Negev Field Trip

Monday was field trip day. Today as a full day in Negev (the dry south of Jerusalem). It's usually translated in the scriptures to south. We first stopped at a Lakiya Weaving place that was started all by women. It was super cool and we learned the process of the beautiful sheep/goat/camel rugs they make.

Our next stop was Beer Sheba. This is in the Bible and known to be the city where Abraham built a well. We went to the Tel of Beer Sheba which is an excavation site of an old city in 900-600 BC times! During excavating, they found an altar with the same descriptions as in Exodus with the horned corners and it was maybe used as a sacrificial altar so that was super cool.



Luke and I!

It was super cool, they restored a lot of it and you could see it all at the top of the lookout!

Pam and I with Tel Sheva in the back!

Amy, me, Annie, and Shelly!

me with Mary Jane, Heather, and Pam



We went down into the city's cistern which held their water. It was super cool! It's amazing
 how they were able to store so much water and a whole city flourish in the middle of the desert!

Heather and I in our hard hats! (I guess so we didn't bump our heads going into the cistern.

Our next stop was the Wilderness of Zin. This place is where the Israelites wandered for 40 years. It's translated as the wilderness of sin in the scriptures.

Just one perspective of the huge wilderness surrounding all around me.

Shelly, me, Jaymie, Jerica, and Dwight in front of some nasty water in the desert.
But if you were thirsty i guess water is water!

We did an hour hike and it was easy to see how they could murmur because it was super hot and super tiring. It was really cool though, we hiked up this super steep hill and we found old munk cave houses that they would live in because they were like the hard core isolation munks.


A bridge we had to cross, I felt super legit!



Up the very first steep set of stairs we had no idea were coming to us.

Priscilla and I with our floppy hats with Ian posing in on the side.

It said no passage but we went anyways.

The end of the very steep hill. So intense. I now know why they murmured so much, haha.

Sitting on some shelf of a isolation monk's house cave.

Lauren, Shelly, and Dwight climbing the ladder!

Lauren and I holding up the mountain with our awesome strength.

We took a group picture and I just had to take a picture of Brother Jackson our field trip teacher and head director of the JC.

Our last stop was Avdat which was the biggest caravan trading place for the Incense Trail which was like the highway through the desert back then. It was abandoned because of a huge earthquake so it was in good shape because usually it's completely destructed and destroyed in war so nothing is standing up besides restoration but a lot was still up and they are restoring more of it now and it was cool to see all that and the view was nice.

Heather and I inside a Byzantine chapel ruins

Little cave houses all down the hill

This day was a full day field trip so we were starving (our packed lunch was a wimp of a lunch) and there was a mcdonalds down hill so we all booked it down for food!

A really cool arch Devery and I took a quick pic with as we were running down the hill to Mcdonalds!

I got the one and only oreo mcflurry. If you know me, I loooove mcflurries, ever
since I was little. Just ask my mom. So this picture is for my mom
and my family because even in Jerusalem I can still eat my favorite
sweets! :)

It was a really fun field trip! I learned a lot and it was great to see more sites from the scriptures.

Shuk Market and Garden Tomb

After classes weekdays we have free time to go out to the City to do as we please. One thing I wanted to do for sure was go to West Jerusalem to the famous Shuk Market an d so we got a group and set out to West J. The Shuk Market is like a Farmer's Market but they have so much more cool stuff here than anywhere else I've seen! Here are a few pictures of what was around.


So many cool spices. I am for sure bringing some home to spice up my meals for next year!



The bread here is amazing!!



All kinds of yummy fruits and treats!

Mary, Hailey, and I bought very delicious donuts for only 3 shekels. That's less than a dollar! It was a great day!



Mary Jane and I

Friday we had a mini field trip to the Garden Tomb. I had waited to come here my first time as the field trip so it would be extra special. We had

"Recreating" the picture in the back of the scriptures, it is one my goals to see and take a picture with as
many pictures in the back of the scriptures as I can, how legit would that be!? So this is picture # 13.
Look it up in your Bible! :) (Don't worry, I'll get # 14 another day!)

Our funny tour guide. The garden tomb is owned by the Protestant Christian Church and two guides
asked to take us around because they love us Mormons. They think it's amazing and funny that we all
can sing and even sing in 4 part harmony.



Amy and I at the Garden Tomb!

