I AM TWENTY!!!!

It is a little late I know but I have been twenty for three days now. It feels great!!! Honestly the 9th was one of the best days thus far. Oh thanks Mom for sending Rach and I the package of letters and goodness. We opened it yesterday and loved it! I am excited to be twenty. I can't believe the day has actually come. I am no longer a teenager which is so weird to think about. Adulthood is on the horizon and I still feel so young. Although its just another year, there is something different about saying I am 20. I am excited to get past those, "ha your 19 looks" I often received at BYU (especially by those I dated). 20 20 20!!

Twenty Lessons I have learned the past year:

1. My parents really do know best!

2. I love who I am and no one can tell me otherwise.

3. Running soothes the soul! Can you say endorphins?

4. There is nothing like a good pair of jeans.

5. Carbs are where its at-yum!

6.Laughter is the best medicine (the louder the better)!

7. "Seize the day!"

8. Don't stress over things I don't have control over (wasted energy)!

9. Service is the key to true happiness.

10. Brunettes do have fun (almost as much as blondes:)

11. All babies are cute!

12. Stamps can be quite expensive.  

13. Change is constant-embrace it!

14. I LOVE TO LEARN-education is power!

15. "Austin Aimes is a worthy opponent."

16. My family is rock solid!

17. Don't let fear keep you from "botching!"

18. Don't be afraid to love.

19. Live for myself!

20. JERUSALEM IS AWESOME!

I woke up with no expectations...little did I know...

This is Aladdin. We go to him to exchange American money for shekels. He is a darling, old man. I like him SO much. He seems to have created a special bond with Rach and I these few short weeks we have been here. His face lights up when we go to the counter and he says "TWINS!"  When he found out it was our birthday he sang and cheered for the large crowd waiting to exchange money and then suggested we hold lots of money...

no complaints from me.

Anyone who has been to Jerusalem knows who this proud, shining face is...OMAR! We finally took a trip to his place on our birthday. Omar is a very passionate person especially when it comes to wood and Mormons. He sells wood carvings to thousands of people year round (especially BYU students). His wood carvings are absolutely beautiful. Talented is an understatement. He treats every individual wood carving as one of his babies. I love to see people doing what they love. Go OMAR! 

Mint Lemonade. My darling roommates and Rachel's wonderful roommates treated Rach and I to a meal in the Old City. It was just a group of us girls wandering around, laughing, talking and doing what we love-eating!

Yummy Pizza. I have never been so excited to eat pizza. One thing that I struggled with at first was adjusting to the food. The seasonings and overall taste is very unique. Don't get me wrong the food is great. Every meal in the Oasis (JC Cafeteria) is beautifully prepared. Every student here loved it from the start with the exception of Rach and I:) However, I am loving it more and more each day. Though I cannot tell you the joy I felt when my friends told me we were going to get a slice of pizza.

Jess (Rachel's roommate) and my good friend. She was one of the masterminds of this brilliant plan.

The Gang in all their glory. I love these girls so much. We played catch-phrase and ate gummies/chocolate outside the Austrian Hospice. What more could we ask for? I am so blessed to have such great friends. They also gave Rach and I a pair of earrings and a new adapter for my computer because I lost mine somewhere in this black hole we call the JC.

After dinner I did a little more studying because my day happened to fall on midterms. Rach and I were studying with a group of students when I heard "happy birthday" coming from what I thought a small army. Then before our eyes, 40 students piled into this room with two cakes singing to Rach and I. I couldn't believe my eyes. It seems as though there is a birthday every other day here in the JC but never has anyone gone to such great measures to make one so wonderful. We are blessed. I was so happy and I honestly don't deserve such attention and love but I am grateful. In that moment I just felt loved.To preface this, Rach and I got sung to at least twelve times each meal plus a message by Mallory. Earlier brother Muhlestein and his darling family made Rach and I muffins and sang to us in their apartment. They have the most beautiful little girl named sabrina. She has blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes and has labeled us as "her twins." Haha she makes me laugh. I thought being a twin was fun but being a triplet is a party in a half. Man are birthdays great over in Jerusalem. I went through withdrawals on the 10th because of all the attention one gets here on their birthday.

