Classes went really well today, except for the fact that I couldn't stay awake for the life of me! After only five hours of sleep the night before, my muscles were sluggish and my eyes continually threatened to close. However, with the great teachings of Brothers Muhlestein and Chadwick, I forced myself to stay awake so that I wouldn't miss out on any of their insights. The classes here carry the Spirit in each of their lessons. The materials relate to the land that I see and walk in daily and relate back to the teachings of the Bible, of Jesus Christ in a new light. In Old Testament, we began learning about the plagues of Egypt and the effects that each of them had on the people of Egypt; we learned of the suffering of the Children of Israel and the struggles they had to face. In Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Brother Chadwick presented us with an archaeological time line in order to acquaint us with the order of history, of Bible stories. My attention was swept away in the great words and thoughts of the professors. How could I fall asleep and miss instruction as special and pertinent as this?
The afternoon was spent in the Old City with Jess Ellis and Kim Stone. What a day it was! We had such a blast together walking through the old streets and experiencing the sites and the people.
We began at the Tower of David, an ancient citadel located near Jaffa Gate of the Old City. Built to strengthen a strategically weak point in the Old City's defenses, the citadel was constructed during the 2nd century BCE. Through series of war and destruction, the citadel was often destroyed and rebuilt. The Christian, Muslim, Mamluk, and Ottoman conquerors of Jerusalem have each played a role in rebuilding the current citadel that stands today. This monument is the home of ancient archaeological findings dating back 2,700 years. It was interesting to walk around the walls and the inside chambers of this fortress; while it was just like any other fortress, it wasn't inhabited by only one conquering force. It was used and reused by each succeeding conqueror. The views from the tops of the watch towers were breathtaking, providing us with photographs across the Old City, West Jerusalem, the Mt. of Olives, and more.
Growing tired of the fortress, we exited the ancient building and walked across the street to begin our rampart walk. This walk stretches from Jaffa Gate all around to Lion's Gate, near the Dome of the Rock, and provides the individual with views across Jerusalem. I have to say that walking on 500 year old walls was a thrill! It is cool to be able to say that I walked on the ancient walls of Jerusalem. The stairs were a bit of a set back, being steeper than Mt. Vesuvius, but it was worth it. My sore feet and tired legs can't take away any of the beauty that I saw along those walls.
We stopped on Omar's on the way back to the J.C., an LDS-friendly shop found on in East Jerusalem. The shop contains olive-wood carvings of the Nativity, of Peter and John fishing, of Christ walking on water, and even a few LDS figures, i.e., Captain Moroni and Joseph Smith. I found at least one Nativity that fell in love with; I guess I'll just have to go back!
After returning to the J.C., I immediately called my mom to wish her a happy, happy birthday. Unfortunately, she was at the gym, but that didn't stop me from leaving her three different messages and calling back later so that I could sing to her! I was elated when she picked up the phone during my last call. It was nice to get to talk to her again. She makes me so happy. I couldn't really explain it to you. She's just easy to talk to. And she's probably crying right now as she's reading this, but Mom, it's true. I love you and am so thankful that you were born and that you are my mother. I hope that all of your birthday wishes came true and that you are happy. That's all that really matters. After the phone call, dinner came with a pleasant surprise. Elder Piper from the Quorum of the Seventy was there to eat dinner with us. It was nice to meet him, shake his hand, and listen to his guiding words. He talked about missionary work and the spreading of the Gospel; he talked about the roles our testimonies could play in the coming world if we have Faith. We were lucky to have him in our midst, to be able to speak with him one-on-one.
The evening ended with a bang, as always. Volleyball is back after a couple days of not playing! It felt great to bump and spike that ball over that net again and ace a couple of serves. Who doesn't love the thrill of a job well done? My volleyball skills are improving. I can finally hit backwards and my serves go over at least 80% of the time. It feels amazing. In addition to volleyball, I decided to do a bit of cardio by riding a stationary bike. I keep forgetting that I hate stationary bikes! But it was good for me to get my heart racing for a few minutes.
The night is coming to a close and I must head back to my room to sleep. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be another full day and I am really looking forward to it. Laila tov (good night).
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