To sum up my trip...we spent four days in Jordan, going to Petra, Jerash, and Amman. We met some really neat members of the church in the branch there, and saw some amazing things. I really enjoyed Jordan.
A Bedouin boy on his donkey rides past the Nabataean ruins in Petra.
through a winding canyon to the monastery.
It was totally worth the five bucks and the
laughs--and the adrenaline rush I got as we
teetered near the edge. I highly recommend
riding a running donkey up stairs for twenty
minutes in a skirt.
The view was totally worth it! After a donkey ride and a short hike, this was the monastery:
Petra was a blast. Apart from all of us getting sick (yeah...no fun), we had a great time buying Dead Sea face mask and having a total girls' night in the hotel room. See if you can find me!
Also in Jordan, we went to a mosque in Amman that
required the women to be covered in long sleeves
and in a long skirt. Your hair also had to be covered.
While these awesome black ninja outfits had hoods,
some of us were prepared with scarves. It was pretty
fun to dress up for the occasion.
On the way back from Jordan, we stopped at Bethabara,
the traditional site where Christ was baptized in the
Jordan River. I couldn't believe how hot it was there.
the traditional site where Christ was baptized in the
Jordan River. I couldn't believe how hot it was there.
In between Jordan and ten days on the Sea of Galilee, we had lots of quality time back in Jerusalem. I took a few Sabbaths to go to the Garden of Gethsemane, as well as revisit the Garden Tomb. Here are a few pics of life back in Jerusalem.
At the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. A really, really well-done
museum. It was really interesting to visit while surrounded by so many
Jews ; it totally changed the way I thought about the Holocaust.
museum. It was really interesting to visit while surrounded by so many
Jews ; it totally changed the way I thought about the Holocaust.
Lighting candles in the bottom of Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem.
This is where the Catholics traditionally believe St. Mary was buried.
This is where the Catholics traditionally believe St. Mary was buried.
of Dormition Abbey.
Me at my first visit to the Garden of Gethsemane.
The Church of All Nations stands adjacent to the
Garden of Gethsemane as a tribute to the holiness of this place.
Garden of Gethsemane as a tribute to the holiness of this place.
Jerusalem at dusk. I love this city.
We took a trip over to Bethlehem, and had to go through a huge cement wall. The wall was put there to enclose Palestinians living in Bethlehem to reduce terrorism and conflict (and, according to my Islam professor, it has worked to a large extent). This is the Church of the Nativity, built over the cave where tradition says Christ was born (yes, a cave. Around the time when Joseph and Mary left Nazareth for the City of David, it wasn't uncommon for there to be no room in inns, and stables to keep animals in were actually in caves. Kind of changes the mental image of the Nativity, doesn't it?)
The Church of the Nativity
This is below the church, where tradition dictates that the
Christ child was lain. Obviously, we don't really know for sure.
Christ child was lain. Obviously, we don't really know for sure.
We went to another side of the cave, and we
sang a chorus of Christmas hymns.
We went out to the shepherds' fields overlooking Bethlehem and had a Christmas program. It was a really great night, and the scenery was beautiful.
As the sun set and dusk settled, there was even
a single star up in the sky that glowed brightly.
a single star up in the sky that glowed brightly.
Here's a glimpse of some of the graffiti on that wall around Bethlehem.
A pic of me in front of the Garden Tomb. Well, there are many places that could be Christ's tomb, but there are a number of facts that provide strong evidence that this is the tomb.
And here is what may have been Golgotha (Greek for 'skull') See if
you can find the face of a skull in the rock. It's now a bus station.
The view from the Jerusalem Center on Mt. Scopus
is beautiful, as is the architecture of the building itself.
It was a home away from home.
is beautiful, as is the architecture of the building itself.
It was a home away from home.
Views from the eighth floor balcony.
Every night I could, I would sit outside with my homework,
journal, or scriptures and watch the sun set in the West.
When we had down time, Rusty and I loved to get out
the guitars and have a jam session.
More on the Jerusalem Study Abroad later. This takes longer than I thought to update; I'll finish later! Just an update: I'm leaving for Washington this Saturday morning, and I am thrilled to be there following in my mom and dad's footsteps.
Kristen's next big adventure is under way.
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