Reflection

If I could use one word to express how I feel right now, it would be overwhelmed. Overwhelmed in a very good way. I am definitely a new person, I know I am. God revealed so much to me on this trip - more than I could have ever asked for.

The past 48 hours that I have been home, I have spent mostly trying to organize my thoughts...and my pictures. I don't even know where to start. I cannot imagine if I had not written this blog, allowing my family and friends to see the sites I had been to! If not, I would be in a lot of trouble.

There are so many thoughts that are swarming in my head - just thinking about what God has taught me on this trip. I am so overwhelmed by the idea that I was just walking in the Holy Land! It's almost like it finally hit me or something. It is mind-boggling to think I spent three weeks in the land where Jesus lived, where He served, where He died for my sins, where He rose again, and where He will come again someday. To also be baptized in the Jordan River where He was baptized, and publicly declare my faith in front of others was incredible in itself.

One of the greatest things I gained from this trip is a greater desire to read God's word. I can see the events happening much clearer, and the Psalms that David wrote are so much more meaningful as I better understand the context he was writing in. My goal this year is to read the Bible chronologically. I am really excited about that!

When I look back on this trip, I am also so grateful for the relationships I have built. The Taylor group I was with was truly remarkable, and consisted of some of the most selfless people I have ever met. Aubrey and Vernon were incredible and were so patient and excited to share their wealth of knowledge with us. I admire both of them in so many ways. The people that served at JUC were also some of the nicest people I have ever met. They served us with warm smiles and positive attitudes...every day. Dr. and Mrs. Wright were also two remarkable people, and it was so great to meet them!

I left this trip, also seeing how each person was changed. From the testimonies that my Taylor friends shared with me at our last meeting, there is no doubt that God was and is continuing to change us. I leave this trip having an even greater desire to know my Savior, and learn more things about Him. I want to continue to find my identity in Christ, as He knows me better than I know myself! I am just so grateful for this amazing opportunity that I was given, and the ways God used it to open my eyes!

Another wonderful thing that I take away from this trip is a better understanding of the conflict in Israel. I had the amazing opportunity to interact with the people there - especially the Palestinians. At the same time, I realize how fortunate I am to live in America. Today, I definitely have a love for the

culture and the people of Israel that I had never had before.

Every so often my eyes just tear up when I think about the trip and all that God has taught me. There is evidently such a strong presence of God in my life and how He is changing me, and nothing else could make me more excited. I am so grateful!

I created an "Israel CD" that I am listening to constantly, consisting of worship songs that I listened to when I journaled and blogged on the trip, along with some that we sang at the King of Kings church. My favorite is Chris Quilala - "Your Love Never Fails." Check it out!

Over these next few days, I'm hoping to get all my pictures and thoughts organized so that I can present the trip in an "orderly and educational" fashion! Ha - we'll see how that goes.

Overall, I know I am a different person today than from when I left for this trip. Truly a life-changing experience. I really hope and desire to live a life where others see Christ in me. I hope God uses this trip to witness to others, and I know He will! The Lord is so good, and I am immensely blessed to know Him as my Savior.

I believe this will be my last post regarding my trip to Israel. I hope you have all enjoyed reading my blog, and have maybe even learned a thing or two! Hopefully you are all encouraged to take a trip to the Holy Land! It is worth every penny...trust me! Thanks again for all your prayers and support! I look forward to sharing stories from this trip for the rest of my life : )

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Day 20-21: Our Last Day in Israel

I couldn't believe that it was our last day in Israel! Thankfully, we were be able to enjoy the day without having to think about an exam!

This morning, we ran to Jaffa Gate for breakfast in the Old City. We found fresh fruit juice and pita. Delicious!

As a Taylor group, we then went to church at Jerusalem Assembly. It was about a 30 minute walk, south towards Bethlehem. The church was up 5 flights of stairs. This church was a lot different from the first one I had gone to! The pastor was a Messianic Jew, and he spoke in Hebrew while another man translated for him. One of the things I enjoyed most about this church was the worship. Two of the songs we sang were "How Great Thou Art" and "In Christ Alone." The awesome thing about this was that people were singing in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. It was neat to hear the congregation of believers worshiping together in three different languages. The church service also ended up being 2 and 1/2 hours long! The Pastor's message was very applicable to what we had been learning during our time in Israel, which was really cool. Another neat part about this church was that the Pastor opened up the room for prayer requests, and people were openly sharing in front of the entire congregation.

Our next stop for the day after lunch was the Garden Tomb. We walked through the streets of the Old City...some that we had never been on before in the Muslim quarter. These were so crowded! I also saw some things that I wish I hadn't...like giant carcasses of meat. Hmm. We then walked out through Damascus Gate. This was the most crowded gate I had ever seen. As always, it was fun to be amongst the culture!

After leaving the Old City, we had a short walk to the Garden Tomb. The Garden Tomb is another plausible site for the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. This was a free-admission site that was run by British Evangelical Christians. We ended up getting our own personal tour from Richard, the director of the Garden Tomb Site! It was definitely a lot different than I had expected. There were lots of trees and flowers everywhere. When we went inside the tomb itself, there was a small room on the left - an area where people would have gone to mourn. On the right side of the tomb was the

place where Jesus' body would have been. This site was

definitely very aesthetically appealing and more of what you might expect to see, unlike the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Who really knows where the exact place is...it really doesn't matter that much because He is Risen!

After our group all had a chance to look into the tomb, Richard reserved a spot for us to take communion in the garden. Together as a group, we read from the Bible the story of the last supper, Jesus' crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, and his ascension into Heaven. We also sang a few songs together as a group. I really valued this time together. It was also just neat to be among the Taylor group and see how close we had come together over the past three weeks.

After walking around the city some more and taking pictures, we went to dinner at "The Gate" which is the place I had been before. This time I tried the schnitzel. Delicious! Then we got some gelato in the New City. By then, it was about 9:00, and we went to a coffee shop in the New City. It was fun just to ha

ng out and talk, as if we were locals. Ha..not really. Before we knew it, we were packing our bags! Around midnight, I finished packing. I took one last picture of our view from the roof.

