My Journey Through Jerusalem

DEAD SEA and much MORE

2009-05-15T19:33:00.024+03:00

It's crazy how two weeks have flown by since the last time I posted. I have one maybe two more posts about the last week of Christ's life so stay tuned for my finishing touches. This post is about one of my favorite days in Jerusalem visiting Masada, the Dead Sea, En Gedi, and Qumran. We left bright and early on Monday, April 13th with our first stop at Masada. This fortress city was seized by robber-assassins called Sicarii and played a huge role in the First Jewish Revolt against Rome. I was still waking up at this point and it was super hot so that's all the exciting news I have about that place. (Side note: the weather during the last two weeks in Jerusalem reached the 90's so we were blessed with some major heat to give us all a midsummer tan.) After that, it was off to the Dead Sea which was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! The previous day, I was kind of sketchy about getting in the nasty, super salty water but after I saw a couple people floating effortlessly on top of the water, I ran in there as quick as possible. You might be asking yourself how the heck we could be floating on top of the water; well let me inform you. There is more solids in the water than in the human body which makes you float on your back or belly and it is SO sweet! The Great Salt Lake is like that too, hence the name. There were tons of people in the water with ailments while others of us were just chillin on the surface getting the best ab workout of a lifetime. Here is an interesting concept I learned in my New Testament class: In the Millennium, the water underneath the Dome of the Rock is supposed to heal the Dead Sea. I never even knew water was even under the temple mount so pretty interesting stuff. Down the Sea a little ways, there is some sulfur black mud that exfoliates your skin and rejuvenates your pores so we all floated over there and put it all over our bodies. We smelled like poop the rest of the day. Our poor bus driver. We rushed to En Gedi Nature Reserve after that and hiked up to a waterfall grumbling the whole way up. It was fun, nonetheless, although I'm pretty sure we were all quite dehydrated. Qumran was our last site which is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. It was a super quick 20-minute stop since they were shutting down for the day. Even though we weren't able to hike down to any of the caves, it was still way cool to see the exact cave that these scrolls were discovered. What a long day filled with fun and excitement.

EASTER SUNDAY

2009-05-01T05:54:00.024+03:00

I'm back again, if anyone is even still reading this blog, for some posts of my final experiences in Jerusalem so stick with me for a little bit and then I'll be done for good. Promise. Easter Sunday in the Holy Land visiting the exact place where the Savior Jesus Christ was risen was absolutely incredible and an unforgettable memory. I woke up bright and early at 4:45am to leave by 5:15 for a sunrise service at a Lutheran Church about a five-minute walk from the Center. It was cool to watch the sun rise over the horizon as I reflected on the importance of that day where the Son of the Eternal Father rose from his borrowed tomb on that glorious day. It was so peaceful. The preacher gave a sermon about how the "ball is in our court." During the middle of his speaking, he whipped a tennis racket out of who knows where and started hitting tennis balls into the congregation while almost knocking over a wooden cross sitting on the stone table that had the holy communion on it. Yikes that would have been bad. We sang a couple LDS hymns which was interesting to sing with different words. One of the pastors invited us over for breakfast with the incentive that there would be bacon. We politely declined because we didn't want to cause a commotion so we walked back to the Center for the same old semi-cold cereal we have every morning. About the bacon thing, neither Muslims nor Jews eat pork so I was deprived of it for four months. After breakfast, it was off to the Garden Tomb for an entertaining service singing tons of Christian Rock songs. Although it wasn't very sacred or reverent, surprisingly, I still felt the spirit while singing songs of praises with those faithful Christians. I enjoyed watching all the people's faces light up and their big huge smiles as they sang with joyful hearts because of the reality of the resurrection. While I was singing and dancing along, the scripture "the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me..." popped into my head. Although the style of praising was unlike I am used to, I know that the Lord blessed those people who wholeheartedly believe that he is risen and that he lives. It was a super fun service and I'm extremely glad I had the opportunity to participate. It was an awesome day and one Easter Sunday that will never be forgotten.

LAST DAY IN THE HOLY LAND!!

2009-04-22T17:42:00.010+03:00

Well my journey through Jerusalem is halting to an end and it is quite a bittersweet thing for me to express. I leave in approximately 9 hours which is weird but exciting! As this is my last post while in the Holy Land, I wanted to leave my testimony as my final words. Last night we had a wonderful class program with the theme of "The Changed Life". The entire time I was sitting there, I tried to think about all the things I have learned since being here but it was a difficult feat to accomplish. I didn't succeed. There have been too many life-changing lessons that I have gained here that I can't even begin to number but I am so grateful for them all. One that has stuck out in my mind all day is the hand of God in my life and that no matter how much we try to plan our lives out perfectly the way we want, it always changes unexpectedly, usually for the better. I can't thank my Savior enough for all that he has done for me. I love the two lines in the third verse of "How Great Thou Art" where it reads: that on the cross, my burden glady bearing; He bled and died, to take away my sin. I have thought about the phrase "my burden gladly bearing" a lot this semester as I have sat in the Garden of Gethsemane and have visited the Garden Tomb many times. Although I have always believed these simple doctrines to be true and have never doubted any aspect of the gospel growing up, I have come to better understand the magnitude of the mission my Savior was foreordained to fulfill so that we may become perfect as our Father in Heaven and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. I have more appreciation for the pain and suffering my Elder Brother had to bear for my many, many weaknesses and wrongdoings against my Father's children. The Savior of the World descended below all things so that he may know how to succor his children in their own Gethsemane. It was required of him to experience the withdrawal of the Father's spirit and suffer even the depths of hell. I am so eternally grateful for this knowledge and have come to crave a closer relationship with my Lord since I have literally walked in his footsteps and come to know his character and attributes better. I can't believe my time is finished here in the Holy Land but I have had the experience of a lifetime. My only hope is that I don't wake up one day missing Jerusalem because I haven't applied the incredible things I have learned here. At this very moment, I have absolutely no regrets and hope and pray it will stay that way. My final plea for you is to pray for the peace of Jerusalem so that the gospel may be brought to these amazing Muslims and Jews.

SCHOOL'S OUT!!

2009-04-17T21:09:00.003+03:00

Well it has been a crazy busy week with a couple super fun field trips, studying, taking tests, more studying and a little bit of play time too! I am officially done with classes and studying until the Fall!! I'm sorry to everyone in Provo who haven't even begun taking finals yet and for all those in Idaho that have to start school on Monday. It's hard for me to be sympathetic when I'm completely and totally finished! It has been an incredible semester and the experience of a lifetime here in Jerusalem. I have learned more about my Savior Jesus Christ than I can possibly imagine. How grateful I am for all that I have learned and the unforgettable friendships I have made.

DOME OF THE ROCK!!

2009-04-12T16:04:00.097+03:00

Well I was finally able to make it to the Dome of the Rock for the first time this semester (which is totally pathetic I know) but the timing never seemed to work out with our busy schedule and once it did, I was kicked out because I brought my scriptures since we were planning on going to the Garden Tomb afterward. The rude checkpoint guards were extremely unhelpful and would not let me leave them in their possession so I was super mad after that but have since repented and had a wonderful rest of my day. Even amongst all of that nonsense, I'm happy I did actually make it because it was one of the most gorgeous buildings I've ever seen in my life!! Pictures don't nearly do it justice. In the year 2000, non-Muslims were forbidden to enter the temple mount for the first time since 1967 because of some conflict arising. In 2006, it was reopened to non-Muslims which is the same year the Jerusalem Center was reopened which I am truly grateful for since I would have missed out on this unbelievable experience! The Dome of the Rock is such a fascinating building as it serves importance to four separate yet distinct religions in the world. For Muslims, The Dome is one of the holiest sites in Islam and is seen as its heart. This is the spot where, according to tradition, Muhammad ascended into heaven. For Jews, the location of the rock is believed to be the holiest spot on Earth since it was the site of the Holy of Holies during the time of the First and Second Temple Period. For Christians, Constantine's mother is believed to have built a small church nearby the spot where the Dome was later constructed. For Mormons, this site is an important place for the time of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. How amazing it is that one such awe-inspiring structure can be so significant for several purposes. If anyone ever gets the chance to visit Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock is a must see!

2009-04-10T00:02:00.020+03:00

So another week has flown by and it is exactly two weeks from tonight that I will be back in America! It’s crazy to think that my time here is coming to a close but don’t you worry, I am still exploring new and interesting places every day that I would never have known existed. Monday was another field trip day for us where we were able to visit five different Christian churches in the Old City. It was interesting to learn about the beliefs of various denominations and see the way they worship and live their lives. The Terra Sancta Church was beautiful as we got to meet with Father Angelo, a Franciscan Monk, who was kind enough to let us walk around his living quarters. This church used to be a hostel where Orson Hyde once lived when he came to dedicate the Holy Land for the gathering of the Jews. We were able to see a door in their tailor shop that had his name inscribed underneath the handle. It was way cool! The last place we visited was the St Mark’s Church which is claimed to be the site of John Mark’s home, one of the original twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Justina, the cutest lady with the squeakiest voice I’ve EVER heard, spoke about some crazy miracles that have occurred in her eight year stay in Jerusalem (she is originally from Iraq). She is an Armenian Christian and had such a lovable spirit about her that I couldn’t help but smile the entire time she was telling her stories. I got a picture with her so I can never forget that sweet face and the excitement she shared for her own faith. Underneath the church was the Upper Room (which is weird I know but whatever is older is hidden underground). This site is traditionally thought to be the place of the Last Supper and the First Church in Christiandom. There was such a powerful spirit in that room as we sang the sacred sacrament hymns. It was just like my first experience at the Garden Tomb long ago where I received a distinct witness that on the cross my Savior gladly bore my burdens, bled from every pore, and died to take away my sins. What a glorious blessing it is that my Savior and Redeemer rose again the third day from his borrowed tomb so that I can be resurrected like him one day if I remain worthy of the countless blessings God has in store for me. Since it was a special day for Mormons especially with it being the date of the organization of the Restored Church as well as Christ’s birthday and the day of his death, many of us visited the Garden Tomb and had the opportunity to spend time contemplating about the importance of that special day and sing hymns nonstop for about 45 minutes. If you can’t already tell, we LOVE to sing at whatever chance we get. Anyways, it was a wonderful way to end another awesome day in the Holy Land.

Rampart Wall Walk and PALM SUNDAY!

