Shalom... I'm a Hebrew speaker now

This week was my first Hebrew class. It was super fun! Our teacher is great! She teaches English at the Hebrew Univeristy, and Hebrew at the "Mormon University" (that how locals know the JC). So as of this week I officially know 4 Hebrew letters... alef, bet, vet, gimmel, (and modern gimmel). Wahoo! Ha ha... it was really fun! So before you know it I'll be a master of the Hebrew language... or not. :D

We also went to the Israeli Museum... that was interesting. The antiquities area was closed which was sad. So we saw the sculpture garden, and the dead sea scrolls, and the mini model of 70AD Jerusalem, and other museum-like things. It was fun... we were silly.

Yesterday we just had class... two quizzes for two classes. We had a service project yesterday afternoon cleaning out a tomb they dug up a couple years ago right in our yard. That was fun! And mostly we just got ready for our trip to Egypt! Wahoo! We leave on Sunday (don't worry that isn't Sabbath...we're still keeping it holy today ;) ). I'm super excited!

This morning I woke up with a medium (not quite killer) migraine. Kendra got a kick out of me so she took this picture. She found a lot of humor out of it so I thought I'd share it with you. (That's ice on my head and sunglasses... I don't see how it's that funny... but okay. Maybe it's because I'd make a wicked sweet ninja!)

Well I have to run to my dance lesson! (Caleb is teaching me to ballroom dance... ha ha) I'll update when I return from Egypt! I'm really excited for it!

Read Read Read

For those of you that know me really well you know that I love to read. Well I have a flimsy hope that I'll enjoy it just as much when I make it home in December. ha ha. I'm not kidding you... we read A LOT! Yesterday I spent all day, and I mean all day, reading. That does not count studying! That is just reading the material we've been given! I wish I could explain to you... just help you understand... I spent probably eight hours straight yesterday reading (which actually isn't that far out for me... but not for school!) and then I still had other assignments and studying for quizzes left to do. (Don't worry I played volleyball all night instead of doing the other assignments :) ) So anyway I just had to vent that. I feel better now. Plus when I have a view like that (picture) for my study room everyday I guess I shouldn't complain.

So for obvious reasons (like my sanity) I chose to go out to the city today after class. So a group of us went to St. Anne's Church and the archaeological dig site of the Pool of Bethesda. It was really neat. In the Church we sang I Stand All Amazed. It was such an incredible feeling and the song spoke the words of my heart. The archaelogical site was sweet! And it's great because all of us have memorized all of world history practically (thanks to our Archaelogy class) so we actually have a clue what's going on now. After that we ran to the Western Wall for a few minutes. I love it there! There is such a diversity of people there and for people watchers like me it's wonderful! Here are some pictures...

Amy and I in the dig site

I just like the random... but greatness of it

I was way lucky with this picture. Master photographer thank you!



The Western Wall

Well until next time...

TTFN: ta ta for now

Creating Zion

I had a good friend this summer point out that I was going to be living in one of the locations of Zion at the Second Coming. I've pondered, and pondered that in the last several weeks. As I've studied I've wanted to create Zion here at the Jerusalem Center while I'm here but there are so many people and so many different backgrounds I didn't think I could do it alone. I prayed so hard before I came here that I would find a friend who would be willing to create Zion with me. Well this week I had a huge tender mercy and answer to prayer. I was sitting down at lunch with a couple of girls here and we somehow got to talking about how we wished we had the opportunity for more spiritual experiences, and I told them about how badly I wanted to create Zion. Together we talked and all committed to work on it together. We've started a group scripture study (something I really miss from my summer job) everyday to study and talk about Zion. I'm so excited! Instead of one friend the Lord has given me five that are just as eager to create Zion as I am.

Another tender mercy for me has been that this week has been filled with Zion! My Old Testament teacher gave the most incredible lesson about Zion, and Zion in the latter days. And today in Sacrament Meeting one of the students and the district president both spoke on Zion and how we can create it here! I'm so grateful! The Lord sure does help us when we seek him! I'm excited to strive to create Zion here in Jerusalem. :)

Shabbat Shalom!

Carlee

Geography Field Trip

The Field Trip:

Yesterday we went on our first field trip! It was great! To get better oriented with the Jerusalem area we went to five different outlooks surrounding the city. First thing this morning we went to Nabi Samwil, Nabi meaning "prophet" and Samwil is "Samuel" in all making "The prophet Samuel." There is a cenotaph (memorial) dedicated to him in the synagogue. The really neat thing is that this building structure houses both a mosque and a synagogue. It is one place where the Jewish and Muslim get along... or at least will share. As a group we climbed to the roof of the building and looked at the area then went exploring.

