March 16, 2020 Last "Upper Room" experience

March 17, 2020 Important pictures to save

March 16, 2020 Walking the Jerusalem Center grounds and Tzurim park before we leave

Tzurim Valley

March 16, 2020 Packing to leave

Packing to leave on March 17, 2020

March 16 2020 Scenes of beauty

Here are pictures taken around Jerusalem during our last week:

March 6, 2020 Lee playing the organ at the Jerusalem Center

I had a deeply moving experience while at Sacrament meeting in early March.  I felt the words, "You are so privileged to be here".  This was one of those experiences when you feel the Spirit giving truth.  Following the words was a feeling of gratitude and a sense that we might not be here much longer.  Later in the week I took a picture of Lee playing the organ.  I am writing this on March 14--on March 12th we were told that we had to go back to the United States because of the Coronavirus outbreak.  There will be no more tours or concerts here.  The students are leaving on March 28th.  Update:  The students found out on March 14th that they also had to leave on March 17th and 18th.  Everything in Israel is shut down--the students would not be allowed to go anywhere outside of the Center.  So in 2 days they finished their classes, flew home, and will take their finals online once they get back to USA. We feel so badly that they cannot finish their semester and that the staff at the Center will have their hours cut.  It has felt surreal as we've had to wrap our heads around the idea that we are leaving and will most likely never be back.

March 4, 2020 Women's lunch

The women in the Center and also Sydney Ludlow joined together for lunch to celebrate Krystal Pierce's birthday, which was the week before.  It was our last time together as a group.

Left side front to back:  Margaret Lifferth, Erin Belnap, Becky Kidd, Larissa Properzi, Sydney Ludlow

Right side front to back:   Jill Judd, Krystal Pierce, Kelly Carlson, Joyce Asay

February 25, 2020 Driving back to the Allenby crossing back into Israel

We only stayed at Petra for 3 hours because the torrents of water were getting so deep that the one place to enter and exit and we didn't want to get stuck there.  We were at a fairly high elevation and the rain turned to snow--a truly unique experience!  And eventually the fog was so thick, the driver had to slow way down because there was almost no visibility.  We were very glad he was driving!

February 25, 2020 Petra in the Rain

We knew there was rain in the forecast for Petra, so we brought warm clothes, umbrellas and a change of clothes.  But isn't was just rain--it was a deluge.  And because the rain fell down the mountain it collected in gullies and pretty soon we were walking in 8 inches of water (yes, we had even brought a change of shoes, luckily).  We were able to see a Petra that very few people get to see.  In addition, the hawkers had all left, so we weren't bothered by people trying to sell us things.  But we did feel badly for them because they left everything either open to the rain or covered with plastic.

February 24, 2020: The Treasury Light Show

We drove (we had a driver who was devout Muslim) into Petra too late to explore, but we decided to go to the Petra Treasury night show.  It was pretty hilarious--we walked in the dark with the only light being candles set in paper bags along the route.  We arrived and were invited to sit down on filthy rugs (which I did reluctantly), offered tea (which we declined) and then a young man played a one string instrument and played it.  Then the young man who was the spokesman gave a talk about peace, love and some other things that sounded more like the hippies in the 1960's than anything else--basically he had nothing to say.  Then TA-DA--they turn on 3 large lights that lit the Treasury in different colors.  That was it.  It was so funny and strange that we rather enjoyed it just for the experience of seeing what they thought was a great light show.

February 24, 2020 Madaba and Mount Nebo

Because the students were slated to go to Jordan during Easter week, we couldn't find an organ substitute, as they were all playing for their own congregations.  So Lee and I decided to take our own trip to Jordan--it ended up being quite an adventure.  Just getting across the border was scary.  The Coronavirus was just starting to be an issue and we saw a Japanese doctor be taken off the bus by the guards--and told to take his luggage.  We have no idea what happened to him but it was somewhat alarming to us.

We first went to Madaba Church of St. George to see the famous Madaba mosaics.  They were more faded than what you see in pictures, but thrilling to see.  We also went to another church that had beautiful views and a pole that showed the flying fiery serpents and it formed the shape of a cross.

The church of St. George with the Madaba Mosaic

The other church that also had incredible mosaics.  The sign said that on a clear day you could see the city of Jerusalem.

Note how on the right there is the pole with the fiery flying serpents that forms a cross.

 Incredible mosaics!