1. I have always thought the Sea of Galilee as a huge ocean that I could barely see the other side. Well, it's not. To give you a perspective, Utah Lake is about 24 miles by 13 miles. The Sea of Galilee is about 13 miles by 7.5 miles. It's quite small, but the beauty is beyond compare. I've never seen such beautiful sunsets in my life, and I have seen a good amount. The point of this section is not the beauty of Galilee though; the point is the sea is actually a small lake.
2. November 13-November 19
SUNDAY: Had all the craziness of my roommate going to the hospital, turned in a final paper (Woot!!), and Zedekiah's Cave
MONDAY: Departed to Galilee!!! Jordan Valley, Bet Shean, Nazareth, Church of Annunciation, St. Joseph's Church, and Synagogue where Jesus most likely taught, Mt. Arbel, and throughout the weeks stayed at Ein Gev Resort which is run by a Kibbutz
TUESDAY: Classes/Mid term and then would have played on the beach, but it was raining...therefore no :( But later it stopped raining so we had a bonfire with S'mores!!!
WEDNSEDAY: Boat ride across the Sea of Galille, Ginosar Ancient Boat Museum, Mt. of Beatitudes, Tabgha, St. Peter's Primacy, Capernaum, and Kursi
THURSDAY: Classes, hike in the Golan Heights, went to a fish restaurant, and then went to Tiberias and saw the tombs of Rabbi Maimonides and Ben Zakkai (don't know what I said the last two lines? Google it, it's a bit long to explain everything :) Love you!)
FRIDAY: Gamla, Qazrin Village, and then classes
SATURDAY: Church with the Tiberias Branch then went to Yardenit which is the commercialized section of the Jordan River
November 20-November 26
SUNDAY: Classes, then swam in the Sea of Galilee and it was freezing but now I can say I swam where Jesus walked
MONDAY: Mt. Tabor, Nain, Megiddo, Gan Ha-Shelosha, and lecture about a Kibbutz life
TUESDAY: Mt. Hazor, Tel Dan, Banias, Nimrod's Castle, Har Bental, and BONFIRE!!!
WEDNSDAY: Chorazin, Sepphoris, Akko, Kights Hall, Old Akko walk, and Classes
THURSDAY: (Thanksgiving and my birthday!!! Who could ask for a better birthday then being at the Sea of Galilee, Mediterranean Sea, Jerusalem and then ending it with a Israeli Thanksgiving dinner and pita birthday cake? Not me!) Muhraqa, Kaiser's Watch Overlook, Haifa Templar Cemetery, Caesarea, and headed back to the JC to have a Thanksgiving dinner!
FRIDAY: Classes and slept
SATURDAY: Church and Garden of Gethsemane
3. The tender mercy of Galilee was the weather. Yes, it was cold and rainy most of our time there, but the rain and wind calmed whenever my class needed it. For instance, our first field trip day we went out on the sea, and we were nervous because it had been rainy and windy all morning. It calmed and the sunshine came out while we were heading over to the port. There were many places we needed to hike through mud, but it wasn't raining while we hiked. We just had to be careful not to get our whole body muddy :) Our maids sure loved us this trip... (sarcasm). The Lord truly blessed us to keep this trip managable. Then the last few days we were there, it was absolutely beautiful and warm. We were able to enjoy the beach after our field trips at least for a few hours. One word: heavenly.
4. The funniest thing that has happened these last two weeks actually didn't happen in Galilee but the night before. Earlier that day, we had all finished our final paper for a class that was...well...not quite as popular as the rest. I was in the computer lab writing on this blog, and then I hear these screams come through the doors and see flying snowballs...no paperballs getting thrown at me and everyone else in the room. These girls put scarves around their faces and tore apart all the papers we read for the class we finished earlier that day and bunched them into balls. I, of course, had to defend myself and attacked back. It was a great little war we had going on. After they left to attack other victims, we discussed that it was the Third Intifada (kind of like civil war of the Palestinians attacking but not). It was a great stress reliever.
