It's official; I was mistaken for a local by a local.

     You have to love Sundays, aka free days! Today I went with a service project group over to an elementary school west of Jerusalem. We went into a little library with a (6th grade) class and were paired off with two students and a packet of questions to go through to help them practice their English. I was paired with two girls (whose names escape me) and we got through the packet pretty quickly. They're pretty good with their English. We had a lot of time leftover, so we folded some origami and I made them a fortune teller. I wrote questions under the flaps and they had to answer them. It was really fun and I hope we get to go back!

     Afterwards, I went with Matt C and Tabor to Hebrew University next door to use their ATM. It took a while to get onto the campus and then to find the right place but we managed to walk there and back and make it in time for our field trip to "the caves." It was a cave over in Palestine that I'll find the name of and describe later and update this post. Tomorrow we leave for Jordan so I've got some packing to do to prepare!

     Also, when I was sitting at a table full of girls, their teacher came by, said hello to Anna, went to walk away, and then stopped and looked at me. He said he didn't notice me and I blend in. So.

So, the cave. It's called Avshalom, and it's pretty incredible. It was like going to the ice castles except these were rocks. And they're still growing so you aren't allowed to touch any of them and we walk around on this platform. The lighting was really awesome and we oo-ed and ah-ed every time it changed colors. Our tour guide was this really fun lady who showed us all the faces and scenes people have found in the rocks, including Santa Claus, Moses on Sinai, and some animals. In the gift shop we all tried on hats and some of the boys got the ones that cover your neck for kicks and giggles. I bought a Kinder egg that had a little car inside. It was sweet! On the way back to the JC we were on the party bus, I guess, because it was super nice and new and the driver let us plug in Molly's music and we rocked out to some reggae and some pop! It was great!

Taking pictures of goats, as we tourists do

    We ventured into the West Bank today and survived. Be skeptical about every news report you've ever seen about this part of the country. Yes, there is a war going on. But not here. We had a journalist come speak to us at our forum address last night named Matthew Kalman, who's been a Jerusalem freelance correspondent since 1998. He explained to us how journalists show up here with no knowledge of the languages, religions, or cultures and start writing. He also talked about the problem that is celebrity journalism, and how we'd rather see a familiar face telling us a story than an expert tell us the real story. Journalists on television want to look brave and in-the-action, so they report near soldiers or skew stories about "the wrong pile of rubble." Plus, the culture of hospitality here causes the locals to answer questions with the answer they think you want, and it takes a long time to get those answers (after tea and dinner and meeting the whole family). Don't think that means there isn't tension, because the Palestinians are really unhappy about being kicked off their land and the Israelis are firm in their claim to land that God once promised them. I would say that they are co-inhabiting Jerusalem, living parallel lives separately.
     It's hard for Westerners to understand the enormous influence that religion plays here. People will literally die to have control of the cave where they think Lehi buried his wife. If a location or object is (or possibly is) related to a religious person or event, it's a really big deal. Really. If they believe it to be the will of God, they follow through come hell or high water. Different culture. Different priorities. So much of it is so different and will sound ridiculous to Western ears that those reporters who know what they're doing and who they're dealing with can't print it.
     So when we showed up expecting to see soldiers and tanks everywhere, we were surprised to find that though there are soldiers everywhere, they're just milling around in groups killing time and being educated about the sites in the area. They're pretty much just tourists in uniform. Sorta.
     We ventured into the West Bank on our big tour buses today to visit Jericho, Herod the Great's winter palace, and the Wadi Qelt. Though the ancient walls of Jericho have not really been found, we saw some pretty cool old walls today on Tell es-Sultan. Literally from the Bronze age. Thousands of years ago and some pretty big bits of wall are still there. Lame to look at, but amazing when you consider just how old they are.
     Next we saw the ruins of Herod the Great's winter palace. Everybody took pictures in this sweet circle bath that's still intact. Possibly the place where he had his wife's brother killed before killing his wife and all of his sons by her. The people liked them. Herod was a jealous man. His outposts are everywhere, so it was cool to finally see one of the many buildings he commissioned.
    For the grand finale, the Wadi Qelt. A wadi is a canyon that's dry for most of the year but functions as a river should there be rain. It was like the Grand Canyon of the Judaen Wilderness. It was a spectacular view. We took a trail up on top of the hill and looked down into it and across at all the hills and desert and it was just...wow. A big wow. Down in the wadi, built into the rock is a monastery. I really wish we could have gone down and gone inside, but we didn't have time! It's called Saint George Monastery, and I highly recommend googling it. Apparently other hermit monks live in the caves you'll see around the canyon as well. Amazing. Hopefully get some pics up on Facebook soon so y'all can see them. Some Bedouin people had an encampment/shanty town set up nearby and we got to watch them wander the cliffs with herds of goats. Many a picture was taken.
     On Monday we leave for Jordan. Safe to say we're all pumped. But we're an enthusiastic group (for example, we clap for everything). Be prepared. I may ride a camel on Monday.

