NOW, Here are my pictures :)
26 September 2009
Aimless Wanderings
So it might be a little hard to describe what I saw and came to understand without showing you my pictures, but hopefully I will still be able to make my point. On the way from Jerusalem to Egypt and back through the Sinai, we made several stops at places where the Children of Israel stopped: The Wilderness of Zin/Sin, the Sinai desert, Mara, Elim, Rephidim, and Mount Sinai. I’ve always been a little bit frustrated reading the stories of the Children of Israel, because they complained SO much. God parted the Red Sea for them to escape pharaoh, and two days later they were wishing they’d never left Egypt… I just never understood how they could be so ungrateful. But as I was visiting these places I realized that this is the very reason why they were caused to wander aimlessly around the Sinai for 40 years. They held themselves back and remained unprepared and unwilling to receive what the Lord had for them—ie. The Abrahamic Covenant and the Promised Land. And then I unfortunately realized that maybe I’m just like them in some ways. How many times have I been unwilling to let go of something that I thought was good, because I didn’t understand that what God had to offer me was even better? The Lord helps us progress by giving us things one step at a time. Some of these steps are harder than others, but at the top of the staircase, what is waiting for me? I don’t really know, but if it is from God then I know it is worth it. I never want to be kept wandering because I am unprepared for what the Lord has to give me next.
NOW, Here are my pictures :)
NOW, Here are my pictures :)
25 September 2009
Border Crossings and Bureaucrats
So considering we were trying to get about 100 people out across the borders of Israel and Egypt during this trip, everything went relatively smoothly. I mean there was the 8 hours total of waiting in lines during the process, but still… we all got our things and ourselves across each of the borders. However, I never have understood why after getting the same acceptable answers from the 50 other people in our group ahead of me, they still always look at me suspiciously while they ask me… hmmmm. I saw a sign that said nuclear weapons were not allowed to cross the border… HOW COMFORTING. Haha I mean, it’s clearly a very popular souvenir to bring back from Egypt. Haha Seriously. Some things are VERY different over here, and I am easily amused. ☺
Both Egypt and Israel have about 5 or 6 different checkpoints within the border crossing. Why? Because the government has to make up jobs for the young men in their country. This is definitely way more the case for Egypt than it is for Israel… but still. Every village or town that the highway goes through, even across the Sinai desert, has its own checkpoints with 20-something-year-olds who get paid to stand guard, or sit and sleep guard rather. However, you can be sure that the guards always wake up when two buses full of 60 pretty American girls goes by… Very interesting. Very bureaucratic… haha
We crossed at the Taba Border, which is right along the Gulf of Aqaba, part of the Red Sea. SO BEAUTIFUL. So politically, the Sinai is part of Egypt, since the peace treaties with Israel in 1994 or something like that. However, geologically, the Sinai Peninsula is still apart of the Asiatic tectonic plate. But luckily for me, I spent a week on the geological and political part of Africa, so it is official that I have been there. Check. Haha Though it is definitely a part of the Middle Eastern culture rather than African culture. I guess I’ll just have to go back. ☺
Both Egypt and Israel have about 5 or 6 different checkpoints within the border crossing. Why? Because the government has to make up jobs for the young men in their country. This is definitely way more the case for Egypt than it is for Israel… but still. Every village or town that the highway goes through, even across the Sinai desert, has its own checkpoints with 20-something-year-olds who get paid to stand guard, or sit and sleep guard rather. However, you can be sure that the guards always wake up when two buses full of 60 pretty American girls goes by… Very interesting. Very bureaucratic… haha
We crossed at the Taba Border, which is right along the Gulf of Aqaba, part of the Red Sea. SO BEAUTIFUL. So politically, the Sinai is part of Egypt, since the peace treaties with Israel in 1994 or something like that. However, geologically, the Sinai Peninsula is still apart of the Asiatic tectonic plate. But luckily for me, I spent a week on the geological and political part of Africa, so it is official that I have been there. Check. Haha Though it is definitely a part of the Middle Eastern culture rather than African culture. I guess I’ll just have to go back. ☺
Kibbutz life in my future?
