Being back in the JC has been so nice. It really did feel like coming home after Turkey! On Monday we went to Neot Kedumim, basically a biblical garden/learning center. We did all sorts of fun things like crush hyssop (which looked suspiciously like another crushed herb...), draw water out of a cistern, run (literally) a water wheel, work an olive press, herd sheep and goats, and my personal favorite, make our own pita bread on an outdoor fire/stove! It was the best pita I've ever had in my life. My friend Tyler and I worked really hard on ours and put a lot of love into it, and we actually got a pocket in the middle! Highlight of my life.
Tuesday and today have been full of classes and trying to get our noses back onto the grindstone after our little vacation in Turkey. It's not going so well for some of us (me). But today did have a few highlights worth blogging about! This morning I went to Omar's shop. He is an extremely talented olive wood sculptor. Not only does he do nativities, but he does the most beautiful sculptures of Christ and then Mormon figures such as Joseph Smith, Lehi, the first vision, Mormon, and other popular sculptures usually found in ceramic or scenes in paintings. He is not only an amazingly talented sculptor, but just a quality person. I bought the most beautiful nativity set today! It was definitely an investment, but it was so beautiful and detailed and perfect, I had to get it. My favorite piece is the Mary figure, because, as Omar said, it doesn't have praying hands like the Catholic Mary, it has crossed hands like a Mormon Mary haha. And she is just so beautiful and young. I love it. If anyone goes to Jerusalem, go to Omar (shameless plug). Tonight we also had our Palestinian/Arab culture night! We had a muslim sheik come and recite the Koran and do the call to prayer, then they (he and his son) actually prayed for us so we could see the cycles and motions of the Islamic prayers. It was fascinating, not to mention very enlightening now that we know what they are actually saying at 4:30 am during the call to prayer. We then had a feast of Palestinian food, then an evening of folk dancing! The teachers were some kids from the school at which our Arabic professor is director. They were fun to watch and dance with, even though we were awful students! Oh well, we just had fun. We also all had a lot of fun with dressing up- we all got on our best arabic wear which included A LOT of scarves, genie pants, bangles, headdresses, sandals, and billowing shirts. Some of the guys even got the traditional long white dress-like shirts, robes, and kafiyehs to wear. It was intense. Don't worry, we took a lot of pictures.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
I'm Hungry for Some Turkey!
Turkey was fantastic! I loved the ruins, the people, the language, the clothes, it was all great. Here is a day-by-day account of the best bits of the trip:
Monday, Sept 19th: First off, we visited the Blue Mosque and the hippodrome of Istanbul. The Blue Mosque is amazing!! It is mostly blue tilework on the inside (hence the name...) and it has a large center dome with four half domes surrounding. It really was incredible; it was so ornate and the tiles were incredible. It was definitely a great introduction to Islamic architecture and style. Next we went to the Topkaki Museum, which is the Sultan's palace. It is HUGE. There are four different courtyards, and it depends on how well you know the sultan to see which courtyard you are received in. Once again, I loved the architecture and domes and tiles. I think I took more pictures of the tiles than anything else. One part of the museum is the treasury, and let me tell you, the Sultan was not in need of anything fancy- I think he had it all. My personal favorite was the pear cut 86-carat diamond set with a double halo... don't mind if I do, thanks. Another part of the museum that we were lucky to visit was the harem! It was interesting to learn more about something that Westerners always stereotype into the Arabic culture. I was surprised by how much of a place of learning it was. The director of the whole shabang was the sultan's mother, and she would train up the girls then choose the best ones to go serve the Sultan at tea or something. Then, if one of the girls caught the Sultan's eye, he would marry her (for the first wife). However, if he wanted another wife after that, he had to get permission from the first. I thought that was funny. After the museum (which took a LONG time) we went to the Grand Bazaar for a bit. Let me tell you, if you thought the men in the Old City were a little forward and flirty, you would have died in the Turkish Grand Bazaar. I think I got proposed to (or set up with their son) twice, was told I was beautiful 10 times, and was given "very low" prices because I was so special at every store. Now, I'm not saying this to try to show off or something, but I'm trying to illustrate how ridiculously forward these men are! It gets a little uncomfortable sometimes. Luckily though I never felt unsafe, just a little awkward. Tis life. After the Bazaar, we had a beautiful scenic cruise down the Bosphorus and dinner in a fish restaurant where we were served whole fish that looked up at us as we ate them (and they were delicious).