Picture: Holly, Me, Sarah, Rachel, Sara on the roof

We also visited Deir Mir Elyas, Haas Promenade, Seven Arches Outlook, and the Victoria Augusta Hospital/Tower/Chapel.

The Victoria Augusta Chapel is beautiful! I love going into these old beautiful churches and seeing their architecture and all the symbolism! The acoustics were incredible and the guide let us sing on the platform so we sang some hymns! It was gorgeous! The Spirit was really strong.
The chapel and tower are actually part of a German Hospital built in the early 1900s. Our guide's name was Nicole (from Germany), she was our age and had only been there for a week longer than we've been here. We were her first tour.

Some Pictures of the Week:

Picture: Yep... that's my new snazzy bag. I'm quite the little bargainer now... ha ha (even though you can't see them I'm wearing my super cute new earrings as well!)

Picture: Orthodox Jew sitting in the market street

Picture: This container is outside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (traditional sight of the crucifixion) and its used for any "suspicious" object within the area. If you don't get it... this container is to blow things up in.
Funny Story: One of our teachers who was also here before the Center closed in 2000 said that one time a girl left her quad (set of scriptures) in Israel (somewhere) and when some Israelis couldn't identify it they shot it. So she went back to find them and her scriptures had been shot.
A little paronid I think. :)

Blog Orientation for Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad, (and anyone else who needs it)

A blog is a really neat, relatively new wonder of technology! It allows people to create a type of interactive website. What I post will be updated at the top of the page. If you wish to look at previous post either scroll down or look at the archive to your right. There are only two posts up right now... scroll down and you can read what I wrote before. If you wish to comment (and you better) at the bottom of each post there is a button that says "comment" click it and leave a comment for me. That way I know you love me. (wink!)

Dad, I thought you would appreciate this picture we found in the Old City. It says, "My money and my daughter go to BYU." We thought it was funny!

I love you all!

Carlee

First Days in Jerusalem

Shalom! I am finally in Israel!

My first week at BYU's Jerusalem Center has been very exciting! After we finished all of the orientation meetings (there were plenty of them), figured out all of the policies and procedures, and finally had some free time we went straight into the Old City! It is beautiful in there! All my senses were overloaded with all of the history and culture! I can't believe I get to live here for the next four months!

Last Friday night we went with our Religion professors (Bro. Draper) to see the Western Wall and the Jews celebrating the start of Shabbat. It was so neat to see them celebrate and worship at the wall, and it was fun to see many of the young men who are studying seminary here come and sing and dance to welcome in the Sabbath. I didn't take my camera but hopefully I can get some pictures of the wall before I leave.

On Shabbat (Saturday is the Sabbath) we held Church here in the Jerusalem Center. The branch is small, but wonderful! Each member here has an incredible and unique story. Many of them are working at the US Consulate, some are studying at the Hebrew University, but we make up the vast majority. A small group of us decided to go into the city and spend some time at the Garden Tomb. It was a neat experience to be there, especially on Shabbat. It was so calm and clean compared to the rest of Jerusalem. There are some wonderful British caretakers that are as friendly as can be, they gave us a tour and then we sat for quite a while pondering.

Classes are intense. I've never had so much reading in my life. It's a good thing I like to read, and its a good thing the topics are (for the most part) very interesting. We get to take some very intriguing classes: Ancient Near East Studies (NES), Modern NES with a Palestinian narrative, Modern NES with a Israeli narrative, Old/New Testament, and I'm taking Hebrew as well. It's quite the load, but its especially brutal trying to balance that with playtime in the city.

The people here are wonderful! There are several service couples here along with the faculty/staff. Everyone is so happy and helpful! The students are all great. It's intimidating because they are all smart, but I'm excited to try and create Zion here with them. My roommates are a lot of fun: Sarah, Kendra, and Amy. Due to the lack of space in our room I'm sure we'll become tight friends fast. :)

I've felt rather sick ever since the airplane ride, it makes studying hard. But don't worry... lots of pills, sleep, and prayers will remedy it soon enough. And I'm kinda sad BYU lost to UCLA... oh well... everything can't be perfect I guess!