A gift

Today was the big day where I was to sing I heard him come, I was nervous and from last night still a tad I guess the word is unwilling to allow the spirit to guide; even though I wanted him there so bad. When the sacrament came around all I asked was for the spirit to be with me, I didn't care if I messed everything up, I didn't care if my pitch was even on I just wanted to let the emotion guide me. Then I became a tad selfish, this song was for me and my father. My greatest tangible gift he has given me is my ability to express myself through music whether through piano or voice or just music in general I realized that it is a gift. A blessing that I have been given that has the ability to change lives. So in my selfish state I told God this song was just for me and him, I didn't want to sing it for anyone else it was my gratitude to him for this gift. I stood up, took a deep breath turned around and looked at the magnificent view of the whole city behind me nodded to Morgan to start, closed my eyes, and said Lord this one is between you and me, this is for you. Then I began. The peace out weighed my long time friend "my nerves" :) As I began I looked around to each face, one woman on the back row had her face buried within her hankie silent sobs rocked her body, next I looked to the woman in the middle of the chairs tears streaming down her face, then to my fellow students different faces sticking out some looking intently out the window to the city and some looking directly at me. Some wet with tears, others fixated with out a blink. It was then I realized what God actually gave me, the gift he so lovingly bestowed upon me. I was fixed on the two women and a select few of my class mates. Emotion sat deep in my heart but there was nothing that was going to get in the way of what I had to say in that song. I never looked down, the words stayed within my heart and my mind. My mind was clear and nerves working for me and not against. I spoke the words with passion. It was when I finished and had sat down my emotions were let loose, tears streamed down my cheeks and I was for the first time in a very long time content I was at peace with myself and knew I had so much to offer. After sacrament I hate to admit that I ran out the back, I don't sing or play piano or anything like that for words of affirmation from other people, I don't like it very much because I do it for my father and myself. But I had many people who came to me old and young who said that song stirred emotions that had not been touched for years. One woman said she hadn't heard that song since her mission when she would sing it in Spanish, she told me it was a beautiful song in spanish the evoked certain feelings and that she never thought she could feel those feelings come back to her; until I sang. Another one (who had her face covered the whole time) came to me and told me the spirit was so strong, she was Asian so I couldn't understand her very well but my heart knew what her heart wanted to say. Friends came to me and told me it reminded them of home, or of girls camp, times that are cherished in their hearts. I have been given a very special gift; it is the gift of music, it is the gift of passion and emotion it is God's own gift to me something he knew would suit me very well and help not only other people but myself more than anything.

Beware of the Dog

So we are on the final count down, 13 days and I will be back in the states... a horrible yet welcoming thought. So I've got a couple of stories that are just prime. Last Sabbath T.C., Angela and I decided after church to go to the Garden of Gethsemane for an hour or two. Well getting there the long way requires hills and it was hot and I didn't want to sweat (which is impossible) in my nice sunday dress so we decided to take a short cut. This short cut leads you down a small dirt "mountain" to a rock wall then to the downward slopped road to Gethsemane (cuts like at least 10 minutes off the walk) So we go have a wonderful time and decided to head back around 3, being the adventures or (impatient both work) Americans we are we decided this time instead of walking back up the hill we'd just climb the wall and walk up, so climbing the wall no big deal other then the honks from the cars we got which is normal. We just over and begin our climb, passing through a mans front yard to the mountain side we needed to be on we see a sign that says BEWARE OF THE DOG and we kept walking, two dogs start barking and we look over seeing they are chained to the tree I mean when you have a sign that says beware dog you think there is one maybe two so we thought we were clear... we keep walking then I feel angela on my side stiffen, she turns and just starts booking it down the hill back to the wall to the road, I look up and see this huge police dog trotting our way barking a bark that well was cause for a choice word then T.C. and I turned around and I had the Iron grip on his wrist as he kept saying "keep walking keep walking keep walking" well I wasn't walking I was hopping/walking/running. We get out to the road and turn around to see the man had come out of his house and he was just laughing and waved.
That was adventure #1 the next day was adventure #2
A group of us went to the dome of the rock and for some reason it was super busy (one thing about things being busy is there is always language barriers... I hate language barriers. so as we are walking in I walk through a crowd of tourists and notice a 100 shekel note on the ground (thats like 35ish dollars) so I pick it up and ask the man next to me if it is his... Greedy little greed man takes it asks his friends then just sepaks to me in a different language trying to get the note in his pocket all the while he is shaking his head like it's not his... so Sharla took the note and said we'd go turn it in... I walk it over to the security guards and tell them I found it and would like to turn it in. Their response?? laughing.... I got laughed at by every security guard that came and saw, I swear they were calling each other over on the radio because it happened a lot. They told me I was a good girl and couldn't beleive I didn't keep it. They took my information and said if no one had claimed it in 3 months it was mine (I fully expect that 100 shek piece to come to me in the mail in Idaho or Utah; highly doubt it though)
More adventures have come and gone since then but those two really stood out in my mind as something to share with you all.. Again I'm too lazy to sit here and wait for pictures to load so you'll get em later!!!

