Sabbath Day

Oh, how I love the sabbath

Saturday, September 15th

       The sabbath is such a wonderful day! I had the amazing opportunity of singing in church today accompanied by Alex on the violin and Anna on the piano. The song Savior, Redeemer of my soul holds a special place in my heart and will even more so now having performed it in such an incredible venue with angels to back me up. An experience i will cherish for quite some time. Sacrament meeting was fantastic as always. I absolutely love hearing the Organ play in that room and joining together in songs of praise and adoration. 

       Gospel doctrine and relief society were also very good. We have amazing teachers here who are excited about what they teach and definitely let the spirit guide the lessons. It is very common for our class to get through less than half of the written material and spend most of the time just talking and sharing stories and thought. To me, that is what these classes should always be like. It keeps everyone engaged more and is often the best way to let the spirit answer the prayers of those in the class. One of my favorite comments we talked about was the saying, "I sank to new heights". I love this thought that in order for us to grow and reach the highest potential we have to sink to a lower place. God cuts us down so that we may humble ourselves and let him make something of us that we can't make of ourselves without His help. We talked about the purpose of trails and struggles in this life and how they can become stepping stones and building blocks on our path back to our Heavenly Father.

 After church we walked from the center to the Garden of Gethsemane. What a beautiful garden! It is a lot like the garden tomb area in that a group owns it and in in charge of the upkeep and tours and such. It is amazing to me how many spots in the city where peace is found. This garden is located in the middle of a fairly busy area and outside it is not quiet, but once you step in the gate there is a sense of peace. The gardener there was telling us that a few of the trees were hundreds of years old. We took time to sit in silence and just think. It was one of the first times this week my mind truly felt at peace. I have been struggling with anxiety a bit in the last few months and sometimes finding a quiet moment where my mind and heart are at peace is nearly impossible. I am eternally grateful for Christ's Atonement and peace, hope, and love it provides. 

Field trip Monday!

Mondays are for field trips

Monday, September 10th

       Excitement filled the Oasis as we packed our lunches and ate our breakfast knowing we would soon depart on our first real field trip. We almost all made it to the buses on time, but sadly two people didn't get there before the buses drove off. Our group set off and headed just south of the Jerusalem center to Seven arches hotel overlook. This overlook provided a gorgeous panoramic view of Jerusalem different than the view from our Center. We talked about the history of the cemetery that is there and the buildings and churches we could see in the distance. 

       Our next stop took us closer to us to The Augusta Victoria Church. So far this is my favorite historic church. Filled with mural, mosaics, and rich history of Christ and his ministry. As we sat in the chapel we filled the dome with songs of praise. My favorite part of visiting these places is inviting the spirit through song. There is such power in music and singing in Old churches, like I've said before, is unlike anything else. This church happens to have one of the three biggest towers overlooking Jerusalem and the surrounding valleys. I wish we would've counted the number of steps it took to get to the top! It was worth the view though. 

       Next we headed west to another city overlook, this time from the other side of the city. I seems like the main goal of this trip was to find all the cool different overlooks of the city. From every angle we got to look back over the town and talk about the history. It was amazing. We did go to two different spots where the city was less visible. The first one was behind a Greek cathedral. We hiked up behind the cathedral through the desert. It felt like hiking through a random hill near Moab. There was even a spot where it tire marks and scrap marks indicated people tried to off road up the rocks. We felt right at home. Once we got to the top Dr. Hopkin Explained the significance of where we were. To one side of the hill was the valley where Sarah of the Old Testament died and was buried. To another side was shepherd fields overlooking the city of Bethlehem. Though the city is very modern, it is easy to imagine the shepherds abiding in the field nearby. Just as we were talking about Christ being a shepherd and how we are lead and not herded, A shepherd and his little flock of sheep passed by. One cool thing i learned about shepherds that really struck home to me is how well they know their sheep. They don't just herd them around, they get to know them, name them, and get the sheep to trust and follow. I love the song my shepherd will supply my need. I have been thinking of it often and am reminded of just how well we are taken care of if we trust Him.

     












 Our last stop was to a really interesting site called Nebi Samwil. There are so many layers to this site. One important building or village on top of another. It is said to be the tomb of Samuel. It is also one of the only places where a mosque and a synagogue are under the same roof. It looks like an old Castle sitting on the hill. My favorite part of this site was the 45 minutes they gave us to just sit and think or to explore the site. As we stood on top of this beautiful old building we had yet another amazing view. It never gets old. It took us about 20 minutes to get back to the center and just did homework most of the evening. We played a get to know you game for FHE and it was very helpful. I still don't know everyone's name and i feel bad for that, but it's only been a crazy busy week and a half. Give me another week or month.... 

