Parting thoughts...

Well, now I’m writing this paragraph at home. I’ve slept 24 hours in the last 2 days. Now I’m at home and my dad already has lots of stuff he wants me to get done on the farm. My brother is coming to visit Tuesday so I’m excited about that. You know what I’m going to miss most about Jerusalem? Being able to go outside and have some of the most important sites in Christianity just minutes walk away from me. I wonder if I’ll ever get over missing that feeling.

I wish I could explain some of the feelings I’ve had in the last several hours as well as this whole last week. To walk where Jesus walked, to go the places where he spent his last week in mortality, also to experience the culture of the land as well as spend time with my friends, has been truly amazing. I’ve learned so much about the scriptures, the historical geography of them, as well as this nation and the people of it. I can only thank God for the experience I’ve had here that I’ll remember the rest of my life. I hope this blog has been inspiring to some of you, and that you’ve been able to share in a little of what I have in the Holy Land. Maybe I’ll keep blogging, or throw some more pictures up, I’m not sure, but hopefully some of you have learned more about the Holy Land, and you’ll think back to this blog when you’ve read something neat in the scriptures.  Adieu! 

LAST DAY IN JERUSALEM!!!!!

Well, the last day some of us were thinking about going to Hezekiah’s tunnel (the tunnel that carries water underneath Jerusalem built by King Hezekiah to prepare for the Assyrian invasion) but I didn’t want to and persuaded the group to go instead to the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene. I’d been there before but it was very pretty, with huge union shaped gold domes. There was a man tourist in front of us who the nuns compelled to put on a skirt because he was wearing shorts. That’s one thing that I always let bug me while in the Holy Land-> the immodesty of the Christian tourists. Not that shorts are super bad in America, but to the cultures and even religions here shorts on men are ridiculous, and sexually provocative on women. And showing cleavage is way out of line too. Anyway, when in Jerusalem put some clothes on! I just really enjoyed the modesty of our center’s girls while in Jerusalem.

We made a quick stop in Gethsemane before we left, and headed into the city to pick up just a few more last minute items. After that we made it to the Garden Tomb for one last stop there. It was a good experience. While maybe Christ wasn’t buried and resurrected there, I was able to imagine for a second that he was. There weren’t a lot of people there and I was able to go into the tomb alone. Really it was moments like this that I came to Jerusalem for. I don’t think that I even imagined I’d come here to Jerusalem and Israel, but here I was doing it and being all those places I’d only seen in pictures or heard about. Really this whole last week has been that way: me just amazed at what I was doing and able to see. The tomb closed at 12 so we were able to get home by 12:15. We had several hours to pack, say our goodbyes, and leave! I think it was a pretty emotional time for us all as we embraced and said our goodbyes. Even for those of us who were leaving at the same time or going to see each other in Utah again. It was especially sad to see those who go to BYU Idaho or Hawaii who maybe we won’t see again. But we got on our busses, got on the highway, and drove by the separation barrier down to Tel Aviv and the airport.

To cover that last hours after we left Jerusalem. First off our tickets were messed up-> they didn’t have us in the system for Delta! My ticket was especially worrisome because I had a flight to Miami under my name (because I took someone else’s spot 6 months ago) but I has supposed to get off before then in Atlanta and go to Seattle and so originally they only wanted to give me a flight to Miami, but after they called BYU I got a ticket to New York, then to Seattle. As I’m writing this I’m in the Seattle airport waiting for my flight to Yakima. The flight from Tel Aviv to New York was long-> 11 hours. I closed my eyes at one point and opened them again 6 hours later-> but other than that I haven’t slept much-> I don’t sleep well on planes. The girl next to me was coming home from a “birthright” trip from Israel. Basically some really rich old Jewish guy pays for people with Jewish ancestry or connections to go experience Israel for a week. Ironic because that term would be offensive to Palestinians who see the Jews as foreign intruders to the land. Anyway, it turned out she was from Park City Utah, and while in Israel everyone asked if she was Mormon. My flight from NY (JFK) to Seattle seemed longer, however, because I didn’t sleep and it was about a 6 hour flight. When I ate lunch (Washington time) or a midnight snack (Jerusalem time) in Seattle a guy sat by me, and when we started talking I found out his dad was Jewish, and he had been in Seattle for a teacher’s conference. We had a good talk, he said he didn’t know anyone who was Mormon. I fixed that!