2009-04-05T23:39:00.015+03:00

Today was way fun as I walked the entire wall of the Old City in the morning and got to see a completely different perspective of the amazing land that I am currently living in for a couple more weeks. We had a fun time taking tons of pictures while sweating the entire time in the blazing hot sun. It’s crazy to think that I could be freezing right now in Provo and that I am missing a superb snowboarding season for one winter but I honestly don’t mind. I wouldn’t trade this amazing experience in Jerusalem for anything! After that we tried the BEST hummus in the Holy Land as it was recommended by my Arabic teacher. We then met up with some other JC girls and ended our eventful morning doing some necessary shopping. It was a fun girl’s outing. As soon as I got back to the Center to eat my yummy sack lunch (serious exaggeration), it was time to leave for the HUMUNGOUS Palm Sunday celebration. Before today, I didn’t really know the significance of this important event; after today, I will never forget this incredible day as I observed hundreds of Christians holding green fronds around Jerusalem honoring Jesus Christ's Triumphal Entry. It was so cool to see these faithful saints worshiping in their own way. Although our beliefs vary some from each other, we were all united in strength and numbers for the same purpose. There were tons of different religious groups who were touring from all over the world and it was fun to see their enthusiasm as they rejoiced in singing praises to their Lord and King. I don’t know what I was doing at the time of Christ’s glorious entrance that first Palm Sunday but I know that I am here now for a specific purpose and I witnessed an amazing scene today. I pray that this coming Easter will be different from all the rest for the mere fact that I am residing in the very land where my Savior and Redeemer rose on the third day and was resurrected just like every “body” on this earth will in a future day. I challenge you all to take this Easter Sunday to ponder upon the miraculous life and necessary existence of Christ. What a wonderful blessing it is that he died for all of his children so that we might live. Let’s focus on the real reason for this special day and I believe we will all be greatly blessed.

SNOKELING IN EILAT!!

2009-04-04T23:59:00.019+03:00

Yesterday we woke up bright and early at 5am to leave for Eilat which lies on the very southern tip of Israel. Although it was an optional activity, everyone except two people (they-who-must-not-be-named) came so it made for a way fun day at the beach. After a four-hour drive, we arrived at Coral Beach at around 10:30am to receive vital instruction about not harming the coral reef (“the heart of the ecosystem”) and about not stealing various objects from the natural environment. It was pretty windy when we got there so I had to get warm before I was tempted to even get close to the water. After some time of waiting for the sun to shine, I was all ready to get in the water with my snorkel gear and see life under the Red Sea. Although the clear blue water was pretty dang cold when I first jumped in, I became so fascinated with the various kinds of fish swimming around me and the amazing colorful reef that was floating under me that I was entertained for about an hour and a half. It was so COOL! I then laid out in the sun to get a nice midsummer tan and then did some serious people watching until we had to leave at 3pm. I had a glorious day exploring the water like Nemo and Dori and felt like I was amongst the creatures of the Sea. I'm just grateful it was such a warm day with some fun times laughing and talking with girls that I haven't associated with too much since they are always on a different bus and religion class than me. I can't believe my time is coming to an end soon! With the time I have left, I am doing ALL the activities possible so I can experience the unique and amazing spirit that resides in this Holy Land.

DAY 10 & 11 WESTERN GALILEE AND MEDITERRANEAN FIELD TRIP

2009-04-04T23:06:00.026+03:00

This is my last post from Galilee so if you are just beginning to read about my absolutely AMAZING experience, start at Day 1 (just like always). So Wednesday was originally planned to be an all-day field trip in Western Galilee but all of us students were completely exhausted from our rigorous schedule for the past 9 days that our extremely generous teachers decided to make it half-day instead. We visited Akko first which was an important port city in the Canaanite, Old and New Testament, Roman, and Crusader eras. The apostle Paul stayed with Christian friends there en route to Jerusalem just before being arrested. We visited Hospitaller Fortress which was connected to the Romans in some way but I honestly don’t remember what was cool about it. We also went inside the most beautiful mosque with marble pillars that were from Herod’s palace at Caesarea. Lastly, we walked along the Mediterranean port. It was fun to jump on the rocks like a little child. I actually almost fell in which would have made for quite the adventure. The city was so peaceful and it was enjoyable to just explore on our own and not have to listen to constant instructions. Our last and final stop of the day (HOORAH!) was Beth Shearim which had a small memorial dedicated to tombs of various rabbis. Although there wasn’t much to see, we made the most of our short stop and had fun taking pictures inside the tombs (I’m pretty sure I laid in an occupied tomb once upon a time). After that, it was back to En Gev where I basked in the sun until our concluding class program. I was hoping to end on a spiritual note and take advantage of the incredible opportunity to be 10 feet away from the Sea of Galilee but things went a LOT different than I expected with Scripture Charades (I swear us Mormons are quite peculiar sometimes), people telling high school dating stories, and April Fool’s jokes being played on everyone. I left feeling frustrated so I decided it would be best to end my Galilee experience with a morning walk on the beach watching the sun rise over the horizon and spend some time reflecting on the lessons I gained as I spent 10 days following the route of my Savior’s ministry. When it was finally time to leave for home, it was definitely a bitter sweet moment. Jerusalem will always hold a special place in my heart since it has literally become my home away from home, but Galilee was an experience that will last for a lifetime. On our journey home, we stopped at another Roman city in Galilee called Sepphoris where the Jewish Mishnah or commentary on their “Bible” (I don’t want to complicate things so let’s just kept it at that). There really wasn’t much to see except more rocks and ruins and 5 different mosaics. We visited Mt Carmel next and read a story about Elijah the prophet since he supposedly lived there. Our last stop of the day was Templer’s Cemetery in Haifa. This site housed graves of 19th century LDS missionaries who served in the Holy Land. I had absolutely NO CLUE that missionaries ever served in the Middle East at all. Although their lives were cut short due to fatal diseases, it was cool to see the inscription on their headstones which read, “A missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” What an awe-inspiring testimony-building experience this entire trip was for me and I am so grateful for all the knowledge I gained about my Savior’s life and ministry. I pray that it may bless my life for future generations to come.

DAY 9 UPPER GALILEE FIELD TRIP

2009-04-03T23:55:00.010+03:00

Today was a tiring day of getting on and off the bus about a hundred times as we visited four historically significant sites and stopped at every overlook imaginable to get the best view of the same valley just in case it may have changed from the last time we looked at it. Seriously though, it was ridiculous but I had a fun time. Our first site was Hazor which was an important city during the Canaanite Era that was taken over by the Israelites under the direction of mighty Joshua. It was cool to see the other half of our group there since we have been segregated all week. That was pretty much the coolest part of this place. Tel Dan came next and was amazingly green with flowing springs and the cutest little black Hebrew children roaming around with us. It was cool to see a Middle Bronze arched gateway built around the time of Abraham and see the idolatrous altar built by Jeroboam where the Golden Calf was worshipped. I don’t know if the animals were bigger back in the day or what, but the altar was GINORMOUS. Caesarea Philippi was our next visit where Christ pronounces to Peter that “upon this rock I will build my church.” In Greek, Peter means petros (small rock) and rock means petra (bedrock). Christ is the only sure and steady foundation of the Church but he needs our help in accepting and magnifying our callings to keep the church from falling apart. Our Savior could easily run the church by himself but what a privilege it is that he delegates to his children different duties because he trusts us and wants us to learn from our mistakes. Our last “official” stop of the day was Nimrod Fortress which was originally built by the Crusades, later destroyed then finally rebuilt by Muslim rulers. NEXT POST...WESTERN GALILEE!

DAY 7 and DAY 8 LOWER GALILEE and LOTS AND LOTS OF SUN!

2009-04-03T23:41:00.009+03:00

Our first stop of our long, but interesting, day in Lower Galilee was Beth Shean which was a political and cultural center for the Romans once upon a time. We looked at old, humungous columns and ancient toilets which were just amazing and then climbed to the top of this hill for a better view of more archaic rocks and ruins. I’m not a huge history buff if you couldn’t already tell from my exhilarating explanation. I am more interested in the spiritual sites that have purpose and meaning to my eternal exaltation. Next we quickly visited Beth Alpha Synagogue to watch a cheesy video and look at a mosaic of Jewish symbols and signs of the zodiac. Gan Ha-Shelosha was our next stop where we got to go swimming in this HUMUNGOUS pool that was absolutely beautiful! The sun was shining, for the most part, so I attempted to get some color on my very pale sun-deprived legs and then we had to leave for Afula to get falafels and ice cream. The box lunches provided by the Kibbutz consist of two loaves of bread, one piece of fruit, and a gross wafer chocolate bar. I’m not into eating massive balls of fat and oil (“falafel”) but I was content with my dark chocolate ice cream bar. Our last two stops of the busy day were Nain, where Jesus Christ raised a widow’s son from the dead, and Mt Tabor which Christians have long since acclaimed to be the site of Christ’s Transfiguration. How amazing it is to sing hymns of praise and speak about these stories and events sitting in the actual places they occurred. These are the sites that really strengthen my testimony and motivate me to study my scriptures with greater purpose. Today was absolutely incredible, like every other day in this gorgeous city, as we had class all morning along the shores of the Sea of Galilee (aka the Sea of Chinneroth, Lake of Gennesaret, or Tiberias). Whichever name you so choose is morally and politically correct. Moving on...the rest of my afternoon from 1pm – 5:45pm was spent reading, writing, talking, and listening to my ipod on the beach in an attempt to finally get some decent sun on my legs. I succeeded to get some color back into them which was incredible and made me so happy! I got lost in my own little world today and imagined myself back in California soaking up the sun at San Clemente beach. It was a very relaxing, mellow, and perfect day to prepare me for my NEXT POST... UPPER GALILEE!

DAY 5 and DAY 6 FAMOUS FISH RESTAURANT and AMAZING CHURCH

2009-04-03T23:24:00.016+03:00

New Testament class today was one of the most amazing religion classes I have EVER been in! It is amazing how much a teacher can cram in for a three hour class and how much I learned actually paying attention and trying hard to soak up everything I could. Although I have always felt that the New Testament is easier to read than the Old Testament, I am discovering new stories and insights that I have never noticed before. After a marathon of class time, we were off on a nature hike in the Jezreel Valley to see the beautiful green plains, colorful flowers, and an incredible waterfall. We had a guide with us to lead us away from the mines that were dispersed throughout the course of our path but the funniest part about it was that I didn’t see one dangerous zone the entire time. So kind of pointless in my opinion but I guess we wouldn’t have found the waterfall if he weren’t there so I should be more grateful. The water was WAY too cold for me to feel any temptation of getting in but there were some people from my group who did jump in and regretted it later as they were shivering the entire walk home; I was dry, happy, and loving life like always. Then it was off to a memorable adventure at the “Fish Restaurant” to devour the famous St Peter’s Fish (Tilapia). I know this is going to put you over the edge Mom but the fish was nasty oily, super bland, and not excitingly amazing. To ensure that we got the full experience, my roommate Emilie and I shared half a mini pizza and part of the fish. We had fun taking pictures with our dinner and made the most of our crazy escapade. We went for ice cream and shopping in Tiberias but since it was Shabbat, none of the stores were open except for one gelato stand that had the most incredible Thai coconut flavor in the world! It was ridiculously good. The following morning I slept in for the first time since I have been in Israel and boy was it the best thing that has ever happened to me. Well not quite but it was amazing not having to set any alarm and then relaxing the rest of the morning. We quickly visited the Jordan River Baptismal Site before church at 3:30pm. Even though there weren’t any baptisms going on, it was cool to visit the place. Then it was church overlooking the Sea of Galilee which was quite distracting but the messages shared through music and words were amazing and brought me to tears at times. It is going to be so hard to go back home and have sacrament meeting without the most unbelievable views in the world! I will actually have to look at the speaker and listen...lame. To conclude the night, the teachers hosted a fireside telling the stories about how they met and fell in love. It’s funny how we have been told that dating is off limits at the Jerusalem Center, yet there has been TONS of hooking up lately as “small town syndrome” has officially kicked in. Always juicy stuff going on in Jerusalem. NEXT POST...more field trips and SUN!!

