One more Israel story

Music was a big part of my Israel experience, and I was really looking forward to going to the site of the Last Supper on our last day in Israel.  I couldn’t wait to sing, “Love one another.”  

Well the day got away from us with ton of tourists at all of the spots we were trying to go to— so many busses, so much traffic, and we had to get to the Airport by 5:00pm— so we were on a time crunch and after being at Lazarus tomb, and  the steps where Peter betrayed Christ and the prison where Caiaphus held Jesus before turning him over to Pontias Pilate, lunch— rain came and we had to just head to the airport with out our final two stops— The last supper upper room , and the Israel museum.  It was disappointing to say the least.

As I was looking back on my trip I had a fellow bus mate thank me for singing “Love One another” earlier in the week.  

We were in the underground ( every thing original from 2000 years ago is under ground now, because of how civilization works, and earthquakes etc…. ) So we were down where Pilate washed his hands of Christ— and our tour guide had us there early in the morning, so we could have some time for a devotional here.  It’s pretty standard procedure to have different tour groups fill a space— talk for about 5-10 minutes, then move one.. every one is pretty congenial about waiting their turn and not taking too long.   Anyway, we were gathered hearing about Christ’s last days..and another group was pushing through.  Our tour guide asked them to wait, and they were pretty pushy and said, “It’s just a few of us” …well a few- like 8 people interrupted us, and then ten or twenty more surged through, our tour guide wasn’t happy and many in our group started booing to show their displeasure…and I started singing, “As I have loved you, love one another…” and everyone stopped.  It brought the temperature in the room down, and reminded us why we were there.

 So, I did get to sing this song on my Holy land trip. It wasn’t at the Last Supper room, but it was at a perfect time to share the message of Jesus’ ministry.

Israel is full of really ordinary places. Really not much to look at,, a rock here, a body of water, a hill...but It’s the stories that bring it to life.  Its not the location that’s important. It’s WHO came into it. JESUS  

Pres Monson:  We need not walk by the shores of Galilee or among the Judean hills to walk where Jesus walked. In a very real sense, all can walk where Jesus walked when, with his words on our lips, his spirit in our hearts, and his teachings in our lives, we journey through mortality.

Wrongly accused at the Jesus prison

We toured the ruins where Jesus was brought before Caiaphus, after the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was wrongly accused and taken to prison.   Caiaphus then turned Jesus over to Pontias Pilate.

It was sobering to read scripture around this and be in the actual prisons where Jesus and other apostles were held. 

There were a ton of tour busses and tourists at this site.

There was a  group coming in the out, trying to skip the long line.  The tour guide with a flag held high, just kept saying, "Coming through.  Keep walking" to his group. This was not cool and causing trouble.  Our 54 people were all crushed into a waiting room.  Waiting to go down into the pit space and have a short devotional.     This wrong way group was plowing through following their guide with really no where to go.  Other tour guides and people were telling them to turn around,  go back, this is the wrong way. 

  

 One of our big men - 6’5- football linebacker was standing filling a door way. Arms folded.  He just leaned his body over into the line. And said calmly, “Turn around.”   The group continued through.    We all just rolled our eyes.

 It was a small claustrophobic space and we all just had to stand squished and sweaty together.  We waited for the “extra long devotional group” down in the prison pit, so we could have a turn.

Next thing we know this “wrong-way-tour-guide” was in the face of our tour guide accusing our man of pushing one of their women down. The tour guide was just taking the woman at her word, he hadn’t witnessed anything because he was way out in front of his group pushing his way through the crowds backwards with his flag held high.   He was trying to take a picture of our tour guide’s badge to turn him in and saying “No man should even be touching another woman let alone pushing her down”… It was a big screamy thing.   We were all stunned.  We said it didn’t happen and took a picture of his badge to turn him in.

Well we shook it off and took our turn down in the pit and learned how Christ was lowered with a rope under his armpits to the prison floor— food and water would have also been lowered down this way.  The floor of this pit would have been a mire- full of water and scum and excrement-so no one could lay or sit down.  It was hard to hear about Jesus being so mistreated. 

We got back out onto the steps of the courtyard  to talk about Peter denying Christ, and the wrong way tour guide and this woman and their group started yelling at us, shouting that we "shouldn’t touch, or push a woman down, shame on you"…. the woman was crying.  We were all stunned, because she was lying, this didn’t happen. It was crazy.  She was demanding an apology.  Many eye witnesses in our group came forward to say what they saw.   This woman could not be appeased- nor her group.  We just said, “Sorry,” and scurried out to our bus.  It was weird.

BUT…..so interesting that this happened here where Christ was also falsely accused.  We all felt this righteous indignation. This feeling of helplessness about not being believed. 

I wish this woman and her group well… but it definitely put a cloud over our last day.   And then the rain actually fell.

