Wednesday 30 July 2014 Jerusalem Center - walking around at night

 

Blaine and I like to go walking together.  Lately with the conflict going on, we have been restricted in our walking trails.  On Wednesday, July 30, we went for a walk around the Jerusalem Center.  Below is a stone that was used in the process of making olive oil.  It is called a grinding stone and use of this technology dates back about 3000 years.  This is located on the south-west side of the center.

 



When we enter the center, the first people we see is security.  It's always a welcome sight and they are so helpful and friendly.  This is Murad.  He also works in a shop in the Old City.  I asked if his wife also worked.  He said no, it was his responsibility to take care of his family financially.  His wife took care of the children.



This is looking out from the 8th floor hall.

 



Tues. July 29, Creche Society pickup and tour of Hezekiah's cave

Another pickup- This time The Creche for Abandoned Children Society from Ramallah.

That afternoon we went down to Hezekiah's cave that is just outside of Damascus Gate.  This is not to be confused with Hezekiah's tunnel outside the City of David.
 

It was used as a quarry.

 

The caves go way back 

Monday 28 July 2014 Visit Jerusalem Rape Crisis Center and St. Vincent for Handicapped

Monday we visited two of our organizations we help.  The Rape Crisis Center in downtown West Jerusalem got a new phone service that BYU funded.  Renut (rhymes with peanut) and Amy are very happy with the new phones.  Renut is moving to Australia to take a new job.

 



That afternoon we went out to St. Vincents in Ein Karem to meet with the sisters about a walk-in refrigerator.  Sister Paskell is on my left and Sister Susan on my right.  They are wonderful charitable women of God.

Sunday 27 July 2014 Cookies to Linda Roth and Wolf Blitzer at CNN

Sunday, July 27, we got an e-mail from Jill Chappel, one of Anne Marie's friends that works at CNN.  She said her co workers Linda Roth and Wolf Blitzer were in Jerusalem covering the Israel/Gaza conflict.  They had come for 1 week and were still here 3 weeks later.  She asked if we could make them some cookies to cheer them up.  It has been very emotionally draining on them.  We made snickerdoodles and took them to the CNN office.  They were very sweet and appreciative.  Wolf had us stand where he gives his news reports.

 

Saturday 26 July 2014 Visit from Annie and Shannon

Annie Pence, my teaching friend who taught in the room next to mine, and her friend Shannon Lacey came on a tour of Jerusalem.  They spent Saturday, July 26, with us.  We went to the Jerusalem Branch in the morning, to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Garden Tomb in the afternoon, and into Bethlehem after a quick lunch.  This is one of the Olive trees from the Garden of Gethsemane.

This is the Golden Gate of the Old City Wall.  We took this picture from the Church of All Nations, next door to the Garden of Gethsemane.



Shannon, Linda and Annie at Church of All Nations. 

 

Front Mural of Christ's atonement at Gethsemane.

Shannon, Odeh, and Annie went into Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity.  Odeh is the only branch member with a car so he graciously drove them in.

Friday 25 July 2014 Morning after demonstrations, Ein Karem with Claytons and Nickels

Thurs. night, July 24, there was a lot of commotion down below the lower gate. It went on until the early morning.  The next day there were explosions from the Wadi-Al-Joz  neighborhood. The war continues into the 17th day of conflict.

The road below the center is strewn with rocks and debris from the  night before.




Friday night we went with the Claytons and Nickles into Ein Karem for dinner.  Ein Karem is more secular Jewish so restaurants are open on Sabbath.  We have a favorite restaurant at the bottom of the hill on the left hand side.  I don't know the name of it even though we've been there before.
 

The flowers are gorgeous all summer long.  These were along the road of the town.

Friday 24 July 2014 Pick up hygiene kits for Arab Orthodox Society

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Thurs. July 24, the Arab Orthodox Society picked up hygiene kits from the center.  Each box hold 5 kits.  The kits consist of towels, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste,  and comb.  We went with the Arab Orthodox Society to St. Joseph's Hospital and Makassad Hospital on July 31, to hand deliver these kits to patients from the Gaza Strip.  The hardest part was seeing little children burned and wounded by shrapnel.  One little girl about 3 or 4 had been injured but her parents had been killed.  It brought the war home to us on a personal level. 

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