Shabbat Shalom! The LDS church holds their worship services on Saturday in Israel in keeping with the Jewish Sabbath. So, yesterday we began with Sacrament meeting at the Jerusalem Branch that meets at the BYU Center. The BYU facility is beautiful; a classroom and living space surrounded by gardens.After church we took gifts to Aya and Assel, 2 young Palestinian girls Rachael Holland met while studying abroad. I was amazed we found their house! And what a darling Arab family!
On our visit to Bethlehem we learned our driver, Jack, an Armenian Christian, has connections! The Church of the Nativity was crowded and the line to visit the grotto below had a huge line! Our driver, Jack, got the Armenian priest to let us in the back way and saved us a 2-3 hour wait! Score! It is touching to see the devout Christians who come from all over the world and wait for hours to pay respects at the cave that is purported to be the site Christ's birth took place.
Shabbat ends at sundown and Garland took us to the Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, the happening spot, where all the Israeli youth come out to party at the end of the Sabbath. Stores and restaurants all reopen, there is music and dancing, and the streets are filled! It's definitely a celebratory feeling, every Saturday night!
