30 June 2011

I wish I could say that I woke up this morning with a smile on my face; I wish I could say that I jumped out of bed on the right side. But then I would be lying and my mother told me to never tell a lie. It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad morning. It all began at 5:30am when an alarm went off waking me from the best dream I’ve had since being here. I snuggled back down into my blankets and fell quickly asleep, only to be woken up ten minutes later by the same alarm. This happened every ten minutes or so until 6:50am, when I decided to just get up out of bed and take a shower. She didn’t get up for another twenty or thirty minutes. I hadn’t gone to bed until after midnight and had planned to sleep in since we didn’t have class until in the afternoon; that didn’t happen. My mood quickly reflected my attitude toward the alarm, and I sunk into an upset stupor.

Breakfast came and went without anything too exciting. I read over a couple emails, trying to ignore everyone in the general vicinity and change my attitude. I sauntered down to my room, put in my headphones, and listened to The Cure while writing letters. The Cure, as always, was just the ticket to ‘curing’ my sour mood. I finished the letters, gathered my belongings, and skipped up the stairs to my favorite study room. I had all intentions of studying for my Old Testament final for the next three hours or so, but one of my best friends happened to be on Gmail chat. The next few hours were devoted to talking to him, listening to music, and relaxing. It wasn’t until after lunch that I tried to study at all. Kymberly asked me a few questions from the study guide, and I read through it once or twice. But my heart just wasn’t in it. The test began at two o’clock in the afternoon. I was done forty minutes later, satisfied and confident. An hour later, we assembled to grade our exams. Missing three points on the first page unsettled my confidence slightly, but as pages flew by where I missed none, my confidence was reignited and my heartbeat calmed. I lost nine points total on the exam, leaving me with a 91, an A-. Now how many people do you know that can pull that kind of a grade on an Old Testament final after studying for twenty minutes or so? I was elated.

After sitting through the final two hours of Bashir Bashir for the rest of my life and eating a light dinner, I met up with Sister Kim Chadwick to cut her hair. It started off roughly. The trimming shears were dull; we couldn’t find any other scissors. Eventually, a light bulb flickered on in her mind and she shared a brilliant idea with me. Rather than using scissors, why not try and use a buzzer? This we did. And guess what? I succeeded. She looks amazing and she couldn’t be happier. It was nice to be able to spend a little time with her, getting to know her a little better. We may be identical twins in personality, but that doesn’t mean we automatically know everything about one another! She reminds me a lot of my mom, actually. I really enjoyed talking to her tonight. And she paid me in popcorn and coke! Life couldn’t get any better!

I spent the evening in my favorite study room talking with Andrew Null and reading for New Testament. It was a really good night, and I really enjoyed talking to him. I have never sat down and had a full conversation with him before. Sure, we have joked around here and there and gone out into the city together a few times, but we have never just sat down and talked. It was a nice change. There are so many great people here. I will never be able to get to know them all personally, but those I do will become a part of who I am. This program has given me such a great opportunity to meet new people and to expand my horizons. These are friendships that will last; I have no doubt about that.

29 June 2011

It has been such a relaxed day. We had classes at eight and ten o’clock in the morning, and then I had Hebrew at one o’clock in the afternoon. After classes, I was free to do whatever I wanted to do…which just so happened to be studying for Old Testament. I can’t say that I actually wanted to study for Old Testament, but it was a bit of a necessity given the fact that the final is tomorrow afternoon!

The day was spent holed up in my favorite study room right next to the Student Lounge. I was joined by Kymberly Stone and Kerri Allison; we listened to music, laughed, and did our best to study. We had to take a break at one point; well, Kerri and I did, anyway, so we dragged Kymberly with us to the store to get some Diet Coke to sip throughout the remainder of the day. It was a definite lifesaver. You can never go wrong by Diet Coke!

Unfortunately, that was the extent of my day. Nothing else really happened. In Hebrew, we were given our final exams as a ‘take home’ exam which was a breath of fresh air for nearly every student within the classroom. I quickly filled mine out and turned it in once class was over. It felt nice to get an exam done; one less thing to worry about! After dinner, Brother Muhlestein held a quick review for our Old Testament final tomorrow. It wasn’t anything special; we met up and asked him questions about the final and asked him to clarify different parts of what we have learned. Near the end, it got a little sensitive and emotion, though. Brother Muhlestein took some time to tell us how much he has appreciated having us in his class and that he will always love us and will always want to be our teacher. It produced quite a few tears from my classmates. I can’t say that I have ever developed a relationship with a professor that has evoked such strong emotions. Travelling through different countries, spending hours on end cramped onto a small bus, spending at least one hour a day in class, and living in the same facility creates a different atmosphere for student-teacher relationships. It was a difficult goodbye for many of the students. I’ll say mine tomorrow, after the final. Lucky for me, though, I will have Brother Muhlestein for a Pearl of Great Price class next semester, so this isn’t really goodbye. It will be weird to have a new religion teacher, but I am excited to get to know Brother Judd and learn about the New Testament from him.

Hopefully something more exciting will happen tomorrow! There weren’t even any funny instances today! Apparently I spent far too much time studying in this study room. If only I wasn’t worried about my GPA… Life is good. I am happy. I do live in Jerusalem, after all!

28 June 2011

Can you believe that June is practically over? Only two more days and we will be swimming in the wonderful summer days of July: corn on the cob, juicy watermelon, homemade lemonade, and more! My summer days of July, however, will consist of a few different items: warm sunsets, calm shores of the Sea of Galilee, colorful corals and fish, and more. It may be different, but it couldn’t be better. I can risk losing an American summer of baseball and cracker-jacks for an Israeli summer of snorkeling and kibbutz dwelling.

It has been such a relaxing day. That is definitely one good thing about finals: you can sit back, relax, and smell the roses. I didn’t do much in the way of studying, however. I was too busy skipping around the J.C. with a huge smile on my face! I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing, but it definitely adds to the amount of studying I will have to do tomorrow!

Due to the fact that I had a high fever last night, I went to bed early and woke up later than usual. By the time I had showered, done my hair, and eaten pancakes, I was feeling much better and definitely ready for a day full of excitement, a day full of class work. Old Testament was as amazing as ever. One cannot complain when her professor is constantly referring to Shad, Rack, Benny, and the giant chocolate rabbit; it is good to know that I am not the only Veggietales-junky out there in the world! Judaism was a bit slower than usual. Perhaps it was the knowledge that it was the last class, that after the final next week, we wouldn’t have to study the history of the Torah or of Ben-Gurion again. Once Judaism ended, there was a mad dash to the linen room for linen exchange. It was just as dangerous as ever with people pushing down the stairs to make it to the front of the line. I am sure I saw my life flash before my eyes on more than one occasion, but I did finally get clean linens and without a scratch or bruise inflicted.

From the end of linen exchange until the end of lunch, we had 90 minutes. What can you do in 90 minutes? Well, I can convince two men to accompany me to the post office (after a few puppy-dog pouts, of course) in order to retrieve a precious package sent by my parents. It wasn’t hot yet which a relief to all three of us. Maybe I should clarify. It wasn’t hot outside, but it was boiling inside of the post office. We ended up having to wait in line for about ten or fifteen minutes until I could retrieve my beautiful package, but once it was in my hands, I never wanted to let it go. We happily took a taxi back to the J.C., where I went instantly to my room to open the box. It took me awhile to get through the tape, but the insides were worth it! There is nothing in this world like getting a package from your family or friends; it has the ability to lift even the worse of spirits! Plus, inside this one was my new iPod! I couldn’t ask for better parents. Mom and Dad, thank you so much for everything you have done for me the past few months, the past few years…my entire life. I don’t know where I would be without you guys. Life is hard sometimes, as you well know, and you have always been able to find ways to ease my load and make me smile. I have never gone without, and I will always be grateful for everything you have done and continue to do.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in my favorite study room with the infamous Kymberly Stone. As stated before, I didn’t do much in the ways of studying! However, I did do a lot in terms of organizing music, applications, and movies on iTunes. I also had a small chat with my dad over Gmail. Isn’t technology delightful? Kymberly and I laughed a bit and swapped even more stories and dove into my Nerds. Oh! I did read for Old Testament; I did get something accomplished today! Mostly it was a day for recuperation.

