Wednesday 9-8. We drove to Akron, OH, and visited Leon’s first and only cousin on the Honey side, Margaret Raynor Warren. She lived just a few blocks from our motel. Leon has pictures of a visit her family made to his family when they lived in Schenectady, NY, when he was a little boy. The family only visited together one other time, in 1947 in Cleveland, OH. Her mother is William Honey’s sister Doris. We also visited the next day with her and her son Kenneth Warren. We saw lots of family pictures.
From Akron we drove to clarion, PA, about 100 miles away, to see Jenny, our granddaughter. She is getting her Masters in Library Science at the University in Clarion. It was great to see her and to see where she lived, ate and studied.
Friday 9-12. We decided to trade Canada for LDS Church sites. We had originally planed on driving up into Ontario and seeing where his Loyalist ancestors lived but it sounded like a good trade. We drove to Kirtland, OH and toured the temple there. It is now owned by the RLDS church and they maintain it very well. When I mentioned that my 2nd great grandfather was F.G. Williams, the guide said "you are standing on your grandfather’s farm." The Church has a good relationship with the RLDS’; they let the mission president hold testimony meetings inside with the newly-arrived missionaries, We saw FGW’s picture and also Rebecca Swain Williams’ picture in their Visitors Center. We visited the Newel K. Whitney home, which is our Visitor’s Center now, and his store. We drove out about a mile to the Isaac Morley farm, a distant relative of Leon’s, and learned many interesting things. Our next stop was about 30 miles away to Hiram, OH to the John Johnson farm. We couldn’t go inside as they were renovating it. We then drove to Buffalo, NY and it was late at night when we arrived. We got confused trying to get off the toll-road and went through the wrong gate, the one that pass holders use, so we didn’t pay our toll. We expect to receive a fine in the mail any day now. (We never got one!)
Saturday 9-13. We drove to Youngstown, NY on the tip of the Lake Ontario and the mouth of the Niagara River. It was a beautiful view of the lake and one could just barely make out Toronto on the other side. My 3rd great grandfather, Isaac Swain, had lived there and in 1836 had built a beautiful three-story cobblestone house. It was built on the foundation of his earlier home burned by the British in the War of 1812. That earlier home was built on the battlefield of La Belle Famille which took place between the French and British in 1759, during the French and Indian War. We went to the town library to found out where the home was located. We were sent upstairs to the Historical Society and two little old ladies were so happy to see us and happy to know I was related to the Swains. They copied pictures and information for us. One of them, age 96!!! drove us out to see the home. It had originally been called The Willows but there are none growing today but was surrounded by lovely trees. It was a beautiful home and the owner let us come in and see the parlor and take a picture of the original fireplace.
From the home we drove to see Ft. Niagara. It had originally been French, then British and finally American. It has been restored to its French days. The drawbridge has the inscription Porte des Cinq Nations , Gate of the Five Nations to favor the Iroquois Confederacy. LaSalle had first built a fort at this location in 1678, then another was built in 1687. It too was abandoned. The permanent fort was built in 1725. From there we drove to Palmyra. The Church, from aerial surveys for the exact location and dimensions, has reconstructed the log house where the Joseph Smith Sr. family lived and where Joseph received the visit from the Angel Moroni. The original large white frame house the family later lived in was there though an extensive renovation program was going on inside to return it to its original configuration. We walked into the beautiful Sacred Grove, no one else was around, but someone on the other side of the grove had a boom box going playing loud music which spoiled the atmosphere. I was so disappointed! We drove the four miles to the hill Cumorah. We thought the hill would stand out more but there are many hills in the area. It was a little larger and very beautiful. There is a lovely Visitors’ Center. We then proceeded to Syracuse, NY for the night.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tannie's wedding, Honey relatives trip
Our granddaughter Tannie had her wedding June 11, 1999 in the Dallas Temple to Dan Smith. It is always a privilege to attend these weddings. We drove directly to Dallas, spent the night, then met everyone at the temple. There Tannie and Trent, who had received his mission call, received their endowments. The next day, or two, was the wedding. It is about a four hour drive from Austin to Dallas but back we all came. Mark and Sharon and family, and Alan and Peggy were there; Alan, of course, taking pictures. Alan sister Julie decorated the beautiful cake. It was a very hot afternoon for the garden wedding reception and the cake tilted in the heat!
Tricia and Alan drove Trent to Utah and Ryan Barlow also had received his mission call. It was great to have these two cousins enter the MTC the same day. We had a nice family reunion beforehand.
July 17, 1999, Gina married John Black in the Mesa temple. Fred, Mary and Greg, Sonia and LaMar and Leon and I were able to attend. We are so happy that Gina has found a great companion.
