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!
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