This evening we were pleased to watch a Jewish comedy for our Judaism class: Salah Shabbati. I have to admit that while I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on the whole time, it was fairly funny, and I found myself laughing through most of it. Plus, it gave me a chance to take a little break from “studying” for a little while. With the movie over, I headed back to the study room, only to be intercepted by Morgan Crockett pulling me with him to volleyball. I reluctantly followed. It has been forever since we played a good game! Unfortunately, I wasn’t exactly dressed for volleyball! I knotted my dress and held it in place with a hair elastic and played, though. It was a good way to end the night, a good way to end the day.

For Your Information: Jordan pictures are now available! You can find the link under my profile picture! Enjoy!!

27 June 2011

It has been a very emotionally trying day. While no tears escaped my eyes and I felt no sadness well up within me, my emotions, my feelings were tried. Human suffering is no easy thing to see, to acknowledge. The sight of mangled bodies, starving children, and hopeless stares can take its toll on even the hardest and bravest of individuals. You cannot escape the sympathy, the fear for these individuals. You cannot understand what would drive to their annihilation. After all, they aren’t of a different species, a different class of being; they are human beings. They share the same reason for living; they are children of God. They have different beliefs, different appearances, but they are still human beings, still children of God. Nothing can or will ever change that.

Our day began with a self-guided tour of Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust; non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust, at personal risk, are also honored by Yad Vashem as “Righteous among the Nations”. In 1993, the Yad Vashem institute decided to build a larger museum to replace the one built during the 1960s. This was in response to the need to provide a meaningful way to commemorate the Holocaust amid the technological advances of the new millennium, while connecting to younger generations, whose responsibility it will be to pass on the legacy of Holocaust remembrance. The new Holocaust History museum is the largest Holocaust museum in the world, and the second most visited Jewish site (the Western Wall being the first). The museum serves as “an important signpost to all of humankind, a signpost that warns how short the distance is between hatred and murder, between racism and genocide. It was bittersweet wandering through the corridors of the museum, soaking in the numerous stories of non-survivors, survivors, and protectors. The destruction, the death that occurred is beyond realization. It is impossible for me to comprehend the ability for a people to torture, mutilate, and kill people in such inhumane ways. While the walk through was difficult, it was not nothing compared to an actual concentration camp or other museums I have been to. It focused a lot on the survivors and those “Righteous among the Nations”, those who risked their lives to protect the Jewish people.

Upon leaving Yad Vashem, we walked to Mount Herzl, a national cemetery of Israel named for Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism and whose tomb lies at the top of the hill. We walked around the mount with our Judaism professor, Ophir Yarden. He explained to us the story of Theodor Herzl and gave us time to contemplate on the Independence of Israel in 1948.

We didn’t get back to the J.C. until after four o’clock in the afternoon, and by then, nearly every student was emotionally drained. Many wandered back to their rooms to rest until dinner at six o’clock. I chose to read a little bit and spend a little time talking to Kymberly. We headed up to dinner promptly at six o’clock and then spent the next while preparing for Family Home Evening. We were assigned to plan a service activity, and a service activity we planned! We chose to heart attack the service couples’ doors. We have three sets of service couples (missionaries) at the Jerusalem Center; they do so much for us. And we felt like they need more than a simple thank you. It was fun cutting out hearts and writing notes on them, and then taping them to their doors. They will definitely be greeted by a surprise when they leave their rooms in the morning. It was a fun activity that ended just in time for me to go to be before nine o’clock. I was relieved. It was a long time and I was ready to slip into dreamland and wake up renewed and ready for another day.

26 June 2011

No Classes = Best Day Ever.

It was such a relief to get back out into the beautiful city of Jerusalem after being away for a week. Being away from it really does take a toll on you. I end up feeling like I have lost something, but I have no idea where to even begin looking for it. The Old City of Jerusalem has become a daily part of my life; I don’t know how I will stand living my life without that knowledge of being able to walk through the Kidron Valley, of being able to see the Temple Mount from my window, of being able to enter the beautiful site of the Garden of Gethsemane. It is going to be a change when I leave.

I spent the day walking around Jerusalem with Kymberly and Kerri Allison. We had such a wonderful day together. We began our adventure right after breakfast was over by leaving the J.C. and heading done the Kidron Valley to Absalom’s Pillar. This pillar is traditionally the tomb of King David’s rebellious son, Absalom. Custom holds that Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike bring their children to the site to teach them what becomes of unruly children by throwing rocks at the tomb. The pillar is structurally beautiful but nothing too special. We snapped a few pictures, Kymberly got stabbed by wire through her shoe, and we left. It was a highly entertaining moment. From there, we went to the Ariel Center, where we watched another movie about the ancient City of David and Solomon’s Temple and the Temple Mount. It was actually nice to see that I could answer most of the questions and complete many, if not all, of the statements about these areas. Apparently I have learned a lot more since being here than I thought! For lunch, I grabbed a warm schawarma from my favorite street vendor up Salidn Street in East Jerusalem, and then we headed to the Rockefeller Museum to look at pots. I love looking at pots. Nothing is better than that, except for maybe more pots and rusty, old daggers and, perhaps, more pots.

From the Rockefeller Museum, we actually went back up to the Jerusalem Center so that we could begin studying for the finals we have that begin this week. We stopped by the Arab Costco, a store that sells in bulk for cheap…like Costco. Haha and began our long trek up the Kidron Valley to the Jerusalem Center. That hill is beginning to get more brutal as the days wear on. The heat of summer is definitely beginning to set in! Once back at the Center, I grabbed my computer and books and headed to one of the study rooms on the sixth floor. It didn’t take long for Andrew and Justin to make their way into the same room. Instead of studying, we ended up watching the TV show How I Met Your Mother. It was definitely a more productive way to spend our time!

We were pleased to view a talent show this evening, put on by the Judd and Muhlestein kids. It was one of the most entertaining things I have seen in a very long time. Kids are very creative, very imaginative, and very cute; it’s impossible not to love them. The show began with a sword fight choreographed by our very own B.J. “Justin Bieber” Muhlestein. It was a great way to start off the show. We were pleased to listen to piano pieces, stories, and puppet shows. It was a very well spent hour and a definite relief before I had to head back into my study room to tackle more work. I ended up finishing my last paper for Old Testament and called my parents back (I had called them early that day, but they were leaving for ward choir practice). We had a fairly decent conversation. I feel like I may have been a bit grumbly during it; I wish I knew why. Sometimes you just need to grumble, I guess, because I do love being here. I love wandering the streets of Jerusalem; I love spending time with the people here; I love the classes I am taking; I love each experience I am having. Sometimes that love is slashed by doubt when you are stressed and have a lot going on…or so I am told. I am happy and well. There’s no other place right now that I want to be.

25 June 2011

You would think that after two months, I would get over waking up in a foreign city where they don’t speak a language that I am familiar with, where they eat foods that I would have never considered eating at home. But every day brings the same exact result: I wake up and find myself in a foreign city struggling to understand a language I have never heard, eating food that I can’t even begin to pronounce the names of. And every morning, I smile to myself and never have one thought about wanting to be somewhere else. I wouldn’t give up being disoriented and confused about my location for anything. Jerusalem is amazing, truly a wonder. It is such a blessing that I was able to come and study in this land – to study the gospel of Jesus Christ, to learn about the lives of my ancestors, to become acquainted with a people so different from myself. I can’t think of a better time in my life. This is truly an amazing experience.

