The Beautiful Journey

 
As I was sitting on the airplane I wrote in my journal:
As I reflect on this past semester, memories flash through my mind and the feelings and emotions of a life-changing experience surface again. I was afraid that the last night would be full of sadness and tears, but it wasn't. Not for me at least. Thinking about all of the wonderful friends I have gained, and all of the incredible experiences I will take away, all I could do was smile.

I have had the incredible opportunity to walk where Jesus walked, but I agree with what president Uchtdorf said when he was addressing the students and the Jerusalem center. What matters is NOT the physical steps where Jesus walked, or the exact location where He was born or even where He died and was resurrected. What matters is what is in the heart. What matters is your testimony. What matters is the choices you make with the knowledge you have. What matters is how you live each day of your life.

I am convinced that the most important thing we can do in this life is come to know God. In bearing testimony of Him, president Uchtdorf said, "Not only do I know of Him, I know Him." Our relationship with God is something that can grow each day if we nourish it. Testimony comes through diligent prayer and scripture study, and there is no end to the knowledge we can gain. Our relationship with Him is not something that can be maxed out or completed. It is a lifelong pursuit that will bring us everlasting joy. The more familiar we become with God in this life, the more comfortable we will be in His presence in the life to come. "Come unto me" is His invitation. I pray that I can accept it each and every day through the way that I live. At some point in the semester, I realized that I could no longer imagine that Jesus Christ did not live. Some people look at the world and cannot imagine the life of Christ. I cannot imagine the world without His life. He lives! Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, lives. 

Eating My Meals With President Uchtdorf!

President Uchtdorf  and his wife and family stayed at the Jerusalem Center with us for a few nights! They spoke at our district conference and at our "upper room night" and they ate their meals in the Oasis with us. It was an incredible way to wrap up the whole Jerusalem experience.

Let me share with you one of the things that I gained from what he said...

Sometimes in life it is easy to feel limited by abilities, but President Uchtdorf taught me an important lesson. He said that choices are more important than the ability you think you may or may not have; choices make the difference, not your ability. Happiness is dependent upon how you honor and keep your covenants.

We Too Can Be Healed

Different students gave devotionals at the last few sites we visited in the Holy Land. One of my favorites was the Pools of Bethesda and St. Ann's Church, which is where Jesus healed the man who had been sick for 38 years. Scriptures say that the sick and afflicted would sit by the pool and wait for the water to be troubled so they could step into the water and be healed. 

"When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, aRise, take up thy bed, and walk." (John 5:6-8)

I really liked what Lizzy added to the story in her devotional. She said something like this: I am sure that man prayed every day for those 38 years that an angel would come and dip him into the water. God did not just send an angel, but He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to heal him. He may have had to wait for a long time to be healed, but "the Lord does not leave miracles half undone." I am sure He was with him every day of those 38 years until He could send Christ to heal him.

God has sent His son for us too. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and because of His great atoning sacrifice, we too can be healed. 

Lazarus' Tomb

People

Regardless of being obnoxious Americans, the people of Jerusalem really like the BYU students! It is probably because we do such a good job of keeping the shopkeepers in business. They welcome us wherever we go and treat us like friends. There are a few faces in particular that I am sure every student will remember after they leave.

This is Shaban. All of the students go to him for most of their souvenirs. Every time we are in the Old City, and happen to walk by his shop, he invites us in for juice. "You don't drink coffee," he says, "so I give you juice instead!" Once he gave us hot pitas too. It is seldom that you find that kind of hospitality in the US! It is just part of the culture here.

This is Jimmy and his two boys- also very well known by the students. Olive wood is a really big thing in the Holy Land, and he sells all kinds of carvings. He assures us that he gives us the best student prices...then again so do all of the other shop keepers! We all visit his shop frequently though, because he is a good friend of ours. At the beginning of the semester, he even invited some of the students to brunch!

Aladdin is the money changer that all the students use. He is a funny old man who likes to tease us about being Mormon, but he really likes us. Opposite of the small counter where the workers exchange our money is a long wall filled with notes and wedding announcements from BYU students. He also has a "Book of Mormons" which is his book that he has all the Mormons sign when they visit him. He takes groups of students out for hummus every once in a while. We like Aladdin!

Raghad is a really sweet girl that I see often when I walk into the city. I think she is in 7th grade or something close to that. I met her at the beginning of the semester, and as soon as she found out that I was friends with students from the last semester who she met, she instantly became my friend. After I had only talked to her twice, she gave me a pair of earrings! Each time I see her, she gives me a great big hug and tells me she missed me. Just yesterday she gave me yet another gift- a woven bracelet with beads.

A Dip in the Dead Sea

 You can't visit Israel without floating in the Dead sea! As soon as I got in, my feet floated right to the top of the water! It was more effort to keep my body vertical than it was to float. Such an awesome sensation. A bunch of people rubbed the black dead sea mud all over their bodies. It smelled sooooo bad! But apparently it is really good for your skin. They sell it for a fortune in the gift shops here.

