So me just lay it out there... I realize that I have been a little, ok really, bad at keeping you updated on everything thats going on here in the beautiful land of Israel. Dont fret darlings I'll repent and get better and finish posting about Egypt soon! Here is what we have been doing since we got back from Egypt on May 21. I know its uber long but try and stick it out!
May 22 was my 20th birthday! it was defiantly on of the top ways to spend your birthday! the only thing that would have made it better would have been if you all had been here too! We had Sacrament meeting in the gorgeous auditorium and they sang to me in Relief Society. After church though a group of us got together and made the trek up to the Garden Tomb. It was so so nice. The spirit there is so strong! And to be with so many people that are working to be closer to the spirit as well, it was powerful. We stayed for most of the afternoon. Here are some of the things i wrote in my journal... I was just thinking about the love that our Savior has for us in that everyone who comes to the Earth receives a perfect eternal body no matter what they did with their mortal existence. Because we will have the gift of our bodies forever the commandments, law of chastity, word of wisdom ect are just to help us learn how to bridle our passions and control our appetites (Dad it's ok with me if you wait to control your appetite last, wink wink). They are not to hold us back or limit us but to lift us up and prepare us for things to come. I opened my scriptures to Matt 5 and started reading the Sermon on the Mount. Vs 10-12 really struck me. It talks about those that are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and are falsely accused for his sake, great shall be their reward in heaven. I just felt this overwhelming feeling of peace realizing that all our loses would be made up. I know that Christ died on the cross, He suffered the pain and affection and heartache felt by all the inhabitants of not only this world but worlds without number. I know that he knows how i feel and his able to help me forgive and love not matter how hard it may be.
Dad dont worry I did cool stuff to celebrate your birthday too! Lisa, Chrissy, Neil, Daniel. Stacey, Jud, Jared, Kendal, Craig, and I went to the Hall of the Last Supper, it looks like your picture mom... just empty... while we were there we read Matt 26:26-28. We also went to King Davids Tomb, it is just down stairs in the same building as the Hall of the Last Supper. The Jews have built this little shrine and honestly I hate everyone of the tombs that we have been to. They are just dark and people are there reading the Torah and in a sense worshiping these dead people. It’s slightly disturbing. Anyway, on a lighter note we ended our little outing at Dormition Abbey or where Mary supposedly Ascended into Heaven. It was beautiful! the murals all over the chapel were breath taking, they all depict the life of Christ! We read in Isaiah about the prophecy Virgin Mary. If you go down a spiral stair case directly under the Chapel there is a shrine for Mary, it was one of the better ones, there were a lot of candles and more murals, they were each done by a different artist so they were all unique and interesting. That was our last stop that day...
The past few weeks have literally be packed with school work. Except for Sundays, they are our free-days and it seems like a sin to do much studying! A few of us went to Tel Aviv 2 Sundays ago and last Sunday we went to The Red Sea and spent the day in Elait. It was so fun to snorkel and play on the beach! Everyone went too so it was like going to the beach with 80 of your friends! The best part is now I can say that I’ve swam in the Red, and Med! I just need to make it to the Dead, and we will on a fieldtrip!
Speaking of fieldtrips, Mondays are our fieldtrip days. Two weeks ago our field trip included the southwestern, low country of Judea or the Shelpelah which means low land. There are 5 valleys Lachish, Guvrin, Elah, Sorek, and Aijalon. They have mountain ranges (or hills) between and are shaped like the spaces between fingers with Jerusalem at the top of the hand. They all lead up to Jerusalem. We went to the Valley Sorek where the story of Sampson in Judges 14-16 takes place. He had so much potential it was sad to see him get distracted in his strength and the world losing everything. The Ark of the Covenant was taken up through the Sorek valley on its way back to the Israelites after it was captured when the sons of Eli took it to battle, 1 Samuel. Lachish was our next stop. What I took form there was from Brother Manscill our Old Testament teacher when he said, “This is your legacy, your people, you are Israel.” Up to this point I had just thought of the places we went as historical sites where the Bible took place and it was interesting to put the stories into context but my whole perspective changed when I realized that these are my ancestors. These are the people who paved the way for Christ’s coming. It is amazing that the more I learn about the Old Testament the more apparent it is that the Lord truly had his hand in every instance, guiding and directing the peoples to make way for the birth and life of His son. The puzzle pieces just keep fitting together.
The final stop we made was in the Valley of Elah where David fought Goliath! We each got our own sling shot and got to have throwing or I guess slinging practice! I was super bad at first because I was scared of hitting myself in the face but Jesse showed me this sweet way of doing it that worked amazingly! It’s called the one… two… side arm, instead of trying to do it underhand you just swing it around and sorta throw it like a baseball. I think this summer is giving me the chance to take out some of the Goliaths in my life.
This past Monday we went to the Old City of David where the ruins from his palace are. We learned all about the city walls and how they were added to and expanded and the first temple that was build above the city.
The highlight was defiantly going through the Gihon water tunnels that were built under the city to bring water within the city walls. It was probably a good .5 mile with water up to our knees. I had my scriptures and phone in my bag so I was holding it trying to keep it from getting splashed. While we were in the tunnel we sang hymns and turned off our lights a few times and walked in the dark. It was a little scary. The walls are just a few inches wider than my shoulders and sometimes the roof drops down so I was constantly trying to keep from hitting my head. It was such a relief when the light came back on. While I was trying not to fall or get hurt in the dark I related the utter darkness to the darkness and emptiness that we feel when we are withdrawn from the spirit. No matter how hard you try you are going to hit the walls and have the feeling of being isolated and not knowing if you are going in the right direction. As soon as you let the light back into your life there is a calmness that comes and even though you have to make the same journey through the tunnel, none of the obstacles change, you are about to know what to do to avoid being hurt. Im so grateful for the gospel and the light that it has brought into my life. I know that Heavenly Father has, like with the Israelites, had His hand there continually guiding me.
When we made it out of the tunnel there is a little pool that is thought to be the pool of Siloam where Jesus healed a blind man, John 9. We talked about how he spit into the mud that he covered on the mans eyes to show the men that were skeptical of his power that it was from within him that he was able to heal. (if that made any sense)… If you felt bad that I had my scriptures with me in the tunnel and couldn’t splash and play with everyone be at peace. I put my scriptures down when we got out of the tunnel and we all got in a HUGE water fight in the Siloam pool, even the professors joined in!