It was another Sabbath Day similar to all the others I have experience in the Jerusalem Center. The spirit continues to take my breath away as I listen to the words prepared by the speakers and the teachers. It never ceases to amaze me how direct their words are and the effect they have on me. Sacrament Meeting was especially meaningful for me. The Crockett family spoke on courage and the necessity it is to have courage in today’s world, how courage helps to solidify your belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ and helps drive you forward to action. President Ohman asked a ward member, who speaks only Spanish, to share her testimony once Brother Crockett was finished speaking. Her spirit would have knocked me over if I had been standing on my feet. She testified of the truth of the gospel and the faith she has in the prophecy of scripture. It doesn’t matter what language we speak or what country we come from. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the same in every tongue, in every nation. It was amazing and I really appreciated everything she said. (Plus, I was able to understand nearly every word that she spoke. I guess all that studying has really started to pay off!) Brother Chadwick taught Sabbath School today so I left with many questions, as always, but it was a great lesson. If you want me to go into more depth, feel free to shoot me an email. He focused most of the time, if not all of it, on John 16:7. The lesson in Relief Society was based on a talk by President Monson called “Charity Never Faileth”. It was an excellent reminder that we all need to be a little more Christlike and loving of all of God’s children. We are all too quick to judge.

After church, I skipped off to the Garden Tomb with Jenny and Kymberly. The Spirit in that area is always so overwhelming. The moment you walk through the gates the significance of what happened there drives all of your thoughts to Jesus Christ. We sat and sang a couple of songs (I Believe in Christ and The Lord is My Shepherd) and then individually spent the next half hour or so reading, pondering, and writing in our journals. It was a really great experience. I spent my time contemplating the role of the Savior as my Shepherd and how intimately He knows me. All I have to do is turn to Him and He will be there, ready to guide me and help me to follow the path He has laid. It’s all so amazing. I am grateful for His hand in my life and His earnest desire to continue helping me find my way back to Him.

The rest of the afternoon went fairly smoothly. After dinner and seminary (the lesson was given by Lizzie and was on Brigham Young), I went outside to read and email a couple of friends as I looked over the city and eventually watched the sun set. It was a great experience. I love sitting in the gardens at the Jerusalem Center. Despite the wind, it is so peaceful and really allows you some time to be alone and think about whatever you want to think about.
I am excited to see what tomorrow brings. It is a free day. I don’t have plans yet, but I do have a few ideas. It should be a lot of fun. And it may or may not include waffles. We’ll just have to wait and see!

24 June 2011

Welcome back to the Jerusalem. We were greeted on our first day back with four hours of class: two for Old Testament and two for Ancient Near Eastern Studies. It was a long and difficult day. Everyone kept nodding off and falling asleep. Once we got to lunch, everyone was beyond relieved. Plus, it was sandwich day so that put an extra glint in everyone’s smile. There’s nothing like a sandwich to brighten your mood. However, there was no guacamole today! That was a bit of a disappointment, and it was brought up multiple times over the course of the hour.

With my stomach full and nothing to do for thirty minutes or so, I decided to take a nap and wake up in time to attend the humanitarian activity. Only, I didn’t wake up thirty minutes later – try two hours and thirty minutes later. Apparently going to bed at 8:30pm last night didn’t do me very much good; I was still exhausted. I never take naps like that. I woke up near three o’clock in the afternoon very groggy and disoriented. It took me a while to realize where I was and that I had slept through the entire humanitarian project. I felt horrible. When I walked out into the fourth floor lounge, however, I was greeted by five or six others who had meant to take a short nap and slept through the activity as well. That made me feel a little bit better but a small amount of guilt still settled over me. We decided to take a walk into the Old City to complete our last writing assignment for Old Testament since we hadn’t done anything but sleep, eat, and sit all day long. It was nice to get out and stretch our legs for a little bit! We wondered into the Jewish Quarter near the Hurva Synagogue, where we separated to read the assigned chapter and ponder them. One scripture in Isaiah really stuck out to me. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” As I was reading through this, I really sat and thought about what the Lord has done for me in the past few months. I have been separated from familiarity, from friends and family, from home by thousands of miles; I have left behind objects of use and items of value. I have found myself afraid on more than one occasion. And yet, I do not remember turning to the Lord and remember His outstretched hand. I was born a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was baptized and confirmed with the blessing of the Holy Ghost. I have the power and ability to use these blessings and call upon the name of the Lord in faith and be comforted and find strength. Too often do I ignore these great blessings, do I forget that I am not alone. I am never alone. I will always have my Father in Heaven and my Savior to lift me up and carry me through to the next day. Never do I (or anyone for that matter) have to face a trial, a difficulty alone.

Upon returning from the city, I took twenty minutes to call my mom and see how life had been treating her for the past week. It is always so easy for me to talk to her. I can open up and be myself, talking a hundred miles a minute and laughing to my heart’s content. I have a really wonderful mom. I am so lucky to have her in my life. It was a delight to talk to her, possibly even the highlight of my entire day. School and sleep are great, but my family cannot be beat.

The Jerusalem Center Friday Movie Night brought us Lawrence of Arabia. Due to the fact that I had seen the movie before, I did not stay to watch the entire thing. It is over three hours, and I was falling asleep within the first hour or so. Jordan took a lot out of me; I wonder if I will ever recover. It was a great day back in Jerusalem. Jordan was wonderful but there is something about being home in your own bed that is comforting. Plus, we can eat all of the fresh foods here and drink the water without worrying about getting sick. That is definitely a luxury!

23 June 2011

Our Jordanian Journey came to a very quick end this morning. I was sad to see it go and yet very anxious to return to Jerusalem and take a shower and do absolutely nothing for an entire day. Jordan was a really fun trip to take, but I am very glad that it didn’t forever. The heat alone would have killed me sooner rather than later.

The morning began at the Roman Theater in the center of Ammon. It was another theater. I happily climbed to the top and listen to different people sing and speak in the “sweet spot”. It is amazing how these theaters were engineered to make sound travel from one point to an entire audience within a stadium. That technology has all but disappeared in the modern day; it would be much cheaper than sound equipment and microphones, though! From the theater, we took a walk through a shopping district in downtown Ammon. It was nothing out of the ordinary: vegetables, fruits, meats. My heart did break, however, when we passed an area of street selling chicks, ducklings, ducks, rabbits, turkeys, pheasants, etc. All of these animals were alive and stuck in overly crowded cages, waiting to be sold. I nearly started crying. I’m not ashamed to admit it. If I had enough money on me, I probably would have tried to purchase every single animal there, or at least all of the ones that looked healthy enough to survive. I wanted to free them, not eat them. It was heart breaking to see. I can’t help but remember the little ducks trying to hop out of the box that held them. What it must have felt like to be stuck in the box, not knowing what fate would bring. Or maybe they did know what was to occur…sigh. It was sad. They should do that in a more secret location. Not all of us are ruthless killers.

