The Olive Press: July 2011

I can't believe I'm already making another post. Wow. I was just looking through all my pictures that I have taken since being here. I came across a few gems that I'm pretty sure I never posted that really just make me smile! Enjoy!

Motke Blum- an incredible guy I just happened to stumble upon in the Artist's Colony. This man grew up in Romania during the Holocaust and spent several years in a labor camp run by the Germans. Read more about him and his tale by clicking here. He told us "Keep on smiling! When you don't smile you have tension in your head and you can't think clearly." He also said that it is better to give someone a smile than to give them milk. He was great! At the end of our visit, he gave us all some of his art for free! He also showed us the signature of Bill Clinton in his guest book and let us sign his guest book as well.

These girls are my best friends here! Brittany, Jeehee, and Jamie are my neighbors and I spend about as much time if not more time at their apartment as I do my own! This picture was taken during our Fourth of July celebration!

This one's from Turkey- we had the privilege of wearing scarves over our heads every time we went into a mosque. Sometimes that makes it a little hard to be serious, as you can see from this picture. ;)

Some things just really make me smile! I think I took this in Turkey somewhere.

I love catching moments like these! -Turkey

The sign says it all.

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but THERE ARE CATS EVERYWHERE!!! This particular cat looked very stoic standing atop a proto-aeolic capital.

Sometimes we get a little bit out of control. I don't know why I don't do my hair like this more often though- I got more comments on my hair than I ever have before! Oh and apparently it runs in the family. Check this link out!

The Groberg's came to visit! Sam's grandparents were taking a tour through Israel and made an effort to spend an evening with me while they were in Jerusalem. I loved spending time with them and chatting with them. They are just too sweet!

Jamie. Love her!

What else are statues with their heads cut off good for?

Ahhh. The wonderful slushy drink across from the Austrian Hospice in the old city- 6 shekels for Mormons. Jamie and I have been there several times and a few days ago we were passing by and couldn't resist getting one. We picked our flavors and handed over our 12 shekels (Jamie was paying for both of us) and the guy looks at us and says "these are 10 shekels each!" bewildered, we replied: "we've been here a few times and it's only been 6 shekels each!" he responded, "Well this time it's okay, but next time it is 10 shekels." We were so confused! We started to walk away and about thirty seconds later he runs out of his shop and says "I'm so sorry! I did not know you were Mormon! We have a very special relationship with the Mormons." He continued to apologize profusely as we made our way down the street. Another one of those little things that make me smile!

Jeehee is just so photogenic, so when I take pictures with her I feel like I have to do something "cute." As you can see, it doesn't work for me as much as it does for her! haha.

Me and my roomies- we are pretty special.

One thing I will miss about the JC lunches that are made for us on field trip days: whole cucumbers!

making shadows in a cave- I believe we were trying to make eyes...

After having a dormant blog for about a month, I decided that maybe it was time for a new blog post, so here you go mom- I am finally posting on my blog! About a week a go I returned from a 10 day trip to the area of Galilee. It was such a wonderful experience! Everyday was packed with class, field trips, studying, playing on the beach, and exploring! I can say that I swam where Jesus walked, sat in a first century synagogue that Jesus would have taught in, and been to more traditional sites for events in the New Testament than I can count on two hands! Just to name a few, I had the privilege of being in the following traditional (some for sure) locations: Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Mt. of Beatitudes (location for Sermon on the Mount), Mt. Carmel (the place where Elijah showed the wicked priests of Baal what's up), Akko/Acre, Dan (where Jeroboam placed a golden calf for worship- "and all the kings of Judah followed in the sins of Jeroboam... "), Caesarea, Tiberius, Gamala, the Jordan River, Korazin, Megiddo, Mt. Tabor (location of the transfiguration and receiving of sealing powers), Nazareth, and much much more! It was amazing to be in the location where Jesus spent so much of his life and where he loved so much to be. A highlight of the trip for me was spending time each night at the edge of the Sea, with my feet touching the water, reading the New Testament and studying the parables that Christ taught and having that alone time to come closer to Him. I don't know if I will ever go back to the Sea of Galilee, but I made memories that I will never forget and had a testimony strengthening experience that will forever be a part of me! Now take a look at these pictures as try to take you through a visual journey of my experience in Galilee!

The view of the Sea of Galilee off the northern shore.

Dan- as we hiked along this river, we were able to see where the water was gushing out of the ground- yes the very origin of the river! It was cool to see how that raging river started out as such a small bubbling little stream!

Standing in the Mediterranean Ocean off the coast of Caeserea

This was a tree at Dan that was called "the Winnie the Pooh tree." I think because it is hollow. (Erica, Joan, Niffer, me)

This summer I have really gone outside of my comfort zone when it comes to food... including this whole fish (eye ball and all) I have tried, duck, cow tongue, and liver. Also if you look closely you can see a shekel coin in the fishes mouth- commemorating the story of when Jesus tells Peter to catch a fish and the fish would have the money for him to pay tribute in his mouth. (Matthew 17:24-27)

Funny hats in Tiberius- we got to hang out on the pier in Tiberius one night and enjoyed fun shopping (mostly just taking sillly pictures like this and not actually buying things, though I did buy a pair of flip flops!) a wicked light show, and yummy slushy drinks. (Taylor, Krystalee, me, and Ashlyn)

The beautiful Galilee sunset that I got to enjoy every night! Moments like these made me a little lovesick for Sam, but beautiful nonetheless.

On top of the world at Gamala. Here we visited a first century synagogue where Christ most definitely would have preached in! Oh, and the drop off is as bad as it looks. :-)

Enjoying the one time that we were allowed to wear shorts... as we hiked through the Golan Heights! I forgot to take a picture by the "Danger, Mines!" signs.

We made a stop in the Haifa cemetery to commemorate the graves of some Mormon missionaries who died on their missions in Haifa. This particular grave is for a man named Georg who had a vision that a messenger of God was going to come see him. The missionary had a similar vision that Georg would be waiting for him. When they laid eyes on each other for the first time, they recognized each other and Georg was the first baptized member of the church in the Middle East.

Jordan River- near where it empties out of the Sea of Galilee.

At Korazine we got to see what a beam and a mote would look like. This is the mote. (Matthew 7:1-5)

Being run down by a chariot at Megiddo

On the Mt. of Beatitudes. I loved the time that I had to read the Sermon on the Mount here and imagine Christ teaching that very same sermon to multitudes. (Matthew 5-7)

Having fun at Nimrod castle. We all purchased plastic swords and other weapons and stormed the castle.

This is the angriest face I could muster!

Shelby, Josh, and I acting like pigs (swine) at Kursi- close to where Christ cast devils into the swine and they ran into the Sea and died. (Matthew 8:28-32)