Landing in Seattle was weird. I kept looking for Jewish and Palestinian people-> I really miss seeing them walking around. Suddenly there are all these older white people and it’s throwing me off! I saw a Jewish guy with a big black hat and almost ran up to him, also a Muslim lady. I also saw a Mexican and was not sure what I was looking at.  Also, everyone sitting next to me going to Yakima looked super hic and a lot of them had an “Alaska” hat on. There is one guy with one of those mustaches that goes out super far the whole way across his face, like 10 inches. But at the same time I know these people are good people. I saw some block stylized English letting in an advertisement and got excited because I thought it was Hebrew. Since I felt my experience in a study abroad was not as culturally immersive as my mission was, I thought my transition home would be easy. So far it hasn’t, but I have been awake 10 extra hours in addition to travel, and I think I just need to give it some time. L I think I’m more excited to see my parents now then I was getting off my mission. 

Well, I won't miss the trash strewn about....

Last walk through Orson Hyde. 

I decided the place looked like some place from Final Fantasy the video game so here is my video game pose.

First healthy looking cat I've seen here. Probably pregnant.

Ramadan lights!

Friends singing at the Garden Tomb.- They were so good I didn't think they were from our group!

Vast view of Garden Tomb.

View of Mount of Olives from just north of Jerusalem.

Michelle and Ashley wanted to be spun around on the kids' playground...

They both got really sick.

Goodbye hat!

Goodbye Jerusalem Center!!!!!!!!

Last two days in Jerusalem: Day 1

The next day, or second to last day we were in Jerusalem, was a free day to do what we wanted. The next day would also free but we needed to prepare to go the airport in the evening and most people had to pack so today was really our last free day. Michele, Ashley, and I headed out on a slower picture taking/ time taking walk through the city in the morning. A lot of the shops don’t open until 10 or later, so the city was fairly empty, and we got some great camera shots. We ended up going through New Gate, through the Christian area of Jerusalem, and ended up at the Church of Holy Sepulture again. Ashley wanted to go inside the actual tomb they have, I guess you’d call it a crypt, which she hadn’t been able to do because usually the line is so long but it was my third time through. This time a nice Greek priest told us we could take pictures-> something I wasn’t able to do before. It was a good site to visit my last day or two in Jerusalem.

After that we made our way over to the Austrian Hospice, where the girls bought some orange juice and hot chocolate. We hung out on the roof which had a super good view of the old city as well. I’d forgotten what a good view it had of the old city. Anyway, we exchanged some gossip there and relaxed, then headed over to the Western Wall one last time.

Have I mentioned I love the Western Wall? I’m pretty sure I have. This time Ashley wanted me to take her camera over onto the men’s side to take pictures so I did. It was actually pretty fun and addicting to take lots of pictures. I felt kind of guilty taking pictures of people praying at the wall, but at the same time cameras are allowed. I expected someone to appear and tell I’d made the Lord’s House a house of photography and throw me out. But that didn’t happen.

We also visited a Jewish Bookstore, kind of a Deseret book for Jews as one of us put it. We also went into the old city to buy souvenirs for a little while.

Well by then we were hungry and headed over to the Jewish quarter again and bought some good shwarma for lunch. Shwarma is specially cooked lamb meat. It kind of reminded me of J-dawgs with all the toppings.

We then decided to go to the park in West Jerusalem; there I don’t think we felt like going anywhere so we just hung out there for like an hour and a half or more. This day was definably more laid back than the other days I’ve had in Jerusalem. Usually we were always running around to get to different spots where people wanted to go; today we knew we had all day and had already visited the sites we came here to Jerusalem to see. We also wandered over to Ben Yehuda street for some Ice cream and other goodies. After that we headed home.

Unplanned I realized we’d visited most of the places we’d walked though our very virst or second day in Jerusalem when our teachers gave us tours in small groups to orient us. The Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulture, the Western Wall (I think), and Ben Yehuda street in West Jerusalem. I guess those are just the best places to visit, and by chance we went by them all again.

That evening was a goodbye Barbecue dinner, which was excellent (my only regret is that I have but one stomach to give to those meals.) At the end we gave the kitchen staff a big hand. At 8 we had a final slide show/ class skits that people came up with. Both were very good. Of the skits I’ll only mention one. There was a boy and a girl here who have kind of been dating and are the subject of a lot of gossip because she has her mission call and will leave in a couple months but they really like each other and people wonder if she’ll stay home (although last I heard she’s not planning too). Anyway, in the skit, which consisted of “pillow talk” with girls acting like boys and boys acting like girls, she kissed him goodnight. Kissing or any other PDA’s are not allowed at the Jerusalem center and so to see someone kiss someone else on stage on the mouth at the Jerusalem center, and having it be a real couple at that, we all went crazy. The branch president even called out “I want that mission call back!” Anyway, I think it’s an indicator of how we’ve all been cramped in the same social setting for too long. However, the slide show, which contained pictures from everything that happened this last semester, was exceptionally good and I enjoyed it very much.

