From My Eyes to Yours

 Looking into Lebanon

 
Cliffs of Arbell
 
Akko (Mediterrean Sea)
 
Bunker looking over Syria used in the 6 day War (Andrew and Jake)
 
The Jordan River
 
My new Favorite Flower, next to 2) The sun Flower and 3) the Lily
 
The Hills of Upper Galilee
 
Sunset at Akko
 
Looking over the Galilee (Cliffs of Arbell)
 
The Sea of Galilee

To blog or not to blog

Oh life, you know the more I think about life the more I don't understand it. Today I said to myself I should blog, and then another voice in my head said, why? You have nothing to blog about. And then my voice came in and said really? Really? I'm living in Jerusalem and I have nothing to write about. If I can't write about something here then I shouldn't ever write.


I got 7 new facebook friends! I'm very excited, they are all girls, (sorry Chanel) they are all Muslims and they live in the West Bank. While I was in Bethlehem I had this great desire to ask a Palestinian what they think of the Isralie Palistinian conflict. (For those who remember, I often get strong desires to ask people I don't know questions I shouldn't ask. like the one time I asked the prostitute what she was looking for in life). Back to my story, while I was at Bethlehem University I found seven girls sitting together so I went up and said I don't know what I'm allowed to say to you but can I ask you a question. Long story short I found myself saying, so do you girls want to be my friends on facebook, they all laughed and then I whipped out my book and got new friends.

What else did I do this week? Um... I went to the place they believe the last supper was held, I wrote a 14 page paper on Islam.

Oh yes, I also made olive oil, I enjoyed every minute in those trees. people were commenting on how I looked like a natural, so Naturally I put on my Farm boy Jake look and worked even harder, by the time I convinced myself I was amazing I decided to get down from the tree. I don't know what happened but two feet off the ground I fell and landed on my back. I put farm boy Jake back into my pocket and walked home as just jake.

Leech me Alone!!

I went through Hezekiah's tunnel last week. (That is the tunnel that was built under the city of David to protect the water). I pranced through the tunnel and eventually found myself swimming and dipping my body under the water. I pretended I was an alligator, acting like a fourteen year old (minus the menace to others i.e. splashing people, pushing people in). Anyway I swam for a while and then realized that the water wasn't as clean as I thought. I got out and started drying off when I saw a creature that looked leechy on the ground. I said to myself, boy that looks like a leech, I should take a picture with it pretending that I have a leech on me. I tried to take a picture to no avail. Later I realized leechy thing was truly a leech. How did I find that out? Well the epiphany came when I pulled up my pant leg and saw one trying to suck off my leg. (If you don't have a visual then pretend walking in on lane kissing his girl friend, minus the girlfriend and adding my leg). I got it off and in my frustration I yelled at it, as though it understood. After I yelled at it I did the routine body check starting with places I've had leeches before and ending on places that I didn't care so much about. After the body check I heard a male senior couple whisper to his wife, "serves him right". You know what, I guess in many ways it did serve me right; I'm not even mad, why? Because I got a leech in Jerusalem. When was the last time you met someone that got leeches in Jerusalem!!!! Touché Jake (the crowed comments)

The coolest family in the world

                                            On top of the World!

Oh, Sinai

Me. A mustache and 4 old triangles

$1 dollar picture $1 million dollar story

I decided I wanted to drive so.... I asked the guy up front!

The Nile!!

You Call me Crazy; I call myself Jake!

Sadly this week was a week for school and ping pong tournaments (oh and volley ball). I got organized and caught up on the things I need to and now I’m preparing for next week’s midterms. Don’t be fooled even though I’m trying to study, this semester won’t turn out like any semester before. To be honest shooting for average seems more my style anyway.

