It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Our dear leaders, Brother and Sister Woods

Sister Woods made all 52 of us girls headbands for Christmas! She has taught me so much about love and service.

Group hug!

We commemorated the Last Supper and read from the scriptures about this event. One of my favorite scriptures from the Last Supper comes from John 14:18, "I will not leave thee comfortless; I will come to you." I testify that this is God's truth! Christ has descended below all things and thus knows how to succor us in our lowest of lows (D&C 88:6; Alma 7:11-13). 

Look at all the Snow!

This is our friend Rita, one of the shopkeepers.

My first shawarma in the Old City! It was so yummy!

Our home sweet home

Sister Clayton and I at our Christmas concert. The Clayton's are the music service couple.

We met Orit (on my right hand side) at the Garden Tomb three weeks ago while we were singing. We invited her to sing Silent Night with us there and also invited her to come to our Christmas concert. She traveled all the way from Galilee, which is three hours away, even with the weather, to come to our concert! And she brought her friends, Ernest (on the left) and Alex (on the right).

Our Winter Wonderland!

It has been so exciting to experience the heaviest snowfall in December that Israel has ever experienced! The snow just hasn't stopped!

Our back porch is flooding!

Look at this poor tree outside our room! This is our outside hallway that we walk through to get to our rooms- it is very slippery and wet! 

My beautiful snow covered home!

Look at the beautiful city!

Birthday in Jerusalem!

I woke up to a Christmas and birthday miracle: SNOW IN JERUSALEM!!! 

We started on our trek to the Old City in the snow/slush, then all of a sudden we were being bombarded with snowballs! I guess our neighborhood friends got a little excited about the record amount of snow, and couldn't help but throw it :)

Damascus Gate

Here we are in the Old City!

All I wanted for my birthday was a hot chocolate cake from the Jewish bakery! My wish came true! We also ate hot, fresh pita's from the Christian quarter of the Old City.

Then we went to Shaban's store (one of the store owners who has great connections with the students from "Mormon University"). He gave us mint herbal tea and gave me a free pair of earrings and a ring for my birthday.

We danced to the Taylor Swift "22" song in his shop. Then my friend Zak, another store owner gave me a Reeses and oreo's, two of my very favorite treats!

This umbrella definitely helped keep us dry ;)

On our way out of the Old City, we ran into people roasting chestnuts on an open fire! I just stopped to take a picture, but they wanted me to have one. Then they cooked chestnuts for all of us! All these gifts I've been given are a demonstration of how generous these people are.

Our delicious chestnuts!

Here is the Dome of the Rock and Western Wall covered with snow!

My bed/ room was covered with balloons and cards and a candy poster! So much love!

Thank you so much for all the love and support coming from home! I miss you guys, but am grateful for this once in a lifetime chance to spend my 22nd birthday in Jerusalem! It was a perfect day!

This Week's Fieldtrip

Qumran: where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

Masada

Israeli flag at Masada

Masada- the Dead Sea is behind us

Herod's Northern Palace at Masada

We went on a beautiful hike to the springs of En Gedi

En Gedi

Our little friends from En Gedi

The Dead Sea (those mountain ranges in the distance are in Jordan)

The salt crystals in the Dead Sea

Floating in the Dead Sea

Just reading the newspaper as I float in the Dead Sea

We covered ourselves in the Dead Sea mud. It made our skin so soft! 

Saturday and Sunday

I have loved working in Primary this semester! These are the sweet kids I was blessed to work with and learn so much from.

After church we went to a WWI British Military Cemetery. It was so inspiring to read the tombstones. One of my favorites was, "Rest in peace; He waits for the last roll call."

On Sunday, we woke up early to go the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to see mass. I admire the devotion and worship of others. It is so inspiring.

Later in the day we to the YMCA bell towers to play the bells for all of Jerusalem! It was so much fun!