The story of Christ's ressurection is so special to me. It makes it even more special to me now that I've been there, I've seen the possible garden and tomb that Joseph of Arimathea gave to hold Christ. I love this story and instead of telling you to read it sometime I'm going to put my favorite parts right here so you have no excuse! :)

 Matthew 28
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

3 His countanence was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

How cool that the women came and saw the angels. They told the disciples and Peter and John ran to the Tomb, seeing he was gone they left but Mary stayed.

John 20

11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

I love this story so much. I don't know why but I love that Christ came to Mary first, maybe just because she's a girl. She must have been a wonderful disciple of Christ to be the very first one to see Christ as a ressurected Being. I wish I could talk to her and ask her how she felt when she saw her Savior standing above her after she thought he was dead and gone. In verse 16 I can imagine the way she says the word Master, with so much love and joy, and you can just feel her complete conversion to Him as the Savior of the World. She heard the voice of Christ say her name with so much love and compassion and from Him just saying that one word, she knew it was her Master.

I know that Christ died for me. I will never be able to imagine or put my head around all the pain he went though, he suffered so much because He loves us. He died, for us, and three days later, he was ressurected. And as the angel said:

Zedikiah's Cave and Pool of Bethesda

Everyday we usually end at around 3:00 and we have free time for the rest of the day. Dinner is always at 6 so we have about 3 hours to go around the Old City if we want to make it back in time for food. Which is really nice because it's free and it's good. So Wednesday our first spot was Zedekiah's Cave.

Pam, Annie, me, Rachel, and Jerica on our way into the Cave!

Background story: Zedekiah's Cave is a huge undergound cave underneath the Old City. Herod the Great dug and carved to use the stone for the Second Temple, (the Western Wall is what is left standing from the stones of the cave). It is called Zedikiah's Cave because legend tells that King Zedikiah hid in this cave as the Babylonian's captured the city and destroyed the Temple.

Two of my wonderful roommates Paige and Jerica!



Beca, Brooke, Rachel, me, Dwight, Rachel, Joe (faculty student), and Pam

Throughout the cave is a small stream and the low parts of the cave has a dripping water ceiling that is all known as Zedekiah's tears, that he shed as the temple was being destroyed.



At the water stream of Zedekiah's tears

We took lots of pictures!

After the cave, we split and our group went to the Pool the Bethesda. I was camera-picture-taking out so I don't have as many pictures to post for this one but the pictures are not as important as the story.

A cool colored door of the church by the Pool of Bethesda

The gardens were beauuuuutiful around the area.

We walked under ground to the Pool of Bethesda (which makes sense, so long ago things were built one on top of the other so we got to literally see the actual pool. It's not anything special, looks like a Roman cistern but just to be in the area was nice.

It was very cool to be able to walk around the beautiful garden and see the ruins of an old Crusader chapel and have the open area to feel the Spirit. A cute UK couple told us about the garden around, which actually was a herb garden, a healing garden which went perfect with the story of John because people thought the pool had healing powers. They showed us all the cool herbs and flowers and we got to walk around outside. I loved this so much because in other biblical areas around Jerusalem, some church is usually built right on top of it and as a Mormon, our culture wants to be able to experience it as it was instead of worship in a church around an altar. The church was off to the side and we were able to stay outside and experience the beauty of the earth.

I loved it so much, mostly because I love the story, it is one of my favorite record miracle of Christ. The Pool of Bethesda is found in the Gospel John, specifically chapter 5:2-9. Because it's just a few verses I'm going to let the scriptures tell the story:

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, rise take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

I know that Jesus is the Christ. He came to the earth to atone for all our sins and to save us. To save me. I know that he performed many miracles and I love this story because all these people believed that the pool could heal them. But really, they are dead wrong. I like to put myself in the story and ask myself what I would have done if I was a certain person. This man was sick in some way for 38 years. 38 years!! He has had this infirmity probably his whole life. He probably lost all his family and friends, he has been alone and just waiting and wishing he could be healed for such a long time as it says in verse 6. As he told Jesus of his situation, Christ healed him and he was made whole and walked. He's never walked for 38 years, maybe even more and man if I was him I would be so excited and amazed that this Man healed me. He didn't need the pool; he had the real deal! I know that Christ can heal me because I am sick, we all have some kind of imfirmity and we won't be healed from an idea or earthly thing, but through Christ only. I know this Gospel is true and I am so grateful to be here in Jerusalem where I can feel  closer to Christ and be where his shoes have walked.