On our journey down to Egypt, we visited and stayed at a couple of kibbutzim. A Kibbutz is small settlement where everyone lives communally. Some of them are religious, some are agricultural, some are very tourist based… and some are a little bit of all three. We took a tour of the biggest kibbutz in southern Israel—Yotveta, which is mostly agricultural with some tourist interaction due to the rest stop they built. We ate dinner here too… our last meal eating things of color and drinking water for a week. What a long week that was!! We also stopped here on our way back from Egypt to eat dinner again. Because of the dairy here, they are famous for their chocolate milk. It really is VERY good chocolate milk ,Eryn… even better than BYU Creamery’s chocolate milk. Haha However, I personally think they should be famous for their ice cream. AAAHHHHH SOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD. But then again, you all know of my personal and familial obsession with ice cream. Haha
After learning all about living on a kibbutz… and finding out that this one takes volunteers… I think if I ever come to an empty crossroads of my life, I might just volunteer at Yotveta for 6 months, a year, two years… whatever works. I mean why not continue living the ridiculous and crazy life, right? I could work with their horses there… or pick dates… or help in the dairy. I don’t really know. But I’m going to keep it logged away as an option for a rainy day. Haha
After learning all about living on a kibbutz… and finding out that this one takes volunteers… I think if I ever come to an empty crossroads of my life, I might just volunteer at Yotveta for 6 months, a year, two years… whatever works. I mean why not continue living the ridiculous and crazy life, right? I could work with their horses there… or pick dates… or help in the dairy. I don’t really know. But I’m going to keep it logged away as an option for a rainy day. Haha
Trip to the Shephelah
The Shephelah (pronunciation--Shvay-la) is the lowland hills area of Israel/Palestine that lies between the Judean highlands to the east (Jerusalem) and the flat coastal plains of the west (Gaza, Tel Aviv). The Shephelah is crucial geographically because it contains much of the fertile agricultural land, as well as providing strategic cities to protect Jerusalem to the east or the seaports to the west (depending on who’s controlling the area). So during the OT, the Israelites were constantly battling over this land and its plentiful valleys with the Philistines (who controlled the coast).
During our field trip, we went to many of the Israelite’s key lookout cities, one of which I have studied in classes because of its amazing archaeological finds. This site, Lachish, was conquered by Joshua from the Amorites and became a crucial Israelite fortress city (Josh. 10:3-5, 31-32). The Assyrians then captured it in 701 BC (2 Kings 18:13-17, 2 Chron. 32:9, Isaiah 36), followed by the Babylonian capture (Jer. 34:7). When the Jews returned from Babylonian exile, some settled here in Lachish (Nehem. 11:30). SO this is more detail than you want, but I figured I would give you a brief overview on ONE of the many places we went. Anyway, the archaeology here as been phenomenal, as there are remnants of an Israelite Temple, the siege ramp from the Assyrians, the double gated/walled entrance of the fortress, and the most important find—the Letters of Lachish. These were letters written on ostraca, broken pottery sherds, telling of the fall of the neighboring fortress of Azekah to the Babylonians. They allude to knowledge that they were next to be hit, and all of the emotions involved with that knowledge. For an archaeologist like me, I just eat that stuff up! It was so amazing to finally be standing at this site that I have studied so much in classes! Love my life! ☺
Our trip also included a stop in the Elah Valley, where David slew Goliath. And of course in would not be a field trip if we didn’t get to learn in the field. SO, we each got a sling and five smooth stones and practiced our shot… Don’t worry, I had someone video tape me doing a demonstration. Of course I can’t upload it or show it to anyone until I get home… but just know that you’ll really have something to look forward to! Haha I think we’re mostly lucky that no one got too seriously injured… there were a few bumps on the head and split lips, but nothing that detracted from how AWESOME it was. I’m not terrible… but I definitely can’t aim and hit a target. Haha For sure though, this was the highlight of the trip for me!
During our field trip, we went to many of the Israelite’s key lookout cities, one of which I have studied in classes because of its amazing archaeological finds. This site, Lachish, was conquered by Joshua from the Amorites and became a crucial Israelite fortress city (Josh. 10:3-5, 31-32). The Assyrians then captured it in 701 BC (2 Kings 18:13-17, 2 Chron. 32:9, Isaiah 36), followed by the Babylonian capture (Jer. 34:7). When the Jews returned from Babylonian exile, some settled here in Lachish (Nehem. 11:30). SO this is more detail than you want, but I figured I would give you a brief overview on ONE of the many places we went. Anyway, the archaeology here as been phenomenal, as there are remnants of an Israelite Temple, the siege ramp from the Assyrians, the double gated/walled entrance of the fortress, and the most important find—the Letters of Lachish. These were letters written on ostraca, broken pottery sherds, telling of the fall of the neighboring fortress of Azekah to the Babylonians. They allude to knowledge that they were next to be hit, and all of the emotions involved with that knowledge. For an archaeologist like me, I just eat that stuff up! It was so amazing to finally be standing at this site that I have studied so much in classes! Love my life! ☺
Our trip also included a stop in the Elah Valley, where David slew Goliath. And of course in would not be a field trip if we didn’t get to learn in the field. SO, we each got a sling and five smooth stones and practiced our shot… Don’t worry, I had someone video tape me doing a demonstration. Of course I can’t upload it or show it to anyone until I get home… but just know that you’ll really have something to look forward to! Haha I think we’re mostly lucky that no one got too seriously injured… there were a few bumps on the head and split lips, but nothing that detracted from how AWESOME it was. I’m not terrible… but I definitely can’t aim and hit a target. Haha For sure though, this was the highlight of the trip for me!