Tuesday: Ferry across the Dardanelles to get to Troy! Yes, the actual city of Greek Mythological fame. Unfortunately, other than the huge Trojan horse tree house at the entrance, the site was a little dry. But, there were some pretty cool columns and ruins at the end where we had a nice little photo shoot to keep us occupied. The best part of the day was the hotel that night! It was right on the water, and it had a huge long dock that stretched out over it. It was beautiful to watch the sun set over the water and just sit out on the dock. They also had a pool that was right next to the water, and it was greatly appreciated by all of the students! Needless to say, we all had a blast playing Sharks and Minnows, losing (and finding) our professor's wedding ring in the pool, and watching our Turkish guide Fatih get inaugurated into the group through multiple rounds of Chicken Fights. The hotel also had a little bitty stretch of beach in front of the water, and they let us build a bonfire and have a dance party! It was so fun. I've never really done something like before, so hey, why not do it in Turkey? It was definitely a bonding moment for us all as we danced around the fire, tried to dance to Turkish music, and doing a conga line down the entire dock in the moonlight.
Wednesday: First stop was Assos, one of the places that Paul mentions in Acts. It was such a cute little town with cute little people! They all had these little stand along the street going up to the ruins, and they sold their little handicrafts such as crochet and embroidery and knitting. I got some awesome woolen booties. They are so cute and the lady was so old and precious, I couldn't say no. The ruins of the temple at Assos were incredible, especially since they were set up on this cliff overlooking the sea, and we got there in the morning so the sun was reflecting on the water. Picture perfect. The second site of the day was Pergamon... that was interesting. As the original site of the Altar of Zeus and other Greek gods, I guess it was only appropriate for Zeus to rain down mightily on us non-pagans. We got drenched to say the least. I think I get less wet in a shower. The site was incredible, but the experience was a little dampened (pun intended) by the thunder and lightening. We were all very nervous because we had a long drive ahead of us to get to the hotel, and we didn't want to sit in the bus in our soaking wet clothes for three hours. So luckily we got to pull off the road, kick the boys out, close the curtains, and the girls changed inside the bus. I don't know what the boys did, all I know is that I was nice and dry and comfy on the way to the hotel. Thank goodness.
Thursday: Ephesus was the main focus of today and it was grand! I loved that it was so well preserved/reconstructed, because then you could actually see how the city was organized and get a better feel for how life was. One high point for everyone was the latrine room... everyone was very fascinated by the Roman's version of indoor plumbing. Who knew that ruins of toilets would be so engaging for a group of 19- to 28-year olds? No, the entire city was great, especially the library. The architecture was beautiful, look up a pic online if you have time. We also stopped by the site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world- the Temple of Artemis! It was a little anticlimactic to tell you the truth. There is only one column standing now in the middle of a marshy field. Not too picturesque. After lunch and a drive, we also stopped at Miletus, another city in ruins (are you catching the trend?).
Friday: First stop of the day was Hierapolis! The exciting part of the site was the hot springs! The water has a lot of calcium in it I guess, so it has deposited tons of it down the mountainside, creating a white wonderland! It is just layer upon layer of white calcium deposits along the plateau and then down the mountain. The best part is that you can walk on them, and then the hot water is running in a little rivulet down the side! Ok no, the best part was all of the middle-aged European tourists who came in their Speedos and bikinis wade in the pools. That was a sight to see. The rest of the day was spent on the bus... such a long bus ride. We had some interesting conversations to pass the time, that's all I'll say about that. Once we got to the hotel (which was so so nice!!) we had a little church meeting since we would miss Sabbath this weekend. It was a really great meeting and nice for all of us to be able to be together and sing and pray and listen.