We quickly grabbed some KFC on our way to our next destination: the River Jordan. I have to admit that the KFC wasn’t very good. I picked at it and drank some Pepsi; I was rather disappointed as were most of the students. When we got to the Jordan River, Brother Muhlestein gave a short devotional on the baptism of Jesus Christ and gave us time to write in our journals. The lines from a Primary song came to my mind. “I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain, and ponder on the beauty of an Earth made clean again. I want my life to be as clean as Earth right after rain. I want to be the best I can and live with God again. I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away, and I can be forgiven and improve myself each day. I want my life to be as clean as Earth right after rain. I want to be the best I can and live with God again.” Sitting there, on the edge of the Jordan River was mind-blowing. 2,000 years ago, my Savior and Redeemer – my best friend – was baptized in these waters. He set an example to be baptized and to receive the blessings of the ordinance. Am I running to follow His example? Am I running to be in His embrace, to be with Him again? I was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Saturday, September 27, 1998. I cannot remember all that was said or all that was sung, but I cannot forget my daddy’s hand reaching out to mine to lead me into the warm water; I cannot forget the words he spoke as so many had before; I cannot forget the warmth that descended upon me as he lifted me up out of the water or the smile that lit up the eyes of my mother. I, too, was baptized. I may not have been baptized in the same river as Jesus Christ, but I was baptized. I followed His example, and I will forever remember and honor that covenant that I made that day with my Father in Heaven, in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, my perfect example.

We got across the border easily enough. No questions were asked; no one was stopped by security. Our passports were stamped, we switched buses, and we were on our way back to Jerusalem. However, it took much longer than it was supposed to due to heavy traffic. And the bus was sweltering hot. Luckily, I had my Kindle and Hunger Games to finish. I finished the first book and began the second with little hesitation. I just could resist! We made it back to the center at about 4:40pm. I took a quick shower and began writing my blog posts…because I knew everyone would want to hear about my adventures as soon as possible! I spent the evening relaxing and reading for class tomorrow. Jordan was amazing. But I am happy to be back home in Jerusalem.

22 June 2011

Another day in Jordan came and went much sooner than I wanted. Where did all the time go? Only one day in Jordan remained and I was sad to see it come. There was much more to see and do. We could easily spend weeks in the country

Our morning began we an attempted trip to a mosque that had been visited by the BYU Jerusalem center many, many times. However, even though all the girls were in long skirts and loose fitting pants, they insisted on us girls all wearing burka-type cloaks. We were tight on time so Brother Muhlestein took us out of there so we could go on with our day and not waste any of our time changing clothes. Later on in the day he made sure to tell us that we didn’t’ miss much of anything. Apparently it’s not a very decorated or excited…we saw much better mosques in Turkey. I was okay that we didn’t stop. I got a picture outside so I was happy enough. We went straight to Citadel, the ancient city of Rabbat Ammon. It wasn’t anything too exciting – just more ruins! The Temple of Hercules was there – or one of the Temples of Hercules, I should say. Brother Muhlestein held a tiny devotional for us, where he talked about David’s sin in “killing” Uriah during a battle right outside the walls. It is so hard for me to imagine someone doing that…but when you think about it, how many people commit worse sins to protect themselves from another sin? I have been told over and over again that once one lie is told, another lie must follow if the first is to continue. This cycle goes on and on until a deep hole is dug and the lies must reveled. It really got me thinking about myself and what I do/don’t do (for inaction is just as bad as action). Everyone sins. Do we immediately repent or hide them by sinning more? The Citadel was really cool but hot. Kym and I wandered around, searching for shade to hide in whenever possible. I hate to say it but we were excited to leave and get on the bus; the bus was air-conditioned. That is a very hot commodity in this part of the world!

We took a thirty minute stop at the Jabok River to read the story of Jacob wrestling with an angel and receiving a new name, the name of Israel. The river is now a bit dirty and heavily polluted and covered in trash. Despite the trash and the smell, the Spirit in the air was still strong. It is amazing that no matter where you go, you can still find the Spirit. Sitting along the edge of the river, all I could hear was the wind in the trees, the water rushing down the banks. It’s a simple river, but like all simplicity, it is of great importance. It was near this river that Jacob came to know the Lord intimately. He passed his own Abrahamic test and was given the opportunity to gain from this sacrifice, gain something most precious. I often wonder about my own relationship with the Lord. Am I proving myself to Him? Have I given up anything for Him? Would I be willing to give up everything for Him? He is our greatest blessing, our greatest friend on this Earth. It is a relationship that Jacob held with Him that we should all search for – a relationship where can speak with Him and be spoken to in return. It is through Him that we gain peace, that we find Eternal Life and perfect happiness. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true, no matter where you go, no matter where you live. You can find the truth of it if you open your heart to His spirit and open that door for Him.

From the river, we drove up to Gerash/Jerash for about three hours. This site was amazing. It is believed to be the biblical site of Jershon. The standing ruins are mostly Roman (but Brother Muhlestein made a point to tell us that there are some that do date back to the Middle Bronze Age II, the time period of Abraham and sons). We went to a Temple of Artemis and sang in the theater as a class. Then Kymberly and I walked back by way of the main road, also known as the Cardo – as are all main Roman roads. It was a delightfully warm walk. We were elated to get popsicles at the end of the city! We sat and relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed our cold, fruity treats. I ended up buying four pairs of earrings for about ten dollars. I was thoroughly happy about it. I love earrings. I was even more happy when we got on the bus. The kids selling postcards were beginning to drive me crazy. Ooo but something really cool!! I was delightful to find some Argentine tourists! I was about to speak Spanish with them; it was great. They are from an area south of Buenos Aires (outside of a certain someone’s mission, I believe). I thought about Mike the entire time I spoke with them. He will be happy to hear that I was able to interact with some Argentines.

We got back to the Belle Vue Hotel at about five in the afternoon, where we were granted free time until dinner at 7:30pm. Kym, Jenny, Dan, and I walked down Rainbow Road. Nothing too incredibly exciting…Kym and I shared a mint-Oreo milkshake; that was quite possibly the highlight! We stopped at Haboob, the neighborhood grocery store, where we got snacks. I found Skittles; I almost died! It was mostly just nice to get out and walk around the city. It’s not every day that you are in Ammon, Jordan. I spent the rest of the night (after dinner) in a quiet manner: reading and watching the U.S.A. kick Jamaica’s trash in a soccer game. Some you just need to relax. I enjoy it a great percentage of the time. Plus, I had started the Hunger Game earlier that day so it was kind of necessary just to relax and read!

21 June 2011

After a quick breakfast at 6:15am, we set off for a day in Petra. It was definitely not what I was expecting. Of course, most people know of Petra from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (which you should have watched by now…if not, shame on you), but it was so much more than that. Petra was the home of 25,000 people at the peak of its existence. Mostly built up by the Nabateans – it was also home to the Crusaders for a short while – the architecture is amazing. Your journey into the heart of the city begins by walking through al-Siq, a grand gorge, or canyon…take your pick. The rock in the canyon is so beautiful; it definitely has the “vibe”. Pictures just don’t do it justice. Upon leaving the Siq, you enter into a clearing which holds the Hollywood-made famous Cazneh or Treasury, believed to be the tomb of Aretas IV. The edifice of this thing is spectacular. I only wish we were able to go inside. Darn those safety regulations! Haha I was able to get a lot of pictures though. I’ll just have to sneak inside on a different occasion in my own attempt to find the Holy Grail! (Once again, if you haven’t taken the time to stop reading and watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, shame on you.)

From the Cazneh, we split from the group and were granted free time for the next six hours. This may seem like a lot of time, but it was not enough to do everything we wanted to do. Kymberly, Jenny, Wayna, and I decided to begin our journey through Petra by climbing up to the Monastery – 900 steps and sloping hills. It was killer in the sun but at least it wasn’t during the heat of the afternoon! Plus, once we reached the top, we forgot all about the climb. In front of us was another beautiful edifice – the Monastery. We took pictures and went off on a side path to the “Best View in Petra.” It wasn’t the best view of the day, but it was amazing. The desert really is gorgeous and the mountain ranges and valleys make it appear spectacular. The walk back down to leveled ground was obnoxious with so many steep slopes and stairs made for giants like Hagrid or Fezik, but we eventually made it and went to lunch. Lunch did not disappoint. With rice, flat bread, traditional Jordanian chicken, and warm bread pudding, I was a happy woman and ready to begin my next adventure!