The Garden Tomb
We went to the Garden Tomb today as a group. It was my first time visiting, but it certainly won’t be my last. A British Non-denominational group owns the site, which is why the area has been preserved rather than churches dotting the grounds. They have turned it into an oasis of peace and beauty in the midst of a hustling, noisy, contentious city. The gardens here are absolutely beautiful! A rare find in a city made of stones and dirt in the middle of the desert. Even still, it was not quite what I was expecting. As with everything over here, there were tourists EVERYWHERE. And in all honesty, I didn’t feel much during our tour by the nice British man, waiting in line for and going inside the tomb, or even as I walked around the gardens. But then our group all came back together and in the middle of the Garden, we started singing hymns, 100 strong. That was powerful… singing “He Has Risen” and “I Know that My Redeemer Lives” and a few others while looking at a tomb where Christ may have risen from, but at least represents at the very least that He HAS in fact risen. I was overwhelmed with emotions of the best kind, but especially with gratitude for the knowledge I have of my Savior and of my relationship with Him. His Resurrection was absolutely necessary for my family to be able to live together forever with Him and our Heavenly Father. And the fact that I KNOW that He does live gives me so much peace and comfort everyday when I think of my dad and how much I miss him. It was especially neat as we were singing because many of the other visitors and tourists came over and stood around to listen to us. Several of them were recording us... my first and definitely not my last exposure to that. haha During our free time I was walking around the garden and I went and listened to this group of Fijians singing praises to God. They sounded fantastic! And I also took a video for Tanner's benefit, because he has a small obsession with Fiji and the people there. :) I thought I would post the video just for fun.
16 September 2009
The Western Wall
Ok so here is the first of several promised posts. I have described a little already that the Jews celebrate the beginning of Sabbath, Shabbat, every Friday evening at Sundown. We count our days from midnight to midnight, but the Jewish day is from sundown to sundown. To understand why we went to the Western Wall, I should give a brief background though. The Western Wall, formerly dubbed the "wailing wall", is the only part that remains from Herod the Great's Jewish Temple Complex--from Jesus' time. It is the western portion of the retaining wall that surrounded the entire temple complex. When the temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, they burned it, and then toppled the stones to the ground below. Today, it is the Jewish belief that the Islamic Holy site Dome of the Rock stands exactly where their temple once stood. Though permission to worship near/on the temple mount has altered many times for the Jews in the last 2000 years, today they are able to worship at the Western Wall. It is THE holiest site in Judaism, because it is as close to where their temple once stood as they can get.
SO, luckily non-Jews are still able to visit and observe! So you walk in through security and it opens up into this large plaza. We got there just in time to see all of the boys from Rabbinical school marching and chanting down the stairs to the wall. For them, welcoming in Shabbat is a joyous occasion. They do their thing all the way to where the men go into worship by the wall. Once they get in there, a lot of them continue to dance, sing, clap, and chant. It is almost expected for the men to be very boisterous during the evening. For the women, it is a different experience. If the women acted the same way, they would be seen as very promiscuous. On their side, the women quietly read and pray at the wall. After observing all of this for a few minutes, my roommates and I wrote some prayers on small pieces of paper and stuck them in the wall. (We actually broke the Sabbath, because you aren't supposed to write on the Sabbath... oops.) After they worship at the wall, the Jews back away from it, so as not to offend God by turning their back on Him.
The feeling there was one of reverence, and intense faith. I wished that I knew Hebrew so that I could worship with the women there, but instead I just silently prayed to myself. After we left the worship area, we went back out into the plaza to people watch. We met and talked with several people who were there for their own personal worship. It was so fascinating to talk with these people! We weren't able to take pictures, because that is considered to be breaking the Sabbath. But next time I go back to the Wall not on the Sabbath, I will definitely get some pictures! I love learning about these people and their faith. It helps me understand my own background and faith from a different perspective, which I really appreciate!