DAY 3 and 4 INCREDIBLE CLASSES and GALILEAN FIELD TRIP

2009-04-03T23:17:00.019+03:00

Yesterday was fairly uneventful with New Testament class for three hours in the morning; we had a 30 minute break halfway through so no worries. Although I greatly cherish Brother Wilson’s Old Testament class and thoroughly gained vast knowledge unknown to me before, I am enjoying the style of teaching of Brother Huff. He has already taught us so many insane facts about the four gospels that I would never have discovered on my own in this lifetime. I appreciate his amazing study of the New Testament which motivates me to feast upon the words of Christ daily. The rest of my beautiful day I spent studying the scriptures and watching the amazing sunset with my legit roommate Christine. It is so gorgeous here in Galilee and is SO green everywhere! Last semester here in Galilee, everything was brown and during spring/summer term, it was way hot so I am grateful I came when I did; it was meant to be. We also had Ancient Near East class last night which was torturous. There was no sleeping in the next day as my class was off on another field trip (half-day at least) to two sites that connect with Jewish history. The first site, Gamla, was a focal point during the First Revolt against Rome (66-72 AD). The steep hill where the city lies resembles a camel; hence the Hebrew/Arabic name gamal. We were the only tour group at this incredible city literally set on a hill so it was nice to explore the ruins and take pictures on high places that were overlooking the valley. There were vultures hovering over us the whole time but luckily they received no food on behalf of us. Thankfully, the last site of the day was Qazrin. I know that sounds horrible to say “thankfully” but it gets old being a tourist all the time. Moving on, this “Talmudic village” contains a restored rabbi’s house and a basilica synagogue. This town has long been abandoned since the 4th-8th century AD when the Talmud was being compiled. The rest of my afternoon, I did a minor amount of homework, took an incredible run along the shore, had a contemplative walk alone on the beach, got some sun, and have been getting caught up on my journal which I have successfully accomplished. NEXT POST...more three-hour classes and the FISH RESTAURANT.

DAY 2 SEA OF GALILEE FIELD TRIP

2009-04-03T23:03:00.016+03:00

Today was amazing as we visited sites along the Sea of Galilee which provides the context for the base of the Savior’s Galilean Ministry where he taught profound messages and performed miraculous miracles (attempt at astounding alliteration). We were off at 7:30am sharp to catch our boat at exactly 7:45am leaving two of our few male members back at the hotel. Don’t worry though they made it just in time at the dock after being dropped off by our other teacher. I guess they weren’t kidding about that promptness thing were they. Anyways, it was extremely cold and windy this morning which for the first time in my life, didn’t frustrate or annoy me in the least bit. I was actually quite happy to experience the raging tempest that day as we sang “Master, the Tempest is Raging” and drifted (or should I say tossed and turned) across the actual sea where Christ calmed the billowing waters and caused his disciples to wonder, “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41) Luckily we made it to the “blessed harbor and rested on the blissful shore.” We saw the Ginnosar Boat, excavated in 1986 after a fatal drought, which is believed to be similar to New Testament boats built at the time. Some people call it the “Jesus Boat” because He and His disciples used boats often for transportation, fishing, and even as a pulpit for preaching in large crowds. Next was the Mount of Beatitudes where the essence of Jesus’ expectations for His disciples was spoken and recorded as perhaps the most important text for defining the New Testament or Covenant in the Sermon on the Mount. The weather couldn’t decide what it wanted to do since it was cold and rainy and then the sun would shine brightly through the clouds. It seemed to be centered on our righteousness and spirituality; it was quite strange. I’m sorry to disappoint everyone but we didn’t actually sit on any mount. We sat in a fenced ruin of a 5th Century Byzantine church that has been completely renovated into a small amphitheater. I just had to throw that out there so you aren’t disappointed like I was when you all make your future trips to Galilee. The Latin beatus is the basis of the English “beatitude”, meaning to be fortunate, to be happy, or to be blessed (directly from the KJV footnote chapter 5, verse 3a). These specific blessings were given to Jesus’ disciples as “the blueprint of perfection” as stated by President Harold B. Lee. Although it is totally and completely impossible to become perfect in this life, we must always be striving to live the commandments of the Lord and continually seek to live righteously. We then visited two churches in Tabgha (meaning 7 springs if anyone cares) which honor, respectively, the loaves and fishes miracle and Peter’s mandate to “feed my sheep.” St Peter’s Primacy is a chapel built as a shrine to the resurrected Christ’s appearance to His apostles and where He shared a meal with them. In this church, the natural rock (on which the ancient meal allegedly occurred) functions as the mensis Christi or the “table of Christ.” We sang “All Creatures of Our God and King” to a fellow tour group who greatly appreciated our gesture. Last place, I promise. We crammed in so much in one day that it was absolutely exhausting and overwhelming. Capernaum was the base of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and was the perfect place to end an incredibly busy day. Although Peter was born in Bethsaida, he resided mostly in Capernaum. Jesus made Peter’s house his headquarters where he preached from its very door. Peter’s house, sometimes called “the house”, became Christianity’s first church. There are too many incredible miracles performed by Christ at Capernaum to recount so check them out in your good old Holy Bible. NEXT POST...classes along the beach and breath-taking views.

DAY 1 GALILEE FIELD TRIP

2009-04-03T22:43:00.017+03:00

Here is the scoop on the first day of my unforgettable excursion to Galilee! We were supposed to leave bright and early at 6:30am but had a bit of a late start since the teachers were running around trying to finish up last minute things so this time, it wasn’t our fault. I was so exhausted from a very late night of packing (I’m such a procrastinator) and cleaning the apartment so we didn’t have to come home to a dirty home. Our first stop was Caesarea Maritima which is a beautiful city built by Herod the Great along the Mediterranean Sea and became Judea’s Roman capital after his death. Before Paul was taken hostage by the Romans, Caesarea was a missionary land mine for Philip, Peter, and Paul where they preached to many people and even baptized Cornelius, the Roman centurion. Pretty cool stuff. Next we stopped at Megiddo which Joshua defeated after which he gave the land to the Israelites. Brother Brown, our Academic Director, rambled on and on about some excavations that have occurred there and the process of some filming there that he was a part of and blah blah blah. Bless his heart, but I really didn’t have a care in the world about all of that. I wanted to learn more about the great and final conflict that is to happen at the End of Days and is referred to as the Battle of Armageddon. We ran out of time and had to move on which was frustrating but it was still so sweet to stand directly in the place where the battle is to blow out when Christ returns once again. Our last site was Nazareth where a majority of Jesus’ childhood was spent and where he announced his Messiahship during a synagogue service but the congregation rejected him so he left for Capernaum. It was amazing to sit in the “Nazareth Synagogue” (clever name, I know) and sing hymns that brought the spirit so strongly into the stone cold room. It was incredible to imagine the Savior standing at the head of the room declaring that he was the Son of God who was sent to save all his Heavenly Father’s children. It makes me sad to know that Jesus Christ, my Rock and my Redeemer was unwanted by those he loved so dearly. If the people only knew who this great figure standing before them really was, we may be reading a different story. NEXT POST...RAGING WATERS on the Sea of Galilee.

BETHLEHEM!!

2009-03-25T22:17:00.016+02:00

At this very moment I am in the richly green land of Galilee practically living on the Sea of Galilee. As you can all imagine, it’s absolutely INCREDIBLE! It’s impossible to describe how absolutely beautiful it is here so before I get you all rallied up about how amazing Galilee is, let me catch everyone up on my trip to Bethlehem last Tuesday. I know it’s totally pathetic that this is so outdated but it was finals galore for me last week so please forgive me. To start off my unforgettable experience, we visited the ARIJ Applied Research Center (which means absolutely nothing to you or me since I don't even know what the first part stands for). An expert on the Palestinian refugee problem spoke to us about a plethora of things but it was a total wash for me as I struggled to stay awake the entire time. I sat directly in front of him, which I realized later is the worst spot EVER, but I wanted so badly to sit in this huge comfy office chair that was most definitely the best seat in the house. After that, we visited the Bethlehem University where my Palestinian Modern Near East instructor, Dr. Musallam, teaches full-time. We watched a renowned documentary film on three Palestinian cities that were taken over by the Israeli Army after the Six-Day War. I honestly have nothing else to say about the film because I was out cold for a full 40-minute nap. I’m sorry to say this, but I’m becoming more and more like my constantly sleepy father as the days pass. I felt so refreshed and was extremely happy afterward though so nothing to complain about there. After the incredible film, we had an open peer discussion with four of Dr. Musallam’s students. I was so impressed with their knowledge about the current Israeli conflict and learned a ton about what is really going on that is disguised by the media. There is too much to reveal now so let’s just say, the Jews aren’t the only ones who have suffered a fateful massacre. The best part of the day was when we visited Shepherd's Field, located right inside the checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Although it was March 17th, which is St Patrick’s Day in case you weren’t sure, we had CHRISTMAS in Jerusalem. As we sat on that hill overlooking my beautiful home in Jerusalem and looking back at the city of Bethlehem singing Christmas songs and reading Christmas stories, I began to ponder about the miraculous birth and glorious mission of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I was sitting at the exact midpoint between the places where He was born and where he was later crucified for the sins of all mankind. I realized then that I was in the very land where my Lord performed many miracles, taught in the temples and synagogues, bled from every pore so that I may never have to suffer alone, and then died for me that I might live. I knew at that moment that my Savior lives and that he loves me so very much that he took upon himself all of my pains, trials, and weaknesses so that I may find peace through his infinite and eternal atonement. Although I have always known that my Savior cares for me and that he is always there for me when I need him, I received such a stronger witness of his continual presence and selfless sacrifice that chilly night in the peaceful land of Bethlehem. I know that is one of the many reasons I have been given this opportunity to study here in this holy land and for that I am truly grateful.