5. There were many testimony builders over the course of Galilee, but the one that hit me the most was on the boat on the sea. After we had a little devotional, I thought about Peter walking on water. Yes Jesus walked on water which is a miracle all by itself and I don't mean to down play it, but my focus is on Peter. He was the only through and through mortal to walk on water, yet he only did it when Christ said, "Come." That first step must have been frightening. Peter was a fisherman; he knew logically that when someone steps on water, you sink. But spiritually, it makes sense. Amazing the things we can do when we follow God's bidding. I know there have been so many miracles in my life because I decided to follow through on God's commandments and requests for me. I'm about to make another first step in my life by going on a mission. I don't get nervous until about 5 minutes before things and a mission is scaring the wits out of me already. This is something I've never done before. I can't even compare it to anything else. But I can compare it to Peter. Logically, there are a lot of things that shouldn't happen on missions, but the miracle will happen. Christ bid me to come, and I will go. In a sense, I will walk on water. And when I fall because of my doubts, Christ will be there and immediately stretch forth his hand and save me. The process will continue to go again and again throughout my mission and life. Christ constantly calls for me to come and take a risk to do something I never thought I would be able to do, but then with faith in Him, I will see the miracle. I will do the miracle. I will be the miracle. And Christ will be there by my side through it all.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Week 11: 11/11/11 at 11:11 pm!
1. I just needed to give a shout out that this past week was week 11, 11th month, 11th day, 11th year of the millennium, 11th hour and 11th minute I celebrated it with 10 other people. (Actually I celebrated it with more, but just for fun's sake I'll say 10 others). We took a break from studying for our last final and did a count down. When we hit 11:11, we wrote down our wish for the upcoming year and went around yelling and bugging everyone else that it was 11/11/11 11:11. It was epic.
2. November 6-12
SUNDAY: Yad Vashem (the Israel Holocaust Museum) and Mt. Herzl
MONDAY: Roman Catholic Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and hung out in West J
TUESDAY: Classes and Finals Prep
WEDNESDAY: Finals Prep and Judaism Final (Class #3 done!)
THURSDAY: Classes, Orientation for Galilee!!!, and Rampart's Walk (walked on the Old City walls overlooking Jerusalem from the Old City)
FRIDAY: (2 months until I enter the MTC!!!) Class and Finals Prep
SATURDAY: Church and Garden of Gethsemane
3. The tender mercy of this week kind of happened alongside with Week 12, but I'll get over it. My roommate has been having abdominal pains for a while, and the pains became really bad yesterday before church. They continuously got worse, so our home teachers gave her a blessing, and the doctor gave her pills to help with the pain. At about 9 that night, the doctor came in and did a little pain test (push somewhere and see if it hurt). Well, it hurt on the right side...where the appendix is. So we went to the hospital to see what is going on. The hospital was an experience in itself. When we finally found the hospital, we went through a shopping mall area to get to the ER (we found out later there was another way to get to the ER, but it was still weird going through the shopping area). Seeing all the Jews (ultra and reformed) was an experience too. But now you're probably wondering what happened to my roommate and curious to why I'm putting this experience in the tender mercy section. After she was tested for all the basic things, then was tested for more specific things by 4 different doctors, it was diagnosed that she didn't have appendicitis. If she did, she would have had surgery and be recovering while we were in Galilee. The Galilee trip is the longest trip we have which covers a good amount of our New Testament course. The tender mercy is that she was able to be tested, not have appendicitis, and she is now feeling good enough to go to Galilee. So whatever happened of the million things that were treated, it worked. My roommate's doing a lot better and is able to go to Galilee. :)
4. This week the funniest thing has been in the works for a while. On Thursday, we had our orientation meeting for Galilee. The head people decided to do an EFY line dance/flash mob for the faculty. Since I was an EFY counselor, I got into the thick of the...planning...committee. We've had a few days before where we wanted to do it, but it failed because we didn't feel like the whole student body was ready. But this time we gave people a little more heads up, so we decided to just go for it. The day came, and I sat in the front. I volunteered to be the one to figure out music, so when it came time to decide who would instigate the dance, I became the spokesperson. After the orientation, I raised my hand and said I had an announcement. I went up to the mic and got out my iPod and my roommate's speakers. My hands were shaking soo bad!!! I then turned to Bro. Skinner, our Academic Director, who was in charge of the meeting and said, "Actually this isn't an announcement, but a question for you Bro. Skinner. Are we going to party in Galilee? Cuz we like to party." Then the EFY music of 'We Like to Party' (the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich dance, you may know it) came on. We split the song into sections, so more people would stand up as time went on. My back was to everyone else, but from what I did see it looked pretty much awesome! I didn't know how the faculty would react but not at all what I expected! I expected some laughs, some smiles, even some confused faces...but no. It was the lack of reaction that got me! They didn't even seem to be phased by the flash mob like it happens every semester or something! But the best ending was when Bro. Skinner came back up to the mic after I turned off the music and sat down. He said, "Tie me to an ant hill and smear my ears with jelly." None of us knew what this meant which was the best part of all! Another epic event!!!