For the next three hours, a small

group of us decided to stay up and play games. Lots of fun! Then we made our last walk

with all our suitcases down past the Old City Wall at 3:00 AM. The sound of the wheels on the rock reminded me of that first night when we arrived, and I was so amazed by the Old City Wall. It seemed like yesterday. I can't believe it though that I was in Israel for 3 weeks!

It took us 24 hours total to make it back to the States. Lots and lots of security to go through, especially in London. We landed around 7:00 in Chicago (3:00 A.M in Israel!) Everything went well.

It's great to be home, but I definitely miss the people and the land of Israel! I am currently in front of 2,000 pictures on my computer - I don't even know how to begin organizing everything! It will be a project, that's for sure!

Thank you again for all your prayers!! Be on the look out for one more post - more or less a summary of all that God has shown me on this trip!

Day 19: Final Test Day

Today we had our final exam! This was at 2:00 P.M., so thankfully we had a lot of time to study in the morning. The weather today was pretty nice! Sunny and low 60s. For a study break, a few of us went down to Jaffa Gate and got some fresh pomegranate and orange juice. I think it's my new favorite!

After completing our exam around 3:15, we were finally done with the classroom material! I couldn't believe it. Soon after we had our departure meeting. It seems like yesterday when we were getting an overview of the course. Crazy. I am definitely sad about leaving...I love our whole group and have gotten to know Aubrey and Vernon really well! I'm glad, however, that I will still be going back to the same place with the Taylor group. I am excited about the new relationships I have made, and I know they will continue back at school!

After our meeting and before dinner, we went out into the Old City and did our last souvenir shopping. I finally finished! After dinner, we had a Taylor group meeting, reflecting on the past couple weeks, our favorite places, what we have learned, etc. It is truly amazing to hear what everyone has to say regarding these past 3 weeks. There is no doubt in my mind that not one person is going home the same. We have all grown and learned so much. Not too long ago, we were praying for God to really open our hearts and minds to what He has to teach us, and to be able to understand the material well. There is no doubt that God has answered our prayers and more! We have all been impacted in multiple ways, and are looking forward to how God is going to use our experiences back at home.

After our meeting, a group of girls went out into the New City...we were planning on going to this coffee shop, however it was closed due to Shabbot for the Muslims and Jews. Basically, no places were open, and nobody was walking around! It reminded me of Christmas day in the States...however this happens every Friday. This day is used for rest and reflection, and a time to spend with family. It seems backwards to us, since Friday night is usually when the fun begins on the weekend. That surely doesn't go for Jerusalem! However, we did manage to find a McDonalds open...figures.

Upon arriving back on campus, we joined a group of students and adults who were worshiping around the bonfire. It was the perfect way to end the day, singing praise to our Father.

So tomorrow is a free day, and we basically get to do whatever we want! Our Taylor group is starting off by going to a Messianic Jewish church, which will be taught in Hebrew and translated into English. This shall be interesting! We also plan on going to see the garden tomb, and possibly a few museums. We plan on waking up pretty early to get into the Old City and buy some fresh bread as well.

As for departure, we leave from Jerusalem at 3:30 AM on Sunday morning! I do not think we plan on going to bed tomorrow night...we'll see. You most likely will not hear from me tomorrow, but I plan on posting once more to share and reflect on what I learned and experienced during my three weeks in the Holy Land! A couple more pictures may be thrown in as well.

Thanks to all of you who have been reading my blog! I hope you have enjoyed hearing about all that we have done, and maybe you have even learned a thing or two! I would love to share more information and pictures anytime! (Trust me...there is a lot).

I thought I would end with this verse...it is just a great reminder of the rest and peace we find in Christ, regardless of our circumstances.

Psalm 62:5-8
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."

Day 18: Our Last Field Study

Today was basically our day to do whatever we hadn't done yet! (Which is really a lot of things...but we tried to hit a few more hot spots). Aubrey basically planned a great day for us.

First, we headed out to Samaria! This was a really neat opportunity that groups usually do not get to do. We drove up Mt. Gerizim. On our way up the mountain, we passed through a small Samaritan village. About 1/2 of the entire Samaritan population lives here (which is only 300 people!) They also have a place where they perform sacrifices during the Passover. That was interesting to see... I didn't realize that people still do that.

When we reached our outlook, we had a great view of Tirzah. This was also the location of ancient Shechem, and where the well of the Samaritan woman was. Down in Tirzah, we could also see Palestinian refugee homes. It definitely looked like a very crowded area where lots of turmoil occurs. This was not a place for us to go down and see...too dangerous! Aubrey taught us about the ancient city of Shechem. We read from Genesis 33 about how Jacob bought land here. In general, we also talked about the region of Samaria, and how Ahab built a temple to Baal here. The thing I enjoyed most about this site was when we read the blessings out loud from Gerizim. These were from Deuteronomy 27, 28, and 30. We were at the spot from where the tribes read them! How cool is that.

After our time in Samaria, we made our way over to Shiloh in the remote hills of Ephraim. We read from Joshua 18-22, about how the Isralites brought the Ark of the Covenant here! Crazy! We had a while to explore the land. That is always lots of fun! The land was nicely terraced, and we could see multiple hills and valleys for miles on end. We also found a tunnel thing that I crawled through...definitely got a little dusty! There was a beautiful almond tree there that was in bloom as well. And lots of poppies everywhere!

We had our last field lunch : (. I am definitely going to miss the pita and hummice!

After Shiloh, we were on our way back to Jerusalem. We made a stop at the Holocaust museum. I had previously been to the one in Washington D.C., and was looking forward to how this one would be different. We were given 2 hours to walk through the museum; although this first seemed like a lot of time, I am sure we could have used more! I definitely went into this museum with a different perspective as I better understood the situation with the Jews in Israel, and how the Holocaust is directly related to this. There were lots of videos to watch, including interviews of Holocaust survivors. The museum was great to see, but definitely a sober way to end our day.
Here is a picture of the Taylor group, along with Aubrey and Vernon.

Tonight for dinner, a few of us Taylor students decided to go out into the Old City! We went to this restaurant called "The Gate" and tried shawmalah which is this turkey thing with veggies and spices and stuffed in a pita. It was pretty delicious!

This evening, we had a meeting with Dr. and Mrs. Wright, the head directors of this program. They provided us with some delicious treats, and talked to us more about JUC and its history. Dr. Wright came to Israel for the first time on the same trip that I am currently on..."during the Iron Age II" he says. They have been living in Israel for the past 13 years or so, and their son currently goes to Taylor!

