All Roads Lead to the Jewish Bakery

Last week began with free day! I walked the via dolorosa with Jenny and Cody. According to Catholic tradition, the via dolorosa is the pathway the Christ carried the cross-from where He was condemned by Pilate to Golgotha. Along the way there are stations where they say certain things happened. Some of them are according to tradition, some are scripture-based. It was pretty cool.

I was also able to go back to the Western Wall which is one of my all time favorites. I miss the temple a lot. But when I go to the Western Wall I think about how it's the closest thing to Solomon's temple, which was a legitimate temple. It is Jewish tradition to write a prayer down and stick it into the cracks of the Western Wall. I did that this time and it was cool to write a prayer. It made me be deliberate about what I said and it was a nice way to process my thoughts. 

There are so many notes crammed in every crack. It was kind of hard to find a place! 

On Wednesday we did a cool field trip in the evening. We went through these tunnels that go underneath the Western Wall. I learned that the Western Wall goes way below ground level, and it horizontally it goes on for much longer than it appears, it's only covered up by houses and shops that have been built in modern times. There is a tiny synagogue down there that is even closer to where the Holy of Holies would have been in Solomon's day, so there were some Jews praying there when we passed by. 

On Thursday we went on an awesome field trip. We went to all these cool churches! I had been to the Church of the Holy Sepulchure a few times before, but it was cooler this time with our teachers to explain the significance of things. 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchure is built over places believed by many historians to be the place of Christ's crucifixion and burial. There is a little cave (inside the church- it's a massive church) where supposedly an old cross was found. Many Catholics believe it to be Christ's cross because tradition says they used it to bring two people back from the dead. Whether that is true or not, it is cool to admire the devotion of pilgrims who have come to be there. Look at all the crosses they have carved into the walls over the years. 

It was also cool to admire the artwork. A lot of it is more gruesome than we are used to looking at, but I admire their ability to depict the suffering the Christ would have experienced. I think sometimes in an effort to focus on what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane I don't think enough about what happened on the cross. In class this week I learned that some leaders of the church have suggested that Christ re-experienced everything He experienced in the garden on the cross. 

I was reading in Jesus the Christ this week and I am blown away by the physical, spiritual, and mental exertion necessary to drink the entire cup. Just one detail I liked from the book- While on  the Cross Christ was offered the vinegar, which may have really been sour wine. According to Jewish tradition, people being crucified were offered the drink to numb the pain to some degree. Jesus put that to His lips but discerning what it was, He did not drink. Christ gave us everything- He even made sure He would be totally cognient and able to sense everything He would suffer through. 

In the Church of the  Holy Sepulchure there is a depiction of Christ shedding blood on the cross and that blood running down into the ground and hitting the skull of Adam. Again, that may be more traditional than scriptural, but it represents an important idea- that Christ's sacrifice overcame the effects of the fall of Adam and Eve (physical and spiritual death). In this picture you can see the skull underneath Christ. 

After thinking on this, I enjoyed walking out of the massive, incredible, but dark church into the light. It reminded me of the triumph of the resurrection.

 We also visited a church that claims to own a piece of John the Baptist's skull. Maybe not the actual skull, but it was nice to think about the sacrifices he made as well. 

One of my favorite churches was a beautiful Fransiscan church. St. Francis was the bomb. He came from a super wealthy family but tried to be a true disciple. It was super controversial at the time but he started helping the poor much do his father's embarrassment. To show his dad, he ended up giving up all his possessions and clothing. 

Also on this field trip I saw the most beautiful cat. I realize I haven't been posting enough cat pictures. 

We went to the Jewish Bakery again. Another time, we were headed somewhere else and Jenna claimed to know the way so she led the way- to the Jewish Bakery. Accident? Hmm. But like she says, all roads lead to the Jewish Bakery. 

Speaking of Jenna, we thought it would be fun to try and trick everyone by dressing  up as each other. We wore each other's most iconic outfits and tried to do our hair like the other. I was walking up the stairs that day and Sam said to me, "Woah. You and Emma switched places today! Wait". Mission accomplished. 

And then I also did a bunch of less exciting stuff. We've got finals this week so I started writing a paper and am looking forward to those finals and hoping I strike the right balance between studying and going out into the city to enjoy the last few weeks I have here. 

Throw me on an anthill and spread my ears with jelly

Is the phrase Dr. Skinner used when he accidentally skipped over an important detail of our lecture.

Wow! We have a lot to catch up on so buckle up.

