Finding joy in trials

This week was incredibly busy. Not only were we all completely exhausted from traveling in Egypt, it was also our finals week. However, this week has been one of my favorite weeks in the trips, even with all of the test preparation and stress. One Tuesday we took a close field trip to the Old City of David, where David lived in Jerusalem (which is not even in the city walls now.) This first picture shows how easy it must have been for David to look down and see Bathsheba. We learn many lessons from David's fall--mainly that it was not a mistake that happened all of the sudden, but poor choices on David's part led to the sin.



This isn't the best picture, but this is the exit where we came out of Hezekiah's tunnel. I loved this experience. We got wet up above our knees (some of the shorter girls it came up almost to the seat of their pants). I was impressed with what they could do with the little technology they had.





Dome of the Rock--It's amazing how crowded the how Old City is, but you get up on the Temple Mount, and there is space everywhere. It's absolutely beautiful.

Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem is actually in the West Bank, and we had to get special permission to go. Israel has built a barrier around a lot of the West Bank, and it felt like what I would imagine going into East Berlin would have felt like when the Berlin wall was up. There is one Palestinian member of the church in Bethlehem, and she only gets to come to church on Christian holidays (Easter and Christmas) when she can get a special permit. I became so thankful for the freedoms that I enjoy.

The barrier wall dividing Israel and the West Bank

Inside the Church of the Nativity. As with almost all of the Christian Churches, this church is run and shared by several Christian denominations. The day we were there the Greek Orthodox church was allowed to have their services there that day.

A Greek Orthodox Priest

The woodcarver that made the nativity I bought. He is making ornaments right here.

Looking at Bethlehem from Shepherd's field

Shepherd's Field outside Bethlehem


Our class sitting eating dinner at Shepherd's field. As it got dark we talked about the birth of our Savior. I don't think I've ever celebrated Christmas in such a spirit-filled way, and it's May!

Lauren, Becky, and me sitting at Shepherd's Field as it is getting dark.

With three finals this week we didn't have a lot of free time to see things in the Old City, so I am especially thankful that we had a field trip there this week. Yesterday, when we got to go to Bethlehem I spent a lot of time talking with Sahar, the only member in Bethlehem about what it was like growing up in Bethlehem. She got baptized when she was getting her Master's at BYU. (She got a scholarship through the BYU Jerusalem Center) She said that until she had the perspective of the church, even though she was Greek Orthodox, she hated living in Bethlehem because she was living under occupation. She told me that perspective changes everything because she now sees so much good because her own ideas about things changed. It is definiately hard for her, but she was exceptionally positive. I learned so much from her. We went from the Church of the Nativity to Shepherd's field. It was so different going from a church full of shrines to an empty, rocky field and being able to talk about our Savior, and the miraculous events that led up to his birth. As I sat there I realized once again that I need the Savior. I recognized that because he was born and atoned for our sins, even the hard things that Sahar has to go through by only being able to go to church once every six months will be made up for by the atonement. I sat and looked at the stars last night and was so thankful for it all. I know a baby was born for us in a small little grotto (cave), but his birth was one of the most important things that has ever happened on this earth.