Church Holy Land Service - Tel Aviv & Elder Holland

DISTRICT CLERK.  On our first Sabbath here, 9/4/10, Pres. Gary Player called & set me apart as District Clerk.  I oversaw all finances in our 3 branches:  Jerusalem, Tel Aviv & Galilee and 3 dependent groups (Haifa, Bethlehem & Be'er Sheva).  That duty was as foreign to me as the moon. As Bishop & Stake Pres., I always had great clerks.  And Marilyn keeps our family finances in remarkable order.   So I learned to do what others had always done for me.

I worked closely with Frank Judd (Jerusalem Branch Clerk and faculty member, rt.) and John Jackson, District Pres'y Counselor & resident JC medic (left).

Church Audits & Registrations.  On 10/31/10, all 9 new LDS signatories had to sign papers that the bank & attorney took all morning to complete.

The 2010 external audit by BDO Zif Haft (Ari Galitzer, CPA) for our LDS Amuta had to be certified by Mike Ohman & Kent Jackson (long distance), then filed by Yigal Arnon (Tal Lecker, atty.) with Israeli authorities in June 2011.  [See Jan. '11 post, "City Center Services"]

In May '11, we did LDS internal 2010 audits of all 3 branches & the district.  In July we did 1st half 2011 audits, incl. TLV on 7/6/11 before all left town (L-R: New branch pres. Dave Simons, ex-clerk/counselor Keith Stepp, Pres. John Jackson & new clerk Brian Stoering).

ISRAEL DISTRICT PRESIDENCY.

In Aug. 2010, the first Israel District Pres.  was installed who was not on the BYU faculty since the 1987 JC opening.   Gary W. Player was GM's top marketing executive in Israel.  He, his wife Norine & their family (3 girls, 1 son) live in Herzylia, north of Tel Aviv.  We visited them our first week in Israel and saw a lot of love in their home.

On 8/13/11 Val Chapman was sustained as new 1st Counselor after John Jackson returned home on 7/27/11.  Alan Call was set apart 8/30/11 as 2nd Counselor (replacing David Simons, new Tel Aviv Branch Pres.)  Alan was from Portland OR -- assigned in Netanya for one year with Intel.

Middle East/Africa North Area Leadership.

In Jan. 2011, when all adult JC Church leaders were in Egypt, we hosted the 7 Area Directors of Temporal Affairs and wives for training mtgs. (& sightseeing) with Presiding Bpric. Counselor Keith McMullen. Marilyn served breakfast each day; I helped with the Judd children.

On 7/17/11 Dave McMillan (our Area DTA) and Cory Karl (Area Physical Facilities Director, rt.) came to inspect all Church properties in Israel and to explore a possible rental facility for Bethlehem



Elder Larry S. Kacher was our Area 70 (called in 2009). He headed  Leadership & Organiz. Dev. at Abu Dhabi Investment Co. -- one of the world's largest, managing nearly $1 trillion.  He called Gary Player as District Pres. in Aug. 2010, two weeks before we arrived.  On 11/26/11 he and his wife Colleen gave a terrific JC Devotional.  They had six children.  She taught modern dance at BYU before coming to Abu Dhabi.

   Quoting Elder BK Packer, Colleen said:  "Take hold of your life & order yourself to be valiant."  Also:  "Make a good decision once -- and again every day."  And quoting Elder Holland:  "The Lord loves broken things -- broken clouds (for rain), ground (grain), bread (sacrament) & heart."  After teasing the BYU students about taking interviews afterwards on behalf of their unmarried son, Elder Kacher said:  "For whatever purpose you think you are here, the Lord has other purposes for you."  Both of them were saved from a rip current in Oman while swimming near the possible Land Bountiful.  He also told how Jordan Dist. Pres. Karim Asuad in Lebanon first found the Church at a Florida tennis tournament, with his bro. Bill.  In the MEAN Area (25 nations + Iraq & Afghanistan), Beirut is leading despite turmoil there & elsewhere.  Abu Dhabi gave the Church (& other Christian organizs.) free land, despite its Muslim roots -- to build the 1st LDS chapel in MEAN Area there.  To our District Pres'y, he later emphasized what Elder Porter had said in Sept. -- "Prepare for more new members coming here & entrust them with more leadership responsibilities."

DISTRICT & BRANCH LEADERS (5/10/11). The day after our Humanitarian Conf. in Jordan [see our May 2011 post], Elder Paul Pieper of our Mid-East Desk met with all Israel District & Branch leaders for some Priesthood training. It was the last time most of them were together, as there were many summer embassy and consulate changes -- and a new BYU faculty arrived in Sept.

