Students and the Center Life

This is another post full of random photos that I love but don't want to take the effort to weave into a narrative. Enjoy. 

Ed and Linda tango-ing in the kitchen.

Mary didn't want to miss out on the fun.

Isaac went on the Shephelah field trip for his special day with Mom and Dad, but since it was my sixth time on this trip, I wasn't interested in taking too many photos. And Isaac just wanted to play games on my iPad instead of take pictures with it like Linda and Mary.

The kids had a glow stick party in the gym one afternoon with the Schade kids. This is them, decked out in glow sticks.

Susana Zubeldia with Abby and Joe. Susana was one of the 20 Winter semester students who received mission calls (out of 80 total students) while in Jerusalem. It created a wonderful spirit around the Center. 

Spring roses on my patio.

Linda and Emily Judd dressed up for Crazy Day at school 

Sarah Decker with our family. 

Jerusalem isn't the cleanest city, but I never thought I'd see a real live Phone Tree.

Isaac is trying to convince Chloe to play his music during the Humanitarian Project (assembling hygiene kits).

Ed convinced one of the bus drivers to let him drive his bus in the parking lot. That didn't last too long. 

Here's my friend Miriam, who has babysat for us numerous times, including for multiple days at a time. She is an occupational therapist from Austria and works here in Ein Kerem (south of Jerusalem) at a home for severely disabled children. 

More photos from the Fall trip to Galilee:

The last day of Fall Semester.

Neil, the kids' favorite. He was crazy and played with the kids like he was made of rubber.

Anne and Abby

Ellen and Abby

Will and Abby

Abi and Abby

Isaac making olive oil with Adam and David Schade and Amanda Judd.

Ed, dressed up like Indiana Jones, to introduce the Friday night movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark

At the Valley of Elah, where David killed Goliath

Mary learning Arab dancing. 

Isaac herding sheep.

Linda's less lovely face.

An old one from Halloween: Isaac as Ed.

Still our view. Still amazing.

Joe has discovered squirt guns.

He also discovered hair bows, thanks to his sisters.

And a pink tutu.

And purses. In Linda's pajamas. 

Linda with her friend Eva.

Linda at Eva's birthday party, sitting next to her friend Elizabeth Holmes. Elizabeth's mother, Jo, was the Elementary principal, and her brother Ben was in Isaac's class.

Dirty faces after dinner in the Oasis.

In honor of snake migration season, Ed and Abby made a few clay snakes of our own to try to scare the students with. I don't think it worked. But we have seen snakes on the Center grounds, and we've been warned not to leave doors open or shoes outside, because not only could you get a nasty scare, but many of them are deadly. Lovely!

The Jerusalem Center was lucky enough to host the Uchtdorf family for their personal vacation in April to visit Israel. They stayed right next door to us, sharing a wall with my children's bedroom. (Gratefully my kids were actually well-behaved and didn't bang on the wall too much.) The Uchtdorfs were of course absolutely delightful, and they were so generous with their time and their husband/father. Even though he was supposed to be off-duty, Pres. Uchtdorf spoke in our district conference on the Sabbath, then spoke to the students in our "Upper Room Evening" commemorating the Last Supper. It was a memorable thing to hear and see a prophet of God.

Ed and I are in the second row from the front on the left.