For the remainder of the evening, a group of us began studying for our final exam tomorrow. We have to be able to read a variety of passages from the Bible and match them up with certain routes/geographical features, etc. It is going to be difficult!

At this point, it is time for bed! Thanks for following my blog!

Day 17: Galilee Field Study (Day 4)

This morning we woke up around 6:15 and packed our bags to get ready to leave from Galilee. We had to leave a little earlier this morning for a "surprise." We were going on a boat ride! It was like a ferry boat with an overhang. The weather was pretty chilly and definitely overcast. As we began motoring out into the Sea, a huge flock of seagulls began following us! They were everywhere! It was hysterical...and slightly scary. I felt like I was in a movie or something.

Once we were out at sea a ways, Aubrey taught us about the different types of nets and fishing techniques. During this time, it began to rain...really hard. We were reminded of the story when Jesus calmed the storm. It was really fun to be outside in the sea, and the rain made it all the more an adventure.

Our next stop of the day was a church called Tagbha, which was built upon the area where Jesus supposedly fed the 5,000. There was a neat table and mosaic there, along with bedrock that honored this specific location. On our way to the next stop, we passed a shore that was more enclosed, which is the possible site of where Jesus preached from the boat.

Next, we headed to Sepphoris, also known as Zippori. This was a thriving town in Galilee, and was most likely a city where Jesus and Joseph did a lot of their work since it was close to Nazareth. We first stopped by in this synagogue that had a beautiful mosaic on the floor. We then made our way up a hill in the rain to a very wealthy Roman mansion. We were able to see the triclinium, or the dining room. There was a U-shaped white tile part where the table would have gone, and then the rest of the floor was a beautiful mosaic. We talked about the "gorging and purging" eating style of the people. Basically, they would eat a lot of food, throw it up, and then go back for a second round...the cycle would continue.

In this room, Vernon talked about the Last Supper and how the set-up would have been. Who was sitting next to who, how this was significant, how they ate the food, etc. Very interesting!

Lunch

Our next stop of the day was Caesarea, on the coast of the Mediterranean! The bus drive here took a little while. Caesarea was an absolutely beautiful site. This was Herod's greatest sea port city. He built a harbor, palace, aqueduct system, and more. Here, we talked about the Great Comission and how Peter was called to go to the ends of the earth. It was super windy here! We were climbing around these rocks near the shore, and it was so windy that the water was spraying in our faces and I could taste the salt water on my lips. Fun noneoftheless. Thankfully at this time though, the sun was peaking through! Definitely an answer to prayer. We passed by a huge Roman theater. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and enjoy the entertainment of that day. We started walking towards another part of the site, and it began poring rain for a couple minutes. Not long after, the sun's rays began to shine out on the ocean through the clouds. It was absolutely gorgeous, and reminded me of God's magnificence and His beautiful creation. We then watched a couple videos about the history and archaeology of this site. Aubrey had one more surprise for us at this site. We stopped at the aqueduct system! It was really neat, plus there was a wedding couple having pictures taken there. How fun :).

So that was a perfect way to end our 4 day trip in Galilee - the sun shining on the Mediterranean. We then began our two hour drive home to JUC. Home sweet home Jerusalem! After dinner, we spent some time in the Old City. We love walking around there.

Tomorrow is our last day out on the field! I cannot believe it. We will basically be going to a few places that we have yet had the opportunity to go to around Jerusalem. Friday is our final exam day, Saturday is a free day, and then I will be leaving for home on Sunday! This trip has flown by like no other. But when I look back on all the things I have done, I cannot believe it!

Hope you enjoyed all the posts from Galilee! Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

Day 16: Galilee Field Study (Day 3 - Baptism)

Today I got baptized!!!!! I'll get to that in a bit...

The first thing we did today was go to an overlook site of the Sea of Galilee. On the way, we passed along this fence that was the border of Jordan, Syria, and Israel. We drove up this steep and windy road. The view was beautiful! We made it to the top where the land was flat and used for agriculture. We then made it to the look out. This ended up being pretty hysterical, because it was so muddy! Our shoes were caked with mud and became so heavy. It felt like we gained two inches in height because the mud piled up so much under our shoes. Anyway...the view here was absolutely beautiful. The Sea did not look that big in front of us. It was pretty cloudy so we could not see out super far, but we were still able to see Tiberius. It was just crazy to think that we were looking over Galilee, where Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm. Can you see the rain in the picture I posted?

After the lookout, our next stop was Gergesa. This was Gentile land in the Decapolis, and was important for agriculture and sardine fishing. At this site, we read the story in Luke of the demon-possessed man. Although we are not for certain, we were most likely at the site where Jesus commanded the demons to leave the man, and where the pigs ran off the cliff and into the water. The feeding of the 4,000 also occured at this site. Amazing!

Our next stop of the day was Qasrin. I really enjoyed this spot! This was a village that appeared like it would during the time of Jesus. We were able to walk into a house and see the layout and functions as it would be during Jesus' day. We learned about Jesus and his roles growing up as a child - how he was a carpenter and what that entailed, and how he provided for his family. In this house, we talked about the parable of the lost coin, and also the parable of the paralyzed man. It was neat to see what these parables really looked like in their setting.

Lunch...yum.

Next came Bethsaida. Bethsaida was a pretty well-off city as it had the largest monarchal gate and was located on the international road. This place was also the hometown of Andrew, Philip, and Peter. We could see a fisherman's house here, as this was a primary location for fishing. At this site, Jesus fed the 5,000 (different from the site at Gergesa).

Then came Capernaum! The town of Jesus! We read passages from Matthew explaining how Jesus chose this as his home town. We were also able to see the synagogue that was built during the 3rd century AD. However, it was also built upon the synagoge that Jesus attended. We could see the difference in the brick. That was pretty cool. There was a modern day Catholic Church that was built over Peter's mother-in-law's house, where Jesus healed her. We were also able to walk right down to the Sea of Galilee. The waves were huge!

Finally, the time came for Verity, Serena, Nathanial, and I to get ready for our baptism! I was definitely getting nervous, anxious, and excited! I was ready : ). Vernon warned us that since it had been raining, the Jordan river (where John the Baptist baptized Jesus) was swelled up and going really fast. There was a chance that it would have been too dangerous to be baptized there. Thankfully, that wasn't the case!