Saturday: Last day in Turkey! The morning was spent in Iznik/Nicea, where the Nicean Creed was established in Constantine's lakeside palace. Even though we as Mormons do not subscribe to the Nicean Creed, we do believe in God, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, who together form the Godhead. It was a really spiritual experience to talk about what we believe and how it is similar and how it differs from other Christians. We sang "I Believe In Christ" right next to Lake Nicea, which was a really powerful experience. Next... THE HAGIA SOPHIA!!! This is what I was looking forward to for the entire trip. No, my entire life. Seriously, I was so so excited to go! I still can't believe that I've now been inside the Hagia Sophia. The best part (but not really) was that as I walked in and started taking pictures... my camera dies. Oh the irony. I may or may not have had a minor emotional breakdown, but I quickly recovered and did some reconnaissance on an unsuspecting student's camera so I could take my pictures. Anything for the Hagia Sophia.
Monday, Sept 19th: First off, we visited the Blue Mosque and the hippodrome of Istanbul. The Blue Mosque is amazing!! It is mostly blue tilework on the inside (hence the name...) and it has a large center dome with four half domes surrounding. It really was incredible; it was so ornate and the tiles were incredible. It was definitely a great introduction to Islamic architecture and style. Next we went to the Topkaki Museum, which is the Sultan's palace. It is HUGE. There are four different courtyards, and it depends on how well you know the sultan to see which courtyard you are received in. Once again, I loved the architecture and domes and tiles. I think I took more pictures of the tiles than anything else. One part of the museum is the treasury, and let me tell you, the Sultan was not in need of anything fancy- I think he had it all. My personal favorite was the pear cut 86-carat diamond set with a double halo... don't mind if I do, thanks. Another part of the museum that we were lucky to visit was the harem! It was interesting to learn more about something that Westerners always stereotype into the Arabic culture. I was surprised by how much of a place of learning it was. The director of the whole shabang was the sultan's mother, and she would train up the girls then choose the best ones to go serve the Sultan at tea or something. Then, if one of the girls caught the Sultan's eye, he would marry her (for the first wife). However, if he wanted another wife after that, he had to get permission from the first. I thought that was funny. After the museum (which took a LONG time) we went to the Grand Bazaar for a bit. Let me tell you, if you thought the men in the Old City were a little forward and flirty, you would have died in the Turkish Grand Bazaar. I think I got proposed to (or set up with their son) twice, was told I was beautiful 10 times, and was given "very low" prices because I was so special at every store. Now, I'm not saying this to try to show off or something, but I'm trying to illustrate how ridiculously forward these men are! It gets a little uncomfortable sometimes. Luckily though I never felt unsafe, just a little awkward. Tis life. After the Bazaar, we had a beautiful scenic cruise down the Bosphorus and dinner in a fish restaurant where we were served whole fish that looked up at us as we ate them (and they were delicious).
Tuesday: Ferry across the Dardanelles to get to Troy! Yes, the actual city of Greek Mythological fame. Unfortunately, other than the huge Trojan horse tree house at the entrance, the site was a little dry. But, there were some pretty cool columns and ruins at the end where we had a nice little photo shoot to keep us occupied. The best part of the day was the hotel that night! It was right on the water, and it had a huge long dock that stretched out over it. It was beautiful to watch the sun set over the water and just sit out on the dock. They also had a pool that was right next to the water, and it was greatly appreciated by all of the students! Needless to say, we all had a blast playing Sharks and Minnows, losing (and finding) our professor's wedding ring in the pool, and watching our Turkish guide Fatih get inaugurated into the group through multiple rounds of Chicken Fights. The hotel also had a little bitty stretch of beach in front of the water, and they let us build a bonfire and have a dance party! It was so fun. I've never really done something like before, so hey, why not do it in Turkey? It was definitely a bonding moment for us all as we danced around the fire, tried to dance to Turkish music, and doing a conga line down the entire dock in the moonlight.