I left lunch with Kerri Allison, Diedra, and Dallin to visit the King’s Tombs and the “High Place”. The tombs were tombs. The “High Place” was a high place. The walk up to the “High Place” was killer but the view from the top was easily one of the best things I had seen all day. It was beautiful. Plus, as soon as we got down to the bottom, Dallin found us some camels for us to ride back to the Treasury. Yes, I actually rode a camel. I had never ridden a camel before. It was so much fun! I was kind of worried before, especially when the camel was standing up, but once I was up, I was on top of the world. I name my came Rupert; he was such a delightful camel. Oh, and he really, really liked Kerri Allison – a lot. At one point, she turned around to say something to me and Rupert’s face was inches away from her own! I almost fell off I was laughing so hard. Dallin was sad (as were the rest of us) when the ride came to an end…the camels were the best part of his day. My favorite part came after the camels. You can ride a horse for about 500 meters or so (maybe a bit more) at the end of the Siq to the entrance gate for three dollars. Normally, you just sit there as someone guides your horse; however, I have ridden horse; I know how to ride. So I took the rope from the guy guiding me and took off! It was so great! He ran with me for a while but gave up after he realized I knew what I was doing. It was so great; I had forgotten how much I love riding. I reached the end way quicker than my guide so I raced a couple local kids and trotted around. It was wonderful. I felt just like Indiana Jones jumping onto his own horse and riding away from the Cazneh. It was a sad day when the guide appeared and I had to return the horse. I secretly wanted to keep him. I guess it wasn’t really a secret though. I’m sure the guide could see it in my eyes and from my mannerisms. I continued trotting around well after he reached the gate.

After Petra, we boarded the buses to begin our drive up to Ammon. Along the way, we stopped at a castle to look around and what not. It was just like any other castle I have seen, but it was fun. We climbed down into a shaft that led down to a cistern. It was dark and slippery and very dirty, but it was pretty cool. Dark, creepy gunnels are always the way to go. The drive up to Ammon was about three hours. I slept or about half of that; Petra took a lot out of me! And then – I ate a Kit Kat. I am a fan of Kit Kats. They are delightful – yum. We got to Ammon at eight o’clock at night or so – and had to go through security to get into the hotel. That was comforting, and it reminded me a bit of when security guards checked the trunk of our taxi when my family and I checked into our hotel in Turkey a couple of years ago to make sure nothing (no one) was there that wasn’t supposed to be. We stayed at the Belle Vue which was amazing compared to what we had been staying in. It wasn’t quite a Marriott, but it was on the verge for sure. Dinner was decent, but I wasn’t exactly hungry. I was dirty and tired so I took a quick shower and climbed into bed.

It was a really great day. The fact that the day was over, however, was a little too much for me to handle. Our journey through Jordan had just begun and yet it was almost over. I would be back in Jerusalem before I knew it.

20 June 2011

Let the journey begin! It was such a wonderful day, one with an early start and a late ending. We were to be packed with everything on the bus before seven o’clock in the morning. There was a large number of students who stayed up well after midnight last night. I have no idea how they were able to drag themselves out of bed, but everyone arrived on time so we could leave the Jerusalem Center and begin our Jordanian Journey. Jordan’s border is very close to Jerusalem, but it took a couple of hours to get everything in motion. Passports had to be checked and stamped; cargo holds under the buses had to be searched. We even had to change buses! We were all excited when we made it back onto the road. We became enthusiastic once we all realized we were driving through Jordan.

Our guide for Jordan was named Odeh (pronounced Audi, like the car). To everyone’s relief, he was not the reincarnation of Fati, our creepy tour guide in Turkey, and his accent was easy enough to understand. He was very knowledgeable of the surroundings and of the connections of the land to the Old Testament. It was great learning more about Jordan, a country I knew virtually nothing about. He was thorough in his teachings and gave us plenty of time to shop, interact with locals, and appreciate what we were seeing and experiencing. It was a nice change from what we experienced in Turkey.

Our end destination for the day was a hotel near Petra, but we took many stops along the way! It all began at a little place called Mount Nebo. Maybe you’ve heard of it? For those of you who recognize the name, this is the traditional site of Moses’ death (or in LDS tradition, the translation of Moses). This was also the site of the brazen serpent; the Children of Israel were commanded to look at the serpent and be saved. Brother Muhlestein turned to a couple of scriptures, one of which was 1 Nephi 17. It describes the act the Israelites had to perform for salvation and the simpleness of it. All they had to do was have faith, and they would be saved. The gospel is so simple to follow, so simple to understand – all you have to do is look. But how many people doubt its simplicity and turn their heads so they can’t simple look It is so necessary to take that leap of faith and love the simplicity of the gospel. All we have to do is look and be saved. After taking some pictures, we left Mount Nebo and headed for the city of Madaba. Our journey into Madaba brought us to Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church. The church itself is a piece of art, as are so many churches. The bell tower on top was possibly my favorite part. Located within the church is a large mosaic map of the Holy Land – the reason behind our visit. I took a couple of pictures and headed out into the church square to await further instruction.

As stated earlier, our journey for the day did not end in Madaba. We still had places to go and things to see. From there we travelled down many bumpy roads to the Fortress of Machaerus. (When I say bumpy roads, I mean bumpy roads. We had many, many people getting sick. Luckily, I have a stomach of steel and was able to look out the window, play games, and even read.) The fortress was built by Herod the Great during the time of the Hasmoneans and put under the rule of Herod Antipus. It was at this fortress that John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded. The hike up to the fortress was unprepared for by most. The slope was ridiculous, but I happily made it to the top, in spike of my toe’s constant protests. The sun beat down on us as we too pictures and held a mini devotional. Most of us were excited to leave and seek shelter in the shade. The sun in Jordan is much warmer and more intense than the sun in Jerusalem! The fortress was our last stop on the way to Petra. We took one quick stop on the way to the hotel and finally got there at about eight o’clock at night. After a quick bite to eat and a shower, I climbed into bed. The next day was to be quite demanding and busy…but I thoroughly looked forward to it. After all, how many people do you know that can say they’ve been to the Canyon of the Crescent Moon? (Go watch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade before reading my next post if you have no idea what that means. It will take you about two hours, but it’s worth it as are all movies about Dr. Jones.)

19 June 2011

My bones are aching; my eyelids are drooping; my feet are protesting. But I could not be happier. It was an amazing day. There is nothing better than spending the entire day in the city of Jerusalem exploring its wonders, wandering its streets, and meeting its peoples. Though it was hot, though it was sticky, we pressed on and made the best of our day. It all began with Justin Heninger, Andrew Null, Julie Rencher, Jarom Smith, Megan Nuttall, and me, Michelle Olson.

The Tomb of the Kings was our first stop (after a quick jaunt to the Aladdin’s and Omar’s, that is). It may or may not have been my third visit, but I stuck through it with a smile. We climbed through the tombs; we got covered in muck and goop; we sang hymns in the deep rooms. It was fun. You can’t go wrong at the Tomb of the Kings. However, I am secretly hoping that I don’t go back in the next two months. It’s cool, but it’s not that cool. If it weren’t for cameras and candles, it would just be another mildewing hole in the ground.