When we got to the Jordan River, I was a little surprised by how brown the water was. And it was definitely moving quickly! We went down under a bridge. All the Taylor group was their to witness, along with some others from our group. Vernon shared with us a short sermon on baptism. He then read to use the Nicene creed, declaring what we believe. Then we affirmed our faith. I said YES! The group then said, "We are witnesses." Vernon then took us down to the water one-by-one. Corrie was along side to help us in. When I stepped into the water, it was not nearly as cold as I thought it would be. Maybe I just wasn't thinking about it. I knelt down in the water...Vernon said, "I now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" and the rest is history! People were clapping and cheering, and there were lots of hugs all around. I definitely had tears in my eyes. After we were all baptized, Vernon spoke to us in Hebrew. It was really neat! Thankfully, Mallory got everything on video : ). Together as a group, we then sang a hymn. I think it is called "Magnify the Lord." Everything was so perfect, and I wouldn't have asked for anything else. It was so amazing to publicly declare my faith and be baptized where Jesus was baptized. It was truly unforgettable, and an experience that I will always treasure for the rest of my life.

































We had a while before dinner when we got back to Ein Gev, so a big group of us played Spoons. That was fun. The rest of the evening I spent journaling.

Today was absolutely incredible. I enjoyed learning a lot about Jesus and the locations he lived and taught and performed miracles...and the fact that I got baptized in His name! I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Day 15: Galilee Field Study (Day 2)

Here goes Day 2 in Galilee! So it was definitely foggy and rainy when we woke up, but Aubrey made a great point. Rain definitely happened during Biblical times, especially during the rainy season. So this just gave us an even better outlook and experience! I am also happy for the land, because it seriously needs the rain.

The first stop of the day was Hazor. This city was very wealthy and had everything it needed during its time - it was the largest Canaanite city in the Levant. We talked about the many battles fought here, and also a lot about archaeology and how they date different sites. It was pretty interesting! Again, lots of ruins to look at.

Our next stop was Dan. This was definitely an experience. It was very rainy...and muddy. We walked along the Spring of Dan, which feeds into the Jordan River. It was so majestic and loud! It sounded like thunder. I absolutely loved it. Aubrey told us how the spring lets out 22 1/2 gallons per second! Crazy. I loved walking along the spring, and just thinking of God's majesty. Next we walked by a mud-brick gate, that was most likely from the time of Abraham! We also passed the city where the King's throne was located, and people would be judged for their actions here. There was also a very random find here...a Winnie the Pooh tree! Accompanied with a sign and everything. That was strange. For the majority of the time, we were walking on wet rocks along the spring under beautiful greenery.

Pita and hummice.

Our next stop was Caesarea Philippi. Here, spring water came out from Mt. Hermon that led to the Jordan River. This was a wild and forested region, and a great spot for pagan worship due to its location and the resources it provided. There was a cool stone pathway that we were able to walk across. This led up to a giant cave, where people would sacrifice goats into the water...weird. At this site were a bunch of different places where people would perform pagan worship. It was also at Caesarea Philippi where Peter confessed that Christ is the living Son of God in Matthew 16. I always enjoy reading Biblical passages on site.

On the way to our next site, we made a pit stop at Gemela's, a lady that made excellent fruit juice! I tried half pomegranate juice and half orange juice mixed together. It was absolutely delicious and much better than I had expected! Hopefully all that vitamin C will help prevent me from getting sick...a lot of people are getting colds on the trip. I am very grateful for my good health!

Our last stop of the day was Ben Tal, which translates to "Son of the Dew." We drove up the hill, but ended up not getting out of the bus because it was too rainy, foggy, and windy. Ben Tal is a dormant volcano that made the basalt in Galilee from the eruptions. At this site, we talked about how Paul passed by this way and was the first apostle to the Gentiles who crossed the border of Israel.

We made our wake back to Ein Gev, and played a little euchre before dinner. Delicious again...especially the chocolate cake :). Fun conversation with friends to conclude the evening. A rainy day...but fun as always!

Day 14: Galilee Field Study (Day 1)

Today began our trip to Galilee! I am so excited! This morning brought back fond memories of the beginning of this trip. Mallory and I decided to share my red suitcase....carrying it down the stairs and along the Old City Wall....definitely memorable. Our morning began bright and early as we had to be at the bus at 6:45 AM.

At 9:00, we made it to our first destination...Bet Shean! Bet Shean was a very important city for trade, and is now a giant tel. The most popular Bible story from this site was when Saul fell to the Philistine army at Mt. Gilboa, which was close in site. Down near this giant tel was a huge Roman and Byzantine fortress. It was definitely quite the site! A lot of the pillars had fallen down, due to a massive earthquake that occured in 729 AD. There were lots of bathhouses, temples, and a giant theater (which would have held 7,000 people!) I really enjoyed walking around the ruins at this site.

Next was our lunch stop at a little restuarant. We had fresh pita with either filofal (fried chick peas) or schnitzal (a breaded chicken with sesame seeds). Delicious.

Our next stop of the day was Mt. Carmel. This was a really powerful site! The main story we focused on was how the Israelites began to worship Baal, the storm god. It was on Mt. Carmel that God came down as fire, showing that He is the Almighty. It was incredible to be here, and the view was beautiful. We sat among these giant rocks and looked out into the Jezreel Valley. Sadly, it was pretty hazy so we were not able to see super far out. The weather was also cooler today. I guess this is what the weather is supposed to be like in January anyway! It was really great to learn about Elijah and how God came down as fire. God works in amazing ways, doesn't He?

On our way to our next stop, we passed a 1st century tomb that had a rolling stone! This would be really similar to what Jesus' tomb looked like. It was a quick stop, but definitely worth a picture!

Then we made it to Megiddo. All the nations of the world passed through here because it was on a major trade route. It remained an important site throughout Israelite's hsitory, and Josiah died here in battle against the Egyptians. It is also possible that Armageddon refers to Megiddo in Revelation 16. Hmm. We walked down another tunnel that was used for water. It seems like every town has one of these. They are always cool! There were a lot of palm trees at this site...that was interesting. I felt like I was on vacation! Well..I really am on vacation.

