gratitude

Being in Jerusalem and traveling to Turkey has made me recognize the value of certain things in America that I took for granted growing up. Here’s a list of things I grew to appreciate:

1. free public bathrooms

2. Provided toilet paper in said bathroom

3. Western toilets

4. A juicy hamburger and fries

5. a nice, cold, bubbly  Diet Coke

6. A cool breeze on a hot day

7. Traffic/store signs in English

8. Vendors that respect personal space

9. Grass/trees-anything green

10. Not having to bargain for an item

You don’t realize that the small and insignificant things really do make a difference . Be thankful for free bathrooms and pricetags!! You won’t realize they’re important until you don’t have them.

diet coke is a rare find here in Israel/Turkey. we take advantage of it every time. (and some chocolate, too)

p.s. i love being here.

turkey! turkey! turkey!

So I just spent the best week of my life in the beautiful country of Turkey . And boy, was it awesome. It exceeded any expectation that I had previously had and is one of my favorite places I’ve ever been. Everyday was filled with tours of Miletus, Pergamum, Troy, Sardis, Assos, Ephesus, the Grand Mosque, the Blue Mosque, the Church of St. John, the Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, Gallipoli, and Topkapi Palace. Each site was rich in its history and culture and absolutely spectacular. Major events in times past occurred in these places and it was such a great experience to be able to visit them. A couple of my favorite sites were Assos, Pergamum, and the Blue Mosque. Assos and Pergamum were full of ancient ruins and a theatre that can fit thousands. It was really quite something to be there and see what the past would have been like. The Blue Mosque was like nothing I've ever seen before. This ginormous building was decorated with beautiful blue tile and gorgeous carpets. These pictures do not do it justice.

blue mosque

assos

pergamon

ephesus

ephesus' theatre

gallipoli 

And don’t even get me started on the hotels! They were incredible! 2 were on the coast of the Aegean Sea which allowed us to swim off the dock. We had dance parties, pool parties, and got free drinks. They were basically 5 star resorts. We were pretty darn lucky .

The food was also an experience in itself. The first few days I couldn’t get enough. But then I realized that they eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, day, after day, after day: bread (which is what I mostly filled up on), soup, salad (which was pretty much just tomatoes and cucumbers in olive oil), and meat (always a mystery). Not gonna lie, It got pretty boring after a while. But it was all part of the experience and we all had some good laughs about it. Well, this was all very general and it would take about 10 pages to go into detail about each day and each site so I will spare you. But I encourage everyone to make Turkey on their travel list from now on. Turkey does not disappoint.

pools of bethesda

During free time the other day, a few others and I were able to visit the Pools of Bethesda. I was a little surprised/disappointed when I realized that there is no longer water in the pools…but it was still spectacular and a great site. 

It was so easy for me to picture the area in times of Christ with lots of people in and surrounding the waters. I remembered the story of the lame man, who couldn’t reach the water on his own, that was helped by Christ to become whole again. It was wonderful to be reminded that He will always be there to help us reach our goals, desires, and potential. Whether physically or spiritually, we can rely on Him. Isn’t it amazing to know that our Savior is willing to do anything for us? He’s already done the unthinkable and would do it again. We cannot even come close to fully repaying Him, but we can do what we can in return. All he asks of us is to live the gospel and do what is right. It is a simple concept, yet sometimes difficult to follow through with. Why is that? We read stories in the scriptures of the children of Israel seeing time and time again the hand of the Lord in their lives, but continuing to revert to their old ways of disobedience. As readers, we can see the whole picture and easily point out the mistakes and aspects they can improve. But let us not forget that we’re imperfect as well. I’m sure people in heaven are looking at us thinking “why is modesty/attending church meetings/visiting teaching so difficult to follow through with? It’s so simple!” Isn’t it though? Just do what we’re supposed to be doing when we’re supposed to be doing them. End of story. Yet I find myself falling short at one time or another. Before we can point fingers at others for being imperfect or disobedient, we should look at ourselves and our lives first. There is always room for improvement. 

This was a humbling experience for me and a motivation to do and be better. When I can’t reach the water on my own, Christ is there to help me become whole again.

just a few photos...

eran and i in the old city

:)

backgammon. classic.

my most favorite picture yet

weaving factory

On our second field trip this semester, we visited the Lakiya Bedouin Weaving factory in the Negev desert. I absolutely loved it! It was as if we traveled back to times of Christ where everything was handmade. The things they wove were so intricate and beautiful; it’s amazing how talented they are. We learned the process of weaving , from making thread from the sheep’s wool, to knitting it into a rug. And let me tell you, it is not easy work. I’m sure you’re picturing an old lady sitting at home on her porch, casually and mindlessly knitting, just like I pictured it. But it’s nothing like that. It involves bending down, using muscle, and spending lots and lots of time. These women are tough. I gained so much respect for them after visiting their shop.

A bedouin woman demonstrating weaving.

handmade yarn.

sophie and me :)

living the dream

Every Sunday is a free day (the sabbath is on saturday here), so as a group, we decided to hang out at  Tel Aviv.

  So sunday morning rolls around and we load up vans and make our way there, which is an adventure in itself. Driving the roads in Israel is quite different than America. 

Sure there are laws, but no one actually follows them. Pretty much everyone thinks they're excluded. They just do what they want, always honking and switching lanes and driving an inch away from each other. It's pretty impressive actually. I'm surprised there isn't an accident on every corner. 

So we get to the beach, and immediately jump in the water. It is so much warmer and saltier than California beaches. A lot saltier. But everyone just hung out playing frisbee, laying out, and bodysurfing. So fun. Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea...check!

Then a few of us walked into a small city in Tel Aviv-Joppa It's similar to the Old City where tons of merchants are on the streets and in shops trying to sell trinkets and souvenirs. I just love walking through the city and being a part of the culture and experiencing another lifestyle. I'm so grateful for the fact that I could get out of my own bubble back home and see other parts of the world and different kinds of people. And then we got shawarma for lunch (can't get enough of it) and it was even better than the first time. I did not think that was possible.

By far the best day we've had.

shawarma loving

I had my very first shawarma in Israel...success! It exceeded all expectations. 

A few others and I were walking through the Old City and stopped by this little restaurant 

(if you could even call it that) and smelled the meat cooking on the rotisserie outside and just couldn't pass it up. We ate it with, of course, pita bread and hummus, veggies, and this delicious spicy sauce. 

I could most definitely eat one of those everyday.

So in our first field trip today, we were able to sit on a hill overlooking 

the City of Bethlehem . We read Luke's account of Christ's birth and sang 

Far Far Away on Judea's Plain and Angels We Have Heard on High. 

What a wonderful experience to see the birthplace of Christ our Savior. It's like the scriptures and stories are coming to life. Being here and reading the gospels and words of the prophets in the actual places these events occurred really help me to more fully understand the stories and teachings I've heard all my life. I am better able to see and realize why things happened and were the way that they were.

Well let me tell you. It is a lot hotter here than I ever imagined. I haven't stopped sweating since I arrived. You think it couldn't get hotter, and then it does, times a thousand. 

I now have a greater understanding and sympathy for Laman and Lemuel. It couldn't have been easy living here in the heat of the day having to travel from city to city all while having a good attitude about it. 

I truly wonder if I would be like Nephi, all courageous and obedient, or more like his murmuring brothers...