You are looking at my adventures in galilee, from sunsets, to eating whole fish, to hand washing clothes in the sink using shampoo and hand soap.... it was the greatest 11 days EVER

That Time

It's been a while but i can explain, I've been in Galilee.. Yes Christ's city, where all the miracles and parables came to pass. This place was beautiful I can understand why Christ liked it there so much. We stayed at a Kibbutz called Ein Giev there were 4 of us to a small bungalow about 50 yards away from the sea of galilee (the life guard station) we swam everyday, the water was bath tub warm just wonderful. What can I say about where we went? Where didn't we go is the real question; we went to Mount Carmel where Elijah "battled" against the priest of Ba'al calling fire from the heavens to light his completely drenched sacrifice. We went to Capernum which held a 1st century synagogue... What does that mean? Well it means that the stones are from the actual time of Christ, not having to been restored in anyway. Tobgah where the miracle of the water to wine was preformed aka Christ's "first Miracle" we went to mount Tabor (a mountain argued to be the spot of Transfiguration) we also went to the Mount of Beatitudes that was soo beautiful, I could try to explain everywhere we went but other than saying to yourself "that was cool" you'd not even know what I learned...
So let me enlighten you
1. Only applying sunscreen once can prove to give you a fatal sunburn
2. There is no point in showering when it's 85 percent humid outside every day (it just don't work)
3. God has created the most beautiful landscapes I could ever ask for
4. When you start with dessert at dinner technically you can have two (or 5) helpings because you can get it after dinner as well
5. Couples on the beach disgust me (okay not really... but serious)
6. Christ preformed a lot of miracles a lot; he devoted his life to it and I never understood the impact that had on my life
7. It's not about where the miracle happened it's about What actually happened I say that because we were all talking one night and it amazed us all to realize we were all in the same boat, that when we came on this trip we expected to have this huge change within our hearts that we would come back spiritual giants. That at every site we went to we were sure that we'd feel the spirit and have "revelation" every time.. Wrongo if we needed spiritual reassuring every time it wouldn't mean as much. signs and wonders don't build a testimony.
8. When we get to know people who are different from us (try living with 79 different people from yourself) we understand more about Christ because each person has a different light of Christ, so I can honestly say if you want to get closer to christ get to know the children he saved because he knows them so much so why shouldn't we come to know them as well.
9. Time can throw you curve balls that really throw off everything you had tried achieving but it's your choice to react positively or negatively. (You can only have control if you are prepared to lose control)
10. late nights on the beach sitting talking with the people that are so close to you in so many ways is the best way to spend a night.
11.When you live with the same 25 men for 3 months you will find almost anything attractive....
12. At dinner when you have a cute water boy you better prepare your bladder for the ride of it's life (yes I may have single handedly put back 4 Jugs of water. He was cute all the girls did it-for further clarification please refer to number 11
13. When hand washing your disgusting laundry if you don't have detergent, shampoo and hand soap works great :)
14. Sweat comes out of everywhere.... everywhere
15. If you constantly kick your legs in the water the dead skin eating fish won't get ya (yes if we kept out feet still in the water fish would come eat our dead skin off; I couldn't do it it tickled WAY to bad)
Well I'm sure there is more but that's all I can think of now... As for pictures they are coming I have to pull them off of others peoples computers because my camera broke like a month and a half ago.. but be Prepared they are super cool!!!!!!!

A Day in the Life

The "sunset Crew"

The Center on the 8th floor, my favorite spot.. It's beautiful

Field trips on different buses allow for great interaction

Playing the Bells at the YMCA tower.. Yup all Jarusalem heard me (I totally messed up it was great)
As I walked through the city, I can't help but to think of how familar these things have become. When things become familiar I have a way of taking them for granted. Let me tell you my day...
6:00 am- Wake up to go read scriptures in the peace and quiet; while over looking the city beginning to wake up
6:45- run down to my room to get ready for the day
7:25- Breakfast, my favorite meal ever; usually go with some watermelon, bolied eggs, cereal, or pancakes (the options are endless here)
7:55- 8:50(ish) New Testament starts 5 minutes early so we can cover everything we usually don't finish so we go over class
depending on the day the next few hours could be filled with more class or anouncements... or homework...
1:00 pm-6:00pm: city time
Let me tell you about the city, I walk out of the center doors down a couple flights of stairs through two check point gates out into the road. We begin our decent down the hill walking on red and charcole colored bricks, yellow sand and garbage strewn across the side walk. There are huge dumpsters everywhere as well as sewers the occational wift of pure stench burns the nose. Cross the road and make the assent UP the hill to the old city, if you don't hear a car horn honk every 5 seconds something isn't right. (In america honking is an offense, here it is a way of every day communication)Walking past shop after shop all beginning to look identical. Nothing is more mouth watering than the sent of a fresh shwarma, or falafel with the meat spinning on a spick. Oh my goodness just heaven. The open candy just sitting calling my name at every corner, open slaughter... animals hang and it smells so bad. The people yelling ashada ashada (meaning 10 shekles in Arabic) People are lazy well not lazy they just know how to enjoy the day... Occasionally you walk past some huka which I think smells like cotton candy, but I don't stay long enough to get a good wiff for fear of getting high. :) Walking from quarter to quarter where the language changes so you've got to remember where you are so when you say thank you in their language you don't screw up a Jew (todah) with an Arabic(shukran) thank you.
6:00- Grub in my tummy- food we go crazy at dinner mmm it's good (although 3 months of it I can say I'm ready for some american food)
7:00-10(ish) a night o' fun talking to people, playing in a basketball torney (thats right I rock) wathcing movies, laughing, making up dances, doing P90X with Angela laughing at how out of shape we are.
I am so blessed.... How could I not, I am literally living a dream, I don't know how I could take any of this for granted... Look at the pictures above and see for yourself how lucky I am. It's incredible here. I thank God everyday for putting me here. And in my heart I thank my parents and all those who helped me get here. So here it is to everyone... Thank you, this is life changing.