SO, luckily non-Jews are still able to visit and observe! So you walk in through security and it opens up into this large plaza. We got there just in time to see all of the boys from Rabbinical school marching and chanting down the stairs to the wall. For them, welcoming in Shabbat is a joyous occasion. They do their thing all the way to where the men go into worship by the wall. Once they get in there, a lot of them continue to dance, sing, clap, and chant. It is almost expected for the men to be very boisterous during the evening. For the women, it is a different experience. If the women acted the same way, they would be seen as very promiscuous. On their side, the women quietly read and pray at the wall. After observing all of this for a few minutes, my roommates and I wrote some prayers on small pieces of paper and stuck them in the wall. (We actually broke the Sabbath, because you aren't supposed to write on the Sabbath... oops.) After they worship at the wall, the Jews back away from it, so as not to offend God by turning their back on Him.
The feeling there was one of reverence, and intense faith. I wished that I knew Hebrew so that I could worship with the women there, but instead I just silently prayed to myself. After we left the worship area, we went back out into the plaza to people watch. We met and talked with several people who were there for their own personal worship. It was so fascinating to talk with these people! We weren't able to take pictures, because that is considered to be breaking the Sabbath. But next time I go back to the Wall not on the Sabbath, I will definitely get some pictures! I love learning about these people and their faith. It helps me understand my own background and faith from a different perspective, which I really appreciate!
14 September 2009
Slacking
Ok so I know I have totally been slacking on this. But in all honesty, I will blame some of it on the internet connection here... and the incredible amounts of homework I have to stay on top of, since we have class every day. Unfortunately, I still have about 30 pages to read tonight, and it is already after 9pm. SO I will have to write a real post later. BUT here are some things to look forward to reading about...
The Western Wall, The Recent Shooting, The Garden Tomb, Our Second Free Day Extravaganza (that included the Garden of Gethsemane), and our Shephelah Field Trip we took today. So I have lots to write about... but I promise I will catch you all up soon! I love you all! And thank you so much for those of you who are still keeping in touch with me! It makes my day to get emails! Loves loves loves!!!
The Western Wall, The Recent Shooting, The Garden Tomb, Our Second Free Day Extravaganza (that included the Garden of Gethsemane), and our Shephelah Field Trip we took today. So I have lots to write about... but I promise I will catch you all up soon! I love you all! And thank you so much for those of you who are still keeping in touch with me! It makes my day to get emails! Loves loves loves!!!
Dear Mrs. Reyes' Class:
Thank you so much for all of your questions! I hope you all had fun learning about the different types of neighborhoods and communities that are here in Jerusalem. I want to answer each of your questions.
Marcelle, they have lots of cats here running through the streets. One likes to hang out on our patio as we eat our meals, hoping we'll give it some food. There are also dogs, horses, camels, pigeons, doves, and donkeys. Have you ever seen a camel? They are really goofy looking!
Cesar, I am having so much fun! I am very busy with my classes, but I try to get out into the city to explore as much as possible. I have the most fun when I am surrounded by my friends and we are doing something completely new, because it makes me feel adventurous!
Yesenia, they are serving us lots of different kinds of food here, so I am trying many new things. There is a lot of rice, and a lot of pita bread-which is kind of like a really thick tortilla. They mix all kinds of spices in everything here, so their food is very flavorful.
Alondra M.,When I go out into the city, I see lots of food for sale, but most commonly it is candy, spices, and fruit. I absolutely love it here! If you like traveling to new places at all, you would love to come here and learn more about this place and the people who live here! I really love all of the colors, but right now my favorite color is bright pink. That may change soon though!
Manuel,The most common foods I see for sale on the streets are fruit, spices, and candy and other sweet treats. I see all of the other food we normally eat, too, but they are normally just sold at grocery stores. I am staying in a building that is both my home and my school. It is a white building set on top of a hill and cascades down. It is 8 floors high, and has 149 stairs in it!
Alondra G.,My home is beautiful! Mrs. Reyes can show you a picture of it, but it kind of looks like a waterfall cascading down the side of the mountain where it sits. I'm excited I get to call this home for awhile!
Mark, I got here by flying on four different planes and then a bus. It took us two plane rides to get across the United States. Then another plane ride to get us across the Atlantic Ocean, and finally a plane ride to get us from Europe to the Middle East. Then we had to take a bus ride from the airport to our new home. It took us two days to get here! It was a very long trip, but we were grateful to get here safely!
