It's the start of another school year and I've started thinking about what I want to accomplish in this coming academic year.  I love that with each new beginning I have the opportunity to reflect and make a list of changes or goals that I want to work on.  So, this is my School Year Resolution List:


  • 4.0
  • Spend at least 2 hours a week in the Anatomy Lab
  • Spend more time practicing the piano
  • Keep in-touch with the family better
  • Don't a miss day of Personal Scripture study
  • Journal consistently
  • Go to the temple every week
  • Make a new friend in each class
  • Stick to my study schedule
  • Work out consistently 
  • Actually cook dinner
  • Budget 
  • Don't procrastinate big assignments 
  • Attend FHE
  • Balance time 
I'm finally back in the US and over the jet lag.  It is still kind of weird to be back in the States where everything is in English.  I love being able to read all the signs and know exactly what a store is going to sell before I walk in.  Before I came back out to Utah for school, I spent a week and a half with the fam in North Carolina.  We spent a week at the beach and it was glorious! I just love the beach :) I can't even describe the absolute joy that it brings to me.  We would go out in the mornings and evenings, skipping the hottest part of the day which was blissfully spent indoors.  I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the waves.  I was expecting just some little baby ones, but they were quite impressive.  We spent the afternoons boogie-boarding into shore and then chasing the waves back out again.  It was pure bliss!  The evenings were spent either playing games or watching movies the little beach house we rented.  It was the perfect way to make the transition from Israel to school again. I loved getting to spend time with my family and getting to spend time in Dixieland :)
Dear Israel,

Where do I even begin? I remember when you were just a dream; something I didn't think I would ever actually do.  You were this far away land filled with mystery and promise and now you're something so much more.  I walked off the plane in April with a thousand different emotions.  I was excited, anxious, nervous.  Now in August, I'm sitting in the JC and feeling all those same emotions.  It's been quite a ride, hasn't it?
 I have explored every nook and cranny of this country.  I have seen the desolate desert of the Negev and the lush forest of ancient Dan.  I have been to three different seas and countless cities.  I will always remember singing Dr. Chadwick's sphfelah song at Tel-Gath.  I'll smile when I think of splashing through Hezekiah's Tunnel and feeling like I was in the middle of an Indiana Jones movie.  I will forever think of Sam Bookie, the most delicious bakery in Jerusalem, when I see a croissant or other pastry.  I will remember the late nights and early mornings, the pita and the rice.  I will never again be able to sit in a classroom at BYU and feel like I have a good view.  I will forever remember sitting on the shores of the Sea of Galilee with the water kissing my toes when I read about Christ's ministry there. I will miss running through the streets of Jerusalem like in Aladdin.  The wraps on campus will seem like such a let down after all the delicious falafel I have eaten on Ben Yehudah Street.  I will miss hearing the call to prayer from the mosque across the street and welcoming in Shabbat at the Western Wall.  I will miss the French toast pita from the Oasis and the Friday night movies in the Forum.  It's hard to believe that in just a few hours I will be driving down a back road of North Carolina.  I won't have the option to go to the Garden Tomb or Gethsemane on Sabbath anymore.  I won't look out of my window and see the Dome of the Rock. I won't walk down the street and hear a car horn every 30 seconds.  I'm not sure if I'll miss that, but I'm sure I'll think of you when I do hear one :)
Israel, I find myself feeling like you gave me so much.  I have learned so much the last four months.  I learned to sleep through pretty much anything.  Buses are actually not the worst place to take a little power nap.  Facebook is not the best way to keep in touch, but rather a simple phone call goes a long way.  I learned to do a front flip, swan dive, Peter Pan dive, back dive, and a jump serve all while I have been here.  None are as scary as they seem.  I have eaten a lot of fish while I have been here and it really isn't too bad.  I've learned that you really can write a paper on just about anything, whether you really understand the topic or not.  Between you and me, I have no idea what the Oslo Accords are.  I learned that white V-necks are the most stylish shirts in the entire world; they match everything.  A pastry a day keeps the parasites away :) You really know the way to a girl's heart, Israel.  Don't tell America, but I don't think she can top you.
You have taught me more than just these things, however.  I have learned how to stand on my own two feet.  I now know that it is important to spend sometime with myself.  I have spent countless moments sitting on the grounds of the JC just thinking.  It was in these moments that I gained some great treasures.  I learned how much I love the scriptures.  All the answers to my questions are contained in the pages of these four books.  I learned how to pray with real intent.  I stopped just going through the motions and learned to really communicate with my Father in Heaven.  Through this I learned how much He loves me.  He has this overwhelming perfect love for me and I was able to catch a glimpse of this during my time here.  I have come to know my Savior so much better through this experience. Christ was a real man and he did die for the sins of the world.  He performed miracles all over this wonderful land and I got to stand in places where Christ did.  I will never read the accounts of his life the same again.  You have given me a beautiful gift, Israel.  I can never repay you for what you have given me.  I am leaving you with this great gift that cannot be put into words.  I came to you as a confused college student and I am going home as something more.  I'm not sure what life holds for me next, but I know that what you have given me will play a major role.  I don't know when I'll be seeing you again, but you will always hold a place in my heart.  I hate goodbyes, so let's just treat this as a 'See you later.' Here's to you, Israel.