We're wondering what the heck Nephi's family was thinking

     This weekend has been jam-packed! We have been into the city several times in small groups now. Friday, we went to the Western Wall to see the start of the Jewish Shabbat (sabbath) at Sundown. It was pretty incredible. All of the Jews in the city come to pray, sing, and dance at the Wall. We're still singing Shabbat-Shalom and lai-la-lai. They gather in circles to sing and link arms and dance in circles, like in Prince of Egypt when they sing "Through Heaven's Eyes" except everybody's wearing black and kippas and some have earlocks. It was a really amazing experience. You have to really appreciate how they've continued to pray at this site after all these years. I could really feel their sincerity and it was tons of fun!
     Though we were exhausted, it was the grand opening of our student snack bar, dubbed The Well. Is it because the well is the gathering place in the Old Testament or is it because Bro. Woods told us that the well is the place to meet foxes? Hmmmm... We watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade before playing minute-to-win-it games and having a dance. There were worries on all sides that our small numbers and lack of skills would make a dance lame, but it's definitely a highlight and something that brought us closer together. There was a balloon drop, a circle to sing some lai-la-lai from Prince of Egypt and so, so many mosh pits. There was chair carrying, crowd surfing, and it was really, horribly sweaty. Summation: We went crazy.
     On Sunday I sang in a lil quartet that I put together consisting of myself, Rachel Kennedy, Dan the Man, and Mark. We sang There is a Green Hill Near at Hand because the hill is not that far away. I think it's safe to say everyone was blown away. It was incredible. Plus, we were singing in front of these huge windows in our beautiful chapel that overlook the Old City. After church we went into the Garden Tomb to sing songs. Fun, fun day.
     On Saturday we hit up the Israel Museum, which is an excellent source of information through artifacts from each of the periods in Jerusalem. My favorite parts were the Roman hall, Egyptian hall, and then the ArTricks. Art-tricks was a display of optical illusions. Upstairs was some pretty sweet exhibits, like chairs painted on the floor and a camera so you could look and see how even though you were standing on paint, it looks like you're standing on a chair. Another favorite was the random bits of metal that gave the shadow of a man. I have pictures and I will see if I can add them in somehow. We had a blast!
     We walked a long way through West Jerusalem from the museum into the Old City through Jaffa Gate. The boys got us through Mamilla Mall, which is an outdoor mall by Jaffa Gate, but I was the one who got us into the city and to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Funny, because they're all Eagle Scouts and I get lost...everywhere. I have a spectacular sense of direction only when I'm lost, I think. Probably because I just give up and follow my first instincts. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is. I've heard people say they think the Church of All Nations in Gethsemane is the most beautiful, but they must be all about the simplicity. Holy Sepulchre is like stepping back into a castle that's slowly becoming an antique shop. It's in this random square between Christian markets in the city, and just plain stone on the outside. Inside is amazing. There's a mosaic on the wall in the entrance over the stone where, according to Constantine's mother Helena, Jesus's body was laid after he died. We cross into a room on the right and there's the alleged stone of Golgotha, where Christ's blood dripped down. There's a glass separating us and it, but somehow people have managed to toss folded up prayers inside it. There are doors and staircases in random places so, even though it's crowded, there is space to roam. There are weird chandeliers everywhere like glass baubles that probably once held candles. I don't know specifically which other things are where, but there's a little house thing in the middle of one room with a long line to get inside and upstairs is an alter where you can reach in and touch the Golgotha rock. The stairs are steep but the shrine is pretty amazing. Lots of red glass chandelier bauble thingies and gold-and-silver-leafed art of Christ and Mary. If you find your way downstairs, people have carved hundreds of little crosses into the stone walls. I have tons of pics of all this to hopefully show just how cool this site was.
