J-RU

We just started our 5 classes and honestly I have NEVER had so many reading assignments! In the past 3 days Ive probably read 300 pages no joke. So between reading, field trips, and trying to sleep I've been super busy! I'm learning so much though! We have read through Gen 1-35 and seen quite a few of the sites where it all took place with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob... its amazing that I'm actually here! We are taking a Hebrew class too its way cool to learn the alphabet, it's kinda like a jig-saw puzzle... if you learn the letters you can pretty much read it... our teacher said that by the end of the class we should be able to read the 10 commandments! cool huh!

Funny story so in my Hebrew class we learned about this prayer that Jews say after dinner. It is Bercone like Beer-cone, translated to"Grace after dinner". Anyways so all they boys started saying, I'd like some Grace after dinner! haha so mow my nickname is Bercone.


We are taking a class on Islam and another class on Judaism, they are super interesting but like I said a TON of reading! They have a little room here with a basketball court and a little gym on the side. On Monday we had a 3-on-3 tourney pretty sure my team won haha it was really fun! Ive been riding the bikes while I do all the reading so i stay awake so far its working really well :) Monday we also had the Israel Opera come and put on a concert. I was a hostess and got to meet a lot of really neat people, plus the music was absolutely amazing! Ill see if I can get a few more posts up about it so you can hear more... those were some of the fun things from the past few days...

On our field trip we stopped by the place where they think Christ ascended into heaven, there are 3 competing sites so really no one really knows where but the church was super pretty and from the tower we could see nearly to the Dead Sea! We also visited a mosque where Samuel was claimed to be buried but my teacher said they don't really think so.... Ive had some really interesting insights on our nature as humans while Ive been here observing people who have come from everywhere to make their pilgrimage to the holy sites of their religion. We as humans need something tangible to worship or to remind us, and help us feel a closeness to God.

The Holy Sepulcher where they say Christ was crucified, anointed for burial, and where his tomb lie, all within 10 yards of each other in this old church. In all the reading Ive been doing they actually talked about the falseness of this accusation. the person who discovered it really had no idea. anyways I went there with a little group on Sunday morning before all the tourist groups come through and it was amazing to watch and see the intensity and sincerity that these people worship these places. They really just need something to represent their beliefs. This is the case with all the sites here in Jerusalem, some are discernible as true by the spirit as being the true place. it seems like every 5 feet you see someone from a different religion, everyone seems to have and feel a closeness to this place and knows of its sacredness.

Ive been thinking about it and we really don't have to make a pilgrimage to the Holy land to feel close to our savior, Heavenly Father has blessed us with the restoration of the Gospel and the knowledge that we don't have to take a pilgrimage to feel his spirit and be reminded of him and that he has not ceased to speak to man. Even though it is amazing to we don't have to visit the site where Christ was "supposedly" anointed for burial, or touch and pray to the last standing wall of the Temple of Herod to show our loyalty and worship him. We have been blessed with real tangible symbols of our covenants and reminders of our beliefs. The Sacrament that we take weekly helps us to renew those covenants, the garments that we wear when we are able to visit his holy temples and take out our endowments, and the fact that we have dedicated temples that dot the earth, its so sad to think that these religious people are trying so hard and want that relationship with their Savior so badly but they just don't have the knowledge of the restoration.
 
(I hope that all made sense. I had it all typed up once and the computer had a spaz attack and erased it so I'm not sure how good it sounds the second time... lame...)
 
Earlier today we made a stop at the Dome on the Rock the Muslim place of worship. It is breath taking! They don't let you in, but even from the outside you can see why they value it! The dome is leafed with gold and the whole outside is tiled with bright blues and greens making beautiful intricate designs and patterns.