This was the sky the night of the 9th. I just thought it was beautiful.

There is a Green Hill Nearby...

Who said deserts had to be dry? This place is far from what I expected. I predicted brown, brown and maybe yellow if we were lucky. No it is green, lush and beautiful over here. A few days ago while we were wandering around the city visiting the upper room and attempting to attend mass, we traveled over to West J to an artist colony. Honestly I was in heaven. It was gorgeous. Cobbled streets with flowers of all colors hanging over railings and out of windows. Everything but dry and depressing. Winter is the best semester to come I am convinced. We were wandering around laughing, eating, feeding the birds-it was just one of those relaxing days I thoroughly enjoy. This place is beatiful. We then wandered toward the Citadel of David and learned more about the history of Jerusalem. It is gorgeous both the architecture and history. It still boggles my little mind to learn about the history of Israel and actually correlate it with the specific site. 
  To contribute to the beauty of this land we went on a field trip to different tels in Shephelah. We went to Gath (where Goliath) grew up as well as the predicted site of the battle of David and Goliath-so fun! We also ventured to caves and other tels to get a better perspective on the land and the many sites found in the Old Testament (such as Sampson's journey as well as the many locations of the arc of the covenant). I am loving life more and more.

 BLISS

 JOY

 LOVE

 I could barely contain myself. I was so happy to see such a beautiful place. I want to live somewhere like this. I thought beauty like this could only be seen in movies and dreams..oh how I was wrong.

 B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!

 Jerusalem has the most breathtaking doors. I could (probably should) do an entire album solely on the doors here in the Old City. Every entrance to any building and garden is absolutely exquisite.

 Tel Tsafit National Park

 We hiked to the top of this tel to see an archeological site. Professor Chadwick, who is my ancient near eastern studies teacher, explained how he dates the pottery and random structures found on these sites. If there is anyone more passionate about archeology than Professor Chadwick I would definitely love to meet them because I don't think its possible.

Here is my little gettup when we take field trips: a camelbak, headset, scriptures, and notes. And many times we rock the fanny! Trendy I think so!

Tombs. A litte dusty if you ask me. These girls are my roommates! Victoria, Keri, and Skyler is on my right.

 Emerging from the dusty tombs.

 Bell Caves. This place is beautiful and I am sorry I don't have a better picture. We sang hymns inside this glorious place. The acoustics were amazing!!! LOVE! We sing all the time (understatement) especially when we travel to beautiful places like this.

This is a great picture of a Tel (we have seen many tels since I have been here and have many on the horizon I am sure).

 

It began to rain while we were learning about this Tel. Best moment ever. There was a rainbow (not quite a double) that only contributed to the gloriousness of this experience.

Haha one of the best moments of this field trip was when we went to the site (or near it) where they claim David killed Goliath. It was so fun and quite hysterical. Our class reenacted the story. The biggest boy, Lorence, vs the smallest boy Spencer (celine dion boy). I was part of the Philistine crew. Ya girl! 

  

This is my first attempt at throwing a stone like David. If Goliath were 5 ft smaller and 50 yards away I would definitely have him beat (no accuracy whatsoever). I am so grateful to be learning about these wonderful examples in the Old Testament  like David. He took only five stones with him to kill Goliath. Confidence is something David did not lack. One should not fear if they have the Lord on their side. This is a perfect example of  the principle-whom the Lord calls, he qualifies. Goliath was definitely the underdog because David was always going to win. 