     After that, we hit up our favorite falafel place at the bottom of Damascus Gate and headed home. The hike up and down the "mountains" (these aren't quite as big as the Rockies) has graduated from a burn in the legs to cramping. I was so exhausted that I slept for three hours and woke up feeling like I'd just died and risen from the bottom of the ocean. Everyone was sluggish. We're feeling the effects of all our reading homework and all the walking in the sun. I think we all slept through the 4:50am call to prayer on Monday morning.
     Monday is field trip day! We headed down into the Negev desert, where Lehi led his family. We stopped at this really neat weaver's shop where Bedouin women (nomadic culture of Arabia) are empowered, through work and education. They buy sheep's wool (rarely camel, camel is too small I guess) and pay women who can't leave home to twist it up into threads. They dye it and more women will weave them into carpets and bags and things. It was great. They gave us some really tasty herbal tea. I bought a pillow. It's so legit. When I own a home, I'm commissioning a rug. Here's their website: http://www.bedouinweaving.com.
     Our next trip was to Be'er Sheva (aka Beersheba). It's on a tell, an artificial mound of earth built up by cities building on top of each other and sloping the edges for defense. This is the site where Abraham left to take Isaac to be sacrificed. This was also the place from which Jacob fled Esau. Crazy. Mostly it's half-built up walls. Still cool, though. We all gathered around the well that might be the well.
      Driving to Arad, I had an interesting conversation with Homer, Heather, and Stephen. We were talking about Lehi and Nephi's family, and Ishmael. The Negev is a desert. We got to see it with some green because it's the winter, but it's pretty barren otherwise. And it's wide. Let me repeat that: it's vast. Can you imagine your family friends coming over and asking you to go out into the wilderness? We're thinking it went something like this.
  Nephi: "So, Ishmael. Remember my dad? We're all friends, yeah? Everyone thinks he's cray cray? See that wilderness out there? Pretty barren, right? My dad says it's way chill. It's the place to be. It's going to be pretty barren here when the city is destroyed, so we're getting out to the wilderness. It's gonna be legit."
  Ishmael: "Totes. Wilderness sounds so sick. Let's do this."
     And there's nothing out there but random weeds. So when Nephi brakes his bow, we're all pretty sure we'd be in with Lamen and Lemuel.
  Lemuel: "Great job, Nephi. This is so fantastic. What the heck are we supposed to do for meat now? Where the heck are we gonna find a tree to make another bow?"
  Laman: "Seriously, Nephi? Nice. Nice."
     Don't even get me started on picking out wives from the daughters of Ishmael. We're so amazed by Nephi for always keeping his cool.
  Laman: "God told you to build a what now?"
  Lemuel: "You've been eating some weird berries, haven't you."
  Nephi: "Chill, guys. God's got this. I'm gonna go and do."
    Props to you, Nephi. For reals. That's some really incredible faith.
    Our last stop was Tel Arad. It's pretty much just like Be'er Sheva, but bigger. They were actually working on the temple portion doing restoration, so we couldn't go take pictures with the alter and the place where they kept the holy of holies, but it was still cool. In a well in the Canaanite city down the hill there are tons of pigeons living. Also, we saw an owl. Also, the view from the tell was so breathtaking. Wide open space. It was beautiful. Also, we were exhausted and ready to go home and eat.
     Last week in FHE my family shared some spiritual experiences and insights, introduced ourselves, and named spirit animals for each other. This week we sang karaoke with our eyes closed and noise-cancelling headphones one. My headphone splitter is really coming in handy. It was hilarious. It was surprising. It was fun. We're becoming so comfortable together as a group that we're fearless.
     Can I just say that our chef here Achmed and also Muhammed are really amazing? I've never been so well fed in my life. I don't think I'll ever eat food this good 3x a day ever again. We don't even know what we're eating half the time, and we stopped caring because it's all so good. Also, I bought a camel-hide leather bag and some pants. I'm probably going to buy this super expensive olive wood carving of Jesus pulling Peter from the water. Words can't describe. Omar has everything from your Christus to Captain Moroni. I haven't seen any of the other shops, but I definitely want Omar's Jesus and Peter. Y'all should see his nativity. It's way expensive, but the detail... wow. So many cool things to do and buy and eat! Aloha!

