JuST AnOTheR TWo DaYS

September 2, 2012

Well today was the first full free day and I am happy to say that I packed a lot in today. My group left for the old city after having done some homework and such and went and got some money from the money exchangers. Once we had our small fortunes, we crossed the street, dodging the crazy drivers, and taking pictures at the same time (brilliant I know) and entered the old city. For the next two, two and a half(ish) hours we just explored. We tried getting to the Dome of the Rock but for some reason the way we went didn't open for a few more hours. We made it to the Western Wall however, and was pretty cool. It is amazing to think that, that wall is like 2000 years old. From there we just walked around looking at the shops, had cool photo moments and smelling good food. I hope that I can get to the point of being comfortable enough to just go to one of the cafes and sit, eat and chill for a while. They are these small little cafes that remind me of Italy and makes me want to go back to Europe for a round two excursion. But first I want to finish this one out because it is just amazing over here. Every evening I get to go out on a back porch and just sit and soak in all that I can from/about this beautiful city. Well it got pretty hot and so we decided to go back to the center. Once back in our room we just kind of crashed. I am still getting used to the time change. I didn't sleep but just sat on my bed listening to music and doing a sudoku (awesome) and downloaded my pictures and played with them for a bit. Next it was dinner and once dinner was over I was going to study but got “persuaded” to go play soccer and volleyball and have been doing that for the last two hours. It was great. I really miss organized sports and really want to start playing again. I am now writing this. A fun filled day.

September 3, 2012

Holy moly, this has been such a jam packed day! It was our first field trip day and boy was it a field trip. We did the Jerusalem overlook and basically saw Jerusalem from every direction possible which was actually kind of cool. We talked about the Bible stories that happened around the places we were and the importance of them. The rest was a just site seeing really. It is definitely a hilly countryside and it still surprises me how close everything is. As cool as the Jerusalem part was, I want to write about the Bethlehem overlook that we went to. We climbed this small hill that gave a vantage point of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. When we got to the top it was about 100 degrees, I swear, and there was no shade. I definitely got burned. Anyway we talked about David and how he came from Bethlehem and how important he was. But then we talked about the birth of Jesus. We talked about how the angels appeared and the wisemen came and the other events surrounding that one. Once we had our discussion we sang 'Far Far Away on Judea's Plain' (wasn't so far at that point) and 'Angels We Have Heard on High'. It wasn't like a huge, make you cry, spiritual experience but it was tender and I will never hear those songs the same way. Especially 'Angels...' It was so peaceful and just gave me this feeling in my heart, confirming once again my testimony of the birth of Christ. It also gave me one of those reality checks, that I have gotten so many times since I have been here, that I was really here. Here and looking at similar sites to those in the Bible. I just can't get enough of it. It is so amazing. After the songs we had a couple of minutes by ourselves which is always nice. I just sat there and thought about what I was looking and trying to grasp the concept. (Side note, there was a dust devil which was cool.) I hope we have more time to just sit and think on the next Field trip but other than that it was exactly how I thought it was going to be. Awesome.

 

So the girl took this one before I was ready and I couldn't see it in the sun. That is why I have such an awesome stance.

 Jerusalem from a really cool vantage point

 The old Roman pillars, the main streets of the time of Jesus

 The Western Wall (I guess it is not called the Wailing Wall and they don't like it when you call it that)

MoRE PiCtuREs

 From my back porch

 The Garden of Gethsemane flowers

 The Jerusalem Center

 Some random street that I liked

And another street that I liked

PiCTuREs!! aNd UpDAte

 -->August 31, 2012

 Well classes started today and I am actually really excited about them. At least to a point because I think the reading is going to kill me, but not much I can do about that. I think the Old Testament class is especially going to be very interesting class. It has the feel of my Book of Mormon, New testament and Pearl of Great Price classes in college, which I loved. It might be a little more difficult than those classes, however, since I don't know the background or stories that well. Always got to start somewhere I guess. After classes we had free time. The majority of the students went back to the city to explore and such but I decided that I really needed some alone time to think about what I really want to get out of this experience. I just walked around the grounds for while, which are beautiful by the way, and just sat and pondered, and wrote in my journal and read in the scriptures. While I am hoping for more, I guess, inspiration, I did come up with some things I want to work on. I really want to know myself better and what I really want out of life. I also want to learn more about the Savior and gain a deeper understanding of His sacrifice for me. The Atonement is such an incredible thing and I haven't even scratched the surface in my understanding of it. I am hoping that through those two things will come the other thing that I want to learn and accomplish while I am over here. I actually studied on a Friday night, Ha, imagine that. Take away the internet, a cell phone and tv and it is amazing what I can accomplish and push myself to do. who'da thunk? Tomorrow is “sunday” which is still very weird to me. I think it might be weird to me the whole time I am here. Well that just about sums up my day.

