First Fieldtrip!!

We had our first real field trip this Monday, and that was like a week ago...but NOW I am going to blog about it ha. We left at 8:00 for our first field trip and we went to all these different places around Jerusalem and to different overlooks. 

Seven Arches Overlook with the Dome of the Rock!

We first went to just an overlook at the Seven Arches Hotel and it was a great view of the city! We saw the city wall that separates the old city from everywhere else, the Temple Mount, the Kidron Valley, etc. (All those important historical places that we are supposed to know) And Bro. Judd pointed out that we should go to the steps where Jesus probably walked! AHH! He told us a story about how Neil Armstrong (man on the moon) came and took a tour of Israel and asked to be taken to a place where Christ walked and when he stood on those steps said that standing there meant more to him than standing on the moon…wow that’s powerful. I gotta go there! 

Augusta Victoria Church

We went to this church, the Augusta Victoria church, who was the wife of Kaiser Vilhelm so he named it after her. It was a beautiful church, with lots of paintings and murals and different depictions of Christ, all very different. We hiked to the top of the tower, which was a serious thigh burner! But it was a pretty view from all sides. So we just use these little receiver things that we plug in headphones and can hear Bro. Judd or whoever while they are lecturing, it’s really quite nifty. 

Bethlehem Overlook

Kibbutz Ramat Rachel (Remember this Mom?)

We went to the Bethlehem overlook next and that was definitely my favorite place! It was beautiful and so cool to be seeing Bethlehem! Bro. Jackson pointed out Ramat Rachel, where my mom stayed when she was here for the program like forever ago! It was really sweet to see that and I am grateful that I have been able to share some sweet memories with her and to see her get so excited about everything that I will be able to experience here! 

Me and Hunter at Tayelet. I think we are friends...

I am grateful that we were able to get out of the center and out to seeing some of the amazing places that are here in Israel, I never realized that there was so much history here! It's incredible! Our first fieldtrip I would consider a definite success! We even sang songs on the bus! Songs about Jerusalem, they're great! And I feel like some of the relationships I am building are not just the same questions over and over again... the "where are you from?" and "what's your major" stage is finally coming to an end. Thank goodness. I can definitely see mysef making some great friends here! 

Saturday is the Sabbath?

So today, Saturday, was our Sabbath day. It will get some getting used to with this new schedule but I think I kind of like it. We had church today at 10, which would have been nice to sleep in except that breakfast is from 8-9 and choir from 9-10, and they don't give us lunch on Saturdays. Very tricky they are...it pretty much forces everyone to go to breakfast early so they might as well do choir. That is probably why about 70 out of 82 of us did choir. So yes, I am in the branch choir and we even sang in church today already. I was so exhausted all through church today, I felt bad because I kept falling asleep in Relief Society, and I was sitting in the middle front row. And I had to say the closing prayer...how embarassing. I'm sure eventually I'll get used to the time difference.

Our first view of the city!

Today was the first day we got to leave the center and it was soo great! I felt like we were finally getting to go out into the city! We walked up and down hills through the streets for about 20 minutes to get to the Garden Tomb, where we would be spending our Sabbath afternoon. It was so interesting to walk through Jerusalem, it's a beautiful city, kind of dirty, but it reminded me of pretty much any big city but different. We were definitely recognized as the Americans and we had lots of guys honking and cat calling at us. But we just were told to try and ignore them. Also the drivers are cray and don't really watch out for anyone, reminds me of New York ha. And people park on the sidewalks and pretty much just wherever they feel like.

We had this beautiful view of the Center as we were walking. Just in case you were wondering, I LIVE THERE!!! So cool.

Me in front of the Garden Tomb.

Definitely the best part about today was going to the Garden Tomb. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but wow! Immediately as I walked into the garden, I could feel the spirit. The tomb where Christ was supposedly buried is inside this huge beautiful garden that was so green and well taken care of. For some reason I expected something different. They hold tours here and we were only one of many groups of people there. The guide took us around and talked to us a little bit about the tomb and also showed us what could be Golgatha. I still am having a hard time comprehending the fact that I am here in the city where so much of Christ's life occurred. We were able to go inside the tomb and see where Christ's body would have been laid, truly an amazing place. All 82 of us sang hymns as we were sitting in the garden and the spirit was so strong there, I am excited to go back again when I can spend some more time there because I already love it!

When we came back to the center, and after eating dinner, we saw the most beautiful sunset over the city! It was breath taking! And just as a bunch of us were out on the balcony taking pictures and admiring it, all of a sudden there were fireworks! I LOVE fireworks! It was awesome! They were celebrating something, not sure what. But people were singing in the streets and shooting off fireworks. I hope that happens every Saturday! I have a feeling I am going just learn to love this place more and more every day!