Wednesday: First stop was Assos, one of the places that Paul mentions in Acts. It was such a cute little town with cute little people! They all had these little stand along the street going up to the ruins, and they sold their little handicrafts such as crochet and embroidery and knitting. I got some awesome woolen booties. They are so cute and the lady was so old and precious, I couldn't say no. The ruins of the temple at Assos were incredible, especially since they were set up on this cliff overlooking the sea, and we got there in the morning so the sun was reflecting on the water. Picture perfect. The second site of the day was Pergamon... that was interesting. As the original site of the Altar of Zeus and other Greek gods, I guess it was only appropriate for Zeus to rain down mightily on us non-pagans. We got drenched to say the least. I think I get less wet in a shower. The site was incredible, but the experience was a little dampened (pun intended) by the thunder and lightening. We were all very nervous because we had a long drive ahead of us to get to the hotel, and we didn't want to sit in the bus in our soaking wet clothes for three hours. So luckily we got to pull off the road, kick the boys out, close the curtains, and the girls changed inside the bus. I don't know what the boys did, all I know is that I was nice and dry and comfy on the way to the hotel. Thank goodness.
Thursday: Ephesus was the main focus of today and it was grand! I loved that it was so well preserved/reconstructed, because then you could actually see how the city was organized and get a better feel for how life was. One high point for everyone was the latrine room... everyone was very fascinated by the Roman's version of indoor plumbing. Who knew that ruins of toilets would be so engaging for a group of 19- to 28-year olds? No, the entire city was great, especially the library. The architecture was beautiful, look up a pic online if you have time. We also stopped by the site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world- the Temple of Artemis! It was a little anticlimactic to tell you the truth. There is only one column standing now in the middle of a marshy field. Not too picturesque. After lunch and a drive, we also stopped at Miletus, another city in ruins (are you catching the trend?).
Friday: First stop of the day was Hierapolis! The exciting part of the site was the hot springs! The water has a lot of calcium in it I guess, so it has deposited tons of it down the mountainside, creating a white wonderland! It is just layer upon layer of white calcium deposits along the plateau and then down the mountain. The best part is that you can walk on them, and then the hot water is running in a little rivulet down the side! Ok no, the best part was all of the middle-aged European tourists who came in their Speedos and bikinis wade in the pools. That was a sight to see. The rest of the day was spent on the bus... such a long bus ride. We had some interesting conversations to pass the time, that's all I'll say about that. Once we got to the hotel (which was so so nice!!) we had a little church meeting since we would miss Sabbath this weekend. It was a really great meeting and nice for all of us to be able to be together and sing and pray and listen.
Saturday: Last day in Turkey! The morning was spent in Iznik/Nicea, where the Nicean Creed was established in Constantine's lakeside palace. Even though we as Mormons do not subscribe to the Nicean Creed, we do believe in God, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, who together form the Godhead. It was a really spiritual experience to talk about what we believe and how it is similar and how it differs from other Christians. We sang "I Believe In Christ" right next to Lake Nicea, which was a really powerful experience. Next... THE HAGIA SOPHIA!!! This is what I was looking forward to for the entire trip. No, my entire life. Seriously, I was so so excited to go! I still can't believe that I've now been inside the Hagia Sophia. The best part (but not really) was that as I walked in and started taking pictures... my camera dies. Oh the irony. I may or may not have had a minor emotional breakdown, but I quickly recovered and did some reconnaissance on an unsuspecting student's camera so I could take my pictures. Anything for the Hagia Sophia.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Week Updates
This week has been so busy! I've finally caught up on my class readings (probably because I haven't been blogging haha) and we've been busy with classes and field trips. Basically we just either had class or walked around the city during free time (and spending more money than I should!). The highlight has basically been the Garden Tomb on Thursday. Here is what I wrote earlier this week about it:
