The Update

On Sunday we went to the Temple Mount in the morning. It was one of the most amazing things I have seen since I have been in the Holy Land. There has been quite a bit of contention for the past few weeks because of the Jewish Holiday Sukkot.
Jon, Adam, and I.


The Dome of the Rock
Patrick, Jon, Adam, and I

This was the final day of Sukkot. The Western Wall was packed with faithful Jews. During Sukkot the remember the Exodus and build Sukkahs (a small temporary hut construted out of wood and cloth, It is also decorated with branches that are on the top.) that are a representation of the Tabernacle and how the Israelites would have lived when they were traveling through the wilderness. They hang out in these for the week long holiday and we ate in a few of them.

This is a faithful Jew holding his willow which is used to celebrate the last day of Sukkot.

One evening we were exploring West Jerusalem, Which is the nice Jewish part of town. We came across a park with Pyramids. Need I say more?

Taylor, Morgan, Jon, and I in the old city. I love roaming around in the narrow streets. Everyone knows the Mormons.

We took a field trip to a Biblical garden. There we hearded sheep and goats, retrieved water from a well, sifted wheat, and grinded some spicies. It was interesting and educational.

Adam, Jon, Jeremy, and I. At the same Biblical field trip we made our own "bread". We made a sweet fire and then we had to put the metal lid on it. The girls were making the dough and they would throw it on the lid only to see it get burnt because the fire was too big.

Terren, Jon, and I at the lowest place on earth, Jericho. We went to the Jericho Tell and saw the remains of the ancient city. We also went to a Monastery.

This is my Old Testament class on Mt. Sinai. There are two Old Testament classes so this is half of the students at the center. That is my teacher right in front of me, Brother Manscill.

Egypt

The Karnak Temple.
Sunrise on top of Mt. Sinai. It was so amazing.

I don't know how to dance but I do have a utility belt.

The boys in front of Ramses.

The Pyramids.

The boys in the felucca on the Nile. We were on our way to the Luxor Temple.

On top of Mt. Sinai with Harif Abdul.


This is Jesse my roommate.

James and I outside of the Muhammad Ali Mosque.

The Camel ride on the nile. I promise the guy next to me was happy

and he didn't lead me the whole time.

We spent many days looking for water.

This is the Egyptian Blue Man group. I have an awesome video with them. They were right outside of our hotel. We stayed at the Sheraton and it was super nice.

Joehan and I outside of the Hatchepsut Temple. The Book of Abraham was said to have been found about 300 yards from here.

Egypt in a nutshell. It was so amazing there. I felt at home because it was so similiar in many ways to India. I was able to get my bargaining in and I will hustle all my friends when I get back. We spent a few days in Cairo and then we flew to Luxor. I will write more later.

Kickin it in West Jerusalem

This was the funniest Jew I have ever met. I was laughing with him and at him for a while. He told one of the girls after she sneezed that it was forbidden and then he laughed for probably 5 minutes.

The Kotel

We have been to the Western Wall twice now since I have arrived. It is so traditional and holy. There are so many Orthodox Jews there with such a dedication to there religion and way of life. They are so devoted and obedient. I learned so much from these great people. Many of them were praying and reading there Holy Scriptures. The second time we went there was friday evening around 6. That is when there Sabbath begins. The place was packed with faithful worshippers and tourists. During there Sabbath they sing and dance. We joined in with a huge group and we pretended that we knew what we were doing. We also had to yell/sing "Hebrew" words to fit in. It was such a great experience.

Mittens Lives

Mittens Lives! He just came to Jerusalem to train from the masters and become self sufficient like Dexter. Don't worry Clay and Ashley I will bring him back. He is in good hands now.

Today after church we went to the Garden Tomb. It was such an amazing experience. While we were there we sang hymns and enjoyed the powerful presence of the spirit. At the Same location there is an overlook of Calvary. It was so powerful to be there were the Savior may have been crucified and then resurrected to complete the supreme sacrifice. So much more essential than the location is the event which took place and the outcome.

The Old City Wall

These two pictures were taken on top of the Old City wall.

It had such a great view.

Jerusalem Thus far

It has been a great experience so far living in the Holy Land. The BYU Center for Near Eastern Studies is amazing. They did such a great job with the housing, architecture, and overall layout. It is located about a half a mile from the North East corner of the old city on Mt. Scopus. The Mount of Olives is just to the south. Jerusalem has such a great atmosphere with the different cultures and religions mixed into one sacred city. Israel is actually really nice compared to places I have been. I was shocked with the taxis. Probably 60% of them are Mercedes. There are around 80 students here studying. The classes are located on the 6th floor and the main entrance is on the 8th. The housing follows the hill down from levels 5-1. There is an exit on the bottom which provides easy access to the city. We have student cards that we scan at the outside doors every time we leave or enter. The landscape is so beautiful all around the center. Almost all of the rooms have an amazing view of the old city, including the housing units. The food is great here. We are taken care of.

Second Thoughts

Well I never thought that I would become a blogger. I feel somewhat feminine. I hope this will be a good way for you to be apart and know about the great experiences, places, and people I will be with for the next three months.