Galilee & Haifa - Church service

GALILEE

Unlike LDS leaders working at the U.S. embassy (Tel Aviv) or consular offices (in Jerusalem), service couples like us have some ltd. access to the West Bank after prior clearance.  My 2nd District assignment on Sat. 10/16/10 was to Tiberias (Galilee) and Haifa.   First, a few wrong turns took us through Jericho.  Now part of the West Bank, it claimed to be the oldest city in the world.  We drove up the Jordan Valley rift from the Dead Sea (near Jerusalem) to Sea of Galilee.

Just outside of town, we saw some giant palm orchards, for which Jericho is rightly famous as the "city of date palms."  Much of the year-round fresh produce comes from the Jordan Valley near Jericho.

This is the traditional Mount of Temptation.  [See Jan.'11 post, Jericho Field Trip  and the Jan. '12 post, Jericho Monasteries.]

After a 3-hr. drive to Galilee along Hwy 90 (incl. a long stop at the Israeli check point leaving the West Bank -- our JC van had all the Peters family), we finally reached our chapel at Tiberias.  

The Church acquired & totally renovated a villa superbly situated directly above the Sea of Galilee. In 2007 it was dedicated by an apostle -- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

Fortunately, Church services started at 10:30 am, so we arrived in time.  (The next week, start time was changed to 10 am.)  Entering on the top level, we got a direct view of the Sea of Galilee.

Also fortunately (for the speakers), the congregation faced the pulpit -- 90 degrees from the outside view. Among other enhancements is their new grand piano.  Marilyn later came to play it on 11/12/11. 

Below the chapel & outside the eating areas was a huge balcony facing the Galilee.

On  10/16/10, 25 attended our services -- including the full Branch Presidency & wives (Carl & Melanie Harris, Clerk Mike & Ann Hanson + son Yaron), four Spanish-speaking sisters and the branch Counselor (Patricio DiVirgilio) with his wife and two children from Argentina, Bro. & Sis. Woods from the Harris' home ward, two Russian-speaking women, all the Peters family from Jerusalem, Merrill & Nanette Beckstead (a service couple in Haifa) and their grandson, BYU student Robert Buss -- my traveling companion, along with the Peters family.

Here are partial views of the Sea of Galilee from the balcony.

The fully renovated & updated facility included two levels of classrooms, upstairs bedrooms and storage & service areas below the main top level.   Also, this clean, modern kitchen.

After our 3-hour services, we enjoyed a sumptuous 2-hour potluck meal -- mainly prepared & served by the service couples.  It was a social time for branch members traveling far to attend.

 

We had to hurry our meal (only one hour) in order to start our trip to Haifa to visit members and participate in services there. 

By then the 3 small Peters children were getting restless.  Ben Peters (teaching at the Hebrew Univ. and the first-ever District Councilor) gave his talk in Russian and his wife Kourtney (celebrating her 30th birthday that same day) and I both gave ours in Spanish.

On 2/13/11  I returned on another District speaking assignment with three BYU students -- Kelsey Holloway, Synthia Smoot & Brock Wright.  Each of us spoke, and the students all sang, in Spanish.

Synthia and Kelsie also taught Primary, in Spanish, to the bright DiVirgilio kids.

The DiVirgilio family's new baby Nazarena took center stage.  (They lived in Migdal, near Nazareth, where she was born in Jan. '11.)

Patricio was Branch Counselor & really loved their new baby.  His family moved here from Argentina, to be with Marina's parents when she & her mother came for specialized eye surgery in Israel.

All 17 attenders, including 3 members from Uruguay and 6 from Argentina, enjoyed a beautiful day.

On Sat. 5/14/11,  I returned by assignment with three more students:  Josiah Tingey, Sharla Kjar and Kerri McNeil.

We bypassed the West Bank due to Nakba Weekend troubles (see Sept. '10 & '11 posts, Poli. & Civil Events) -- taking the longer but faster toll road.

Alas, no Hispanic members could attend the mtg., due mainly to illness. So we each spoke, and Kerri taught a great Sunday School class -- all in English.  Sharla also sang a special number, with Josiah on the piano. 

As the newly-sustained Councilor working with Russian saints in Israel after Ben Peters moved to Tulsa in June '11, Yevgeny Ryabko bore his first testimony in both English & Russian, with Ben translating.

After the services, we stayed to enjoy the usual fine Galilee repast.