Adriana, when I wake up in the morning, I go out onto my balcony and I overlook the entire city of Jerusalem! It is a beautiful view! I don't think I will ever get tired of looking at the city from my home. It is the perfect picture, and when I get back maybe I can show you exactly what it looks like!
Stacey, they are serving us lots of different kinds of food here, so I am trying many new things. There is a lot of rice, and a lot of pita bread-which is kind of like a really thick tortilla. They mix all kinds of spices in everything here, so their food is very flavorful. I have met many new people here. There are 82 students here, so I have been trying to get to know all of them, plus the teachers and the other staff members that work here with us. I have met a few merchants in the city, too, and they have been very kind to us! I also go to church here, where I have met even more people! I am staying in a building that is both my home and my school. It is a white building set on top of a hill and cascades down. It is 8 floors high, and has 149 stairs in it! We got here the night of September 2, so I have almost been here for two weeks.
Arturo, I am staying in a building that is both my home and my school. It is a white building set on top of a hill and cascades down. It is 8 floors high, and has 149 stairs in it! I live in a room with three other girls. Our room has 4 beds, a big desk area, closets, a bathroom, and a balcony that overlooks the entire city of Jerusalem!
I hope I answered all of your questions!! Thank you so much for writing me! It was so fun for me to read what you all wrote. I hope you guys are learning lots and working hard for your education! Maybe one day, you can all end up going to school in a cool place like Jerusalem, too! Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Miss Dana
Thank you so much for all of your questions! I hope you all had fun learning about the different types of neighborhoods and communities that are here in Jerusalem. I want to answer each of your questions.
Marcelle, they have lots of cats here running through the streets. One likes to hang out on our patio as we eat our meals, hoping we'll give it some food. There are also dogs, horses, camels, pigeons, doves, and donkeys. Have you ever seen a camel? They are really goofy looking!
Cesar, I am having so much fun! I am very busy with my classes, but I try to get out into the city to explore as much as possible. I have the most fun when I am surrounded by my friends and we are doing something completely new, because it makes me feel adventurous!
Yesenia, they are serving us lots of different kinds of food here, so I am trying many new things. There is a lot of rice, and a lot of pita bread-which is kind of like a really thick tortilla. They mix all kinds of spices in everything here, so their food is very flavorful.
Alondra M.,When I go out into the city, I see lots of food for sale, but most commonly it is candy, spices, and fruit. I absolutely love it here! If you like traveling to new places at all, you would love to come here and learn more about this place and the people who live here! I really love all of the colors, but right now my favorite color is bright pink. That may change soon though!
Manuel,The most common foods I see for sale on the streets are fruit, spices, and candy and other sweet treats. I see all of the other food we normally eat, too, but they are normally just sold at grocery stores. I am staying in a building that is both my home and my school. It is a white building set on top of a hill and cascades down. It is 8 floors high, and has 149 stairs in it!
Alondra G.,My home is beautiful! Mrs. Reyes can show you a picture of it, but it kind of looks like a waterfall cascading down the side of the mountain where it sits. I'm excited I get to call this home for awhile!
Mark, I got here by flying on four different planes and then a bus. It took us two plane rides to get across the United States. Then another plane ride to get us across the Atlantic Ocean, and finally a plane ride to get us from Europe to the Middle East. Then we had to take a bus ride from the airport to our new home. It took us two days to get here! It was a very long trip, but we were grateful to get here safely!
Adriana, when I wake up in the morning, I go out onto my balcony and I overlook the entire city of Jerusalem! It is a beautiful view! I don't think I will ever get tired of looking at the city from my home. It is the perfect picture, and when I get back maybe I can show you exactly what it looks like!
Stacey, they are serving us lots of different kinds of food here, so I am trying many new things. There is a lot of rice, and a lot of pita bread-which is kind of like a really thick tortilla. They mix all kinds of spices in everything here, so their food is very flavorful. I have met many new people here. There are 82 students here, so I have been trying to get to know all of them, plus the teachers and the other staff members that work here with us. I have met a few merchants in the city, too, and they have been very kind to us! I also go to church here, where I have met even more people! I am staying in a building that is both my home and my school. It is a white building set on top of a hill and cascades down. It is 8 floors high, and has 149 stairs in it! We got here the night of September 2, so I have almost been here for two weeks.
Arturo, I am staying in a building that is both my home and my school. It is a white building set on top of a hill and cascades down. It is 8 floors high, and has 149 stairs in it! I live in a room with three other girls. Our room has 4 beds, a big desk area, closets, a bathroom, and a balcony that overlooks the entire city of Jerusalem!
