Today I walked where Jesus walked.

Just a few quick pics before I head off to slumber...

We had our Jewish Quarter (of the Old City) field trip today! Inside the Jewish Archaeological Park are steps that lead up to the temple mount and date to the time of Herod... AKA the time of Jesus. In other words, it is super likely that He walked up these steps when going to the temple.

Still mastering the awkward poses, don't worry.

The half arch you see used to be a functioning archway that people walked through to go to the temple. There is a picture of it in the back of your LDS scriptures! :)

Sitting on the original stone slab under the arch... this is the one spot that they can almost be 100% certain Christ stood at at one point. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME SOOOO AWESOME!!! Fun fact: Neil Armstrong stood here, and said in his biography that it meant more to him to stand here than to stand on the moon. HiIloveyouNeilyourock.

Well.

That was magical. Is this real life? Yes, yes it is. Less than a month left... it's going to be amazing. Heartbreakingly amazing.

Also, chatting with Sadie on Gmail chat is magical. And the best thing of my life. And distracts me waayyy too much but is so completely worth it. Laughter comes before grades my friends.

Also, I have some good news to share... *drumrolllllllllll* .............. I got hired as a TA for summer term!!! :) Some of you knew I applied to be a TA for a professor I had last semester. I just thought it would be a good thing to do right before I graduate, since I've been planning on graduating in August anyway. Well I GOT IT! I had a phone interview Monday night (afternoon for him) and he e-mailed me the next day with the good news. :) I'm really excited about it and happy to at least have a plan for my life until August! I will be TAing for SFL 335 - Family Adaptation and Resiliency.. AKA probably the most demanding class I ever took in college haha. But I actually loved the content so I'm really excited to learn it again without having to write the research paper. ;) And I LOVE the professor - he taught my capstone class and he's just really great and I'm excited to work with him!

ALSO... me and a bunch of Jeru peeps are doing the Dirty Dash in September. Signed up today. Can you say best reunion ever? I think so.

Yay life! Now I just need to decide where I'm going to live......

Alright. The next 2 days are going to be fun... must hit the hay. Wish I could share more. /: 

LIVE YOUR LIFE!!!! Night!

First Date

Matt took me on a romantic first date today to donate blood in our gym.

The only down side was that since we donated blood, we weren't allowed to fly for the next 24 hours. 

In other words, he had to cancel the magic carpet ride planned for the evening. Still bitter.

Bucket list item #872: Selfie while donating blood. Check!

(...just kidding... obviously.... hopefully...)

Do you ever wish you could see who gets your blood?? I do!

Is that weird? Maybe. Would it be awesome? OF COURSE!

Especially because I have O+, so my blood could go to aaannyyoonnneeee! ANYONE. EVER.

Okay I'm done.

Blood is great.

I love you all.

Goodnight. :)

Palm Sunday

Wow.

Today was just such an awesome day!!

It was our free day, but we were all encouraged to participate in the huge Palm Sunday walk. I did.. and it was awesome! But it wasn't until the afternoon. In the morning I went with a group of friends to a couple of churches, through the old city, and on top of some rooftops. :) One of the churches was an Episcopalian one and we stayed there for like an hour and a half for their Palm Sunday service! It was really beautiful and I loooooooooooove me some Episcopalians (shout out to Anna and Katie!!). But seriously, the church was gorgeous and if I wasn't Mormon I'd probably be an Episcopalian cuz I just love those guys. ;)

The Palm Sunday walk was soooo cool. There were soo many pilgrims there and just people from every where speaking all different languages and singing their own songs and waving palm branches in the air! It was so cool and so CROWDED. Our little group of JC students belted out hymns for a good 20 minutes, and other Christians joined in on the ones they recognized. There was one point when we started singing "How Great Thou Art" and I could see people all around joining in in their own languages and I just about died. It was so beautiful and precious and adorable and magical and happy and how it should be. It was so neat and I think people really liked hearing our hymns (compared to the marching band style music everywhere else or the little cheerleader girls doing Jesus cheers haha... AWESOME, but different than hymns). I just loved it. So many people gathering together to worship their Savior. It was also just nice to be around so many Christians! Doesn't happy very often. Loved it, loved it, loved it. ♥

So here are some pictures of my awesome day. :)

First church we stopped by... St. Stephen's, I believe. It was beautiful!

