jerusalem

I woke up this morning in a beautiful place.  Tony and I went for a run on the beach in Tel Aviv.  The sand was soft and fine the water was warm and blue. Our hotel had an amazing European breakfast and we were excited to meet our group.  We are traveling with the Boyle's and all their kids, a group of  women who studied at the BYU center in 1977 and our Spokane group.  I can already tell that we have a united purpose and common goals for this trip and life.  It's great to be here with the Blughesworths.  

We began with a visit to Caesarea ( a beautiful city Herod had built on the Mediterranean Sea). We went to Haifa and saw a crusader castle fit for King Arthur.  The highlight of today was a visit to Mt Carmel where the prophet Elijah had a run in with the priests of Baal.  We talked about Elijah's visit to Joseph Smith when he restored priesthood keys.  I learned that it was on Passover that Elijah came to the prophet.  The prophecy has been fulfilled!  The seat at the table has been filled!  

We also saw the prophesied place of the battle of Armageddon.    I believe that armaggadon is symbolic of our personal battles with the adversary every day.  We ended our day at a beautiful convent in Nazareth where we were served a simple supper and then went to the sweet shops in town.  I love hearing the call to prayer and seeing the Muslim people pray.  We are visiting Israel during the Ramadan holiday which means that the Muslim people are fasting during the day and celebrating all night

Today's lesson: God answers prayers, sometimes spectacularly.

We toured in Nazareth today.  Except for a bad ending when I hurt Tony's feelings, it was a powerful experience. We saw a home like the one Jesus might have lived in, a synagogue where Jesus might have taught and proclaimed his Messiah mission.  We also saw a wine press, vineyard and olive orchard.  I learned that the door of the gate was literally a gate with a bigger door where we can knock.  I saw a more realistic cross with a mercy seat, a piece of wood where a person could sit during a crucifixion, for temporary relief.  I was reminded that Gethsemane means olive press.  Today we got our first view (and swim) in the Sea of Galilee.  Our kibbutz hotel is lovely with amazing Mediterranean food, including guacamole with cottage cheese, roasted eggplant and hummus

Today's lesson:  The Savior taught from familiar places and with common things.  So can I.

Archeologists have discovered a fishing boat from the time of the Savior at the Sea of Galilee.  It was surprisingly moving.  Our group took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee where we talked about the Savior's experiences here.  We sang hymns, prayed together and even danced.  Today we got to know the Hadley's from Connell. We are beginning to hear people's stories and how the Savior has touched their life.  The Hadley's have sons that play BYU football, so they are famous to Tony and Jason.  They shared a very personal story of the loss of their nephew and the healing power that can come during hard times.  After lunch we spent time in Caperneum and visited the Mount of Beattitudes.  We sat in a peaceful garden overlooking the sea and shared testimony.  I shared Eliza's definition of poor in spirit (willing to accept help). It is a little easier to see in Israel how shocking and unorthodox The Savior's teachings were.  

I'm glad we had fish and bread for lunch today because of the reminder it was of one of my favorite miracles of the loaves and fishes.  We ended the day at Gan Hashlosha falls.  Besides being refreshing and pleasant, it is the site of my favorite OT story.  Gideon choose his army here by selecting those who cupped their hand to drink.  I believe that he chose those who made covenants to help fight the battle.  

Tonight was so fun.  We stayed up late to offer free marital advice to David and Emily, and to seek their parenting advice.  As always all advice comes down to showing love, but it was fun to impart our collective expertise.

We also had good conversation with Hassan as we try to understand Islam and the tensions between religions in Israel.  I usually have an easy time finding connections with other religions, but as Hassam talked about earning virtues and demerits for behaviors, it hit me.  How do I connect with religions that don't recognize the Fall of Adam.  Without the Fall, there is no need for a solution, for a Savior.  I am beginning to understand that both Islam and Judaism are religions based on earning salvation. There is only justice, no mercy.  The Savior came to offer mercy and a much easier way to change our natures.  Both Islam and Judaism seem to fill the hole where the Savior should be with the law.  

Today's lesson:  Jesus' can calm stormy seas and he can calm me during storms in life.  