2009-03-21T14:30:00.015+02:00

I am sitting outside the Jerusalem Center right now on the grassy area located on the 7th floor taking pictures of the beautiful flowers and writing in my journal. It is the first day of spring here in Jerusalem as well as the Palestinians Mother's Day so it's a special day. The flowers are blooming and it is perfect weather outside so life is wonderful! We had the most amazing sacrament meeting today with marvelous messages shared about trials, the resurrection, and the keys of the gospel. The Spirit was so powerful as it manifested to me of the truthfulness of the things that were being said. What made the meeting the most incredible Shabbat here thus far was the FOUR musical numbers which were all so awesome! The BYU Student Choir, in which practically everyone is a part of here, sang "This is the Christ" for prelude and "My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee" which is about Joseph Smith when he was imprisoned in Liberty Jail. We basically sing every Shabbat which is wonderful but I love hearing other people share their talents too. Aleni, an amazing pianist, played a gorgeous piano arrangement of "I Stand All Amazed" which I might just have to get from her. The final musical number of the meeting was a 6 person duet of all girls singing "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" in which I accompanied on the piano. I don't want to be biased or anything but I believe it was a perfect way to tie together all the talks and other music shared. I am so grateful for the influence of music in my life and thank you parents for pushing me through those horrible years in junior high when I absolutely HATED anything that related to the piano in any way, shape, and form. I am so glad you forced me to continue lessons until I graduated high school since it did provide much income for me all four years of high school. Music is such a wonderful blessing in my life and can be an extremely powerful witness in all aspects of the gospel. I am so happy to be living here in the Holy Land and experience life outside of America. These past two weeks since being home from Jordan have been way busy with midterms and finals in all of my classes. I am officially done with Old Testament class and my Old Testament Field Trip course (which is seriously a graded class), Arabic, and my Israeli and Palestinian Modern Near East classes. Although it is sad to not interact with my teachers who actually live here and learn first hand from them about the constant conflict in this sacred land, it is a great relief to only have two classes to worry about now until my time is finished here. I have learned so much on my journey here and have been introduced to different perspectives of life in the Middle East that I would never understand unless I was witnessing it with my own eyes. I know I say this a lot but I truly feel privileged to be a part of this incredible program and learn about the life and ministry of my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

SERVICE - JUST DO IT!!

2009-03-21T00:09:00.011+02:00

So I know it’s been a super long time since I last posted, which is probably a relief to many of you, but it’s time for me to catch you up on all my happenings whether you like it or not. This week was filled with some wonderful opportunities to serve right here in Jerusalem and provide relief to children not too far from my current home. Although it was crazy with finals in four of my classes, one of the favorite parts of my week was getting the chance to do Humanitarian Service as well as work with children in the community. For Humanitarian Service, we make hygiene kits for children in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It’s an ongoing project that happens once a week and it’s great fun!!! We have races to see how many bags we can make in a certain amount of time, which is totally lame I know, but we try to bring excitement into the process in any way possible. The following day, a group of us went to the Gypsy Community Center where we were able to teach English lessons to Palestinian children one-on-one. I worked specifically with this 13 year old girl Laila who was absolutely hilarious! My job was to come up with simple sentences that had the words who and which in them and you wouldn’t believe how hard it was! We played Hang Man also, after helping her finish her homework first of course, and we laughed a ton about the ridiculous words we both came up with. I am definitely going back to spend time with Laila (and the other children too) because it was awesome to be amongst the kids in the community that have such a sweet spirit about them. It made my week less stressful and it was better serving others than being wrapped up with my own concerns. I LOVE serving and believe full heartedly that it makes everyone a happier people.

2009-03-12T10:49:00.008+02:00

So I'm combining a post about the Jewish Purim holiday (celebrated in Jerusalem on Tuesday) and the Separation Wall Field Trip from yesterday even though they have absolutely no connection with each other. Just bear with me as I begin with the Purim celebration. A group of us went to a Jewish synagogue nearby to commemorate the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman who tried to exterminate the Jews. As we all know, or I hope everyone knows, Esther interfered and saved the day! Men and women read each chapter of the book of Esther in Hebrew and every time the name Haman was said, everyone hollered and screamed with noise makers or any other annoying thing that causes headaches. It was fun for about 45 minutes until I started to get super tired and eager to get back to studying for midterms and finals this week(weird I know). Everyone dresses up in costumes like Halloween but the Jewish people don't celebrate Halloween at all; the customs are similar to our pagan holiday with lots of candy for the children and a lot of drinking for the adults. I didn't really have anything to wear so I threw a soccer jersey on from Egypt and wrapped a scarf around my head and then asked my roommates what I looked like. They both said Rambo right away so that was that. I seriously had no clue who Rambo was or who Sylvester Stallone was for that matter but whatever. It was a way fun experience! Yesterday afternoon we took a quick outing to go see the Separation Wall (which resides in our backyard). This barrier was built in 2001 by the Israeli government in an attempt to keep the terrorist groups out of Jerusalem. Essentially, it separated the West Bank from Israel. There is tons of graffiti all over the wall where people have expressed their sour feelings in every way, shape, and form. Let's just say, it's not so pleasant. It is really sad to see the people so divided and to see families being torn apart because I have learned to love both people. I pray for a solution to be met in the future but neither side is willing to compromise in order to form a two-state solution so who knows if it will ever happen. As of right now, the Palestinians and Israelis are living together peaceably (or should I say) tolerating one another to the best of their ability.

HERODIAN Field Trip

2009-03-09T23:02:00.010+02:00

Hello again everyone! Life has been extremely busy here like always with a trip to Tel Aviv Friday and a half-day “Herodian” exploration. Yesterday was an inspiring field trip that was informative and quite a humbling experience. We visited the David Archaeological Park which was the main public access to Herod’s Temple Mount and was most likely the setting for Jesus’ various visits to the Temple. It was amazing to see the remains of Jerusalem’s main streets along the Western Wall and touch the actual stones hurled off the walls of the Temple complex by the Roman soldiers in 70 AD after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. We also walked up the steps to the “Double Gate” and “Triple Gate” where the Jews were to enter and exit the temple. Among Jerusalem’s many archaeological sites, I can now say I have walked on the exact streets the feet of my Savior touched and stood on the threshold where he and his disciples would have entered and exited into the holy grounds of the temple. It was an incredible experience and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life because I was able to stroll along the roads of Jerusalem where the pulse of life echoed through the streets once upon a time. What an amazing opportunity I have been given to see the stories of the Bible come to life and how grateful I am to be here in this Holy Land walking exactly where the footsteps of my Redeemer trod.

TEL AVIV Field Trip

2009-03-09T22:43:00.025+02:00

After four extremely long days in Jordan, we spent a hot winter day in Tel Aviv visiting the Diaspora Museum, Independence Hall, and Old Joppa. Our tour guide at the Diaspora Museum was so cute and had such a wonderful spirit about her. We learned about the different kinds of synagogues established around the world as Jews began to flee Israel and the lands of Europe to escape the brutality of the various nations that had ruled their land over the course of its existence. The diaspora or dispersal of the Jewish people to America has caused many to establish their own way of life in the different corners of the world. How amazing it is to me that amongst so much persecution in the Jewish nation, they have stayed strong as one nation to create a unified religion. We visited the Independence Hall next which was way cool since it would be like touring Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Honestly I have no more to say about this building since I was dozing off through the entire introductory movie and the informative seminar about that marvelous day on May 14, 1948 when Israel finally became its own sovereign country. Our teachers let us lose after that and we were giving the choice to explore the Flea Market, the Sukk (Jewish Market), or go to the beach. You’ll never guess where everyone rushed off to...the MEDITERRANEAN SEA!! It was so funny to me to watch as everyone sprinted off to take a dip in the ocean as I was strolling along and enjoying the warmth of the sun. Thank you parents for raising me in Southern California!! After 10 minutes of skipping rocks and taking some pictures, I convinced some people to come explore the Flea Market. After finally figuring out what direction we were supposed to go, we were all so exhausted and sweaty from walking around so much that we found a Smoothie/Ice Cream Shop instead. It was an incredible experience and definitely became the highlight of my day. We met up with our teachers once again in Old Joppa to see the gulf of Jaffa, the oldest port in the world, where Jonah fled from the Lord and where historians think he may have been swallowed by the whale. Tel Aviv was quite the adventure and after many hours spent in the draining sun, I was ready for some peace and quiet.

DAY 4 Mosque of King Abdullah and the JORDAN RIVER

2009-03-07T23:32:00.042+02:00

If you are just signing on to read about my marvelous trip to JORDAN, you might want to start at Day 1 so the sequence of events could flow much nicer (just a thought). Our final day in Jordan started off with an amazing experience visiting the Mosque of King Abdullah, a memorial to the late King Hussein's Grandfather, which was a beautifully ornate building. The girls got to play dress-up as we were required to wear scarves covering our hair and these long black Harry Potter ropes. The guys didn't get so lucky as they could wear short-sleeved shirts. It was an informative experience to learn more about the Islamic faith and I was actually lucky enough to see a Muslim man recite his morning prayers and see with my own eyes the faithful conviction displayed. We then went to the Temple of Hercules which is larger than any temple in Rome itself. There really isn't much more history behind it so we all just took tons of pictures pretending to be ridiculously strong like Hunchules himself (By the way...this site has nothing to do with the Disney movie which is quite unfortunate). Our very last stop before it was time to go back home was the Jordan River which was the site I had been dying to see all week long (figuratively of course). Before I even got a good look at the place where Jesus Christ was baptized, I had a funny incident with the bus that must be shared. So I have this huge scab on my elbow due to some intense soccer matches and as I was walking carefully off the bus, I some how slipped on the step and fell flat on my butt on the ground. My elbow hit the stairs while on my trip downward, and my scab just busted open with it hanging by a thread as all the teachers and the lucky students that saw my clumsy act started freaking out and surrounding me. It was totally not a big deal to me and did not tarnish my pride in the least bit but some people made such a scene about it that it ended up being a traumatic experience. I think some people thought it was my skin that was scraped off so it was funny to me. It was quite an entrance unto the site of the river Jordan so it made for a unforgettable memory. Visiting the place where my Lord and Savior set the example of baptism for all that would follow after him was quite an incredible experience and left a lasting impression on me. Although no one is exactly certain where John the Baptist actually baptized Jesus Christ, I honestly don't care. All that really matters to me is the understanding I have gained over my years in primary and beyond that my Savior, although perfect, performed this ordinance that I may have the glorious opportunity to return to live with him again if I stay faithful to the covenants I have made and continue to follow in the footsteps of my Savior. Now that I am done describing my happenings in the beautiful country of Jordan, my next posts will be about my all-day field trip in Tel Aviv yesterday and about our half-day "Herodian" Field Trip tomorrow which I have no clue what that means but stay tuned, and you will know what I mean soon enough.