Class, Class and music...

Time to hit the books

September 11th-14th

       I decided to combined all these days because they aren't particularly exciting. I spent many hours in class and even more hours studying for said classes. We started three new classes this week and each of them requires a lot of reading. I have been struggling a lot to keep up with and retain the reading. I feel like my mind and body are still adjusting to being in a new country while i'm also being overloaded with 15 credit hours worth of work in 8 weeks. So far the hardest semester study wise, but that's what i signed up for. I definitely didn't prepare myself mentally for the brain power and patience it would take to get through classes. Hopefully this next week i can get into more of a routine and find a good study group. The thing that makes it really hard is that the classes are not on a set schedule. Some days we will have one class for two hours and other days it will be at a different time for an hour. In the end all I want to do is go out and explore the city and talk to people about their life story, not sit and read about archaeology. 

       I am taking a total of five classes right now. Old testament and Ancient Near Eastern studies are taught by professors called from BYU to teach at the center for a year. Our Palestine, Israel, and Arabic teachers are all locals from near Jerusalem. It is really cool to get so many different perspectives on the history and cultures of the area. Our Arabic teachers is Hilarious. He basically said the point of his class is to have fun and gain some knowledge about and basic vocabulary of the Arabic language. 

       Brother Skinner, the assistant director of the Jerusalem center, gave a forum address Wednesday night and explained the history of the Jerusalem center. It really is a product of miracles. I am extremely blessed to be here. 

       Thursday night we had tryouts for the informal talent show. Since i am a member of the show Committee i got to be there for all the tryouts. It is amazing the talent that this group has. I really wish i could take them all home with me and put on musicals.  At the very last minute we got a group together to sing One Day More from Les Mis. It is going to be such a great group number! I also decided to sing Journey to the past from Anastasia. A song I've been dreaming about singing for years. I was reminded this week of just how much i love music and how important it is to my mental health. Singing is such a great way for me to relieve stress and emotions and just find Joy.  

  

Free Day!

First Free Sunday

Sunday, September 9th

        Since Saturday is the sabbath we have a free day on Sunday as if it were Saturday. We decide to go into the Old city and attend a Lutheran Church service and the Lutheran church of the Redeemer in the heart of the old City. They welcomed us with great joy and we sang praises to God as we joined them in song. It is really cool to meet people from all over the world who travel to visit this Holy Land all in the name of Religion. The dynamic of the worship services benefit greatly from the visitors. After the service we asked if we could play and sing hymns as everyone said their farewells. To sing in a historic church like that has been one of my dreams. The acoustics in old buildings are unlike anything else. 

       After our morning in the church we explored the old city. We exchanged our money for shekels and tried our luck at bargaining for some merchandise. I forgot how much i dislike haggling in street markets... Though it is nothing new to walk down tiny crowded streets full of tourists shops. It is weird how comfortable i feel walking around those streets. We found that in nearly every shop they print and sell shirts that have a BYU logo on it. We all bought a shirt that says BYU Jerusalem, but it has a camel on top of the BYU instead of a cougar. I thought it was really creative. I'm sure by the end of the trip i'll have a few random shirts like that, but i'm not even mad. 

       We walked all the way through the old city to the Jewish quarters, back to the western wall. We had to find every cool stair case and door to take a picture of on the way back. It was a really nice day out. I love getting to know this city better and meeting new people. 

My favorite day of the week!

Sabbath Day 

Saturday, September 8th
       Here in the Holy Land, due to religious practices of the area, our Sabbath is on Saturday instead of Sunday. It is amazing just how quiet the city is, or at least seems, on this day. We wake up every morning, not just sabbath, to the prayer call of our Muslim neighbors. It is broadcast over the area five times a day and i think it is beautiful. Each time i hear it i am reminded of how often we should be communicating with our father in heaven. It is not just a morning and evening thing to pray, but should be constantly on our minds and in our hearts. I am grateful for the examples of faith around me.

Two of my favorite people.
Don't know what I'd do without them. 

       Anyways, After breakfast we meet for ward choir. Our very first choir and more than half the students joined! It was amazing! We practiced "Because i have been given much" and sang it for Sacrament meeting. For sacrament meeting we meet in the auditorium of the center, overlooking the old city. It is the most distracting, yet beautiful places to have a sacrament meeting. To take the sacrament while looking at the city in which Jesus himself walked is something i'll never forget.