Leon had been corresponding with Honey relatives via e-mail and so we decided we would go and visit them. So, another trip for us. On Monday, August 30, 1999, we drove to Orem and dropped off Mom at Fred and Carol’s. We were driving the camper. We took I-80 from Salt Lake City west and encountered very strong winds. At one time, the freeway was closed and we sat in the camper and had our supper. It was funny to see the other freeway lanes, the ones going to the east, empty of cars. We only got 9 miles to the gallon with that wind. All the way from SLC to Winnemucca, NV we fought the wind and rain and finally stopped at a motel in Winnemucca. Gas prices in Nevada were higher than in Utah and even higher in California. We had to fill up about every 150 miles.
Tuesday, 8-31. It was a breeze coming down the west side of the mountains to Sacramento. There we visited Leon’s cousin Janet Cox and her husband. They are 3rd cousins once removed. She reminded us a lot of Leon’s sister Joan,; some of the same mannerisms and appearance but taller and slimmer. She gave us copies of information and pictures. We then proceeded north, stopping in Redding, CA. The atmosphere was very smoky because of forest fires burning to the north near Mt Shasta.
Wednesday, 9-1. The drive north of Redding was very beautiful though mountainous and curvy. We arrived at Portland, at our RV Park located on Hayden Island in the Columbia River in the afternoon. That evening we visited Yvonne and Dave Cummings, my niece, who lives in Gresham, a suburb of Portland. The have a lovely family of five children.
Thursday, 9-2. That morning we had a beautiful walk along the edge of the Columbia River and realized how huge that river is. We then visited Marcia Staunton, who lives in the same park but in a different section. She was married to a Honey and had done lots of research which she shared with us. After a lovely luncheon, and more visiting, we drove to Seaside, OR where Leon had lived as a boy. His father was stationed at Ft. Stevens nearby. Although we had addresses of two of the houses they had lived in, they had either been torn down or renumbered and we were unable to find them. Seaside is a lovely resort town; no street along the beach but a promenade where people can walk and enjoy the views of the ocean. We spent the night in a nearby KOA campground.
Friday 9-3. That morning we visited Ft. Stevens, seeing the old gun emplacements, minus the guns and were impressed with the concrete structures that remained. It was here that a Japanese submarine shelled the coast. The town was startled but no damage was done. Leon’s Dad had told us earlier that he was disgusted that the Japanese sub had more powerful guns than the fort. We continued on into Astoria and visited the Columbia River Museum than on to the Bonneville Dam. Leon’s father had helped install the second phase of the generators while he worked for GE, just before WW II, about 1939-40. The dam was built in three parts, the spillway, the powerhouse and a lock which permitted navigation on the river past the dam. It is possible for freighters to sail all the way into Idaho on this river by using the locks. This was the first of many dams built on the river. We spent the night in the town of Dufer, at the home of ny nephew Fred Williams and his wife Karen and son Granger. They live in an old three-story farm house which originally had been a stop on a stagecoach line.
Saturday, 9-4. We drove to Boise, ID where we met with Bruce Honey and members of his family. They are descended from Aden Honey, BV’s son. We also visited with Leon’s niece, Cindi Floyd Peterson and her husband David and family. Afterwards we drove to Twin Falls where we spent the night.
Sunday, 9-5. Before leaving the RV park we decided to return home and park the mini camper and take the Buick. It goes faster and uses much less gas! We had so far still to go we thought it would be better to travel faster for about the same amount of money. We came back home to Mt. Pleasant and traded vehicles, then drove to Grand Junction to spend the night.
Monday and Tuesday, 9/6-7. Two driving days which ended in Hays, KS, then in to St. Louis, MO at the home of our son Mark and his wife Sharon. They have four little children with one more on the way. Mark works for IBM as a project manager and takes full responsibility for my being introduced to the Internet.
Tricia and Alan drove Trent to Utah and Ryan Barlow also had received his mission call. It was great to have these two cousins enter the MTC the same day. We had a nice family reunion beforehand.
July 17, 1999, Gina married John Black in the Mesa temple. Fred, Mary and Greg, Sonia and LaMar and Leon and I were able to attend. We are so happy that Gina has found a great companion.
Leon had been corresponding with Honey relatives via e-mail and so we decided we would go and visit them. So, another trip for us. On Monday, August 30, 1999, we drove to Orem and dropped off Mom at Fred and Carol’s. We were driving the camper. We took I-80 from Salt Lake City west and encountered very strong winds. At one time, the freeway was closed and we sat in the camper and had our supper. It was funny to see the other freeway lanes, the ones going to the east, empty of cars. We only got 9 miles to the gallon with that wind. All the way from SLC to Winnemucca, NV we fought the wind and rain and finally stopped at a motel in Winnemucca. Gas prices in Nevada were higher than in Utah and even higher in California. We had to fill up about every 150 miles.
Tuesday, 8-31. It was a breeze coming down the west side of the mountains to Sacramento. There we visited Leon’s cousin Janet Cox and her husband. They are 3rd cousins once removed. She reminded us a lot of Leon’s sister Joan,; some of the same mannerisms and appearance but taller and slimmer. She gave us copies of information and pictures. We then proceeded north, stopping in Redding, CA. The atmosphere was very smoky because of forest fires burning to the north near Mt Shasta.
