Bruce and Vivienne in Jerusalem

Today our friends Bruce and Vivienne Sullivan came to church at the Jerusalem Center.  They are joining a tour led by my chair, Camille Fronk Olson, starting Sunday night, but they flew in a couple days early.  After attending meetings in the Jerusalem branch.  Then, after having dinner with us, I drove them around to a number of sites.

With Carli Anderson in the Jerusalem Center after church

The view from the Jerusalem Center

At the Pater Noster church on the Mount of Olives

Bruce served his mission in Finland

Bruce and Vivienne just received their next mission call, to Spain Madrid

At the Seven Arches Overlook with the Temple Mount in the Background

Going down into the Qidron Valley

Pillar of Absalom

Bottom of the Qidron, looking north

Bottom of Qidron, looking south

Church of the Agony, Gethesmane

We then drove down towards Bethlehem. They plan to visit this Palestinian city with their tour group, but as the afternoon drew to a close, I took them to the LDS "Shepherds Field" site on an open hillside that looks across the valley to the town.  There we read the Christmas story and had a wonderful time singing Christmas carols.

Our "Shepherds Field" site is right next to the security barrier between the Jerusalem municipality and the PA-administered Bethlehem

 

Ignoring political boundaries and modern towns and settlements, the otherwise pristine hillside recreates that first "shepherds field"

Vivienne and Bruce singing at Shepherds Field while looking towards Bethlehem

Sheep grazing below Bethlehem

 

Our final stop on our way back to Bethlehem was the Haas Promenade, which gave us a view of the Temple Mount and Jerusalem from the south, the same view Abraham had when on the way to Mount Moriah to sacrifice Issac "lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off" (Genesis 22:4).

West Jerusalem to the left of the Old City

Mount Scopus and the Mount of Olives to the right of the Old City

Look for more tomorrow!