       The speakers told us the best ways to get the most out of our experience here and not let our minds be distracted by worldly things. There is such a special spirit here amid the chaos and conflict surrounding us. I absolutely love the little branch here and the fact that my professors are also members of the bishopric or district presidency. 

   

Near the Garden Tomb

         After church we gathered together and walked to the Garden tomb and Golgotha. It is crazy we only live a walk away from these sites. Though we don't have a sure knowledge that this was the place at which Christ was crucified and buried, it provided a visual that brought the story to life. As we stood in the empty tomb i felt this sense of emptiness, as if God were telling me he is not here. We had the opportunity to sit in the garden and sing hymns. The spirit there was unlike anything I've felt. It brought a sense of peace and overwhelming love. I'm sure i will visit there again and again.

First day of School

First day of classes

 Friday, September 7th

        Honestly, it felt really good to be back in a classroom. Our first class was two hours of Old Testament, but it only felt like a half hour. Something about studying in a classroom overlooking the old city makes class a lot easier. I also believe we have some of the best of the best in professors here this semester. We Talked about the first few books of Genesis and Abraham. There are so many elements to the creation that i didn't realize relate to us and our purpose here. We talked about why they might repeat certain things in the story and how those things are a pattern for us as we build "a world", (a people, a family). I have found new joy and motivation in studying the Old Testament and am excited to go to class!
       Our next class was Ancient Near Eastern Studies with all 84 students. I can already tell this class is going to be tough. The Professor is really sweet and extremely smart, but doesn't teach in a way that I easily understand. There is a lot of reading involved an assumed background knowledge that i failed to acquire in previous years of schooling. I'll have to work extra hard and hope that she is kind in her grading until i get to a place where i understand where we are in history. wish me luck! It was really interesting though to talk about different empires and the reshaping of the land in which we currently live.
       After that class we had yet another security meeting and walk around the building. He showed us where all the fire escape routes are and the bomb shelter and stuff like that. Things happening like bombs and other threats are very unlikely for this area because we sit incredibly close to old City Jerusalem. No one in the area would dare disturb such sacred sites.
       The most memorable part of this day, and a trip i am not soon to forget, was are field trip to the Western Wall as the sabbath was welcomed. We walked around the walls of the Old city to enter into Dung gate and make our way to the wall. The Western wall, or Wailing wall, is one of the most holy sites in Judaism. To be there and participate in welcoming the sabbath was a truly amazing experience. I love and respect our Jewish brothers and sisters and am grateful for their example of faith and devotion. 

First full day in Jerusalem

Thursday, September 6th

The view from the top  plus our smiling faces.

   

        On our first full day here we woke up bright and early for breakfast. We made the mistake of unpacking into the night and ended up sleep deprived, but our excitement in being here kept us going. After breakfast we embarked on our very first field trip! In groups of 10-12 we set out with a professor or service missionary to explore the Old city. To get to the old city from the center we have to go down into the Kidran Valley and then back up the steep hill to the Old City. There are only eight gates to get into the city, of which, three or four are off limits for BYU-JC students. We entered through Damascus gate and headed down the street to a beautiful Austrian hostel.

       At the top of the hostel there is a magnificent observation deck with a panoramic view of the city and surrounding valleys. It seemed we could see for miles and it was breathtaking.
       The rest of our tour through the old city was an adventure. Our tour group was led by Professor Isom-Verharron. She is brilliant when it comes to her area of study, but hasn't spent enough time in the Old city to really know her way around. We made quite a few wrong turns and ended up going a different route than most groups but we all ended up in the same places. The best part was the security personal from the center that followed all the groups. By the end of the day we had our very own security guard to keep our team on the right path. We had a good time! We briefly stopped at different historical sites such as the church of the holy Sepulchre and Zion gate. I learned a lot on the tour and became familiar enough with the city to be comfortable going without a teacher or security guard, which i think was the goal of that field trip.
        That afternoon we sat in hours of meetings regarding our personal safety and security, and our academic responsibilities. It was extremely difficult to keep from drifting during the meetings due to our lack of sleep and the physical excretion of our morning trip. After the bulk of the meetings we took a 15 minute break to nap and relax before meeting with our assigned committees. Zak, Alex, and I get to be a part of the talent show committee. How fun is that?! Next week there are try outs for the formal talent show and we get to be the committee that plans the whole show. It should be fun!
       One cool thing about the center is that they hold concerts here every week that are open to the public. This week we hosted an Israeli jazz band. Jess, Alex, and I volunteered to be ushers for the concert and it was amazing! We just became greeters and passed out programs, but i enjoyed every minute of it. I learned a Hebrew greeting and each time i used it they would get so excited that i cared enough to know the greeting of the season. "Shanah Tovah" is the saying and it means "have a good year". Since Rosh Hashanah is near it was the ideal greeting to learn. The concert itself was fabulous. I really enjoyed the music, though trying to stay awake was again a mighty task. Someday i'll catch up on sleep and get used to the time zone.
       After the concert Alex and I stayed up way too late working on our readings for class, but we also ended up spending a good deal of time contemplating and discussing may gospel topics in depth in a way that i really needed to hear and discuss. It is amazing to me how when you least expect it the Lord will answer your prayers, or how He will enlighten your mind in a way that just reminds you of your purpose and mission here.