Today we went to an Old Testament temple site where we saw mikvah baths and sacrificial alters.  It was a temple spot later corrupted into idolatry to the god Pan.  A beautiful big red rock (think Southern Utah) sits here and is the site where Peter bears testimony and where Jesus teaches that His church is built on the rock of revelation.  We had opportunity to bear testimony here as well and ask ourselves the same question.  

Our afternoon adventure was at Nimrod's castle.  It was cool architecture and a great view and hike.  We had the pleasure today to get to know Dana and Linda.  Linda just earned her PhD in archeology and Dana is a gifted musician.  They are beginning a project to make a documentary about blacks in the priesthood.  I am inspired by their vision and big thinking.  Several years ago they bought a working ranch in Colorado to teach their kids to work.  They were very encouraging to us about moving to South America.  They exemplified dreaming big.

Today's lesson:  utilize and enjoy the blessings of revelation.  

Today might have been entitled "women's day," and was arguably my favorite day.  We began at Magdalena, a recent discovery of the community where Mary Magdalen lived and cared for Jesus.  A beautiful church is built there and we were given a tour by a "certain woman," who powerfully bore testimony of the Savior's love and respect for women.  I'm glad Tony bought the print of the woman healed of an issue of blood.  It will be my reminder of a woman who exhibited tremendous faith and understood how to access priesthood power.   We also stopped in Sabaste, the capital of Samaria and remembered the powerful story of the woman at the well and Jesus' offer to provide living water. 

The final story of a powerful woman was at Shiloh, the site of the ancient tabernacle temple where the 12 tribes would gather. A movie here portrayed the story of barren Hannah, whose prayer was answered the way she hoped. She showed gratitude to God by allowing her son to follow God's plan for him, not her's. This is also the area of Ruth and Naomi and the lovely story of Boaz.  More strong women who understood that relationships (love) are more important than laws and cultural traditions.

We visited Jacob's well, but the church built over it made it hard to appreciate. Still, it was another lovely reminder of a woman who understood the blessings that keeping covenants entitles us to.  Thank you Rachel.

We have arrived in Jerusalem tonight and could not resist a sneak peek into the old city.  We were in the Muslim quarter at Damascus gate during the middle of a Ramadan concert.  We also visited the wailing wall.  It was crazy overstimulating.  The police kept closing the gates and we weren't sure we would ever get out!  We fell into bed exhausted that night, but excited to go back.  

Today's lesson:  Women are a powerful influence as they access revelation, keep covenants and use priesthood power.  

This morning we began at the Mount of Olives which has to be the best view of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.  Jesus taught here and we were able to sit and feel the spirit of that place.  This prepared us for the powerful spirit that we felt at the BYU Jerusalem center.  I really appreciated the gratitude that Bill, Andrea and other previous students expressed for the complete miracle of thenJerusalem center.  The building itself is astounding architecture, materials and gardens and it absolutely feels like a temple.  We enjoyed an organ concert and then Bill shared the story of the Olive Tree in the courtyard.  The church spend a lot of money on it and it didn't take.  So, they grafted in branches and now watch it grow and flourish.  Incredible symbolism and metaphor. 

The afternoon was emotional at the Yad Veshem Holocaust museum.  6 million of the tribe of Judaea destroyed, horribly.  It was sickening to think how Satan works evil through people and in small degrees.  

We spend our afternoon in Bethlehem.  Again, a disappointing site of the Saviors birth because of the oppressive church built around it.  Less disappointing was seeing the country covered in retaining walls and olive tees and shepherds watching their flocks.  The Christmas story will never be the same.  We bought a lovely olive wood nativity and Liahona to remember our time in Bethlehem.  

Tonight we got a real taste of the tensions in Israel.  A group of us headed into the old city to Damascus gate, just as we got there a large group of soldiers with marching guns came running toward us.  We pressed ourselves against the wall and waited as they arrested two people.  It was scary, but very telling of the tensions we must don't understand.  Later we found out that a young man had stabbed an Israeli soldier just minutes before we got there.  We were even on the footage of the local news.  People cannot be economically, politically and religiously repressed without the anger and frustration boiling out somewhere.  I'm sorry for the people that have no voice and no rights.  