I hope I answered all of your questions!! Thank you so much for writing me! It was so fun for me to read what you all wrote. I hope you guys are learning lots and working hard for your education! Maybe one day, you can all end up going to school in a cool place like Jerusalem, too! Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Miss Dana
07 September 2009
Week One
Salaam and Shalom from the Holy Land!! (That's hello in Arabic and Hebrew!) So just a heads up, I am the new pen pal for my sister's First and Second grade class, so at least once a week I will be writing specifically to them. Unfortunately because I've been so busy here and the internet is really slow, I've had a hard time getting on this week to write. So I think I'm going to make Erika use her teaching skills and just some up this post with what she wants to tell her class. Love you Erika! :) And yes, this may have something to do with all of those pictures you just posted of me on your blog...haha :P
The Jerusalem Center is absolutely beautiful! It is definitely one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever been in. It sits on the western slope in the middle of the Mount of Olives, which some Israelis call Mt. Scopus (it's all political, like everything else here). There are 8 levels in the center, and 149 stairs on the inside (with a lot more on the outside!). I live on level 3 in a room with 3 other girls. The four of us share a bathroom, so I don't have to wait in line like in the dorms! Our room has its own patio outside that overlooks East Jerusalem (the Palestinian sector) and the Old City that sit to the west of our center. It is a beautiful view and one of my favorite places to sit and watch the sun go down. The Garden of Gethsemane is just south of us at the base of the Mt. of Olives, as well as the Orson Hyde park. North of us lies Hebrew University and some new Jewish neighborhoods that are encroaching into the Palestinian neighborhoods (much to the uproar of everyone around). (Erika-I know you've been talking about neighborhoods and communities in class, but I don't know if it's too hard to explain how they are divided up by what ethnicity and religion the people are...)
It is about half-way through Ramadan-the Muslim holy month of fasting (lunar months). The Muslims wake up really early (about 4am) to eat a big breakfast and then they fast all day long until the sun goes completely down (about 7:30pm). Each morning when it is time to begin their fast, a big canon goes off (of course I wake up! It's practically right outside my window! haha). The canon will go off again in the evening when they are allowed to eat again. They have big parties every night where they eat lots of food and have music and fireworks. The streets in the Arab neighborhoods are decorated with Christmas lights in celebration of the Holy Month. At the end of the month, they will all exchange gifts with each other. So it is a combination of Christmas, the Fourth of July, and Fast Sunday in our culture. They certainly make it look fun! And of course there is the Muslim Call to Prayer that goes off from all of the Mosques in the city 5 times a day, starting at 4:30am. Normally it is only about 10 minutes long, but because it is the Holy Month they have been playing sermons before and after the call to prayer, so in total about 45 min of Arabic is sung and chanted every morning from the loudspeakers just across the way from us... I'm just used to getting up with it now. But it really is beautiful!
The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into 4 sections, or quarters: Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Armenian. There are 7 gates into the city through the walls (built by Sultan Suleyman in the 1500s). I haven't even been here a week yet and I've already made it into the Old City 3 times. Thursday our professors took us on a walking tour of the city just to show us around and get us oriented. Friday I spent the afternoon in the city and we wandered around the Christian, Armenian, and Jewish Quarters. As we were on our way out of the city, we randomly stumbled upon the Western Wall as the devout (mostly Orthodox) Jews were coming to welcome in the Sabbath--which is Saturday for them, and also for us here at the Center. We didn't get to stop because we still had a long walk ahead of us to get back to the center before the sun went down. But we will be going on a field trip for this very purpose this coming Friday evening, so I'm excited about that! Sunday we had a completely free day, so I went to the Old City with my roommates. We attended a Lutheran service at the Church of the Redeemer in the Christian Quarter. Then we just explored... or got lost... haha. We did visit the courtyard of the Church of the Redeemer. It is one of the favorite places of the 12 Apostles to come when they are in Jerusalem. And some of them have filmed their testimonies here. It is absolutely beautiful! And very peaceful in the middle of a very loud and bustling city. We ate our lunch here and then had some photo shoots. Overall, we are still finding our way around the city, but hopefully we will be pros in no time!
Saturday was our Sabbath here. I think it has been my favorite day so far, actually. We hold Sacrament in the Auditorium of the Center, which faces a wall of windows that overlooks Jerusalem. A little distracting maybe, but such a wonderful experience. We all sound phenomenal when we sing together, too. Church was beautiful. Sunday School was awesome, and Relief Society was special, too. I don't know how to articulate how powerful the Spirit was in our meetings, but it was such a neat experience... like being back in Nauvoo again. :) Our Relief Society President is Palestinian and she lives in Bethlehem, which is actually located in the West Bank. For years she has not been allowed to come to Church because it is held here in Jerusalem. Luckily she got a job working for the UN and now has a pass that allows her to come to Jerusalem during certain times of the day. She is fantastic and I know I have so much to learn from her!