The mission call opening in Gethsemane

     Out of the 42(ish) men here in Jerusalem, only one has not served a mission...yet. Today the big to-do was that at least half of us went out to the Garden of Gethsemane, following a one Christopher Chandroo, hereby known as Elder Chandroo! The Garden itself is very small, at least the entrance area where we walked. The church next-door was built by an Italian, so all the signs were in Italian. It's called the Church of All Nations and the mosaics on the ceiling include the symbols of different countries. It was really amazing. So we all gathered in the corner of the garden (the trees are roped off, so not much space for half of our group to congregate together, but we made it work) and Chris opened his call. He's headed to the India Bangalore mission and we were all so thrilled! Because it is a sacred space, though, only the boys could give him congratulatory hugs and we had to be quiet. It was really an amazing place to open a call and definitely not an experience any of us are going to forget any time soon.
     Yesterday was our first field trip day, and we got the lay of the land from various lookout points. There are three towers that we use to orient ourselves on Mt. Scopus and the Mount of Olives. To the north on Mount Scopus and our neighbors on the one side is the Hebrew University. We drove past but did not stop. It's a very prestigious university, and I guess they're ranked in the top ten or something in mathematics. I also heard that 11% of Nobel winners are from there, but maybe that was for a specific category. I think they're ranked 57 overall for universities in the world.  On the other side and our beacon to the east is Augusta Victoria, a church built by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the late 19th century. The cost to bring the bells up in the tall tower was MASSIVE because to get them from the Port of Jaffa they literally had to widen and pave the roads to cart these massive chunks of metal.
     I will add more to this about our field trip, but we have a Palestine class now so....
1/20 update
    Our eastern beacon is the bell tower of Augusta Victoria. I believe it's a Lutheran Church now, built by Kaiser Wilhelm II back a hundred or so years ago. They have incredibly beautiful mosaics inside the chapel, and we sang a few songs that echoed like crazy. We climbed up like 200+ steps to get up to the bell tower, which houses several massive bells. The bells themselves didn't cost as much as transporting them from the port in Jaffa. Was it because they're so enormous? Was it was because they're so heavy? Was it getting all the way up the tower? If you guessed because of their size, you're mostly right. They literally had to widen all the roads from the coast up to the Mount of Olives just to get them here. Anyway, the bells are awesome and so is the view of Jerusalem from the top.
     The south-eastern tower is that of the Russian Ascension, but we haven't really talked about that one or gone to see it yet. It's like a spiky-pegoda-roof tower. Google it or something.
     We went next to a lookout point above the cemetery straight across from the Golden Gate--the only gate into the Old City that is sealed. It's on the side of the Temple Mount. Suleiman the Magnificent sealed it in 15something because the Israelis believe when Jesus returns he'll come into the Old City through that gate. Also, they put a cemetery outside because Jewish Rabbi and Kohen (descendants of Aaron) can't enter a place with human remains. For that same reason, the Israel Museum has only facsimiles of human bones. Fun fact.
     The lookout point was neat, to get a lower perspective of the city. There was a camel there, and its owner eagerly looking for opportunities to charge you a couple shekels. One hump, because I know you were wondering. Called a dromedary by those who care about big words. The cemetery is a sight to see as well, like a cutout of white against the brown and green rocks and shrubs mountain. All of the tombs are that white limestone of everything in the area and there's no grass or anything like cemeteries in the US. Another fun fact, no morticians here. People are buried the day after they die, guts and all. It's against Jewish law and Muslims thing it desecrates the body or something. Muslims don't even use coffins. Personally, I think trying to preserve a corpse is sort of nasty anyway. Dust to dust, right? The only problem is that you have little to no notice before the funeral.
     Our next lookout was to the south. There were lots of cats. And random little tour groups of Jewish people on Segways. Traveling to see all sides of the Old City, though, was really beneficial. We could see a better angle of where the City of David was. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. But then again, the Old City is a lot smaller than I anticipated. Maybe it's just that we do so much walking around and through it that it's shrunk in my mind.
     Our final lookout was Nabi Samwill, which is the site were the prophet Samuel is supposed to be buried. You can go into the basement, where Jewish go to pray. They believe sites like this are holy ground and therefore their prayers are closer to God. The basement is a really small room split in two (Jewish men and women worship separately). There was a bench crammed against the wall and a white embroidered half-tent thing separating the sides, a bench in the entry way, and couple plastic chairs in any leftover space. It was cramped. If you were wondering, no, women don't have to cover their hair. That's only if you're married. Men do have to wear a kippa every time they go up to the Western Wall or into a synagogue, though. The main floor and upper floor is a mosque, which we weren't allowed into. There was also a little room that was a store, selling ice cream.