Leaving a piece of my heart with you,
Angela

Our last fieldtrip was split into two days.  We traced the last week of the Savior's life.  We began at Lazarus' tomb in the West Bank.  The tomb was small and cool like I had imagined.  Bethany, the town where Lazarus lived, is just over the Separation Wall from the Center, but it takes more than half an hour to get there.  It's amazing how much more time the Wall means for this people.  In past semesters students would walk to the tomb in about five minutes.  After Bethany we traveled to the other side of the Wall and visited Bethphage.  This is where Christ taught Matthew 24 and began his Triumphal Entry.  Archaeologist also found several tablets with the Lord's Prayer at this church.  The courtyard of the church is now filled with the Lord's Prayer in different languages.  It was amazing all nations represented in one place.
The last stop before we entered the Old City for the day was Dominus Flevit, a beautiful little chapel overlooking the city.  This is the traditional site for where Christ wept over the city.  Brother Judd gave a beautiful devotional and then we sang a few hymns.  Singing hymns in all these different churches has been one of my favorite things about this semester.  I love to see all the people who stop and listen to us.
Once we got into the city we stopped at the Dormition Abbey, the Upper Room, and the home of Caiaphas. It was wonderful to learn about the events of each of these places while we were there.  Everything seems more real when you are sitting there.
Our very last fieldtrip was spent tracing the last weekend of Christ's life.  We began the day with a trip to the Orson Hyde Memorial Gardens.  We saw a great view of the city and talked about this amazing man.  From the Gardens we walked down the Mount of Olives to Gethsemane.  Brother Judd gave a short devotional about the Atonement and then we were given free time to write in our journal or read the scriptures.  I have this little spot in the garden where I like to sit and think when I go to Gethsemane.  I went there and just let my mind wander through all that I had learned this semester and how grateful I am for Savior.  It was one of the most beautiful moments of the entire four months that I have spent here.  I am so blessed!
From the garden we entered the ancient city gates and came to the Church of the Flagellation and the Church of the Condemnation.  These churches share a courtyard and are incredibly beautiful.  We did not have a formal devotional, but were allowed to just walk through and think about that weekend that changed the world.  The next stop was the Church of St. Anne.  It is run by the White Fathers, a group of Catholic priests who are involved in missionary efforts in the Holy Land and Africa.  We were welcomed by Father Lavoie.  He was the sweetest man I have ever met.  We always sing in this church since the acoustics are amazing.  He was so excited for us to begin.  I caught a glimpse of him sitting in the back of the church with the most content look on his face.  Before he started he thanked us for always providing a 'divine experience.'  It is comments and experiences like these that cause me to feel overwhelmed with gratitude for this wonderful experience.  I have been able to interact with so many wonderful people.  Even though I hold different beliefs than most of them, I have learned so much about my faith and myself from them.  So many prayers have been answered through my association with people from the Holy Land.
The last stop on this amazing fieldtrip was the Garden Tomb.  Here we had a class testimony meeting.  It was one of the most powerful meetings I have ever attended.  My classmates are extraordinary people and I am honored to have shared this past semester with them.

Courtyard outside Lazarus' Tomb

Shadows

Me inside Lazarus' Tomb

Church :) 

The Lord's Prayer in Spanish 

Overlooking Jerusalem at Dominus Flevit 

Peace :) 

Friendship

The Dormition Abbey 

Best. Picture. Ever. (Dormition Abbey) 

Aren't all crypts one way.....

Matching!!