The Holy Land

         The next series of posts will consist of my thought, feelings, and stories  from my experiences in The holy Land. I am more than excited to be here and have this opportunity to study and worship in such an incredible area.

         Getting here was quite the trip. We stayed at a friend's house near Salt Lake the night before departure so they could drive us to the airport bright and early (except it was so early it was still kinda dark out). It was surprisingly smooth getting all checked in and through security and to the gate. We flew to NYC where we had a 7 hour layover. The time went by rather fast as we all god to know each other and played games. Then we took a plane to Tel Aviv, Israel. This flight was very full and lasted 11 hours. Overall it wasn't too bad. It really didn't seem to be that long. Getting through customs and immigration happened to be incredibly smooth for me. The guy took my passport and asked me where i was from in Utah. When i told him Moab he asked if it was an Indian town. I told him it was a town of red rocks similar to Jordan. Then he said have a great time in Jerusalem and that was the extent of customs and immigration.

Selfie in the Auditorium when we first arrived

        Right out in the baggage claim area we gathered and met our group leaders/professors. What a comforting sight to be gathered as a group. We loaded up the buses and headed to the Jerusalem center.  I can't really put to words the emotions i felt as we walked in the gate, through the courtyard, and into the auditorium. It felt like home. An overwhelming sense of love and gratitude filled my heart as we listened to an organ solo while gazing through the giant windows at the magnificent city. It was then it all felt real. I am really here, in the Holy Land and I know i'm here for a reason.

Lost posts about China!

I definitely dropped the ball on writing about my adventures in China.. Sorry to those of you who wanted to follow along with more than just my scattered pictures and teacher posts. This Semester flew by! I will tell you about some of my favorite, or most memorable adventures.

October was a very busy month for us. We made it to our new school and were working on setting up a schedule and routine for classes. Then Mid-Autumn Festival, or the Moon Festival, came around. This festival is a big holiday for all of China. Most of the people get work off and schools are out for a whole week! We had our long vacation during this time. Our plan was to fly to Xi'an to see the terracotta warriors and then get on an overnight train to Beijing to see the Great Wall and other sights there. The trip to the airport should have been two hours, but in the taxi with the holiday traffic it ended up taking six hours which made us miss our flight to Xi'an. The airport was crazy busy due to holiday travel and they had no other flights going out until the end of the week. This was one moment I have been incredibly grateful for technology. I could look up flights, hotels, and itinerary options without having to fight with broken English or google translate. 

We ended up skipping our visit to Xi'an and stayed an extra two days in Guangzhou. Luckily we found a flight to Beijing and a cheap hotel. This hotel was terrible! The water from the sink and shower smelled horrible and the bathroom door didn't even really close. Luckily we were only there for one night. The next morning we were picked up by a tour guide and driver and they took us up to the great wall. We set out on a hike on the traditional/ non restored side of the wall. I think we hiked 7 miles that day up and around on this steep and rugged wall. We hiked down to a farmer's house and had dinner with their family. The food was delicious! After changing our clothes and cleaning up a bit we grabbed some sleeping gear and headed back up the wall to the watch tower for the night. It was probably one of the worsts nights sleep I've had, but it sure was fun! we woke up freezing at about 5 am and packed up camp to head down for breakfast.

After breakfast we drove to another village and climbed straight up the side of the mountain to get to the wall. It was incredibly hard, but worth it once we got to the top. We traveled miles on the old wall and then a few more miles on a restored portion of the wall. The very top section we climbed overlooked a lake. After our hike we went to a village for lunch and then they drove us into the heart of Beijing to our hostel.

We spent the next few days exploring the city. PS. our hostel was amazing! it was a really weird design and we basically had our own little houses, but it was fun. They did move us the last night to the top floor because the government didn't like having so many foreigners in the building so i ended up sleeping on a floor in a room. The trip ended up being really fun! We learned to navigate the subway and explored the Olympic stadium and Beijing zoo. We did so much walking by the end of it i was completely exhausted.