Let's start with the free day before Galilee because I didn't mention that in my email. We visited the Israel Supreme Court and their Parliament. It was really cool to see how much they encourage the public to get involved in politics.

They also include women in government so yay! They have about 25% of their legislature made up of women representatives, which obviously isn't 50/50 but it's better than America. Actually, fun fact (but not so fun), Afghanistan and Iraq have higher representation of women in their legislature than America does. 

We then went to Galilee. Some of this will be repeat from my email but plus pictures! 

We went on some amazing field trips. 

 On the Mount of Beatitudes (which means Mount of Blessings) we talked to this awesome nun who gave us all these pearls of wisdom. She told us that we are the pen and God is the hand. On our own we are useless, but as we do God's will we are able to reach our true potential. She also said that if we are one with the Lord we will never despair.I love faithful people like this, who haven't received the fullness of the gospel yet but are doing amazing things with what they have. 

I loved visiting a town called Bethsaida, which is where Christ did many miracles. Unfortunately, they became accustomed to these miracles, and they fell away. This caused me to ponder a lot. I have experienced some wonderful manifestations of God's hand in my life, and I wondered what I need to do the rest of my life to ensure that I never fall away from the Gospel and the Church. I can share with you the answer I received there but I'd invite all of you to ask the same question for yourself, because there are different things we all have to work on at any point in time. One thing I was reminded of was Elder Christofferson. He came to the center a couple of weeks ago and encouraged us to turn outward and serve. I'm still working on that, but I'm glad for a perfect example to follow. 

One of my favorites was also the Mount of Transfiguration. See my instagram post for the peacocks and Grandpa Davis moment! I loved that. 

It was just cool knowing that Christ really lived, and that He did it there in Galilee. He loved Galilee and performed so many miracles there. I love all the miracles He did with casting out unclean spirits. Satan has power and sometimes we feel that power more strongly than at other times. But I know that Christ's power is infinitely stronger and available to us if we ask for help.

I also loved learning about the apostle Paul in particular. We went to the Syria border and looked out to Damascus where Saul was visited by Christ who asked him "why persecutest thou me?" and asked how long he would kick against the pricks. Pricks are pointed sticks used to prod cattle, and kicking against them infers resisting guidance or prodding. We talked about how we sometimes feel promptings that what we are doing is wrong or that we need to do something, but we put it off because of the difficulty or because we don't feel like it. Saul put off the Spirit for a little while, but once was converted, he didn't kick against the pricks any more and was super devoted. 

We then went to an old sea port city called Akko. Paul was likely there when he recieved the instruction to return to Jerusalem. I like the scripture in Acts 20: 22 "And now, behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there". I loved that. So often I feel that we are led to a certain place or action but we don't know the specifics that lie ahead. I hope I can be like Paul though, and that if the Spirit tells me to do something, I will be bound by that. 

Akko was also fun because they had some cool Medieval ruins. There was an eating hall, which looked suspiciously like the Great Hall, which had an orange and red banner with a lion on it. Is anyone thinking what I'm thinking?

Dueling. 

We also saw some cool Roman ruins. 

We also went to Nazareth. We talked about Mary there. I had never spent much time thinking about how incredible she must have been. It makes sense though, that if God sent His perfect son to us, He would send one of His most humble and pure daughters to be His mother. 

More Roman ruins. 

Pretty waterfalls. 

A really cool (modern, not ancient) hanging garden built by the Bahai religion. 

Fish eating. 

Really so much! This blog post is overwhelming I don't even know what all to say. 

We rode on a boat on the Sea of Galilee. For a lake it really does get wavy in the afternoon. And the wind in Galilee is incredible. With the right wind, I can see how the apostles could have gotten into a dicey situation. I am so grateful that Christ is always nearby waiting for us to call out for His help. Let us not take counsel from our fears. We should never make a decision based on fear.  

Megiddo was also really cool. Aka Armageddon. A final battle will take place there before the Second Coming. One thought I liked from that site was that sometimes we feel fear about the things that will happen before the Second Coming, but the one who would want us feeling scared about Christ's coming is the adversary. Truly, if we are doing our best we will be okay. My teacher said, "If you have God on your side, you will never be outnumbered"! 

I also loved some ruins we went where we saw homes built out of basalt. When a piece of basalt stone chips off it is called a mote. They're tiny. And the beams used for the ceilings are called, well, beams. Basically don't judge other people because we have enough stuff to work on ourselves and we can never understand everything someone is going through that influences their actions. "Treat everyone you meet as if they are in serious trouble (as in they need your help) and more than half the time you'll be right". 