DAY 3 JERASH and THE BIGGEST PITAS IN THE WORLD

2009-03-07T23:12:00.019+02:00

The next morning we were lucky enough to sleep until 7:30am which is totally pathetic that we think of that as sleeping in but I guess that is my life right now. Our first stop was Jabbok River which was the site where Jacob wrestled with an angel but our bus couldn’t quite make it there without breaking down for an hour and a half. I guess we weren’t meant to go or something because we had to move on to our next visit to the city of Jerash which stands as one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world. There’s not much else to this incredibly well-maintained city except to say that I had the funniest time taking tons of pictures by ginormous old pillars and rocks that were ten times as big as me! The Amman Roman Theater was absolutely amazing because it was built into the natural slopes of the city with an integrated stage. To end our hot day in Jerash, we all watched a Roman reenactment of chariot racing and Gladiator fighting. Although it was one of the cheesiest thing EVER, it made for a good laugh. We had lunch at the grandest place with the biggest pitas alive. The food was epic and might possibly be one of my favorite meals thus far. After our unforgettable lunch, we met with the Branch President in Jordan and had an amazing meeting learning about how the church has grown here in the Middle East in the last ten years and how the members stay strong amongst the isolation they face here. I became motivated to be an example to those around me although we are forbidden to discuss any aspect of our religion. After arriving back to our hotel, all the students were off once again for your choice of the Mecca Mall or the Auto Exhibit. Since it doesn't excite me so much to look at old cars, a group of us went exploring in one of the biggest malls I have ever seen! We decided to hit the bowling alley where I achieved an all-time high score of 126. It was fun to relax and talk with the locals and was interesting to see the contrast between the modesty and uptightness of Israel versus the modernized city of Jordan with skimpily-dressed women just like home sweet home. Next...Mosque of Famous Jordanian King, Temple of Hercules, and the JORDAN RIVER

DAY 2 PETRA and INDIANA JONES

2009-03-07T22:53:00.015+02:00

So our teachers told us it was going to be absolutely freezing in Jordan with snow in the forecast but we were lucky enough to have the most amazing weather you could imagine with zero clouds or snow around our hotel (with the exception of the snow from the previous night). We spent our entire day in the infamous city of Petra which became the center of a Roman province called Nabatea and was later inhabited by Byzantine Christians. Boring I know but I feel like I have a duty to share some bit of history so you don’t perceive me as being a daydreamer who never pays attention, although I must admit, it sometimes happens. Petra is famous for being a city whose cemetery was carved largely out of the sandstone rock with carved facades. The real cool part about Petra had to be the Treasury or “Temple”, in reference to Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade (which I have actually never seen all the way through). Although that building was humungous and quite a site to see, the other amazing adventures included a 870-step hike to the top where an old Monastery resides, an incredible “sacrifice view” where animal sacrifices were performed (crazy I know), and another strenuous hike to the High Place to get another view of the grand scope of things just in case you missed it the first three times. It was a long and tiring day but definitely well worth all the sweat and tears (no tears were involved, it just sounded good). We were off to Amman for our next adventure but not until me and my roommate Christine were safely secure on the bus. Explanation...we were in the bathroom taking pictures of the toilets which were nonexistent holes in the ground (childess I know but it was such a phenomenon that we couldn’t pass it up), when our bus left without two of its members. As soon as we realized we were alone, we began hitch-hiking aimlessly through the streets of Petra. We walked back to our hotel which was only 5 minutes away and asked the receptionist if he had seen two huge Mormon buses and he told us they were 200 meters up the hill. Although we thought that was kind of strange, we continued on our way until we realized he was lying and we walked back down the hill to discover the buses waiting right where we had started. I’m not quite sure how we possibly missed our bus but I learned a great lesson that day. Be at the right place at the right time and your life will be much less stressful. Next...broken down buses and more old Roman cities.

DAY 1 Long Bus Rides and SNOW!

2009-03-07T19:26:00.019+02:00

It’s been awhile since I last updated with a four-day trip to Jordan and a fantastic day at Tel Aviv yesterday that exhausted me completely. It was like Egypt all over again! Our trip to Jordan was incredible and too short if you ask me, but we visited some amazing places and I had a wonderful time. I was healthy and well the whole time which was a blessing so let me dive into all my happenings. We left Monday morning at 7:00am sharp with enthusiastic excitement for our adventure away from home when only 15 minutes into it, we were all sound asleep (at least I was). Our first stop was Mount Nebo where it is believed by most scholars that Moses stood atop to visualize the Promised Land and where he was supposedly buried. We know from the Joseph Smith Translation and from the Book of Mormon (specifically the book of Alma) that Moses was translated. It was super cold and windy there so it was a quick stop as we moved on to the city of Madaba where an important Byzantine map of the entire Holy Land was depicted on the mosaic floor at the St. George Church. Historians have used this exact drawing to reconstruct the Byzantine Near East, including the Galilee, the Jordan River Valley, the coastal plains, the city of Jerusalem, and Egypt. Then it was off to Petra where snow covered the grassy hills on our drive to the Petra Palace Hotel. It didn’t quite hit me until the white fluff disappeared, that it had actually snowed so even though I’m not in freezing cold Provo right now, the snow still followed me to the Middle East. Since we only had one night to spend in Petra, all of us princesses and princes (referring to the hotel name if you didn’t catch my lame joke), we had a night out in the extremely quiet and mellow streets searching long and hard for a certain hotel with “THE BEST ICE CREAM IN ALL OF ASIA” (FYI...Jordan is in Asia). It wasn’t all that miraculous but we made the most of it. That concludes day 1 of JORDAN. Next...PETRA and HOW DOES IT RELATE TO INDIANA JONES?

2009-02-28T21:30:00.017+02:00

Well everyone, I leave for Jordan early Monday morning which is way exciting! We arrive back here Thursday night and then we have an all-day field trip the following day with another adventure on Sunday all day so life is busy over here like always. Thursday night, we had our HUGE Seder Meal. Even though Passover does not actually occur until April 9th, we follow a different calendar than the rest of the world at the Jerusalem Center. I’ve learned to just go with the flow since plans are constantly changing. So our celebration lasted for four hours as we read the story of the Exodus, sang songs, participated in the rituals of the festival, and ate kosher (“fit”) food. I felt like we were eating for three hours straight with the five course meal of an appetizer (fish...Yuk!), salad, soup, BBQ chicken with broccoli, and two different desserts. It was pretty intense stuff and quite an experience. I might even make this event a new holiday in my life from now on. Friday, I went to the Jewish Market which is absolutely crazy before Shabbat (the Sabbath) begins at sundown. Although it was freezing cold, super windy and rainy, I had a way fun time watching everyone run around buying last minute essentials for the following day. The smells of the market and the Old City in East Jerusalem are SO different than anything I’ve ever experienced in America so it can be quite nauseating at times. On our drive home with my awesome Old Testament teacher, Brother Wilson, we stopped at the Pita Factory where we got to see the process it takes to make this phenomenal bread. We walked out with a free pita in our hands so I would consider it a successful outing. As soon as we got home, we rushed off to the Humanitarian Project to make hygiene kits for victims of the Gaza Conflict. It was so fun to provide aid to those less fortunate than me and was definitely worthwhile. That evening we had a devotional with Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander and his wife Joni which was an inspiring meeting. My favorite statement from Elder Neuenschwander was when he encouraged each one of us to use our time wisely exploring all the wonders of this land and immersing ourselves in the incredible opportunity we have to participate in this study abroad program. We had district conference today with members of the church from the Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Galilee and Tel Aviv branches. What a sight to see the faithful saints of the Middle East gather together and take part in the sweet spirit of the gospel as a community. I feel so lucky every day to be in this Holy Land. I am so grateful for everything I have learned in my journey thus far and I am so stoked for the experiences I have yet to encounter.

CITY OF DAVID and HEZEKIAH'S TUNNEL

2009-02-25T19:36:00.017+02:00

Today we had a crazy fun field trip visiting the City of David and getting our pants completely soaked through Hezekiah's Tunnel, a water supply system, hence the reason we all got wet. This tunnel served as an aqueduct to provide Jerusalem with water during a future capture by the brutal Assyrian army. The tunnel was excavated by two teams starting at opposite ends and met at the middle where I saw the Siloam inscription which contains one of the oldest records of Hebrew using the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet. I'm not actually sure what all of that means but it's still cool stuff. I felt like a spy travelling through Hezekiah's Tunnel and sneaking into the city to conquer the land. It took about 30 minutes to walk through the entire pitch black, narrow tunnel so it was definitely a glorious experience! After we all made it through the tunnel, alive thankfully, we visited the Pool of Siloam which is the real place in John 9 where Christ anointed the eyes of the blind man so that he could receive sight. It was cool to actually touch the exact spot where this story in the Bible occurred. The stones that ascend this pool are the literal steps where Jesus Christ and His apostles walked frequently. How amazing it is to encounter places depicted in the Bible with my own eyes. Every day I marvel at the wonders of this land; there is so much history! As I have been informed by so many people this week, I am halfway through my trip which is absolutely crazy. Quite frankly, I'm not ready to come home just yet as there is much more exploring , experiencing, learning, and discovering to do!

2009-02-24T16:54:00.018+02:00

It has been a pretty mellow week for me so far but don't you worry...I still have things to share. Sunday was a free day but the weather was not very pleasant so I decided to stay in and catch up on some reading. In my attempt to get ahead in my classes, I kept dozing off so finally I gave up. Since I am the worst nap-taker of all time and couldn't EVER fall asleep, I tried reading once again but by that point, it was time for a girl's night out! We are not allowed to be out after dark without a guy so technically it wasn't completely exclusive (ridiculous I know). We went to see Bride Wars which was in English with Hebrew subtitles so it was quite an experience. It was great to get out on the town and feel like a semi-normal college student. Monday and Tuesday consisted of morning classes which is always such a joy (sarcasm intended). Yesterday I needed to do some errands which is usually difficult since you have to bribe two other people to join you. I am so looking forward to having my car once again and completing simple, mundane tasks like this ALL by myself. Last night was another insane game of soccer where two guys rolled their ankles and the rest of us now have bruised shins. I think we forget that none of us have shinguards but it's still great fun! Today I went to the Sisters of Sion Convent which was fun to take pictures inside. Even after reading the handy pamphlet provided, I still didn't really know the meaning behind it all but there was a way old Roman road that has been preserved which was pretty cool. Well I think that's it for me tonight.