I went out into the city a few times; once I went to the western Wall for a Bar Mitzvah. What did I learn there? Well while I was there a friend pointed out that all 12-15 year old boys are the same. They were poking each other, laughing at girls, playing pranks, and making fun of tourists. After I went to the Bar Mitzvah I went to the Dome of the Rock. (Kind of a big deal). It was pretty amazing, I wish I would have enjoyed it more than I did, but I found myself trying to figure out how to get inside. (I’ll never get inside because I found a talk yesterday from 1989 from my good man Elder Holland about resecting Jerusalem, my heart has been changed). Later on in the week we went to the Western Wall for the last day of Sukkot called Hoshana Rabbah. There were thousands of Jews beating a bundle of five willow branches on the ground praying to God to bless the upcoming raining season.

We also went to the city and went to an Armenian Church service in the old city; it was a beautiful building, and nice people.

That’s what happened this week! I’ve loved it. I need to get out more, I need to be more effective on my homework, but I guess if we’re going to sit around wishing for things then I wish for the ability to have ultimate balance. You might think I’m stupid for writing that but imagine what you could do with ultimate balance, oh wait you can’t imagine it because the possibilities are endless.

Also there is a rumor going around about me being engaged. Well… instead of easing the minds of the few who really care I decided to be like Carley Simon and make you pay to find out the true answer. She Got $30,000 from an ESPN producer to find out who the song “you’re so vain” is about. I can’t imagine getting 30,000 but I was hoping mom would give me 10 bucks!!

Start the bidding at $1!!!

I don't feel there's enough in this blog to get mom to write me and tell me to grow up so to dispel the rumor of maturing Jake I have to say one thing. My body just got on a bathroom schedule. It sounds like a great thing but I’m not sold on the idea. I don't know what's better, knowing that WW3 is coming every morning or enjoying the element of surprise. Oh Jerusalem, I'm starting to understanding the conflict; I never realized how personal it was.

Egypt: Enough said!

Once upon a time I became a world traveler and added five- hundred stories a day to my inventory of unbelievable things that have happened to me in my life; let me indulge if you will. My way to Egypt we went to a few tels (archeological sites) then we ended up spending the night at a kibbutz called Ketura. What a Kibbutz is, it’s a little oasis in the middle of the desert and a socialist group lives on it. They share everything and they always remind you that they’re happy even though they have nothing (I was hoping for a little more self evidence: personally). They fed us dinner (their version of a hamburger) and we swam in there pool. I almost found myself staying when they introduced me to their massive dairy; my cow whispering scenes kick in and I found myself communicating with those animals they begged for a Kansas man to be their king; very tempting.


We made it into Egypt with a few small directions 1) Don’t drink the water 2) Don’t drink the Juice and 3) don’t ride the Camels. After getting to the Hotel I found myself being offered juice, it was really good! I then ate fish for dinner after I finished the doctor came up to us and said, it’s probably not best to eat the fish. I felt bad so I rushed home and brushed my teeth with the tap water. Egypt wasn’t my A game.

