Jordan

JORDAN!!!

Jordan. It is amazing what a border crossing can do. These past four days have been full of long, sweaty bus rides, pita overdoses, hiking monumental structures, dance parties in random archeological sites, sicknesses spreading like wildfire, a few master suites, and getting whole lot of mauling from little girls. If this trip contained anything it would be surprises. Although I was completely unprepared for what we encountered, I loved every second of it.

The most amazing part of the trip for me was the people. I have never felt so much warmth and love from strangers in my entire life. If anyone is ever lacking self-confidence Jordan is the place to go. All of the people we encountered were so eager to talk to us. Although many of them knew little English, they tried so desperately hard to communicate and create conversation. Teenage girls were among most of the Jordanians we met. For some reason they were there by the hundreds at almost every site we visited. They were smiling, giggling, complimenting, and just being darling in every way possible. It was so fun! With the combination of an all girls home, yws in the JC, and the 60-20 ratio of girls to guys, I could pretty much say I was at home in Jordan. Girls were everywhere.

I can honestly say I am grateful and happy to be alive. Here. At this moment in time. Adventures continue to grow and build upon each other. I am sad to announce our visit here in the Holy Land is coming to an end. The Dead Sea tomorrow is our last field trip of the semester. Words cannot describe my emotions. I am sad, happy, blessed, and overall grateful to have experienced such a wonderful culture, people, academic program, teachers, callings, and personal growth.

Here is a random collection of the many adventures we encountered this past week. Brace yourself for a long post...



Madaba. We stopped at a place with the most beautiful mosaics.

 

This is a map of the land I have been experiencing these past four months.

The one name that popped into my head when I saw this pot was G.G. I remember as a child playing with this same dish set on G.G.'s floor while watching the Great Race. I have never seen a set like this anywhere. Who knew I would find one in Jordan.

Machaerus.
We hiked to a Herodian Fortress. This location is associated to the death of John the Baptist.

PETRA!!!
The Nabateans (North Arabians) were the founders of this fantastic city. It was ruled by Aratas IV (9 BC-40 AD). This city was destroyed in one night by an 8 level earthquake.
 This behind me is the "Treasury" or as many may know it as the location of  Indiana Jones...beautiful!

My darling roommate Keri and I. She was kind enough to share a headset with me as we toured this "rose red city."

On our hike to the Monastery.

I am convinced every field trip always turns into a hike..which I love. We were hiking all over these red rocks, exploring the remains of ancient history.

The Monastery.

An example of hidden beauty. A group of students and I hiked to the "high place." Along the way we saw many structures like this hidden within the depths of the red rocks.

Lauren and I almost to the high place.

Lauren and I hiked up with some crazy boys whom I absolutely love. This here is Josh, Cami, and AJ. They are all so fun and full of so much energy. One of their biggest hobbies is parkouring. While we were running around, hiking near death drops offs, these boys were attempting to prove of their parkour expertise. This includes twisting, bouncing off walls, pencil jumps-pretty much the more ridiculous one looks the better.

Exploring the Petra shops turned into a tutorial on how to fold kaffiyehs. 

King Abdullah Mosque.

It was absolutely beautiful. Plain and simple. Inside on the carpet there were rows and rows of red, rectangular boxes. This pattern is used to help Muslims kneel in a straight line to pray. I thought this was very interesting.

My girls. We were required to cover every speck of skin as well as our heads.
 I love becoming immersed in unfamiliar cultures. 



More girls.

Some of my most favorite girls on the program.

In front of the Jabbok River. This river is associated with Jacob who saw God face to face. I am so amazed by the many wonderful sites we get to experience. Our teachers usually read the associated scriptorial reference at the actual site the story takes place. AMAZING!

Jerash.
The place dates back to the Middle Bronze Age II.  It was absolutely gorgeous to see the many ancient ruins still in great condition.

Victoria (my engaged roommate, soon to be married in less than 8 weeks), Synthia, and I in front of the forum and cardo.

