Turkey

It's Tukey Recuperation Day here at the JC! We we left Istanbul at 12:55 am last night and arrived back at the center around 4:00 am. I slept on the flight, on the bus, and then for another 6 hours in my bed and I'm still exhausted.

It was an awesome week. I fell in love with the Tukish countryside and grew close to my class. I'll have a detailed post sometime later this week.

smile.

I was still a bit disappointed when I wrote yesterday's post, but my mood got better during Israel class after dinner as can be seen by my lovely hand face.

Red Crescent Women's Hospital

A few months ago, I read a story from a previous Jerusalem student about going to a local women's hospital and volunteering in the maternity ward. I was so excited for a chance to hold and feed newborn babies. When we arrived, the service couple (Brother and Sister Schafer) gave us the news that we would be able to volunteer, but we were no longer allowed to hold the babies.

I could not wait for this perfect service opportunity, so I volunteered for the first day, which was today. We went down to the Red Crescent Women's Hospital where I was assigned to the postpartum ward. There had been miscommunication between the Hospital Volunteer Coordinators and the nurses, so they expected us to be nurses, not just students from the "Mormon University." They had no idea what to do with me, so I was told to sit quietly on a sofa in an empty hallway. I sat and sat and sat some more. I felt completely alone and more like a foreigner than ever before. I saw a few glimpses of some beautiful newborns, but that was the most contact I had with anyone. One of the nurses felt bad that there was nothing for me to do and she gave me a chocolate and another let me help her move some medical supplies. I'm grateful for their attempt of communication. Eventually they let me go to the kitchen where a group of BYU girls had helped prepare lunch for all of the patients. The chef, Nissir, was the former BYU Jerusalem Chef. He was kind and welcoming and treated us to some food. The food was delicious and we missed lunch at the Center, so it was the perfect thing to cheer me up after a disappointing few hours.  Nissir sent us off to a nearby out-patient facility where moms and babies go following delivery. We helped the kindest woman set up lunch. She spoke very little English, but she tried so hard to communicate with us. We learned that she has 3 children, 2 girls (10 yrs and 5 yrs) and a 1 boy (8 years). She was surprised that we were not married yet. It was fun to learn a little bit about her and receive some motherly kindness in return.

Overall, it was an interesting experience. Upon returning, I learned that 2 of the girls were allowed to watch a C-Section and the girls doing food prep had lots of fun. I honestly don't plan to do it again, but I am grateful that I could see a little bit more of the Islamic culture. It was a rough day, but somehow a piece of chocolate and a few smiles made it better.

Sidreh Weaving Center

 

On Monday we headed down to the hot, dry, and desolate Negev desert which is base camp for dozens of Old Testament stories. We stopped by Tel Beer-sheva and Tel Arad (both are ancient ruins of biblical cities), but my favorite part of the day was the Sidreh Weaving Center.This center is non-profit organization that provides work for local Bedouin women while preserving the ancient trade of weaving.

Bedouins are a desert-dwelling group of Arabs.  They are commonly shepherds and live a pastoral life. Originally, they dwelt in tents and women had the tedious job of setting up the tent and taking care of the family. Although some Bedouin still live in traditional tents, the majority have been pushed into urbanization and now live in small Bedouin towns. As this urbanization occurred, many women lost their traditional roles. The Sidreh weaving center works to help these women contribute to their homes and the local economy. There are approximately 70-80 women employed at any given time and most of them work from home.

Following the weaving demonstration, we were allowed to wander the gift shop. I love buying things from local non-profits that benefit a worthy cause, so of course I had to get something. I only had 100 shekels and the rugs, pillows, and bags all cost more, so I decided to get creative. I found a rack of belts, but all of them were a bit large and then I realized it would be the perfect size for a camera strap. So, I bought myself a  new beautiful camera strap that will have lots a good use. 

As we walked home from the Old City today, a Palestinian man started talking to one of my friends, Will. He was very interested in what we were doing here, but he was soft spoken, so I had difficulty understanding some of what he had to say. As we came down the hill from Damascus gate, this little Palestinian boy started yelling at us. Our new friend was able to translate what he was saying and let me know that he (the little boy) wanted his picture taken, so I gladly snapped a shot. Of course, he had to pose and it just makes this pictures all that much better.

Week 1: I want to Remember

I want to remember my pre-Jeru party with the Olsens.

I want to remember driving to Provo with my parents and spending a few too many hours in a conference room with 81 new best friends.

I want to remember my hectic night of packing that involved a few tears and a bit of frustration.

I want to remember driving to the airport with trepidation and feeling to nervous to eat.

