Filipino Caregivers

Have you heard about the Filipino caregivers? They are found in almost every nation in the world including Israel.  Many of these caregivers are also members who joined the church in the Phillipines.  Because the economy is very depressed in the Phillipines, they needed to go away from their land to earn money. Caregivers have a range of skills, but in general they are those who care 24/7 for elderly people who can no longer take care of themselves and neither can their family. They generally live right in their house with them and only get 1 day in a month off to themselves.  It is very hard job because sometimes the people they care for are grumpy and unhappy because of their problems and take it out on the caregiver.  The money they send back to their families.  A number of them are mothers whose own mothers care for their children while they are away working.  They have to sign a contract for at least 4 years and pay as much $6,000 to an agency who provides some training, airfare, visas and placement for them.  We are not sure how many there are because they just keep popping up.  

Spencer, who is our resident church member in Israel (1967), is our Relief Society President.  (She is the one second from the left and next to her in white blouse is Nanette, a service volunteer here.)  Spencer has kept in touch with a lot of these dear people by phone because they live all over the state of Israel.  She has been their lifeline through the various Intifadas by calling and helping them find safe havens when the families they worked for were not helping. 

There is a service couple living in the area where a number of Filipinos have rented an apartment where they can come and meet each other whenever they can get time off.  This couple has worked to give the Filipinos an opportunity to have a Sacrament meeting every Saturday evening in this apartment.  Even though the Filipinos are part of the Galilee Branch, it is not possible to attend because of their work schedule and the time it would take for them to get here.  So instead, they are a "group" complete with the priesthood through the service couple.  This weekend the service couple  planned a weekend retreat and we hosted them here in Galilee Branch House.  This is the one day in the month the Filipinos could get off so we called it the 24-Hour Retreat in the Galilee.


The couple arranged for two rental cars so they could drive them here, and we picked up a sister at the Bus Depot in our area.  We then headed for the Branch House where we had a very special Sacrament meeting.  Three of the sisters spoke and the brethren provided the administration of the sacrament.  Following this we had a wonderful dinner that was prepared ahead of time and warmed up quickly.  After cake and ice cream and singing a birthday song for Marissa, we had cleanup and then a fireside by Merrill about the land of Israel and some of the holy sites we would be seeing the next day.  We then all headed for a rest, however, the Filipinos had to talk to each other about their lives which took a good part of the night.  We were rested, but not so sure about them.

We awoke to a breakfast of German Pancakes and fruit and headed for the cars.  Our first stop was the Mt of Beatitudes where Merrill gave a beautiful summary of the Sermon on the Mount.


Our next stop was the Greek Orthodox church with the bright pink domes.  It is a very small church with murals and paintings inside from the top to the bottom.  It has been restored beautifully.  Lovely peacocks roam the grounds and it is a delightful place to get your hands and feet wet in the Sea of Galilee for the first time.  It is also a great place for a picnic because of tables close to the sea with a nice breeze blowing.

The event with the most surprises was the ride on a fishing boat around the harbor.  Some of the Filipinas had never ridden a boat before and of course someone had to get sick, right?  Right!  It surprised her most of all.  She was glad it was a short ride.  We talked about all the different scripture stories about boats and water and even sang, "Master the Tempest is Raging."  Michael shared the history of the various places around the sea and some current news about the sea itself. 




The 2,000 year old boat was the next stop.  What a fabulous story.  Fishermen who had long predicted that the sea would bring them a great gift finally were rewarded with just such a find.  The drought had lowered the water level sufficiently to reveal a rib of a boat and it looked like a very old boat.  They started digging the mud away from the rib and found it was connected to more ribs and called in the experts.  They came from all over  the world.  Within 11 days they dug it out, covered it with polyprophelene? and floated it out to a launch where it would be taken to a lab for preservation.  After 9 years of a chemical bath, the old water within the timbers were replaced by a waxy finish that would preserve it for a good long time.  It is beautifully displaced in a museum close to the sea with wonderful diagrams about the 12 different woods used in its construction.

