My Dearest Loved Ones...

  
Dearest Loved Ones,

I am aware some of you are hurting, some of you are enduring your own "Gethsemane s," others are emotionally and physically exhausted as they endure a strenuous life, and some are simply praying to have the strength to wake up the next morning to conquer another day. I think about many of you and sit in awe at what you are overcoming. 
If there is one thing that I have learned since being here in Jerusalem, it is the Lord Lives. He knows us so intimately and has felt our deepest pains in the darkest hours as well as our greatest joys.
He suffered alone, so we may not have to. 
He will never let us fall when we trust in Him.
(Isaiah 41:10-13) 

"In all the history of the world there have been many great and wise souls, many of whom claimed special knowledge of God. But when the Savior rose from the tomb, He did something no one had ever done. He did something no one else could do. He broke the bonds of death, not only for Himself but for all who have ever lived—the just and the unjust. 

I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross.

 

On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.

On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.

I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

Because of the life and eternal sacrifice of the Savior of the world, we will be reunited with those we have cherished.

On that day we will know the love of our Heavenly Father. On that day we will rejoice that the Messiah overcame all that we could live forever." -Elder Wirthlin (Sunday Will Come)

This place has solidified my testimony of Jesus Christ and His divine power. 

He Lives.

3/5/11 Today I went to the Garden Tomb.  It was a beautiful Sabbath afternoon. A group of students and I started to sing hymns in the garden.  People from various countries trickled in to hear and join in.  Hymn books randomly dispersed, we all united to sing for one purpose...Jesus Christ.    I sat next to a girl, Maria, and her father. She spoke very little English yet I felt a unique bond with her.  She loved, "How Great Thou Art." 
We counted over 5 languages spoken and even more countries represented.

 The red blossoming flowers just outside of the tomb symbolize the joy and beauty of this sight, for there is life.  It is a hopeful sight to see the empty tomb.  

I yearn for the day to run up to Him and embrace Him
To feel His hands
To look up into His familiar face and see His smile, for I know it will light up my entire soul

Passover Seder

Passover Seder: a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday, Passover.  The Seder is a ritual performed by a community or by multiple generations of a family.It involves a retelling of the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. 

(Book of Exodus in the Bible)

Traditionally, families and friends gather together to read the text of the Haggadah, an ancient work derived from the Mishnah. The Haggadah contains the narrative of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, special blessings and rituals, commentaries from the Talmud, and special Passover songs.

(We all participated in performing various songs. The songs were extremely high and not to mention in Hebrew. I am not going to lie...I was laughing uncontrollably, like a little kid in church. Hilarious.)

Customs Include: drinking four cups of wine (which by the end of the night, I did not want to drink a drop more of grape juice ever again), eating matza and partaking of symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder Plate.

The Seder is performed the same way by Jews all over the world.

 

kippahs anyone?

Haggadah

(Side Note: We read books from right to left here)

Did I mention it was 3 hours long...and you don't eat the meal until the last hour!!!!

My Simple Pleasure

Finals consume my life. 2 Hours to spare. Grabbed the beat-up running shoes. Long Mile Run. Sunset. Streets of West Jerusalem. Cool Summer Evening. Freedom. Dripping with Sweat. Truth: Land of ENDLESS hills and valleys. Six Friends. Perfect.

A Sobering Experience

 

 Yad Veshem. 

Ophir, our Judaism Professor, took us to the Holocaust Museum here in Jerusalem for our field trip. History is my favorite subject and I greatly anticipated this day but little did I know what I would see. I walked through the museum desperately trying to grasp a hold of all of the information yet I was emotionally drained viewing the tragedy endured by millions of people. 

I will never fully understand.

Sobering.

Thoughts that touched me:

"I do not know what a Jew is, we only know what human beings are." -Pastor Troeme

"Remember only that I was innocent and, just like you, mortal on that day, I, too, had a face marked by rage, by pity and joy, quite simply, a human face." 

-Benjamin Fondane (Murdered at Auschwitz in 1944)

5-6 Million Jews were killed.

1.5 Million Jewish Children were killed in the Holocaust.

The numbers are so unfathomable, I will never comprehend the pain and extreme horror experienced by these people. However, it was the personal testimonies that touched me to my core.  To see the survivors reliving this nightmare, letters sent to loved ones, and journal entries gave me a greater insight of what this hellish nightmare must have been like.

"My only child was taken away for work yesterday. I don't know where they took him....Only God knows what I am going through."

-Salas Letter

"It is indeed a wonder how the world exists after so much screaming. Yet now, innocent children, pure angels, even the greatest, holy Jews, are murdered and butchered just because they are Jews..and the world does not turn back into water? It remains standing steadfast."

-Plaseszner Rebbe

Poland had 3,325,00 Jews as the rise of the Nazis in 1933.  Poland was DEEPLY effected. I could not help but think of Carson, my best friend serving in Poland and all that he tells me about the people today. The effects are still prevalent. 