2009-02-20T19:01:00.076+02:00

Another week has flown by once again which is totally crazy!! It has been really cold and rainy this week so I have stayed inside more than usual. I know that's wimpy of me since I'm not even in snowy Provo but I'm a California girl through and through. Tuesday was a fun day of shopping in the Old City since I haven't done that for a while. I got some sweet t-shirts which I was super excited about so I would say it was a successful outing. On Wednesday, we took a group field trip to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum, which was a very sobering experience. Yad Vashem was built in 2005 as a memorial for those who suffered beyond belief and told the tragic story of the hatred exhibited toward the Jewish people. My eyes were opened this time to a new perpective as the tour focused on the positive attitude of the Jews during the darkest age in their history. The most influencial part for me had to be the Childrens Memorial. As I walked into the pitch black building where thousands of candles illuminated the entire room and every single name of the one million children who died were named, I was so overwhelmed as I thought about each innocent child who was killed by the brutal Nazi regime. It was definitely a life-changing experience. We then met our Jewish professor Ophir Yarden at Mt. Hertzel. This mountain commemorates the prophet of Zionism and the return of the Jews to Israel. That's pretty much the only point of this mountain so, honestly, not very exciting. Yesterday I went to the Knesset which is the legislative branch of the Israeli government. The tour was short and sweet but very informative. Last night was the Diner's Club in West Jerusalem. We found this hole in the wall pasta restaurant which was so ridiculously amazing! It was fun to get out on the town and feel like a normal college student just out to dinner with a group of friends. Today we had Old Testament and Ancient Near East for two hours each and took up our entire morning so it was quite draining if you ask me. I was supposed to have Arabic tonight as well but my teacher got sick so class was postponed! Even though Arabic is super fun with our hilarious teacher, I was not in the mood for more classes. Today we played another intense game of soccer which was absolutely amazing!! It was so crazy that I now have a swollen ankle from getting hacked at, a bruised left arm from being rammed into the door and an extremely sensitive coccyx so I'm feeling mighty fine. Shabbat Shalom!!

2009-02-16T22:53:00.023+02:00

So yesterday was a free day which means we have the entire day to waste away our time and do whatever we want! It's awesome and always much needed every once in a while. I rang the bells at the YMCA which is across the street from the King David Hotel where the United States President stays on their visit to the Holy Land. Crazy stuff, I know! At 12:00pm sharp, me and my Egypt roommate Anne dominated Frere Jacques for 60,000 people! It was way intense and quite stressful since we only had one time to practice before the big debut. We made the best of it and rang those bells like Quasimodo has never heard before. Later I did some wandering in the Old City which was kind of pointless since everything starts winding down super early here (around 4pm-ish). We wanted to go to the Dome of Rock and then some churches but all our plans kept getting shafted so we gave up and walked home. Today I went to the Princess Basma Center for Disabled Children which was SO MUCH FUN!! I had the opportunity to work with 10 hearing impaired children. Although it was difficult to interact with them because of the communication barrier and the fact that I know an extremely minimal amount of their language, I made the best of it. The teachers expected us to come up with games to play (which we were not informed of beforehand) so we did duck-duck-goose and head-shoulders-knees-and toes about a thousand times. It was wonderful to take part in the community for once and see what life outside the Center and the Old City is really like. Later I did some shopping in the Old City which was very productive and then I had the most amazing brownie pastry in West Jerusalem. It definitely didn't come close to a big piece of homemade cheesecake but it was worth the 1 dollar and 50 cents I spent so I was pretty happy. My last exciting activity tonight was the best game of indoor soccer I've ever played!! It got pretty intense with me and Priscilla (legit intramural soccer teammate) owning all the guys. It was amazing to say the least!

2009-02-15T20:10:00.004+02:00

Hello again everyone. I know you just heard from me yesterday but I have a new addition to my blog! Check out the new photo link in the sidebar!! Sign in with hurdlegirl89@cox.net and then type in the password as breana (That's me)! Enjoy!

HAPPY VALENTINE"S DAY!!

2009-02-14T17:07:00.034+02:00

Hello Everyone and Happy Valentine's Day!!! Today is Shabbat and what a wonderful day it has been. Sacrament meeting was amazing with touching messages about covenants, temples, and you guessed it...LOVE! The spirit was so strong and moved me to reflect on my experiences here so far and what opportunities await me with the time I have left. The first few weeks before the Egypt trip were going so slow and steady, moving at the perfect pace. Now it is February 14th and what have I done with my life? Well it has been an amazing journey learning more about the sacred books of the Bible, ancient and modern Near East, ARABIC, and other cool and exciting new things. I have seen some pretty important historical sites and cities that I never imagined to see with my own eyes in this lifetime. Although I am so thankful for what I have learned about the culture of the Israeli and Palestinians and the history of the ancient lands of the Near East, I have reflected a lot this week about what I have learned about the life of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I came here with the desire to gain a stronger testimony of my Redeemer and Exemplar and although I sometimes feel like I am not changing the way I hoped for, I gain so much insight about the baby steps I am making as I acknowledge the hand of God in my life everyday. I would be a most ungrateful servant of my Lord if I did not write down the spiritual promptings I receive. I love my Savior more than I could ever describe and am so eternally grateful for the infinite atoning sacrifice he provided for me that I may find a relief from my trials and hardships as I place my burdens at the feet of the Lord. "What greater love hath no man than this, that {Jesus Christ} lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). How wonderful it is that I may have a constant friend to turn to whenever I need a helping hand.

2009-02-09T21:26:00.011+02:00

Family Home Evening was so much fun tonight because we were invited to a member's home in our branch who have the most hilarious kids ever! I had a blast playing and laughing a ton with them since we all know how children pull at my heart strings. I know I haven't updated my blog for almost a week now and I bet most of you didn't mind not having to deal with my shenanigans but sorry, I'm back! Since we have been back from Egypt, my homework load has escalated to a new level with reading, assignments, and quizzes all piling up. It's quite overwhelming at times but no worries, I still found time to sing in tunnels inside cisterns, do some shopping in the Old City, and experience my first encounter with phychotic people in Israel (refer to my My Blog List in the sidebar under The Holy Land with the title CREEPER for more info). We had a Conquest Field Trip last Thursday which was super cool visiting the city Jericho conquered by Joshua, the traditional site of the Mount of Temptation where Christ was tempted by Satan (hence the name), and Herod's Winter Palace where the evil "baby killer", as my Near Eastern Studies teacher refers to him as, lived when he got bored of his palace in Jerusalem (man, what a life). I had a jolly good time then but our field trip today was 100 times better!!! No one really knew what was going on so it was quite mysterious but ended up being my favorite one so far! We visited the five fortress cities in southern Judea that were established to protect the bigger city surrounding it but whatever, that wasn't really the coolest part. My two favorite sites today were Elah, the setting for David's encounter with Goliath and Micah's Cave which has absolutely no historical significance but we got to get down and dirty spelunking through "birth canals" (that is the actual name I'm not just being inappropriate). Although I never succeeded at hitting Goliath in the head, I did finally get the hang of using a sling shot...sort of. Let's just say there were no major injuries or hospital visits which occurred in my presence. After that, we visited Micah's cave and got covered from head to toe in chalky dust while climbing through a 1 foot in circumference hole that was way intense. A couple people started hyperventilating in the tunnel because it was dark and claustrophobic but we all made it out alive. That's it for my adventures today but to end on a spiritual note, Bishop Burton from the Presiding Bishopric of the Church spoke at a fireside here on Shabbat and he gave a simple but much needed message. He first started out with a baseball analogy describing how the pitcher is always trying to trick the batter just as Satan is constantly deceiving us. He stated that our advantage over temptation and deceit is the gift of the Holy Ghost so we must always be worthy to recognize the promptings of the Spirit. I appreciated the sweet but powerful testimony he bore as he blessed each individual that we might withstand the buffetings of Satan. I hope that when the Goliaths come and go in my life that I might fight them off with my newly gained sling shot skills.

DAY 7 & 8 HALLELUJAH This is almost the end!!

2009-02-03T22:49:00.005+02:00

If you are just beginning to read my novel about Egypt, it would make much more sense to start from Day 1 (just a hint). OK so this is my last post of my trip once and for all!! Hoorah! After getting my beauty sleep on Saturday, we visited the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. This sacred building is the burial place of the Muslim's most beloved prophet. Next we visited two other churches in Old Cairo that I have no clue what the names were but supposedly Mary and Joseph along with baby Jesus fled to them for refuge. Although I have never actually learned much about Christ's childhood, this theory didn't seem to resonate with me. I had my first Big Mac EVER as part of our sack lunch on the way to Saint Catherine's along the Suez Canal and Red Sea. It's not the best food I've tasted but there was nothing else to eat. The next morning started bright and early with a 2:00am wakeup call to layer on as many clothes as possible for our memorable hike up Mount Sinai. Although I had a life-changing experience, I can honestly say I have NEVER been colder in my entire life!! The only way for all of us to survive was to cuddle up next to the closest people beside us and not move. We looked like a pack of newborn puppies laying in a heap at the pinnacle of this mountain top. After watching the amazing sunrise, we began to walk down the mountain before hypothermia set in. As I strolled down by myself, I began to think about the difficult journey I have had to face in my life thus far and started to thank my Heavenly Father for the strength he has given me each step of the way to overcome every battle with a positive attitude. I know we are tried and tested so that we may more fully appreciate and understand our purpose here on earth and for that I am truly grateful. What a wonderful and absolutely unforgettable week I had and will cherish forever!

DAY 5 & 6 DIRT, DIRT, and MORE DIRT!

2009-02-03T19:27:00.007+02:00

I'm sorry everyone for the extremely long novel that I have created. I give you all permission to skip over whatever part you want since I would never know anyways. So Thursday we were able to visit the Karnak Temple which is claimed to be the largest temple complex in the world. You better believe it is! I was absolutely blown away with the symbolism displayed about the New Kingdom Period by nearly every pharaoh from the 18th Dynasty onward who contributed at least a building or carving to one of the thousands of millions of columns. It was incredible! After that, I did more shopping in the Bazaar even though I vowed never to go back but what the heck. That night we travelled back to Cairo but instead of a nice clean plane, we were put on the nastiest train I have ever seen in my life. I went to bed right after our so-called dinner was served and our tables were transformed into our beds for the night. I slept in my clothes on top of the covers since there was no way anyone could get me to bundle up in those bug-infested sheets. We were woken up the next morning to breakfast at 6:00am which consisted of FOUR kinds of bread. At that point I had had enough of the train and all I wanted to do was take a shower in the dirty water (disgusting I know but I was desperate). After visiting the Egyptian Museum, shopping at another Bazaar (mall), linner at Hard Rock Cafe (it actually tasted american), we finally checked into our hotel at 6:00pm that night where I was able to take that beloved shower I had been longing for all day. It ended up being a fun couple of days with lots of filth and dirt. Next post...MT SINAI

DAY 4 Planes and Trains and Falukahs and Camels and Taxis and Carriages TOO!!

