What A Week!

Good evening (or whatever time it is for you)!

Today marks exactly one week from the day we arrived. It's rather crazy to think about. It feels like much longer than that.

By the way, here's a picture of the Old City and Dome of the Rock from the center:

I'm just going to post one picture this time, since I'm being sort of rebellious in using up the internet bandwidth. It loaded really fast just now though, compared to home. Don't know what that's about, but...

Since my last post, I've been thoroughly busy with school, exploring, and socializing, particularly school.

Friday was the beginning of classes (some of them), Saturday was the Sabbath, and Sunday (our free day) my roommates and I went on the ramparts walk along the walls of the old city. The walls were built in the 1500s (still need to study that part in detail). Of the two walks (they're divided), the southern wall walk was more cool, and it ended at the Western Wall.

On Monday, we boarded the buses and went on a Jerusalem Overlook tour, exploring the best vantage points all the way around Jerusalem. We started with the Augusta Victoria tower near the center, and we sang a few hymns in the church there. I've never had the opportunity, in all of the churches I've been in, to sing and hear the acoustics, so that was beautiful and the highlight of my day.

Anyways, as I said in an email to my Grandma and Grandpa: The last place we stopped at was a hill where you could see Bethlehem. Just think! I could have been standing on the very hill where the shepherds were tending their flocks or where Nephi would look back and see his home, Jerusalem, for the last time. 

Since then I've pretty much kept to the center, trying to get the abundance of readings done when I'm not in hour or two hour classes (mostly two hours, it feels like).

One of the geographic discoveries I've found surprising is how small the Holy Land is. I don't know about you, but when I've heard the stories or thought about it, I always thought the land much larger (typical American?). It is, in fact, much smaller. From several of the overlooks, you can see the last of hills before they drop into the valley. Isn't that cool? It makes me wish home was smaller... The entirety of the Holy Land can, with plenty of room, fit into a state the size of Utah (trust me, my teacher showed us a picture), and yet it has held so much significance throughout history and now is home for over 11 million people. It’s remarkable!

Well, that’s it for now. If and when I’ve got time, I’ll say more…if I can think of what more I should share in the muddle that constitutes my mind right now.