Thanksgiving 2022

 Pie Party and Grandkid Sleep over night.

The Annual Pie Party at the Call's was delicious as usual.  Megan is all over it.  I think we should re name this gathering the Bread Pudding Party because it's that good.   SO good to see all my sibs.  I love this bunch. 

I had a grand kid sleepover Wednesday night into Thanksgiving and I loved it so much I’m going to make it an annual.  Tayla, Lady and Elsie watched movies with me, ate pie, got a bubble bath in the big tub and then off to bed.  Thanksgiving morning we watched the big parade together and it was so fun. 

THE BIG TURKEY DAY:  We were at Landon and Alex’s with 41 Welches/Buzellis.  All my kids and grandkids were there, except for our California two- Laila and Markus. ( they were volunteering at a turkey trot and then tacos at a friend’s home)   All of Tami and Rob’s family except her out of towners- Tyler’s family.  Mark and Jill’s whole family. And Alan and Sonia Buzelli and "adopted" sister Paula and Eric.  Grandma Welch, Holly and Dale.  Alex set up a photo booth for added fun.

The food was great and the laughter and connections were greater.  We had 2 turkeys, ham, 96 homemade rolls, 20 lbs. mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, yams, green salad, mac and cheese, quinoa salad, carrots and cabbage, sweet potato stackers, cranberry sauce, cran apple pie, banana cream pie, pumpkin pie, two types of flan, crumble cookies, and I know I've forgotten something...but it was all delicious!

Landon and Alex are such great hosts and the tables were beautiful.  My mom would love Alex Buzelli and his skill for a beautiful table setting.  After all was said and done, Wayne and I ended up at the Kids table and we were so fine with it.  Those littles are everything!   

We made a funny video doing your best turkey dance, and I had those that wanted to spell out THANKFUL with their bodies..the best part was picking up Grandma Welch to be the cross bar in the H.  She couldn’t stop laughing and I’m just glad we didn’t break her. T=Mark and Jill. H=Monson, Grandma, Rob. A= Lexi Madsen and Emily. N=Alex Buzelli, Bre, Lexi Welch. K= Jeff and Abby. F= Stockton and Alex Madsen. U = Addison and Wayne. L = Tami and Hayley. I was the arranger and Truman was the amazing photographer. HE had us all think thankful thoughts to make this the best picture ever!

Lexi, Monson, Addison, Bre, Emily, Hunter, Maddie, Zach, Kylie, Truman

Stockton, Abby, Jeff, Hayley, Alex, Lexi, Grandma Welch, Holly in her Thanksgiving crown, Dale

Elsie, Lady, Liam, Sophia, Alfie, Tayla, Poppy

So many shoes...means so many people

Wayne and I did our 6th annual run away to SLC and act like tourists on this weekend.  We were at the city Creek Marriott-- looking out onto Temple Square.  The cranes in the pic is where the temple is....it looks really crazy.

We went to the Wakanda Black Panther movie and really enjoyed it and also the Chosen movie really just episodes 1 and 2- -but so good.   We walk everywhere...see the lights and the decorations, shop, eat Mexican food at Red Iguana for me and a Hot pot at Mr Shabu's for Wayne. Watch football, and sleep a lot.  We walked up Capitol hill, down to Memory Grove, up City Creek and back to our hotel.  It was a gorgeous walk.  

My Uncle Steve

My Uncle Steve is one of my favorites.  He always has a kind word and a hug.

He spent all of his working years standing on his feet doing Hair, so his feet are a mess.  He hobbles around at this point.  But he was so good at doing hair and helping women/men feel great.  He gave the fastest  perm which was a big deal in the 80’s and 90’s. His fingers were flying.  Steve was so good at remembering and telling a joke and keeping his salon a positive place to be.  Steve had a ton of ladies who got their hair done on a weekly basis, and they were all so sad when he finally put away his scissors and hung up his comb. 

My uncle has a his, hers and ours family.  Together he and Mary have 9 sons. What could be difficult he has made a blessing. Steve finally got an amazing soul mate in his Mary. He’s so happy to do life with her. Steve has gone through a lot and his testimony of Jesus Christ has only grown stronger.   

I am so grateful for him.  He and his kids played a huge part in my younger years.  We lived in the same ward, two different times.  

Steve is a great trumpet player.  As a teenager he went all over the mountain west playing in churches and talent shows.  I loved when he would play his trumpet at our yearly Christmas talent show at my Grandparent’s home.   “Oh, Holy Night” never sounded so sweet.  He played for the raising and lowering of the flag in my Grandparent’s driveway when he held our BASH- Butters Annual Summer Holiday  - for 20 years.  

Steve spoke at my momma’s funeral and shared stories of her when she was a girl, a teen ager, and young married. He shared aspects of her I didn’t know as her child.  Mom was always his biggest fan.  

