Free Day in Jeru

Yesterday (just for Hailey) was our first free day! We started off at Aladdin the money changers and I had zillions of 50 dollar shekel bills (hahah) Next we did the ramparts walk which is a walk along the top of the wall all along the outside of the city. It was super cool and the views were great. After the walk we wandered all over the old city. I especially enjoyed the Jewish Quarter. It was a lot less crowded. I also tried my first shawarma.... it was so close to being delicious. I would have liked it better if there were no veggies but that's always how I like things. We spent nine hours walking around the city and I was exhausted. We finished off the evening with a little studying in the library (which no one else was in so it was supes convenient for studying)

Also for a fun thing: Say beer can in a british accent....... got it? IT SOUNDS LIKE BACON IN A JAMAICAN ACCENT!! Super funny.

I'm on the roof of Jerusalem!

A few of the girls on the rampart

Karen and I creepin' on the ramps

View of Dormition Abbey from the rampart

We also saw the Western Wall

My first Shawarma!

An arch in the Jewish Quarter

The Libes...

First Sabbath in the Holy Land

Today we had our first church service here in the Jerusalem Center. It was funny going to church in the same building that you live and go to school and eat all your meals in, but I'm excited to be here in the branch! After church I headed to the Garden Tomb with two of my roommates. The garden was beautiful and it was so cool to see one of the places that people suspect Jesus could have been buried in. We sat down with a couple other students and sang a couple of hymns. We also saw Golgotha or "Skull Hill" as the sign said haha.

Hailey and I at the Garden Tomb

It's funny have church on Saturday. Tomorrow (Sunday) will be our free day. We are going to go to the money changers and get our shekels and then we are going to try to find the vendor that sells the BYU Jerusalem T-shirts. Then we are going to try to find the Dome of the Rock and take sweet pictures there.

My camera is being super annoying and won't let me upload pictures onto my computer so.....I don't know what to do... Hopefully it will magically fix itself. Cross your fingers.

I'm here!

Guys, I'm here in ISRAEL! It is only now starting to sink it that I'm actually here! I'm still jet lagged and in awe of the Jerusalem Center but I'm here! The center itself is so beautiful. Today was our first full day: We had orientation in the morning and then split into groups of seven to do a walking tour of the city! I loved it! The city itself is completely different than the picture I had in my mind but I already can't wait to head back out there. I finally finished my first reading assignments which are due by tomorrow morning for our first official Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies classes. After classes we will meet with the committees we are on: I'm on the memories committee!

Well I just wanted to let you all know I arrived safely and can't wait for all the adventures to come. Hopefully I will be able to find somewhere that will let me upload pictures, as soon as I do I'll try to get pictures up!

literally it's right around the corner...

It is finally starting to sink in that a week from today I'll be hanging out in Jerusalem. Yeah, I'm excited. I am officially done with finals as of this morning, I said goodbye to the lovely girls I got to work with all year (miss you already Emilee and Kat), and now all that's left is packing up my apartment and then packing for my three and a half months in Jerusalem! This is crazy!