in the middle of the Half-Blood Prince.

Later on Monday night, for family home evening, we drove with the Esplins and Ludlows to an overlook of Jerusalem,took photos, and talked about the importance of this little spot of land.  Why Jerusalem?  It's a land of challenges and obstacles, but also a land of covenants and opportunities.   Psalm 125:2 says, "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever."  I think the Lord knew that here, his people would have the right amount of challenges to keep them humble, such as the arid climate and centuries of external rule, and the right amount of opportunities to accomplish his work, such as the strategic location at the crossroads of the ancient world, where disciples of Christ could spread the good news  throughout the Roman world.  I believe God puts us each where we can be stretched and tested and also feel involved and useful to him in his work.  I am already feeling that out-of-comfort zone feeling, and I look forward to finding out how I can be a benefit to those around me this year.  

Then we finished off the day with falafels, the Middle Eastern version of fast food.  At the tiny falafel shop on Lekhi street (like Lehi with a gutteral "h"), we ordered falafels in pitas with pickles, cabbage, french fries, hummus, and tahina.  They were 10 shekels each (about $2.50).  To yummy to eat in a tidy way!

 Spencer Esplin wasn't a big fan of falafel, but he did love the Palestinian dance music playing on the restaurant's tv.  He imitated the dancers on the screen, to the delight of the owner, who turned the volume up high and gave us some free french fries.

Olivewood

My friend Mohammad Al-Shiabbat shared with me the link for his website, www.genuineolivewood.com.  Prices aren't listed, but there is a local American phone number you can call for price inquiries.  Mohammad is a Palestinian who joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) years ago while in America and is currently raising his family in Bethlehem.  He has been a gracious host to us in the past and would be happy to help you order carved olivewood pieces from his local suppliers in Bethlehem.  

We Love You, Tori!

September 20, 2014

I was so moved by the events of last week that I just need to write this down before too much time goes by.

Last week I attended the funeral of 17-year old Victoria Campbell, our dear friend who was diagnosed with MLD 2 years ago.  Even after chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant--treatments which seem to have arrested the disease in two of her siblings--the disease affected Tori’s ability to walk, then slowed her speech, and finally brought silence to the formerly vivacious teenager.  Amazingly she continued to keep a sunny disposition, enjoying school, seminary, and friends as long as she could.  Her life was full of vibrant moments: she was elected homecoming queen, graduated early, and swam with dolphins on her Make-A-Wish cruise.  Through it all, Tori’s parents Aaron and Emily spared no effort to make every day count.  As friends had always been important to Tori, they graciously opened their hearts and their home to Tori’s friends so she could be surrounded by love as much as possible.

My daughter Carrie was one of Tori’s friends, and she taught me that even when she couldn’t talk, Tori was still the same person on the inside, capable of laughing at jokes or noticing whether people were talking about her instead of to her.  Teasing Tori and confiding in her like always, Carrie would wait patiently for the thumbs- up signal that showed Tori was keeping up her end of the conversation.  She had a gift for making Tori laugh with open-mouthed, wide-eyed silent chuckles.  

Gradually even the laughter and the hand gestures faded.  All who knew Tori were forced to accept the cruel fact that she was slipping away.  Nurses assured family and friends that she could still hear, so during her final weeks, Tori’s friends often gathered near to hold her hands, stroke her hair, sing to her, and just be there.  Her family knew that any breath could be the last.  They hovered near, reading from Tori’s journals, poring over photos, laughing and crying with other loved ones, and doing whatever they could to show love and make Tori comfortable.

Early afternoon on Sunday, September 7, Tori peacefully slipped away.  Most of us found out during church.  My daughter Lisa found out during a sweet lesson about the plan of salvation, the plan of forgiveness and progression in which our Savior took upon himself our sins and promises us eternal life and joy when we follow him.  The usual lessons were set aside as the young women Tori’s age sang her favorite hymns, talked about favorite memories, and shared hugs and tears.  We knew she was free from the pain of an imperfect body, reunited with loved ones, and clasped in the Savior’s love, so we felt grief tempered by faith, but still our pain was great.  

