Yesterday we started the day going to Bethany where Mary, Martha and Lazarus were from. We visited the supposed tomb of Lazarus and let me tell you, it still stinketh! Ha.
From Bethany we then went to Bethphage, where Jesus sent two disciples to get him a donkey for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This was really neat for me to learn about how the symbolism involved with Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem. It is a symbol of a king from King David’s time, but it is also a symbol of ultimate humility.
Next we went to Pater Noster. This church was associated with Jesus instructing His apostles during the last week, his ascension, and where he said the Lord’s Prayer. They had the Lord’s prayer in tons of different languages all around the church’s complex and it was really cool to read it in all the different languages people from our class knew.
From there we went to the Dominus Flevit church. This church is shaped like a teardrop to symbolize the incident when “the Lord wept” over Jerusalem. This site was on the Mount of Olives right above the Garden of Gethsemane. It had a great view of the temple mount, which gave a really good visual of the Savior overlooking Jerusalem as He wept.
After that we went to the Orson Hype Park where we read the Olivet Discourse. I’ve learned so much about that discourse and how to read it this semester. It’s been really cool.
Next we went to the Upper Room where the Last Supper is believed by many to have occurred. There we read the Lord’s Intercessory prayer which was really really neat. There’s just something about my Savior praying on my behalf that is really special. I love it.
Today we started by going to the Garden of Gethsemane. I can’t think of a better way to start any day. We read some great scriptures and had some time to just reflect. It was such a spiritual and amazing time.
Our next stop was St. Peter in Galicantu. This was actually my very first site on my very first field trip. We’ve gone full circle now. It was really weird to think back to that day when I didn’t know anything about the city or the people I was with. Anyways, this site represents Jesus’ trial by the high priest Caiaphas and when Peter denied Christ three times.
After that we went to the Church of Condemnation and the Church of Flagellation. These churches may occupy part of the site of the Antonia Fortress where Christ was perhaps tried by Pilate. At that trial He was condemned and scourged, took up His cross and began the “Way of the Cross.”
Then we went to the Pools of Bethesda, not because it was part of Christ’s last week, but because it was right by the other churches and we hadn’t been there yet. Haha. It was really cool though. This was where Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath. There was a beautiful church there that we were able to sing hymns in and I loved it!
We ended our semester of field trips at perhaps my favorite site in all of the Holy Land: The Garden Tomb. I know I’ve talked about this site before, but I don’t feel like I can really explain how much I love it. I know it may not be the actual tomb and Golgotha, but it’s the best place where I can feel the spirit of those events and ponder on their meaning to me. During our time in the Garden Tomb, Brother Harper told us that his favorite Christmas song is The Little Drummer Boy. I thought it was kind of funny at first, but then he told us why he loves it so much and then I understood. He said, “I am the little drummer boy. I have no gift to give that is fit enough for the king.” That really hit me hard. We really have nothing that we can give Christ to make up for what he gave to us, but we can do what we know to the best of our ability.
Tonight officially ended the spiritual aspect of our semester. We had our end of the semester class program. Brother and Sister Harper did a little fireside for us titled “Seek This Jesus” from Ether 12:41 and then we watched Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s final conference address. If you haven’t ever heard it, you should definitely look it up. It was powerful! As a final gift to Brother Harper for all that he has done for us this semester we decided to sing The Little Drummer Boy for him. After the first line I lost it. I seriously couldn’t believe the spirit that was in the room. Everyone was sobbing, including Brother and Sister Harper. We sang the most beautiful arrangement of the song I’ve ever heard. It has definitely become my new favorite Christmas song and I think I could say the same for everyone else in the room. I have never been a part of anything that tender and heartfelt in my life. I know that Brother Harper felt the love we were trying to convey to him. This was the love that we had for him as our guru and teacher, as well as the love we gained for our Savior Jesus Christ as we studied his life from him. I hope I will never forget that moment in my life.
All of the sites we visited these past two days helped prep me for my coming future. I know that I have a lot of tough decisions and unknown trials in my future, but because of the events that transpired here in the Holy Land, I know that there is hope. So now let me go forth as a happy, grateful, and repentant person for the rest of my life!
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