Bidding Farewell

Last week the Spring/Summer semester students left and the three professors and their lives left a couple of days later. Goodbyes are always hard so it was, "Until We Meet Again." The students, professors and their wives have touched our hearts in a way that we will never be the same.

The students were packed and started loading the buses and then came the farewell hugs. This has been a wonderful bunch of students and we became close to many of them.

Photo: Dan from Salt Lake. He is a brilliant young man and his roommates said as I was checking them out of their room, "He's the smartest kid here. He never has to study and always knows all the answers!"

Allie and Ben. Both students were very musically talented and I wish I could have kept them for another semester for my Christmas concert. If you think I look tired, I WAS! We had been slammed with so many responsibilities the last week it was all I could do to keep my eyes open the evening they left. I must be feeling my age!

Three more extremely talent students. Choir practice was held at 9 AM before our 10 AM church services. Cody was assistant choir director and took over when I had to leave early to play prelude music for church.

Andrea was talented in many areas and was very interested in the organ. After the students left, her family came to Israel to take her home and they came to church that weekend.

Austin was such a handsome and friendly young man. He reminded me so much of our nephew, John Paul, in Arizona. Garth bribed him with some Mars bars to help us move apartments and Austin said it was our fault he became hooked! They are especially good when refrigerated.

Joshua was one of the nicest, most considerate young man who always wore a smile and was helpful to everyone.

Kayanta was from Boulder, Utah and such a sweet girl. She always gave me good hugs!

Savannah, Sabrina, and Rachel were beautiful inside and out.

Savannah took a piece of my heart when she left. Garth and I became attached to so many students and hope they will stay in continue to stay in touch.

Nathan sang "I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked" in church the last Sabbath. He is extremely talented musically and the song moved many to tears as they looked out on Jerusalem and knew they had walked in His footsteps the past 15 weeks.

Before the students left, they presented all three professors and Dr. Whitchurch matted photographs from Israel in appreciation for their efforts to guide and direct them.

The leadership of the professors has been profound and having students around us every day has helped us feel just a little closer to home because they reminded us of our grandchildren and family. We have grown to love them all and now we prepare to meet yet another group of students for the Fall semester. This time there will be 82 students (31 are men). I am hoping to have a much larger men's section in my choir. Photo: The Allreds. We moved into Dr. Phil and Jennifer Allred's apartment two weeks ago so I will start this entry by posting a few photos of him and his wife. They are from Rexburg, Idaho, where he will return to his teaching at BYU Idaho and as Department Chairman.

Phil and Jennifer have been such a delight and inspiration to everyone. Their children are grown so they were here by themselves for one year but their family came to visit in the spring.

Dr. Allred taught with passion and motivated his students to stretch their knowledge. Some of the comments from his students were: "He is the best teacher I've had in all my schooling." And another: "He motivates me to do better!" What more could you ask from a teacher?

Phil was not afraid to let down his hair when he participated with Drs. Muhlestein and Skinner in the informal talent show. He was so kind and approachable and we certainly enjoyed our association.

Dr. Muhlestein and his wife, Julianne, are the parents of six children and have lived in Jerusalem while Kerry taught multiple times. This time they brought their four youngest ranging in age from 10 to 17. When we first met Kerry and Julianne, we thought they were students. Their family was always involved in student activities and loved participating in the informal talent show. Of course, this scored them tons of brownie points with the students as they surprised everyone by their unannounced act on stage. To say the least, the students cheered and clapped!

Kerry Muhlestein was always in the middle of the students activities and at this welcome activity for the new students.

His areas of expertise are ancient Egypt and the Hebrew Bible and he is director BYU's Egypt Excavation Project. His research includes excavations of pyramid, Graeco-Roman culture and the advent of Christianity in Egypt. His family was nicknamed "The Mule Team" and everyone loved them.

Mule kids at Arab Night.

Photo: The Mule family at the carillon. Kerry has served as the chairman of a national committee for the American Research Center in Egypt and serves on their Research Supporting Member Council and his accolades go on and on.

Dr. Skinner and his wife, Janet, were so down-to-earth, approachable and knowledgeable that every discussion they lead was inspiring.

Janet Skinner.

Dr. Skinner at Lazareth's Tomb.

He and his family have filled three assignments at the Jerusalem Center where has has taught Near Eastern Studies. He worked 5 years on a team translating the Dead Sea Scrolls and it was wonderful having such a world-leading authority share personally what he has learned.

One of caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

Replication of Dead Sea Scrolls in museum. Having the leadership of Drs. Allred, Muhlestein and Skinner has been a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience. The new professors who will be arriving August 20th have some very big shoes to fill!

Dr. Skinner has served as the Dean of Religious Education at BYU, has a Th.M. degree from Harvard in Biblical Hebrew and did graduate work at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Denver in Near Eastern and European History, specializing in Judaism. He is an author and has published several books. Having scholars like him has our leaders and teachers has made our experiences even more amazing!

Photo: Dr. Skinner signing his most recently published book.

Dr. Skinner was a good sport to participate in a "rock band" for the informal talent show. He admitted later it was completely out of his comfort zone but you never would have suspected since he really got into character on stage.

In the Spring, 17 members of the Skinner family came to visit. What a reunion! I happened to be walking by when they arrived and snapped this photo. We look forward when members of our family will also come to visit. As we counted off the days before everyone began to leave, we spent one last evening at a concert at the YMCA Theater and had dinner at the Notre Dame Hotel right before.

The dinner was wonderful and this is a place I would love to return with guests who visit. Jinnea Huff, our new director's wife is dressed in the purple blouse and Roy Huff is seated to her left in the plaid shirt.

Dr. Roy Huff is our new director of Academics. He and his wife will serve for the next two years at the at the JC. They are from Rexburg and Jienna has sung many years in the "Sweet Adelines, competing locally and nationally.

Dr. David Whitchurch and his wife, Tina, served at the JC for the past three years as Associate director of Academics. Tina is a registered nurse and Dr. Whitchurch will return to BYU as a professor. They sacrificed a lot to serve at the JC over the students. Dr. Whitchurch gave it his all and it was not unusual for him to spend 14 hours/day in his office. He and Eran Hayet, Director of the JC, were very close friends and Eran became emotional when giving a speech to thank him at a farewell dinner prior their departure. I can just imagine we will feel the same when we leave in one year.

Photo: Dr. Whitchurch and Tina

Photo: This was taken the day David and Tina left. We had a farewell gathering in the Oasis of the JC and they are pictured with the chefs and staff.

Photo: Tina Whitchurch with friends from church. Isn't she beautiful? Tina was an amazing cook and loved to make the most sophisticated desserts. Before she left, she made homemade licorice candies wrapped so professionally I thought she had bought them. They were the best I've ever eaten and I must get the recipe.

Photo: The Whitchuches and Skinners left together on the same flight. The van was packed to the max!

Photo: It was an emotional "goodbye" from Tina and David when they left.

We have been so privileged to meet so many wonderful people who have been not only our leaders but our friends. Every day in Israel has been a gift and I will continue to say that until we leave to return home.