I want to remember the scale hitting exactly 50 lbs. Not one ounce over or under!

I want to remember going through security with the missionaries since I was the last student to go through.

I want to remember the long flight, the movies (Captain America and Inception), the sleeping, and the overall excitement.

I want to remember being the first student on the bus to see the Jerusalem Center as we rounded the bend.

I want to remember being greeted by my professors' families, especially all 13 adorable kids. 

I want to remember the first gorgeous sunset over the city.

I want to remember the overwhelming amount of reading involved with every single class.

I want to remember the sensory overload known as the Old City.

I want to remember the "Lucky Judd Bus" and our Jerusalem songs.

I want to remember the spirit hymns bring to any situation.

I want to remember getting lost in the city with the Reeds, Nicole, and Laurann.

I want to remember finding the Chamber of Secrets.

I want to remember feeling completely inadequate after being called to be an FHE group leader.

I want to remember the Sabbath: the testimonies, lessons, seeing and talking to Patrick, and meeting Aya.

I want to remember writing songs with my roommates, talking to my roommates, and just my roommates in general.

I want to remember Father Leo's kindness and help at St. Anne's Church.

I want to remember becoming family in just 1 week.

I want to remember the hospitality the local people have shown me in helping me find my way, explaining the significance of Holy sites, and just being kind.

This has been a week worth remembering. I doubt I will ever have the time to write (in e-mail, on this blog, or in my journal) about each of these things separately. So, for my own sake, I hope that a one line blurb will be enough to spark my memory in some future day.

Hills of Judea

 Temple Mount

Time is a value commodity at the Jerusalem Center. It is a place where every second counts towards studying, socializing, sleeping, or exploring. 24 hours just doesn’t seem long enough to fit everything in. These past few days have been a whirlwind. My travels went well. There were no issues with security, passport control, or customs. The airplane dinner was better than expected and I slept through the night. The drive from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem felt long although it was only 45 minutes. It was an extremely warm day and we were all ready for bed even though it was only 2:00 in the afternoon. We all managed to stay awake mainly because we couldn’t wait to see the city. The first view of the city from the highway was exciting. The Dome of the Rock is in the foreground surrounded by Jerusalem. It was breathtaking. In my daze, it was hard to believe I was actually here in the Holy Land.  

We were greeted at the center by our professors’ families and the service couples. Between all the professors there are 13 kids. They are adorable in every way! The Jerusalem Center itself is stunning.

So, today we went on our first field trip. We went to 5ish different lookouts to see Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. The main purpose of this trip was to develop a better understanding of the geography. At many of the stops we sang hymns. My favorite was singing “Be Still My Soul” in an Evangelical Lutheran Church. The acoustics were beautiful and the spirit was strong. Music, especially hymns, has the ability to invite the spirit into any situation. The word of each hymn bear a special and uniquely different testimony of Christ.

Angel at Augusta Victoria Lutheran Church 

We referenced scriptures at each stop.  There were a few stories that particularly touched me today.

The first was looking out over Bethlehem. As Jacob and his family were traveling from Judea to Jerusalem, Rachel was pregnant with Benjamin. Somewhere on the hills where we stood, she went into labor and passed away in childbirth. The events of that day were tragic. Jacob lost his beloved wife and Benjamin and Joseph lost their mother. Oftentimes, scripture stories seem just like words on a page. But they aren’t. These stories are real; they happened to real people. Being on the hill today and seeing the desolation of summer brought the tragedy of Rachel’s death to life.  

The second story was about Solomon at Gibeon.  Solomon had recently inherited the crown from his father. He loved the Lord and kept the commandments. One night, Jehovah appeared to him, ready to bless him with his righteous desires. In humility (and I’m sure fear) for being made king he acknowledged that, “I am but a little child.”  Solomon asked for an understanding heart and discernment to lead his kingdom. This blessing and many more were granted unto Solomon because of his humility and righteousness. Brother Judd stressed to us that we can and need to ask the Lord for help and for blessings. Yes, I can ask for help to have fun or find a great souvenir, but that’s not why I’m here. Instead I need to figure out, “What can I ask for and seek after that is spiritually beneficial to me during my time in the Holy Land?”

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to visit each of today's sights. I know that as I invest myself in my studies, my understanding of the Holy Land will increase greatly. Even just a day surveying the land helped me orient myself and put more stories in context. 

My wonderful field trip group.

I am grateful that I had the chance to go on this field trip. I gained a greater appreciation for the land and was able to put some scripture stories into context with their setting. I have a wonderful group and amazing professors that are helping me learn and gain knowledge while strengthening my testimony. This is an amazing place and I am so blessed to be here!