Wednesday, 9-1. The drive north of Redding was very beautiful though mountainous and curvy. We arrived at Portland, at our RV Park located on Hayden Island in the Columbia River in the afternoon. That evening we visited Yvonne and Dave Cummings, my niece, who lives in Gresham, a suburb of Portland. The have a lovely family of five children.
Thursday, 9-2. That morning we had a beautiful walk along the edge of the Columbia River and realized how huge that river is. We then visited Marcia Staunton, who lives in the same park but in a different section. She was married to a Honey and had done lots of research which she shared with us. After a lovely luncheon, and more visiting, we drove to Seaside, OR where Leon had lived as a boy. His father was stationed at Ft. Stevens nearby. Although we had addresses of two of the houses they had lived in, they had either been torn down or renumbered and we were unable to find them. Seaside is a lovely resort town; no street along the beach but a promenade where people can walk and enjoy the views of the ocean. We spent the night in a nearby KOA campground.
Friday 9-3. That morning we visited Ft. Stevens, seeing the old gun emplacements, minus the guns and were impressed with the concrete structures that remained. It was here that a Japanese submarine shelled the coast. The town was startled but no damage was done. Leon’s Dad had told us earlier that he was disgusted that the Japanese sub had more powerful guns than the fort. We continued on into Astoria and visited the Columbia River Museum than on to the Bonneville Dam. Leon’s father had helped install the second phase of the generators while he worked for GE, just before WW II, about 1939-40. The dam was built in three parts, the spillway, the powerhouse and a lock which permitted navigation on the river past the dam. It is possible for freighters to sail all the way into Idaho on this river by using the locks. This was the first of many dams built on the river. We spent the night in the town of Dufer, at the home of ny nephew Fred Williams and his wife Karen and son Granger. They live in an old three-story farm house which originally had been a stop on a stagecoach line.
Saturday, 9-4. We drove to Boise, ID where we met with Bruce Honey and members of his family. They are descended from Aden Honey, BV’s son. We also visited with Leon’s niece, Cindi Floyd Peterson and her husband David and family. Afterwards we drove to Twin Falls where we spent the night.
Sunday, 9-5. Before leaving the RV park we decided to return home and park the mini camper and take the Buick. It goes faster and uses much less gas! We had so far still to go we thought it would be better to travel faster for about the same amount of money. We came back home to Mt. Pleasant and traded vehicles, then drove to Grand Junction to spend the night.
Monday and Tuesday, 9/6-7. Two driving days which ended in Hays, KS, then in to St. Louis, MO at the home of our son Mark and his wife Sharon. They have four little children with one more on the way. Mark works for IBM as a project manager and takes full responsibility for my being introduced to the Internet.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
1998 doings
After such a wonderful trip it was back to everyday living, taking care of my Mom and such. Leon was still playing in the Utah Valley Symphony and Leon, Mom, and I would drive up every Wednesday evening for the rehearsal in the Senior Citizen Center in Provo. Sometimes, in the winter, there would be storms and deer in the road but mostly it was o.k. for our drive. We would get home just before 11:00 p.m.
Our grandson David Barlow married Elann Romney in the Salt Lake Temple in June of 1998. Afterwards, a luncheon was held in a church that was close by. It is the one with the large stained glass window depicting the first vision. Lots of family were present.
Leon and I built a patio roof over the cement slab in the back yard. It was fun doing it together. We had a salesperson at a hardware store help with the plans and ordered the materials which were delivered in a large trailer. It was nice to have a covered area in back.
Leon and I had Nina, a woman in Sylvia’s ward, come stay with Mom. She had helped out many times before. We drove up into Idaho to see where Leon had lived when he was young. We visited the rock house his great grandfather, Franklin Alexander Hales had built. It is a beautiful old home. During WW II, Leon’s Dad had added indoor plumbing to the house and other amenities. Leon and his Mom, sister and brother lived there part of the time while his father was away in the army. Old neighbors, the Spauldings, had bought the home and kept it up.
We then drove to Challis, ID, where the Honeys had lived when Leon’s father was young. Bill Honey graduated from high school there. We saw a lot of old buildings and, at the court house, they let us look through old records and we were able to get copies of old photos.
Another 4th of July parade with the Honey Band. Leon, Sylvia, David B., Chris, Becky, Brent, Peggy, Doug, Alan, Rob and Lauren were the band. The grandkids rode in the back of a pickup. It was a lot of fun and the people enjoyed seeing and hearing them. I think this is the last time we did it.
Another trip! This time we visited Manhattan, KS where Leon had lived during the war. We looked up the home where he had lived. There are a lot of very nice old homes with lots of trees. We also saw the school where he attended 7th grade. We also saw the swimming pool where he learned to swim. We also visited Ft. Riley, where Leon’s Dad was stationed.