After Sept. '11, only Pres. Player, Mike Ohman and I remained.  Standing left of Elder Pieper & me were Kerry Muhlestein, Isaac Cain & Glen Lewis (all branch counselors), TLV Branch Pres. Rex Albania, Ben Peters (councilor, front) and John Howell (Jerus. EQ Pres.)  Right of Pres. Player & me were John Jackson (Dist. 1st Counselor) & Frank Judd (Jerus. Branch Clerk).  On far rt.:  David Simons, (District 2nd C.) & Keith Stepp (TLV Branch Clerk) became TLV Branch Pres. & 2nd Counselor) on Sat., 5/14/11. 

DISTRICT CONFERENCES.   Our first conf. was on 11/6/10.  It was also our first face-to-face District Pres'y mtg.  (Other weekly mtgs. were by Skype or telephone.)  Over 200 attended the General Session & about 167 the other sessions.  Elder Donald L. Hallstrom was our assigned General Authority.   Under Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, he oversees all the Middle East -- plus parts of Asia and the USA, as one of the 7 Presidents of the Seventy.  Left-to-right below are David Simons (2nd Counselor, at U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv), John Jackson (1st C., at the JC), Elder Hallstrom & Pres. Player beside me.

Our 4/9/11 conf. followed the same format but with no visiting authority.  Attendance was somewhat lighter than in Nov. '10.

On 9/10/11, Elder Bruce D. Porter (1st Council of 70s & head of our Middle East Desk), presided and gave specific counsel to strengthen, reactivate & trust permanent members -- then to prepare for more growth from LDS coming here.  Every member needs self-reliance & a calling.  This land was promised to all descendants of Abr. and even "strangers" who the Lord brings (Ezek. 47:22).  He spoke of "Humility" and "Acting when the Spirit prompts."  His son was prompted to fly to Johns Hopkins Hospital on Cmas Day 2010 to bless & save his life after his 2nd kidney transplant almost failed. 

Our last District Conf. was held 2/18/12 with Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Senior President of the 70.  He, his wife Melanie & dau. Rachelle Chase were on tour of other Middle East church units.  It was the best attended conf. in our 18 months (240).  Before and after, he met with our full District Presidency.

Two new elders were ordained -- a Nigerian architect from Ukraine and Fadoul Mazzawi. His wife Suzan spoke in the Gen. Session. They may be sealed in the SLC Temple in Aug. '12, where they attended Gen. Conf. and were converted in April '12.  (See Oct. '10 post, Galilee & Haifa Church Service.).  

A leadership session was followed by Priesthood and auxiliary mtgs.

Mark Larsen did Russian translations in all sessions.

Primary and Relief Society mtgs. were animated and well attended.

The Azar children from Ramallah were more lively than the parents.

About 12 Russian saints came from Tel Aviv & Galilee Branches -- including Mikhail Grossman, whose sister Diana translated his testimony.  These Argentine & Uruguayan sisters from Galilee were all together -- and were happy again.

In the evening, Elder Rasband gave a great fireside to the JC residents.  He was the Temple Dept. Exec. Dir.when our NB Temple was dedicated in 2005. 

We couldn't ask for a more meaningful event as our send-off from the Holy Land.

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SPEAKING ASSIGNMENTS.   Each month I spoke at one of our 6 local units.  [See Sept. '10 posts on Bethlehem (West Bank) & the Jerusalem branch (Arriving -- the JC).  Also see Oct. '10 post on Galilee & Haifa, Nov. '10 post on Be'er Sheva.]  In addition to about 20 talks for the District, I also spoke in the Jerusalem Branch 5 times -- including Christmas & Easter.  On 2/11/12 both Marilyn and I spoke with Hannah Volmar -- a UC Berkeley student at Hebrew U.  It was a beautiful, sunny day -- before another week of rain.

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TEL AVIV BRANCH.  My first assigned District visit was to the Tel Aviv Branch on 9/25/10. They met in a 3-story youth hostel near the Bavli River & adjoining green belt.  Hymns were sung in English, Spanish & Russian (same as in Galilee).

  









It had a spacious entry & several space-available classrooms. The large basement assembly area accommodated large crowds.  About 45 attended our Sacrament meetings in Sept. and again in Jan. & March '11.

 

Rex Albania was TLV Branch Pres. for the past 6 years.  He worked at his Embassy there but returned to the Philippines in June 2011. 

