Becky's Holy Land Adventure: Day 5 - Church for members in "prison" in their own town

This is where the several LDS members meet for their one-hour church service every Sunday. It is in the apartment home of one member, Oday, who owns "Adam Souvenir" a shop of beautiful olive wood souvenirs just down the road. Third story up on the right.

Getting ready for the church meeting to start. Oday closed his shop for church, and we waited a while for him. Which every minute was a sheer pleasure. This was one of the most sacred experiences of our entire trip, being in the presence of these amazing members who aren't allowed into Jerusalem to worship with the other saints. Elder Piper of the Seventy, who will be putting on a fireside Saturday night at the Jerusalem branch next weekend, wants to attend their little meeting on Sunday.

Brother Whipple conducts at the little worship service. He is Oday Marcus' home teacher. He loved holding Oday's 2 week-old baby, and expressed how happy that made him. He has a new grandchild whom he hasn't seen yet, and another one to be born soon. Brother Oday is a retired BYU professor, who is on assignment here at BYU Jerusalem Center as their organist. His wife conducts the choir. who is currently translating the Book of Mormon into Polish (I think for a second revision). The Center has a concert there every Sunday night, so he had to leave before us to help her welcome in singers from other countries for the concert tonight.

I got to hold Oday and Sahah's new baby. Oday had to put in an official request months in advance for permission to go into Jerusalem when his baby was born. It was granted a day late, so he missed it. He said he missed the other two births as well. My heart ached for him.

Sahar, our guide and RS president friend who teaches the lesson each week, with Oday's RAMBUNCTIOUS little 3 year-old, and Sahah, Oday's wife, who has taught kindergarten at a German school for 17 years.

Andrew Smith (from Provo, on the left) is Tom's friend getting a masters degree at Hebrew University like Tom. He is a fill-in home teaching companion because Brother Whipple's partner Max Stoneman (from Bountiful area) has class on Sundays this semester. They're both good friends of Tom and Amy, both studying Isreali politics and society.

Mohammed is a wonderful Palestinian member of the church who joined the church in 1990. He made wonderful comments during the lesson on fasting and prayer. He said he painted the BYU Jerusalem center several times, so I assume his profession is a painter. A very kind and good man. His wife is Muslim, and we were asked to pray for her to recover as she has a bad leg infection.

Oday Marcos is in the white shirt. During the testimony part of the meeting, he told us a little of his conversion story. He was in England in 1990 trying to get money for the ____ as his job. One morning he really wanted some whiskey, and instead of the pub walked into the LDS church. He felt the Spirit there right away. He never intended on changing religions, thinking all Christian religions are fine. But the Spirit worked in him and he was baptized. Carolyn and Sahar visit teach Oday's wife Sahah, who isn't a member, but Carolyn told me she is receptive. She was very nice, brought out plates of refreshments like pretzels and chocolate wafer cookies and orange juice.

Brother Whipple loves playing with kids, including Joni and Jackson. Amy later told me Sister Whipple is her Visiting Teacher, and they weren't able to have children so they ended up adopting two.

Oday's olive wood souvenir shop. He just opened this up a few months ago, which now allows him rights to come into Jerusalem to attend LDS church at the BYU Jerusalem branch. He loves LDS people and caters to them by having the wood carvers copy LDS sculptures like the First Vision and a Joseph Smith bust.