Ok one of the happiest memories of this whole Jordan trip was in an ancient stadium. This stadium was unlike any we have been to thus far, mainly because it was full of hundreds of teenage Jordanian girls on a field trip. WE entered the stadium and instantly the girls were singing, pounding drums, and clapping. My class of JC students and I stood in the middle of the stadium and began to sing "The Spirit of God." They were so intrigued by us. It was so funny. Then this man brings out his bagpipes and began to play "Praise to the Man." We were all just clapping and singing. Then the drums picked up again and I went over to dance with some darling Muslim girls. They were so excited to teach me their quite difficult dance steps. I loved it. I was in heaven. This moment definitely marks one of the happiest moments in my life. To follow our rockin dance party in an ancient stadium, completely surrounded by young Muslim girls screaming and cheering, it was time for pictures. I have never felt so popular in my entire life and I guarantee I won't ever feel that way again. They were just so kind to me and all the other students. Finally Brother Muhlestein had to come grab me to get me away from this darling crowd of giddy school girls. One word: bliss.

Love love LOVE these boys.
All the street vendors were selling these little whistles. Naturally all the boys bought one and insisted on playing them constantly....boys will be boys.

Once again girls rule the world in Jordan. Kissing is definitely part of this warm and welcoming culture. I have never been kissed so much in one day. I felt so much love from these wonderful individuals. If only I could have that much joy and warmth to strangers...the lessons we can learn from the Jordanians.  

Livin the dream.

On our free time we went to the city mall. It was HUGE! I am positive every store I have ever seen in my life and more could be found in this wonderful place. From a large Walmart to the trendiest European clothing lines- Jordan has got it all.

Spontaneity at its greatest. We randomly went to an Automobile Museum. I know I am not the biggest car fanatic but wow it was so fascinating. I learned all about V8 and V12s and how the engine works. The boys who I went with were in heaven and trying to touch every car possible. This bad boy behind me is one of the most expensive things I have ever seen.

Amman Citadel.



Roman Theatre. The largest one in the Middle East. This is my FAVORITE PICTURE. First off I adore this boy (he has become a fond friend). Second children. I love them. Third I am in heaven in this beautiful place we call Jordan.




More of the Roman Theatre.

Common sight.

Jordan River.

The Good Ole' Bus

WE just got back from Jordan. I am excited to report my glorious adventures but first I thought I would start with the mode of transportation, the bus. We are on the bus for many hours each trip we take. These are some of the fondest memories of the trip. Jordan was no exception. Therefore I thought I would give a little recap of my teacher and the glorious bus rides we embark often.

We are separated on the buses by religion classes. I am currently on Brother Muhlestein’s bus. We rock it. It mainly consists of loud singing, dance parties in the aisle, telling dating stories, and lots of sleeping. A group of boys have converted me to playing the game “risk” on AJ’s iphone. Suprisingly I can hold my own, though a few of them still blow me out of the water after the first hour or so (oh how that game drags on). Though we don't have assigned seating, it is always the same people who prefer the back and front of the bus. I am a member of the back of the bus crew. It is an absolutely party in the back. A little crazy but good, pure fun.

A few students and I made up a song for our teacher, Brother Muhlestein. Whenever there is a dull moment crossing the deserts or opportune time when he confesses his love for teaching, we all break out into song to express our appreciation for him as our teacher. The look on his face is priceless. Imagine a wonderful man with a camel leather hat on that he has owned since he was a student on the program, beaming (the kind of smile that makes your eyes disappear into the shape of crow feet), swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the song.

Our song goes like this (To the tune of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”):

“Ain’t no tel too high. Ain’t no valley low. Ain’t no Wadi wide enough baby. If you need him call him. No matter where you are. No matter how far. Don’t worry baby just call his name. He’ll be there in a hurry. You don’t have to worry cuz baby there ain’t no scripture hard enough. Ain’t no doctrine deep enough. Ain’t no PHARAOH dead enough (he is an Egyptologist) to keep me from getting to Muhlestein."

He is a fantastic teacher. He really cares about his adopted 80 students. I adore him and I am grateful for his wonderful example and influence in my life.

Brother Muhlestein and his son BJ. I love them both so much!!!

AL-Pow (this is the term he uses after every conversation over the Microphone).

Princess Bosma

Humanitarian

Humanitarian work is flourishing over here in the Holy Land. Before my arrival they assigned each student a calling. You could imagine my joy when I saw my name next to the humanitarian committee. I love it. Combined with singing in the Old City, Preschool visits, hygiene kits, and painting a wall sized mural equivocates to time and lots of service. I am sure the students are sick of me announcing service activities, however, it has definitely been a highlight of this trip.

