Yesterday, June 30 was probably our most adventurous day to date.
It was our last morning at the guest house at St. George's (Anglican) Cathedral, and Kim (Kari's sister) and I made it for their Morning Prayer at 7:00 am and Eucharist at 7:30 am. The services were simple, spoken, and in English, with both their priests present plus two other pilgrims. I'm sure my brother would like to play their impressive Rieger organ which was silent that morning.
Breakfast in their courtyard, with lemon and lime and palm trees and many beautiful flowers is wonderfully suited for relaxation. We shared our mealtime with a Lutheran named Hanna from Oslo, who is volunteering at St. George's while there for a week.
Packing our bags, we met our cab driver Abu Issam (a neighbor of the Azars) with his van ready at 10:30 am. We went to the Azar house in their neighborhood near Tantur called Beit Safafa and unloaded while Abu Issam waited for us. We loaded two Azar girls Jihan and Sally with us, and went to the Mount of Olives.
We began at the top, where the Lutheran Church of the Ascension is situated, part of the complex of Lutheran World Federation Hospital Augusta Victoria Hospital, which serves Palestians in any need. The Ascension Church is dedicated to Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, who was the patron for that site in Jerusalem in the late 18th and early 19th century. Beautiful scripturally-based paintings grace the ceilings of the church, and yet another magnificent organ, this time accompanying a mezzo-soprano in rehearsal (lovely). After taking refreshment at the hospital cafeteria, we walked down the Mount of Olives through a neighborhood, then in search of holy sites.
We were disappointed to find the gate to Garden of Gethsemane closed after descending a steep and narrow street to find it. We climbed up on the other side, and again disappointed to find the Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Russian Orthodox) closed to tourists as they celebrate their liturgies on Saturday. Up a little more, to find that Dominus Flevit ("Our Lord weeps")was closed until 2:30 pm (it was 2:07). Like an angel, their caretaker David arrived and unlocked the gate for us seeking pilgrims. Beautiful terraced gardens with the most gorgeous view of the Mount of Olives, and the Old City and Al-Asqa mosque in the distance. Once in the chapel, Kari read the Bible passage about Jesus lamenting the city of Jeruslem, and wishing to gather the people of Jerusalem as a mother hen gathers her chicks. On the altar frontispiece is a mosaic of a mother hen gathering her chicks! Looking out the window be hind the altar is the same view as outside, but framed with an wrought-iron chalice (just like the travel books, I got a picture myself!).
Back down the road, we discovered that the gate to the garden of Gethsemane was opened! We saw nine trees fenced in a garden that were over 2,000 years old and a site reported to be where Jesus wept tears like blood. The church at that site is the Church of All Nations, built in 1924, and like Dominus Flevit, administerd by Franciscans. In front of the altar was a slab of stone from the Garden of Gethsemane. The children and adults spent time kneeling at the altar rail and pondering this place where Jesus prayed, was betrayed, and arrested.
This was probably the hottest day of the week so far, so we found a refreshment stand with popsicles just beckoning to us with pineapple, raspberry, and lemon flavors. Abu Issam arrived just as we were finishing up for our return trip to the Azars.
Barhoum Azar is fluent in German, having studied for a theology degree there (all his children are fluent as well), and is an avid "football" (soccer) fan. We all were invited to watch Germany play Argentina for the World Cup quarterfinals over dinner at the home of Mark and Susanna Brown. Mark is formerly from the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs and is currently the Coordinator for the ELCJ HL, focusing much of his work on Augusta Victoria. His family lives in the compound just across from the hospital.
We were all cheering for Germany (but not all!) watching a TV set up on a table outside and eating pizza ordered out, when fireworks from a wedding flew just above us. Some of the fireworks across the street started a fire which has happened from time to time on the Augusta Victoria grounds. Mark Brown and his son tried to dig a trench to surround the fire, but also called in the Fire Department to spray water on the fire. Susanna said life is never dull here!
Bethany has had trouble with her asthma cough these past days, always worse at night. She started coughing vigorously already while watching the soccer game, and Susanna encouraged us to seek treatment. Where did we go? Augusta Victoria with Mark Brown, this time advocating for us. Bethany got two nebulizing treatments, a chest x-ray, and a prescription for an inhaler from her Dr. Amallah, which means Dr. "Hope." She got treated at this special hospital supported by the worldwide Lutheran Community! We were amazed at the care of so many, and invite your prayers for Bethany. She was much improved, and finally got a decent night sleep (as did her mother).
Today is a day of transition, as Kari and I ready ourselves for our time at Tantur. Medicines and papers for the children are handed over to Kari's sister Kim. Laundry is done and luggage is repacked. Plans for tomorrow at church are being made (including shopping at the market). We were pleased to celebrate our time together at Nahila's favorite restaurant, a Chinese restaurant in Jerusalem. Pastor Barhoum Azar will leave in the middle of the night to be a guest at a conference for Jewish-Christian relations in Switzerland, so we will say farewell and godspeed to him tonight. Kari and I agree that this was a good plan to come early and get used to everything one week with our children before beginning the prorgam at Tantur.
Tomorrow we will worship at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Old City with Bishop Mounib Younan preaching and presiding in place of Pastor Barhoum Azar. Bishop Younan has invited Pastor Tim to help serve communion.
At Tantur we will miss an morning excursion to Ein Gedi and communal worship at a Roman Catholic Church (they usually do not begin in the morning), but will arrive in time for Evening Prayer at 5:30 pm. We are glad it is so close to where our children are staying, and know they and their Aunt Kim, along with the Azar children and their mother, will have a wonderful time.
We will pray for Christ the King in its gathering tomorrow around Word and Meal, as we know you will be praying for us.
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