Some kids hustled John at marbles for garbanzo beans.

     I almost forgot! While we were killing time after the Western Wall and before the Temple Mount we were wandering the streets in the Old City a bit and happened upon some kids playing (they're everywhere, usually with soccer balls). They had dropped a bunch of marbles everywhere, so we helped them collect them and then John decided he wanted to play. Only one of the boys spoke English and he didn't speak very much. They were pretty much all named Muhammed. One of them had a lil mullet growing. His sister was there watching. They were selling little bags of garbanzo beans and popcorn for a shekel, so John asked if he could have one for free if he won. They didn't understand, but eventually they figured out he wanted to learn. You had to flick the marble up the street (the streets are uneven, sloping steps) into a hole (it had a metal cover, so probably for some piping?). If you miss, the next person shoots his marble and if he misses you get to shoot the closest marble (I think...) until somebody gets it in.
     First off, they were pretty evenly matched. The kid flicked his marble with his thumb, which was interesting. We all do it with our first fingers. So they flicked the marbles a bunch of times trying to get it in. It took maybe three tries to get one in. Then they started a real game. The kid got it in on the first try! There was hooting and hollering all around. James played next, and flicked the marble too hard, hit Shirley's leg or maybe Rachel's shoe or both and it went in! Hooting and hollering all around. Even the sister was cheering with us. Since he lost, John bought a bag of garbanzo beans and I guess we'll see tomorrow if that was a good idea.
     Some of the other guys that wandered the city today played soccer with the kids every time they found kids with a ball (which is everywhere). There was a boy even kicking a ball around on the Temple Mount and against the Dome of the Rock--at which we were surprised. It's a pretty important site! Tourists get yelled at all the time! But the Muslim kids play around the Temple Mount, and I guess it's a clean and safe place for them to play. The old Muslim men sit around in big groups there in plastic chairs. Shirley said it right when she said, "Little boys here get away with everything. They can do no wrong."
     We wandered through the Jewish sector as well, and all the little kids in their school groups were pretty adorable. The little Jewish boys looks a bit like little Padawan learners, except that they're wearing sweater vests and don't braid their earlocks.

Why isn't falafel served at every meal?

FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OUT IN THE CITY !!

     Today was our first free day and we were all gone as soon as breakfast was over. I went with a group to see the Dome of the Rock, which is the beautiful blue building with the gold roof you see in every photo. The tiles up at the base of where the dome part of the building begins are painted with verses from the Qur'an of Mohammed's Night Journey from Mecca and into heaven. Muslims believe that the rock it is built around is the same rock where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac, the Holy of Holies was once kept in Solomon's Temple, and also Muhammed ascended to heaven with the angel Gabriel. We had two hours to kill in the city before getting in line to go onto the Temple Mount, so we wandered the Old City and visited the Wailing Wall, also known as the Western Wall. Because the Muslims don't allow Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, they pray at the closest wall, the Western Wall. It's known as the Wailing Wall because after the Temple of Solomon was destroyed the second time they would gather there to cry over the loss of the temple. Now it's a place to pray for Jewish, and people fold up little prayers on pieces of paper and stick them in the holes in the bricks or the cracks between. I'll see if I can attach photos of both sites.
     Also experienced today was falafel. And it was delicious.