Right outside the Jerusalem Center with an Olive tree.

Cool building.

The Latin Patriarch's place.

With friends on the streets!

Ashley and the Holy Sepulchral.

Cool door on top of church.

Icon in the crypt where Jesus was buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulchral.

Western Wall.

Western wall again!

Jerusalem Sunset with friends.

Book in the bookstore-> shows the wide breadth that exists in Judaism.

New Gate.

Damascus gate- courtesy of Ashley Wilkinson.

Church of Holy Sepulchral- the rest of the pictures were taken by Ashley. 

Old guy teaching children at Western Wall.

Guy who walks Jerusalem and looks like Jesus-> he's from Detroit.

Dirty feet!

Last Hours of Christ's life field trip.

Our last Field Trip day, we walked down to the Church of all nations and Gethsemane. I’d been there many times before, but I’d never had the architectural parts of the church explained to me including what the fresco on the top meant, how the church was made to look like a dark garden, how the alter was made to look like a giant cup, among other things. We went to a secluded garden across the street (there was a tomb full of human bones there!) and we had a neat devotional. After some time to think, sing some hymns, and give some testimonies, we walked over to a Russian Orthodox Tomb of Mary as well as an underground chapel where there used to be an olive press. I’d visited both before but it was nice to go to that Olive Press Chapel. Also, this was the third tomb of Mary we’d seen or been by: one the day before and another in Turkey (tradition says that Mary went and stayed with John the beloved in Ephesus.) After that we walked up to Jerusalem and retraced some of the steps of the Via Dolorosa, including where the Antonia fortress was in relation to the streets, as well as some stones that would have been on the street in Christ’s day-> there is actually a good chance he was led out of the fortress on or near those stones. (At the Antonia fortress is where most people think was the most probably place where Christ appeared before Pilate and was scourged and had the cross put on him.) On that road now called Via Dolorosa are two churches which we visited. The first was called the Church of the flagellation to commemorate Christ’s whipping at the hands of his Roman Captors- (meant to bring the guilty close to death before Crucifixion. Perhaps Christ was also mildly whipped before this when he appeared before Pilate as well.) We also went to a church named after St. Anne, who was Mary’s mother. I’m not sure why we stopped here on this day other than it was very close to the other churches we were visiting, but Catholics believe St. Anna gave a virgin birth to Mary, much as Mary gave a virgin birth to Christ-> that way her daughter would not be “corrupted” to give birth to Christ. I don’t believe that Mary had to be born from a virgin birth in order to give birth the Savior though. The church of St. Anne claims to be the oldest Christian church in Jerusalem-> damaged but never destroyed since Crusader times. It was impressively large and had great acoustics. We sang like 10 hymns there and a girl in our group who has lots of voice training also sang there. Outside, there are excavations from where the pool of Bethesda was. Many different people have built and changed the area, from Romans, to Byzantines to Crusaders to Mamelukes etc. But still it was cool to crawl around in there. We don’t know how exactly it was shaped in Christ’s day or what area it covered, other than it had 5 porches or places to enter the pool or pools.

Well, after that we went to our last field trip site: the Garden Tomb. The tomb, located on the north side of the both the Old City of Christ’s day as well as the Old city of today, is a place where many prophets had said they’ve experienced feelings that Christ was buried there or near there. Our archeology teacher, who once came out in support of the site, now believes that it is likely not the site of Christ’s burial-> although I still haven’t read that extra article he sent us explaining why. But it’s still a very peaceful place and was a good place to end up. We sat in an outdoor area, had a short devotional/ hymn singing/ testimony meeting. Then we were done for that day.

Human Bones in a tomb.

Friends in the Pool of Bethesda.

Pool of Bethesda.

Stones outside Antonia fortress from Christ's time.

John 18:6 says the soldiers went backward and fell on the ground when they saw Christ in the Garden. Fresco from Church of all nations.

Another fresco.

Thorns and birds drinking out of cups in the church.

Garden of Gethsemane.

Friends at the Church of St. Anne.

