Hello from the Holy Land!
I’m writing as I sit on a planter on the 7th floor on the southwest side of the Jerusalem Center in what they call the gardens. From here I can see the Old City, especially the Dome of the Rock, southern Jerusalem and its surrounding communities and the tall buildings of West Jerusalem. I can’t believe I have already been here a week. The weather here is beautiful right now [the sun is setting and there is a breeze and a few sprinkles here and there] and all the roses in this garden and the planters surrounding the center are blooming!
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| Flying over the water... it was a long flight! |
Last Tuesday morning we started our trip here, arriving groggy and jet lagged on Wednesday afternoon. It was so hard for me to say goodbye to Mom and Brittany Monday night and then to say bye to Cami on Tuesday morning. I cried talking to all of you in SLC, slept the whole way to NYC, cried talking to you all in NYC and then slept all the way to Tel Aviv [I think my special white pill from the Dr. helped on that flight, especially]. There were several Orthodox Jewish families on our airplane. I got so freaked out the first time the men went to the back of the plan to pray. I couldn’t figure out what they were doing congregating in the back like that, rocking back and forth. Okay, it didn’t take me THAT long to figure out they were praying, but I was still scared. Later on a kid from my group laughed when I told him my story and said, “Pam, it’s probably not going to be the Orthodox Jews who are going to blow up your plane.” Haha, true. But still. We had two meals on the plane, they were ok, but the second one I had was Kosher. You know what’s worse than airplane food? Kosher airplane food!
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| Kosher meal... lllll. [Don't I look like I have been drug through a knot hole? I know... it was a rough goodbye, clearly.] |
We got off the plane in Tel Aviv and were greeted by what is probably the nicest airport [minus the bathrooms] I have been in. It’s like a mall. We got our luggage and went through customs. It wasn’t scary at all… I was expecting Israeli soldiers to be everywhere with guns and I thought I’d feel super nervous. It was no problem at all, and I didn’t see anyone with a gun the whole time we were at the airport. Our teachers were there with signs for us and it felt like a mixture of the scene from Parent Trap when she goes to summer camp and of a typical Monday morning at EFY when all the kids are new. Although, everyone was speaking a different language: I couldn’t tell if it was Hebrew or Arabic . . . but there was lots of English too, just with different accents.
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| My plane buddies: left, Bekah & right, Stefanie! We sat by each other on both flights. Isn't it awesome that they look beautiful? ... it only AMPLIFIES my tired, circles under my eyes, no hair look. so cool. |
We drove to the Center from Tel Aviv, it took about an hour and I slept the entire way. I woke up to see some pastures with sheep and shepherds, but for the most part, I SLEPT! At the center they took us through several orientations and tours, fed us dinner, and did some more orientations with our teachers. I was and still am super impressed with the Jerusalem Center. It’s like a little resort in the Holy Land. We sit right on the Mt. of Olives and have on of the best views of the city. This building is totally secure, inside and out so we can go anywhere within the walls. Our rooms are through an outdoor hallway and are set up hotel style: 4 beds, nightstands, a table, a closet with 4 spaces, a bathroom, a desk and a big sliding glass door that goes out to a patio and balcony. I feel so blessed to be here! We started our first orientation meeting in the chapel. The chapel faces the west and sits on the eighth floor. It has huge windows that overlook the city. When they opened the curtains to these windows, I cried. I just couldn’t believe I was HERE…in JERUSALEM!!!!!
They told us we’d be really jet-lagged and wake up at 2 am, and to the call to prayer at 4:30 am… but I didn’t! I slept like a baby the whole night and woke up to my phone alarm for breakfast the next day. We arrived on Israel’s Memorial Day, so Thursday was Independence Day. They are right after one another. Wednesday we went on an Orientation walk through the city. It was SO COOL! The Old City is full of small, crowded, old streets and all kinds of people from all over the world. I was really paranoid about being pickpocketed or something, but after we got in the gates it wasn’t scary at all. We walked all through the city, and ended up in West Jerusalem. West Jerusalem is so different from East … it’s SO CLEAN!!! And modern. And feels safer. Buses took us back to the center for lunch and we were exhausted. I hadn’t walked that much, or gotten that much sun in a while. The rest of Thursday was more orientation and that evening we watched fireworks out on the lawn. It was beautiful!
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| The Jerusalem Center on the top of the Mt. of Olives... HOME! |
Friday we met our teachers. I have Brother Harper for Old Testament and Brother Ludlow for our Ancient Near East class. I like both of them a lot; I don’t think their classes are going to be unbearable, either. It’s totally doable. That afternoon we were free to go to the city, so we explored the Old City a bit- It’s like a maze when you get in there. We stopped by The Church of the Holy Sepulcher on our tour on Wednesday, so we decided to check it our more on Friday. This church is where Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Greek Orthodox Christians and Oriental Orthodoxy believe Christ was crucified, buried and where He was resurrected.
While I don’t really believe that all those things happened in that one central location, I do love the church. Each of those religions that I mentioned above have fought over space inside the church for hundreds of years. Now, under the status quo, each church has jurisdiction over the piece of the church they inhabit and that’s it- everybody knows they’re not getting more or less and whatever artifacts/ artwork are hung and situated must remain where they’re at, never to be moved. I just sat inside the church, and then outside and watched all these different Christian groups come in to the church to worship. It was fascinating . . . there were all kinds of languages, cultures, ethnicities, clothing styles and personalities, but they all came to worship in a place that they revere as sacred because of it’s association with the life and death of Jesus Christ. It is a sacred place.
Saturday is our Sabbath here. We had breakfast and then I joined the choir [ya, I joined the choir, Cami told me to… and I actually liked it. J]. We sang a song about the Savior, can’t remember the name, but it was beautiful, the Mormon-touring group that came to our sacrament meeting loved it. After church we went to the Garden of Gethsemane. It’s much smaller than I imagined it to be. Every part of Jerusalem, especially the Mt. of Olives, seems to be owned by someone. The priest let our group of about 25 sing in the church [which otherwise you aren’t allowed to speak in]. It echoed SO BEAUTIFULLY!
I really love it here! I am a little homesick / provosick right now! It’s hard not having a close group of friends who think all my ideas are good ideas and do them!!! Haha BUT I am being patient and constantly praying for patience and to make friends. It’s like the dynamics of 4th grade recess all over again. Okay, it’s not that bad, but I still don’t like it. I really miss my family, and I really miss my roommates, especially Cami. I do have some girls here that I am friends with and everyone knows my name, which is annoying because I have NO idea their names sometimes and it feels too rude to ask now, so I just wait for someone else to say their name! embarrassing.
I can’t believe I am here and I feel extremely blessed! Every night I sit outside and look out over the city. Amazing things happened thousands of years ago here. Right where I am at. On the Mt. of Olives. They called this place home, I feel blessed to call it home for four months.
Oh ya, and the chocolate here… so good! We started Hebrew class today. She claims I will be able to read it by June… we’ll see. It could be beneficial to read food wrappers though! I often have no idea what I am buying… but if it’s chocolate… I know I am safe. Haha Don’t worry, I am not going crazy.
Oh and… CATS. Instead of wild, stray dogs like in Mexico… Jerusalem has stray cats! SO Gross!!! They’re all over the patio if we choose to eat outside, like pigeons, only they’re cats. Sick sick sick!
I am so happy I came, what was I so scared about again?