2009-02-03T17:33:00.016+02:00

As you can see, we travelled around Egypt in just about every form of transportation you could possibly imagine! We've been told it's all for the experience...whatever. Wednesday was filled with more tours of old, historic buildings which was actually pretty cool. I know I'm a geek and I'm really ok with that. We started off the day at the Valley of the Kings which consisted of the tombs of Pharaohs such as King Tut, Sety II, Ramses the IV and VII, Thutmose the III and IV and a bunch more that you probably don't really care about. It was way sweet to say the least and was amazing to see the symbolism portrayed on the walls of every nook and cranny of the tombs. I can't wait for the day where I will have the opportunity to go to the temple for the first time and better understand the limited knowledge I have now. It will be so cool to make some crazy connections since I obviously have no clue what it all means at this point in my life. We visited the Funerary Temple of Ramses the III next which was a perfect picture of what ancient Egyptian temple-building was really like. Just as the floor level in our temples advance higher and higher as you proceed toward the holiest place, the Egyptians follow that same pattern in their architecture as one moves closer to the sacrificial altar. How cool is that?! We had some free time after our morning adventures, which was very rare, before we experienced a falukah ride (it's like a little motor boat) for the first time. We floated across the Nile River where a humongous herd of camels were waiting to take us for the ride of our lives! My camel's name was Mike Shoemaker and I don't remember my guide's name but he proposed to me right before our journey was over. I kindly declined and told him that I was not available. HAHA it was awesome!! I would have to say that the camel ride was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip; not just because it was totally crazy and may never happen again (unless my parents need a tour guide for their future trip to Egypt) but because my eyes were opened to how the majority of Egyptians really live. There were lush fields where sugar cane and onions grew at the start of our ride and then suddenly I was immersed in a small village with children alone on the streets waiting outside their homes to greet us along the way. Knowing me, I took as many pictures as I could of these sweet souls as I saw the light shining in their eyes and the innocence of their young age. The reason I adore children so much is because there is an aura about them that is absolutely contagious and never ceases to make me happy and laugh as I talk with them and see their curious faces exploring the world around them. It was a blessing for me to step outside of myself for a mere 45 minutes and realize the stark contrast between the luxurious life I was living in our 5-star hotel. That night was my first experience shopping in Egypt which was totally ridiculous and annoying. The shop owners were way more aggressive than the Old City which makes shopping in Jerusalem seem like a piece of cake. Next post...NASTY TRAIN ADVENTURE

DAY 3 GINORMOUS Pyramids and NASTY water

2009-02-03T13:30:00.014+02:00

Tuesday was insane as we saw the incredible pyramids which can legitimately be classified as one of the seven wonders of the world! It is impossible for me to describe the magnificence of these amazing monuments!! All I can say is that I can't even imagine what the heck is hidden inside those structures (although many artifacts have been stolen and placed elsewhere), but it's probably more stuff than I could possibly attempt to accumulate in this lifetime! We saw the Sphinx of Khafre (son of Kufu whose tombs are right behind me on my left and right). That was way cool just for the fact that it is the first one ever built and I got to give him a nice big kiss...who can say they kissed a famous ruler from the Old Kingdom period?! I know I can! We had our first lunch in Cairo outside the hotel which was a little scary since our teachers successfully freaked us all out about the bacteria-infested food and water. We were told beforehand to only eat hot foods and fruit that you could peel yourself. Although I was kind of nervous, I did the daring thing and dove right into the culture exploring new foods of all shapes and sizes. To be completely honest, I was pleasantly surprised as I liked the majority of the various dishes I tried. Now that I am on the subject of the cleanliness problems of a third world country, I must tell you that all the rumors are true. It isn't as bad as everyone said it would be but it was pretty nasty to say the least. I actually never had one shower that I felt clean afterward which was way annoying but I guess it is all part of the experience. I am just grateful to be back home and be able to drink the water out of the tap and brush my teeth without a water bottle. We should all be grateful for the little things in life! Our last stop before we were crammed on a plane and taken to Luxor, Egypt (the southern part in Upper Egypt...confusing I know) was the Step Pyramid at Saqqara built by Imhotep as the first monumental stone structure in the history of mankind! Pretty cool, I know. I bet you are jumping off your seat at this moment. Well it was tons of fun to have no clue what was happening next all week long because plans were changing constantly which makes things spontaneous. I do love surprises!! Next post...more old buildings and CAMEL RIDE!!

DAY 1 & 2 The Flu + WAY LONG Bus Ride = ZERO Fun

2009-02-03T11:48:00.013+02:00

Hello everyone! I made it back from Egypt alive and well HALLELUJAH!!! It was such a crazy trip and I have so many amazing experiences to share so I will take you through my adventure day by day so you and I both don't get overwhelmed and annoyed with all the details I love to share. Be patient with me as I try to portray the exciting and not so fun parts of my week. Beginning with Sunday, we left from the Jerusalem Center at 6:30am sharp with TONS of stops ahead of us and a super long bus ride which was dreadful. Starting out the trip with a cough and headache from coughing so much is not the best combination if you ask me. Also being shoved in a bus with people I just met three weeks before wasn't so pleasant either (do you get my drift?). The first day was a complete blur for me because as the day got longer and longer, I got sicker and sicker. I got the chills which progressed into a 103F fever. By the time we finally got to the Kibbutz where we were staying the night, I had cooled down some and it was nighty night time for me. The next morning I was much better so you can stop feeling sorry for me now. Going back for a second, you might be wondering what the heck a Kibbutz is (or not but I'm going to tell you anyways)! It's a small community of about 500 people who practice a form of communal living based primarily on agriculture. Basically, it is a foreshadowing of the law of consecration. Sharing each other's possessions, income, etc (you get the picture). It is definitely a different way of living so we got a taste of what it will be like in the afterlife. The next morning we had about six more hours of driving to our next hotel and across the Egyptian border which was actually a piece of cake. It only took about an hour for all 86 of us to get through. I love the Egyptians! They are totally chill. We arrived at our hotel at about 7:00pm after my Ipod was completely drained of battery and I was totally sick of being crammed in a bus with no chance whatsoever to fall asleep. We stayed at the Oasis Pyramid Hotel which was about a mile or two away from the Giza Pyramids so it was way cool! I know this is totally crazy but as soon as I found my room, which was practically impossible, I went on a mad search for the gym to get some blood pumping through my body after sitting for way too long. It felt amazing in case anyone cares and was a perfect end to my day which was finished promptly at 9:00pm. I totally sound like a bum but there was nothing I wanted more than to sleep off the rest of my sickness. It totally worked because the next day was the start of our wild adventures and extremely tiring days so I was up and running! Next post...GIZA PYRAMIDS!!

Not Feeling So Good

2009-01-24T19:10:00.004+02:00

So today we all went to the Garden Tomb with our teachers and had a little tour of the supposed place where Christ was resurrected. We sang four hymns together before we left and I was so encircled about with the Spirit that I could not hold back my tears as we started to sing the third verse of How Great Thou Art. It hit me so hard that my Savior loves me so much that He bled from every pore for all of my wrongdoings and died on the cross that I may live with Him again. It was an amazing experience that I will NEVER forget! Well my batteries died before I could even take my first picture so sorry about that (remember...patience is a virtue). I'll definitely be visiting it again when I'm a little more cohesive since I woke up in the middle of the night with a cough, chills, and a slight fever. Don't worry about me though because I got a priesthood blessing tonight and I'm really good at fighting colds. I'm just about done packing for Egypt (we leave way early tomorrow morning at 5:30am) so it's just about bedtime for me. I won't be able to bring my laptop or get any Internet connection there since Egypt is a third world country so goodbye until next Sunday night or Monday when I'm back in my home away from home. I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Until next time!

Biblical Zoo

2009-01-23T10:37:00.015+02:00

So today I felt like a little kid all over again (not like I never act like that all the time anyways) but seriously, it was such a fun day! A huge group of us took a bus to Central Jerusalem where we got to visit the famous Biblical Zoo in all of Jerusalem. It's not really about the Bible at all except that the Visitor's Center was Noah's Ark (corny I know...) I loved seeing all the different kinds of animals from lions, tigers, and bears, OH MY (sorry I just couldn't help myself) to birds, elephants, zebra, giraffes, monkeys, cheetahs, goats and groundhogs. The weather was absolutely perfect today, not too nasty hot, not too cold, but jusssssssst right. My favorite animals were the chimpanzees and the PENGUINS!! This one little chimp was being so hilarious banging on the window we were peeking in and showing us his cool tricks. I'm not quite sure if he was annoyed with our presence and wanted us to leave or what but I sat mesmerized for a good 20 minutes. I think I was squealing more than the two-year-old girl who was next to me. My top favorite animal by far was obviously the penguins because they have such a mellow life waddling around with their heads bobbing back and forth with every step they take. I get so happy to visit them whenever I can! It's so fun to be a kid every once in a while, try it out. That's how I live every day of my life!

Kotel Tunnel Tour

2009-01-21T07:12:00.009+02:00

Today we went on the Kotel Tunnel Tour (as the title states) which is below the Western Wall Plaza, NOT under the Temple Mount which may endanger the religious edifices above us so no worries. It was so much fun except for the way weird smell following us the whole time. It was so nasty. Our guide said it was from the excavations that go on continually but I think otherwise (interpret however you would like). Anyways, this project to expose more of the Western Wall began in 1967 after the Six-Day War to unveil various structures that were present during the different periods throughout Jerusalem's history. Since most of the wall is blocked by the Muslim Quarters today, the wall can't be seen in its entirety (its a total of about 500 meters long). Many artifacts from the Herodian period like streets and other monuments have been discovered in the vicinity of the Temple Mount along with other sweet archaeological findings. Now that I have put everyone to sleep with all these boring facts, I will quickly end before I've completely lost you. In conclusion, it was so cool to have the chance to do some underground exploring away from the busy sidewalks of Israel and walk through secret passageways and tunnels that live beneath our feet. Who knew all that was there! So this other picture has nothing to do with today's adventures at the Tunnels but I thought it was funny! While we were shopping in the Old City on Monday, one of the shop owners was trying so hard to convince us to buy a skirt from him that he actually gave us a little fashion show. It was hilarious but if you aren't laughing, I won't be offended. I guess you just had to be there! Peace out!

FREE DAY - En Kerem!!

2009-01-18T19:59:00.006+02:00

That's me, if you weren't sure, trying to steal our shuttle bus while the driver was absent! Today was a completely free day for us to do whatever we wanted!! It was amazing!! A huge group of us decided to go to En Kerem which is the birthplace of John the Baptist. It was such a quiet and amazingly peaceful town to explore so we went wild! We visited a Russian Orthodox Mission for women only although we somehow sneaked some guys in with us. It was hilarious! While we were walking around the church, we noticed this lady following us with a jar of water and a little whip thing so we didn't really know what she was up to. We tried to talk to her but couldn't understand a word she was saying so we pointed to the water curious to know what it was for. Before we knew it she was splashing our faces with this holy water and giving us a blessing of some sort. I'm not sure what religion I am a part of now since I may have been baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church. It was a funny experience! After that we realized we were trapped inside this Convent and tried forever to figure out how to escape. Maybe that was our punishment for renouncing our faith but no worries, we all made it out alive and well. We did some more exploring after that walking through people's backyards and up and down hills and cliffs. It made for a very tiresome day but it was fun for once to not know where in the world we were and to get away from the crazy busy and noisy streets of Jerusalem. I felt like I was lost in Italy or some European town that was absolutely dead silent with about 20 people I saw all day long besides ourselves. It was great to be outside and have a day to create my own adventure in whatever way I wanted. En Kerem is definitely going on my top 3 favorite places yet!