This really happened. 

People are still recovering.

 "When I grow up and get to be twenty 

I'll travel and see this world of plenty

In a bird with an engine I will sit myself down.

Take off and fly into space, for above the ground.

I'll fly, I'll cruise and soar up high

above a world so lovely, into the sky."

-Abrarnek Koplowicz (Murdered at age 14)

The Power of One

Most importantly, I gained a greater understanding of who these people are that surround me on a daily basis. 

Unreal.

 

  "Righteous of the Nations"

Trees were planted to commemorate those who saved thousands of Jews. 

(Notorious Example:Oscar Schindler saved 1,200 Jews)

After 8 hours of wandering through the Museum, consuming large amounts of information about one of the most horrific events that EVER took place in the history of the Universe, and visiting Mt. Herzl, we departed back to the center, emotionally exhausted. 

The thing I love about this place...I learn large amounts of information each day.

The Dome of the Rock

 

Dome of the Rock

Located on the Temple Mount in the Old City, the Dome of the Rock is the oldest extant example of early Islamic architecture, completed in 691 CE.  It was constructed on the site of the Second Jewish Temple, which was destroyed during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70CE. 

(This date has been en-grained in my memory forever.)

It is believed by some to be the location of the Holy of Holies in the Temple, and is the holiest site in Judaism.

 Positively one of the most B-E-A-U-T-F-U-L places in the Old City

 

AHHH I tried to contain my excitement...THIS IS GLORIOUS

The Western Wall Today

Located just outside the western side of the Temple Mount

According to the Mishna, of all the four walls of the Temple Mount, the Western Wall was the closest to the Holy of Holies... Jews pray by this wall.  

It is divided in half: one side is for the men and one side is for the women.

It has been a site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage for centuries.

The wall overflows with "prayers" 

(Prayers are written down and crammed into the cracks of the wall)   

Aside from the Temple Mount itself, this is one of the most sacred sites in Judaism.

It is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Temple constructed by Herod the Great, constructed around 19 BCE.

Religion radiates throughout the streets of this city.    

As I walked about the Dome of the Rock, I witnessed a man humbly kneeling next to his shoes praying.  I saw three women reverently walking up the street, quietly educating their children.  I noticed men and women, alike, rocking to and fro as they read the Torah.  I looked over to my left to see a young mother grasping onto her bundled child as she pressed her forehead to the rough stone of the Western Wall; with a look of deep sorrow, I could see her lips uttering an emotional prayer.  Religion is unmistakably the top priority to most individuals living in Jerusalem; it is their life. This is the Holy Land. 

 

HeZeKiAh's TuNNeL-The Voyage Under the City of David

 

Hezekiah's Tunnel is a tunnel that was dug underneath The City of David in Jerusalem before 701 B.C.E. during the reign of Hezekiah. (2Kings 20:20)

 

THIS IS THE CITY OF DAVID 

 I am touching a wall that existed in the time of MELCHIZEDEK (Genesis 14-King of Salem)

 

Rockin' the parka, Asics, bball shorts, skirt, and the head lamp

We had to pull up our skirts (hence the B-Ball Shorts) to wade through the water in the tunnel. Equipped with my handy-dandy head light and all the excitement in the world, I was ready for the voyage under the city!

The Bible tells us that King Hezekiah prepared Jerusalem for an impending siege by the Assyrians, by blocking the source of the waters of the upper Gihon and leading them straight down on the west to the City of David" (2 Chronicles 32). The tunnel was designed as an aqueduct to provide Jerusalem with water during the impending siege of the Assyrians (Sennacherib).

 

The curving tunnel is 533 m long.

Periodically we would all turn off our head lamps and wade in the water: Pitch Black

Boys (always thinking their funny:)) would hide and crouch in the crevices to scare us. 

I won't lie, they got me a few times.

The tunnel was excavated by two teams, one starting at each end of the tunnel and then meeting in the middle. The difficulty of meeting up is very apparent as the tunnel is extremely curvy and uneven. 

Side Effects: Claustrophobia

 

 

Surprisingly, I was one of the select few who were completely drenched as we all piled out of the tunnel. 

I happen to be caught up in the biggest water fight under the city. 

Freezing.

 The tunnel leads from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam. 

We gathered around this pool as Brother Muhelstein read from John 9.  

(This is the location the Savior heals a born blind man.)

"He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight." -John 9:11

Not only this but the Jews realize (Versus 33-34) Jesus Christ is no ordinary man;

He performed the impossible.

The amazing thing: The Savior never ceased healing. 

He can heal us today just like He healed this blind man.

Jesus Christ lives and His power is real.

Incredible Moment here at the Pool of Siloam.