 Beam.

Mote.

I also got to sit on Moses's seat, which is the chair in synagogues where you sit and expound scripture. 

Basically, we saw so much! And it's too much to write and synthesize all of it! But these were the highlights for me. I hope you guys are super duper. I love you! 

Bethlehem

What a great week!
Kicked off the week with my favorite free day so far. We went to the Western Wall which was a nice way to start off the day. When I go pray at the wall I feel a similar feeling as when I am in the temple. At least similar enough for now.

We also went to the Temple Institute which is a museum where you can see all the things Jews have built for the temple they hope to rebuild someday. This sect of Jews are fixed on rebuilding a new temple, but believe that it must be rebuilt where the Dome of the Rock currently stands, which presents a problem. Despite this, they are totally ready to move in. Everything in the museum is ready to be moved to the temple at any moment. 

We also revisited Hezekiah's tunnel which was super fun. This time we did it with just a lighter and some times in the total dark to get more of a feel for what it was like back in the day. It was super fun. 

We also visited the artist's colony and had some amazing falafels. And we just explored the Old City and found fun stuff! Like Christ's Church, which was cool to sing in. And these cool lions. 

 That night we got back to the center and enjoyed hamburgers and hot dogs for fourth of July! That impressed me a lot. A lot of the workers in the cafeteria are Palestinians and they could have a lot of reasons to dislike Americans if they wanted to. But they threw us this American party and were so kind to us. They are always kind to us, but it struck me then how amazing the Jerusalem Center is. It provides an atmosphere for Israelis, Palestinains, Americans, Jews, Muslims, and Mormons to get to know and love each other!

So cool. 

Monday we took a field trip to Bethlehem! We visited the Church of the Nativity which is where a lot of Christians believe Christ was born. This picture includes a silver star on the ground, which many claim as the exact site of Christ's birth. 

My favorite part though was going to these fields overlooking Bethlehem where the shepherds likely were. We spotted the first star of the night there and sang Christmas songs. The spirit was so strong and I was reminded of the reality of Christ's birth. I am so grateful that Christ was born of Mary. Being born of a mortal woman Christ was endowed with the capacity to feel pain, fatigue, sorrow, and be truly tempted. Although He lived life as the son of God, His life was in no way easy. It was so difficult and that was made possible by His mortal birth, which I am so grateful for. 

It was amazing to sing Christmas songs and realize that I was so near to where the events they proclaimed took place. I got a little glimpse of what it would have been like for the shepherds to see the first start of the night. A highlight was singing Silent Night and hearing the words "with the dawn of redeeming grace". Those words struck me. With Christ's birth, the world finally saw a dawn. All of us who were in spiritually darkness were finally given a light, the possibility to receive redeeming grace. 

Sunset over Bethlehem, although we can pretend it's a sunrise. 

The next couple of days were mostly class/homework days but we did take a fun little walk to Hebrew University and saw their gardens. I saw some really cute cats, a frog, and some leeches. Fun. 

And then....BYU JERUSALEM APOCALYPSE TIME. Out of 78 students, 35 were struck ill on Thursday. It was a dark time. I think everyone is better now though.

Thursday we went on a field trip to the ruins of Herod's temple. I gained an appreciation for how huge and splendid it was. It was also cool because it's a place where Christ would have gone to teach and throw out the money changers. Also the Old Testament became more real for me then as I thought more about the destruction of Jerusalem. They were literally burned to the ground. Even the temple, their most magnificent building was reduced to ruins. 

Just #candidly reading my scriptures on the temple steps

And then Friday we had a midterm in the evening so that was kind of a less exciting day.

Today has been a wonderful Sabbath. One of the girls in our program unexpectedly lost her sister a few days ago. Today in the garden tomb I watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZqTRSVA1YA and it was so powerful. Christ truly changed the world. I am so grateful that death will not permanently separate me from people I have loved, and that I will be reunited with my earthly and heavenly family. The gospel is true, and Christ truly is at the center of it. I am so grateful for Him- for His reality, His mercy, and His grace. 

JORDAN

Well, good news!
This week was a lot more exciting than the last one.
We kicked off the week with a free day to Tel Aviv, the captial of Israel. It was so nice after a week of finals to relax at the beach. It was interesting to see Tel Aviv as well. It struck me as a lot less conservative than Jerusalem which was interesting.
We went to the beach (the Mediterranean Sea) and swam during the day and returned later for the sunset.