The funeral took place at the high school on Saturday, September 13.  Hundreds of paper hearts lined the walls of the auditorium’s foyer, and Tori’s face smiled at us from dozens of picture frames and scrapbook pages.  We were given ribbons to tie around our wrists and cards with quotes from Tori’s journal.  For example at age 7 she wrote, “I love my family a lot.  They are really cool.  They take care of me, share, and play with me.”  Questions on the back of each card asked us to ponder and apply the principle: “What makes your family special?  List ways you can be a more caring, sharing, and playful family member.”

Friendship figured prominently in Tori’s journals and in the funeral messages.  At age 7, Tori was mature enough to be happy for her friends’ abilities:  “I am grateful for talents.  If some friend didn’t have a talent I couldn’t learn from them.  My talent is making friends.”  At age 10, Tori wrote, “When I share things I feel good.  Like when I share my toys with my sisters & when I shared my CTR ring with Helen.  Also, it is really easy to make friends when you share.” (CTR stands for Choose the Right.)  Tori’s dad Aaron said Tori had an abundance mentality, generosity springing from the philosophy that whatever she really needed, she could always get more of.  One of the songs sung at her funeral by a small choir echoes the kind of generosity Tori was known for: “Because I Have Been Given Much, I Too Must Give.”      

A simple thing like Tori sharing a CTR ring led her friend family to learn more about the Church which meant so much to Tori.  At age 12 she wrote, “I love the Gospel & the scriptures & the Church & the temple & Young Womens… and especially Jesus.  Yep, I love Jesus the most.”  Her faith would continue to be foundational in the trials she would face.

At age 13, Tori wrote “Without love, life would be pretty horrible.  I need to do a better job showing everyone how much I love them so they know someone cares.”  Tori loved to make lists in her journals, from her favorite things to boys she liked.  Karen Fritz, Tori’s grandmother, said it was clear from her journals that, yes, Tori was boy-crazy, but more than that she was “people-crazy”--she wrote extensively about her girlfriends, too, and genuinely loved people!  Frequently she wrote names of her friends who seemed sad or lonely and what she could do to help them feel better.  Tori would notice people who sat alone at lunch, which was very poignant to hear, because during her last year of high school, Tori’s friends made an effort to sit with Tori at lunch and accompany her to class.      

 Later at age 15, she wrote, “I officially have the best friends EVER!!!  They are so good at helping me make good choices.  I hope I am just as good of a friend to them as they are to me.”  When Tori found out that her friend was interested in a boy that she also liked, she was disappointed, but admitted that they would make a cute couple.  Then she planned an activity and invited them both so they could get to know each other better.  In another journal entry, Tori wrote that some people were saying unkind things about her because her then-undiagnosed disease was affecting her academically.  Rather than being bitter, she expressed the wish that she could invited them to a party so they could find out that she was a good person on the inside.

Gratitude was another constant theme of Tori’s writings.  “I have so many things to be thankful for – I could fill up a whole journal,” she wrote at age 12.  “In fact, I think I will ask mom for another journal & do that right now.”    How fitting that the audience sang at her funeral, “Count Your Many Blessings.”

Tori’s ability to be grateful for whatever situation life gave her didn’t change with her diagnosis.  Even after learning that her grueling treatment had likely failed, she wrote, “Our lives are meant to be happy.  If this is the only life we have I want it to be a good one & I am going to live it to the full extent of my life.”  Aaron said that never once during this experience did Tori lose faith or hope that she could be with her family forever; never once did she lose faith in her Savior Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us all.  And never once did she doubt that she would be resurrected with a perfect body.  Tori’s favorite hymn, sung by a choir of high school students, states, “I know that my Redeemer lives. He lives and grants me daily breath. He lives, and I shall conquer death. He lives my mansion to prepare. He lives to bring me safely there.” 