We went to the light and sound show at the pyramids and the next day we returned for a tour of a few tombs. As I was walking by myself some man came up to me and said, WOW are you Egyptian? I said no, He said are you sure because that’s an amazing mustache. (The man knew how to get into my heart). After a good conversation he told me he wanted to give me a gift, I refused for a moment and then took the gift; explaining to him I wasn’t going to pay him. (The gift was a head dress). Long story short next thing I knew this man had me on a camel in a head dress walking around by the pyramids. I knew I wasn’t in the best situation in the world however I knew I could get out of it. Just then uncomfort began to dwell within me as I saw my professor coming over screaming. He yelled at the driver to put me down, the driver (of the camel said no, I was in control of the ride not him) so my professor got up in his face and said if you don’t, I’ll call the police, the driver started to arguing and in a moments glance I remembered that I wasn’t supposed to be on that camel. As my professor ran away screaming I miraculously remembered the reason I was on the camel; I wanted a picture, so I told the man to take the picture and put me down, the man told me to hold on, I told him NO and I reminded him that this professor would send me back to the states if I didn’t get down. What did I do next? I got ready to dismount a camel Kansas style, I rocked back and as I was ready to jump the man knew I meant business so he took the picture (one is nice the other is me getting ready to jump). And he put me down. After I was down, that slime ball had the audacity to ask me for money. Let me digress a moment to fill you in on the Egyptian culture, everything at those sites are gifts from the people but they demand money as a thank you. Okay so back to the story after I was down and the guy wanted my money, I gave him an old scotch blessing, handed him a dollar, took my hat from his hand and walked off. The man again asked for more so Stepped back and demanded my money dollar back, he said no and shut his mouth. My professor was waiting for me arms folded and face angry. After being yelled at for 5 minutes (I don’t remember anything he said besides this is not funny, and they would take you to the wilderness and steal your money). Anyway He told me the whole bus was waiting for me so I ran to the bus to find nobody on the bus. Smartly, I didn’t go find them, I waited all by myself like a little child. The professor eventually came over and invited me to go back with the class as I walked away he said, oh by the way how much did they get you for? (In some ways I think he said that hoping I would have lost tons of money so I could learn a lesson. To inform you on how prevalent this is, one girl paid 30 dollars for a 3 dollar head dress, some paid 20 for post cards and 30 for camel rides.) When I told my professor that I got postcards, the ride, and a picture for a dollar he didn’t believe me, when he found out that was really the truth he said, Oh those guys must hate you, oh man you must have really pissed them off.

Because I wrote more than anyone is willing to read the rest of my trip (remember that was day one) will be quick. We road on a train, a plane, boats a few times across the Nile, carriage rides, we did a camel ride in which I found myself opening the eyes of the drives to a new world of farming and cattle. We went to Tomb of tut ankh Amun, Min-Rahina, the second Pyramid the Valley of the Kings, Giza Pyramids, Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple, the Luxor Temple, Karnak temple, Imhotep and Saqqara Pyamid, Hard Rock Café, KFC, an amazing museum, and we hiked Mt. Sinai. (We did tons of other stuff but that’s the main things that I can remember). Oh and I took a group of 13 girls into town, wow they were scared out of their mind when they realized we were in a dark alley in the middle of Egypt, (I don’t think any man can keep 13 girls calm).

Now for my last story, there is a song called the Walka Walka (spelling isn’t even close I’m sure). It was played for the world Cup. A kid in the group taught us the dance and I wired the song into everyone’s headphones, long story short we have 40 people at a time doing this dance in different places we go. (All the professors and tour guides love it, all but one (the one who yelled at me because of the camels). Anyway long story short we’re not supposed to do it anymore because we did it at one of the Egyptian sites and our teacher didn’t like it. Now let me tell you the story from our point of view. As we were doing this amazing (silent dance) people from all countries were filming us and taking pictures of us, as we were doing it once, a few officers came over and told out tour guide that we needed to stop because that wasn’t allowed, the tour guide (a local Egyptologist named Islam) was amazing and told the guards to let us finish and then he would go to the head officer and speak with him. As the tour guide went to the head officer he showed him what we were doing and the head officer said, “That’s awesome, how do they all know how to do that. They loved our dance that proves that music can heal the world.

Well I must conclude because I have a small feeling that nobody will make it through this blog besides mom. I have a large feeling that mom is very disappointed and scared for me. I hope you enjoy it. Mom I enjoyed my trip it was very spiritual and I learned a lot, don’t take what I write to heart, all the teachers Love me save it be one, however I do respect him and I’m doing everything he asks so I think we will be okay. I hope you enjoyed my trip I sure did, but I am glad to be back at Jerusalem which now feels like Home.

-Shalom

Us walking around Jericho!!

This is in old Jerusalem in a small shop. A few times people have screamed Kansas to me! Tell mike that I didn't see K-State or any of his lame teams up there

King Harrods temple

The road to Jericho and the good semaritin

Farmer Jake

One more story of the day! I went to a nature reserve where they grew/ kept everything that would have been grown/ kept in the bible! I found a fig tree!! You can imagine what went through my head; sadly I got caught before I had all my clothes off. (The fig trees are a lot smaller then they look). Next we found a water wheel that you walked in, I tried to get enough momentum for the wheel to pull me all the way around, I failed misrably!