Mom on the Mind

  

It has been 17 years since my Mom passed away on a beautiful May day in 1993.  We are having a beautiful May day here in Israel.  The jacaranda tree is full of gorgeous lavender blooms.  

The Yellow Blossom tree, is really putting out the foliage after we pruned it within an inch of its life. Bougainvillea are hanging heavy not to mention the hibiscus of red, salmon and yellow. All of this triggers memories of the gardens my Mom created with a lot of help from Dad.  

She was amazing enough to write we children a letter as her life was coming to an end and left it with one of her niece caregivers to give to us when she passed.  She didn't pass away until some time later.  After a year or so later this niece who had since married and moved away was unpacking boxes and found the letter which Mom had written for us and sent it off to us.  When I received it, I was very grateful that it had been found and delivered.  I remember being overcome with the generosity of Mom's spirit.  She didn't recall the times when she felt left alone or not sufficiently uplifted by us.  Instead she gave appreciation for all the good that she had had.  As I read it, it was clear that she appreciated the love she had felt from family and friends and their patience with the toll that arthritis had taken from her life and theirs.  I do not have the letter with me here in Israel, but when I return home I hope I can find it in my own "boxes" of my life's journey and savor the words and example and have the wisdom to do the same for my own loved ones.  Here are a few pictures from her life which I am drawing from a random file on my computer.

The Rest of the Visit

More photos to share about first of the week--
We wanted to help us all get a feel for the great scope of time represented in the places that we visited so we constructed a timeline based on what we learned from our good friend, Adrian Escalante, in our Pleasant Grove Sunday School class.  Try it yourself.


Take a long paper fold it in half- lengthwise.  Draw a long timeline across the lengthwise fold.  On the left side, put the name Adam and the right side put the name of the last prophet of the Old Testament--that would be ....Malachi.  Under Adam's name write 4000 BC under Malachi write 100 BC.  Now fold it in half widthwise and right the name of Abraham and underneath his name write 2000 BC.  Fold it again widthwise and you get spots for 3000 BC for Noah and 1000 BC for Solomon.  You realize, of course, these dates are approximate, but it helps to see the scope of the Old Testament.  It should look like this:


ADAM                NOAH                          ABRAHAM             SOLOMON         MALACHI
-I--------------l------Flood,  Babel----l---------Moses---l--------------l-------
4000 BC              3000 BC                        2000 BC             1000 BC




It is also interesting to note that the book of Genesis covered about 2500 years of history.  The Old Testament Times at a Glance chart is a great resource.  It divides the books of the Bible into two categories: Historical and Prophetic.  In the historical category the books  Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges take up about 300 years.   The next category is Ruth-100 years. 1 Sam about 110 years, 2 Sam and 1 Chronicles about 30 years, 1st Kings and 2nd Chronicles about 250 years, 2nd Kings about 175 years, then Books Ezra, Esther, and Nehemiah about 75 years.  Check out the prophetic books on your own.  Mind you now, this is just the Old Testament history.  We also need to consider the New Testament history, but I'll save that for another episode.  


This discussion was relevant for all of us because during the week we had an opportunity to visit Tel Dan in Northern Galilee where we saw what is called Abraham's gate which would be about 4000 years old.  This is where Abraham came to save his nephew Lot who had been taken captive by the Caananites.  He did save him and all his possessions.  It is probably the oldest thing we have seen to date, but we haven't been to Jericho yet which is said to be the oldest continually inhabited city in the world.




This is the day we went to the Mt. of Beatitudes for our Branch Fast and Testimony Meeting during which Nikaia was confirmed.  Glory, Logan and Nikaia were able to bear their testimonies and it was a beautiful experience.  Of course, there were a number of challenges of the day like being shuttled out of the spot so the next group could come in and in our rush leaving our suitcase with sacrament trays and hymnbooks there.  So there were a number of tensions we dealt with, but learned some great lessons about the Sermon on the Mount as we sorted out our feelings during the coming week.

