Emily's Post

      

On Sunday we had a field trip and we got to herd goats

More goats !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Amanda got to stand on a tall sukkah

Sheep and Sukkot

We had a lovely visit to Neot Kedumim, a Biblical nature preserve.  The name means "Pleasant places of old" and it was built to help connect people to the plants, animals, and geography of the Bible.  We had the opportunity to try herding sheep and goats around a corral, trying to move them from one circle to another even when they just wanted to hang out in the shade and eat leaves from low hanging trees.    

We were in groups of 15 or so, and the successful groups worked together to surround the sheep, encourage them in the right direction, with those around the sides keeping the flanks from scattering.

Shepherds were well regarded in Old Testament times; consider Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David.  Shepherds had to be dependable, courageous in the face of predators, and steadfast through long months of solitude.  They had to travel long miles to find the best places for their flocks to graze.  

This exercise made us consider, first, the ways in which we all tend to resemble sheep, with a herd mentality, reluctant to move when settled, quick to halt progress when shade or tender greens beckon.  Or goats, who seemed a little more clever but also tended to scatter rather than clump together.  

The second application of this lesson was to contemplate different forms of leadership.   Does a good shepherd walk in front of the sheep to show the way?  Or walk behind the sheep to encourage the slowest and see who is straying from the path?  Or rely on helpers like sheepdogs to send their watchcare out over a larger area?  I think the Savior employed all of these kinds of leadership in different situations.  Elder Gary S. Price said during our district conference in November that the reason the good shepherd knew one of his sheep was missing was not because he counted to 99 (it's no small task to count sheep), but because he knew his sheep.  

We also drew water from a cistern deep underground.  This gave a new understanding of Rebekah's efforts to draw water for 10 camels.

Our visit coincided with the season of Sukkot, or Tabernacles.  (Sukkah is singular, Sukkot is plural.) Observant Jews eat and sometimes sleep outdoors in these temporary shelters, which must be built to specific standards to be kosher.  There should be at least 2 1/2 walls, and the roof should be of "raw, unfinished, vegetable matter."  Here is an example of a sukkah that wouldn't be considered kosher.

Later that day, we were invited to help our friend Ophir Yarden to build a sukkah in his backyard.  This was both a treat for us and a big help to him.  He had bought the sukkah frame secondhand, so there were some pieces that didn't completely fit.  We used the wall of the house as one of the walls.

We all helped hold up the metal posts while the roof was put up.

Here is the "raw, unfinished, vegetable matter" for the roof: palm fronds cut from a tree in the back yard.

 The final roof beams fit perfectly on the metal shutters on the house, which were the perfect height and thickness,  a Sukkot miracle!

The Esplins helped Ophir's children to rinse the branches.  If it were to rain, it wouldn't be good to have dust and insects fall down on the interior.  Typically, the rains don't come until after Sukkot, and in fact, the Jews begin to pray for rain after Sukkot.  This year it has rained a few times since Sukkot.

The walls were taking shape, now it was time to attach the walls with zip-ties.

The final product was cozy and made us proud to be a part of the construction.

We had a snack in the Sukkah.  After we left, the family decorated it, added electric lights, and then ate in it for the coming week.

We had a week off from school for Sukkot.  We had some art days to celebrate the fall break.  Amanda's painting:

Emily's favorite animal: a shark!

Lisa joined in the fun as well.

My friend Chris Heiner joined us and shared her creation.  Sorry I forgot to rotate it, but it's pretty even sideways...

It didn't take long for the paint to find its way onto hands, cheeks, and eventually all over!

 Later that week, we picked olives with the students.

 To answer a common question, yes, black and green olives grow on the same tree.  Black olives are more ripe.

 Our friends, the Bransons, lingered after church to bid farewell to the Lillies, who were leaving for Arizona.  The girls played dress-up.

 It's nice to have friends in the branch.

Food, Friends, and Faux Fall Festivals

Let me clarify that title, these are bona fide festivals, just not in the fall.  We help the students get a taste of the feasting at the end of Ramadan, which is a late summer Muslim holiday.  Then the next week we simulate a Seder or Passover program, which actually takes place in the spring.

 

The students are given license to dress up. 



The  Arab night includes two Muslim muezzins who demonstrate the call to prayer, followed by a feast, then dancing led by Palestinian folk dancers.

Thanks to a school holiday, I enjoyed a visit with Sana', a branch member and friend from past years. She teaches preschool on the day we meet to worship, so seeing her is a rare treat. She is an excellent cook and helped me prepare the can of okra I bought by mistake. 

The gym has fun possibilities for clubhouses.

For Rosh Hashanah, it's traditional to eat  apples, honey, or other sweet treats to wish for a sweet new year. Emily peeled. the apples for our pie.

Our bus driver's daughters sometimes catch a ride in the mornings.

Fu food labels:

Frank was happy with this find:

Madison opened her mission call to Korea Seoul South.  The next morning, Ali opened her call to  the Massachusetts Boston mission. 

Frank and I enjoyed a date on the rooftop of the Notre Dame hotel. 

Bread, fruit, and cheese were the appetizer we shared with two other couples. Frank ordered a taco salad, which was more than he could finish. I had some very good salmon.  We were too stuffed for dessert, probably a good thing because our portion of the bill was 250 shekels.  Over $60. You know you're in a fancy place when they don't serve tap water.  The view and company were amazing.

Ivy and Jenny helped decorate for the Seder.  

 

Emily was an accompanistvfor many of the traditional songs throughout the evening.

Ophir Yarden was our MC, sharing his insights and enthusiasm for the holiday.

The cafeteria staff treated us to 5 star dining.

These captions are shorter than the events deserve, sad to say. Sometimes the things of most importance take a long time to process and compose and all that comes through are the minor details.  We are learning and stretching every day, trying to invite the spitit, build bridges, watch out for friends and family who need a lift, and keep ahead of the ever-quickening schedule. We truly could not do it all without the help of the Lord and the principles that help us have love in our family.