District Pres. Player and Elder Paul Pieper arrived during our meal.

Before leaving on 5/14/11, we unloaded all excess BYU student clothing from the last term, for the benefit of Galilee members and others in need.

We always love visits to our beautiful Tiberias chapel on the Galilee.

On 5/14/11, we stopped by Nazareth to visit and encourage the DiVirgilio family.  Patricio's wife Marina was in the hospital with gall bladder surgery.

The children were delightful, responding well to Sharla's impromptu lesson and enjoying the students' fun games & songs afterwards.

As always, Patricio held baby Nazarena with great loving care.  We were glad to stop -- and successfully wound our way out of Nazareth's steep bowl.  Sadly, by the end of 2011 Patricio & his family were inactive. Galilee lost its entire Primary.

On 6/18/11, I returned with 3 BYU men -- (Rt. to L) Morgan Crockett (in the Huffs' mission), Jason "Chewy" Condie (from El Paso), me, Yaron Hansen (their only youth) & Robert Hickman (taught SS).  We all spoke in Spanish to the 17 members there (8 were Hispanics).  Morgan played and Chewy & Robt. sang.

There was no Primary that day, as the DiVirgilio Family was absent.  In addition, some conflicts arose that day between Argentine & Uruguayan members from Nazareth.   But within two months, the branch -- and Nazareth -- was fortified by a strong new family.

On 8/19/11 Fadoul & Suzan Mazzawi & daughterYasmin toured the JC the same month that they were baptized in Cypress by John Harris.  John had befriended them earlier in 2011 at the Tel Aviv U.S. Embassy, met Fadoul at a business conf. in D.C. and then took them to SLC for April Gen. Conf.

Fadoul owned an ad agency and Suzan was an Arabic singer with a popular TV show in Nazareth.  Yasmin was a promising young teenager -- doubling in size the Galilee LDS youth population (with Yaron Hansen, the only AP male).  They also had 4-year-old twins.

 

 They were duly impressed with the Church in SLC and at the JC before ever attending meetings in Galilee.  They may be a force for good there.  The Lord really does care about his home towns of Bethlehem (where he was born) and Nazareth (where he grew up).

HAIFA
In contrast to these last two visits,  on 10/16/10, after Galilee we also went to Haifa.  En route, we stopped at Mt. Carmel -- site of prophet Elijah's famous confrontation with Ahab's 450 wicked priests of Baal.  Elijah's God rained fire from heaven to consume water-soaked sacrifices and even the altars.  At the river below, all priests were slain after their god failed to consume sacrifices offered on stone altars.

 

Spread out for many miles below us was the vast and fertile Jezreel Valley -- site of a huge Israeli air base (all underground) and possible site of a future conflagration of many nations gathered to destroy Israel at a final great Battle of Armageddon.

Robert Buss and his grandparents, the Becksteads, enjoyed the view as much as I did.   Robert since became a missionary in Thailand.

We arrived late to the Becksteads' apt. south of Haifa, then bypassed Haifa (3rd largest city in Israel) to hold services for 6 lovely Filipino caregivers.  The Becksteads did a wonderful job with this small group -- also the Spanish-speaking members they picked up every week for services in Galilee. They were sorely missed.

After Robert and I spoke and Merrill taught a brief but effective lesson from John 6 and 7, we left for home with the Peters family.  Although even more restless, young Libby Peters charmed these beautiful Filipina caregivers.  Oct. 2010 gave us a splendid introduction to No. Israel.

GALILEE WITH MARILYN. On 11/11/11 we returned to Galilee & stayed overnight after visiting  Na'amat, a fine charity in Nazareth.  (See July '11 post, Humanits. -- W. Jerus. & Israel.)  We met Eddie Safadi, YMCA Director in Tiberias -- always in good cheer.  We had drinks at his YMCA lakeside facility.

Ray & Bobbe Graham may work with YMCA to assemble hygiene kits for needy persons in No. Israel. It was hard to leave that moonlight on the Galilee.  Eddie assured us that it was even better in the daytime. 

Before retiring at the chapel, we dined on St. Peter's fish at Tanureen's.

Next day, Sabbath 11/12/11, Marilyn spoke of Thanksgiving & played Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.  I addressed Olives, Atonement & Repentance.  Only 10 came -- but two were Fadoul & Suzan Mazzawi.  At District Conf. on 2/18/12, he was ordained an Elder.

