JULY 5, 2022

We ended our first week with a trip to Bethlehem with the students. There were 43 students on the bus which made for a lot of chatter and laughter. They all get along very well.

First stop: Herodium--the remains of Herod’s palace. It’s pretty remarkable that some of the ruins are still standing after 2000 years! But Jerusalem limestone is strong and durable. We walked through the ruins, down into the cisterns, and amphitheater.

 

Next: The Church of the Nativity, the traditional place of Jesus’s birth. It is a very ornate church on “Manger Square” with lots of beautiful lighting and color. It is built over the assumed spot. We were not alone! There was a long line to go down into the grotto under the altar area in the church to see the star that indicates “the” site of the birth. Stable can mean cave, so this is an appropriate possibility. As pilgrims, we could bend down to touch the stone, the place!

          

Next stop was Shepherds' Field #1. It features a cave and is found next to a Greek Orthodox Church.

By lunchtime, we were all hot, tired, and hungry. The Tent is a large Palestinian restaurant that serves pita bread with about 12 different sauces, hummus, and vegetable dishes to eat with it. Tasty. Then they brought out skewers of meat and chicken freshly BBQed with roasted tomatoes. Baklava for dessert and there was lemonade with mint to drink. A true feast. 

 

And there were a few fun stores on the streets of Bethlehem.

                                

Finally, we ended up at the “LDS” Shepherds' Field. Who really knows where the shepherds came from and how they traveled to Bethlehem, but it wasn’t hard to imagine when sitting in that terrain. We sat on the big rocks and read the Christmas Story from Luke interspersed with Christmas carols. It was so lovely. Eric Huntsman, the academic director, is a member of the Tabernacle Choir and has a beautiful voice. He was happy to lead the singing. Everyone was given some time to reflect on the meaning of where they were. 

We are still learning how to get around in Jerusalem. We drove with the Earnshaws to Baladi's, a Palestinian market, to grocery shop. Jim hadn't been shopping yet.... sticker shock. But we arrived back at the Center in one piece without any untoward driving events! 

The faculty and service couples were invited to dinner by Jimmy of Jimmy's Bazaar in Jerusalem. He is famous for is olive wood carvings, and has endeared himself to the LDS population with his "Mormon" olive wood carvings--of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Liahona, BYU Cougar, etc. He also hosted us for dinner at his restaurant, the Philadelphia (which means brotherly love in Greek). It was another feast (like The Tent), with the extra addition of a Roman candle in the kebabs!

                  

All of the students left on July 4 for ten days in Galilee, so we are alone at the Center except for staff. Alas, the cafeteria is closed while the students are gone, so we have to cook!! 

The shuk (open marketplace) at Ben Yehuda was our first solo outing in a car. They have the most beautiful produce, dates, nuts, fruits, and breads.

                 

We also got our first shawarma at The Jerusalem Shawarma! It was outstanding. 

                         

In the evening, our Branch had a talent show and potluck. Since the students were gone, we weren't sure how many people would be in attendance. Luckily, a group of LDS youth on a humanitarian trip in Israel were in attendance (otherwise there would only have been about a dozen from the Branch there). Jim shared his talent at the organ, of course. One of the kids requested "Star Wars," and Jim was happy to comply.

We continue to look for ways to serve. We are grateful the tours will begin again soon, and the concert series will start up officially in September. In the interim, we are organizing the loads of mostly choral music at the Center. We definitely are feeling more comfortable as we branch out on our own.