5. I love it when spiritual moments happen in the most unexpected random times. That has happened a lot more than I thought it would here, but maybe it's because I'm looking for them so they show up easier. Fridays are the movie nights typically, and we watched "The Robe" this last Friday. It's movie kind of like the 10 commandments in the sense of when it was made the atmosphere of the movie. First off, there were about five of us and five others who came in and out of the movie.there since everyone else was studying for our final which was an essay. I took time off to destress for a bit. By the end of the movie, there were only three: one of the faculty's wives, another girl, and myself. I liked the movie though. The movie was about the perspective of the Roman soldier who crucified Christ. It went through his life a little bit before, but mostly the effect afterwards. I realized while watching this movie that Christ had such an impact on so many people during that time. Since the apostasy happened, I didn't even think of the people who were effected after his death and how they went through life. Not only did Christ have an impact on others, but they had an impact on other people also. It was an everlasting effect. We have that change on people also. Whatever actions we make in life we pay it forward to someone else--good or bad. I know that pay it forward is meant for a good connotation, but sometimes in life we make bad payments. Our actions aren't as good as we hoped for, but those actions are still impactful. After the movie, I thought about all the people who have made huge impacts in my life and realized how much I was grateful for their good choices and actions, so I can be motivated to do good. It's just wonderful how we don't have to go through this life alone and how together we can all lift each other up to a higher state. Amazing.
I will be in Galilee for the next 11 days! (Another 11, just wanted to point that out) I won't be blogging next week since the Internet is super slow in Ein Gev. Just warning you, so you don't get too disappointed from missing your weekly reading of this blog. ;) Love you all!!!
2. November 6-12
SUNDAY: Yad Vashem (the Israel Holocaust Museum) and Mt. Herzl
MONDAY: Roman Catholic Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and hung out in West J
TUESDAY: Classes and Finals Prep
WEDNESDAY: Finals Prep and Judaism Final (Class #3 done!)
THURSDAY: Classes, Orientation for Galilee!!!, and Rampart's Walk (walked on the Old City walls overlooking Jerusalem from the Old City)
FRIDAY: (2 months until I enter the MTC!!!) Class and Finals Prep
SATURDAY: Church and Garden of Gethsemane
3. The tender mercy of this week kind of happened alongside with Week 12, but I'll get over it. My roommate has been having abdominal pains for a while, and the pains became really bad yesterday before church. They continuously got worse, so our home teachers gave her a blessing, and the doctor gave her pills to help with the pain. At about 9 that night, the doctor came in and did a little pain test (push somewhere and see if it hurt). Well, it hurt on the right side...where the appendix is. So we went to the hospital to see what is going on. The hospital was an experience in itself. When we finally found the hospital, we went through a shopping mall area to get to the ER (we found out later there was another way to get to the ER, but it was still weird going through the shopping area). Seeing all the Jews (ultra and reformed) was an experience too. But now you're probably wondering what happened to my roommate and curious to why I'm putting this experience in the tender mercy section. After she was tested for all the basic things, then was tested for more specific things by 4 different doctors, it was diagnosed that she didn't have appendicitis. If she did, she would have had surgery and be recovering while we were in Galilee. The Galilee trip is the longest trip we have which covers a good amount of our New Testament course. The tender mercy is that she was able to be tested, not have appendicitis, and she is now feeling good enough to go to Galilee. So whatever happened of the million things that were treated, it worked. My roommate's doing a lot better and is able to go to Galilee. :)
4. This week the funniest thing has been in the works for a while. On Thursday, we had our orientation meeting for Galilee. The head people decided to do an EFY line dance/flash mob for the faculty. Since I was an EFY counselor, I got into the thick of the...planning...committee. We've had a few days before where we wanted to do it, but it failed because we didn't feel like the whole student body was ready. But this time we gave people a little more heads up, so we decided to just go for it. The day came, and I sat in the front. I volunteered to be the one to figure out music, so when it came time to decide who would instigate the dance, I became the spokesperson. After the orientation, I raised my hand and said I had an announcement. I went up to the mic and got out my iPod and my roommate's speakers. My hands were shaking soo bad!!! I then turned to Bro. Skinner, our Academic Director, who was in charge of the meeting and said, "Actually this isn't an announcement, but a question for you Bro. Skinner. Are we going to party in Galilee? Cuz we like to party." Then the EFY music of 'We Like to Party' (the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich dance, you may know it) came on. We split the song into sections, so more people would stand up as time went on. My back was to everyone else, but from what I did see it looked pretty much awesome! I didn't know how the faculty would react but not at all what I expected! I expected some laughs, some smiles, even some confused faces...but no. It was the lack of reaction that got me! They didn't even seem to be phased by the flash mob like it happens every semester or something! But the best ending was when Bro. Skinner came back up to the mic after I turned off the music and sat down. He said, "Tie me to an ant hill and smear my ears with jelly." None of us knew what this meant which was the best part of all! Another epic event!!!
