Happy Thanksgiving

what am i grateful for today?

my chacos

my genies

and my pita

Galilee

Galilee was great. We were gone for 11 days and stayed at Ein Gev, a Kibbutz right on the beach of the Sea of Galilee. To sum it all up we studied in classrooms at the Kibbutz (New Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies), took buses to New Testament sites, had a couple optional student activities, and played on beach of the Sea of Galilee.

Site at Tabgha where Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep. (John 21)

Uhh, trying to be the golden cows at Tel Dan Baal worshipers praised. (1 Kings 12:25-33)

Again with the touristy picts...rock fists at Caesarea Philippi where Christ told Peter this rock would be the foundation of His church. (Matthew 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30)

Church on top of the Mount of Beatitudes. It was a beautiful, beautiful mount with palm trees and my favorite, plumeria flowers, and green grasses overlooking the sea of Galilee. (Matthew 5-7)

Candles inside the church commemorating the site Jesus fed the 5,000 men and women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fishes. (Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-14)

And this place was cool, Caperunaum. Caperunaum is a city Jesus spent a lot of His ministry- performing miracles, staying at Peter's house, and visiting the synagogue. Many remains are standing and this picture is of a church built ontop of Peter's house, it had a clear floor to see the ancient house below while Christians worship above. The bottom picture is at the synagogue. (Matthew 9:1, Luke 4:33-37, Mark 1:30-31, Luke 8:41-56)

And here we have a church on top of Mount Tabor...a suggested site of the Mount of Transfiguration. But according to my Ancient Near Eastern Studies professor the site is more likely Mt. Hermon. But Tabor is where Deborah becomes associated with the Transfiguration story. (Joshua 19, Judges 4)

Four modern day men sitting in four ancient toilets of the city of Beth-Shean. And it's kind of hard to tell but in the next picture I am standing above the city. (Acts 25:13, 23)

And here is Brindy doing a handstand in the Sea of Galilee and our class bonfires.

And floating the Jordan River and hiking the Golan Heights, two more highlights.

Bethlehem

-Shrine in the Church of the Nativity where Jesus was said to have been born-

Bethlehem is in the top three of my favorite places here. Our field trip included walking around the old city's streets, visiting the Church of the Nativity (the oldest functioning Christian church today, commissioned by Constantine and holds a supposed grotto where Jesus was born), and exploring the Bethlehem University campus. We also went to Shepherd's Field (picture to the left) which overlooks the little town of Bethlehem and could be the field the Shepherds were at before they went to see the Lord Jesus. At the field we had a Christmas program where we sang hymns and bore testimonies. I felt such serenity at Bethlehem and could not stop thinking of the line, "Peace on earth, goodwill to men." The Savior's message really is one of peace and goodwill and I am so thankful for the peace of mind that comes from a testimony of the Atonement, the plan of salvation, and of the reality of a loving Father in Heaven. The Church of the Nativity is currently under renovation and the line to see the grotto was about three hours long. (Hence the exhausted faces in the pictures below)

Bethlehem University was fun. It was cool to see the tiny campus and we also had free time there to mingle with the students. A bunch of the guys from the center started playing basketball with some of the Bethlehem students and I walked around, watched them play basketball, (picture below) and talked to some of the students. They were very kind and friendly. The University has a mix of Christians and Muslims but no Israeli's. It was interesting to hear them talk about Israel.

The picture to the left is of a little memorial in the Bethlehem University library where an Israeli shot a bullet through their university wall a couple years ago. It's hard for me not to side with one nation or the other when I hear stories like these from people so passionate in their ideas. I'm just grateful for the Center as a middle ground and for its predominately unbiased professors to remind us both sides to the story. I am grateful though for the different sides and for the goodness each people possess.

Happy Halloween :)

Leftovers and The Traveling Circus

For the Record

Monday

Field Trip! Usually take sack lunches and travel in two 40-passenger buses.

Tuesday - Friday

Classes ranging from 3-6 hours (Depending on the day)

Classes include Arabic/Hebrew, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Modern Near Eastern Studies from Palestinian Narrative, Modern Near Eastern Studies from Israeli Narrative, Old Testament, and New Testament

In between classes...Wander the city/Homework/In-Center Activities

Saturday (Sabbath)

Choir 9-10

Branch Services 10-1

Usually small groups walk to either the Garden Tomb/Golgotha or Gethsemane

"Journal and Contemplative Time"/Games/Discussions in the Situation Room

Sunday (Free Day)

Entire day typically spent in the city visiting sites our Ancient Near Eastern Studies professor told us are "Must sees and dos in Jerusalem". We have a list of 44 places to check off and later are to write about them as an assignment.

Sometime Once in the Week

FHE

Humanitarian activity

Film relating to what we are studying

Forum speaker (Israeli Journalist, Member of the US Consulate for example)

Linen Exchange

Volleyball intramural game in the gym

Yoga with Peri, Jujitsu taught by Jordan, and Conditioning led by Tarek

Dinner group in West Jerusalem

Announcements in the Forum

Other random scheduled activity (Arab Folk Dancing, Seder Passover Meal Celebration, Attend a session at a Synagogue, Informal and Formal Talent Show, Music Fireside, Blood Drive, etc)