Afterwards came the monthly meal & socializing, with Sonia Malel, (Sis.) Spencer, Carmen & Jorge (Sonia's son and an excellent SS teacher).

Unlike some prior visits, the sea was blue & the weather was fine.

With Spencer, we followed the Grahams to take the Malel's & Carmen home near Nazareth.  We also visited the DiVirgilio's in their new apt.  They were physically but not spiritually well.  Next, we crossed the Carmel Mtns. to hold Sacr. Mtg. near Hadera at the new apt. of LaRisa's employer.  She was a lovely LDS Filipino caregiver and the only Haifa member able to attend. 

We followed Ray, rather than our defective GPS, to a 4* German Colony Hotel at 28 Ben Gurion St., Haifa.  (Most Church mtgs. were held there.)

After a great sleep & breakfast, we started exploring.  Next to the hotel, on that same block, was Georg Grau's blacksmith shop.  From there in 1888, he stepped into the street and met Jacob Spori -- the 1st LDS elder in the Holy Land -- just as they had both seen in a dream.  Grau became the 1st LDS convert there.  [See end of Nov '10 post, Galilee week #2 field trip.]

Around that same block on Angilewitz St. was the 2nd LDS mission home (1930s, under Armenian Miss. Pres. David Piranian).

Back on Ben Gurion St., at the corner of Allenby St., we found the 1st mission home (1920s, under Turkish Miss. Pres. J. Wilford Booth).

One more block up Ben Gurion Street was the amazing Bahai Gardens & Shrine -- a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This is how it looked when we arrived in Haifa at night.

Also called "the Hanging Gardens of Haifa," it had 18 terraces going up Mt. Carmel to & beyond the gold-domed Shrine of the Bab (center top).

We were allowed to climb up only to the first plaza from below. 

From here, we could see all the way to the port of Haifa (center top).

There was also great beauty there and everywhere.

Above us were still more terraces and the shrine.  We had to see those too!

After parking above on Shifra St., we passed blooming buganvilias.

Near the front entry was one of 140 gardeners preparing more beauty.

We had never seen more tangerines on a tree. Or redder geraniums. 

The shrine gleamed brilliantly from every angle.  Even when overcast.

Photos were banned inside the shrine beyond this spot.  Here, remains of the Báb (meaning, "Gate") were placed in 1909.  This bronze marker at the front entry called him a prophet & forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith.  However, a tribute to him on the marker next to his tomb, written by Bahá'u'lláh, called him the "almighty" and the "all powerful." The Bab himself claimed to be the Qá'im or Mahdi (12th Imam & the messianic redeemer). 

 In 1850 (at age 30), the Bab was executed for heresy by a firing squad at Tabriz prison, Iran.

The Shrine of Bab is the 2nd holiest place for Bahá'ís, after the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre.   He founded the Bahá'í Faith (named for him) after a struggle with his brother to succede the Bab.

In 1892, he died in Acre (or "Akko") at age 74 , in the nearby Bahji Mansion, where he had been confined in exile from Persia for 24 yrs.

The Shrine of Bab on Mount Carmel was designated by Bahá'u'lláh just before he died.  His eldest son, Abdu'l-Bahá, planned the structure and his grandson, Shoghi Effendi completed it by 1909. The dome rests on an 18-windowed drum, mounted on an octagon & surrounded by a stone arcade.  A major restoration project was completed in April 2011.

From the Shrine, we had the best view down Ben Gurion St.  Our low-rise German Colony Hotel (center left) was halfway to the port.

As we left, more of the 140 gardeners were working to beautify the site.

There were another nine terraced levels above the shrine.  So much grandeur in this one place.  This is the most popular tourist site in Haifa.

After visiting the Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter (see July '11 post, Humanitarians -- W. Jerusalem & Israel),  we had one last stop at a lookout similar to the one above the Bahai Gardens in Nov. '10 (see Nov. '10 post, Galilee & No. Israel - Wk. #2).  Appropriately called the"San Francisco Observatory," its cable car ran all the way down to the coast.

We concluded our trip at the same Lebanese Restaurant in Abu Ghosh where we dined with John & Christine Jacksons before they returned home in July '11 -- and with Melissa before Christmas.  Their stuffed chicken was superb.

 

 We had a great weekend in Northern Israel (Nov. 11 - 13, 2011).