First snow in 10 years!

 
So it is Friday night here and we have only been here for like 2 days but I feel like I have been here an eternity. Yesterday it snowed for the first time in 10 years! It was so beautiful, I'm not even complaining haha. But I am pretty sure the center is about as cold as it is outside. So freezing because it's all made of marble. Which is beautiful, but makes it really quite chilly in this place, so I am always wearing layers and a sweatshirt. Yesterday was quite uneventful actually, just more meetings and orientation junk, most of which I was falling asleep through. I am definitely not used to the time change yet. It is weird here because you feel like you sort of know everyone or at least you have met them, but you aren’t close enough with them to like hang out or eat lunch together so I feel awkward. I spent like 4 hours in the library studying last night, ok maybe like 3, but still. I probably did more studying in one night than I ever have before for one class period haha. I kinda feel like we are in prison here. We haven't gotten our security cards or our cell phones yet so we can't leave the center yet,I just want to go out into the city and see what I am here for! I mean the Center is pretty, but it’s not much excitement honestly. And today we had 4 hours of class straight! Talk about torture! It was so long! However I decided that I am really going to like Old Testament, plus I love Bro. Judd, he seems like a good teacher. And there are 3 Sara/hs in my class so I told him he could call me Van Wag. I have a feeling that nickname will catch on soon. My other class, Near Eastern Studies, seems like it’s going to be hell. At least this first week, we have a test next Wednesday over a bunch of reading that I have yet to do…oops. I will spend my Friday night studying and reading tonight, yay. We had a committee planning meeting this afternoon after the security briefing, which I totally fell asleep in, and I am on the Snack Bar committee! I think it’ll be fun for the first little bit. We get to buy and sell snacks at the Shekel Shack and plan things with the party planning committee. That’ll be fun. I think my favorite part of today was taking an hour long nap before dinner, it was so great! And after dinner I went to the gym and biked 7 miles, I plan to be a good exerciser while I am here, not that I ever was before. But what a great place to start, in Jerusalem! I spent tonight just meeting people, when I should've been studying. And I hope to get to bed at a decent time so I can be well rested for the Sabbath which is on Saturdays here, so crazy!

I'm here!!!

Oh man, the last 48 hours has felt like one long continuous day, which it pretty much has been. I left Provo at about 8:30am on Tuesday, the 8th, arriving in the JFK airport at 6:30pm, leaving at 9:10pm and arriving in Tel Aviv Wednesday, the 9th, at about 2:30pm. So I am all kinds of messed up on the time. And I am really really tired. Unfortunately in the 15 hours I spent on a plane, I was unable to find a very comfortable sleeping position, shocker. However, on the flight from JFK to Tel Aviv I had my own personal tv and they served us dinner and breakfast…neither of which were very good, but when you are starving you'll eat anything! I was so incredibly happy to get off the plane when we arrived! But I wasn't excited to have to carry my 300 pound duffel bag through the airport again, and apparently neither was it because one of the straps broke (the other one that you didn't break Brad, ha). But I got a good upper arm workout from it, so I guess I won't complain too much. We walked through customs and everything was in Hebrew and you flush the bathrooms with a pedal and everyone is Jewish...yeah it's different here. But I was so happy to finally be in Israel! We had about a 45 minute bus ride to the Jerusalem Center and let me tell ya…this place is beautiful! We got to the center overlooking the city and it is amazing! And the center is gorgeous, I already love it. Tonight we had a couple of orientation meetings and we got to our rooms and unpacked everything. I realized I brought a lot of stuff! Ha, guess I am not too surprised with how much each of my bags weighed. We had dinner and it was actually pretty good. The olives are bitter, especially the green ones, but they're straight from the olive trees here, not from a can! And I had pita bread with nutella spread on it for dessert and that's when I knew that I would love it here haha. After a few short meetings in our classes they dismissed us for the night. And now it is 10:00pm and I am exhausted and ready for bed!

When we first walked in the gates to the center this afternoon they said, "Welcome to your new home." I think that's when it kind of hit me that I am going to be living here for the next 4 months…this is my temporary home. I am so excited to start this adventure and to make friends with all 81 of these people. They all seem so great! I love my roommates already and everyone is just so happy and friendly, I love it! My attitude has entirely changed in the last 48 and I am very grateful for that. I am no longer terrified of being away from everything and everyone I know for the next few months, but just so excited and feeling so blessed for this opportunity I have to be here! I know it's going to be so good for me and will be such an incredible adventure!