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!