Garden of Gethsemane

2009-01-17T22:43:00.007+02:00

My second Shabbat here in the Holy Land was amazing like it should be! The branch is awesome and the few families with kids we have here are such happy and knowledgeable people who are totally in tune with the Spirit. Right after church, a huge group of us went to the Garden of Gethsemane which is about a 10 minute walk from our mansion of a home in which we eat and sleep (besides that, we are outside exploring as much as possible)! To get to Gethsemane, we walked through Orson Hyde Park which was absolutely gorgeous! I'm not sure exactly what is significant about this place except that it was dedicated by Orson Hyde who was an original apostle in the first quorum of the twelve. I hope I have that right! Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I won't be offended...that's a hard feat to accomplish in my family! After we finally made it to the site of the atonement (WO I just got chills when I wrote that), we were led into this private area of the Garden that is usually locked. Whenever they see the BYU students coming, the gates are opened! GO COUGS!! As soon as I walked into that sacred place, I couldn't help but start to wander around to find a spot where I could sit alone and ponder. I found a little stump that I could sit on while thoughts started flooding into my head so I whipped out my journal and began writing. It was such a peaceful experience to reflect on what my Savior did for me and the great sacrifice it was for Him to take upon himself all of my weaknesses, pains, and temptations which account to plenty to bear I'm almost positive. I could not help but thank my Redeemer continually for the life He has given me and the opportunity He has provided for me to relieve myself of any trial or hardship I choose to place upon His shoulders. What an amazing blessing and comfort that is to me that nothing is too hard for the Lord and that I will NEVER have to suffer alone! What a glorious principle that is for me to understand and I find such hope and happiness in that assurance! I wish to end with a statement by my Savior to His Father in Heaven as He suffered extreme pain for my sins and all of yours, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." As Elder Maxwell once stated, "The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar." I pray that I may more fully understand this concept in my stay here in Israel and that I may become closer to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Shalom to all! BTW... The picture of the olive tree is where I sat in the garden to write in my journal.

Wailing Wall On Shabbat!

2009-01-16T19:36:00.009+02:00

I was finally able to get a picture of the Wailing Wall so here you go! It's much grander in person, trust me! Today we had the amazing opportunity to celebrate the beginning of Shabbat which starts on Friday at sundown. It was so fun to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving to God with the Jewish people and to take part in their sacred day. Before we left for the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall or Kotel (all three names are correct), we had to learn a little bit about the nature of this holy site and what rituals were appropriate to participate in. Although many may think that the Western Wall is part of Solomon's Temple, that's not true. It is a part of Herod's Temple which was built on top of the first temple built by Solomon. The Wailing Wall is GINORMOUS but not nearly as high as it was during the time of Christ's life and ministry. The thing that blows my mind about this holy place is the fact that the Western Wall was the exact wall that Christ looked at daily and touched with His precious hands. We were told before that we were not allowed to bring our cameras because they would be confiscated if they saw anyone taking pictures so sorry there are no new images to look at for now but we can go back any other time but Shabbat and take pictures so just be patient and I'll be sure to post them! Our teachers told us to bring scarves so that we didn't completely feel out of place but I felt totally ridiculous and out of place with my scarf ON! Unlike Muslim women, Hebrew women rarely keep their heads covered. With all of our brightly-colored and intricate scarves, we stood out like a sore thumb! It was way embarrassing and many women came up to us to tell us we looked like dumb Americans so we quickly got the point. You would think after so many years the Jerusalem Center has been to the Western Wall that they would know we looked comical. Maybe that was the point! None the less, it was a way cool and very different experience that I will never forget! The Jewish people's love and excitement for the upcoming Shabbat made me reflect upon how I look forward to the Sabbath and what I do to prepare for this special day where I am given the blessing to renew my baptismal covenants and strive to be more Christlike in the new week ahead. I have gained a greater appreciation for the importance of the Sabbath and the need to rest from all our cares so that we may reevaluate our lives and change the necessary things that will make us that much closer to returning to live with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ once again. Shabbat Shalom!

Geography Field Trip

2009-01-14T21:44:00.011+02:00

That's me on top of the Nabi Samwil Synagogue with all of Jerusalem behind me! Today was our first field trip!! Woohoo!! Although we stayed within 15 minutes of Jerusalem, we were able to have some amazing views atop some important historic structures that really brought things into perspective for me. Our first stop was the Seven Arches Overlook (this site is named after a hotel that sits behind it so there is really no special meaning behind it). It was absolutely breathtaking to look at all of Jerusalem from just one spot of land! What a humbling experience it was to see the beginning of my journey start to take off as I saw the scriptures come to life right before my eyes. Right below us was a Jewish and Muslim cemetery that was kind of creepy but cool in a way. To the right of us sat three churches at Gethsemane that were absolutely beautiful! One of the churches is called St. Mary Magdalene who was a devote follower of Christ and whom is believed by some religious sects to have been His wife. I thought this assumption to be quite strange since I have never heard of that prediction ever before. All we know for sure is that she was present at Christ's Crucifixion and at the Garden Tomb which makes one speculate that she was the grieving wife and widow but I don't agree with that so moving on. On the opposite side lies the City of David or the Canaanite/Jebusite town or Zion or whatever the heck you want to call it. In case you're confused, Jerusalem has multiple names that are all correct depending on what time period you're talking about. The City of David became the name of Canaanite/Jebusite Jerusalem after some conquest. I'm having a brain fart right now and can't think of who conquered it so sorry! Anyways, directly in front of us was Mount Moriah where Abraham obediently sacrificed his son Isaac as an offering unto God. As we all know that didn't actually happen but there are some sweet correlations between Christ and Isaac as it states in Jacob 4:5 that Isaac is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son. You should check it out more in Genesis 22 as well! At that same site now stands the Temple Mount or King Herod's Platform with the Dome of the Rock smack dab in the center. The platform contains the original stairs that Christ walked on which is totally insane! There are very few sites in Jerusalem that have not been repaved in modern times and that is one of them. We then went to the Augusta Victoria Tower which has been converted into a hospital by the British long ago. Interesting fact...it is the second largest hospital in all of East Jerusalem. Not that crazy of a fact but that's all the exciting news I got from that site. Next we visited the hill outside the Elias Monastery (we weren't allowed inside for some reason). It was freezing cold with the wind blowing super hard but the trip was all made worth it when out of nowhere, a HUMONGOUS herd of sheep appeared over the horizon in perfect sync with what my teacher was talking about!! It was hilarious! The sheep were all around us so it was way cool but they were nasty dirty so there was no way I was getting close to them to contract rabbis. I think one of them read my mind or something because it started charging toward me right away. I flipped out but skillfully, I still managed to take a quick picture because it was just too cool. I got in big trouble by these little Palestinian kids who were with the sheep because they didn't want us taking pictures unless we had money to pay for them. Being the obedient spirit that I am, I succeeded at taking a couple more pictures without them looking! Our last stop was Nabi Samwil which means the Prophet Samuel in Arabic. This church/mosque/synagogue (I'm not exactly sure what to call it) was the supposed birthplace of the prophet Samuel but sorry to burst your bubble, it's not! Samuel's real birthplace is farther east in the village of Ramah. We got to see tons of Orthodox Jews who worship there and I was trying to take a picture of them secretly with their sweet ringlets they have on both sides on their face by their ears but I could never get one without them looking. Somewhere in the scriptures it talks about curls or ringlets or something so every night they go to bed with two curlers in their hair. I don't even remember the last time I wore curlers...I think it was probably those little pink spongy ones. Well today was a very exhausting, extremely cold and windy yet informative day. One lesson from today seems to stick out in my mind the most. It is, the better we understand the Holy Land geography, the better we understand the Old and New Testament. I believe that one of my purposes in being here this semester is to do just that; I am so excited to learn more about these sacred texts and I feel so privileged to be given this incredible chance to gain a more firm and steady testimony of the Holy Bible. President Hinckley has once said that we are a biblical church which means we are commanded to teach from, bear testimony of, and read from the Bible just as often as we study the Book Mormon. It is important that we understand the doctrines contained in the Bible since they contain the same principles of love, charity, and sacrifice that we see in the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful for this opportunity to study in this Holy Land because every day is a new discovery for me, whether it be about myself or about the glorious gospel in which I hold so very near and dear to my heart. Shalom until my next adventure!

Hello from the Holy Land

2009-01-09T14:12:00.002+02:00

Here is the amazing view from my patio!

So today is Saturday and my first Shabbat (Sabbath) here in Jerusalem which is totally weird to say but what the heck, I'm in Israel! All of us students live in a little branch with a couple families who are here working at the UN or finishing up grad school which I think is way cool! So we meet in this auditorium on the very top floor (there are 8 levels) with ginormous windows overlooking all of Jerusalem. Let me tell you how hard it is to focus on what the speaker is saying when you have the Dome of the Rock staring at you and the rest of the Holy Land right there in your face. It is an incredible site! This week has been absolutely exhausting with orientation meetings galore and hundreds of pages assigned to read for classes. I'm being completely serious here! I am already drowning in assignments and I only had two classes yesterday! This better not last for four months or I'm out of here...not really but I might consider it. Well I arrived here Wednesday evening at about 5pm completely drained from the 20 hour flight and 9 hour time difference I encountered which totally messed up my whole system. My body is slowly but surely overcoming the jet lag I have been experiencing. It is so surreal to me that I'm actually in the Holy Land barely a mile away from the place where my Savior, Jesus Christ suffered for all of my pains, sorrows, and temptations. It is absolutely incredible! Thursday morning bright and early (no sleeping in for us), we were given the grand tour of East Jerusalem which houses the Old City and a little bit of West Jerusalem. As of right now, we are not allowed to go into East Jerusalem because of the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. Last night there was an attempt for cease fire by the Israeli government but that has been denied as of early this morning. The bombings going on in the Gaza Strip are about 48 miles away from the Center which seems dangerously close, but we have been told that the rockets can't reach more than 25 miles which means we won't be touched. Something else to consider is that we are about 2 miles away from the Dome of the Rock which is the third most holy site in all of Israel. According to Islamic history, this is the place where Muhammad ascended to Heaven; therefore, no Israeli or Palestinian in their right mind would ever attempt to bomb that sacred shrine. So no one should be worried at all that I might blow up into pieces any time soon. We are definitely being watched over.

Breana is Going to Jerusalem!!

2008-11-29T22:49:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!! I have been accepted to participate in a study abroad program at the Jerusalem Center during the winter semester. I am so humbled to have this amazing experience to see the scriptures come to life and to have the unbelievable opportunity to walk the paths the Savior has trod and learn for myself of the truthfulness of this glorious gospel. I am so excited for this upcoming four-month journey and can't wait to share all of my unforgettable adventures with all my friends and family. I hope you all enjoy reading about my life as I seek to portray all of my incredible happenings in the Holy Land!