The Garden Tomb

Today after church a group of students and I went to the Garden Tomb to sing and just ponder…which surprisingly is something I haven’t done too much of since I have been here. The days are packed and the moments of freedom must be spent in the city. I love it this way but it does feel good to be quiet and still to allow these wonderful experiences to actually soak in. We sang a bit and then I just wanted to wander around alone and watch the many groups of people entering the tomb. People of all faiths and ethnicities populated this little area. Many were singing hymns of praise, reading the Bible, and taking pictures. I put in my iPod and pulled out Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. I read more about the circumstances surrounding the burial of Christ and events leading up to the tomb. Eventually the loud chanting and random conversations in different languages took a hold of my attention, so I simply sat and watched. I watched people from all walks of life gather in this remote area for the purposes of feeling Christ in their lives. I listened to the tour guides talk about the history and lots of Asian couples conversing with one another. I honestly felt a pure love for all of these strangers around me. We are all in the same boat, trying to become closer to Christ. We all want to feel Christ’s love and mercy in our lives and we all are dependent upon his atoning sacrifice. Watching everyone interact with each other and curiously converse with other faiths was so intriguing to me. Heavenly Father loves all of us. He wants all of us to really find Christ and follow him. Today I got a glimpse of the love Heavenly Father has for each of His children. I loved this environment. There was a slight overcast and light sprinkle leaving the air moist and crisp. The Asian woman sitting next to me was smiling and very welcoming. She was really fascinated with my journal (English language). Although, side by side, we were both praying and singing in different languages and in different ways, we were both praying to the same God. I am grateful for these spiritual insights. I am constantly learning by simple truths the power God has in my life. I am striving to gain a more personal relationship with Christ. I want to know him better than I do now. Lately this thought has completely overtaken all my thoughts and desires. The more I learn about the Old Testament and overall gospel doctrine, the more I realize how much I don’t know. I am trying and that is the important thing.
    I taught the young women today for the third hour. There are four darling, pure girls in the young womens program in this JC ward. If purity could be captured in a face-they all have it. They are young, innocent, humble girls. While teaching, I just felt a love and desire for each of these girls to feel of their worth. They are powerful and their examples of purity and faith will spread to future generations. I am sure Heavenly Father looks down on all of us, fighting and hoping that we too will recognize our power and divine worth. I am happy! The more I learn about the many other faiths here in Jerusalem, the more my testimony of this gospel is confirmed. I have a long way to go but I am grateful for the direction this program continues to give me. These are the thoughts of my heart.

Making History!

Egypt. If you were to ask me last summer if I would ever imagine traveling to Egypt I would give a clear, assertive no. The past eight days I have been in Egypt and have loved every second. It has been absolutely unreal!  As the news may have informed you Egypt turned out to be more of a battlefield than anything else. We were blessed to see many of the sites we had originally planned to visit and the political upheaval only interefered with our JC group at the end of our endeavors. I must say I never felt fear or even worried about our safety because our teachers and tour guides here were very protective and kept us away from the choas erupting nearby. I am amazed by all of the events that have transpired this past week. I was sittting on my professors bed with twenty other students watching the news and asking questions about the situation, the government, and the possible results of such a rebellion. The riots we were witnessing (as I am sure many of you did) on the news were happening just 15 minutes away from our hotel. It makes me sad to see the people I have gained a love and respect for here in Egypt are being directly influenced and hurt by the internal contention within Egypt. Change is necessary, whether it be good or bad Egypt will never be the same! We were told we may be the last JC group to travel to Egypt for quite some time which is sad but I am grateful to have traveled to Egypt at a time when history is being made.

 I am grateful to be an American where my rights and freedoms are not only given to me but protected.  

 On our way to Egypt we took many stops to see archeological sites. This is Kelsey and I rockin the hard hats. She was my Egypt buddy for the week. We roomed together in many different hotels and on the midnight train. She is a party in a half. She is loud, spunky, and doesn't take crap from anyone. To describe or respond to anything she would always say, "that is hot." Haha Love her!

LOVE this picture. These are two of my three roommates. Left is Skyler and right is Victoria. We just saw our first pyramid. I can't describe in words how excited I was but this picture does some justice on the excitement level of our bus!!

 Rach and I taking a little jump off the pyramid. No big deal!

