The first of three 'meetings in this Place' was in and of itself three sets of threes ...
One Sunday during the 'fellowship' meal after the service, Michael's mom was sitting with several couples. During a conversation with Nancy, a lady across the table, the two realized that each of their children were in or near Jerusalem at that very time. The lady's daughter, Phyllis, and her husband, Randy, were on staff at the Master's College Bible Lands Extension program. Nancy offered to contact her daughter to invite Michael to visit them. Upon hearing Nancy's last name, Michael's mom found out that another lady, Lois, who had worked with and been friends for many years with her dad, Michael's grandpa, was Nancy's sister-in-law! Since Michael's mom had met Lois, the sister-in-law, she also knew her nephew, Jim, as some years earlier he had worked for the same state agency as she did ~ now only to find out that Lois' nephew was in fact Nancy's son, brother of Phyllis who was living in Israel!

The couple from the Master's College did contact Michael and he enjoyed a visit to the campus and a tour of the city with the students. Some weeks later while he was heading into the Old City at the Damascus Gate, he saw three students from the Master's and joined them on a walk around the city. Back home his mom was reading the annual year-end letters, only to read about a friend's daughter who had spent her fall semester in the Master's College Bible Extension program in Israel! An email to the Master's College couple who invited Michael to visit their campus verified that there were students from Idaho with them that semester and they had known this same student's family for years. The friend Teresa, whose daughter Christie had been in Israel, happened to be a 'birthday sister' of Michael's mom, both having the same birth date and year. These two 'sisters' had met years ago before either was married, because their mothers, Millie and Marnie, were friends. Now some twenty-five years later, one's son had unknowingly toured and visited with the other's daughter, both students from Idaho and both the grandchildren of the two ladies who had been friends for years! So, three generations of three Idaho families, had 'met' in this Place ~ in Jerusalem!

The second of three was a sequel to an amazing wonder that only the LORD, for His pleasure, could have 'brought forth' ...
In the Spring, Michael received an email from his mother's father's sister, Michael's Great Aunt Kathy, who lives in Chicago. She and her two friends, Pat & Jackie, were going to Israel on a tour and would be in Jerusalem for 3 days ~ would he be able to visit them while they were there? When the day arrived, Michael presented himself at the tour group's Hotel in Jerusalem, and there met his Great Aunt ... after 11 years since their last visit in Idaho! Each of the 3 evenings, Michael visited with the 3 ladies and enjoyed getting to know them, as well as being introduced to the entire tour group.

The amazing wonder that accompanied their visit 11 years earlier began with the same 3 ladies taking a tour of the western States and including Idaho on their itinerary to visit Kathy's brother and his wife, Sandy & Marnie. They had a daughter living in the area who had 2 sons and was expecting a third child ~ at any time. The 3 ladies planned to stay for 3 days, arriving the 1st, having 1 full day to visit and rest, and leaving the 3rd to continue on their tour. The first evening was spent with all the family visiting. The second day was spent holding a new great niece born that mid-day and sharing in giving her a name in honor of her Great Aunt's visit! The 3rd day the 3 ladies heading back toward home, while the LORD blessed all those who shared in an amazing wonder that He had 'brought forth!' So, Michael and 3 ladies from distant homelands, with 2 amazing visits of 3 days each involving 3 generations of one family, had 'met' in this Place ~ in Jerusalem!

The third of three was unlikely and beyond what we would call 'coincidence' as only our limited understanding can explain ...
Though Michael lives in a campus dorm, he regularly goes into the city to the shops and sees the sights. While in a supermarket near the dorms one day, he happened to see a couple of girls he knew and was recognized by them at the same time ~ where they knew each other from is part of the amazing 'coincidence' ... they had been in the same high school in Idaho at least 2 years earlier! The 2 girls, along with a 3rd girl from their class, were attending another university in the area and they invited Michael to come to a party for the holiday of Purim. So, Michael and the 3 students from his Idaho high school had 'met' in this Place ~ in Jerusalem!