We then went to St. Louis to visit Mark and Sharon. Jenny Barlow was also living with them as she was an apprentice at the St. Louis Botanical Gardens. It was fun to see the grandkids, Richard, Jessica, Rachel and Nathan, the baby.
Tricia and Alan and family came for Christmas and we had a great family party at the Barlows. Such a lot of grandchildren! All gems!
Our grandson David Barlow married Elann Romney in the Salt Lake Temple in June of 1998. Afterwards, a luncheon was held in a church that was close by. It is the one with the large stained glass window depicting the first vision. Lots of family were present.
Leon and I built a patio roof over the cement slab in the back yard. It was fun doing it together. We had a salesperson at a hardware store help with the plans and ordered the materials which were delivered in a large trailer. It was nice to have a covered area in back.
Leon and I had Nina, a woman in Sylvia’s ward, come stay with Mom. She had helped out many times before. We drove up into Idaho to see where Leon had lived when he was young. We visited the rock house his great grandfather, Franklin Alexander Hales had built. It is a beautiful old home. During WW II, Leon’s Dad had added indoor plumbing to the house and other amenities. Leon and his Mom, sister and brother lived there part of the time while his father was away in the army. Old neighbors, the Spauldings, had bought the home and kept it up.
We then drove to Challis, ID, where the Honeys had lived when Leon’s father was young. Bill Honey graduated from high school there. We saw a lot of old buildings and, at the court house, they let us look through old records and we were able to get copies of old photos.
Another 4th of July parade with the Honey Band. Leon, Sylvia, David B., Chris, Becky, Brent, Peggy, Doug, Alan, Rob and Lauren were the band. The grandkids rode in the back of a pickup. It was a lot of fun and the people enjoyed seeing and hearing them. I think this is the last time we did it.
Another trip! This time we visited Manhattan, KS where Leon had lived during the war. We looked up the home where he had lived. There are a lot of very nice old homes with lots of trees. We also saw the school where he attended 7th grade. We also saw the swimming pool where he learned to swim. We also visited Ft. Riley, where Leon’s Dad was stationed.
We then went to St. Louis to visit Mark and Sharon. Jenny Barlow was also living with them as she was an apprentice at the St. Louis Botanical Gardens. It was fun to see the grandkids, Richard, Jessica, Rachel and Nathan, the baby.
Tricia and Alan and family came for Christmas and we had a great family party at the Barlows. Such a lot of grandchildren! All gems!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Last night and trip home
That evening, we had a farewell dinner at the Jerusalem Center then we had a party afterwards. There were a lot of crazy games. The girls in charge also passed out awards and names. They asked what Leon would have been called in pharaohinic times and the answer was King’s Ram Horn the Second because of the shofar (ram’s horn) he had purchased. For Bro. Nyman they had found an alarm clock and the sound was the voice of the muzzein calling to prayers from a mosque. Calls we had heard frequently along with Christian church bells. I was the person who had developed the most muscles in the right arm because of leading the hymns every morning.
We drove to the airport in Tel Aviv, arriving about 9 p.m. I told Eddie our driver goodbye telling him Shokran (thank you) and Ma’asalamah (goodbye) and he gave me a big hug and told me Ma’asalamah. We were to be at the airport at least three hours before flight time and we were there four. Leon and I had our large bags opened but had only a minimum search, then went quickly through passport control. Others had more thorough searches. One couple was told their passports were tampered with and gave them a hard time for a while, then let them through. Another person had not kept the form we were given upon entering the country and we expected the worst but she was able to fill out another and come through all right. Bro. Nyman was asked to bring back four suitcases for one of the BYU professors and he had a lot of problems with taking luggage that was not his. He eventually got through the check points for security and passport control. Everyone made it through.
It was a long flight back, leaving around 1:00 a.m. and after 11 ½ hours, arrived in New York at 6:00 a.m. We watched Guys & Dolls during the night. From NY we flew to St. Louis then on to SLC. Ryan, bless his heart, met us and took us to Nancy’s where we had left some things, then we drove home, taking Ryan home for a visit.
We had a wonderful time, and unforgetable time, but it was great to be home again!
We drove to the airport in Tel Aviv, arriving about 9 p.m. I told Eddie our driver goodbye telling him Shokran (thank you) and Ma’asalamah (goodbye) and he gave me a big hug and told me Ma’asalamah. We were to be at the airport at least three hours before flight time and we were there four. Leon and I had our large bags opened but had only a minimum search, then went quickly through passport control. Others had more thorough searches. One couple was told their passports were tampered with and gave them a hard time for a while, then let them through. Another person had not kept the form we were given upon entering the country and we expected the worst but she was able to fill out another and come through all right. Bro. Nyman was asked to bring back four suitcases for one of the BYU professors and he had a lot of problems with taking luggage that was not his. He eventually got through the check points for security and passport control. Everyone made it through.