After Megiddo, we made our last stop at the Nazareth Ridge. It is crazy to think that we were standing where Jesus grew up as a child, and we looked out at the land he "played on." Specifically, we stood on Mt. Sepphoris. We read the story from Luke 4 here, and also saw the church were the angels supposedly told Mary and Joseph that they were with child. Crazy! It was fun to be able to see the town of Nazareth light up as the sun began to set. Every view here is breathtaking.

Nazareth was our last stop for the day, and then we were off to our hostel in Ein Gev! This place is absolutely amazing. It is more like a resort than anything. Mallory, Verity, Caroline, and I are all rooming together in our own little "cottage!" We got served a delicious dinner with lots of food. Oh boy. Our house is right on the Sea of Galilee, and we decided to go swimming in the dark! A lot of people went out there. The water was freezing though! I'm guessing around 65 degrees. I went under the water twice, and that was enough for me. I have no regrets!

So that was Day 1 in Galilee! People are right when they say this trip keeps getting better and better...I love it here!

Day 13: Test Day

Today was a more relaxing day, being another test day. We woke up in the morning and studied for about 4 hours, and then took our test at 1:00! After our exam, we had a little time before class, so a few girls walked down to Jaffa Gate (a gate that enters into the Old City) and got some fresh juice! I bought some fresh orange juice...they squeezed 3 1/2 oranges. It was delicious!

After our break, we had class for three hours. We prepared for our next trip to Galilee! We learned lots of information and colored a lot on our map, so hopefully we are ready to go!

Once we finished dinner, a few of us went out into the Old City to do a little souvenir shopping at Shaban's....our favorite person in the Old City I guess. We weren't there for long, because we then had a guest speaker back at JUC at 7:30. He is very involved with excavating the Temple Mount, and had a lot of interesting information to share with us. He was a genious, and talked for 2 hours without stopping. Yes, it was a lot, but definitely very interesting and educational.

So that has been my day! I just packed for our four day trip to Galilee. We will be staying in En Giev which I here is absolutely beautiful. My professor says that this is her favorite place in all of Israel, so I am looking forward to it! Sadly, I will not be posting for the next three nights, but I will do my best to update you all as soon as I can. I cannot believe that we are heading into our last week already! This trip is flying by....but when I look back at all we have done and seen, it seems like I have been here forever.

Thanks for your continued prayers! I really appreciate it! I added a few more pictures from the last couple days! Talk to you soon!

Day 12: Free Day

Today was incredible! And definitely in different ways than I had expected. Let me tell you about it....

The main part of the day started at 10:40 AM when we began our walk from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. This is about a 5 mile walk, and we gave ourselves 2 hours to get there! We ended up making it in about an hour and 20 minutes, so we had to wait for a little bit while the rest of our group arrived via bus. So..as we waited, we played euchre. Perfect.

Finally, the rest of the crew arrived, and we headed towards the check point. As Americans, it isn't too hard to make it through the check point. All we have to do is show them our passports. Now, before this trip to Israel, I have to be honest and say that I did not have the greatest understanding of the conflict going on in Israel. But today, I definitely became very well educated in many good ways. The picture here is the town of Bethlehem.

First, I must mention that there is a giant cement wall that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem. I didn't know previously that Bethlehem was part of the West Bank. The inside of this wall (the Palestinian side) is well "decorated" with graffiti. The construction of the wall began in 2002, and is still continuing today, separating the Palestinians/West Bank from the Israelis. All together, this is a couple billion dollars to construct.

Our reason for going to Bethlehem today was because a guy in our group has an Uncle who lives in Palestine. He currently works in a Palestinian Conflict Resolution organization. One of his co-workers, Osama, met up with us first and gave us a tour of their workplace. It was really sad to hear his story and all the dangerous situations he has faced during his lifetime. However, it was also encouraging to hear how he has found hope amongst the animosity. We then walked around the city of Bethlehem and went in a very large souvenir shop.

Next, we met up with my friend's Uncle, and a group of about 15 Palestinians between the ages of 17-25. We played lots of "get to know you games" with them, and broke up into small groups, learning about each other and asking questions about one anothers culture. I finally really began to realize how the turmoil in Israel has been affecting the Palestinians. Generally speaking, they are only allowed to leave the West Bank once a year unless they are given special permission. I cannot imagine living in such a way. Through conversation, I was better able to understand what exactly was going on between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and how this was affecting their daily lives. I was also impacted by how the news in the United States is very distorted and does not always give an accurate description of the events going on in Israel. I was really able to grasp what the Palestinians were thinking, and how much hope and desire they have to find peace with the Israelis. We also found many similarities, as well as differences, between our cultures. This was just a very neat and humbling experience to spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our evening ended with a delicious meal prepared for us. Overall, we spent 3 and 1/2 hours with the Palestinians. I am looking forward to seeing them sometime again in Heaven! This whole experience made me very grateful for the freedom I have in America. I will definitely be more thoughtful when I think about the conflict in Israel. This was such a wonderful opportunity iced off with wonderful new relationships that made this trip even more amazing.

It was a little before 7:00, and we headed out the check point to the bus stop. However, a bus never really came so we just started walking....we ended up walking the entire way back to Jerusalem! 10 miles total today. For the majority of the walk, I along with a few other girls talked to Vernon about the history of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. He is truly so knowledgeable, and I definitely felt like I learned a ton! Aubrey and Vernon are amazing and I feel so blessed to have them as our leaders!

So that concludes my free day. It was definitely amazing in more ways than one! Tomorrow is test day...I definitely have some studying to do. Again, another amazing day in Israel. I am so blessed.

Day 11: Dead Sea Field Study

Today was definitely a full day with a lot of fun-filled events! I'm definitely going to be sore tomorrow. Let me explain...

Our first stop was Masada. We drove through the beautiful desert to get there. Masada was a buffer zone of the Judean Wilderness. Herod had built this site as a security and guard for the eastern frontier. Herod definitely made quite the resort for himself...complete with a swimming pool and lots of bath houses. The Romans conquered Masada in 74 AD, and we climbed up the Roman siege ramp to get to the top of the fortress (that took about 10 minutes). At the top of the mountain, the fortress was beautiful and extended far out along the land. From the top of this site, we were also able to see the Dead Sea! (You can see it in the picture of me and Mal). After exploring the ruins, we walked down the other side of the mountain on the "Snake Path." This took about 45 minutes. Long, windy, and rocky. Crazy. Some people were using this path to get up the mountain...I don't know what they were thinking. Our legs were definitely shaky as we were getting closer to the bottom of the mountain.

