Weekly Update :)

Take me back to Greece!!!  I’m not gonna lie…it’s been kinda rough this week getting back into the swing of things with having class and homework again BUT it’s still been a great week.  As we were driving home from the Tel Aviv airport on Sunday Brother Judd played the song “Home” and it really did feel like coming home.  I LOVE how Jerusalem feels like home!  It is truly such an amazing place.  

I adventured over to some olive wood shops this week.  I don’t know how I am ever going to decide what I actually want other than just to buy the whole store ;)  Jimmy was our first stop and then we went to Omar’s.  I loved talking with Jimmy and learning about his life and experience with Mormonism.  He is an amazing man.  Honestly I just love talking to locals!  It’s probably been one of my top favorite things of this summer.  Wherever we are I cherish those moments that I am able to talk with locals and hear their stories.  Everyone has a story to share and be learned from.  I love it!  

We had a field trip to Jericho on Wednesday.  As we drove below sea level we of course had to sing “Under the Sea” :)  We made a stop at the Zacheaus tree, Herod’s Winter Palace, Elisha’s spring and then made our way to Old Testament Jericho.  My favorite stop was the last one where we saw the Mount of Temptation, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and the Dead Sea.  I loved learning about the parable of the Good Samaritan on the road that led from Jerusalem to Jericho.  We sang verse 1,2, and 7 from “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” at that sight as well which was powerful.  Brother Judd explode the parable with some insights that I really liked.  The question that is being answered is really “how can I be the best neighbor” rather than the question of “who is my neighbor.”  Our actions should always lead us to becoming the person we are capable of becoming.  

This month is Ramadan which has been really interesting to be apart of.  The city’s dynamics of life really change.  The Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day for one month.  I don’t know how they do that in the heat of the summer.  Their dedication is inspiring!  With that though a lot of things are closed or have different hours during the day because they are open at night instead for when all the eating and partying takes place.  

My favorite experience of the week happened when I visited the Dormition Abbey which is where it is believed that the Virgin Mary is buried.  I was just sitting there admiring the murals around the ceremonial area of Mary’s casket when this man comes down with a vase of flowers that he places inside by the casket.  They whole time he was down there I was just drawn to him.  You know those people who you can just ell have a good soul and are just good people…well he was one of them.  We were literally about to walk up the stairs to leave but I had the biggest impression to go talk to him.  I felt like the Spirit literally turned me around and walked me towards this man.  I came up with the best thing I could think of in the blink of an eye and just asked him what his job was.  He told me he was the gardener and I just rolled with that and carried on a small little conversation with him until he asked if we had seen the gardens.  We told him no and he offered to show us.  He ended up taking us through this locked gate into a monk garden.  Honestly I don’t think we were suppose to be there but he was so excited to show us the word he had done in the gardens.  It was beautiful!  The crazy thing was that he is from Germany and didn’t speak great English but enough to get by here and there.  He kept throwing in German words and phrases and my 2 years of high school German somewhat came in handy.  Haha but it was still a definite struggle!  Even though I didn’t understand the majority of the things he was saying it was amazing to me to see how excited this man was to share his pride and joy and excitement about the gardens he takes care of with us.  It was such a wonderful experience!  I am so glad that I was able to meet him.  I still am not sure the real reason for why I felt so prompted to talk to this man but I know that for me personally it brought me so much happiness to see this man full of passion share with us his garden.

Fun things of the week:

-Every week we have cleaning checks and guess who got the cleanest apartment award this week…my apartment!  Woot woot :)

-volleyball games in the gym 

-wandering around West Jerusalem at night: farmer’s market and Shuk area

-watching the sunset on the terrace of the Center

-service project with making school kits

-shawarma for dinner at the Center…yum!!!

-watching “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” for Friday night movie night