We also went to En Gedi, where we hiked up to a few different waterfalls and rinsed off our salty selves with some cool, refreshing water. Oh delightful!

Lessons I Learned in Primary

This is the valiant girls primary class that Malia and I teach. The pictures were taken with a phone...hence the poor quality- sorry! As you can probably tell, there are a couple of characters in the class. I taught 5 year olds last summer by myself and it was a breeze, but this class would not be the same if Malia didn't team teach with me! We have had a lot of fun and have really grown to love each of the girls.

Malia, Maya, Lisa, Mary, me, Amanda, and
Elizabeth (with her head on the table).

All of the girls are daughters of my professors except Maya, which means they are all really smart! In fact, I feel like all of the primary kids here are really smart. Some of them know details about scriptures and church history that I easily forget. I can honestly say they have taught me a lot, and in more than one way. For this reason, I dedicated a space in my journal for lessons I learn in primary, and I want to share a few with you.


Funny moments...


Sharing time question: "How can we use our hearts and minds to obey Heavenly Father?
Mary Stratford (Ancient Near East Professors daughter, age 10): "Well, you see, the Egyptians believed that you thought with your heart, not your mind, so really, they are the same thing." Hahaha...I think her dad has practiced lectures on her.


In the middle of sharing time, I looked up to see a bare bum running across the the front of the classroom. It was the primary presidents daughter (probably about 4 yrs old) and she had lifted her dress and taken off her underwear. The first counselor looked mortified.

Opening prayer given by one of the younger boys: "Bless the food and that we will go to church and that I can do really high flips and jump high and you can watch me do really cool flips and Sophie can watch me do really cool flips and that everyone can watch me...[more about flips and jumps]...amen." hahaha

Tender moments...

One of the sweetest things about being in primary is getting to hear the children sing every Sabbath in singing time. I specifically remember two songs. One was "Love is Spoken Here." I remember thinking about my family and how grateful I am that I grew up in a home where kind and uplifting words were spoken. Another was "I Love to See the Temple." You know the saying that you don't appreciate what you have until you don't have it anymore? Needless to say, it will be good to be close to a temple again.

I asked the girls in my class what they learned from general conference. Mary told me that she couldn't remember what they said but that she remembered that she thought about something that wasn't related and wrote down. "Ok, I would love to hear it," I told her. She responded," We need to grateful not only for the big things, but the little things too, because the little things count." She added, however, that we shouldn't be so focused on the little things that we forget the big things..."like Jesus." Oh the wisdom of a child who you think has too much energy to ever pay attention.

One Sabbath for sharing time we talked about the Atonement. The primary president had all of the children go out onto the balcony so they could look at the Garden of Gethsemane while she talked about it. That is one of those experiences you can have here in the Holy Land.

Gethsemane- photo taken by Tyler 

On our last day of teaching, Mary said the closing prayer, and in it, she prayed that we would remember each other and that our memories would bring us happiness and comfort. Then in sharing time, Elizabeth handed me her journal which had boxes with faces drawn in them and labeled at the bottom. The title to her page was "My friends are..." I looked down to see a box added with my name under it. "Will you draw your picture for me?" she asked. It melted my heart a little.

It has been such a blessing to teach in Primary while I have been here at the Jerusalem Center! I am so grateful for the the opportunity that I have had to learn and grow from these amazing children.

Lisa came and explored the city with us during free time!

Galilee, Sweet Galilee

We stayed right on the Sea of Galilee for 10 days. During the day we went on field trips, attended classes, and played in the water. At night we watched the sunsets, had bon fires, star gazed, and watched the city of Tiberias light up across the water.

Swimming at Gan Ha-Shelosha

Fish pedicures! The fish would come and suck on our legs, feet, and toes. Weird sensation!

This is at Caesarea Philipi, where Jesus asked the disciples. " Whom say ye that I am?" and Peter responded bearing testimony of him saying, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:15-16). We talked about what role we allow Christ to play in our personal lives. How would you respond to the question, "Whom say ye that I am?"

Another view of Caesarea Philipi

Tel Dan, where Jeroboam set up calf worship, after which Dan became a symbol of apostasy  It is the only pretty Tel that we have visited- all the others are a big pile of rocks and dirt. We were pleasantly surprised to visit this one! 

Playing in a castle...a real life one! This is Nimrod's Fortress. There were so many tunnels, staircases, outlooks, and beautiful views from this massive fortress on the hill. We were like a bunch of kids on a playground!

That is only the lower portion!

Lindsay, Jennie and I at the aqueduct of Caesarea- a major port city build by Herod the Great. Love those girls!

Bagdad, Syria, Lebanon, Jerusalem, Damascus...which way?!

Bunkers in Dan left over from the "Water War" between Syria and Israel. We are one vicious looking crew!