We wandered away from East Jerusalem and into West Jerusalem as we began our long walk to the Knesset, the Parliament of the State of Israel. The Knesset is the heart of the Israeli democracy. It gave us an insider’s view of the inner workings of the State of Israel on the basis of government and legislation. The name “Knesset” was adopted from the Great Assembly that convened in Jerusalem following the return of Jews to Eretz Yisrael from Babylon in the fifth century B.C.E. The number of Knesset members – 120 – was actually determined based on the number of members of the Great Assembly. The first general elections in the State of Israel took place on January 25, 1949 – eight months after the proclamation of Israel as a state. The first sitting of the Constituent Assembly took place in the Jewish Agency building in Jerusalem. It wasn’t until 1966 that a new residence at Giv’at Ram was inaugurated. The following day the Knesset held its first sitting in the new building. During our tour, we were taken into the main legislative room of the building, shown different tapestries and mosaics, and introduced to the democracy of the State of Israel. The situation itself greatly reminded me of a similar tour I took with my family in Washington, D.C. a couple of summers ago. It was a really good experience, and I am glad that I chose to go.

From the Knesset, we wandered back toward West Jerusalem in search for food. This is where our little group met its end. Andrew, Julie, and Jarom went one way; Justin, Megan, and I went another. It was difficult at first to readjust to the change, but the fun did not stop. We ended up at Burgers Bar for lunch. I hate to say that it was the best burger I have ever eaten, but it was the best burger I have ever eaten and I doubt that any burger will ever change my mind on that. It was juicy; it was flavorful. It was also huge, but we’ll ignore that small characteristic. It was amazing and just what I needed to keep me going. We decided to head down the artist colony, Yemin Moshe, after a quick shopping excursion. I ended up purchasing a cute blue skirt and a pair of earrings. Would you expect anything different?

I had heard many stories about the boring atmosphere of the artist colonies and the lack of things to do. I am not sure where these people are getting their information from or what artist colonies they are visiting, but this was one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful area of Jerusalem I have seen this far. It was nice to walk its cobblestone streets and truly appreciate its gardens. At the top of the colony is a windmill. History holds that the windmill was constructed by someone to help the poor inhabitants of the colony grind their wheat. Whether this is true or not is unknown to me, but it doesn’t matter because the windmill never worked; there was never enough wind to turn the blades. But it is beautiful, and the view from the top square near it was beautiful.

Due to the throbbing pain of my toe, we left the artist colony to catch a taxi back to the J.C. It was so nice to sit in an air-conditioned car after walking around in the sweltering sun all day long. The heat is very difficult to escape in Jerusalem. Back at the J.C., I was able to finish up some homework, write a quick letter to Mike, and watch She’s the Man. It has been quite some time since I have seen that movie (quite some time being six months or so). I had almost forgotten how funny it is! It was a nice and relaxing evening. We walked everywhere today. It was fun, but it was rough. We walked at least ten miles today. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was closer to fifteen!

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we will be leaving for Jordan. I apologize for this inconvenience, but I will not be bringing my computer for obvious reasons. I will update as soon as I can after returning from the wonderful land of Jordan. Until then…

18 June 2011

Nothing can go wrong on the Sabbath. The entire day is full of relaxation, peace, comfort, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and the Spirit. The Church meetings were amazing today. It is always a blessing to hold Sacrament in a room where I can overlook the entire city of Jerusalem and think about Jesus Christ and the acts that He did there. I can see the Temple Mount and the locations of the Garden Tomb and the Garden of Gethsemane. It really puts into perspective the purpose behind the Sacrament and the Church. My favorite part of church today was filling in for Kymberly as the Primary pianist while she was at the branch in Tel Aviv (she was asked to do a musical number; some students were asked to speak). The Primary in this branch is much larger than you would believe! The kids are full of life and love and beyond the realm of happiness. They were so much fun to play with. Singing time was done first where we sang Follow the Prophet and a pioneer songs (in preparation for Utah’s Pioneer Day in July). It was nice to accompany again; I have really missed that. When singing time was over, I sat with the Sunbeams where I was privileged to have Megan Judd plop herself on my lap. She smelled slightly of syrup, but it was well worth it. She is really smart; a picture of Christ being baptized in the Jordan was put up and she knew that it was a picture of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus Christ. It made me “wow!” At one point, we sang birthday songs and she crawled onto my lap as I was playing the piano. I surprised everyone by continuing to play and pulling her up at the same time; after that, I just carried her back to the piano with me if we were going to sing again! It made things much easier that way. Haha it was a pleasant Sabbath and Primary made it nearly perfect.

After our church meetings, we had a Relief Society Get-to-Know-You activity. It began with a few testimonies on visiting teaching; we ate different treats; we constructed ‘we love you baskets’ for those sisters living in the West Bank. We also were given some time to get to know the permanent members in the branch as well as more about one another. It was a great activity! And the brownies that they had were beyond amazing. I have definitely missed brownies! I think we are going to have to make some brownies in the near future.

Seminary tonight was a blast. I was the teacher, after all! Haha the lesson tonight was on the saints’ trek to Salt Lake City from Nauvoo. I could have given a lesson portraying different stories and relating it back to our day and how we are pioneers in the latter days, but I thought it would be more fun to throw ourselves into the lives of the pioneers. So, I created our own version of Oregon Trail, Mormon-style. It was a lot of fun, and I think that everyone learned something from it. We made it to the Salt Lake Valley and everything! The pioneers did so much for the church. They had so much faith. I don’t know if I could have done that, given up everything and left to an unknown destination. I hope that I can learn to pattern my life after those of the pioneers; I hope that I can obtain a faith strong enough to pull me through the trials that are place before me in my life.

The evening was quite calm. I was able to talk to my daddy for about an hour in honor of himself. Tomorrow is Father’s day, for those of you who forgot, and I have the best dad in the entire world. He will never know how much I truly love and care about him. He is delightful. We had a really great talk. I told someone that I talked to him for an hour and they were in shock! Apparently most people can’t talk to their dads for twenty minutes on the phone, let alone an hour! I enjoy talking to my daddy. He means so much to me. I would not be who I am without him. I will forever be working to be all that he is. After getting off the phone, I wandered up the stairs to find Pride and Prejudice about to be turned on. What kind of a woman would I be to pass up an opportunity to watch the famous romance of Miss Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy? It was nice to just relax and watch a movie with everyone. Although, the boys were so loud! It was obnoxious!

It was an amazing day. Tomorrow is going will have even more to bring. Happy Father’s Day, Daddy. I love you so very much.

17 June 2011

It’s sandwich day. Every [Friday] I take Pudge the Fish a peanut butter sandwich…and today we were out of peanut butter. So I asked my sister what to give him and she said “a tuna sandwich.” I can’t give Pudge tuna! Do you know what tuna is? IT’S FISH! If I give Pudge tuna, I’d be an abomination! I’m late because I had to go to the store and get peanut butter ‘cause all we have is…is stinkin’ tuna! (Why is this so important, you may ask?) Pudge controls the weather.

While this quote may hold little significance to many of you, it means the world to me. Okay, maybe it doesn’t mean the world to me, but it holds a special place in my heart. Friday at the Jerusalem Center is sandwich day. There has never been a Friday that I haven’t eaten a sandwich of some sort for lunch. Whether it’s meat, tuna, peanut butter, egg, or veggie, I am enjoying a sandwich. And who better to explain the importance of Friday as sandwich day than a little Hawaiian girl by the name of Lilo?

Classes went well today! We had Old Testament, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, and Islam. I have to confess that I didn’t pay that much attention to Islam. The good news is that we only have one more day of that class until we are free! I am not excited about this at all…as you can tell. I am just so tired of going to that class and having a leftist political view shoved down my throat… The end of the term is in two weeks from today. It is so crazy! Our last finals are on July 5^th, and then we will only have two more classes until we go home: New Testament and a continuation of Ancient Near Eastern Studies.

The afternoon was fairly quiet in the J.C. While some people chose to visit the Garden Tomb, I chose to stay in and get caught up on some sleep and some reading. However, I did very little sleep. I did do a lot of reading; I ended up finishing one of my books. I should have read for an assignment that is due on Sunday, but that would have made way too much sense! Rather I sat on a stationary bike and read I’ll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.