It was a long flight back, leaving around 1:00 a.m. and after 11 ½ hours, arrived in New York at 6:00 a.m. We watched Guys & Dolls during the night. From NY we flew to St. Louis then on to SLC. Ryan, bless his heart, met us and took us to Nancy’s where we had left some things, then we drove home, taking Ryan home for a visit.
We had a wonderful time, and unforgetable time, but it was great to be home again!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Gethsemane and Garden Tomb
Tuesday, July 21. Our last day and the best was saved for last. The first stop was the Garden of Gethsemane. We first went into a garden adjacent to the Garden where Bro. Nyman spoke to us. Then we went into the Garden; very peaceful, quiet and smelled heavenly. There were Star Jasmine and Sweet William in bloom. No lecturing is allowed in the Garden. There are eight ancient olive trees with HUGE trunks. I have never seen such huge trunks on trees, especially on these trees as they are not very tall. We were told that these date to the time of Christ. Olive roots seem never to die, they just keep on sending out suckers and fruit is still being produced.. We walked around the trees, behind a fence, and everything was very quiet. I thought it a special place. I kept thinking of the words to "I Stand All Amazed" and thought that this was the place that Jesus suffered for my sins.
The Church of All Nations is adjacent to the Garden; it was not intrusive like some churches but had a reverent atmosphere. From the Garden we went to the place where supposedly it was the Upper Room where Jesus kept the Passover. Next, we walked along the city streets, the old city; we hardly were ever in the new part. We saw a man, dressed like King David playing on a harp and singing about Jerusalem in English. We took his picture.
Next was the church of Peter in Gallicantu, where the cock crowed after he denied Jesus three times. It is a beautiful, modern, small church which I enjoyed a lot. There was no one else there so we sat and talked and looked at the paintings on the wall. The twelve apostles and others were represented. The church was built over what is thought to be the ruins of the house of Caiaphas the High Priest. Under his house was a dungeon which tradition states that Jesus was imprisoned and beaten there. We saw the dungeon and its several rooms. Outside are steps leading up, and dating to the 1st century. Jesus very well could have been led up these steps.
We went through the Lion’s Gate and visited the ruins of the Pool of Bethesda and next to it was the Church of St. Anne. A group ahead of us was singing Amazing Grace. Our group sang I Stand All Amazed. The acoustics were great.
Our last stop was the Garden Tomb. General Gordon, of Khartoum fame, visited the area over a century ago and was struck by the skull formation on the side of the hill at the end of the Temple Mount. He felt that this was the place of Calvary or Golgotha and not the Church of the Sepulchre. Others had also notice the skull formation. I saw it and it really looks like a skull with the eyes and nose plain to see. No one had ever built there as it had a reputation as a place of execution.
The ground next to it was owned by a Greek who wanted to use a tomb there to be used as a cistern but an archeologist told him the tomb was ancient, dating to the 1st century. The man then wanted to plant a garden but there was no cistern to hold water. A Christian group in London raised money to buy the land which was covered with rubble and when they dug they found the third largest cistern in Jerusalem, which showed that the area had once been a garden. One can only have a garden if one has a cistern for water storage. Jerusalem has the same amount of rainfall as London but it comes in two or three months of the year so it has to be stored.
The group has made it a most beautiful and peaceful spot. There are little separate areas where groups can sit and listen to their guides. The group sends out their people for about three months to be guides and care for the area. One of their guides talked to us and said he couldn’t state definitely that this was the tomb where Jesus was buried but there were so many reasons to believe it was: 1) the skull formation, which is what Golgotha means, place of the skull, 2) it was near the junction of two major roads where Romans like to execute criminals, 3) it is very near a city gate 4) a garden next to the place of execution with a tomb, 5) the tomb is that of a wealthy man and unfinished, 6) the tomb dates to the 1st century.
We were able to go inside the tomb and see the two little rooms. As one goes inside one sees on the right another little room with two stone beds or ledges. The most important thing about the tomb is the message painted on the door of the tomb: "He Is Not Here For He Is Risen". I thought it most impressive. Pres. Harold B. Lee felt that this was the place where Jesus was buried and resurrected, not the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Church of All Nations is adjacent to the Garden; it was not intrusive like some churches but had a reverent atmosphere. From the Garden we went to the place where supposedly it was the Upper Room where Jesus kept the Passover. Next, we walked along the city streets, the old city; we hardly were ever in the new part. We saw a man, dressed like King David playing on a harp and singing about Jerusalem in English. We took his picture.
Next was the church of Peter in Gallicantu, where the cock crowed after he denied Jesus three times. It is a beautiful, modern, small church which I enjoyed a lot. There was no one else there so we sat and talked and looked at the paintings on the wall. The twelve apostles and others were represented. The church was built over what is thought to be the ruins of the house of Caiaphas the High Priest. Under his house was a dungeon which tradition states that Jesus was imprisoned and beaten there. We saw the dungeon and its several rooms. Outside are steps leading up, and dating to the 1st century. Jesus very well could have been led up these steps.