A Day In The Life

I feel like I spend a lot of time updating on the Field Trips that consume my Mondays, the sacred experiences of my Sabbaths, and the ambitious journeys on Sundays (free days).  However, I neglect to inform you what a typical day is like for me:

6:00am-Jessie, Chels, and I role out of bed, put on our Asics. Exhausted, we head up 7 flights of stairs to go work out. 

6:10am-We are rewarded with the most beautiful scenic run around the center.  (Perched on the side of Mt. Scopus, there is no flat terrain….so constant incline or decline trails.  Calves of steal, baby. Abs/ sprawling out on the grass to enjoy the breathtaking view of The Old City.  P.S. The Dome of the Rock gives off the most glorious glow as the sun rises. 

   

7:00am-Jamming out to music with the roommates as we get ready.  With only three outfits hanging up in the closet, we get creative. Study. Lose track of time.

7:30am-Book it up 4 flights of stairs to make it in time for Breakfast. Inhale Breakfast.

8:00am- Old Testament. We have Old Testament every morning.  I am in charge of getting the class started with a warm welcome and a solid devotional.  Each day I spend a few hours reading and studying the Bible.  One could find me with all of my notes, time-lines, and maps laid out in a classroom as I try to grasp the material. My Professor is one of the most intelligent teachers I have ever had in my entire life. I am learning insane amounts of information about this land, the Lord, His prophets, and my ancestors.

9-11am- Judaism Class with Professor Ophir.  Brilliant man. (I just learned yesterday that he added a word to the Hebrew language.)  Uses double-sided tape to keep his Kippah from falling off his bald head. I love having an assortment of professors with various religious beliefs and backgrounds. I have internalized significant amounts of information about Israel, Judaism, and the history of the Middle East.  I won’t lie, occasionally my eye-lids get extremely heavy. Two hours of pure lecture can get a wee bit tiring.  

12pm-3pm: THE PAST TWO WEEKS WERE CONSUMED WITH HOURS UPON HOURS OF STUDYING FOR MIDTERMS………Normally I ……Explore Jerusalem: This includes: Crossing off sites from our “List” (For MNE 349, Chadwick gave us a list of 80 sites we need to see in East and West Jerusalem before the end of the semester as an assignment), eat lunch in the Jewish Cemetery, try various foreign foods, venture inside Muslim's homes, scamper through the narrow streets of the Old City in attempts to discover secret treasures, buy candy, watch Orthodox Jews go on dates, find look-out spots to bask in the sun, eat crepes in West Jerusalem, talk to the people, go to the suks, shop, etc. I try to get out into the City EvEryDaY! It is gorgeous.

4-6pm: Palestinian Class.  Another two hours of straight lecture with Professor Mussallem.  T-H-I-C-K accent. Sweet man. Extreme teaching style. Insists on constantly snapping to keep our attention.  Repetition is key for him; I have three sets of notes, from three different days all expressing the exact same material. 

JUST COMPLETED A 23 PAGE MIDTERM. DID I MENTION IT WAS 23 PAGES?!!

I secretly loved every second. I learned more solely from this project than I did deciphering hours of lecture. Ask me about the Islamic religion, Muhammad, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Hamas, PLO, Fateh, the World’s response to the Middle East, 1948 War, Palestinian Refugees and I can to tell you. Fascinating information. 

6pm-Meditteraen Dinner in the Oasis 

6:45pm (on Tuesdays=CUB SCOUTS! We made snicker doodles last week with all of the kids. Lots of little hands and cups of sugar. DIVINE.

7:30pm-FORUMS-We have the opportunity to have a guest speaker each week: Journalists, Governmental leaders, and successful Professors from all over the Middle East.  One of my favorite things here!!!!!  BYU enables us to form our own opinions about all of the political controversies in the Middle East, by giving us the chance to hear and ask questions to these individuals with various opinions and positions. Egypt, Libya, and Israel/Palestine are common subject matters. Yesterday, I stayed for an hour after to talk to Brother Muhlestien about politics. I am so grateful to be surrounded by extremely intelligent individuals who educate me on any and all subjects. 

I have rediscovered my passion for learning. I am not learning for a grade. I am learning solely for me. I am thriving here. 

THESE FORUMS ENABLE ME TO TAKE OFF MY NARROW-VIEWED, WESTERNIZED GOGGLES TO SEE THE WORLD IN THE EYES OF MILLIONS OF OTHERS, A WORLD FOREIGN TO ME. I am grateful to be an American. Democracy is golden. 

9:00pm- Study. Get distracted and play sports in the gym. Socialize. Study. Do the Julianne Michael's Workout Video in the gym with other 20 girls blaring Beyonce, as the boys wait in anticipation to seize the gym again.  Study.  Socialize. Stay up late talking to my roommates.  Get ready for bed.

Once or twice a week we have fun events planned-Synagogue visits, Culture Nights, Seder Dinners, Israeli dances, Talent Shows, and other diverse activities 

12:00am- Fall asleep, with the light on, writing in my journal…exhausted from an amazing day.