Day four was a fun day. We started off by loading a van full of hygiene and school kits for a Bedouin community. Bedouins are a nomadic people that for centuries have lived off of the land. The government is now trying to bring them in to society, but it is not that simple. They often don't have the education or skills for employment. There are different types of Bedouin societies but the ones we saw were off the side of the freeway in makeshift homes.
We traveled to Bethany to visit Sawsan. Sawsan is a woman that helps the Bedouins by purchasing the embroidery the women make and selling it in her store. BYU helps Sawsan by providing kits for the Bedouins and will be helping with some of the costs of a renovation of a new store. Sawsan is a neat lady. She has never married but takes care of her aging mother. She used to work in Jerusalem but when the Separation Wall went up she could no longer travel to her job in Jerusalem. She has only been to Jerusalem once I believe since the Separation Wall was erected although Bethany is only a short drive from Jerusalem. (Jesus used to walk to Bethany). It is just over the Mount of Olives. Because we were taking kits BYU hired a driver and we went along in the van to visit. Because of the wall we must now drive around through a check point so it took about 20 or 30 minutes.
Bus ride over.
While my dad, Kevin, and Sawsan went to inspect the new location for her store, my mom, Anne Marie, John, the kids, and I went to visit Lazarus' Tomb. There was a pretty little garden that we walked though on our way. The sun was streaming down through the trees making it very pretty. We stopped and read the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead and then proceed up to the tomb.
Benjamin coming down.
The girls inside Lazarus tomb.
After visiting the tomb we went across to one of the vendors and bought David slings and some keifas for nativity scenes. The store owner taught the kids how to use the slings. It was a beautiful day and we were the only tourists around.
My dad, Kevin and Sawsan then joined us and Sawsan showed us the believed site of Lazarus' home. She then took us to a mosque. Non-Muslims are typically not allowed in mosque's but because of her friendship with the mosque they let us go inside. It was a small mosque and it was Call to Prayer time so a few men were in there praying.
We couldn't take any pictures inside the mosque but this cute little boy peeked out at us a we were leaving.
She then took us to a Christian church where a mass was going on. We stayed for a few minutes and then the Bishop took us down to an older part of the church. The church as been rebuilt several times. Here an ancient oil press stood (barely). I did not get to hear much of what was said because I was worried about Joshua knocking down the oil press, so I took him back outside. The pope (not sure which one) visited the church years ago and left one of his robes as a gift.
Sawsan described everything as very, very old rock. She wasn't kidding. Some of the older stones dated back to Christ's time.
The old oil press being held up by 2X4's. You can see why I was afraid Josh might knock it over.
So grateful to Hannah for taking so many pictures! She became our photographer for which I am so grateful! I wouldn't have carried the big camera around every day,
but she did and I am so glad that she did!
A couple of camel kisses.
After our tours of the churches we went back to Sawsan's shop. She graciously had put out wafers and juice for us. The girls each picked out a coin purse to purchase and we began unloading the boxes. Sawsan stopped a group of boys walking by and so we were able to unload the van quite quickly. Sawsan wanted to give the kids each a gift so she brought out some notebooks. the notebooks were meant for the Bedouins so my parents said no to give them to the school children. She then proceeded to give them each a key chain. As much as we protested she insisted that they take the key chains. My dad tried to intervene and explain that we aren't allowed to accept gifts (BYU rule) but she wouldn't hear of it. Twenty minutes later and a call to BYU Jerusalem Center to try and get her to understand that we couldn't accept the gifts, we left with the gifts. Hospitality is very important in their culture and she was very insistent. It was so fun to meet her and spend part of the day with her.
On our way back to Jerusalem we saw some interesting things.
These guys caught us taking pictures of their dead pigs hanging up and waved for us.
Loved this quote. My favorite from the museum.
This is the account of the Danish people and their effort to save thousands of their Jewish citizen from the Natzi's. The historical fiction book Numbering the Stars is based on this and Hannah and Caroline both read the book before they came to Jerusalem.
Sunset as we left the museum.
Driving home we drove through Mea Sharim, an ultra orthodox Jewish neighborhood.
We ended the day back at the Jerusalem Center were we made gingerbread houses with the Belnaps. The kids had fun making them and hanging out with other kids. Brother Belnap is there with BYU as a professor and they lived in my parents home ward in Utah. So fun that they both happen to be there at the same time. I think they have both enjoyed having the friendship before they came.
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