We went through the Lion’s Gate and visited the ruins of the Pool of Bethesda and next to it was the Church of St. Anne. A group ahead of us was singing Amazing Grace. Our group sang I Stand All Amazed. The acoustics were great.
Our last stop was the Garden Tomb. General Gordon, of Khartoum fame, visited the area over a century ago and was struck by the skull formation on the side of the hill at the end of the Temple Mount. He felt that this was the place of Calvary or Golgotha and not the Church of the Sepulchre. Others had also notice the skull formation. I saw it and it really looks like a skull with the eyes and nose plain to see. No one had ever built there as it had a reputation as a place of execution.
The ground next to it was owned by a Greek who wanted to use a tomb there to be used as a cistern but an archeologist told him the tomb was ancient, dating to the 1st century. The man then wanted to plant a garden but there was no cistern to hold water. A Christian group in London raised money to buy the land which was covered with rubble and when they dug they found the third largest cistern in Jerusalem, which showed that the area had once been a garden. One can only have a garden if one has a cistern for water storage. Jerusalem has the same amount of rainfall as London but it comes in two or three months of the year so it has to be stored.
The group has made it a most beautiful and peaceful spot. There are little separate areas where groups can sit and listen to their guides. The group sends out their people for about three months to be guides and care for the area. One of their guides talked to us and said he couldn’t state definitely that this was the tomb where Jesus was buried but there were so many reasons to believe it was: 1) the skull formation, which is what Golgotha means, place of the skull, 2) it was near the junction of two major roads where Romans like to execute criminals, 3) it is very near a city gate 4) a garden next to the place of execution with a tomb, 5) the tomb is that of a wealthy man and unfinished, 6) the tomb dates to the 1st century.
We were able to go inside the tomb and see the two little rooms. As one goes inside one sees on the right another little room with two stone beds or ledges. The most important thing about the tomb is the message painted on the door of the tomb: "He Is Not Here For He Is Risen". I thought it most impressive. Pres. Harold B. Lee felt that this was the place where Jesus was buried and resurrected, not the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Jerusalem Center, Temple Mount, Hezekiah's Tunnel
Sunday, July 18. We visited the Orson Hyde Memorial Gardens which is on the side of a hill. Someone donated the land to the city and the mayor, Teddy Kollek, asked if the Mormons wanted to do something with it. Elder LeGrand Richards was involved in the Orson Hyde Foundation, which raised about $2,000,000.00 to landscape it. The garden belongs to the city which maintains it. Walking to the site one could see what a blessing this garden is as the area outside is barren and practically a garbage dump. There is a nice plaque at the entrance naming it and the Foundation. The garden is large and very beautiful and peaceful.
We next drove to the BYU Jerusalem Center and what a lovely place it is. There are eight levels and visitors can go to the top three; living quarters are below. We attended Sacrament Meeting in the chapel. The wall overlooking the city is all windows so one has a superb view of the old city. After our meetings we had an organ concert just for our group. Parley Belnap was the organist, retired from BYU. Leon had known him when they both were at school. Concerts are given in the chapel every week and are open to the public.
Bro. Nyman took us on a tour of the building and grounds, which are lovely. The center is really an oasis. We saw different presses for oil; one was a weight and measure press and another a screw press. We were told that olive oil is red when first squeezed, then after settling, it becomes the color we know. We also saw a wine press. We were told the students have a chance to stomp grapes but that no one wants to drink the juice the next day, even though it is boiled. We had a fireside that evening. We learned to say "Shabbat Shalom", which is the Jewish greeting. Our Sabbath was really on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
Sunday, July 19. We visited the Temple Mount. Most tour members visited the El Aqsa Mosque but I didn’t. I didn’t wear socks that day and they didn’t have booties for one’s shoes as in Cairo so I passed but I couldn’t miss the Dome of the Rock so I went barefoot in there. The whole thing was covered in carpets, rather worn. Inside was the rock where Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac, the Muslims say it was Ishmael. The hole was to push the ground grain down into the storage chamber below. The Muslims believe Mohammed met with ancient prophets down in the chamber and that he was taken to heaven through the hole in the rock. I found out that the Dome of the Rock is not a mosque but a monument, the third most sacred place to Muslims after Mecca and Medina.
Our next stop was a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This was so ornate and full of rich furnishings, even more so than the Church of the Nativity. Catholics, Greek Orthodox and other Christian denominations think this is the place where Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Protestants and LDS think it is the Garden Tomb where Jesus was entombed and resurrected as its location is outside the city walls and is a more logical place.