Next stop...the Dead Sea! (lowest place on earth) We stopped at a more touristy location. Not many people there though...again, it's the winter season. The beach was pretty rocky, and not very long. The rocks along the water were all crystalized with the salt. They were beautiful! Finally, we began walking in the water! It was a lot clearer than I had expected, and not very cold. We walked in and then just kind of sat back when we were deep enough...and there we were...floating! Aubrey warned us that it is not the best idea to put your face in the water because your eyes will burn...in some cases, people have gone blind. It was funny to basically sit in a chair in the water with your feet floating. You could turn over on your stomach, but then it was hard to not put your face in the water. Trust me...it was a crazy feeling. And a lot of fun! The hardest part was swimming back towards the beach as we had drifited a ways. You couldn't really use your legs because then you would splash people. Not a good idea. Finally I found a method...definitely a good upper body workout! We looked pretty funny. When we got out of the water, our bodies were really slimy. It was pretty gross. Even after rinsing off, I felt very salty! But my skin was oddly smooth at the same time.

Lunch...any ideas what we ate?

The next stop we had for the day was En Gedi. This was an absolutely beautiful site! God's creation is truly a blessing for all of us to enjoy. En Gedi was the site where David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but instead he cut off part of his robe. This may have happened in any of the caves that I had passed. We walked along streams and waterfalls. There were also rock badgers (they looked like baby bears) and imeks (deer like animals) wandering around. They were definitely immune to us humans as we were able to get really close! I really enjoyed En Gedi...it was probably one of the most beautiful sites I have ever been to.

Last stop of the day...Qumran. Here is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found! It was amazing to see the places where the archaeologists discovered many of the books of the Old Testament. What amazing historical evidence of the Bible! The craziest thing about this site was that I basically scaled a mountain! We climbed up super high along the rock and rubble, and went in a couple different caves along the way (Try and find four people in the picture! We are right in the middle). We got to a peak and the view was incredible (all views are incredible in Israel...I think I say that every time). We made sure to make it down before it got too dark. Basically, we were hiking for about an hour and 20 minutes.

After Qumran, we were on our merry way back to Jerusalem! Home sweet home. I didn't realize how much I had missed JUC.

Although we were exhausted, we ate dinner quickly and then headed back to the King of Kings church where we attended last Sunday. We participated in the young adult ministry. It was really great to talk with the people there and get to know them better. I also met a lot of people from the States! A wonderful message was given on forgiveness, and then we had an incredible time of worship. I absoutely LOVED it.

After church, we walked a while in the New City. Definitely a hoppin' place! We found gelato....mmmm.

It is now 1:33 AM and I have finally finished uploading everything! The trip we took was absolutely amazing. Tomorrow is another free day, and our Taylor group along with Aubrey and Vernon are walking to Bethlehem! (It is about a 5 mile walk....uphill most of the way). One of the guys on our trip has an Uncle who lives there and is cooking a meal for us, and is going to give us a personal tour of the city. I'm looking forward to it!

Anyway, I think I am one of the last people awake now. Time for bed! God is continuing to be faithful and is blessing me so much on this trip! No injuries...sickness...etc. Hope all is well! Talk to you soon!

Day 10: Negev Field Study

Wow...I can't believe we are already half way done with our trip! Then again, it is crazy to think of all the amazing things we have seen and all the more that is yet to come.

Today was our second day of our three day trip. I got a great nights sleep in the hostel which was wonderful. Our first stop was Beer Sheba International park. What was fun about this site was that we had hard hats to wear - these were specifically for a tunnel that we went through. The streets of Beer Sheba were well organized, indicating that there was a strong, centralized government here. We talked about Samuel and Abraham, who where the two main Biblical figures associated with this site. We were also able to see what the common four room houses would look like. It was amazing to actually be in the Negev (desert region in Southern Israel) and visualize all that happened here in the Bible. Down at the entrance of this site was a replica of an altar that was also here, indicating a temple location. There was also a tamarisk tree, that had a "holy" reference in the Bible. We were encouraged to taste the tree..and I did...it was very salty!

After Beer Sheba, we went even farther out into the Negev and stopped at Arad. This location was even more isolated. At first, we stood at a Hellenistic tower which was fortified during the time of Solomon. There was also a temple at this site used by the Israelites, indicating how the Israelites screwed up by worshiping other gods. From the top of this tel (notice that all these places are tels), we began to descend to what is currently the best preserved site of a Canaanite city (I'm pointing at it in my picture!). I couldn't imagine opening my door and seeing the amazing desert view around me. Verity, Mallory, Caroline, and I opened up some Scripture and read references that Vernon (one of our tour guides) had given us about the Biblical Negev. It was amazing to reflect on God's word.

Pita and hummice for lunch : )

Next stop was the Wilderness of Zin! Here is where Moses and the Israelites wandered before they reached the Promise Land. It was incredible to be there! We actually took a beautiful hike throughout the hills and mountains and valleys. We walked along a stream and a waterfall. The hard part came when we had to climb up these steep stairs that were basically vertical. Thankfully I'm not afraid of heights! Once we made it to the top of a mountain, the view was incredible. It was fun to say that we "wandered" through the wilderness.

Avdat came next. This didn't have as much Biblical reference, but was a Byzantine fortress. This site was a lot of fun because Aubrey basically told us to "go play." We were free to explore the site in whichever ways we wanted to. We walked through tunnels, caves, etc. Lots of fun! Oh, and I saw a snake! Gross.

Our last stop of the day was the Makhtesh Ramon crater. This is the largest crater in the world! It was so deep and vast and lasted for miles. We were at this site for the sun set, which was beautiful as always. Once again, I was in awe of God's beautiful creation.

Tonight, we stayed in a hostel! A super nice hostel! It had a flat screen TV, and I took a nice hot shower with excellent water pressure. Perfect. We stayed in Arad for the night. Once again, the hotel provided us with an abundance of food. They know Americans eat a lot I guess..

Once again, another great day in the Holy Land!

