Ramparts Walk, November 4, 2019

The Ramparts Walk is walking up at the top of the wall surrounding the Old City.  We saw this Palestinian birthday party going on and it was fun!  We enjoyed seeing the city below us as we walked along, plus we could see the many buildings and homes within the Old City.

Trip to BeerSheva, November 9, 2019

On November 9th, after church and a potluck lunch that we set up and cleaned up, we drove to Beer Sheva to visit Anna, a 70 year old member of the branch who lives in a nursing home and is blind and nearly deaf.  We first picked up Tanya, who speaks Russian, and she communicated with Anna for us.  Lee played church songs on the piano, we read scriptures, and Lee gave Anna a blessing.

Next, we drove to another city to visit Julia and for Lee to give her a blessing before her major surgery the next week.  We had a great time visiting--Julia is a member of 6 months, but very stalwart and faithful.  The next week there was rocket fire between the Gaza Strip and Tel Avivi and Beer Sheva, so her surgery was cancelled until the next week.  In all, we spent 8 hours on this visit and 5 of them were driving.  We were pretty exhausted by the time we got home, but we were so pleased that we could be of service.  We were able to go because the students were in Greece, so we didn't have choir practice on the Sabbath.

The next week at church we celebrated Liviu's birthday and he seemed quite pleased. 

The Davidson Archeological Park, November 25, 2019

After several very busy weeks, we had time to visit the Davidson Archeological Park, which has  2nd Temple stones and ruins, Mikvehs (for ritual purity) and stairs leading up to an arch/gate where Jesus would have entered the Temple.

On the 23rd we also drove to Galilee to meet the students, who have been there for a week, to have a choir practice for the Christmas Concert.  The keyboard was horrible, but it was good to practice!  We spent one night and went on a field trip with the students.  We went to the Golan Heights, the ancient city  of Gamla, where the Romans eventually beat the Jews, who had held out for quite a long time.

A 2000 year old synagogue can still be seen and explored, and there is a  walking path to the pinnacle of the mountain (seen behind us).  The state of Israel feels that it was a great accomplishment to win this land back in the 1967 war and plan to never let it get out of Israel's lands again.  You can learn more and see more pictures at this website:

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-2000-year-old-synagogue-at-gamla-the-oldest-yet-found-in-israel/

Next, we went Kurzi, where the story of the devils going into pigs and then the pigs running off the hill occurs (see Matthew 8, Mark 5, Luke 8) There is a chapel there and a Byzantine church (ruins).  Dr. Judd said that the east side of the Galilee was inhabited by Gentiles, of the Decopolis areas, and that they did eat pork.  He also posited that perhaps the devils got into the swine, and ran down  to their death, so that the people would reject Jesus.

 Byzantine church

 Baptismal font

Chapel commemorating where pigs had evil spirits go into them.

October 12 The Reception

We left the Toronto Temple and drove back to Richmond Hill for the reception.  We stopped at the house for a few minutes, then drove to the reception that was in full swing when we got there.  Angela and Cameron had chosen a Tapas restaurant that was perfect!  It had a fun atmosphere, guests were assigned to tables, but could get up and mingle,and there was a fun program with songs, games (where Angela and Cameron had to kiss) and answer questions such as "Who has the most clothes"?

We said a few words of congratulations as part of the reception, they cut an incredibly beautiful cake and a great time was had by all.  Here are a few pictures:

Janet and Jeffrey Salls with Geoff and Helen Bean

Lynne and Dow Wilson, who are Cameron's 2nd parents

Angela and Cameron sit back and relax!

Adam and Lise Powell, Bryson, Peter and Adam Wilson, Lani and John Hilton

Games!

Cameron and Angela said "Goodbye and Thanks" to all the guests individually and they were the last ones out.  What an incredibly wonderful day!

Sunday, we had a wonderful time at church!.  We went to church with Grams, Ann, Christine, John and Lani and Cam and Angela!  After Sacrament meeting we visited in the hall for an hour and then we all left for our various homes.  Lee and I flew to Tel Aviv in 10 hours and it was a great flight.

October 12--the Wedding!

We got home from the Tea Ceremony about 10:30 PM and were up at 5:30 AM to prepare for the wedding day.  I had ordered a dress online from Dillards and had it shipped to John.  He took it the the Provo BYU Jerusalem Center office and they put it in a suitcase and flew it to Jerusalem with the Fall students in August.  It fit very well--I just raised the should seams because the neckline was too low.  Then I packed it and took it as a carry on and it arrive in Toronto in almost perfect condition.  I did a bit of iron touch up.  The shoes were beautiful but eventually (after standing for pictures for an hour) became pretty painful to wear! Lee's suits also traveled quite well and with a steam in bathroom treatment, the few wrinkles fell out.

Lee and I left at 7 AM to be at the Temple by 8 AM, but traffic was light and we arrived at 7:40 AM.  Lee left me in the marriage waiting room while he met with the Temple President and prepared for the sealing ordinance.