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     On the Sabbath (Saturday) we all went to the Garden Tomb. As I said in my previous post, it's the site where the Protestants believe Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again. The Catholics believe it is at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as it was declared by, I think, Pope Constantine I. I've walked past the outside, but I haven't been inside that one yet. It's pretty crowded all the time.
     At the Garden Tomb there are pastors from around the world there volunteering for about 6 months at a time leading little tours. The director, a British pastor, was late to an appointment elsewhere because he wanted to speak to us before we started the tour. I was told that the Center has a really great relationship with the community, and here was the first proof. They love us over there because we're respectful, we can answer questions with quotes from scripture, and we sing. It's kind of an unspoken tradition to sing whenever a group passes through. Some Asian (we're guessing Indonesian, because none of the RM's understood the language they were speaking and we have most of the Asian languages covered) group was having like a church service in the corner of the garden and sang a few times. The director said, "I fully expect you to sing in perfect, unpracticed, four part harmony." And we did.
     We split into two groups to take the tour. The other group went with a pastor from Ireland and we were with a pastor from Alberta. It was a really great little schpeel--almost a sermon. He explained the importance of how we aren't worshipping the place. We're worshipping the man who may or may not have risen from this spot. The important part is that he took upon himself the sins of man and rose from the dead. Then he told us all of the reasons why they believe it happened there. For starters, it was a rock quarry. You can see where the mountain is cut under the (Eastern?) wall that was once connected to Golgotha. Christ was a Jew. Jewish executed by stoning. It makes sense that Christ would be killed in a Jewish place of death. The tomb was a rich man's tomb. Rich men didn't just take caves to have their bodies placed in (they were reburied a year later after the guts and skin were gone). This was carved from the rock. The stone was also big, and judging by the canal covering the door, there was once a big stone there. It was also in a garden, and they uncovered a wine press there. Gardens back then were more like orchards, for example, the Garden of Gethsemane is an olive orchard. To avoid having to cart olives or grapes around, they had the presses built in the garden. It's located by a road, and as a public execution, criminals were put on display where people could see them, where they could be an example. Jesus also had to carry the cross through the streets, and it doesn't make as much sense that He would carry it into the middle of the Old City (Church of the Holy Sepulchre) than that He would carry it up a main road to a place of Jewish death outside one of the main gates to the Old City.
     The garden itself is well kept, with a cute little bridge and cobbled paths. They have tiles with scriptures strategically placed. At the far right you can see Golgotha, the rock face that allegedly resembles a skull where Christ was (maybe) crucified. You can't see the skull from that angle, but their property doesn't extend far enough. On the far left of the garden is the tomb. It's a lot smaller than I thought it would be. We could only fit maybe five people TOPS in the space to see the two little slabs where bodies would have been placed. I guess that one of the LDS church leaders revealed that this place is very close to where it all happened. Personally, the most spiritual part of the experience was singing together in the middle of the garden and seeing how our voices and spirits affected the other visitors. We may be covered from collar bone to mid-calf/ankle but as it was said, "how can you hide the light in [our] eyes?"