Sign at the entrance to Gethsemane 

Slices: Elise, Me, Kim, and Erica

Our last cistern :(

This last week in Jerusalem is proving to be one of the best! Sunday was one of our last free days and my friends and I decided to spend all day in the city.  There were a few places that we needed to get to for one last assignment, but for the most part we were just playing in Jerusalem.  We began the day with a stop at the Dome of the Rock.  This is one of my favorite places in the city! Each time that I have gone there has been just amazing.  Ramadan started this past week so the Dome had more visitors than usual.  We sat on the side of the Dome for about half an hour and just watched everyone.  It was so great!
From the Dome of the Rock we ran some errands at our favorite shop and then headed to Mount Zion.  At Mount Zion we visited the tomb of David, the Upper Room, and the Dormition Abbey.  I had been to all these places before.  Nevertheless, I feel like each time I go I get something different out of the experience.  That's what I love about Jerusalem.  I can go to the same place multiple times and continue to have amazing experiences.
After Mount Zion we ran to Hezekiah's Tunnel.  The Tunnel is one of the funnest places in the entire city! The last time I went through I was with my class, so I was super excited to go with a smaller group of friends.  We were in the tunnel for about forty minutes and I came out soaked.  Joan was behind me for most of the trip and felt the need to kick up as much water as possible.  Meanwhile, Jenny was splashing me from the front.  When we got the end of Hezekiah's Tunnel we found another tunnel that was supposed to lead us back to the top of the City of David.  A few of the guys in our group had taken it before and swore that it would lead us to the beginning.  This was the worst idea ever! The tunnel looked like it was going to cave at any moment and at one point it was full of murky water.  It seemed to go on forever.  I have never been so excited to see the light of day before :)
Our last stop of the day was Ben Yehudah Street in West Jerusalem. We decided that we would save tons of time if we cut through the Old City rather than going around.  That's when fate stepped in.  We were walking up the Cliffs of Despair (a.k.a. the biggest staircase in the Old City) when we saw a canvas in the middle of a plaza.  This man then told us that this other man would give us canvas and paint for free.  Needless to say that we had to stop.  This is how the epic of the Menorah was born.  We each painted a replica of the Temple Menorah.  As we were leaving the plaza we were trying to decide what we were going to do with our glorious paintings.  Then, one of us (me) had the brilliant idea that we should a picture with our menorahs at all of our favorite sites in the city.  We took pictures at our favorite bakery, the synagogue, the Broad wall, with Israeli soldiers, and every other imaginable site in Jerusalem.  The best picture came courtesy of the Mustard-colored pants Man.  We had seen him at several places in the City which is basically unheard of.  We had stopped in the park after dinner when we saw him again.  Joan and I decided that it was destiny that we take a picture with him. We took off sprinting at Olympic pace through the park.  We received some interesting looks from those having peaceful picnics :) We finally reached him, got our picture, and headed home.  This was definitely one of the best days ever! 
We found a time machine outside the Dome of the Rock 

Love this sign :) 

Jenny, Joansie, Me and Josh getting ready to paint! 

Me and the real menorah 

Menorahs at the Broad Wall 

Menorah at the synagogue 

Menorahs at the best bakery in Jerusalem!

Menorahs in the street 

Menorahs at the Citadel of David 

Menorahs with Israeli soldiers 

Censored menorahs 

Menorahs and the subway no one rides 

Menorahs and falafels 

Menorahs and the gang

Menorahs and cats of J-roo

Menorahs and the Man with the Mustard colored pants 

Menorahs in the park 

Menorahs on the bus

Menorahs and Jerusalem 

Menorahs at home :) 

Another last :( This past Sunday we went on our last fieldtrip out of Jerusalem.  We began the day by going to Qumran, the place of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  I have seen the scrolls in the Israel Museum so it was pretty neat to see where they were.  It was a lot different than what I had pictured in my head.  Qumran is literally in the middle of nowhere.  I have no idea what those people were doing in the middle of the desert, but I am so glad that they left us with so many records.
From Qumran we drove the coast of the sea to Masada.  This was the last strong hold during the first Jewish Revolt against the Romans.  Masada is set on the top of mountain that looks over the entire valley.  It was an amazing view!! One of my favorite things about Israel is that you can see for miles.  We have spent a lot of time looking all the way to the horizon.  It's wonderful.  This has been one of the hottest days on the program so our administrative leaders approved us to wear shorts...it was glorious!
Before we went to the Dead Sea we stopped at En Gedi.  This is where Saul rested while searching for David.  The site is absolutely gorgeous! There were waterfalls all over and we were allowed to swim for a while.  It was a wonderful relief from the hot hot sun.
The last stop before going home was the Dead Sea.  We were all super excited to jump in.  It was the weirdest thing I have ever experienced! No matter how hard you try to sink you simply can't.  The water just holds you up.  You can stand straight up and your shoulders and most of your chest will be above the water.  There were a few draw backs to the Dead Sea.  Since there is so much salt the water begins to sting for a little while.  After about twenty minutes I couldn't take the stinging anymore and I got out.  As I was swimming back to shore a little bit of the water splashed up into my eyes--also unpleasant feeling.  The water just stings, everywhere.  Despite this, the Dead Sea was a definitely a highlight.  I'm so glad that we got to stop :)
Joansie and I 

Me in the Scribe Room at Qumran 

Whoa! Socks with the sandals!

Me in front of Cave Four at Qumran 

Joansie, Me, and Katie...I obviously didn't get the memo

Me killing Joan at Masada 

Jennifer, Erica, Me, and Elise at the Dead Sea 

Floating! 

I found this want ad :) 

Cliffs along the Dead Sea 

Slice and I 
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