5. I love it when spiritual moments happen in the most unexpected random times. That has happened a lot more than I thought it would here, but maybe it's because I'm looking for them so they show up easier. Fridays are the movie nights typically, and we watched "The Robe" this last Friday. It's movie kind of like the 10 commandments in the sense of when it was made the atmosphere of the movie. First off, there were about five of us and five others who came in and out of the movie.there since everyone else was studying for our final which was an essay. I took time off to destress for a bit. By the end of the movie, there were only three: one of the faculty's wives, another girl, and myself. I liked the movie though. The movie was about the perspective of the Roman soldier who crucified Christ. It went through his life a little bit before, but mostly the effect afterwards. I realized while watching this movie that Christ had such an impact on so many people during that time. Since the apostasy happened, I didn't even think of the people who were effected after his death and how they went through life. Not only did Christ have an impact on others, but they had an impact on other people also. It was an everlasting effect. We have that change on people also. Whatever actions we make in life we pay it forward to someone else--good or bad. I know that pay it forward is meant for a good connotation, but sometimes in life we make bad payments. Our actions aren't as good as we hoped for, but those actions are still impactful. After the movie, I thought about all the people who have made huge impacts in my life and realized how much I was grateful for their good choices and actions, so I can be motivated to do good. It's just wonderful how we don't have to go through this life alone and how together we can all lift each other up to a higher state. Amazing.
I will be in Galilee for the next 11 days! (Another 11, just wanted to point that out) I won't be blogging next week since the Internet is super slow in Ein Gev. Just warning you, so you don't get too disappointed from missing your weekly reading of this blog. ;) Love you all!!!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Week 10: You can have the Holy Land on your hand.
1. This last week we had some finals, and one final was about the field trips we went on. We needed to know the geography of the land, so there's a trick we learned about our hand that I will teach you now. If you put your left hand up, the knuckles and fingertips represent some of the cities in Israel while in between the fingers represent valleys. Your index finger's top knuckle is Jerusalem and Bethlehem is the next knuckle (middle finger). Another fun place that you may recognize is the Elah Valley (in between middle and ring finger) where David and Goliath fought. There are more places on the hand, but now when you look at your hand you can picture Israel :)
2. October 30-November 5
SUNDAY: Knesset (Israel parliament building)
MONDAY: Walked around Tzurim valley (right next door) and had a Halloween party which involved dressing up (I dressed as a rancher...a Jolley Rancher), going to a silent movie with a live organist (our branch president), and dance party afterwards!
TUESDAY: Bethlehem Field Trip: Bethlehem University, Tent Restaurant, Church of the Nativity, and Shepherd's field.
WEDNESDAY: Tomb of the Kings (random huge tombs) and some of our boys played basketball against a Palestinian team which I went and supported with some other girls here.
THURSDAY: Studied...took a final...the end
FRIDAY: studied...took another final...then partied that night!
SATURDAY: Church and Garden Tomb
3. This week we had the amazing opportunity to visit Bethlehem University. The students there I admire so much. Some wake up at about 4 am to get to class at 8 because of how long it takes for them to get through security. For us it only took about 10 minutes, but since they are Palestinian, security takes longer for them. Sometimes they can't even get through. The soldier tells them to leave, they're not going through today. Also getting out of the country takes at least 3 months in advance to plan because they have to get permission from the state. Even then they may get rejected or not find out until their plans don't work anymore (I know some college students who decide to leave the country for a few weeks spontaneously). This is just for visiting countries, if they want to live somewhere else, they have to get an invitation from outside the country. So students have pretty much no opportunities outside of Israel, and inside of Israel is tough because of the economy. Also depending on where you were born decides what privileges you get. Inside the West Bank (Bethlehem, Gaza Strip, Ramala, and other areas), these students can't even go outside without getting special permission. If you were born in Jerusalem or outside of the West Bank, you can go in and out of the West Bank pretty much as you please (unless the soldiers don't like you that day). The students are mostly women at the Bethlehem U because usually the men get jobs without needing much education, so if the women want to make a living of their own, they have to go to school and do well. If I remember right, there are 75% girls. I just feel so blessed to have a university nearby, and if I'm late to class or I don't show up, it is really my fault. I'm also grateful to be able to travel pretty much whenever I want if I work hard enough and find the time to do it. I'm able to work anywhere I want, and I don't need an invitation to live anywhere in the world. My life is one huge blessing.