After we had a lot of fun we had even more fun with a competition trying to move sheep from one flag to the other. They split us into three groups the first group did well because they had a boy who raised sheep so he took control and basically did it by himself. The second group got nowhere, why? Well let me tell you, they tried to move sheep like you would think a shepherd would. They spoke to them, they patted them, and they tried everything but force. My group was great, I told everyone to stand on the sides and then I got in Farm mode! From the back of the flock I yipped and yapped and kicked and slapped those sheep. The sheep didn't know what to do with a wana-be cattle farmer. One tried to run away I grabbed it by its fir and literally threw it back into the flock a bunch of girls screamed as though I hurt it. This experience made me think, we always talk about animal cruelty rights but what about human cruelty rights? I threw a sheep once and pinned a goat, other than that they pretty much kicked me to death, the pooped on me and they yelled at me; so I ask where are my rights?

All and all I must say I sure loved doing that. It made me feel like a man!!! I love being a man! (don't be confused I said I love being a man not I love men). Two different saying that have led a few men far down the wrong road. poor guys!

Week 2!~

Your brain is probably like most peoples in that you have an internal alarm clock inside your head that says Jake has probably done something stupid, well you’re right and here it is.

There was a girl who got "groped" she felt sick and used inside so trying to make her feel better I tried to say I can give you a hug, while I held out my arms. Somehow it came out of my mouth in these words; I can give you a hug I think my arms are big enough (my arms were in a round formation that would represent a really big girl). She didn't feel better. After she was done yelling at me I tried to apologize by saying I deserved that and it came out "you deserved that". I guess Chanel doesn't have to worry about me charming anyone. ha-ha

Weekly update

I went to Jericho (old and New), it's amazing to go through a war torn city where 50 caliber shells plaster nearly every standing building. Jericho was a pretty fun place but the best place I went to was the road to Jericho.

Oh the road to Jericho, this is where Christ fasted for 40 days, this is where Christ was tempted. You start to understand why things are the way they are when you go stand on holy ground. We also went to the remains of Harrods temple that was a good time. You know what they said it's better to be Harrods pig then it is Harrods son. Alright well I feel like I did a lot and wrote a little. I will let you know what happens next week because I'm headed to Egypt!

My one goal in Egypt is to do my Home teaching (capitalized on purpose) on Mt, Sinai and at the pyramids. I can already see my giving a talk on home teaching so I decided I would act all hardcore and be like yeah I take it very serious!

Anyway Thanks for reading!
Jake Steel

Agusta Victora

This is looking out my room

Looking (East) over the city of David into the old city Jerusalem

Stop please

Were holding the sun still in Gibeon

Anti-Coins

Something about coins makes you feel like things are cheap. Some guy asked if I wanted a slice of bread, I said yes, I paid him 10 shekels for it. After walking away I realized that I paid more then I should have for an entire loaf of bread. He bested me, but I’m still standing.

History

I went to the Augusta Victoria church, one of the thee big towers in Jerusalem. I also went to Elias Monastery where we looked into Bethlehem. After that we went to Nabi Samwil, (they thought that was the place that Samuel was buried; they were wrong). My favorite place is when we looked over the city of Gibeon. This was where Samuel stopped the sun to prolong the day so he could keep fighting and protect the people of the Lord. I went to the Garden tomb. It has a sacred feel to it, the best part wasn’t the place but the people who gathered from all over the world singing and praising the risen Lord. My personal highlight was when I celebrated the Jewish new year with the Jews at the western wall. So many people, some humbly praying, others partying, all in different attire. I danced with them, tried to sing with them, (I was in my Jewish Kippa) and I prayed at the Western Wall. I loved the western wall it’s a special place.