This evening we were able to learn a few Israeli Folk Dances. It was so much fun! I wouldn’t mind taking a few classes when I get back to the states. It was so hot in there, but it was so worth it! I don’t know any of the names of any of the songs that we danced, though. They came from different eras… We ended the evening of dance with the Twist and with the Macarena. What would you expect from a bunch of American college students? Haha but it was really fun to bond that way. We were soaked by the time 80 of us left the gym… I hope we are able to do something like that again! I’m sure that some of us could remember the dances. We should just hold our own Israeli dance party some night. That would be really fun! We ended the night by watching a couple of movies. Some people watched the Guardian while I chose to watch Father of the Bride Part II with Megan Miller and Alyse Allen. I hadn’t seen this movie in the longest time! I forgot how funny it was. Steve Martin really made this movie. Very few actors could have pulled it off.

It was a very pleasant and relaxing day in Jerusalem. I am really looking forward to the Sabbath Day tomorrow. I have really needed it the past couple of days!

16 June 2011

It was a rather peaceful day in Jerusalem. Due to classes and other activities throughout the day, I was unable to leave the center. There was simply not enough time. Rather, I took some time to do things for myself. It is so hard to find any ‘alone time’ in the Jerusalem Center. You are constantly surrounded by other students, whether you are studying, relaxing in your room, or even sitting outside. It is hard to escape the sounds of other voices traveling through the air or the laughter coming through the vents from the room next door, but once you do, you come to truly appreciate the land and the city you are in, you come to identify the blessings in your life, you came to familiarize yourself with the Spirit of God. It was a nice get away, a nice chance to think about the Savior and His influence in my life and about the experiences I have had thus far in Jerusalem.

In addition to taking some ‘alone time’ for myself, I was able to exercise for an hour or so before our evening activity began. It felt so wonderful. I haven’t been able to exercise as much as I am used to. With a broken toe, little sleep at night, and homework to do, it has been difficult for me to get up to the gym every day. I am going to try to change this. Going to the gym has always been a great stress relief for me. It gives me time to get my mind off of the hardships and trials of my day and do something for myself. Like wandering the gardens, it gives me a chance to clear my head, to be alone. Plus, it helps me retain my stunning, girlish figure. It would, indeed, be a problem if I lost that!

It has been seen through field trips, field studies, and culture nights that our learning doesn’t stay in the classroom. We are given opportunities to continue class studies outside of the classroom, whether we go to synagogue, learn Arab dances, or visit ancient Biblical sites. This evening, our learning took on a new level as we had our own Passover Seder. Hosted by Ophir Yarden, our Judaism professor, we went through the prayers, the songs, the stories, the rituals, and the dinner associated with Passover. It surprised me how many people had never been to a Passover Seder. It may be a Jewish holiday, but it does have a lot of meaning within the Christian realm. I participated in part of the program by singing The Four Questions (in Hebrew) with Kymberly, Dallin, and Emily C. These questions address the purpose of Passover and what makes the day more special than any others. The dinner was amazing. We started off with a simple green salad and a beef broth soup. Next, we were given a fish course with the most amazing mustard sauce in the world! (Kym and I wanted to lick our plates!) Next, we were brought the main course which consisted of spinach-stuff chicken breast, mashed potatoes, carrots with walnuts, and a leek (that I didn’t touch because let’s face it, leek is not good nor will it ever be good). It was a lot of food, and I didn’t even finish half of it! I had to save room for dessert, after all. Dessert consisted of fruit in a coconut covered bowl. However, due to the great that I have, I didn’t get any coconut! Lovingly, Sister Chadwick shared some of hers with me. I was elated. There were also different dessert breads and brownies. My favorites were the coconut and banana breads. I cannot express to you how much I have missed banana bread. I didn’t realize it until the sweetness of the bread filled my mouth.

The Seder began and ended without any problems. It was a lot of fun to share this experience with everyone in the Jerusalem Center. I know that, without a doubt, a lot was learned and realized by everyone, including those who have participated in a Passover Seder before.

I was dragged into play basketball an hour or so after the dinner ended. I ignored my throbbing toe and played for fifteen minutes until I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I wouldn’t recommend playing basketball with a broken toe. I had a difficult time walking the rest of the evening. Shelby actually gave me a piggyback to my room because of the pain (that and I was too tired to move). It has come to my attention that I need to try and get more sleep at night. We’ll see if that will occur anytime soon… Jerusalem is too amazing to waste it by sleeping!

15 June 2011

The Jerusalem Center is a walking infestation. What was first thought to be a small bout of food poisoning among three or four students has escalated into a stomach flu that is affecting over fifteen members of the student population. Soap and hand-sanitizer became my best friends as the day wore on and as the severity of the disease accelerated. When I get the stomach flu, my body temperature skyrockets; I would rather not have the Doctors’ Jackson admitting me to the hospital for a high fever. (I have had abnormally high fevers since I was a baby; they don’t put me in any danger.) I am hoping that my immune system is strong enough to combat this disease.

We were introduced to the country of Jordan this morning in a two hour long orientation meeting. We leave for Jordan on Monday, June 20^th and will return on Thursday, June 23^rd. It is going to be such an amazing field trip! We get to visit such places as Amman and Petra. The weather is going to be a bit hot. The words Sister Huntington chose were “blazing hot”, for Tuesday at least. While we are in Petra, it will be 102 degrees. Add in the desert sun and Mediterranean humidity, and you have a sweltering day. It will be hot, but it will be worth it. As the Jordan trip gets closer and closer, I am reminded that my time in Jerusalem is nearing its end. My flight back to the United States is in 58 days. That is 58 days to say goodbye to a city I have barely known; 58 days to create lifelong relationships; 58 days to experience all that Jerusalem has to offer and more. I have said this many times before, and you will probably hear me say it over and over again. Time flies. Take advantage of it. You never know when you are going to be out of time, when something is going to change. Make the most of the time that you have. Don’t procrastinate. Meet new people. Try new things. Get out of your homes, your apartments, your hometowns. Experience what this world, this universe has to offer. There is a lot out there. Get out and experience it.

This afternoon we were privilege to meet with Danny Seideman, an international lawyer living in Israel. He spoke to us for forty-five minutes or so about the logistics of the Separation Wall, a wall that was constructed from 2003-2006 between the Israeli state and the West Bank. This wall was created to ebb terrorist activity in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel. While it has ridden Jerusalem of terrorist activity, i.e. suicide bombers, and save the lives of many innocent peoples, it has altered the lives of thousands of individuals. Employment was lost as access to Jerusalem was cut-off. Children were forced to change schools. Families lost contact as a wall came to separate them from seeing one another. However, as put by Seideman, would you rather know your family was alive on the other side of that wall or would you rather be in constant panic that they would be the next victim of a suicide bomber? After his lecture, we loaded buses to take a visit to the Separation Wall. Different phrases, such as “the hands that build can also tear down”, are written on multiple parts of this wall. This opportunity really opened my eyes to the conflict raging between Palestine and Israel. It isn’t merely about land control and administrative power; it’s about love and safety, about independence and equality. In addition to Danny Seideman, we were able to hear from a member of the U.S. Embassy stationed in Tel Aviv during an evening forum. Similarly to Mr. Seideman, she spoke on the conflict raging between Israel and Palestine. It was interesting to hear another view of the conflict and the possibilities that face the two peoples in the future.

