04 May 2011

So much for staying in the Jerusalem Center to study and do laundry today. The call of the city is too much for me to resist, unfortunately. However, as I have been told over and over again by a countless number of people, this is a once in a lifetime experience. Who knows when or if I'll ever have the opportunity to be in Jerusalem again? I should be taking advantage of this beautiful city and the people within it. I should be going out into the city every day to explore new areas, meet new people, try new foods, and have new cultural experiences. Staying in the center is taking away from this experience... When I find logic to back up that comment, I'll get back to you. Tomorrow I will be forcing myself to stay in the J.C. so that I won't fail or be running around in dirty clothes. We'll see how this works out for me!

Classes continued today, as they will for the rest of the semester. I love school. That's all there really is to it. I learned four new letters in Hebrew today: vet (V), gimmel (G, J) , daled (D), and hey (H). I am really loving this language. I wouldn't mind continuing to study it when I return to BYU-Provo. There just aren't enough semesters in the world for me to do that. I want to graduate when I'm 23 not when I'm 40!! Maybe I'll be able to serve a senior mission where I'll speak Hebrew. That would be a really wonderful experience. If there's one thing I want to do, it's serve a senior mission with my future husband. There are service couples all around the Holy Land. This would be an amazing mission to have and be in. Besides Hebrew, and that lovely rambling, Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies are going well. Brother Muhlstein continues to shock us with his knowledge of Old Testament doctrine. Brother Chadwick continues to throw random Harry Potter quotes into his lectures and everyday talk. We walked with him to Hebrew University today and while speaking about which staircase to use, he said to be careful because it likes to move. It made most of us laugh. We are lucky to have such a wonderful staff of professors at the Jerusalem Center. We are really taken care of here academically and in many other ways.

The Hebrew University is located basically across the street from the Jerusalem Center, and we are invited to walk around the campus, shop at the small but convenient bookstore, and eat at its many restaurants. It is a beautiful campus and was actually constructed by the same architect who built the Jerusalem Center. Hebrew U, however, was built as a fortress rather than as a showcase. It has beautiful gardens, tall and surrounding buildings, and tiny windows. And it had glue sticks. I have been in desperate need of a glue stick for a couple days to make flashcards for my Hebrew class and now I can finally finish them. Haha. A bunch of us plan to go to Hebrew U to eat lunch every once in a while. It is close, cheap, and convenient. You can only eat at the Oasis so many times before you have to leave. It's good, but it's kind of like eating at the same restaurant over and over again. The scenery and the menu begin to die with time. Sadly, it's only been a week, and I'm already saying this!

Jess Ellis, Kimberly Stone, Dallin Quinn, Taylor Archibald, and I entered the Old City with smiles in tow and the necessary eagerness to accomplish all that we wanted to see. We set out for the Armenian Quarter to attend the St. James Cathedral. This beautiful cathedral is home to the Armenian Christians in the area. While I know little about the religion or the cathedral, it was a wonderful opportunity to experience the service of another religion. We arrived just as they were opening the doors. The service was filled with chanting and singing. It was beautiful but confusing since no one around us spoke the necessary language to understand the service. Following the cathedral, we head toward Zion's Hill to exit the Old City through Zion's Gate to attend King David's "Tomb" and the Church of the Dormition. The tomb is one of the most holiest places for Jews, Muslims, and Christians. We wandered into the Jewish area of the site and went into the synagogue. Synagogues always interest me. For those of you who have never had that experience, I would encourage you to do so.

The Church of the Dormition is a Roman Catholic church that was consecrated in 1908. It is beautiful. We may or may not have broken the rules and entered the chapel and the crypt - yes, there is a crypt. They asked that only those who are participating in prayer or worship enter. However, we can worship and pray in our own way. With that justification we entered. The chapel of the church was similar to the rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. But the music coming from the crypt quickly dragged our attention away from it as we wandered down the stairs. A foreign group was there singing to Mary. The singing was beautiful, but the thought was unnerving. There is an actual sarcophagus for the Virgin Mary in this crypt that the people pray over. It suddenly made me very thankful for a church where we pray to a resurrected Father in Heaven in the name of His resurrected son. We celebrate life rather than death. It is comforting to know that I will be like my Savior and my Father, and that I will be resurrected.

It may be surprising to know that my day did not end with volleyball. It feels weird to have missed that part of my daily routine, but sometimes things happen. Instead the evening ended with a forum given by the spokesperson of Foreign Affairs within the Israeli Government. He spoke on the Peace Treaties with Palestine and the possible outcomes. It was really interesting, and I really want to hear the same forum from the side of the Palestinian Government. The political conflict here is still raging and will continue to do so until Christ comes again. And He will come again. Watch for the signs and be prepared for His coming. I have walked where he's walked. I've seen where he has been. And I know, without a doubt, that He lives. He lives and loves us.