We next went on a walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel. This tunnel was built to bring the water from the Gihon Spring, outside city walls, to the Pool of Siloam, inside the walls. We were told that there was a fault where water ran so the excavators followed it. The tunnel is 1/3 mile in length and winds around and it took about 30 minutes to walk it. There are no lights so one has to bring a flashlight. I lost mine so I had to follow right behind Leon and his light. I could touch both sides of the tunnel with my hands and in some places had to bend down so as to not hit my head. The water was cool and came up to above my knees. The floor was rocky so we had to wear shoes to protect our feet. The entrance to the tunnel was so well hidden that residents of Jerusalem were not aware the Gihon Spring was the source of water for the pool until the 1500s. Last century, boys exploring a few feet inside the entrance found a carved stone telling about how it was made. The stone is now in the museum in Istanbul.
Monday, July 20. There are always about four or five vendors outside our hotel every morning and one has to run the gauntlet to get to the bus. We drove southeast to Bet Shemesh where we saw Byzantine ruins. It is in the area where Sampson lived. Bet or Beit means house of so Bethlehem means house of bread, Bet Shemesh is house of the sun. We visited the Valley of Elah where David fought Goliath. We crossed a brook, dry, where David picked up his stones. Most on the tour picked up a stone. Bro. Nyman said the government brings in a new truckload each year to replace the stones picked up by tourists.
We drove through a vineyard to get to a place where Bro. Nyman had visited a tomb with the rolling stone intact. Alas, vandals had broken the stone but we could still see what it was like. He showed us what would have been a little corral where shepherds would enclose their sheep for the night while they slept in a cave. We saw the cave. The shepherds would have called their sheep in the morning and each sheep would have come to its master’s voice. There are 3,000 caves in the area, the rocks are made of chalk. We saw remains of a Roman road and some Roman steps on our trip back to Jerusalem.
We next drove to the BYU Jerusalem Center and what a lovely place it is. There are eight levels and visitors can go to the top three; living quarters are below. We attended Sacrament Meeting in the chapel. The wall overlooking the city is all windows so one has a superb view of the old city. After our meetings we had an organ concert just for our group. Parley Belnap was the organist, retired from BYU. Leon had known him when they both were at school. Concerts are given in the chapel every week and are open to the public.
Bro. Nyman took us on a tour of the building and grounds, which are lovely. The center is really an oasis. We saw different presses for oil; one was a weight and measure press and another a screw press. We were told that olive oil is red when first squeezed, then after settling, it becomes the color we know. We also saw a wine press. We were told the students have a chance to stomp grapes but that no one wants to drink the juice the next day, even though it is boiled. We had a fireside that evening. We learned to say "Shabbat Shalom", which is the Jewish greeting. Our Sabbath was really on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
Sunday, July 19. We visited the Temple Mount. Most tour members visited the El Aqsa Mosque but I didn’t. I didn’t wear socks that day and they didn’t have booties for one’s shoes as in Cairo so I passed but I couldn’t miss the Dome of the Rock so I went barefoot in there. The whole thing was covered in carpets, rather worn. Inside was the rock where Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac, the Muslims say it was Ishmael. The hole was to push the ground grain down into the storage chamber below. The Muslims believe Mohammed met with ancient prophets down in the chamber and that he was taken to heaven through the hole in the rock. I found out that the Dome of the Rock is not a mosque but a monument, the third most sacred place to Muslims after Mecca and Medina.
Our next stop was a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This was so ornate and full of rich furnishings, even more so than the Church of the Nativity. Catholics, Greek Orthodox and other Christian denominations think this is the place where Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Protestants and LDS think it is the Garden Tomb where Jesus was entombed and resurrected as its location is outside the city walls and is a more logical place.
We next went on a walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel. This tunnel was built to bring the water from the Gihon Spring, outside city walls, to the Pool of Siloam, inside the walls. We were told that there was a fault where water ran so the excavators followed it. The tunnel is 1/3 mile in length and winds around and it took about 30 minutes to walk it. There are no lights so one has to bring a flashlight. I lost mine so I had to follow right behind Leon and his light. I could touch both sides of the tunnel with my hands and in some places had to bend down so as to not hit my head. The water was cool and came up to above my knees. The floor was rocky so we had to wear shoes to protect our feet. The entrance to the tunnel was so well hidden that residents of Jerusalem were not aware the Gihon Spring was the source of water for the pool until the 1500s. Last century, boys exploring a few feet inside the entrance found a carved stone telling about how it was made. The stone is now in the museum in Istanbul.
Monday, July 20. There are always about four or five vendors outside our hotel every morning and one has to run the gauntlet to get to the bus. We drove southeast to Bet Shemesh where we saw Byzantine ruins. It is in the area where Sampson lived. Bet or Beit means house of so Bethlehem means house of bread, Bet Shemesh is house of the sun. We visited the Valley of Elah where David fought Goliath. We crossed a brook, dry, where David picked up his stones. Most on the tour picked up a stone. Bro. Nyman said the government brings in a new truckload each year to replace the stones picked up by tourists.