Most recently my life has been consumed with painting a mural on the walls of Princess Bosma, a school/rehabilitation center for children. It has been so much fun. Although there were many volunteers who contributed to this wall it basically boiled down to a solid six or seven. Great bunch I would say. Very artistic and eager to participate. I loved working with them and Sister Judd. We went over about once, maybe twice a week for the past month or so to design, sketch, paint, repaint, and details. It was quite the process but oh so worth it.

Here are a few of the pictures that display the hard work and time of many students and faculty.

The design.

Before.

Two of the most darling girls and artists behind this wall.

Throughout the project, Greg (see below) set up his camera to capture all of the work in progressive steps. He placed his tripod on the same black spot on the floor every painting visit. Every so often someone would stop painting and take a quick candid snapshot of the progress. The transformation is immaculate.

This is Greg. Lovely Greg. He is one of the two masterminds who came up with the design. He reminds me so much of you grandpa it is not even funny (I even told him and he was flattered). He is articulate, detailed, and possesses the kindest heart known to man. Haha you can tell I am fond of this boy.

MaRtIn.
He is the other mastermind. Artist to the max. He is suave and very good at what he does. A "silent but deadly" approach. Leave it to Martin to get things done.

Work in progress.

You can tell things got a little crazy at times. One time after we painted we all decided to paint on a stache to become a little more like you know who, Greg. Anything from hitler to a nice set of handle bars. Service is always an adventure.

Lani

Greg

Meg

Me

Kate

I LOVE ART!

Get down and messy with it.

The wall is now finished and I do not have a picture of it yet but I will leave this blog post in anticipation...

Spiritual Journey

Galilee.
WE WERE JUST IN GALILEE. What!?! I am blessed. I am blessed. I am blessed. I don't know how else to say it. We seriously just went on a tour of a lifetime. This is what I hoped to experience before hopping on the plane a few months ago. Walking on water, casting out devils, healing the blind and sick, we ventured it all. The entire 10 days we were there we focused solely on Christ. All of the different sites and classroom lessons (yes we did have class a few feet away from the Sea of Galilee) all centered around Christ's ministry. I loved every second of it. I am growing closer to Christ. My knowledge of his life and ministry are expanding into the horizon. The bible is truly coming alive in my eyes. The simple stories I have learned my whole life are real. I know this may sound silly but it still blows every part of my soul to hear, "this is the place where Christ healed Jairus' daughter, walked on water, fed the 5,000." It never gets old.
One of my favorite parts of the week was actually a hw assignment suprisingly enough. We are assigned to do reflection papers a few times throughout the semester. This one happened to be assigned during Galilee. Overlooking this beautiful lake I was to choose one of Christ's miracles, explain it in context, and then relate it to my life. I chose the story of Christ casting out the legion of devils from the suffering man into a herd of swine. I focused primarily on the man before his encounter with Christ. It says in Jesus the Christ, "so complete was his possession by wicked spirits that he could no longer distinguish between his individual personality and theirs." This man was seen as absolutely hopeless and beyond any sense of acceptance. He dwelt in tombs away from mankind for no "man could bind him. (Matthew 5)" Reading this broke my heart for I could not help but relate this to our lives. How sometimes we may feel hopeless and of little worth. How we tend to define ourselves by our trials and weaknessed rather than the gifts and strengths we have been given. If I have learned anything here it is that the power of change and the Atonement are real. Christ has the power to heal if we allow him. There is no such thing as hopeless. I am so grateful for this realization and sense of comfort. No matter how hopeless we may seem in the eyes of others or how closely we define our worth by our faults, Christ is able to heal all. I am learning more and more from the scriptures. The people who experienced these miracles and healings were just like us-imperfect and dependent upon Christ's love. Just as their lives were touched and healed by Christ, so can ours.
 It is simply beautiful. I am sorry to go off on tangents but I just love learning. I am living the dream to say the least. If only I could portray a small ounce of what I am feeling but sadly my writing ability and this simple blog post wont do justice. Therefore I have gathered a random selection of photos to give a little sneak peek of last week.

In Nazareth we visited the church of Mary's Annunciation. This was one of my favorite places we visited. Honestly we focus on so many aspects of Christ's birth but how often do picture it from Mary's perspective. My love and respect for Mary has increased dramatically. She was a young girl striving to do her best. This divine calling, to be the mother of the Savior,was a difficult task to accept knowing her social life, family relationships, and life would be in danger. Nevertheless "be it unto me according to thy word." Her faith and trust in Heavenly Father never faltered.

