Special April days

With Deb and Shane on the Mount of Olives; Thursday, April 21, 2011

I thought I was quite lucky and blessed to be in Jerusalem for Holy Week and Easter last year--little did I guess at the time I was going to still be in Jerusalem for the same holidays this year! What a double blessing! And, because I had officially finished my volunteer work on April 19th, I was able to attend all the services and events without worrying about shifts!

Obviously one of the highlights of Holy Week is the walk to the Mount of Olives after the service and Eucharist Thursday evening. The evening was slightly cooler than one might expect for Jerusalem at the end of April. It was cool, breezy, and sprinkling every so often. Last year, the walk had been a bit intimidating as I had one arm in a sling and that affected my balance walking down unfamiliar steep roads and stairs in the dark! This year, I didn't have such a situation and could soak in the sights and atmospheres and thoughts without paying so much attention to my feet. :-)

As we walked east towards the Kidron Valley and Mount of Olives, the illuminated south city wall was on our left. The gray dome of the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount is just barely visible on the left side.
A few more steps down the road, the city wall was still to our left, but to our right was the lower Kidron Valley and the Arab village of Silwan. This is looking south, and the twinkling lights were so peaceful in the dark night.
I know, I know, this isn't the best picture in the world, but a few things can be identified. This is looking down into the Kidron Valley. In the center (at the bottom of the valley), the two traditional tombs are just visible. To the left of the picture, the illuminated facade of the Church of All Nations in Gethsemane is visible.
After walking down into, across, and up from the Kidron Valley, we walked past the Church of All Nations in the traditional Garden of Gethsemane. We walk up higher to the Russian Gethsemane; but even this traditional Gethsemane wasn't nearly as crowded as last year. Last year, the steps in front were full of people, but it would seem that the cool and wet weather kept some pilgrims away.
Another dark picture, but it sets the tone a bit . . . this was the path into the gardens of the Russian Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.
Looking back west at the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock (framed by olive trees).


Good Friday started as a nice, sunny, spring day in Jerusalem--good thing because I had to walk up to the doctor's office yet again (about a 35-minute walk). But, by the afternoon, it had turned cold and quite windy. After service at 2, I stayed in and watched "The Passion." Saturday brought an Easter Vigil service at 8:00pm and then came Resurrection Sunday.

Sunday dawned bright and beautiful. I went to the sunrise service (6:00am!!) and then did some laundry and emails before the later service.

This is looking west--out the Christ Church gate and at the Tower of David gate across the street. The limestone was brilliant in the morning sun and the contrast between stone and blue sky certainly attracted one's attention.
Pictures after Resurrection services . . .

Michelle and Aaron, two of my very best Israel friends

A fellow volunteer and friend--Shane from Australia. This Sunday was Shane's last Sunday in Jerusalem and at Christ Church before returning home and my next-to-last so we were called up together for a farewell blessing. Don't know about Shane, but I was glad to share this with him and not be in the spotlight alone. :-)
After my last day of work, Holy Week observances took up the rest of the week and it flew by. But after Sunday, the count down started in earnest . . . More pictures to come of my special last ten days!