Today we took our first field trip to study the geography of the Holy Land. We went to several different high points around Jerusalem. We stayed within a 15 mile radius of the city, but we saw so much! I never realized from reading the scriptures just how close everything is! Bethlehem is only 6 miles from Jerusalem. Bethany is on the mount just south of the Mt. of Olives. We went as far north as Nabi Samwil, the burial place of the Prophet Samuel. I see archaeology every where I go, and I'm hoping to somehow get involved with some type of current project while I'm here, or at least make some contacts. But I also have a lot of classes and LOTS of homework... so we'll just have to see how that goes.
I know this was all pretty scattered, but it is hard to find the words to articulate how beautiful this place is, and also how much we need to pray for the people here. Many Israelis and Palestinians get along just fine with each other, just like any neighbors. However, there are those who try to incite reactions, which is never a smart idea. It isn't a matter or who is right and who is wrong any more, though that is still what many fight over. Now, the conflict is really about what is fair and how to compromise, but some aren't interested in compromise, and those in power don't really care about what is fair. But I can say that all of the people here worship God, just like we do. They try their best, they raise their children, and they live their lives just as we do. They attend church with their families on their Sabbath Days, whether it is Friday, Saturday or Sunday. And we are all children of Abraham, and have inherited the opportunity to make those same covenants and receive the same blessings as he did. The Church is still true, and the Gospel is perfect in the knowledge of truth it gives us. And these people are just as good and worthy of our respect as any of God's Children.
The Jerusalem Center is absolutely beautiful! It is definitely one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever been in. It sits on the western slope in the middle of the Mount of Olives, which some Israelis call Mt. Scopus (it's all political, like everything else here). There are 8 levels in the center, and 149 stairs on the inside (with a lot more on the outside!). I live on level 3 in a room with 3 other girls. The four of us share a bathroom, so I don't have to wait in line like in the dorms! Our room has its own patio outside that overlooks East Jerusalem (the Palestinian sector) and the Old City that sit to the west of our center. It is a beautiful view and one of my favorite places to sit and watch the sun go down. The Garden of Gethsemane is just south of us at the base of the Mt. of Olives, as well as the Orson Hyde park. North of us lies Hebrew University and some new Jewish neighborhoods that are encroaching into the Palestinian neighborhoods (much to the uproar of everyone around). (Erika-I know you've been talking about neighborhoods and communities in class, but I don't know if it's too hard to explain how they are divided up by what ethnicity and religion the people are...)
It is about half-way through Ramadan-the Muslim holy month of fasting (lunar months). The Muslims wake up really early (about 4am) to eat a big breakfast and then they fast all day long until the sun goes completely down (about 7:30pm). Each morning when it is time to begin their fast, a big canon goes off (of course I wake up! It's practically right outside my window! haha). The canon will go off again in the evening when they are allowed to eat again. They have big parties every night where they eat lots of food and have music and fireworks. The streets in the Arab neighborhoods are decorated with Christmas lights in celebration of the Holy Month. At the end of the month, they will all exchange gifts with each other. So it is a combination of Christmas, the Fourth of July, and Fast Sunday in our culture. They certainly make it look fun! And of course there is the Muslim Call to Prayer that goes off from all of the Mosques in the city 5 times a day, starting at 4:30am. Normally it is only about 10 minutes long, but because it is the Holy Month they have been playing sermons before and after the call to prayer, so in total about 45 min of Arabic is sung and chanted every morning from the loudspeakers just across the way from us... I'm just used to getting up with it now. But it really is beautiful!
The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into 4 sections, or quarters: Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Armenian. There are 7 gates into the city through the walls (built by Sultan Suleyman in the 1500s). I haven't even been here a week yet and I've already made it into the Old City 3 times. Thursday our professors took us on a walking tour of the city just to show us around and get us oriented. Friday I spent the afternoon in the city and we wandered around the Christian, Armenian, and Jewish Quarters. As we were on our way out of the city, we randomly stumbled upon the Western Wall as the devout (mostly Orthodox) Jews were coming to welcome in the Sabbath--which is Saturday for them, and also for us here at the Center. We didn't get to stop because we still had a long walk ahead of us to get back to the center before the sun went down. But we will be going on a field trip for this very purpose this coming Friday evening, so I'm excited about that! Sunday we had a completely free day, so I went to the Old City with my roommates. We attended a Lutheran service at the Church of the Redeemer in the Christian Quarter. Then we just explored... or got lost... haha. We did visit the courtyard of the Church of the Redeemer. It is one of the favorite places of the 12 Apostles to come when they are in Jerusalem. And some of them have filmed their testimonies here. It is absolutely beautiful! And very peaceful in the middle of a very loud and bustling city. We ate our lunch here and then had some photo shoots. Overall, we are still finding our way around the city, but hopefully we will be pros in no time!