In another musical number, a soloist poignantly sang, “I Was Here” while images of Tori and her family filled the screen.  The closing song was “I am a Child of God” sung in Spanish, an homage to the Campbell family’s years of living and traveling abroad.  At a church in Brazil, Aaron bought spools of ribbons saying “In remembrance of our Savior of good endings.”  These ribbons reminded the wearer to make good choices in honor of a departed loved one.  The hope is that each person who is touched by Tori’s life will strive to be a person worth knowing, just a little more generous, happy, or faithful; more grateful, more loving to family and friends.  Tori’s mom Emily reminded us that we always have a choice.  In LDS verbiage, we have our agency, meaning we can be proactive about what we do, not just wait to be acted upon, and while we don’t know how long our journey on earth will last, we can treat each day like the gift it truly is.

The journals, the slide shows, and the talks by siblings, parents, and grandma brought to life once again the real Tori, not just the patient sufferer in an imperfect body, not just the beloved recipient of well-deserved service, but the young woman full of life and agency, a caring girl with big dreams and plans to make them come true.  I know that her spirit, her essence, the real Tori continues on.  I can imagine her in the next world, freed from silence and stillness embracing loved ones who went before and telling them about each of her family members and how they were all coping with this trial.  And probably laughing about which girls were sitting next to which boys at the funeral.

That person was so real to me at that moment that watching the coffin leave the auditorium brought fresh grief.  The simple pine coffin was decorated with the scripture: “My [daughter], peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.”    Those invited to the graveside service wrote messages of love on her coffin:  “Love you forever!  Until we meet again!  See you soon!”

Nauvoo trip day 1

We began  our Nauvoo trip by reading scriptures in the car, which helps invite the Spirit, which helps keep kids happy in the car and also brings all things we forgot to pack to our remembrance.

The chapter for today was Alma 54, in which Captain Moroni demonstrates how not to win friends and influence people.  Basically, he insults the leader of the opposing army and tells him that  terrible things will happen to him as a result of his wickedness.    Kind of like David vs. Goliath, or John Taylor in a verbal battle with unfriendly newspaper editors.  You have to admire that kind of confidence that the Lord will back him up, even if this is not the preferred approach in modern times.

We drove south through Spanish Fork canyon, past Thistle  and the our stake pioneer trek site from last week's adventure.  Then through the painted mountains and sand-dune like foothills of southern Utah to I-70. We saw huge boulders, big raptors, and brave rafters enjoying the white water of the Colorado river.  We tried to channel John Denver with my iPhone but I think Rocky Mountain high was not referring to bandwidth.

For lunch we ate sandwiches in the car, dinner was potato salad, entertainment was Peanuts comic books, read alouds, electronics,  and a lightning show after dark right after we passed Kanorado.  Or was it Coloransas?

Highlights:
Amanda and Lisa: lightning. Carrie: potato salad. Emily: naps. Mom: happy kids. Megan: clouds. Frank: mountains and river of Colorado.

December 2013

 

 BYU hosts a Christmas party for employees' families--crafts, entertainment, donuts, and Santa.

 We braved the snow to attend cousin Tanner's birthday and Hillary's baby blessing. 

 Fillmore and Craig cousins

 

 

 

Baklava for a Relief Society activity--if I can make it, anyone can!

 

Emily's first grade Christmas program was adorable!  Favorite songs: "I don't want any part of mistletoe" and "I want a snake for Christmas."

 

 Fourth-graders from Grandma Fillmore's elementary school played handchimes during her production of Scrooge.

Even the underside of the trampoline is a wonderland in the winter.

It took a week or so, but finally the soft snow got just the right texture for a snowman.

 Hooray!  We made it all by ourselves!

 Got to catch some more snowflakes in our hair!