"Today was just a really great day! You know how some days are a little rough, some are mediocre, and some are fantastic? This one was very close to fantastic. This morning we had Old Testament class, then right afterwards we went to the Garden Tomb. The Garden Tomb is an alternate site to the location of the tomb and resurrection of Jesus Christ (as opposed to the Holy Sepulcher). There is also a possible site of Golgotha right next to the Tomb which really has the whole skull-like appearance in the side of the hill. I really liked the Garden Tomb. It was so peaceful and so beautifully kept. One thing I also really appreciated was the emphasis on the event of the resurrection, and not on the supposed place it occurred. Whereas a lot of places (especially here in the Holy Land) overdo their commemoration and seem to focus solely on the location of holy events, the workers at the tomb were very clear to say that this might not be the actual site of the resurrection, but that’s not the important part- the important part is that it happened. It truly is a little oasis inside the city. The garden is outside of the old city, just along the main road going up into downtown Jerusalem. Even if it wasn’t a religiously significant site, I would still love to just sit on a bench amidst the greenery and beautiful flowers. The place just has a really nice atmosphere and spirit about it. Personally, it was much easier for me to imagine the resurrection here in this organic setting than in the shrine of Holy Sepulcher. I’m not trying to make one better than the other or say that one is right and one is wrong, but I was just able to better personally relate to and picture the story of Jesus Christ’s resurrection in the Garden Tomb. It’s funny because all the workers there really love the Mormon student groups, and they kept telling us over and over again to come back. I would have gone back even without the invitation, but it’s nice nonetheless to be welcomed. After taking the short guided tour around the garden, we were able to wander a bit, take pictures, and just contemplate. Then all of us sang hymns together. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but everyone (or a great majority) here is so musically talented! I mean, they are all talented in a lot of ways, but there are a lot that are really gifted musically. So, when we sing places, it’s a really beautiful chorus (if I can brag a little bit). I was still sitting down by the tomb when they started singing, so I was able to listen to the “choir” sing about the death and resurrection of Christ. It was really powerful for me to be in this peaceful place that is similar to what Christ probably would have been surrounded by, then hear voices of my friends sing inspired words about the miracle of the atonement and the resurrection. It was an amazing testimony and confirmation to me about how God knows each of us and how to touch our hearts. The atmosphere was perfect to me for those few moments, and I was able to feel the love that Jesus Christ and God have for me. I’m really grateful that I was able to go to the tomb, and I can’t wait to go back."
Tomorrow we go to Turkey for a week!! I can't wait. I won't have my computer, so I probably won't update my blog until next week. I'm just giddy about going. We're going to Istanbul, Troy, Ephesus, and a bunch of other places. We're really going everywhere. Yay! Turkey, here I come!!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
...And the walls came tumblin down! Today we went to Jericho and the Judean Wilderness for a half-day field trip. Jericho is the lowest elevated populated city on earth (about 850 feet below sea level). It is an oft-mentioned city in both the Old and New Testament, but it's most famous for the walls tumbling down at the sound of Joshua's trumpets. Our first stop of the day was at the Herodian, King Herod's winter palace in Jericho. It was quite the place back in his day. While Herod always gets a bad rap for being exceedingly cruel (which is probably mostly true), he did have one good quality- his buildings. Herod was an amazing and accomplished builder of cities and palaces. His palace, the Herodian, had a grand entrance on one side of the wadi (seasonal river bed), then a bridge going to the main palace with pool, bath houses, and colonnaded courtyards. I was actually quite surprised by how much was left of the ruins. You could actually tell where the walls were and one of the bath structures was pretty intact. However, it was HOT. Because the elevation is so low, it stays really warm (hence the location of Herod's winter palace). So, the extreme heat at 8 am kinda of put a damper on our excitement. We would have enjoyed staying longer though, even in the heat, but we had to move on to our next site!