Ben Peters (Israel's 1st Dist. Councilor, bottom rt. below) coordinated with all Russian-speaking members.  Yevgeny Ryabko (on the left) replaced him on 5/14/11.   There were also many Filipino members -- mostly caregivers.  Mike Hansen (Councilor from Galilee) is their coordinator.  

On 1/8/11 Ben & I returned to TLV as District speakers. It was also Christian Lazcano's farewell.  He is the first missionary from Tel Aviv & is the only one now serving from Israel.  His family is from Ecuador, so I was asked to give him a comfort blessing in Spanish before he left for the Provo MTC and NY South Mission. 

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Dedication of new Tel Aviv Branch facility. 

On 4/16/11, the branch held its 1st services in its new facilities.  It is the first LDS-owned facility in Tel Aviv and the third in Israel.  The Church owned all the 3th floor and air rights to build out the 4th floor.

Called the Enrico Coveri Bldg., it was managed by Natam-Colliers Int'l.

This modern steel, concrete and glass office bldg. was 7-8 years old.

It was on a major blvd. (Kibuts Galarot) connecting Yafo with Tel Aviv.

The street ran to the Medit. Sea (left) near the ancient port of Jaffa. 

The chapel area had been the showroom of a men's goods distrib. center.

The Relief Society Room was filled for a Sunday School class.  The "Serving Area" was clean but tiny.

The Primary room was first planned for the Relief Society.

The Priesthood Room and other classrooms were smaller. 

There were separate offices for the Branch Clerk and Branch President.

Young Gary Player, III, tried out his father's District Presidency office.  (I broke my Nikon when it hit the tile floor right after I snapped this shot.)

Before 2 pm, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland arrived to dedicate the new facilities.  He & Dave McMillan (Area Director of Temporal Affairs) were the main speakers.

Despite 10 grueling days visiting many Middle East countries (some in 2011 political turmoil), and going without food all day, he warmly greeted me as "Cousin Joe" and stayed to visit with all attenders.  This historic event came just one week before Easter & Passover.  He blessed the site to be an oasis of peace, freed from political winds & waves, as another concrete step towards the final destiny of this country possessing the "most sacred soil on earth."

Later that same day (Sat. 4/16/11), in his fireside for BYU students and those residing at the JC, he stressed the need for our Holy Land experience to change us all for the better -- forever.  It was a powerful, moving experience.  The next day at the JC Oasis, he spoke even more personally to students after dinner, as he "introduced them to their future." 

In turn, the students presented him & Dave McMillan with their Winter 2011 Class T-shirts.   (All 81 students' names are printed on the back.)

That night we hosted him at our Sunday Night Classics Concert (a flute quartet doing "From Bach to Tango.") He is an extraordinary leader -- and has been ever since he was my BYU classmate in 1965.  He has been more responsible for the existence of our JC than any man still living!

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On 8/6/11 (my birthday), I helped Pres. Player set apart the Chapmans as District 1st Counselor & YW Pres. After HT, we attended Jim Kearl's Fireside on the JC's history. Then came the Last Supper/Upper Room readings & quiet meditation. Shari took this shot of two old timers -- still holding up OK.

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Priesthood Blessing.  One day after Palestinian Nakba ("Disaster Day," Sun. 5/15/11), I was called to help bless Blaine Willis -- an American tourist with pneumonia. (His grandson Scott Curtis was a student at JC.)  On Nakba Day, 3 Molotov cocktails were thrown from an Arab village up onto the grounds of that same hospital. There was no damage or injury and all was calm when I went there.  But if JC security had known, I would not have been allowed to go. 

This was at Hadassah Hospital with Ron & Laurel Curtis -- my guests on an earlier JC tour.  Her father recovered enough to fly home in Utah that same day.

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JERUSALEM BRANCH.  In his first week, Pres. Mike Ohman had to burn all outdated official Church handbooks -- incl. one on Music he co-wrote.  He oversaw all BYU personnel & Jerusalem members -- plus charge over all West Bank members in Bethlehem, Jericho, Ramallah, etc.

On Sabbaths I picked up 3 caregivers in West Jerusalem -- Svetlana, Guada & Arceli.  On 8/27/11, six persons squeezed into a small Toyota (incl. 2 Hebrew U. students)!  That was my primary branch calling - replacing Jeff Chadwick when he returned home in Aug. '11.  On 2/18/12 Kent Jackson replaced me.

While the Jacksons were in Tel Aviv on 2/25/12, Dane Rigdon & I gave rides to Arceli Espiritu, Svetlana Birliva & Hannah Volmar (Hebrew U.) one last time.