Tel Aviv

Because we have Sabbath on Saturday due to respect and convience because everything is closed on the Jewish Sabbath, we have church then and Sunday is a free day! Wohoo! So this Sunday we got a big group and we got on three vans to Tel Aviv! It's like a mini vacation in the big vacation here in Jerusalem with a beach, and we can wear shorts and normal clothes which was a big deal.

The four of us (Hailey, Devery, Dwight, and I) tried to be cool and go to the Dome of the Rock before we left that day. We left at 7:30 right after breakfast and got there a little before 8 to try to beat the tourists but there was a gigantic line and we wouldn't be able to make it back to the Center in time for the bus so we had to leave. We'll go again someday!

My usual group I go out to the city with (Hailey, Devery, me, and Dwight)

We left and were off to the beach! We got outside and they dropped us off at a beauuuutiful view of the Mediterranean Sea.


with Dwight, Hailey, and Melinda!

We walk to the Shuk, which is a Farmer's Market and we all got some mint lemonade. Apparently it was one of "the things" to do when you're in Jerusalem so now I can check it off my list!




with Anna Marie, Bekah, Heather, and Lane

Michael took my camera and took a bunch of pictures that filled up my SD card, haha.



Walking around we found this beautiful pink bush and we all couldn't resist taking a picture of it!

We got to the beach and changed into our swimsuits. That was the weirdest thing because for the past two weeks we have had ankle length skirts and shirts to our elbows so wearing swimsuits and shorts was very weird, we all felt naked! We ate lunch, and laid out on the beach which was beauutiful weather. We were on the beach for like 4 hours! Don't worry I put sunscreen on....i mean at least a little bit.

Devery, Hailey, and I with the Sea in the background!



There were lots of people wind surfing all over the place, it was so cool!

Michael saying to make a serious face picture, but knowing me I can never do that without bursting out laughing.



My awesomely beautifully terrifically wonderful roommate Jerica! :)



Having fun taking awesome pictures



Our group! (Back row: Stehly, Dwight, Alyssa, Heather, Anna Marie; Front: Jerica, Michael,
me, Lane, Hailey, Melinda, Megan, Bekah, and Devery)

After 4 hours the beach got a little too boring for some people. I could have laid out all day but it was good we didn't because I would have fried even more than I already did. We wanted to find the famous Humus restaurant past students had told us about but when we found out it was far away, and had already closed. So we were walking through alleyways and exploring around, we asked a local where a good place to go and found a very cute, although equally sketchy, restaurant. Half of our group was creeped out enough to leave to eat somewhere else but the 8 of us braved it out and stayed. One of the customers eating knew English and helped us out knowing what to order and it ended up being totally awesome! The pitas were amaaaazing, and they gave us all kinds of dips and sauces that were really good and we order chicken and beef kebabs which were divine. The guy who owned the restaurant was super nice and we were all stuffed with really good food and it was only 6 dollars! Gotta love being in Israel!




Hailey, Heather, and I with our plate of delicious food!

This picture is for the one and only Christine. Tine, I took this picture in thought of you
 and your unusual love for these little green guys. I even got juice spilt all over my lap just
so I could get this picture to send to you to show how much I miss you! ;)

After dinner we walked on towards where we were to be picked up in a few hours and ran into this awesome graffiti. We had some fun with a little photo sesh as we usually do.



Hailey and I pushing our carts



Copying the grocery cart guy (me, Devery, Dwight, Hailey, Melinda, and Heather)
Dwight looks like a pimp with all us girls surrounding him, haha
Definitely the best picture of the day!

We walked to Old Jaffa City which was where the prophet Jonah docked while going around where God was telling him to go. So in this Sea was where Jonah was swallowed up by the whale for 3 days. The Old Jaffa City was very similar to the Old City with the old brick walls and limestone floors but everything was closing because it was getting night so it was much quieter and not as squished. We stopped and got ice cream because it was Heather's birthday and walked back to our pick-up spot just in time to see the sun set.



Our awesome group at the end



The sunset was so so beautiful, I wish pictures could show how it really looked like in reality.
But even the picture is beautiful so imagine it 10 times more!

A very shiny picture of me with the sunset. Nonetheless, it was a very awesome day!