Katie Bourne's adventures in Jerusalem

SHOUT OUTS!!!!

ALI -> you have been such a good friend for soooo many years I love you girl thank you so much! Susan Spaff ->thank you for your emails I love you and your spunk! Keep writing I love the emails! Mikey/Ash/baby- ahh I can not even begin to tell you how excited I am for this little family to begin. You two are so perfect for each other and I am so glad you are my sister Ash. Mikey I have always looked up to you! Thank you for being such an amazing example to me! Nat Pat and Eliza - I loved talking to you girls! Thanks for the love and support and thanks for dealing with my little outbursts of testimony on the phone J Celeste - Happy birthday! It was so nice talking to you! I love you so much! Grandma and Grandpa Bourne- wow Cynthia thank you so much for your thoughts they really comforted me. Thank you for your love and support! Mom and dad- WOW! what more can I say thank you thank you thank you!

On a happy note, Sunday we sang “Love At Home”. As it is our families tradition I was singing “there is beauty all around when there is no one home” my room mates laughed- but it is just how I sing it.

We were able to hear from a Holocaust victim, my life is changed.

He grew up like anyone, a loving father, mother and family. He was the eldest and at a young age volunteered (or was sent) to go work on building roads connecting Poland to Germany and Russia etc. after a few years he went back home only to find an empty house. His father died of hunger (I assume he gave his portions to his wife and children) the rest of the family, along with friends and neighbors were put in lines. They laid down in a huge trench row by row and were shot in the back of the head. He passed around a picture of him and his family. I couldn’t help but look in their eyes and wonder what they were feeling as they were forced out of their house. I wonder what his mother told her little daughters and how the teenage girls felt as they knew these were their last few moments. This man told us that he knew he had to get back to work. (reminds me of Dad. Crazy strong man) he worked and had a few times when he was going to be put into the gas chambers. The first time he told the lady who was taking names that he would save her the trouble and not go. ( he used his humor to literally save his life) he did not know at the time, but after working in the coal mines, they gave him soap to wash off with. This soap was made from the oils and bones of the burned Jews. He was such a strong man and kept telling himself that “Hitler will die and I will live.” He also reminded himself that “tomorrow will be better” as well as “God will get me out of this.” Here he is today. He married another Victim and they had three beautiful children. He never got mad at his children for complaining (like saying" look what I went through") He wanted his children to live their own lives. I can not imagine what he went through. He showed us the tattoo of his Aushwits number. I was almost in tears the whole time because I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the life I have been able to live. I am so grateful for the people that have come into my life and have taught me so much. Mom and Dad, you have given me so much and I want you to know how truly grateful I am.

Jericho fieldtrip:

The field trip that we took this week was such a fun and interesting one. We drove through the Judean wilderness out to Jericho. Our first stop was a beautiful monastery up on the cliffs of the Mount of Temptation.

All around there were holes in the cliffs. These holes are where hermits lived. (I was quite jealous) So we hiked up to the monastery put on our scarves and walked around. There were so many people worshiping there. There is the actual (haha of course it isn’t the actual) stone that Christ was told to turn into bread.

It was pouring rain which is wonderful because Jerusalem is in a huge drought.

There was a beautiful muddy waterfall flowing off the cliffs. Our next stop was the actual (really this time) Tel (mound) of Jericho. It looked very small but after walking around it seemed a little bigger. We saw all of the layers of different cities.

There were peacocks and I LOVE peacocks! So I tried getting a picture with them...

Down a 20ft cliff we saw a big watch tower. It was fun to see how different civilizations have built over all of these cities. We then saw a really big tree which they didn’t tell us much about. I do know that it is in Luke 19- a man couldn’t see the Savior so he climbed up the tree. We then made our way over to Herod’s Winter Palace.

After that we went to a look out point where we could see Jericho to the right, and Jerusalem to the west and the Judean Wilderness going on and on. (there is a pic in the scriptures of that exact look out point)

It was fun and we tried singing a hymn, but the guys there were trying to mate their donkeys so it was a little…loud…Anywho.

We are all just getting ready for Egypt. Preparing our bodies for the sicknesses we will experience. I can’t believe that I am going to Egypt! Dad will you give me more detail quickly as to what you want/need and how I go about sending that? Or I could just bring it home and send it form the center. I am not sure if I will have internet because I am not taking my computer but keep the emails coming.

Oh Emily! I must tell you. While I was in the airport I saw the blonde chick from 30 rock! Oh it made me so happy and I thought of you.

So I just thought I would let you all know that my Middle Eastern Studies teacher is CRAZY oh my gosh I can’t handle it. I just laugh inside and he snaps his fingers at us for no reason and he is …crazy, wow.

Me and my beautiful roomies (r-L Lacey, Me, Ali, Leslie)

FunnY roomies

Michael, my FHE dad J love him

Church of the Holy Sepulcher ( there was a stone covered in oil and people were rubbing their scriptures all over it and they were rubbing it on their faces