St. Anne statue.

Garden Tomb.

Pools of Bethesda.

Last days of Christ's life field trip

Well, I’m not really sure about how to begin writing about these last few days. I feel like it’s really been a culmination of my experience in Israel /Jerusalem/ The Holy Land. I was actually pretty burnt out and got sick right at the end, with an ear infection and a head and chest cold. I was falling apart. I actually stayed in Sunday to sleep-> I felt I needed to to get ready for the last couple days of field trips. I got a little packing and other housekeeping things done though. I think everyone here is burnt out (finals were last Thursday and Friday) but still went out these last couple days because, well, we’re in Jerusalem.

On, Monday, our second to last field trip day, we first went across the separation barrier into Bethany, an important place in the last days of Christ’s life. There he raised Lazarus from the dead which caused the leadership of Jerusalem to become extremely worried about his popularity and contributed to them planning his death. The distance is not very far away from Jerusalem, but we took a bus there anyway. There is a church there to commemorate the raising of Lazarus as well as other events which took place there. The church is built on top of a byzantine church, on top of a tomb, but the tomb is so worn away and cut apart that there is no way to date if the tomb is from Christ’s time or not. So traditional place where Lazarus was raised. The people there are separated from the rest of Israel because of the barrier, and so were selling things for a tenth the price as other places, only I didn’t have any money on me!

We then drove to where they think was Bethpage, which Jesus passed through to get to Jerusalem on the last few days of his life. There was another church there which we sang a hymn in, and commemorated the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, which started there. There was this really old stone in the church that was painted in Crusader times, which crusaders thought was the stone Christ used to get up on his donkey (but you wouldn’t need a step up on a donkey- only on a crusader horse).

About the triumphal entry-> the people of Jerusalem accepted Christ as a Messiah or deliverer of their people. On the first day of the last week of his life, he rode a donkey into the city; people waved palm fronds and threw their clothes out in front of him: all signs as accepting him as a King, or signs of Kingship. They also yelled and accepted him as the Messiah. (Another reason the Jewish leadership feared him so much.)

We then went to Pater Noster, a church which is built around a cave, and some people combined some accounts  from the Gospels and decided Christ must have taught his apostles to pray after Bethpage but before Jerusalem (Pater Noster means our Father in Latin), and probably in a cave. (It would make since caves are a cool place to teach.) Anyway, there was a cave there, and the Lord’s Prayer in lots of languages, and it was a good visit.

``There was also a church there called Dominus Flevit where some think Jesus sat and gave his remarks how often he “would have gathered Jerusalem as a hen gathereth her chickens but they would not.” It had a nice overlook, and we sang another hymn.

We also went as one point to Orson Hyde Park and ate lunch, and learned a little more about Orson Hyde.

After that we went to another place I’d been before-> the “upper room.” They’ve found a 1rst century synagogue facing north below the structure-> so there is good evidence that it was a Christian-Jew synagogue. If that’s true it could have been originally the upper room, where Christ and his apostles seemed to have met before and after his death. Many people connect the accounts and seethe upper room as John Mark’s home-> it may have been. Here would have been Christ’s last supper and the place where apostles met after his death as well. Right now it’s just a room above a modern synagogue, in a building that has add-ons/ architectural elements from Crusader, Byzantine, and Muslim architecture.  We sung a bunch of songs from the hymn book there and had a little devotional again about the last supper from our religion professor. After that we also passed through the Dormition Abbey which I’d been before, and where there is a traditional site of Mary’s burial.

Our final visit of the day was to St. Peter in Galicantu, where there is a church to commemorate where Christ was beaten by the chief priest and where Peter denied Christ three times. It was a very beautiful church, and there is evidence there may have been the home of a wealthy priestly individual there at the time of Christ. Down below there is a cellar/ (perhaps a prison?) below the house where some believe was where Christ was tied up and whipped. There was beautiful stained glass windows as well as statues depicting the Savior.

Road from Christ's time. May have been brought here after his capture in Gethsemane. 

View from Dominus Flevit.

Church of all nations (Gethsemane church)

On the same basic path Christ walked into Jerusalem.

Camille and I at Dominus Flevit.

Pater Noster in the cave where some think Christ taught how to pray.

Some decorations of a wall for Ramadan.

Stone in church at Bethpage.

At Bethany at Lazarus' traditional tomb.

Other side of the Separation Barrier.

With friends at St. Peter in Gallicantu.

Statue portraying Peter's denial.