A FAMILY VISIT

Logan and Glory and family arrived in the middle of the night April 4...I don't know how Carl did it!  He bummed a ride with branch members going back to Haifa after church, was going to take a train to Tel Aviv Airport, but learned that no trains were running on the Sabbath so he took a taxi.  What a dedicated Dad!  The family arrived in Tiberius at 3 am.  I made sure the beds, note and treats were all ready for them because I knew if I got up to greet them I would never be able to go back to sleep and I would miss all the next day activities with them.  

What an exciting morning to see how much everyone had grown and how excited they were to be in Israel and happy to see us as well.  Matthew got up early to show his friend in Orem, the Galilee sunrise over SKYPE.  It tickled us all how the world can be accessed in time and space.  

Our first day consisted of all the sites around the Sea of Galilee:  Capernaum, Tabgha, Peter's Primacy, the Gennesor boat.  There is much more to say about these spots and how we read scriptures at each spot and got a feel for the events of each place, but for now we'll get the pictures up and talk about the meanings later.

The next day we decided on a driving distance day to the Mediterranean to visit Caesera Maritima.  Enroute we stopped by Mt. Tabor which is considered a possible spot where the Transfiguration took place. So many switchbacks on such a steep mountain, that Nikaia was ready to hide on the floor. 

Glory was really happy to see the seashore, but it wasn't warm enough for her to want to get in, but the four girls enjoyed the sand and the sea while Matthew climbed the aqueduct.

April 6 is a special day because of the birth of the Savior and the organization of the church in 1830.   April 6 in our family is also Glory's birthday and now it is Nikaia's baptism date.  She was baptized in the River Jordan at Yardenit by her Dad, Logan.  Carl as Galilee Branch President presided at the service before.  I gave a short talk about the choices she had made to prepare her for baptism and how she would now have the opportunity to have the Holy Ghost help her make choices in the future.  The First Counselor in the Branch, Michael Hansen, was the witness and a great support to us in understanding how get this to happen appropriately.  After the baptism and lunch, we drove to Korazim to climb on the rocks and read about its history.  Later in the day we celebrated Glory's 40th with a cake from our favorite bakery in Tiberius.

Passover and Easter

Today is Passover in Israel and everything is very quiet here in Tiberias.  Not so in Jerusalem we understand however.   I want to share some of the feelings we have been having as we tread the land upon which the Savior gave not only His mortal footsteps but His very heart, might, mind and strength in the process of accomplishing the Atonement.

Over the past ten days we have been traveling on and off with the BYU Jerusalem students in the Galilee area close to where we live in Tiberias.  Each of the professors give insights while we are traveling to various spots in this amazing land.  We have heard from S. Kent Brown, Bill Hamblin, Craig Manscill and Chad Emmett. 

We went to Mt. Tabor which is the second tallest mountain in Israel.  It, along with Mt. Hermon are considered possibilities for the place where the Transfiguration took place. 

As you recall, Matthew 17, Mark 9; Luke 9:28-36 recount the events when Jesus, Peter, James and John went “up into an high mountain apart,” and “there appeared unto them Moses and Elias.”  This was a time for conferring the keys of the Priesthood by Moses and Elias (Elijah) upon Peter, James and John in preparation for the forthcoming death of the Savior.  Heavenly Father spoke as a “voice out of the cloud which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” 

 

Both Carl and I assumed this meeting with the Father, Moses and Elijah was for the benefit of Peter, James and John, to receive the keys of the priesthood, but Brother Brown pointed out that in addition Jesus had need of the comfort and strengthening from this experience Himself.  Though a God, yet a man, He bore the frailties of being human.  He got tired.  He had no place of His own to rest His head.  The crowds would press in on Him, wanting Him to heal and feed them.  The apostles would take Him out in the boat to give Him time to rest from the multitudes that came. 

As the time of the atonement and crucifixion approached, Jesus knew that it was coming, but He could not know what it would feel like.  According to Pres. Brown, having the comforting power of His Father, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James and John, must have been a time for Him to gather strength and power for what lay ahead.  He also sought the apostle’s strength and comfort during Gethsemane to watch with him.  Three times He approached them, but even then they did not understand what He was going through.  As it says in Isaiah:

He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting.