The ordinance was pronounced in a stately, spiritual way that allowed time to absorb what was being said.  Before the ordinance Lee spoke for a few minutes and mentioned that he felt confident that ancestors were present, as were future family members.  He later told me that he felt Grandpa McEntire there, and I too, felt his presence, just as I had when I was with Mom in the hospital a two days earlier.  Cameron's best friend from childhood, Geoff Bean, was one witness and Angela's father was the other witness.

After the sealing the family waited for Angela and Cameron to come out.  Angela looked so beautiful and they were both so happy!  We spent about an hour taking pictures.  It was cold and windy, but I think there were several good pictures taken.  Cameron and Angela had taken the couple pictures on Thursday, so it was the group pictures that were being taken.  Here are a few:

Oct 11, 2019 The Tea Ceremony

October 11, 2019     The Tea Ceremony

Friday morning I awoke to a beautiful flower arrangements that the kids had sent.  Then Bryson gave me flowers and Nutella!  I felt thoroughly loved by my children!  Thank you!  Lee and I went to an endowment session and spent time at the office turning in the papers so Lee could do the sealing and wedding the next day.  When we got back we took a quick nap (and I prepared clothes for that night and the next day) and then left for the Tea Ceremony.

We were curious about the Chinese tradition of the wedding Tea Ceremony, as it was our first.  It was a beautiful time when Angela and Cameron offered herbal tea as a way to honor grandparents, parents, family and friends.  They offered tea to the grandmothers, then Angela's parents and then us.  It originally signaled that the bride was officially joining the husband's family and would no longer have contact with her own.  Luckily, that tradition has changed!  Angela's parents are so kind and gracious and full of faith and testimony.  Here are some pictures:

There was a 9 course meal that was so beautiful and artistic.

Oct. 7-10, 2019: Days before Cameron's wedding

Lee and I flew to Redmond to see my Mom, Dean, Reed, Lise and Adam.  We stayed at our home in the guest bedroom.  Thayne and Craig are taking great care of our home and it was fun to be there.  We spent time with Reed and Dean, taking them to Costco for treats and shopping.  It was amazing to see how much they had grown physically and matured too.  Reed was so fast with the online ordering and making payment and purchased items for us with our credit card and was a pro at checking out.   Dean amazed us with his college plans and help with dishes.

We spent 3 days in Redmond--met with our wonderful Family Home Evening group at the church, just after we arrived, Monday night.  Tuesday and Wednesday we spent with Mom and woven through all were great times with Reed, Dean, and Lise, who fed us every night.  We shopped, wrapped presents we had brought from Jerusalem,  went through clothes that we wanted to bring back, got teeth cleaned, haircuts, banking and more.

We brought Israeli chocolate for our grandchildren who couldn't come to the wedding , 

so as to soften the blow a bit.

Wednesday we celebrate our two October birthdays with dinner and Plain Cake cupcakes with Powell"s and Grandma McEntire

This was also 2 days of miracles.  Tuesday, when I saw Mom, I immediately knew something wasn't right.  I could tell she had lost weight, her speech sounded like she was walking through molasses--kind of slurred and her tongue had difficulty while speaking.  She didn't feel well, had no energy, and kept saying she couldn't think.  She had the Friday before and had an open wound on her left arm that the nurse had dressed.  It was Wednesday, and no one had looked at the wound, so I took off the bandage and when I saw how big it was and had not healed at all, I called the nurse.  She came to look at it and suggested I take Mom to Urgent Care.  We have not had good experiences at Urgent Care (I call it NO care), so MIRACLE #1:  I called Dr. Nishino's office and he had an opening!  When we got there, the receptionist told me someone had cancelled.  I had taken Mom in to have the wound looked at, but Mom also had an appointment for the next week while Lise Carpenter was here, so I suggested to the Doctor that he draw the blood work, so they could talk about it at the next visit.  Mom weighted 87 pounds and I explained that she didn't feel right.  Miracle #2:  Dr. Nishino decided to do the blood work which resulted in Miracle #3:  He read the blood results later that day and contacted us  that Mom's blood sugar was 650 and that we needed to go to the ER immediately.    Mom didn't want to go and I didn't want to take her, but we had to with a blood sugar that high, she could have gone into a coma.

But I also had a 4AM wake up time to catch the plane to Toronto for Cameron's wedding.  So we got to the ER around 7 PM and I stayed with Mom until 10 PM, when Art was able to join us at the ER.  Miracle #4:  I felt a deep peace--the peace that passeth all understanding, as I said goodbye to Mom, not knowing what would happen to her.  I felt assured in my heart that I had arrived at the right time, to help Mom in her time of need, and that I could leave for the wedding knowing I had done all I could.  I felt Dad's presence and that he was involved.