These are the Giza Pyramids behind me. These bad boys are gorgeous and definitely a highlight of this trip. We went inside a few of them and honestly pictures cannot do justice.

 Of course the camels (Kris this is for you). We saw hundreds of camels throughout our stay in Egypt. They are always decorated in elaborate clothing of some kind. I cannot help but laugh because these are such strange creatures yet everyone rides them around like horses. We actually got to ride one around Luxor on Wednesday. One thing I have learned from this experience is that I cannot take anyone on a camel seriously.

 The Sphinx and all its glory!

Oh the Sphinx...this picture was a work in progress. It took numerous tries to get the perfect angle and I am still kissing his chin. However, it is the craziest site to witness twenty people standing alone with their eyes closed, puckering while making subtle adjustments to go up an inch or to the right a tad. Many people were pulling out their cameras not for the Sphinx but for the line of people trying to steal a smooch.

 The most tender moment of the trip was at the Sphinx. I was taking a photo for a friend and a Muslim mother rushed over to me, pointed at the camera and then back at me. I was very confused as to what she wanted from me. Finally I understood...I am blonde. Haha there are quite a few blondes in the JC group and we figured that is was like being a different race to have blonde hair. She gathered all of her children around me so they could have a picture with a blonde. I love children and when all these kids (whom normally refuse pictures in Jerusalem) came running my direction with open arms and precious faces...I couldn't ask for anything better.

Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut. One of my favorite places we went all week. Hatshepsut was the Pharaoh in the 18th Dynasty. She was the longest ruling woman and one of the most adored Pharaohs in Egypt's history. She was depicted as a man throughout her ruling. Look up the history for more details it is phenomenal. This Temple has girl power written all over it!

Cute man at Hatshepsut's Temple.

Colossae of Memnon

Ramesseum. This place is HUGE!

  

We took a boat across the Nile to go ride camels. This is the gang playing a little game called "signs" in order to pass the time away.

 This is my camel driver named Abraham. We were lectured numerous times about the dangers of camel drivers but I loved my driver. He is 17 years old and dreams of going to Paris. His English was pretty good so it was fun to carry on a conversation with him about his family and his passions. At the end of the ride I gave him a dollar but he wanted a kiss...sorry Abraham maybe another time!

 My wonderful twin and a bent pyramid.

 The boys trying to recreate their own pyramid!

The overnight train ride was a PARTY!!! We packed lots of people in a tiny, sweaty room to play games and talk the night away. Sleeping was not a problem. We play so hard in the day that by the time the moon comes out, my little eyelids have no choice but to shut down.

 Hiking Mount Sinai. This was BEAUTIFUL!! Thanks to you mom I love hiking. We all got a wake-up call at 2:30 in the morning. Drank some nasty brown water they called hot chocolate and off we went. It was dark most the way up so we used our little headlamps. When we got to the top it was breathtaking. We sang lots of hymns and took many pictures. We read Moses 1 the night before we hiked it in order to get a better perspective of what we would be in for. I cannot believe that I stood in the same place that many marvelous, spiritual events took place so many years ago.

 Bliss! Although it was cold on top (thanks grandma for the jacket it was wonderful) I felt so warm and peaceful. There was a devotional and a little testimony meeting on top. I am beginning to understand why I am here and what I want to take from this wonderful program. I am blessed! Sitting on top of the mountain overlooking the land below I felt a feeling of power and worth unlike ever before. I know this program is changing me and I just hope that I am accepting and open to the wonderful adventures ahead of me. 

A few random, beautiful shots: 

 The Nile at night!

(Ramesseum) All of the architecture here is beautiful. Grandpa if you were an Egyptian you would be creating amazing structures like these. Brilliant!

Dad this picture is for you! I am very proud of this pic. It is on top of Mount Sinai. Thanks for teaching me how to take a panorama shot. I am using it often:)



Egypt here we come!

