Weekly Update :)

Sunday: Yad Vashem

Ophir Yarden (Israel teacher) was our tour guide for the day.  It was interesting to have the perspective of a Jew on the Holocaust and I am grateful for Ophir’s willingness to take us even though I am sure it was really hard for him.

Monday: Free day

Dome of the Rock: It is SO beautiful!!!  We only had to wait in line for 45 minutes and as we were waiting there were three processionals that went by that we assumed were for barmitsfa’s (no idea how to spell that).  They were each quite the happening party with drums and horns and dancing and singing.  It was great entertainment while we waited in line to enter the Dome of the Rock complex.  Before we could enter though security made us dump out all of our water and throw away all of our food because of Ramadan…that was a bummer but totally worth it.  After we met up with another group and we took a van over to Ein Kerem.  It was about a 30 minute drive but also so worth it!  We first went to a church (one of many that day).  It was St. John’s Catholic Church.  Ein Kerem is believed to be the birth place of John the Baptist so that is why this church is named after him.  We found a cool tile/mosaic shop that had beautiful work.  It is all hand done and we enjoyed talking to the owner for a little bit.  She told us about a really good place to get gelato so of course we made a stop there before going down the street to go explore more of the little town.  We found a site called Mary’s Spring which had a little dirt road by it that we adventured down.  We saw this golden domed church on the hill above us and it looked like the dirt road would take us there so we were giving it a shot.  We came around this one corner and I literally about got ran over by a herd of goats.  It was the funniest thing!  By the time all the goats had passed this shepherd comes around the corner.  He asked us where we were going so we explained to him that we were trying to get to the golden domed church and his response was “well the path you are on now leads to the Mediterranean sea.”  Haha so funny!  He kindly got us onto the right dirt path and pointed out where he lived and told us to come visit anytime.  Such a nice man!  Our right dirt path lead us not only to the golden dome church but also to the hospital.  Yes we went to the hospital…but it was such a nice hospital.  There were these 12 stained glass windows that represented the 12 tribes of Israel that we had a little tour about which was really interesting.  Definitely worth the stop at the hospital on our way to the golden dome church which we found out was a Russian monastery.  It was beautiful and while we were there they were having a live worship going on with absolutely amazing singing.  Then we went to the Church of the Visitation where it is believed that Mary was told she would be the mother of the Son of God.  It was such a great day with such wonderful people!  

That night we had FHE with the Ludlows.  That was fun!  We made yummy cookies and just chatted.  

Tuesday: 

Full day of classes with our student formal talent show.  So much talent!  It was a really good night.

Wednesday:

Old Testament test…I did better on this one that I did on the first one so that’s good news!  That night we had our Seder dinner.  Ophir Yarden (our Israel teacher) led the night and it was a really good experience.  I was in charge of bringing him and his son their kosher meals so that was exciting too.

Thursday:

We had a break between classes so I left the center and went to West Jerusalem.  We wandered around some shops and the Shuk (outdoor market place) and made it back right in time for class.

Friday:

Survived 6 hours of class…it was a long morning/afternoon.  So we went and celebrated by going out into the city :)  We went to a church by the Church of the Holy Sepulture.  It had beautiful paintings!  It was interesting to see paintings that depicted Christ so similarly to the paintings we have in our church.  I loved it!  Then we went and sang hymns in a cistern which was beautiful.  Music is so powerful!  After we made our way through the Muslim quarters out of the Old City back to the Center.  Oh my goodness it was even crazier than last week!  So many people jammed into tiny little sidewalks.  We bought some schwarma for dinner and enjoyed eating it back at the Center since we can’t really eat in the Old City with Ramadan going on right now.  It was a great evening!

Saturday: Sabbath

I seriously LOVE the Sabbath!  It is the best!  I just got back from wandering around the Jewish cemetery and a church that was nearby it.  The church was very simple and small which I loved.  All throughout the church complex there was this scripture so we looked it up.  It was Luke 19:41 “And when he was come near, he behold the city, and wept over it…”  It was amazing to city on those grounds thinking of what it would have been like for Christ to overlook Jerusalem at that time.  Then bringing it into today’s context if He were sitting there would He weep over the city still.  It was quite powerful!