Thursday at 4:30 AM we left for the airport, with the Powell's driving.  About 15 minutes into the drive Lee realized he had not brought his hearing aids!  We decided not to turn back, but to have Orgills mail them to Angela's parents' home.  We probably should have gone back, but didn't want to chance missing our flight.  HOWEVER, once we got on the plane, we couldn't leave because it was below freezing during the night and the wings had ice on them.  We sat on the tarmac for 3 HOURS!
When the man came to de-ice the plane, he said it was already thawed--we could have left earlier!

This turned out to be a day of mishaps!  Because our plane was 3 hours late, and by the time we got through customs and got picked up for our car rental, we were 45 minutes late to the dinner we were hosting for Angela's parents.  We drove straight from the airport to the dinner--didn't stop to change and looked horrible--but we had a great dinner and Cameron had ordered appetizers that they ate until we arrived.  The other difficulty was that we had no phones!  The only time our phones worked for texts only was if we could connect to WiFi.  We gave our gift to Kate and Jim Hui--an olive wood statue of Christ.  We weren't able to give it in the gracious way we had planned, but it was okay.

The hearing aid debacle only got worse.  Adam used his (working) phone to call Canadian Customs, when we found out that the hearing hadn't been delivered as promised, and when all was said and done, they arrived at the Hui home four days after we left Toronto.  They will stay there until Cam and Angela can bring them to the States in early November.  Lee is somewhat handicapped because he can't hear very well.

We also had a comedic time calling Grandma and Art and trying to do the best thing regarding Grandma's hospitalization.  She went home for about 12 hours and was readmitted for breathing problems.  The doctor wanted to do a bronchoscopy, which Mom had declined in past years, and he scheduled it without any one's signature.  Miracle #4 (or more)  I called Mom right when the Dr. was in the room and was able to tell him NOT to do the bronchoscopy!!  I must have made 15 calls during the Tea Ceremony, post-sealing pictures and reception to keep everything going.  I made arrangements with Fairwinds to check on Mom every 2 hours, once she got home, and before Lise Carpenter could get there to help out.  Lise has done a fantastic job of caring for Mom and Mary Kay comes this week.  Mom is doing much better.

Dinner at the apartment and cookies for choir

I thought I'd show how we manage with a small kitchen--we use the coffee table to roll out bread sticks!

And here's the start of the 120 cookies I  made for the Music Preview night to tempt a few more students to show us their talents!

St. Savior's Church and the painting of Thomas

When we were at the St. Redeemer Church in the old City, I (Lee wrote this post) was able to spend a few minutes playing their organ.  Afterwards, as we walked through the nave, I saw this painting of Thomas feeling the wounds in the body of Christ.  I was reminded of a lesson Michael Wilcox once taught about how we always remember this story about Thomas-- the doubter, but that we never remember the only other story in the gospels about him, when he declared that in the face of great danger, he would go with Jesus to Jerusalem, and would die with him.  Brother Wilcox commented that we we form opinions about people, we often tend to remember the worst thing about them, but how much would we rather that when people remember us, they remember us for the best thing we ever did, not the worst.  It reminded me that I should be more generous in making assessments of other people, remembering them for their good qualities, not their bad ones.   But then, as I turned, I felt the spirit speak to me, as He often does, with a mild rebuke.  I felt the words: "You would do better to be willing to believe without having to see proof yourself."  I had not thought of myself as one who was cynical about spiritual things or required physical proof before believing.  But there it was. The Spirit seemed to nudge me that I was too skeptical, too willing to disbelieve things I hadn't actually witnessed myself.  I concluded that this was something I would work on. 

Roman Gate under current Damascus Gate

Beneath the Ottoman Damascus Gate lies the ancient Roman gate, one of the most impressive and intact monuments remaining from the Imperial Roman period.  Parts of the gate were initially uncovered during the 1910's and major sections thereof were unearthed during the 1960's and in the 1980's more was exposed of the remaining gate.

The gate's architectural structure comprises a large ornamented arch, flanked by two smaller arches, with two massive towers projecting from either side of the gate's facade northward.  The eastern opening of the gate was uncovered in excavations, surviving almost intact; above it are the remains of a Roman inscription from the second century CE.  The western opening is still buried underground. With the conquest of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 CE, the city was destroyed and its walls were razed to the ground.  In 130 CE, Emperor Hadrian visited Judea and decided to establish in Jerusalem the colony of Aelia Capitolina.  Once the original walls of Jerusalem were destroyed, the Romans built free-standing gates that were quite elaborate.  This is the gate that was discovered under the current Damascus Gate built in the 16th century by Sultan Suleman the Magnificent, who also built the existing wall around Jerusalem.  He reused towers and ancient wall sections of the Roman and Byzantine periods, and they located their city gates in the same places as the ancient gates.  

 Here we are inside the Roman gate into the original building, that is under the current street level.

This is the Roman Gate (you can see the current road leading to the Damascus Gate upper right corner)