Nailed it. Sorta. 

Think ponderous thoughts.

We also rode bikes along the beach which was fun! As much as I detested my bike when I had to ride it to the grocery store and stuff, I've actually kind of missed it. I think my next exercise goal will be a triathalon.

We also visited a cool market, ate TACOS which were delicious, and then headed home.
The next day we headed out for Jordan! One of the first sites we visited was Mt. Nebo, which is where Moses was showed the promised land. There wasn't anything monumental that I learned there since we had already learned his story in class, but I couldn't help but feel so much appreciation for Moses. He was the man! Despite the tendency of the Israelites to consistently complain and rebel, Moses was willing to intercede in their behalf. Although he was not able to enter the promised land, he was translated, so I think it's fair to assume he was pretty righteous.

You know who else I felt a ton of appreciation for on this trip? John the Baptist, that's who. We went to the site where he was beheaded by Herod and talked about his story. Dr. Allred talked about how he was called to prepare the way for Christ and related him to an Aaron or Hyrum character. They were people who supported people in huge callings yet didn't seem to get much recognition. Yet they were essential to the work. I know that a lot of this things God calls us to do, like being a mother for example, don't always seem to receive much acknowledgment at times, yet they are critical. I want to be a John, Aaron, and Hyrum. 

Next, we went to Petra which was INCREDIBLE! Indiana Jones captures the majesty of it pretty well. Petra is the territory of the biblical Edomites and are ruins carved into the sandstone. These ruins are tucked away in this beautiful canyon. It was a fun (and long) day of hiking. After walking through a long narrow canyon, you see the Treasury (below).

We also hiked to the "High Place" where the Nabateans offered human sacrifices.

We also hiked to the Monastery, which is similar to the Treasury, but it was a really fun hike. 

We also got to ride camels again. Mostly it was just really fun. 

The next day we went to the Jabbok river. That is a place Jacob would have passed by on his way to reunite himself with Essau. After Jacob was given the birthright (over his brother Essau) Essau wanted to kill him, so Jacob left his family and home and everything familiar. I thought about that at the Jabbok river. That would have been so hard to leave all behind, but there was so much good to come. Jacob later had a temple experience, married his wife, and started a new life. Years later, the Lord told him to return to his brother Essau. This was Jacob's Abrahamic Sacrfice in a sense because he again had to pack up and leave everything and risk his life and his family's life as he had no idea how Essau would recieve him. That would be so difficult. But he was rewarded with a sweet reunion with his brother and a healed relationship. So many times it seems like we are losing something- an opportunity, a blessing, something we had worked so hard for. But we never really lose. The Lord always pours out incredible things. 

I also loved this site because while Jacob was walking towards what he thought could very well be his death God spoke to Issac and called Himself the "God of Bethel", which was to remind Jacob of the remarkable temple experience he had had. I think it is neat to think about our personal "Bethel". What are experiences/ places we can look back on as evidence of God working in our lives? When we are headed into the unknown we can always look back on those places/experiences and remember how sure we are of God's existence and care for us. 

There are also some Roman ruins in Jordan that were cool to see. Change-up!

Some of these ruins were also great because of their great hiding places. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say I practically scared the pants off my friend Christa. I have no regrets. 

We also went to another beautiful mosque! It was nice and peaceful in there. Although, super hot because we had to wear a full length black tunic. I enjoyed learning more about Islam from our Muslim tour guide.That was another interesting thing about Jordan. Jordan is more than 90% Muslim and it seemed that more women were dressed conservatively. Many had their faces veiled in addition to the headscarf. 

Also, shout out to Muslims for doing Ramadan this month. Holy wow. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Our tour guide practiced this while walking around in the heat working- with no water. Our cooks at the Center do the same. It is quite admirable to me. 

We also got to go to another museum!

"That thing belongs in a museum!" <anyone got that quote?

From a young age, I have always taken museums very seriously( Think Bean Museum)

Seriously though, it was impressive.
Last but not least, we went to the Jordan River! Wow wow wow. I am so glad Jesus was baptized. He had no sins to wipe away but He did it in order to submit his will to God. It is so interesting that this took place in the same river that Elijah parted to make way to the promised land. In this river, Christ made a way for us to get to a spiritual promised land. Baptism represents the death of the natural man, and the birth of a spiritual man. I am so grateful that because of Jesus Christ, every week I can take the sacrament, and continue my efforts to get rid of the bits of natural man in me. I love Him so much.

And I love you all!!