Sweet old woman speaking in French to Hannah for about 5 minutes... and apparently not caring that Hannah was just smiling and nodding the whole time and couldn't respond hahaha. So cute.

This cat. So cuddly. So dirty. So cute.

Next stop... the awesome Cathedral Church of St. George!

We first met outside in their courtyard, and they blessed the palm leaves.

After the service, as people are exiting. The service was in Arabic and English.. pretty cool!

Sometimes Spencer likes to be an angel.

The beams of light shining through the windows were soooo pretty!

Group pic in the courtyard.

Quick stop at Lina's... known to have the best hummus in Jerusalem!

... and it was dang good. This one had pine nuts in it. And was uhmazeing.

Walking through the Old City. ♥

On rooftops in the Old City!

Leaving the Old City... rare shot of the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock in the same pic!

 

And then... Palm Sunday walk!

We walked from the top of the Mt. of Olives all the way back down into the Old City through Lion's Gate. It took a few hours because it was so crowded.

People watching as we approach Lion's Gate.

In front of the gate with my Palm leaf.. branch.. thing!

SUCH A GOOD DAY!

Back to the books tomorrow. And giving blood. Woo!

Happy Palm Sunday!

Soooo... about February.....

Yeah. Sorry I died that month.

Here are some random pictures of February happenings!

Eating at BurgersBar in West Jeru

Picking poppies (illegally.. woops!) in the Sorek Valley (I think)..

See field of flowers - take picture. And get a fly in it. For the win.

Practicing our giant-slaying techniques.

In the greenest place I've ever ever seen! I would tell you the name if I had my field trip manual....

With the roommates at Arab Culture Night!

Arab Culture Night.

Got to worship at a Reform Jewish synagogue!

At the Garden Tomb with my Annie-Anne.

The Garden Tomb. ♥

Playing the carillon bells in West Jerusalem... 300,000 people heard us!

Walking through Hezekiah's tunnel! SO FUN! Took like 20 minutes.. the water was up to my thigh at one point.

Buying flowers for our roommates for Valentine's day.

So many goodies on Valentine's Day!

Valentine's dance... basically amazing.

On a tour of Yad Vashem (Holocaust museum) with our Israel professor.

No pictures were allowed inside, but let me tell you.... incredible. There aren't words.

Walking through the Muslim cemetery on our way to the Western Wall. In the background is the Jewish cemetery.

At the Western Wall with Hunter, Tyler, and Anne.

JC ladies at the Western Wall.

We got to go on a Monday morning which was rare, and we saw a ton of Bar Mitzvahs!

Painting a mural at the Princess Basma Center for Disabled Children. No I did not gain 300 pounds. :)

Being told with love that our room was a disaster. ♥

Volunteering at the Red Crescent women's hospital down the street. I worked in the kitchen!

Passover Seder dinner in the Oasis, hosted by our Israel professor. Really awesome!

I want to steal his children. I want to steal everyone's children....

Witnessing the second coming! .... JK. But it looked a whole lot like it. ;)

Pulling water out of an ancient well at the biblical landscape gardens (they had a bunch of plants from the bible with their corresponding scriptures on plaques next to them.. really cool).

Making SPICES!!! We love spices. Not drugs.

Herding sheep. You know how I do.

Making pitas and soup in the forest. Felt so much like a ward camp out haha.

Homemade pita!

Formal talent show in the auditorium... so amazing! Sad I didn't play my flute... but I get to play in April with the choir so I'm excited about that. :)

PHEW. That's February in a nutshell!

Also... MY NEPHEW TURNS ONE TODAY!! :( :) :( :) :( :) Everett... I love you. I miss your big blue eyes and can't wait to see them again! ♥ ♥ ♥

Me and Everett in December... he's probably twice this size now!

I may or may not have snuck on Facebook to steal this picture. SADLKSJDLKSJDHEHSD!!!! He has teeth. I can't even handle it. I love you Everett!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!