Day 9: Judah, Shephela, Philistia Field Study

I'm back! Today, we began our 3-day trip in Israel! We met on the bus bright and early at 6:45 AM. This morning, the sky was a lot more hazy, and it was definitely cooler out. Thankfully, we were heading down south, where it would be a little warmer!

Our first stop was exploring the Judean Hill Country in the Sorek Valley. Although this location is not directly related to any Biblical passage, we were still able to learn a lot about the life of the people way back when the Israelites were first settling in Israel. We were able to walk along the ridges of the valley, and it was absolutely beautiful. Along the path were a lot of Almond trees, and some really pretty flowering trees. We were able to see some caves where people would have lived in. Overall, it was very interesting to learn about the civilization of these people and the roles males and females had in society. We saw a vineyard deeper in the valley, and a spring. The treck back up the valley was pretty rigorous, but definitely a good work out and a great way to start the morning.

After the Judean Hill Country, we headed west through the Sorek Valley. Our next stop was Beth Shemesh. We stood up on top of a tel...from here, we were able to see Zorah, which is Sampson's home town. It was neat to read the story of Sampson again. We learned that Beth Shemesh was also a border of Israelite territory, and we better understood the significance of border cities during Biblical times. I know for a fact that I will no longer read any story from the Bible the same! It was neat to see the ruins of Beth Shemesh... it is always interesting to try and figure out the structure of the buildings.

After Beth Shemesh, we made our way down the Elah Valley and stopped at Azekah. At this site, we read the story of David and Goliath. We were able to construct ideas as to where the battles were fought with the Philistines. David and Goliath has always been a popular Bible story that I remember as a child, so it was amazing to actually be there. From Azekah, we were also able to spot a very recent excavated site in 2008. This place is dated back to 1000 BC, during the time of David! Crazy.

More pita and hummice for lunch :)

Next stop at Lachish...one GIANT tel. Lachish was a well fortified city, but was taken down by the Assyrians. It was crazy to imagine all these battles and how the armies would attack. There were lots of ruins to play on, which is always fun. I think it is always crazy that we are allowed to walk all over these ruins like it is no big deal.

Finally, our last main stop of the day was Ashkelon, on the Mediterranean coast! Ashkelon was present during the time of the Patriarchs (1900-1750 BC) and was a Philitsine Pentopolis that lost its independence to Assyria...also a possible location for the birth of Herod the Great. Most importantly about this site...we swam in the Mediterranean! More like got destroyed my monstruous waves...it was amazing. It was crazy to think that I was swimming in the ocean...in January. The water wasn't too cold, but overall the day was cooler so it was a little harder to get in the water. Verity and I thoroughly enjoyed playing in the waves and "body surfing." I was definitely excited for this opportunity! The beach itself was really beautiful and clean. We were the only ones on the beach though....probably because it is the winter season in Israel. Definitely doesn't feel like winter to me!

From Ashkelon, we took an hour bus ride to Beer Sheba where we stayed for the night in a hotel. They fed us really well, and the beds were pretty comfy! We actually got to bed pretty early since we couldn't really go out at night. There you have it....Day 1 of the trip!

Day 8: Test Day

Well, today wasn't the most eventful day, but everyday is amazing in Jerusalem no matter what! This morning, we studied for our exam which was at 1:00. However, studying on the roof with the beautiful sun in the city wasn't too shabby : ). The test wasn't too bad, but a little harder than expected. At least it's over!

For the rest of the time before dinner, we had class. We began to learn things in preparation for our next field study. We will actually be leaving JUC for three days/two nights! Tomorrow, we are heading out to the Mediterranean, and I'll have a chance to swim in that! Overall, we will be traveling around the Shephela region and different areas around there. On Wednesday, we will be heading over to the Dead Sea, and will also be swimming there! I hear that's quite the experience. Apparently we will be staying in really nice hotels, which is exciting.

Sadly, I will not have computer access for the next two nights, so you will not hear from me. I will do my best to update you as soon as I get back from the trip!

This evening, we went out to the Old City and bought some Baklava in the Muslim Quarter. It was delicious! It is like a croissant in the shape of a small square that had a layer of pecans. It was also glazed in butter. Yum :) I love trying the different food here! We basically just walked around the Old City for a little while. I am definitely getting to know my way around quite well.

So, that was our day! More relaxing I guess. I thought I would share a few more pictures with you from the past days! The first one is of the Old City Wall which is where I walk every day. There is one of us looking out and seeing the Wilderness in the distance. And the last one is another view from the Mount of Olives.

God is truly teaching me so much on this trip and I feel immensley blessed to be here! I am in complete awe of the Lord and His Word. Not only am I learning more about Him, but also who I am as a daughter of Christ.

Philippians 3:8-11
"What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the SURPASSING GREATNESS OF KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be FOUND in Him, not having a rigteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the ressurection from the dead."

Day 7: Free Day

Today was our first "free day" of the trip. Basically we got to do whatever we wanted! And we got to sleep in :)

So we woke up around 7:45 and left for the Dome of the Rock at 8:45. I actually felt really rested and feel like I have finally gotten used to the time change here.

There are only certain hours that the Dome of the Rock is open to visitors, which is why we had to go in the morning. It was great to finally be right in front of it after looking at it from so many different locations. It was really beautiful. Lots of blue, yellow, and white tiles made the intricate design. We were not able to go inside the Dome of the Rock, but it was still great to see it.

This picture is our Taylor group in front of the Western Wall/Wailing Wall. The Dome of the Rock is on the other side of the wall.

Afterwords, we did a little shopping in the Christian Quarter. We also went back to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre since we were not able to see all the sites the first time we went. This time, I went up the stairs where Golgotha was - where Jesus was hung on the cross. They had this box on the ground where you could stick your hand in and feel the bed rock where the cross may have been placed. We were also able to go see the tomb of Jesus. We had to wait in a long line for that. It was a beautiful structure, but evidently not the tomb we always picture with a big rock in the side of a hill. Apparently, there is also a garden tomb which we are going to see some time which is more aesthetically appealing.