Today has been a great day. Sabbath is always a wonderful day. Sacrament meeting is always a beautiful adventure. The students here are stellar, therefore the talks are wonderfully prepared. The view isn't too bad either...I don't think I will ever get used to the large glass windows overlooking the city where Christ lived.
I have been out of YWs for a year and a half and now I am back in. I have been called to be a young women's advisor. I met the four beautiful girls for the first time today. Three of the four live in the building because their parents are faculty. I love it! I love girls (for that is all I have known) and so being in YWs is comfortable. Honestly purity just radiates from all of these darling girls...can you see my excitement!?! I am blessed!
 After church we went to the Garden of Gethsemane. It is beautiful and full of Olive trees. I read about the suffering and agony that took place in this sacred garden from Talmage's, Jesus the Christ. Jerusalem is amazing. I am sorry I cant post pictures right now, otherwise I would post a beautiful picture of an olive tree or the sunset or smiling BYU faces. Honestly, I am starting to understand why I am here. I want to soak everything up while I can. All of these students here have been gathered from all over the place (mentally and physically) into this beautiful center. We are all here together for a reason. It is beginning to sink in that I am living here. I often feel this is just a vacation but in reality we are students living here. It is up to us what we get out of this experience. Being away from home, in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by studs (Brock) (both students and faculty), constantly being spiritually uplifted is a learning experience. I am learning more about myself and what I want to become. Today, I have had many personal confirmations that I am here for a reason.
Oh another wonderful experience this week is the humanitarian activity on friday. I love service. We made hygiene kits for two hours on friday. I was called to lead this humanitarian group of joy along with Brother and Sister Bentley(who are so sweet and fun grandparents to us wild, crazy kids). There is a wonderful committee and all of the students here are so excited to serve. Jared, the DJ of the day, was SO hysterical and fun. Music soothes the soul and it turned into a large dance party. Service+music=GOODNESS!
Now we are off to EGYPT! We depart tomorrow morning. I am so excited. Riding camels, boating down the nile and visiting pyramids. YA GIRL! We have had orientations, meetings, and mass emails stressing over the water and sanitation issues in Egypt. After all the meetings we then had a meeting not to be too anal. haha it just makes me laugh.
Water, diarrhea, "squatty toilets," don't matter Egypt is going to ROCK!!

On Monday we went on a field trip down to Jericho. Literall down.We dropped 3500 feet in elevation over the span of 17 miles. Luckily, the bus driver is very well qualified for the roads were winding all over the place. Field trips are my favorite. The 80 students here are separated into two groups based on which Old Testament teacher you have. Although we see the same sites, we go in different orders. Brother Judd is my Old Testament teacher and guide for field trips the first half of this semester. I love him. Old Testament ROCKS!!

 The Wabi Quelt. This desert is located between Jerusalem and Jericho. It is also the place of the famous "Good Samaritan" story.  I can't fully express how wonderful and rewarding it is to be here and associate the stories I have been taught my whole life to the actual place it occurred so many years ago.

The Wabi Quelt in all its glory. I could not believe how beautiful the rolling hills of the desert are. I felt like a little ant in a large sand box. The hills went on forever...

  

The Saint George Monastery located in the Wabi Quelt. 

A few of the many troopers standing in Herod's Palace.

  

 King Herod's Winter Palace. CRAZY!!!

 The Mount of Temptations (or general area)!

 A little BYU Pride!

This is one of my darling roommates named Skyler. She is absolutely hysterical and brilliant in her own beautiful way. There is always a disney song, movie quote, or cheesy joke coming out of her mouth. I love her. We spend many late nights and early mornings talking and listening to the Tangled soundtrack. Oh how I love it!

Banana Pita!

