He lives

In 3 hours I head to the airport. In 7 hours my flight takes off. In 29 hours I will be home... home sweet home. My heart is having mixed emotions. I'm so excited to come home to family, friends, and CHRISTMAS! But I'm sad to leave this place that I've come to love so much!

When we had our New Testament Final I had to write an essay on what I thought the second most important thing the Savior did on earth besides the Atonement and Resurrection. I chose a more personal aspect. The second most important thing to me was to understand the personal, intimate relationships the Savior had with people. I used the story in John 9 of the man born blind that Jesus healed. When this man refuse to reject the man who healed him he was excommunicated and ostracized from society. But the Savior came to him, and brought the comfort and peace that only the Savior can bring. The next example I used was Christ's relationship with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. When Lazarus died and Jesus knew what would happen, but he also knew the pain of his friends and "Jesus wept." He is always there for us. He knows us. He knows our struggles and our trials. He knows the desires of our heart. And sometimes... he cries with us because of our pain even though he knows the outcome. The last example I used was John 20 and the interaction between Mary Magdalene and the resurrected Savior. Brother Draper made a clarification for us in class, when Christ says to "touch me not for I have not yet ascended to Father," the Greek text is more like, "Cease embracing me for I have not yet ascended unto my Father." I love the image of Christ again bringing the comfort and peace Mary needed. She loved him so much, as did Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and the man born blind, and the established such personal, loving relationships with the Lord. Another observation that I had was that each of these people the Lord not only healed physically, but spiritually too.

That was what my semester at the BYU Jerusalem Center was all about: To come to know the Savior personally and intimately. I've come to know the places Christ loved, the teachings he taught, the culture he lived in, the friends he had, the miracles he did, the struggles and experiences he had on Earth. With my own testimony of Jesus as the Messiah I've come to know what Jesus was like as a man.

I don't know if it's kosher (pardon my pun) to share my testimony on a blog, but I am...

He lives. I know that with all of my heart! He suffered and died as an infinite atonement for us. And then he was resurrected. He has shown us the way because he is the light. I love him with all my heart. So I want you to know, that I know, that...

He lives.

Merry Christmas!
I'll see you in a couple of hours!
Lots of Love!
Carlee