To flee the increasing illness within the J.C., I left the building for a couple of hours this afternoon with Kori and Wayna. We didn’t do much, but we had fun walking around. At one point, we decided to take a street that none of us had before travelled. The reason behind that became increasingly clearer to me as we made our way down the street. The smell was unbelievable, as we were surrounded by different meats and poultry, livers and hearts, and even intestines and stomachs. It was a relief when we reached the end of the street. We spent our time in the Jewish Quarter of the city, where Wayna and I purchased small paintings of different areas of Jerusalem and where we worked on an assignment for Old Testament. It was nice to relax and sip a Diet Coke while listening to the people pass by. On our walk back to the Jerusalem Center, we saw many kites flying in the sky. Many kids were on top of the city walls taking advantage of the warm but windy day. It was indeed a sight to see.

I spent an hour working out in the gym. I have never been one to enjoy stationary bikes, but they have begun to grow on me. It was nice to work off some steam and listen to some good music. I have truly missed being able to go to the gym every morning and run to my heart’s desire. For now, I will just have to settle for what I have and use it with a smile. With my Islam paper completed, printed out, and turned in, I am going to say goodnight. Pray that I stay well and am not plagued with the illness that has plagued so many of my classmates.

14 June 2011

I wish I could tell you that this was a day of excitement, of wonder, of thrill. However, saying so would make me a liar, and my mother told me to never tell a lie.

The morning began with a Yoplait peach yogurt and a piece of chocolate bread. Can you imagine a breakfast better than that? It may not be the breakfast of champions or magically delicious but it was a wonderful way to start the day. Old Testament focused on the first twelve chapters of Isaiah and the encompassing message that Isaiah teaches throughout his ministry. His message applies to Adam and Eve, the children of Israel, Lehi and his family, the Nephites and Lamanites, Joseph Smith and early members of the church, my family and I: to everyone. We are constantly in a cycle of humbling ourselves before God and rebuilding Zion. As we live our lives, we find ourselves being pushed farther from Christ through sin and pride. God, however, always finds a way to bring us back because He has made a covenant with us. It is necessary that we learn to be humble before the Lord and rely on Him and Him alone. The teachings of Isaiah, while often difficult to understand, carry important messages that do apply to us in our day. All we have to do is read with an open heart and recognize that we are a part of his narrative; his story is not only a story about his day, but one about ours as well.

The morning came and went without incident. Justin Heninger and Andrew Null practically killed each other on the way to linen exchange, fighting to be the first ones there. Justin beat Andrew by a few seconds. Andrew claims it was only because Erika blocked his path, but he would have lost either way. He just didn’t want to admit his pitiful defeat. Mostly, it was just an entertaining show to watch while walking down the stairs to collect my own linens. The cooking staff surprised us with homemade pizza for lunch. The shouts of elation could be heard all around Jerusalem. It wasn’t Little Caesar’s or Domino’s by any means, but it satiated many pizza cravings held by many students within the center.

Between cleaning my bathroom and doing laundry, I attended a session of Hebrew. Hebrew has easily become the class that I look forward to each week. Unfortunately it is coming to a quick end. The final is in two weeks from Friday! I cannot believe how quickly time has passed. Didn’t I just get here? Didn’t I just have my first Hebrew class? I will be on that flight home before I know it. I fear I am going to blink and miss everything.

Our Islam class was from 4:00-5:50 in the afternoon today. Whoever came up with that time is insane! It was so hard to pay attention. It’s not like I listen to everything Bashir Bashir is saying, but I couldn’t listen to anything he was saying. I was antsy; I was restless. I knew there was a reason why I don’t take night classes. It was a relief when it ended and we were excused to eat dinner. Most of the students headed into the Oasis to eat the standard rice, potatoes, meat, and salad. A few of us, however, left the center and went to West Jerusalem to get something to eat to celebrate Erica’s 20^th Birthday. It was such a blast. Twenty-one of us met up at a place called Thailandi, where Thai food is obviously served. This may come as a shock to most of you (especially my mother), but I got chicken pad thai. There has never been a time that I have gone to a Thai restaurant and gotten anything other than chicken pad thai, unless it was sushi. I’m not one to be unadventurous. I love trying new foods, but I have it ingrained in my mind that nothing could be better than chicken pad thai. And in this situation, I was right. A few people chose to get the stir-fry, but they were eating my noodles instead! After dinner, we wandered around for a bit and ended up stopping by a bakery. Shelby Petersen and I happily shared a chocolate filled pastry; it was delicious. There is nothing better than chocolate. No matter where you are in the world, chocolate will always be there, making your mouth water and your taste-buds cheer.

It was nice to get out of the center for dinner. Plus, we jammed all twenty-one of us into a van on the way back to the J.C. How could that not be fun? The food was good; the company was great. It was another successful evening, another successful day in Jerusalem.

13 June 2011

I would like to personally thank my beloved Mavericks for a spectacular game last night, especially the one and only Dirk Nowitzki. It was all too wonderful to see the Heat get taken down. Congratulations on a wonderful season, and I am greatly anticipating what next year will bring. GO MAVS!!!

Today we went back to the place where it all began, where David was King, where Solomon reigned, where Hezekiah prayed in faith to the Lord and was miraculously saved from destruction of the Assyrians. Jerusalem wasn’t always located within the walls that have surrounded it since the 1500s. When David conquered Jerusalem, the city was actually south of where it is located today, surrounded by three valleys: the Kidron, the Hinnom, and the Tyropoeon. As time passed, the population grew, expanding the city. By the time of King Herod, the city had moved farther north. Today, David’s Jerusalem is known as the City of David. Rightly named, don’t you think? It was to this city that we ventured.

It all began with the best 3D Movie Attraction I have ever before witnessed. We giddily pulled on our 3D glasses to watch this movie on the construction and defense of the City of David. I am honest when I say it was the best movie attraction I have ever witnessed. Tourist videos are generally dry, boring, and full of poor animations. This was different. The music caught our interest, it was short and to the point, and it carried with it a good story. From the movie, Brother Muhlestein took us to overlook the city as well as to talk about a few excavation sites. While these areas were informative and interesting, they were nothing compared to what came next: Hezekiah’s Tunnel. Hezekiah’s Tunnel was constructed to connect the city’s two water sources, protecting them from attackers. (Water was a hot commodity back then!) The curving tunnel is over 530 meters long, and I got to walk through it. The water got to two to three feet in some areas. I was wet; I was cold. And yet, I still trudged on. There were many pictures taken (as seen above..haha) and no cameras lost. It was a successful tunnel excursion. Our travel through the City of David ended with a brief visit to a limestone quarry, and then we were released to stay in the city or go back to the J.C. As you may guess, I stayed in Jerusalem and visited a couple of places with my friends Kymberly and Jenny.

Our adventure began with a special guided-tour to the Straight-Seam and Pinnacle of the Temple Mount. We also walked up to the Golden Gates, where we discussed Christian-Jewish myths about the gate. (Apparently the gates were sealed by the Jews after Christian revelation was given that Christ would return through the gates….or so it is told.) From there we went to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. We went to an overlook of the Western Wall and Temple Mount. The view was amazing. We then went to the Temple Institute. If there was anything in Jerusalem that I would tell people to avoid, it would be the Temple Institute. It provided us with great information about temple objects and how the temple was constructed, but it wasn’t anything more than we could find in the Bible or learn in class. Twenty-five shekels was too steep a price for so little information, but at least we got it done! With the Temple Institute done, we decided to go back to the Jerusalem Center. On the way back we stopped at the post office so that I could get stamps and so that Jenny could pick up her package. Now that was exciting.

The rest of the day was fairly quiet. I spent some time fine-tuning my paper for Islam and hung out with a few friends. For Family Home Evening we had an intense game of Boggle. Jason and I were busting out words like there was no tomorrow…until Jefferson cheated! That was unfortunate, but we brushed it off and will get our revenge!! It was a fun way to end the night. It was a really fun day. And although I got sunburned, again, I would do it all over again (perhaps without the Temple Institute though).