I’m so grateful for his love and influence in my life.  

Stage lesson -ELF

Addison and Alfie are in ELF at CPT. Addison is Elf and Aflie plays a north pole Elf- wearing a mustache - and a little boy in a family in NYC. As I watched on opening night I was overwhelmed. I couldn't stop crying. Alfie is the youngest on stage- and is precise with his choreography and knows his marks. I was impressed. He's come a long way from the little kid that didn't want any attention and would just run the spotlight- flashlight when cousin shows were being acted out. I also couldn't stop thinking how much my Momma Sheri would LOVE this show. She was always Addison's biggest fan...and now the next generation of performers. So many tears. I also couldn't stop smiling--it was sooo cute! Addison was made for this part.

Now on to a sad/poignant story: On final dress rehearsal, in the final scene where everyone is on stage and Elf is doing a monologue about how no one can ruin Christmas, Alfie gets too hot- he's all bundled up in a winter coat, hat and gloves. He starts feeling woozy, turns green and then projectile vomits all over the stage.  He looked at Addison for help and Addison couldn’t stop the show and help him. His fellow stage mates, whisked him off stage and cleaned him up and cleaned up the stage as Addison finished up the show.

Alfie was so embarrassed- and barfy.   Addison felt so helpless. Later Alfie, through tears, asked Addison, "Dad, why didn't you help me?"(Stab in the heart.)

Addison explained that he heard and saw that Alf was in trouble, but he knew there were people right there that could and would help him. He explained that if he really needed to he would have stopped the show, cuz Alfie is more important than a show, but he felt certain others would step in...and they did.

This reminds me so much of the quote by Spencer W. Kimball — "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs."

We are blessed to have so many good people in our lives who are God's hands on earth.  May we ever be mindful of this blessing.

Choose to believe

I have a choice.

I can believe in Christ or not. 

But when I choose to believe I know I’m experiencing the best life I can experience. 

I know when I live my life and try to pattern my life after Christ, Love is more abundant in my life. 

I know when I choose to believe that I am guided, my life is greater than when I believe I am going at life alone.  I have tried to do it alone. And I was ok.  I was a bit more sarcastic, despondent, cynical...but okay.  

But when I choose to have Him in my life, I like myself better. I like being around other believers and talking of Christ. I feel so much more hope. 

I know that I can believe whatever I want to believe. That is a gift we have all been given. 

And when I choose to believe in the doctrines of Christ, I feel joy. 

The song I heard on top of the Mount of Transfiguration by that little church group still rings through my head.. "I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back."

Wayne got this Olive wood carving of Jesus carrying a lamb on his shoulders at a little shop  in Jericho.  And they threw in the olive wood heart.  We are thankful! 

Grace lesson at the Synagogue

While in Israel we went to Capernaum where Jesus taught in a synagogue when he was 12.  I wonder what he spoke about?……. Maybe how we should love one another and have grace for each other.  

We sat on the thousands-of-year-old stone benches and our guide gave us the history of this site it was very interesting.  

Then things changed and he got on a tangent against the youth of today and how he’s afraid for his grand kids future, how he’s worried about them and wants to save them from all that’s out there in the world.    I was shaking my head, wishing that Elder Lund would take over and share, but the guide went on about how the church was wrong when it got rid of scouts  and what’s up with the new For strength of Youth pamphlet? He said the youth of today don’t know how to set goals and don’t want to work and on and on.

 I couldn’t take any more. 

So I just said, to Wayne and those around me, “ If he doesn’t stop talking I’m going to punch him” and stood up and left the synagogue and took my ear bud out so I wouldn’t have to hear anymore.  Some others walked out with me. We were all rolling our eyes, filled with judgement.

Grace has been my word this year and I’ve been feeling pretty good about my practice of it, wrapping grace around people and circumstances and staying compassionate and curious, ….. until this happened.

I forgot about GRACE while sitting in the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus taught,  and my “natural woman” took over.

 

Wayne on the other hand, stayed and  raised his hand and offered a different perspective and praised the youth  of today and reminded all that,  “We don’t need to save anyone. We have a Savior for that.  We don’t need to fear. ”  I’m so proud of him for standing up for our youth, for truth and righteousness and for wrapping grace around all of this.

I said a prayer, put myself in timeout and I managed my thoughts and worked on grace for my guide and those on my bus trip and people I would bump into at the different tourist sites. I shook off the judgment and got into compassion and curiosity and remembered that everyone was just trying their best, and if they knew better they could do better.  My synagogue lesson was a good reminder after all.    

Now I’m at the end of my year, with Grace always out in front of me, trying to get it to be a natural part of me.    

I’m grateful for the continual grace Jesus offers me.  He let’s me mess up and return to him again and again- always loving, always merciful, always preaching, “love one another.”