School

The title in itself makes me sick in side. I’m doing pretty well. Arabic is a killer, wow let me tell you, I’ve never been closer to God then in Arabic the whole time I pray that the teacher won’t call on me. I imagine the teacher is very smart, he looked at me and asked if I had any siblings go to school here, I told him Shane did and he immediately replied, Oh Sadie I love her and I tried so hard to get her to marry someone else, oh Shane what a bad student! He told me to tell them both high (I think he really liked Shane). All know Shane and Sadie most have been excited to hear about their lives. The director of the center has periodically said things pertaining to them. I enjoy their legacy.

The other day I stayed awake in a 2 hour Islamic class and right near the end I started to drifted off (I was on the front row). My eyes closed for two seconds when suddenly the teacher was asking me to read the text to the class. While I was reading I was doing my best to wake up and slow my heart down, meanwhile the teacher started laughing at me and so the other 80 students felt like they could join in. One kid from the back said under his breath that I sounded “so American”. I guess that’s not a good thing. Anyway I had to stop three times to let the teacher ketch his breath. I’m not the biggest fan of him already.

Conclusion

All in all the weeks been pretty well, nothing is broken and I’m still alive. Jerusalem is a pretty amazing place; I can’t believe I’m really here. I can’t believe how dirty it is and I can’t believe how touchy everyone is. Anyway I best get on my way, I need to start my prayers early tonight because I have Arabic tomorrow.

Week One: Here we Go

I enjoyed a twenty hour day of travel to start off my life here in Jerusalem. While on the plane I sat next to a Jewish girl who was going to school in Israel; best seat in the house. She gave me her kosher meal and I hummed classic rock as she tried to guess the song. I asked if she wanted to play a game, then quickly realized that the only game I had was pass the pigs, I didn't know what would happen so I changed subjects to a movie. Sadly the movie was swing kids, a movie about exterminating Jews, I didn't win that trip.


I got to foreign visitor line where I needed to get my past port stamped. Let me tell you it was a party. The lady at the front desk "spoke English". She asked me why I was there I told her for school, she replied, “So let me see your student visa.” In my mind I remembered that we weren't supposed to say we were students rather tourist. I tried to correct myself only to confuse her more. She then asked me how long I would be in the country, she asked five times and then said, “sir do you speak English,” I replied yes, and then she said (rudely) why can’t you understand me. What am I supposed to say to that, she’s holding my passport and I'm trying to receive a visa so I told her I was dumb. I thought that would suffice; I didn't. She then asked me what my profession was; I replied I don't have a profession. She stopped, did a double take and said, “You’re twenty four and you don't have a profession. (At this point I thought my mom was playing a joke on me because I thought she was the only one who was concerned with that.) I replied, yes, and then she asked how I was paying for it. Apparently foreign people don't understand savings without a profession. She gave up on me and I had to meet with some really nice head officer who couldn't care less if I was in or out of the country.

Next I saw a Muslim wearing a shirt that said, " I'm a gangster" I thought it was odd so I kept reading only to find the small print under the shirt saying, I'm the biggest gay in the city and I have lots of money. I'm pretty sure he didn't know what he was buying. (Good reminder to buy shirts that you can read.)

I made it into Jerusalem, Amazing, we did lots of orientation and took a quick tour of the city. What an amazing place and what amazing people. Right now the museums are in Ramadan, they are fasting all day and only eat at night, and we were introduced to this at 4:30 when we all woke up to them praying. It seems crazy if you're not here but to listen to the sound of a voice praying so fervently to God, they're good people who have great convictions.

Today was fast Saturday (aka Sunday) and we thought it would be a great idea to the garden of Gethsemane, we did and it was hot. Long story short, we complained and whined about how hard it was to walk up a hill while we fasted and in a moments time I thought about one who is not so selfish who didn't complain that also walked up those hills, in a much worse state with a lot more weight on his shoulders (physically and spiritually speaking). God loves us so he sent his son.

I head a quote by Harold B. Lee that said, "Inspiration comes easier when you can set foot on the site related to the need for it." I'm sure I'm naive in ways but I am amazed how quickly my mind wrapped around (in a small degree) the task at hand to restore this land to peace. Two concluding thoughts.