Saturday was our Sabbath here. I think it has been my favorite day so far, actually. We hold Sacrament in the Auditorium of the Center, which faces a wall of windows that overlooks Jerusalem. A little distracting maybe, but such a wonderful experience. We all sound phenomenal when we sing together, too. Church was beautiful. Sunday School was awesome, and Relief Society was special, too. I don't know how to articulate how powerful the Spirit was in our meetings, but it was such a neat experience... like being back in Nauvoo again. :) Our Relief Society President is Palestinian and she lives in Bethlehem, which is actually located in the West Bank. For years she has not been allowed to come to Church because it is held here in Jerusalem. Luckily she got a job working for the UN and now has a pass that allows her to come to Jerusalem during certain times of the day. She is fantastic and I know I have so much to learn from her!
Today we took our first field trip to study the geography of the Holy Land. We went to several different high points around Jerusalem. We stayed within a 15 mile radius of the city, but we saw so much! I never realized from reading the scriptures just how close everything is! Bethlehem is only 6 miles from Jerusalem. Bethany is on the mount just south of the Mt. of Olives. We went as far north as Nabi Samwil, the burial place of the Prophet Samuel. I see archaeology every where I go, and I'm hoping to somehow get involved with some type of current project while I'm here, or at least make some contacts. But I also have a lot of classes and LOTS of homework... so we'll just have to see how that goes.
I know this was all pretty scattered, but it is hard to find the words to articulate how beautiful this place is, and also how much we need to pray for the people here. Many Israelis and Palestinians get along just fine with each other, just like any neighbors. However, there are those who try to incite reactions, which is never a smart idea. It isn't a matter or who is right and who is wrong any more, though that is still what many fight over. Now, the conflict is really about what is fair and how to compromise, but some aren't interested in compromise, and those in power don't really care about what is fair. But I can say that all of the people here worship God, just like we do. They try their best, they raise their children, and they live their lives just as we do. They attend church with their families on their Sabbath Days, whether it is Friday, Saturday or Sunday. And we are all children of Abraham, and have inherited the opportunity to make those same covenants and receive the same blessings as he did. The Church is still true, and the Gospel is perfect in the knowledge of truth it gives us. And these people are just as good and worthy of our respect as any of God's Children.
02 September 2009
Two countries down, one to go!
So have a whirlwind of a week with family and friends, repacking about 8 times, and an orientation that would urge even Logan into submission, I finally got on the plane. My checked bag was 50.00lbs on the money, and my backpack is so stuffed that it didn't even fit under the seat on my flight to Vienna. And lucky for you all, the Vienna airport has FREE wireless. So my mom gets an update about 36hrs before I told her she would. Love you mom! :)
I hate international flights purely because of the length. But I love them because of the really good food, and the excellent service. Of course it only adds to my pleasure that the flight attendants ask you everything in English AND German! I've already met a lot of people, but only one of my roommates so far. Everyone pronounces my name Danna upon introduction. Maybe Connie is right... maybe I should spell my name Dayna. Maybe THEN people from Utah would get it right. ;) haha Love you Connie!
Considering there are 60 of us traveling over through Vienna on to Tel Aviv, there has not been a single incident. We are so grateful that we've been able to travel safely. Now we just have to make it through security in Tel Aviv without a problem--the most secure airport and customs in the world. Wish us luck!
I hate international flights purely because of the length. But I love them because of the really good food, and the excellent service. Of course it only adds to my pleasure that the flight attendants ask you everything in English AND German! I've already met a lot of people, but only one of my roommates so far. Everyone pronounces my name Danna upon introduction. Maybe Connie is right... maybe I should spell my name Dayna. Maybe THEN people from Utah would get it right. ;) haha Love you Connie!
Considering there are 60 of us traveling over through Vienna on to Tel Aviv, there has not been a single incident. We are so grateful that we've been able to travel safely. Now we just have to make it through security in Tel Aviv without a problem--the most secure airport and customs in the world. Wish us luck!
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