Sunday, February 26, 2012

Random Pictures

Dr "Henry Jones" Huntsman "Jr" With His Hat

Hezekiah's Tunnel

Pool of Siloam

Overlooking Bethlehem

Pretty Clouds

Very Dynamic Failed Jump Pictures

Hangin' Out In Avdat

The "Crystal" Archway (Her name is Crystal too)

Grinding Hyssop

At Neot Kedumim- Biblical History Site

A 200 Year Old Torah Scroll

The Bell Caves- Formed from Mining Limestone

First Flower of the Spring

Exiting a Tomb

Elah Valley- David and Goliath Battle
A Typical Market Street

Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount

Fair Warning in a Bakery

Noah's Ark at the Biblical Zoo

Just Before He Kissed Me

In the Aviary at the Zoo

A Sign Outside the YMCA

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Murderous Midterms!

So...Here's the deal. Midterms are no easier or less stressful in the Holy Land than they are in Provo. The difference is that there are at least 40 other people in the same position as you at all times, and in some cases it is as many as 82 others. It makes for an interesting group dynamics. For example- as we passed out the exams in ANE this morning people would spontaneously giggle at nothing, which would set others off laughing. Study sessions pop up everywhere, and people have been known to burst into song or have dance parties in the laundry room to blow off some steam.
In the last 48 hours I have turned in a quiz for Old Testament, a midterm paper for Palestine and taken a midterm in Ancient Near East. The study guide was 137 items (including long lists of Egyptain, Assyrian, and Israelite rulers) and that is not including the map section of another 30 or so items. I got together with my roommate Amanda and my friend Annalise last night and for 3 hours we came up with the most ridiculous mnemonics to differentiate terms. Things like "Minoans- king Minos built a palace. Sounds like minnows- they were sea farers and invented flush toilets (to flush the minnows)." Or "Amenhotep III- A man in a hot tub: love oriented, had many wives, peaceful time for Egyptians" Not to be confused with his son "Amenhotep IV- Religious reformer who said amen to that and changed his name." We were laughing up a storm, and it helped  on the test a lot. I did well- not a perfect score, but it will be perfectly respectable. In the next 48 hours I will turn in a paper for and take an exam in Old Testament. But the paper is done, and the exam only adds 3 lessons to what I studied last weekend. So, no matter how hard they try---I WILL SURVIVE!!!

The best thing about this past week was that all the stress and pressure reminded me that not only does Heavenly Father pay attention to me, but he puts people in just the right place and time to give me the support I need at that moment. One such experience was a friend who had just been sent a devotional given by Brad Wilcox called His Grace is Sufficient. If you have just a minute, take a look. It was so good for putting things in perspective.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

A Typical Week In the JC

So according to my recollection, I have yet to talk much about life in the Jerusalem Center.

The schedule of a normal week is as follows:
Sunday- A free day, which I generally spend in the city. I usually start out in West Jerusalem, the Jewish sector, but I always seem to end up at least stopping by the Old City to shop and wander. I am on the hosting committee, and every Sunday night the JC hosts a concert, and my job is to make sure we have four students welcoming patrons at the doors.
Monday- Field trip day. Trips are to areas nearby, lasting from 8 am to anywhere from 12-5:30 pm, depending on the destination. Last week we went to the Shephalah- low hill country between the coast and the mountains, with five valleys that connect the two- the only routes capable of supporting armies during the time the Philistines were battling the Israelites. This week we will go to the City of David, just south of the Old City. The highlight of the trip will be a trek through Hezekiah's Tunnel, a waterway under the city.
Tuesday through Friday- Classes usually 4-6 hours a day. I personally don't go into the city during the week, though there are many students who do. I find enough to do reading for classes and talking with other students.
Friday Afternoon- After a busy and tiring week going break neck pace and reading several hundred pages of dense text, I take Friday afternoons off. Sometimes I watch a movie, I have gone shopping for snacks a few times, but mostly I spend the time talking with people, one of my favorite past times. Friday nights the center hosts a movie night. So far we have watched two Indiana Jones and the Ten Commandments.
Saturday- the Sabbath. One of the best day's of the week. I have never felt the Spirit as strongly so many weeks in a row. Brother Jackson, in charge of field trips for the school, teaches Sunday School (we still haven't figured out how to call it Sabbath school, it just doesn't roll off the tongue the same way). I always look forward to class- he has such a wonderfully simple way of teaching. And his material for the hour is contained in the Book of Mormon and a 3x5 card. That hour just flies by.

The only other bit of information that may fit into this category is meals. There is little variation in food. For breakfast I eat cold cereal (what I call Nutella Squares, for lack of knowing their real name. It is cocoa with a cream filled center), fruit, and cream of wheat (amazingly creamy and one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted). Lunch is the most variable meal- it has a salad, fruit, and on Friday's we get cold cuts on deliciously crusty bread. Dinner is the most predictable thing in the world. Options are potatoes, rice, chicken, meat, fish, salad, and a dessert. The repetitiveness has begun to be tiresome, but the food is good, and the desserts are consistently quite tasty. I supplement the boring meals with hot chocolate or hot milk and a pita with Nutella, which is supplied by the quartful.

So there you have it. The wonderful world of the Jerusalem Center on a daily basis.