 

 A little taste of home. Haha no one understood my excitement when I saw this little guy chillin on the side of the street. Who knew our lime green car would be rested on the side of a street in Nazareth. Love it!

 One night while in Galilee we went to a restaurant to eat Peter's fish just as the Savior would have done.

 We took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. We stopped in the middle of the lake and read scriptures while Brother Muhlestein gave us a lesson. Beautiful to say the least. I just looked out to the water and knew somewhere in my vision of sight Christ walked upon the water and calmed the raging storm.

 Capernaum. Highlight of this entire semester. I was in absolute awe as we wandered around what may be considered Peter's home, Christ's main place of dwelling, and the location of one of the most monumental and incredible days ever. All in one day Jesus Christ healed a man sick of the palsy, called Matthew as an Apostle, ate a meal with sinners and publicans (while teaching the Pharisees a valuable lesson), healed Jairus's daughter (right behind me in this picture), on the way over to Jairus' daughter he healed a woman with an issue of blood, then healed two blind men and casted out a devil from a suffering man. He was lastly overwelmed with compasison, with the desire to continue the efforts to gather the "scattered sheep," as he taught multitudes of people within nearby cities and villages (Matthew 9). In this picture you can see my handy dandy journal. While in Galilee I began to carry it around because everything we were learning was so amazing that I needed it in hand at all times in order to write everything down.

 Who would have known just outside Capernaum's gate was the man from Up. He was peacefully resting from the heat, I couldn't resist. I had my friend Cam stand in front of him to pose as though I were going to take a sanpshot of him....no no no this man seemed to figure me out quickly-hence his devious little smirk.

 Hiking. Mom I wish you could have been there so badly. We randomly went on a hike during our free time to El Al. Seriously breathtaking. We hiked for about an hour to reach the waterfall. This is my darling friend Jess and I standing on top of the waterfall.

The waterfall.

The water was absolutely FREEZING. Everyone was screaming. Not just any scream but the Mariah Carey, dog whistle scream as they entered the water. However, after a few minutes our bodies became so numb it actually began to feel good.

 Abby, Lani, Kristin, Britt, and I overlooking one of the most beautiful parts of the hike. I have never been to Ireland before but I can only imagine it being something like this place.

Beautiful eh?

 Ok one thing I love about this program is the faculty. Both my New and Old Testament teachers are living in the center with their families. Therefore, we get to know their children pretty well. Talk about darling-all of these kids here are ADORABLE. One in particular is Sabrina. She can melt your heart in a second. I love when the kids come on field trips with us because they really add energy and excitement to the already crazy bunch.

 

 This picture is dedicated to my wonderful roommate Elise. I know how much you love nuns. Although I saw her from a far off distance nothing could stop me from taking this picture for you girl. 

This is Tashara and I going to church in Tiberias, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. She is one of Brother Muhlestein's daughters and also one of the beautiful young women I teach. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to get so close with these girls.

 Some of the studs in our group. Here are a few of the boys I have become so fond of from the program.

Sky and I standing in the Jordan River. It was lovely. There were so many people, gathered from all over the world, dressed in a white jumpsuit getting baptized. I saw techniques from the traditional baptismal dip to dunking face first. It is really fascinating to see how people worship and express their faith.



Here is one example of a baptism occuring at the Jordan River.

Jess and I on top of Mt. Tabor.

 Donny and I on top of Mt. Tabor. He is a stud to say the least. We have a similar sense of humor. Therefore it is never difficult to get a good laugh when I am around him.

 Field Trips. We play hard, study hard, and go hard all day so by the time night approaches at the end of the day, going to bed is very appealing. This is a typical image as a field trip nears the end. We just get a little weary at times. However, it is all fun and games. For example, right after this moment my teacher offered students extra credit for anyone who can beat him fencing with his son's plastic swords. Bliss anyone?

 Tel Dan. This is the location known for calf worship under Jereboam's reign. We all lined up flexing our calves. TIt was a funny story but when we all flexed they were surprised by my calf (sprinting does legs good I guess) and so they nicknamed mine the "golden" calf. I don't know how I feel about labeling my body part as an object of idol worship but it definitely caused a good laugh and an embarassed girl.

Jacksons, Jacksons, and more Jacksons. The Jacksons are overtaking the JC. Both of these couples are responsible for the students health and saftey while here in Israel.  

And last but not least, this is for you Daniel Wade. I have been practicing at a few different sites but failed...miserably. This is the best I got and just for you.