 
Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows! He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And with His stripes we are healed.

Luke 23:44-46 records “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  when on the cross, He called out, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me, He must have felt the total weight of humanity without the help of the Father who loved Him.   And then there was the mother that loved Him.

John records 19:25-    Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman behold thy son!  Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!  And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. 

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.  Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar; and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.  When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished…

Matthew JST 27:54 records “Father, it is finished, thy will is done.” And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said,  Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit; and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

This picture was painted Mattias Grenwald in 1432

“And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.”  Matthew 27: 51

Because of the approaching Sabbath--then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.  But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.  John 19:32-34

I cannot imagine the horror of these events and the anguish of those that loved Him.  Surely they knew of the events that were to transpire, because he had told them—He was going to Jerusalem to die.  But it was clear they did not understand the magnitude on their lives.

From Mark 15:  43 we learn: Then came Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counselor which also waited for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.  We learn from the Bible Dictionary that Joseph was also “a member of the Sanhedrin and a rich and faithful Israelite who took no part in the condemnation of our Lord.” 

From John 19:39-42 we also learn that Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred weight.  Then they took the body of Jesus and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.  There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

Fortunately for us, it doesn’t end there.  The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.  Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre , and we know not where they have laid him.

They come and see only the linen clothes wrapped together.  John 20: 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed.  For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.  Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping; and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where body of Jesus had lain.  And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?  She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.  And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus.  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?  Whom seekest thou?  She supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir if thou have born him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.  Jesus saith unto her, Mary.  She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master….then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the dors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.  And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side.  Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

This is a picture we took just last week on the side of the road enroute to Mt. Carmel.  Notice the stone which has been rolled to the side of the tomb.   Amazing to see one still in existence.

The disciples were glad when He appeared unto them.  I am glad that through the scriptures and my own study  of them that being here in the Holy Land is helping me see and feel the gladness that the Savior continues to offer us as we seek Him.

Love from Melanie

The Jerusalem Center

After hearing an uplifting and humorous talk by Dean and Susan Madsen, we collapse into bed while they are taken to the airport.  As a parting gift, Susan gave us her book, The Second Rescue:  The Story of the Spiritual Rescue of the Willie and Martin Handcart Pioneers.  This book recounts the events around the discovery by the Riverton Wyoming Stake Presidency that the temple work had not been done for those who perished on that trek before reaching Utah.  Carl and I are very interested in this because of our involvement with the 1997 Sesquicentennial Celebration of the Westward Migration of the Church from Nauvoo to Utah.  (We organized the reenactment which was held on the BYU campus.) The Riverton Wyoming stake was able to trace all those who died and see that 4,200 temple ordinances were done in their behalf.  It is a treasure to receive an autographed copy by the very author who was able to capture all the events related to this great episode in seeing the Lord’s hand in the lives of His people in this present day.

As we awake the next morning, we look out at the beautiful scenes that surround us.  The Temple Mount, the walls surrounding Jerusalem, and the BYU Jerusalem Center itself.  How marvelous that on this outstanding piece of property the church was able to bring about this building and all it stands for.  Look closely at the middle of this picture.  You will see an arches on a building. That is the Jerusalem Center. 


Here we are looking out the window into the city. 
















We are overcome with the beauty of the Jerusalem Center and the quality of its workmanship.  The architecture reflects this very land and stone at every vantage point.  The windows in the large hall give a view of the whole of Jerusalem both day and night.  It is breathtaking.  Inside the stone, the woodwork, and the light that enters in everywhere reflects holiness.  






When you stand on the outside looking into the building through the large windows, the glorious organ just turns your heart to heaven.  Then when you enter in and hear the music played by world renown, Walter Whipple, it goes beyond words.

Here we are meeting Eran Hyet.  He is the local Director of the Jerusalem Center.  He is very astute in what he does--negotiating between the needs of students, the Center personnel, the country demands and restrictions, etc.  He is Hebrew and works alongside many who within the center are Arabs.  It is a wondrous balance.  