4. Something funny that happened at Shepherd's fields is that we went right before sunset and were having this devotional about what the Shepherd's went through and a little bit about the Savior's birth. Right in the middle of it, this herd of sheep walks right behind us. Our professor then proclaims how he didn't plan any of it, then another herd of sheep walk by maybe 5 minutes later. It was so funny how we are really experiencing the Holy Land with and without having to use our imaginations.
5. Also in the Shepherd's field which was a spectacular view of Bethlehem, we sang Christmas songs and during this time I felt so connected to how the night of Christ's birth was like. It was so peaceful (except for the two instances with the sheep), and the song "Silent Night" was definitely touching because the night was truly silent. We did hear randomly a car and a dog barking, but compared to the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem, Bethlehem was totally the better place to be born. I'm now in the double digits of how many weeks I've been here in the Holy Land, and I can't believe how much I have grown spiritually and intellectually. I just feel so blessed with these types of experiences to know what it was like. Yes, I didn't need to have this study abroad to have a testimony of my Savior, but my testimony has definitely grown because of it. I just don't want to waste a moment the next 6 weeks, so I can be strengthened as much as I can. Love you all!!!
2. October 30-November 5
SUNDAY: Knesset (Israel parliament building)
MONDAY: Walked around Tzurim valley (right next door) and had a Halloween party which involved dressing up (I dressed as a rancher...a Jolley Rancher), going to a silent movie with a live organist (our branch president), and dance party afterwards!
TUESDAY: Bethlehem Field Trip: Bethlehem University, Tent Restaurant, Church of the Nativity, and Shepherd's field.
WEDNESDAY: Tomb of the Kings (random huge tombs) and some of our boys played basketball against a Palestinian team which I went and supported with some other girls here.
THURSDAY: Studied...took a final...the end
FRIDAY: studied...took another final...then partied that night!
SATURDAY: Church and Garden Tomb
3. This week we had the amazing opportunity to visit Bethlehem University. The students there I admire so much. Some wake up at about 4 am to get to class at 8 because of how long it takes for them to get through security. For us it only took about 10 minutes, but since they are Palestinian, security takes longer for them. Sometimes they can't even get through. The soldier tells them to leave, they're not going through today. Also getting out of the country takes at least 3 months in advance to plan because they have to get permission from the state. Even then they may get rejected or not find out until their plans don't work anymore (I know some college students who decide to leave the country for a few weeks spontaneously). This is just for visiting countries, if they want to live somewhere else, they have to get an invitation from outside the country. So students have pretty much no opportunities outside of Israel, and inside of Israel is tough because of the economy. Also depending on where you were born decides what privileges you get. Inside the West Bank (Bethlehem, Gaza Strip, Ramala, and other areas), these students can't even go outside without getting special permission. If you were born in Jerusalem or outside of the West Bank, you can go in and out of the West Bank pretty much as you please (unless the soldiers don't like you that day). The students are mostly women at the Bethlehem U because usually the men get jobs without needing much education, so if the women want to make a living of their own, they have to go to school and do well. If I remember right, there are 75% girls. I just feel so blessed to have a university nearby, and if I'm late to class or I don't show up, it is really my fault. I'm also grateful to be able to travel pretty much whenever I want if I work hard enough and find the time to do it. I'm able to work anywhere I want, and I don't need an invitation to live anywhere in the world. My life is one huge blessing.
4. Something funny that happened at Shepherd's fields is that we went right before sunset and were having this devotional about what the Shepherd's went through and a little bit about the Savior's birth. Right in the middle of it, this herd of sheep walks right behind us. Our professor then proclaims how he didn't plan any of it, then another herd of sheep walk by maybe 5 minutes later. It was so funny how we are really experiencing the Holy Land with and without having to use our imaginations.
5. Also in the Shepherd's field which was a spectacular view of Bethlehem, we sang Christmas songs and during this time I felt so connected to how the night of Christ's birth was like. It was so peaceful (except for the two instances with the sheep), and the song "Silent Night" was definitely touching because the night was truly silent. We did hear randomly a car and a dog barking, but compared to the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem, Bethlehem was totally the better place to be born. I'm now in the double digits of how many weeks I've been here in the Holy Land, and I can't believe how much I have grown spiritually and intellectually. I just feel so blessed with these types of experiences to know what it was like. Yes, I didn't need to have this study abroad to have a testimony of my Savior, but my testimony has definitely grown because of it. I just don't want to waste a moment the next 6 weeks, so I can be strengthened as much as I can. Love you all!!!
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