Weekly Update :)
Wow this week has just been FULL of adventures! It started off with a fun free day at the Jerusalem Zoo which was a total blast.
Monday we had a field trip to Bethlehem. I have been told that this is so many people's favorite field trip so I kinda went with some lofty, high expectations. The field trip really didn't end up how I imagined it would be to say the least. Now don't get me wrong...I still enjoyed it but I learned some lessons that I wasn't really expecting to learn while in Bethlehem. I am just going to share an excerpt from my journal that I wrote while sitting in Mormon shepherds field at the end of the day because I think sums up my experience pretty well. Here we go: "Today was kinda stressful and I felt like it was just go, go, go without any quiet time to ponder or reflect. I had this thought though while sitting here in shepherds field overlooking Bethlehem that Mary probably felt all the emotions I felt today too. At times she was probably stressed especially knowing that at any moment she would be giving birth to the Son of God and didn't have anywhere to go. She probably felt disappointed in many ways including disappointment with herself and with others around her. She probably felt confused about a lot of things like how she was the one to bear the Son of God or how she would live up to the expectations placed upon her shoulders. Mary was human too! She was prone to doubt, fear, confusion, stress, all the human emotions. It is in those quiet moments of peace that I am sure she found strength as I am feeling now while sitting here overlooking the city where our dear Savior was born many years ago."
Tuesday I ventured out into the city for a little part of the afternoon and went to an Armenian Church service before coming back to the Center to crack down and study for the ANE (Ancient Near East) test.
Wednesday we had an informal talent show. It was a great night! So much talent that brought lots of laughs and smiles :)
Thursday we had our Christian Quarter field trip. We visited 6 churches in the Christian Quarters of the Old City. I had already been to the majority of the churches we visited but it was interesting to go as a class with my teacher and learn from him. Once again it fascinates me to see the similarities and also the extreme differences between all the churches and ours. I love it! It was only a half day field trip so by 1:00 we were all set free to do whatever we wanted. We ended up staying out in the city a little longer before coming back to the center to study for another test...this time for New Testament. It was Madson's birthday so we went and got ice cream to celebrate and visited one more church on our walk back to the center. It was a fun day!
Friday we got a falafel demonstration from our chefs here at the center. Get excited for me to make you some when I get home! I LOVE falafel!!! We had our usual Friday afternoon service project of making school kits which is always fun. That night we had a farewell party for Sister Ludlow and the 2 Ludlow girls, Melia and Marissa, before they left for the states for the rest of the time we are here in Jerusalem.
Also just an update on my safety if any of you are concerned after seeing news articles on CNN and Desert News about what happened Friday morning at the Temple Mount. Everything is totally fine! I feel SO safe here and really the media (especially Desert News) made it sound like a way bigger deal than it actually was for us here at the center anyway. On Friday's we aren't even allowed to leave the Center until 3:00 pm normally because of the religious tensions that normally occur on Fridays here anyway. So no worries at all! It just make me sad to see the conflict and so many innocent people suffer from it. I can't wait until the day that there will be peace in the Holy Land and everyone will be able to experience the peace of the gospel and of Christ.
Monday we had a field trip to Bethlehem. I have been told that this is so many people's favorite field trip so I kinda went with some lofty, high expectations. The field trip really didn't end up how I imagined it would be to say the least. Now don't get me wrong...I still enjoyed it but I learned some lessons that I wasn't really expecting to learn while in Bethlehem. I am just going to share an excerpt from my journal that I wrote while sitting in Mormon shepherds field at the end of the day because I think sums up my experience pretty well. Here we go: "Today was kinda stressful and I felt like it was just go, go, go without any quiet time to ponder or reflect. I had this thought though while sitting here in shepherds field overlooking Bethlehem that Mary probably felt all the emotions I felt today too. At times she was probably stressed especially knowing that at any moment she would be giving birth to the Son of God and didn't have anywhere to go. She probably felt disappointed in many ways including disappointment with herself and with others around her. She probably felt confused about a lot of things like how she was the one to bear the Son of God or how she would live up to the expectations placed upon her shoulders. Mary was human too! She was prone to doubt, fear, confusion, stress, all the human emotions. It is in those quiet moments of peace that I am sure she found strength as I am feeling now while sitting here overlooking the city where our dear Savior was born many years ago."
Tuesday I ventured out into the city for a little part of the afternoon and went to an Armenian Church service before coming back to the Center to crack down and study for the ANE (Ancient Near East) test.
Wednesday we had an informal talent show. It was a great night! So much talent that brought lots of laughs and smiles :)
Thursday we had our Christian Quarter field trip. We visited 6 churches in the Christian Quarters of the Old City. I had already been to the majority of the churches we visited but it was interesting to go as a class with my teacher and learn from him. Once again it fascinates me to see the similarities and also the extreme differences between all the churches and ours. I love it! It was only a half day field trip so by 1:00 we were all set free to do whatever we wanted. We ended up staying out in the city a little longer before coming back to the center to study for another test...this time for New Testament. It was Madson's birthday so we went and got ice cream to celebrate and visited one more church on our walk back to the center. It was a fun day!
Friday we got a falafel demonstration from our chefs here at the center. Get excited for me to make you some when I get home! I LOVE falafel!!! We had our usual Friday afternoon service project of making school kits which is always fun. That night we had a farewell party for Sister Ludlow and the 2 Ludlow girls, Melia and Marissa, before they left for the states for the rest of the time we are here in Jerusalem.
Also just an update on my safety if any of you are concerned after seeing news articles on CNN and Desert News about what happened Friday morning at the Temple Mount. Everything is totally fine! I feel SO safe here and really the media (especially Desert News) made it sound like a way bigger deal than it actually was for us here at the center anyway. On Friday's we aren't even allowed to leave the Center until 3:00 pm normally because of the religious tensions that normally occur on Fridays here anyway. So no worries at all! It just make me sad to see the conflict and so many innocent people suffer from it. I can't wait until the day that there will be peace in the Holy Land and everyone will be able to experience the peace of the gospel and of Christ.
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