Next was the old city of Jericho. We went to the site of the archaeological dig, and saw a little informational movie beforehand (yay airconditioning!!). I'm glad we got to watch the movie, because the site would have been a little boring if we hadn't. Not that it wasn't interesting, it was just that it hasn't been maintained as well as other archaeological sites have been, so it mostly looked like a lot of dirt and then some rocks. But, with the help of our teachers and scenes from the movies, we were able to pick out the interesting things! The main attractions were the neolithic tower and the glaci. The tower is said to be the oldest structure on earth. It was originally 8 meters (about 26 feet) tall, and completely solid rock except for the staircase going up the middle. Now there is only a little bit of the bottom left, but it's really far down in the ground because the level we were walking on had been built up over the centuries by civilization building upon the ruins of the previous civilization. The glaci is the "retaining wall" that helped hold up the walls of Jericho. Basically, the city was set up on higher ground, so instead of just building the wall on top or digging into the ground to build a foundation, the glaci rock wall was built up the sides of the hill to the base of the wall (kind of like a buttress). The exciting part is that at the base of the glaci is a bunch of rubble that is dated back to the time of Joshua! So, it could very well be the wall that fell to Joshua's trumpets, then the rubble has been covered over time. Kind of cool! Around the corner from the dig site is a place called Elisha's Spring, where, as recorded in the Bible, Elisha "healed" or purified the waters of the spring (the only water source) with a handful of salt. It was a really beautiful area. They have built a little rock fountain and river around the spring, and there are big trees and a grassy area next to it. Because the water is right from the spring, they said we could drink it from out of the spout! So naturally, we all did. We also got to wade around (ankle deep) in the little river. Let me tell you, it was a very refreshing experience! We were all so sweaty from the heat and hiking around, so the cool water felt so nice on our feet and legs.
The last stop of the day was the Mount of Temptations in Judean Wilderness where Christ fasted for 40 days and the Devil tried to tempt him. I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. Well, except for the hiking part. We basically hiked up the side of an extremely rocky mountain, but the view from the top was worth it. Let me just say that when the scriptures say "barren wilderness", they mean it. There is nothing there. It is just tan rock and dirt and mountains. The amazing part is that people actually live there. We went to a particular site where there was a view of the St. George monastery which was literally built into the side of the mountain, about to fall into a huge gorge. It was incredible though. It looked exactly how I think an oasis in the desert would look, with blue and palm trees and water. Anyways, we hiked up this mountain (with little Bedouin men trying to make up buy their wares). We talked about Christ's experience and sang "More Holiness Give Me." I really enjoyed singing this song because that was really what Christ went into the wilderness for- to commune with His Father and become more holy, line upon line precept on precept. It was incredible to me to be able to look out on the wilderness and picture how Christ would have been and try to understand why He would have come here to be with God. I really enjoyed the experience. Also, I rode a camel. I'd actually ridden one before when my family went to Morocco, but I was pretty little. Plus, how cool of a story is it to be able to say, "Ya, I rode a camel in the Judean Wilderness." Um, it's awesome. I thought I was only going to be on there for less that 2 minutes, but I got a little surprise. I decided to ride it at the very end of our visit, and most people were heading back to the buses. My teacher said I had time to though, so I did. The camel man took me around in a little circle, and then since I was the last customer, he took me all the way down to the buses! It felt quite regal to be riding a camel down to my ride.
Next was the old city of Jericho. We went to the site of the archaeological dig, and saw a little informational movie beforehand (yay airconditioning!!). I'm glad we got to watch the movie, because the site would have been a little boring if we hadn't. Not that it wasn't interesting, it was just that it hasn't been maintained as well as other archaeological sites have been, so it mostly looked like a lot of dirt and then some rocks. But, with the help of our teachers and scenes from the movies, we were able to pick out the interesting things! The main attractions were the neolithic tower and the glaci. The tower is said to be the oldest structure on earth. It was originally 8 meters (about 26 feet) tall, and completely solid rock except for the staircase going up the middle. Now there is only a little bit of the bottom left, but it's really far down in the ground because the level we were walking on had been built up over the centuries by civilization building upon the ruins of the previous civilization. The glaci is the "retaining wall" that helped hold up the walls of Jericho. Basically, the city was set up on higher ground, so instead of just building the wall on top or digging into the ground to build a foundation, the glaci rock wall was built up the sides of the hill to the base of the wall (kind of like a buttress). The exciting part is that at the base of the glaci is a bunch of rubble that is dated back to the time of Joshua! So, it could very well be the wall that fell to Joshua's trumpets, then the rubble has been covered over time. Kind of cool! Around the corner from the dig site is a place called Elisha's Spring, where, as recorded in the Bible, Elisha "healed" or purified the waters of the spring (the only water source) with a handful of salt. It was a really beautiful area. They have built a little rock fountain and river around the spring, and there are big trees and a grassy area next to it. Because the water is right from the spring, they said we could drink it from out of the spout! So naturally, we all did. We also got to wade around (ankle deep) in the little river. Let me tell you, it was a very refreshing experience! We were all so sweaty from the heat and hiking around, so the cool water felt so nice on our feet and legs.