Next we join in a Pray Meeting with the Center couples who lead tours, care for the medical and physical needs of the students, watch over financial needs, support humanitarian needs, etc.  

Then we party with the rest of them at a going away party for the Allens.  Food like you wouldn't believe.  And of course, following which we collapse into bed, again! 

Day Three in Tiberias

Recognizing that once again I am sharing things that are a month old, I will pick up events where I left off last week.  (Over time I may catch up to actual time rather than DMT—delayed monthly time, but who knows, events are happening so fast, I will have to find another means of communication, but certainly not texting!) 

Recall that we arrived in Tel Aviv on Jan 27, was escorted to Galilee by the Madsen’s, spent the next day touring sites along the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee.  Here is what took place on the next day-- 29^th of January.

The Madsen’s took us on a quick run through town so we would know where the bank and post office were.  How to find a grocery store.  Which roads to take to get back to the Branch house when we approach Tiberias from the west and the south.  (It looked like it was following a cow trail!) Of course, they pointed out their favorite bakery and immediately our mouths began to water.  Then they headed for Nazareth where they had done their outreach projects doing English classes and teaching orchestra.  We met two administrators from St. Joseph’s High School, the Director from Na’amat Girls High School as well as two English teachers, and a College Administrator from Nazareth Galilee Academic Institution.  In some cases we think we could offer what skills we have, in other cases maybe not.  

We are now focusing our outreach skills on ridding the Branch House of Black Mold, deep cleaning 28 window wells that have 3 sets of trays holding the glass, a screen, and a metal shutter protection and 2 sets of floor to ceiling windows, 12 x 20’, not to mention the glass on the stairwells.  This modern design is wonderful, but those little hands that go along the stairs find that the glass is a wonderful medium for art.  (I just checked my blog and I already wrote about the windows, but as there were no pictures I am including them here for lots of sympathy about the size, number and complexity of this project!) Now I can't the window frame picture... so no sympathy needed.

The next outreach is locating the people in our branch who are spread from Tiberias where the Branch is to Haifa to Nahariya to Tal to Ha-glilit with Nazareth, Migdal Ha-Emek, Tamra, and Safed in between.  Many speak Spanish and very little English, others Russian, and others Hebrew.  It is at least a drive of one hour to the closest and 2 hours for those furthest—one way, of course.  They seem to love being visited even if we don’t speak any of their languages because there contact is very limited with church members.  They have many stories to tell us of their adventures in this land.

But I digress, back to the rest of the day with the Madsen’s.  After our visit with the administrators we head for Ramzieh’s, where a feast awaits us.  This dear lady is an administrator in a school district.  She introduced us to her beloved daughter, son-in-law and baby, fed us like we were kings and queens.  Sister Madsen had interviewed her for a short life story and delivered it on this day, so it was tender to see the love shared between them.  This baby is so beautiful.  She has big black eyes and the most endearing smile when her grandmother sings her a song from her own childhood.  Makes me homesick for our grandkids.  Fortunately, I got see one of our grandchildren on Skype not to long after this visit which made us very happy.

Heading home, the Madsen’s prepare us for what is in store on the following day which will be Saturday, and is the Sabbath or Shabbot in Hebrew.   As we share a birthday pizza with Yaron on his 15^th birthday, we hear that we need to prepare a pot luck dish for after our church meetings, then pack our bags for traveling with the Madsen’s back to the Jerusalem Center where they will deliver a fireside for the BYU-JC students and then hop on a plane.  How can we pack a bag?  We haven’t even unpacked anything yet!  We don’t know where anything is!

 We will remain at the Jerusalem Center for several days, meeting the other volunteer couples, taking a short tour of the Christian quarter in Jerusalem, hearing a concert, taking a tour of JC Center, signing papers, meeting administrators about security, cars, banking needs and then finding our way home back to Tiberias!  WHAT!  We actually have to drive out of here?  HELP!  We can’t do this, somebody else should drive us.  HELP!  Tune in for the next exciting episode.