We drove through a vineyard to get to a place where Bro. Nyman had visited a tomb with the rolling stone intact. Alas, vandals had broken the stone but we could still see what it was like. He showed us what would have been a little corral where shepherds would enclose their sheep for the night while they slept in a cave. We saw the cave. The shepherds would have called their sheep in the morning and each sheep would have come to its master’s voice. There are 3,000 caves in the area, the rocks are made of chalk. We saw remains of a Roman road and some Roman steps on our trip back to Jerusalem.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Dear Sea, Masada, Western Wall
Friday July 17 Leon felt he needed to rest his ankles, which were swelling badly, so he stayed behind at the hotel while we went to Qumran. We saw the ruins of the living quarters of the people who had lived there and some dams on the mountainside to catch the rainwater which was stored in their large cisterns. We saw cave #4, where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. It is the only cave visible from the visitor’s center. It is very desolate country and honeycombed with caves.
We kept driving south and saw the Dead Sea. It was a beautiful acqua color and I could just imagine the disappointment of travelers, after crossing the desolate land and having this beautiful water be salty instead of fresh. This is the only place where I felt the heat, the hottest I was on the whole trip. We sat under huge awnings so we weren’t in the sun but it was terribly hot! It was probably humid because of being by the water. Some of my fellow travelers tried to swim in the water but you can only float. Some got covered with the black mud , said to be a beauty agent. They looked awful.
Our next stop was Masada, another place I particularly wanted to visit. This is where the Zealots stood off the Romans and finally committed suicide when the Romans breached the wall. We rode a cable car up and still had about 80 steps to climb. Herod built this as a stronghold and resort for himself and his family. He had food for 100 years stored, also water in the huge cisterns for 40 years. The Zealots who hid out there used these supplies. We saw Roman baths and visited Herold’s Western Palace. I couldn’t understand why anyone would use that place as a resort until I visited the palace. Inside, with shade and the sides open to cool breezes, it was a very pleasant place to be. From the top of the mountain one can look down and see the remains of several Roman forts which besieged the Zealots. Also, the ramp which was built up to the top can be seen. The Romans built a wall all around the mountain to contain the rebels. I was surprised that there were other mountains close to this one. I had imagined it sticking up all alone.
That evening we visited the Western Wall. The Sabbath would begin at 7:10 p.m. according to our guide Amos, who consulted his calendar. We would be allowed to take pictures until about 7 p.m. There is a fence back a ways from the wall and people can go beyond it but men have to wear skull caps to approach the wall. There is another fence separating the men’s section from the women’s. Worshippers wore their Sunday best. There was not a variety in the dress of the women but quite a variety in the men’s. Some wore big black fuzzy hats, other broad-brimmed hats, most skull caps. Some had their long prayer locks, others regular haircuts. Many sway while praying which is supposed to help one concentrate. I could have gone down into the women’s section but would have felt out-of-place in my pants. I also thought it would have been irreverent. I even felt uncomfortable taking pictures at the allowed time as it was a very sacred time and place for the Jews.
We kept driving south and saw the Dead Sea. It was a beautiful acqua color and I could just imagine the disappointment of travelers, after crossing the desolate land and having this beautiful water be salty instead of fresh. This is the only place where I felt the heat, the hottest I was on the whole trip. We sat under huge awnings so we weren’t in the sun but it was terribly hot! It was probably humid because of being by the water. Some of my fellow travelers tried to swim in the water but you can only float. Some got covered with the black mud , said to be a beauty agent. They looked awful.
Our next stop was Masada, another place I particularly wanted to visit. This is where the Zealots stood off the Romans and finally committed suicide when the Romans breached the wall. We rode a cable car up and still had about 80 steps to climb. Herod built this as a stronghold and resort for himself and his family. He had food for 100 years stored, also water in the huge cisterns for 40 years. The Zealots who hid out there used these supplies. We saw Roman baths and visited Herold’s Western Palace. I couldn’t understand why anyone would use that place as a resort until I visited the palace. Inside, with shade and the sides open to cool breezes, it was a very pleasant place to be. From the top of the mountain one can look down and see the remains of several Roman forts which besieged the Zealots. Also, the ramp which was built up to the top can be seen. The Romans built a wall all around the mountain to contain the rebels. I was surprised that there were other mountains close to this one. I had imagined it sticking up all alone.
That evening we visited the Western Wall. The Sabbath would begin at 7:10 p.m. according to our guide Amos, who consulted his calendar. We would be allowed to take pictures until about 7 p.m. There is a fence back a ways from the wall and people can go beyond it but men have to wear skull caps to approach the wall. There is another fence separating the men’s section from the women’s. Worshippers wore their Sunday best. There was not a variety in the dress of the women but quite a variety in the men’s. Some wore big black fuzzy hats, other broad-brimmed hats, most skull caps. Some had their long prayer locks, others regular haircuts. Many sway while praying which is supposed to help one concentrate. I could have gone down into the women’s section but would have felt out-of-place in my pants. I also thought it would have been irreverent. I even felt uncomfortable taking pictures at the allowed time as it was a very sacred time and place for the Jews.
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