Beautiful hike to Gamla- that point in the middle. It is a site that was attacked by the Romans during the first Jewish Revolt. On this same day, we visited Kursi, the place where Jesus cast the devils into the swine.

A night out on the town. After dinner, we explored the boardwalk in Tiberias and got ice cream!

Some of my favorite people in the Church of the Annunciation. On the floor below, you can see the traditional cave/home where Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would be the mother of Jesus. This church had interesting artwork depicting Mary and the baby Jesus that were donated by different countries all over the world. It is also the largest Christian church in the Middle East.

A little piece of the United States (left) and Guatemala (right) here in Israel.

Haha...this is what the end of a long day of field tripping looks like when they try to lecture us about a site. Can you tell how engaged and interested we all are? Our poor professors...

Now...let me tell you about the places and experiences that were the most meaningful to me...

beginning with the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus walked on water and his disciples listened to the word of the Lord long ago...and...

...on Sunday, April 7, 2013, when all of the Jerusalem students were able to watch General conference projected on the shores of Galilee. The internet was poor and it was a miracle we got it to work at all. It took us almost 3 hours to get through one session, but as far as we know, no other students have ever had that opportunity. Every time one of the speakers mentioned a site in the Holy land, you could feel the excitement among all of us.

 We also had the opportunity to take a boat ride on the sea of Galilee. We stopped in the middle and talked about Mark 4, when the storms and the wind beat into the ship. Awaking Jesus, the disciples ask "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" He said unto the sea, "Peace, be still" and the seas were calmed. He then asked why they feared and had such little faith. Many times we experience our own stormy seas in life. When we feel engulfed in the raging waters, all we have to do is turn to Christ. Have faith in the Lord, He will calm the tempest. 

On the Sabbath, we had sacrament and testimony meeting in Tiberias. Their dedicated chapel is a home that overlooks the sea. It was a powerful testimony meeting.

Capernaum, where Jesus asked Peter, "Lovest thou me?" 

A statue of Jesus and Peter

Peter is one of my favorite characters in all the scriptures because he is obviously imperfect, but he is always trying to do his best. Through him, I can see the Lord’s mercy and patience. The Lord constantly humbles him (at one point, Jesus even calls him Satan!) Peter never gets offended by the Lord’s chastisement, but instead recognizes Jesus’ love for him and sincerely bears testimony of Him. After Jesus was crucified, Peter told the other apostles, “I go fishing.” He went back to the same life he had led before becoming a follower of Christ, and the apostles followed him. They caught no fish. Jesus then visits the apostles when they are fishing and when Peter realized it was Jesus on the shore, he jumped in the water and hurried to Him. He was so happy to see Jesus that I cannot imagine he would have gone back to fishing had he understood the disappointment Jesus felt when he did. Nonetheless, the Lord is patient with Peter. Jesus then asked, “Peter, do you love me more than these?” When I make a poor decision, I imagine the Lord wanting to ask, “Alissa, do you love me more than that? Do you treasure that thing more than you treasure me? Do you love me enough to resist that temptation?” My answer is always that I love the Lord a great deal more, but I recognize that I need to show that love by my actions and by keeping His commandments. When we have been converted to the gospel and experienced change for the better, we must not return to old ways. If we do, we will not catch any fish; we will not grow; we will cease to nourish and strengthen our relationship with the Savior, and we will miss out on wonderful blessings that he is waiting and wanting to give us.

The scriptures tell us that we must become like a child…”willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him…” Peter gives me a new perspective on what it means to be like a child. He was the head apostle, yet he did not understand many of the Savior’s teachings. He listened intently and tried his best. When he saw Jesus walking on water, he said “bid me come unto thee.” Though he was distracted by the boisterous winds and began to sink, the first thing he cried out was “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately stretched forth his hand and caught him. At times we are all distracted by “boisterous winds.” When that happens, do we turn to Him first?

I can relate to Peter, because I have so many flaws! But I know that as long as I am seeking out His will, and doing my absolute best to follow God’s plan, the Lord will make up for my short comings. It is by grace that we are saved.

Visiting Peter’s Primacy made the stories come to life. Peter came to life, the Savior came to life, and the Savior’s call to action came to life. If ye love me, “feed my sheep.” To the right of the church that commemorates John 21 is a statue of Peter kneeling before Christ. An inscription at the bottom says, “Feed my sheep.” In the story of the good shepherd, we learn that Christ cares for the one; His ministry is to the individual, and we should follow His example. John 10:12 mentions the difference between a hireling who sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep, and the shepherd, who knows and cares for each of his sheep. Are you a shepherd, or a hireling? Through selfless service, we can not only be better disciples and instruments in our Heavenly Father’s hands to help fulfill His plan, but we can also strengthen our relationship with Him. In “feeding His sheep,” we can find happiness and joy not only in this life, but in the life to come.