welcome to the holy land

Well as much as I tried to fight it I’ve finally caved in and joined the blogging world. Not that I really think all that many people are so interested in my life that I need to post it on the world wide web for all to see, but as it turns out I’m a terrible journal-writer. I’m also really bad at emailing, so this is my lazy-girl solution.

For all of you who don’t know what I’m doing here in Jerusalem, I’m studying at the Brigham Young University Center for Near Eastern Studies on Mount Scopus. It is a four-month program designed for BYU students to come live in the Holy Land and study the Bible and the history of the Near East. I am taking Old and New Testament classes, a Judaism class, an Islamic class, and a Hebrew class. They are pretty tough (especially when all you want to do is go out into the city) but they are really good. And they have so much more meaning when you’re here learning about all of it. It’s a really great program that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has set up through BYU. It is a purely educational and non-imposing institution here in Jerusalem. I wish everyone could come have this quality of an experience.

Here’s a brief recap of the last two weeks:

Tuesday August 30th we left Salt Lake City on our way to Tel Aviv. Well, our connecting flight was cancelled from Phoenix to Philadelphia so a group of about 50 of us got stuck in Phoenix for 4 days. It started out as a bummer, but we made the most of it and turned it into a real adventure. While there I went to the Mesa temple, floated down a river on $2 floating mats from Wal-Mart, swam lots, saw the ASU nightlife, and had a barbeque at a girl from our group’s house. And best of all, started some great friendships.



I finally arrived in Tel Aviv Sunday September 4th! Brother Huntsman came to pick us up from the airport where we had only a few minor issues. Then we finally drove to the Jerusalem Center! It was a dream! I had seen lots of pictures and videos of the center and let me tell you, none of them did it any justice. It is so beautiful! And the best part is the incredible view we have of the old city.



Monday morning we were off to a busy start. We had an overlook field trip of the Old City of Jerusalem from a few different places. I was still in shock that I was really here so everything was so breathtaking to me. Then we had some classes and then I had my orientation tour of the Old City. I fell in love! The streets are so busy, the buildings are so beautiful and the people are so friendly.



The rest of the week was filled with classes and dashing to the city whenever we had a chance. It just never gets old. Then on Friday we had a field trip to the Western Wall. We aren’t allowed out in the Old City or East Jerusalem past sundown so this was a special occasion. We went for the start of the Sabbath and it was incredible! I made so many friends and learned to love the people here so much more. I wish I could be as welcoming and loving as these girls were to us. There was a class group of 11th grade girls who would grab our hands and sing and dance with us and hug and talk… It was so much fun. I just wanted to cry afterwards because I was so overwhelmed.



The Sabbath is celebrated on Saturday here for us. So on Saturday we had our district conference, which I’m pretty sure covers all of Israel. Everyone came to our center for the conference. It was so so good. Every meeting was super powerful and the whole time I looked out the huge windows to where the Savior walked, talked, healed, loved, suffered, died and was resurrected. It is so amazing! After our meetings I made my first trip to the Gethsemane. Wow. I walked where the most important event in all of the eternities took place. I still don’t think the magnitude of that has sunken in.



Sunday was a dream. A big group of us went to Tel Aviv for the day. We spent most of the day on the Meditteranean Sea which was fabulous. The water was so warm! Which is a big deal for me because little Oregon girl here isn’t used to warm beaches. To me the beach is where you go all bundled up to fly a kite or go skim boarding if you’re feeling real crazy. We walked around a market in Tel Aviv, ate dinner at a little French restaurant and lay on the beach for the rest of the evening. Just imagine a perfect day in paradise and you’ll see me in Tel Aviv.



Monday we had a field trip to Jericho. We saw the ruins of Herod’s Winter Palace, Tel-Jericho, and went on the Mt. of Temptations. Everything was really neat, but SO HOT! It really put into perspective some of the things the Savior and other people from the Bible experienced. Especially on the Mt. of Temptations where the Savior fasted for 40 days and was tempted by Satan. That place is desolate! There is literally nothing around. And I can tell you that my name would probably be listed right next to Laman and Lemuel’s in the Book of Mormon when it talks about them murmuring in the wilderness. I am so grateful for the Savior and His strength on that Mount and for the diligence of Nephi to listen to his father Lehi and trust that what he said came from God.



Thursday I went to the Garden Tomb for the very first time. It was amazing! There is a lot of speculation on the actual site of where Christ was taken after His death, and most believe that the Garden Tomb is not the actual tomb, but I don’t think it’s really that important. The most important thing is that He really did die for us and was the first to ever overcome death and be resurrected. My teacher asked the question the other day, “What is Christianity without the resurrection?” It’s nothing. The resurrection is so central to the gospel and our eternal potential. And the Garden Tomb was the most beautiful and visual way for me to contemplate the resurrection and the events surrounding it that I don’t really care if it is the actual tomb or not. I love that site more than any other I’ve visited so far.




After the Garden Tomb I went to the Dome of the Rock for the first time also! It was so beautiful! It was very interesting how much controversy there is over that site and the security involved. There is a very religious feel at that site also because you have to be dressed modestly and appropriately to even be allowed on the site. My friend had her Bible in her purse and they wouldn’t let her in with it. But seriously, it was so beautiful. I can’t wait to go back.




Sorry that was really long and overwhelming but now I feel like I’ve gotten caught up so now I promise they will be shorter and hopefully more interesting. Well actually I’m leaving for Turkey tomorrow for the week and I wont have my computer, so next week when I get back it’ll probably be another blog-post-overload. Shabbot Shalom!