In His Footsteps: October 2013

Sunday, October 27, 2013

So Many Amazing Things!

On Friday a group of us explored some neighborhoods in West Jerusalem. I love the simplicity and beauty of these neighborhoods.

On Thursday we had a Seder/Passover Dinner. Our Jewish professor, Ophir Yarden, took us through the 15 parts of the ritual service that leads up to the dinner. I was a part of a group that sang Dayenu, which means, "it would have been enough" or "it would have been sufficient." The Jews wrote this song to thank God for all that He blessed them with- delivering them out of slavery, giving them the Torah and Shabbat etc. Had God only given them one of these blessings, it would have sufficed. This song shows appreciation for the bounteous blessings God provided.

On the Sabbath, Carissa, Alecia, Angela, and I went to the Garden Tomb and found a place to sing away from the crowds of tourists. We ended up singing hymns for an hour and a half. We were so excited when individuals stopped to listen. Some of them even took pictures and video! We are given very few opportunities to share our beliefs about Jesus Christ while here in Jerusalem, but what better way to testify than through song?

My favorite encounter occurred when we spoke to a German man. We had just finished singing, "Because I have been given much." At the end of the song he said with a thick German accent, "Jesus is my Lord." Then he pointed to us and said once again, this time getting emotional, "Jesus is my Lord too. Thank you!" How sweet it was to share a common belief in the Savior. This experience changed my perspective. I orignally went to the Garden Tomb to experience the peace and Spirit of the place for myself. Now I realize, it's not all about me. The experiences I am having here are not just to benefit me, but the Lord intends for me, and for all of us, to reach out to others, to bless and strengthen them too. When we lose our lives in His service, we are made alive in Christ. He changes our hearts and helps us to become new creatures. He makes us more fit for service in His kingdom.

Today a group of us went to Ain Karem, a town 20 minutes south of Jerusalem, to serve in the home for children with special needs. I spent the morning with my new friend Liad. We sang songs, played in the musical garden, smelled herbs and flowers, and laughed a lot. What a special boy he is! I am so grateful for his reminder of what matters most: love, acceptance, purity, a closeness to the Spirit. I learned so much from my dear friend Liad.

(Posted with permission)

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Snorkeling in Eilat

We went to Eilat to go snorkeling this week! It was so much fun! The fish were beautiful! We could see the mountains of Saudi Arabia and Egypt- This is the closest we'll get to these two countries.

A group of us also went to the aquarium! I'm in a fish tank! ;)

Olive Picking and Pressing

Last week we picked olives from the olive trees around the center and this week we pressed them. I tried an olive. It was so bitter! However, I am so glad that I tried it because it gave me a new insight about the Atonement. Christ suffered the bitterness of the Atonement and bore the weight of the sins, pains, afflictions, temptations, and sorrows of every human being (which is comparable to the bitter olives being pressed). The outcome of His suffering is that each of us can repent, find forgiveness, live again and be resurrected, find joy despite our circumstances, be enabled to do good things, and the blessings go on and on (this is comparable to the sweetness of the olive oil after it is pressed and separated from the impurities).

Olive Picking

Olives soaked in water

We are pushing the log connected to a large stone to crush the olives

Olives during the process of being pressed

Basket we put the crushed olives in

This device is used to press the oil out of the olives

The olive oil drains down into one whole

From there, the oil raises above the water and impurities and drains into the left hole. This is the point when the olive oil tastes sweet.

Just like the olives, each of us are pressed from the trials of life. We have the opportunity to choose how we will react to those trials. We can stay in a realm of bitterness and negativity (like the olive oil on the right side, that tastes bitter) or we can choose to separate ourselves from this realm and be optimistic and sweet (like the oil on the left side). The Atonement not only purifies us, but also enables us to have hope even during difficult times. Through the Atonement, we can pass through the bitter cup without becoming bitter. I encourage you to ponder the blessings of the Atonement that you have experienced in your own life. I am continually amazed as I learn more about and experience the blessings of the Atonement.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Exploring and Experiencing

This week we took our field trip to the City of David. We took a nice little walk through Hezekiah's Tunnel. The water came up to my knees. It was a fun adventure! I started singing "Lead, Kindly Light" to myself. Carissa told me to sing louder and then she would join me. Before we knew it, everyone in the tunnel was singing hymns. It sounded so cool!

After our field trip, a group of us explored the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other churches in the city with our professor Brother Belnap. It was a blast!

Last night we went to a Reform Jew synagogue. We experienced their prayers and hymns, sung in Hebrew, welcoming the Sabbath. I am inspired by their preparations for the Sabbath and their delightful welcoming of the Sabbath. It has caused me to reflect on how I prepare for and view the Sabbath day, and what things I can do to more fully enjoy this sacred day and "call the Sabbath a delight" (see Isaiah 58:13).

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Türkiye

This past week was absolutely magnificent! I had the opportunity to travel to Turkey and see remarkable things. The terrain was beautiful- mountains, beaches, and plains. The people, culture, music and food were amazing too! However, it was not just these things that made this trip great; it was the way it changed me that made it so wonderful. I am so grateful for the remarkable blessing I have been given to travel. I wish I could describe in words how this has motivated me to become better. After seeing several different sets of ruins, I was reminded of the something I learned while visiting ruins in Central America."These ruins are ruins because they forgot Christ." This week I pondered how so many powerful civilizations could end in ruins and how I can avoid this ending in my own life. There is so much power in remembering. We must remember the tender mercies of the Lord, the ways He has enabled us to become better, the truth that He is our strength and that without Him we would be nothing. If we do not remember Him our lives will be empty, desolate, and vacant, just like these ruins.

Another thought I pondered throughout this week was, "What legacy am I leaving behind?" Each of these different civilizations left a legacy for people to follow, both good and bad. Their legacy has lived on for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years. Each of us ought to ponder what type of legacy we are leaving for our posterity. Our choices will affect generations to come, for good or bad. I hope to leave a legacy of love and light.

The lessons I learned this week are lessons that can be learned anywhere in the world. If we are open to the impressions of the Spirit, the Lord will teach us anywhere we are. As my professor Brother Woods says, "The earth is the Lord's chalkboard." He desires to teach us every day of our lives, even through the mundane, daily tasks we perform, but we must be willing to listen.

Below are pictures of the places we visited this week. I tried to select one or two of my favorite pictures from each site. I wish I could describe what I felt and learned at each site, but this would be a really, really long post. Several of these places are places Paul visited and taught the gospel.