In the afternoon, we also went to the Temple Mount Museum. Here, there were many replicas of pieces that existed in the second Temple, which will apparently be used when the third temple is built. They also had lots of murals for us to look at to demonstrate what the second temple looked like. It was really fascinating to learn more about the Temple and its significance, as I didn't really have a great understanding of this before I came to Israel. Before we left the museum, we also talked a while with the Jewish man who worked there. It was really fascinating to talk to him about what he thought about the rebuilding of the temple and his faith; essentially, it was really sad, as he felt that he was closest to God when he was closest to where the temple was (the Wailing Wall - many of the Jews go there because they believe God can better hear their prayers when they are close to where the Temple used to be). However, I left that museum with a great desire to really read the Old Testament more and better understand the history of our faith.

For the rest of the afternoon, my friends and I enjoyed the warm sun on top of the roof as we journaled. Everything about it was perfect.

Around 4:20, our Taylor group left for a church called the King of Kings. It was about a two mile walk into the New City. It took us a little longer than expected to get there, but we made it! This was essentially my first time walking in the New City, and I enjoyed it! It is definitely a lot different from the Old City. It's pretty dirty, and there's lots of construction going on. We passed a lot of clothing stores along the way, among other shops.

The church service we went to was absolutely amazing! It was definitely a more modern church. We sang about 30 minutes of worship. Most of the songs were in English, and a couple we sang in Hebrew. The Pastor's message was about Christ being our Shepherd. I really enjoyed this message, especially as I better understand what the Wilderness is really like and how the Shepherd leads his flock. The analogies definitely came more alive to me. Just the idea of worshiping in a church in Israel was incredible in itself!

After church, our group headed to a restaurant called the Foccacia Bar. It was really neat, and kind of had an Italian feel to it. Verity and I split Foccacia that had tomatos, mozzarella, and olive oil on it. It was delicious! It was kind of like a pizza, and nothing that I had ever tried before. All the food that I have eaten here is very fresh which has been nice.

So that was pretty much our day! It was nice to have a more relaxed schedule. Tomorrow will be pretty easy too. We have our exam in the afternoon, and then class for a while. But other than that, the rest of the day is free.

Thanks for keeping up with my blog! Hope you are enjoying it :). Talk to you soon!

Day 6: Benjamin Field Study

Another great day in the Holy Land! Great people, great food, great weather, great place!!!! It couldn't get much better than this.

We began early again at 6:45 today. Our first stop was an incredible view of the Wilderness! It was a lot different that I had expected...and it was probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen! It pretty much looked like rolling sand mountains from distances on end. We were also able to see Jericho in the distance. Along the mountains were horizontal ridges which showed how the sheep grazed with the shepherd. I have no idea how they didn't fall down the slopes. It wasso incredible to be sitting among the land while Aubrey taught us. It was also crazy to think that this was the wilderness where Jesus was tempted - I could have been looking at the exact land he walked through! Now probably the most exciting thing about this stop was...I rode a camel! It cost me 10 shekels (about 3 dollars) and was worth every penny! The ride was very short. The camel sat down and I got on like I would on a horse, and then I was up in the air, looking out into the Wilderness. It was pretty amazing to say the least.

Our next stop was JERICHO! We first visited New Testament Jericho, where we saw the remnants of one of King Herod's palaces. It was interesting to envision what his palace may have looked like by looking at all the features of the rocks and walls. One thing that always surprises me is our freedom to walk almost anywhere without having to worry about not touching anything or messing anything up. All these archaeological digs are free for us to"play on!"

We then made our way over to the Old Testament Jericho site. Before I continue, it is also important to note that Jericho is not only the lowest, but also the oldest land on earth! We basically stood amongst a giant tel (look it up in the dictionary). It was definitely quite the historic site. In this tel, archaeologists also discovered a tower/fortress type structure which is the oldest building to date found in the entire world! I couldn't believe that I was standing amongst the oldest building on earth. One guy on our trip actually found a jaw bone in the rock...that was interesting. There was also an area where archaeologists found a wall of what is most likely Rahab's house! Incredible. I cannot believe all the things these archaeologists find. It makes me curious as to what else may be under the ground. I think I might start digging :).

The city of Jericho looked more resort like than the other areas of Israel that I have seen so far. It was more green and not so squished together. We were also able to catch a small glimpse of the Dead Sea! It was amazing to being at such an "ancient" site.

Our next stop was about an hour away, so we had some nice time to relax and enjoy the land on the bus. We drove through the hills and valleys of the wilderness, and passed so many shepherds and their flocks! I got lots of pictures :). I still can't believe I am seeing shepherds. Along our drive, we did make one stop. Here, we were able to see a cistern that was built before Jesus' time and is currently in use! The water was actually quite clean. The shepherds use this cistern for their sheep.

Next, we made it to Nebi Samuel, a site that remembers the burial of Samuel (there is no real evidence of where Samuel was buried). This view was nice because we were able to distinguish a lot of different landmarks and cities. What was most important about this site was the view of the Central Benjamin Plateau. From this site, we learned about Joshua and the battles he faced and the different routes he took. I am eager to read the Old Testament again because I think I will have a much greater understanding of the story as I am able to visualize all the different cities instead of them being foreign names to me.

Our last and final stop of the day was Tel Gezer. This was very beautiful in its own and unique way! Gezer is close to the coastal Plain and is near the Mediterranean. The air smelled so refreshing when I got off the bus. Tel Gezer was one giant hilly tel that had lots of remains from around 950 BC. This pieace of land was very important due to its location (if you want more information...I can tell you at a later date). The overall view from Tel Gezer was so much different from the wilderness we had experienced before. It was more flat and definitely very green. The Tel in itself was a giant playground with hills to climb and rocks to jump on. What was exciting about this site is that we stayed to watch the sunset! It was beautiful.

So that was our day in the field! In the evening, a group of us went into the Old City and visited our favorite guy in the market, Shaban, who has all those college banners. We were planning on visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but it was closed. Instead, we got some gelato (I don't think it was real gelato), but it was delicious anyway! And that about sums up my day :).

Tomorrow, we have a free day! The Taylor team is going to leave around 8:45 and go to some more sites in the Old City that we won't have the opportunity to go to as a whole group. This includes going to the Dome of the Rock, and also a City of David Museum...among other things. We will also be going to church tomorrow at 5:00 PM. It is a Christian church in Hebrew, but they will have English subtitles. On Monday, we also have our first exam, so I will have to start studying for that...

Hope all is well! Talk to you soon :)