Today's lesson:  The restored gospel is the only solution for the conflict in Israel.  

It was Father's Day today and it was pretty spectacular to retrace the Savior's final week with my dad.  We started again at the Mount of Olives and noted where Jesus would have passed the city through the Golden gate in his triumphal entry.  I see now where Jesus would have turned left toward the temple instead of right to the political seat as all the people hoped he would.  

Now that all of His followers are disappointed and have abandoned him, he goes to the Garden of Gethsemane with a few apostles.  We stood in that garden and Jeff Elmer reminded us that here Jesus incrementally realized that his mission would be so hard and so alone.  It was an undeniably sacred spot.  From Gethsemane we went to the upper room.  It really hit me in that place how the sacrament replaced the Passover as Jesus fulfilled the law and initiated the New Testament, the new covenant.  Dana and Linda did a beautiful job of reminding us of the incredible opportunity we have to partake of the sacrament because of the events in the upper room.  I will take the sacrament differently as I think about that room.  We ended the day with an incredible visit to Golgotha and the garden tomb.  This was the holiest spot we visited.  We were able sit together and sing a hymn of united testimony and the reality of the gift of resurrection was overwhelming. 

Today's lesson:  He lives. I know my Redeemer lives.

Today turned out a little differently than our guides had hoped.  After waiting in a long and hot line in modest clothes we were ushered in and quickly out of the Temple Mount.  Fanatical Jews had gone to the dome of the rock to yell obscenities at the Muslims worshipping there.  The Muslims got frustrated, the police released tear gas and locked the worshippers in the mosque and the whole mount got shut down.  For the rest of Ramadan.  We were able to go for a short time to the steps of the temple where Jesus would have met with the woman caught in adultery.  Tony and I were prepared to lead a discussion on this story, but we ran out of time.  We went next to explore underneath the city walls, called the Rabbinic tunnels.  We went to the city of David, outside the Old City walls which were the places Nephi and Lehi would have know.  We had a rather stirring discussion about Bathsheba and David as we prepared to walk through Hezekiah's tunnel. I loved walking the tunnel (so glad Mom didn't come).  It was an awesome example of being prepared and making sure we always have access to the living water.  An amazing member of our group, and one of the 77's, shared a story that she had just read in her deceased sisters' journal.  Ellen's sister had gone with her BYU group in the early 70's and were exploring by the light of a candle.  As they hiked they noticed the water rising.  As it continued to rise they decided they needed to turn back.  Soon the water was so high that it doused the candles.  Ellen's sister, who was at the back of the line, now was at the front of the line.  As the hurried out, Ellen's sister paused to light her candle.  Some of the group members were frustrated by the delay, but just as she did, the leaders light went out.  I loved the story and I loved Ellen, a powerful woman who runs her own fly fishing company in Thailand.

Today's lesson: always take the time to ensure that my own candle is lit.

My new phrase for miserable summer heat is, "hotter than Massada."  We visited several miserable places today, Massada, Qumran, the Dead Sea.  All places I will only need to visit once.  The Dead Sea was the least refreshing water I've ever experienced.   The only oasis was Ein Gede, a waterfall where David hid from crazy Saul. Fortunately we were able to stop on the way home at the river Jordan where Jesus was baptized and feel the peace and relief of that sacred spot.

Our free day was packed full.  We went first to see the church of the holy sepulcher and walk the Via Dolorosa.  We spent about 15 minutes singing in the Queen Anne church's beautiful acoustics outside the pool of Bethesda.  Lovely memory.  We met all the Spokane group at the garden tomb once more to share our testimonies.  It was powerful 

After a fun lunch at the best Falafel stand on Jerusalem, fresh pita, hummus and fruit we shopped a bit in the Muslim quarter.  Everyone but mom and I hiked the rampart walk and got both a great workout and incredible views.  We met in the Jewish quarter to visit the temple institute and enjoy ice cream.  The temple institute was incredibly familiar from the Moroni-like statue, the clothing, the lingo etc. Our last adventure was to take the light rail to a Yad Rashed, a Jewish shopping area where we had our last meal together of sushi and pizza.