The last stop of the day was the Mount of Temptations in Judean Wilderness where Christ fasted for 40 days and the Devil tried to tempt him. I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. Well, except for the hiking part. We basically hiked up the side of an extremely rocky mountain, but the view from the top was worth it. Let me just say that when the scriptures say "barren wilderness", they mean it. There is nothing there. It is just tan rock and dirt and mountains. The amazing part is that people actually live there. We went to a particular site where there was a view of the St. George monastery which was literally built into the side of the mountain, about to fall into a huge gorge. It was incredible though. It looked exactly how I think an oasis in the desert would look, with blue and palm trees and water. Anyways, we hiked up this mountain (with little Bedouin men trying to make up buy their wares). We talked about Christ's experience and sang "More Holiness Give Me." I really enjoyed singing this song because that was really what Christ went into the wilderness for- to commune with His Father and become more holy, line upon line precept on precept. It was incredible to me to be able to look out on the wilderness and picture how Christ would have been and try to understand why He would have come here to be with God. I really enjoyed the experience. Also, I rode a camel. I'd actually ridden one before when my family went to Morocco, but I was pretty little. Plus, how cool of a story is it to be able to say, "Ya, I rode a camel in the Judean Wilderness." Um, it's awesome. I thought I was only going to be on there for less that 2 minutes, but I got a little surprise. I decided to ride it at the very end of our visit, and most people were heading back to the buses. My teacher said I had time to though, so I did. The camel man took me around in a little circle, and then since I was the last customer, he took me all the way down to the buses! It felt quite regal to be riding a camel down to my ride.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Remembering 9/11
It's crazy to think that today is the tenth anniversary of 9/11. It's really hard to comprehend how different the world has become over the last ten years because of this singular event. I still remember where I was when I found out: I was in fourth grade, and I was getting ready for school. When I went down for breakfast, the TV was on (which it never was in the morning). My mom and I watched the news as it covered the planes crashing into the Twin Towers. I still went to school and everything, but that day there was just a really tense and sad atmosphere. I don't know if I truly understood what was happening though. I knew what I saw on TV, but it seemed like something that was so far away, nothing that could ever happen in the USA. I remember how we talked a little bit about it at school, and some kids didn't even know it had happened because they left their houses earlier that morning or something. Suddenly everything at school was so patriotic and we made countless numbers of handmade cards for wounded victims, their families, and soldiers. I feel like I don't notice the changes in American psyche as much since I was so young to begin with. I mostly just noticed the changes at the airport and how every house starting flying their American flag everyday instead of just on 4th of July and Memorial Day. I do know though that no matter what changes occur and continue to occur, I am and will always be proud to be an American. While I won't always agree with all of the decisions that leaders make, the wars that are waged, and the image that other countries have of the "American tourist," there are so many things that America represents that I have faith in. I believe in apple pie, baseball games in the summer, Texas barbeque, the stars and stripes, Lady Liberty, the "melting pot" of cultures, mini vans and soccer moms, Friday night football games, trusting in God, backyard cookouts, Jell-O, red white and blue, freedom, jazz, wide open spaces, voting, civil rights, democracy, and life. May these things always be part of the American spirit, no matter who may try to take them. United we stand.
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