I've had hot chocolate six times today and my hands are still purplish

   It was a balmy 50º today and we were all shivering at our desks. It's hard to type because my hands are so cold! The problem with living in a building that is designed to let in light and has open air hallways to the dorms is that we're all freezing. Most of us didn't discover how to turn the heat on in our rooms until day two, so the first night was very chilly. My feet were so cold that it woke me up (but the Muslim call to prayer did not) and I had to find socks to put on in the dark. Since then we have discovered extra blankets in some high cupboards as well as the button to turn the heat on and off. May the Lord be praised.
    Today was the first day of class, and the general consensus was excitement mingled with dread, because it was 4 straight hours of sitting and not getting to go into the city. However, the time flew by! We split into two groups of 41ish students for Old Testament and then combine for our Ancient Near East class. In Ancient Near East we spent the two hours trying to get a basic sense about the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. It's really interesting to finally have it all laid out in front of me--and crazy that I'm living on the border between Palestine and Israel. The two hours were gone before we knew it and it's pretty much all we've been talking about all day. In our weekly forums they scheduled to have people come in and share their side of the conflict, so now that we all have the basics down (and 1,000 questions) we're really looking forward to the forums.
    It's been a musical day for me during free time. I didn't have time to really go into the city after class because I had a meeting with the committee for the talent shows, but I got to hang out and sing Disney duets on the piano with the talent show committee chair, Dan the Man, and then miss my dearest darling Makeli while my new friend Rachel harmonized along with me and the ukulele. It was fun because people passing through to see where the music was coming from would make requests and sit in for a few songs. Also, there are so many people with the same name that they're getting nicknames. Julia in the Floral. Sexy Josh. Etcetera. Even if there aren't doubles (or triples) people are still getting nicknames, like Indy, Kha-leb (with lots of phlegm), Dan the Man, and Ramses. It's a blast. Nobody is really clique-ing off (yet) and we all love it. It feels like we've been here forever already!
    Tomorrow is the Sabbath, and it's got us all in a twist. I was asked to substitute teach a youth class for Sabbath School (it isn't called Sunday School because it isn't on Sunday), so I'm going to have to prepare for that and hopefully find someone to help out and be moral support. It ought to be interesting. After church we're all going to the Garden Tomb, which is the site where the Protestants believe Christ was crucified and buried (Catholics believe it was at the sight of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City). Sunday is our free day, so I'll probably go into the city and Monday is our first real field trip!
     A little more about the city: the wild cats you'll occasionally see walking on rooftops or prowling the balconies are protected by unspoken law due to their help controlling pest populations (they kill snakes, therefore they can stay). There's a lot of graffiti, but it's all in Arabic or Hebrew, though I've seen one or two stylings with the Greek alphabet. There's also a lot of trash in the empty ditches on the way to the city. Unless the open area is a park, it's got wrappers and soda bottles in it, which is pretty unsightly. I said it looked a bit like Italy or other cities in Europe (which is true) but picture one of those crowded cities with 200% more satellite dishes. Also, instead of terra-cotta rooftops, most are limestone bricks that match the exterior of the buildings--and almost every roof has at least one satellite dish. Classy.
    Those are the downsides, though. It really is a beautiful city. The more you look, the more there is to see. In one area we stopped outside Jaffa Gate they have stationary bicycles that you can peddle to power music, lights, fans, drums, and flowers that go up and down. We had a lot of fun cheering on the person peddling while we all listened to the speaker at the top of this pole play Amy Winehouse. Of all the artist to have it power, right?
 

So Jet-lagged I can't read anything without falling asleep.

    Well, my first full day is over with (sorta) and I have to say, it was AMAZING. Last night, we were smelly, exhausted, and ready to stretch our legs, shower, and go to sleep. We are ahead of Utah by 9 hours and it really took its toll on everyone in the group today. In our afternoon orientations we were all glassy eyed and yawning and Dr. Whitchurch said we looked miserable--but we're the exact opposite. There are 82 of us--for the first time in the history of the center the boys outnumber the girls. I think there are 2 more, so it isn't a huge disparity, but in the past (before the sister missionary age was dropped) it was more like a 3-1 ratio.
    They took us in groups of about 9 or so on a quick tour through the old city today to get a feel for it. It looks a lot like cities in Europe. There were two guys who served in the Rome, Italy mission in my group and we all thought it looked a lot like Italy (except the domes were mosques and not Catholic churches). The buildings are all white (but dirty) limestone and the streets are really narrow, particularly in the old city. For the most part it smells really awesome because of all the hot bread being sold. My favorite stores we past are the following:
1. A souvenir shop that had signs reading "huge discounts for brave tourists" and "free wifi for patient husbands"
2. A shop selling kippas with your favorite sports team and other notable pop culture icons, such as Spongebob.
3. "Holy Bagels"
    We're getting acquainted with each other really quickly, and even though I don't know all their names, I know every face. It's a really awesome atmosphere, like every person here is your friend and it's hard to decide where to sit down at meals or meetings because you can honestly and fearlessly sit anywhere.
    Speaking of fear, when it gets warmer they've warned us not to leave our balcony doors open because snakes could come into our rooms. I wish they hadn't told me that. I'm 1,000% paranoid now.
    The building is GORGEOUS and the food in the Oasis (cafeteria) is spectacular. They have taken really great care of this building and we're all awestruck to be living here. They rotate all different kinds of food and ALL of it is good and pretty healthy, too. In one of our orientation packets they told us to weigh ourselves to make sure we don't lose or gain too much weight while we're here. My roommates and I have been laughing about that one. I was wondering why would randomly place a scale out next to the bottom of the staircase on the 5th floor.
    I'd love to say more, but I honestly have a ton of homework to be reading right now and if I don't keep on top of it I'll never have time to go wander the city!