September 1, 2012

Well today was fast sunday, and boy was it fast sunday :] Actually it wasn't that bad. In fact it was actually a pretty good day. I went to church, sang in a choir, met new people, became better friends with others, enjoyed church and got to go to the Garden of Gethsemane. First off church and choir. I always forget that I really do like singing in a choir. It was a lot of fun. I think the majority of the students decided to be apart of it, which is cool. We learned and practiced a song in about 40 minutes and then sung it as a prelude for church. Then there was church. It is Sooo hard to concentrate when you have this huge window, behind the speaker mind you, that looks directly into the city! It is so beautiful and incredible and amazing and awesome! From what I did hear, the testimonies were very good. There were people from all over the world, with all sorts of crazy background stories. You don't get to experience that everyday. After church there was a big group of us who went to the Garden of Gethsemane. It was different than I imagined it. I thought it was going to be like this little forest of olive trees and farther away from the road than it was. I wish it was a little quieter and a little more personable (there were a lot of tourists walking around and talking) But even with the differences and some disappointments, I am so grateful to have the chance to be around the place where the Savior took on Himself such a great burden for each and every person on this earth. Going through incomprehensible things, so that He would know every single one of us perfectly and be able to be a perfect mediator, leader, friend and brother. What an incredible opportunity, and it will be an experience that I will remember always. I am going to try and go every week, hopefully it works out.

Just a little picture of Gethsemane 

AmAZiNg!

Ok so I came to the realization that if I post only once a week, the post would be about a mile long because there is so much to write about.

So I am going to be posting more often. That way I can go into more detail without having one post take about an hour to get through, which no one but probably my family (and that is stretching it) would read. And if no one reads it at least I will have something to look back on just in case my computer dies and my journal get ruined.

Also hopefully I will be able to post some pictures soon because I know that blogs are honestly way more fun to look at when there is something to actually look at.

Well moving on

I will start with the beginning and go from there, so the first few will be from a few days ago.

August 30 2012

The city is amazing. We went on a tour after breakfast and it was as if we went back in time (at least that is the feeling of East Jerusalem). It is a pity that East Jerusalem has trash everywhere. Anyway, we went into the Old City, which was way cool. It has these narrow roads with just shop after shop of just everything you can think of; bread, clothes, sweets, jewelry etc. It has an interesting feel to it that I just can't explain very well. It is like a street in disneyland or a movie almost, except it is their everyday life. There is so much influence from all sides of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It is crazy! After we got the quick run down of the Old City, we came out of Joppa Gate and went onto a sort of high (sp?) street in West Jerusalem. West Jerusalem feels closer to how Europe felt. A little more modern, cleaner and you don't feel quite as out of places as you do East Jerusalem. We went and got ice cream, which was pretty good. Then we learned some more history and took a bus back to the center and this was all before 12:00pm. We then had some free time and some more orientations which took up most of the rest of the day. So the rest of the day is kind of boring to write about. I will say this though, jet lag is of the devil!

I MAdE It

Well I arrived yesterday but was way too tired to write. Plus now that I am here there is a good chance that writing on this will go to just once a week. Unless of course something incredible happens, that isn't too personal, that I just have to write about.
The city is amazing!! All I could/can do is just stare and stare. It is a little different than I imagined. Neither good or bad, just different.
It still seems a little surreal to be here after learning/hearing about Jerusalem for so long. We heard the call to prayer a couple of times now and it is so incredible to think about the passion that all the people here have for their religion. It makes me a little sad that sometimes the saints don't have/show that kind of passion for our religion. I not wishing for a huge civil war or anything like that. That is a bit too much passion. But I wish that the members wouldn't be so influenced by the world and almost embarrassed to stand up for what they and the Church stand for.
I am excited to get to know the city better. I don' think four(ish) months is going to be enough but I know that I am very blessed to be here, so I will make every minute count.
I am sorry I can't post pictures. I will just have to show you when I get back. The center's servers aren't that big and if we try to post any it will cause the whole thing to crash so I hope I can explain and convey, enough over text, that you will be able understand and experience (at least a little) what I am learning and feeling.
I love you all. I don't miss you quite yet and I will "talk" to you soon

Oh BOy

Well nothing starts off an adventure like a very embarrassing moment

To start off I must tell you motion sickness is my middle name
And my middle name and airplanes sometimes don't like each other

Next I must give some advice.

First, If you have the same middle name as I do, Do Not eat anything before you get on board a airplane...you will end up like me

Second, always have a change of clothes

Third, have an extra baggy on hand

And Fourth, don't swallow....

Now that you have heard these rules and have probably gotten a pretty good idea as to what happened, I proceed

Actually I decided I won't go into great detail, since it will probably make everyone reading this sick.

So to sum up

Peanut butter/honey sandwich and a pear + A roller-coaster ride in an airplane + plus having to check carry on luggage since there was no room on the plane + extra clothes are in that said carry on = not so good stuff everywhere, making people next to you sick, cleaning clothes in the bathroom and buying a new shirt because the other one smells like the not so good stuff.

There you have it. That is my first five hours of the next 31/2 months

Oh what fun!  :)

SiMPle PLeAsUREs

Sometimes all it takes is dancing like a idiot, in front of a mirror, with the music blasting, to remind you that life is good....Amen