The hymns are amazing, it's a special experience to look over Jerusalem and sing Israel; Israel God is calling, and Redeemer of Israel. The standing invitation which is to come unto Christ and he will lead you to Zion in Love, and there restore all blessing promise.

In my own personal life I have been studying the Atonement and the power in which it heals, but more particularly the power in which it gives to those who deserved and didn't receive. My heart rejoices in knowing that somehow in some way God will bring all of Israel home and in some way God will make everything right, not one will feel ripped off.

Oh Jerusalem

Today I start a journey that people say changes lives. After hearing that I looked at my maintenance check up list and realized I'm in need of a life changing, so here I go. I have contemplated how a place can change lives and I've come up with three reasons. 1) The people,  2) the beautiful scenes 3) The history.

I'm ready to see what it can do for me.

-Jake Steel

The Charismatic Catastrophe

A kingdom lost a king last night and the world accepted a ring hungry hobbit. Do we have reason to mourn?

In a world not so long ago when men were men and honor was everything, there lived a people who were in need of a king, and a man who had a vision.  Both parties took risks, saw benefits, and together they built a kingdom. The power of this kingdom was unlike any other kingdom known on earth for the people willed their rights to the king and he did for the people what no man, state, or organization could do. He gave them hope, restored dreams, and placed vision into the hearts of those who some called heartless.

On the eighth day of the seventh month in the year two thousand and ten that King walked away from his kingdom and his people were left desolate.  

Who’s at fault? Who’s to blame? Was the king justified in walking away? As complex as simplicity may seem, the world tries to answer these unanswerable questions. Opinions will be made, theories can be developed, and skeptics will criticize, still most of the world lies indifferent and more have become apathetic. No matter your stance in this war of words, there is still a kingdom without a king. And I, I stay with the kingdom and leave that man to do as he will, denying not the power or autonomy that he will poses. I do hope for that which he felt he could not find with us. No matter what he does or the glory he posses; he is not my KING.  

The Prostituting Cake!

I came into the house to find my brother finishing an entire box of delectable rare treats (This was his first semester at college). Why did you eat so many treats, I asked with anger in my voice. With contempt he replied, I am hungry. As I walked away  I tried to tell myself that college life for him hadn't fully presented itself.  

Time went on, poverty increased and food decreased. No longer was my brother eating the good food to get full. He understood that treats are for the tongue not the belly. Late one night we came up with the following.

Too many people try to get full off cake. When hungry, cake seems like the ideal food, but for those who indulge understand that looks and taste are deceiving.  You may get full but you can never be filled off cake. We judgmentally see those who never break the "cake to fill" mentality. They are five sizes to big, four steps behind, and are never satisfied. Oh those prostituting cakes!!

Next time you're looking to be filled and cake seduces your eyes just remember, it may look good at the time but heeding to it's beckoning call only leads to your demise.

The Sin, the Dish; and I'm covered in Leftovers.

Dishes were never designed to be dirty. Dishes were designed to be used; it was the potter who understood that by using a dish it would become dirty. Contrary to popular belief this does not make dirty dish's acceptable.
Sin is like a dirty dish. When washed quickly the grime washes off with nearly zero effort. The problem isn't that the dish gets dirty for the potter knew it would. The problem is that we don't wash off our dishes. The longer the dish sits the more one has to do to get it to become clean again, eventually your dirty dish affects everything in the room. Long painful scrubbing occurs when the dishes sits for a long time.

So what's the solution? The solution is getting rid of the sink!

What if Looks were directly connected with personalities?

There lies some beautiful skin that masks some very ugly people. I've seen skin be the only thing that kept people from going everywhere at once. I've seen it be one of a few things that holds up depressed souls. I've seen skin ten sizes to small, I've seen skin be entirely to tall for such a small spirit. I've seen skin; and in most cases skin pays little to the justice individuals deserve.

What if looks were directly connected with personalities? what would you look like? would you be better off? would you have spiritual acne? would you have emotional obesity?