Sunday, October 18, 2009
a l o v e l y d a y...
Today is G O R G E O U S. Yesterday is started to feel a little bit like fall, and today, when I woke up at the crack of dawn to go to work, I was actually cold. Chilly weather… please stay a while!
One of my very dearest friends in the world, Camille Young, moved to Ft. Lauderdale to go after her dream of swimming, dancing, and performing. I am so happy for her! But Tampa is just not the same to me without her around.
I am going to visit my little brother in Arkansas for a surprise visit. I miss that boy so much. Not to mention…. Arkansas will be even colder! Scarves…coats… fires… hot chocolate…. So excited to see the colors of fall. I miss the snow. I miss the mountains. Even though life is great in sunny Florida.
Friday, September 25, 2009
last day in I S R A E L.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
V I A D O L O R O S A
Monday, September 21, 2009
Hezekiah's Tunnel
We walked around the City of David this morning. I learned that Muslims actually consider Abraham to be the first Muslim. The city of Jerusalem is known as the center of Monotheism. After that we went through Hezekiah's Tunnel. It was A M A Z I N G! It was so much fun. The tunnel was carved by King Hezekiah to bring water from one side of the city to the other. The water in the tunnel only reached about mid-calf or up to our knees, at times. The water was above the waist of the group that came last spring! We all were given little lights to guide us through the pitch black tunnel; but half way through, we decided to turn them off and feel our way through. I loved it! It kind of reminded me of the little tunnel Noelle and a couple of the guys and I went through a couple weeks ago- except that one was a little more intense. We actually had to crawl/swim through the tunnel at times. We also visited the Pool of Siloam. That is the spot where Jesus put mud on the blind man's eyes and healed him. The pool is located in the southern slope of the City of David.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Rosh Hashanah
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Our new guide Aton, whose name is incredibly close to the rapper Akon, took us around the Old City today. We went through New Gate, instead of Jaffa Gate to get a sense of a different area. We went to the church where the upper room is remembered to have been. It is extremely old because we know it was reconstructed after Titus burned down the second temple. We listened to a funny little nun talk about how the Holy Spirit is right there in the church. She was adorable. We also went to The Burnt House of Kathros and watched a video of the story of the priestly Kathros family. It was really interesting to learn about how a family was personally affected when the Romans invaded Jerusalem. This is the only house they have found that was from the time when the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.
At lunch we had two pizza places across the street from each other competing to give us a better price for pizza and drinks. It was hilarious, but we actually got a great deal. Who knew you could barter for food, too? We went to visit a quaint shop of an orthodox Jewish man who was so sincere. He enlightened us on the origin and specifics of Judaism and how it differs from Christianity. This man said something that I know is engraved in my heart forever. He said, “If you think you made the decision to come to Israel, you can just kiss that idea good bye. God chose you, and brought you here to his chosen country for a specific purpose. You will not be able to get Israel out of your mind, because you leave a piece of your heart in the Holy Land… and you will be back.” We also went to the Temple Institute to listen to the history of the first and second temple. The lady giving the tour was absolutely crazy, so it was hard to concentrate on the material. It was really cool to hear of their plans to build a third temple.
After all the touring we took our time going back to campus and did a little more shopping. I went back to some of the same places we went last weekend, and I had two different guys tell me, “You are making me crazy!” But I almost always walk away with the best deal possible. I love bartering. I miss traveling overseas with my brother! Some of the thing these shopkeepers come up with is hilarious. However, I think my favorite so far is, “Because of your nice eyes, I will give you good price.” What will they come up with next?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
N E G E V
Today was a little slow. We went to the Negev and learned about the Bedouin culture. I love learning about the people who live in the desert. Most of the Bedouin people are Muslim. The men are allowed to have up to 4 wives. Can you imagine? It was really interesting to learn more about their unique lifestyle, since we had the chance to spend the night in the desert in a Bedouin camp. There are so many culture codes and ways the Bedouin people can express something without even speaking. There are also specific ways they dress in order to express a specific message. They served us a delicious, sweet hot tea, and learned how to make fresh tortillas like the Bedouins make.
We also went to see the grave and desert home of David Ben-Gurion. The view of the desert was beautiful. People compare the view to the Grand Canyon. The view of the desert really is incredibly overwhelming. Lastly, we went to see Abraham’s Well in Be’er Sheva. We watched the funniest video about the history of Abraham and the story of Be’er Sheva. I learned that Be’er Sheva means “well,” and a well is a place a single women go to meet men.
At dinner, one of our hosts gave us a small gift of an apple, candy, and honey. Rosh Hashanah is this weekend, and traditionally people dip apples in honey to bring in a “sweet” New Year. I am excited about celebrating a Jewish holiday this weekend. Tonight we went to Coffeeshop and we talked about Theology, hunting, and our lives before Southeastern.