The days are long to me but the weeks just fly by. I feel like I have been here for ages but in reality its only been a day short of two weeks. I love it here. We are all getting into more of a rhythm as we began classes, field trips and free Sundays. I am still adjusting to the wonderfully prepared Mediterranean food (spices are a little funky) but the pita bread is divine. I eat a peanut butter/ chocolate nutella filled pita once, most often twice every meal. On very special occasions they have bananas-which in that case I add a little more flavor by putting sliced up bananas into the collection of goodness. I love it and have converted a few followers to this divine treat. Oh and big news....I may or may not have found a bigger Celine Dion fan than my obsessive self. His name is Spencer. He is absolutely hysterical. He owns all of her songs on itunes, makes up interpretive videos to her most powerful ballads, and has been to her concert. This boy is legendary. Haha but we shall have a duel soon enough.
The classes here are wonderful. Honestly I feel like a sponge trying to absorb a waterfall. It is just too much but too good to stop wanting more. I love to learn. This trip has taught me the power of education. All of these wonderful places are exotic and beautiful but it has been pointed out to me that without knowledge, none of this would be as spiritual and sentimental as it had been thus far. Knowing the stories and people in the scriptures allow for a deeper more appreciative understanding of all the incredible sites we get to see. I love this. I honestly feel inadequate when it comes to doctrine. I feel however, well equipped with the strength to learn and not be discouraged. In fact when I don't know or understand something (which happens a lot I may tell you) I get a feeling of passion and curiousity rather than discouragement because I want to learn. I don't want something wonderful and magnificent to pass me by because I don't fully understand a concept. Therefore questions are key. I ask lots of questions. I have learned to get over the pride/fear issue by simply asking. I am grateful the people here are so patient and willing to answer my questions, it definitely makes this quest for knowledge much easier. I love it. I love to learn and I know by the end of this trip the knowledge I gain will be rewarding and something I can treasure for the rest of my life.
The people here are wonderful. I love to see the many diverse cultures and religions. I enjoy witnessing how other people worship and perceive God. We all went on a field trip last friday to the Western Wall. It was so beautiful. There were many men and women praying, reading the Quran, dancing, and sobbing. There were many mixed emotions but yet they were all in unity at the same time. The Jews know how to party. The men on the left side of the wall were going crazy and letting themselves go, literally. There were men on each others shoulders just dancing and having a blast. The women were a little more quiet and reserved, though there were some groups who were also enjoying themselves quite a bit. The farther away we went from the wall the louder the women (as well as men) became. A group of girls and I just joined into random singing and dancing. I felt like it was a combination of girls camp/EFY, Jewish style. It was really fun. They were all so warm and welcoming to us. I am grateful for their example of kindness and acceptance.
Yesterday a large group of students went to play soccer at a random park in West Jerusalem. We all took a bus and went to one of the coolest parks I have ever seen. The weather was beautiful and perfect for playing outside. It felt so good to get out of the center and away from the city for a brief moment to just enjoy the weather and atmosphere.  We all played on an old soccer/basketball court. It was really fun because all of the students here are wicked good at soccer. I love soccer but the option came up to run. So of course I chose the latter of the two. A small group of girls and I went around this beautiful park. It has been a good three weeks since I have purposefully went on a run, so today was the perfect opportunity and oh how I love those endorphins. I am destined when I grow up to live near a park. It doesn't matter if its in a busy city or suburb, a public park is necessary. While running, we ran into an outdoor gym. It was CRAZY! All of the machines were identical to any machine found in an average American gym except the fact they were metal, brightly colored, and included no weights. You just lifted or benched or pushed your own weight. I don't think I can fully express how cool, unique it was but hopefully I will have time to run to Hebrew University for a second to put upload pics. We then did abs and a little yoga. Girls day at the park=golden!
We all just got back from a field trip to Jericho about an hour ago. It was absolutely wonderful. We saw Herod's winter palace, the Mount (general area) of Temptations, the area of the Good Samaritan (Wadi Quelt), Elisha's spring, and many ancient ruins. It was wonderful and I will make a seperate blog about this field trip with pictures because my writing cannot fully express how beautiful it was.
I love it here and I love anyone who would take a moment to read this silly blog of mine. Thank you for your support and love. In a place of constant change and stress, find the something you love (if you haven't already). Whether it be running or a banana pita-for the simple joys in life truly have greater purposes.