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