SHALOM!

The Western Wall- "Wailing Wall"

Shalom from the Holy Land!

I don’t think I have any shout outs…but my mom and dad I love you guys! No offence but I don’t really miss anyone but Sophie! I am going through Sophie withdrawls!! Please send pics or videos mom please! (of you too of course and my bear bear)

It’s a lame one because we have just had tests this week! And we have tests all week this next week as well. On our free day some girls and I went to the Citadel museum. It is the tower of David and I am pretty sure its also king Herod’s Palace… don’t quote me on that. It was very interesting none the less. So inside Damascus gate they sometimes have fresh strawberries. We bought a box of them and downed them. They tasted so amazing!

The field trip we took this week was amazing! We literally walked on the same stones that Christ walked on! We first went through the Western Wall tunnels. It was really interesting and we saw the rest of the Western Wall under ground. It is considered more holy down there because it is closer to the center. I am not sure how to describe this field trip. We walked all over the city just seeing places that dated back to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. We learned about Solomon’s temple and Herod’s temple. I loved it and I loved imagining myself back in the time of Christ.

Honestly the rest of this week consisted of me and everyone else studying and studying and going to class…and studying haha quite an eventfull week!

It has been so stormy and so rainy! I have loved it.



FUNNY TIMES IN THE OLD CITY

We had some free time so my friends Dan and Carrie and I decided to take a stroll into the old city. (preface: it has been lightning and storming all day! There was a break in the storm so we thought it would be ok) right when we are walking up the hill to the city gates it states pouring no no dumping rain! Those of you who know me well know that I absolutely LOVE the rain! It was coming down in huge sheets so we began running through the rivers flowing down the street. We were trying to find the money exchanger but most everything was closed because the sun was setting for the Sabbath. We found some stairs and explored up above the shops then meet some guys on the corner of the street. They had a fire and graciously shared with us.
 We were telling them about us and when I said I was 20 he corrected me and told me I was 14…wow even here people think I am a baby. Haha oh well. We then went jogging through the old city. We were so soggy and took cover in our good friend Shaban’s shop. He always gives us juice and is so sweet! The sun was going down so we ran back to the center (about 20 min away) and warmed up with hot hot showers.



This week we has an isralie folk dance class. Everyone really enjoyed it and we had so much fun! We then had one of our weekly crazy dance parties! People are getting creative with their attire. Some guys dressed as girls and the girls in turn dressed as them. One kid was hilarious and had some nerd get up.

Sabbath was so amazing today!

** Our plans for our lives are so lame compared to the Lord’s plans for our lives –beautifully stated by my friend Emmy

*In relief society we got a beautiful lesson from my friend Becca. The lesson was on Neal Andersons talk “Repent That I May Heal You” First of all this is one of my favorite talked EVER.  I have read it like 12 times since I have been here.  I encourage everyone who reads my blog to read it right now! We must know that repentance is a DAILY process.  We are not going to all of a sudden repent one night and have everything be perfect the next day.  We must feel sorrow and regret for our sin. We must be humble and offer ourselves unto the Lord. You must do your best each day. Anderson gives a beautiful though about repentance.  It is like coming back unto the Lord and being spiritually wrapped in his arms. Our Savior and Heavenly Father are always opening their arms to us.  Many people, when thinking of repentance, think of it like you have done something negative, so you in return  repent. In that sense it seems quite negative. We should think of it as coming back into the saviors love and being able to feel that love daily. In the Old Testament the Lord is basically pleading with the children of Israel to come back. (almost through the WHOLE O.T.) When they finally turn back towards Christ, he accepts them with open arms, no matter what they do. Often times people have a hard time forgiving themselves. Christ went through that pain so we could take advantage of it. If we do not use the atonement, we are being prideful. We must use this blessing that God and Christ have given us. They want us to repent and to return to them.


When I think of repentance and the atonement it takes me back to when I was 15. My boyfriend at the time brought over his…motorized bike.  He was taking  me and my girlfriends on rides. I was supposed to be in my house and he wasn’t suppose to take his bike out of his neighborhood. We were all just talking and I sat on it. I had no idea how to ride it and all of a sudden it was moving. I tightly grabbed the handles and pulled back (thinking I could stop it) I was now dragging behind it. I didn’t know where to go and I was squished between the bike and a parked car. I heard my dad calling my name and shamefully walked towards my house. My uncovered legs and feet were smothered in asphalt, dirt and blood. I told my dad that I would pay for the whole thing and he said “yes you will” so I began doing file work for him at the hospital. My legs were still healing so it was still hard to walk but I worked and earned my money to pay for the bike.  I personally feel that our Savior watches us through our repentance process and is happy inside. He sees us growing and learning from our past mistakes. It’s the typical story of the daughter saving all she has and still doesn’t have enough. The father teaches of the Atonement by making up the amount she could not pay. That is exactly what my father did for me. He did not do it in a spiteful way showing that he easily had the money I didn’t have - or make me feel small about not being able to pay for all of it. He lovingly took what I had and made up the rest.


We will not always feel forgiveness immediately. This is normal. The Lord is in tune with our personal struggles. Even if we don’t feel forgiven, if we have done all that we could we will be forgiven. We need to keep praying and one day begin to feel that we have been forgiven.



Well I love you all. Keep writing I would love to hear from you!

.:/katie

Week 7Weird realization…only two more months.  Shout outs  to my valentines  here in Jerusalem. I got a sweet dance at open mic night as well as very sweet letters from my roomie Alli and a good friend Steven.

SHOUTOUTS: Grandma/Grandpa Bourne, Hal, Cic, Nate, Sophie, Sammie, the PARENTS of course, James, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKEY!!Ashley and Haven- I love you so much! Oh and Celeste my love congratulations!


Sophie girl! It was so good to hear your voice! Don’t tell anyone, but I miss you the most (even ask my roomies) You sound happy and like you are having a wonderful time at school. Work hard my little girl, you are very talented and I can’t wait to get the video of you singing at Haven’s blessing in March (on your birthday..ten years old…stop growing up!) 


Spiritual Thoughts:1 Kings 8:60-61 “that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is none else, Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God to walk in his statues, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.”à
 All of proverbs 3-
 Proverbs 3:12 “for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth”à Proverbs 3:25-26 “be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken”à
Psalms 51. This is David plea for forgiveness from the Lord. I think that we have all felt this pleading. (More holiness give me: “more sorrow for sin”)
 I think that we all need the obedience that Elijah has. The Lord basically tells him to go to some foreign land and says that a widow will take him in, so Elijah packs up right then and there and leaves. We need to give our lives to the Lord and let him direct them. Believe me, He knows more than us.
 We all know the story of the widow that takes Elijah in. 1 Kings 17:12 she welcomes him in, he asks for food, she says that she doesn’t have much. She was planning on making one last meal for her and her son “that we may eat it, and die” And yet this woman has faith and gives all she has to Elijah. As we all know she is blessed because of this.
 THIS WEEK   We had a great Sabbath this week. Ill just fill you in with some more spiritual thoughts . One of the girls spoke of faith. She mentioned how in the scriptures, when describing many, it says “by faith (insert name) did …” She had us think about if we were in the scriptures. What would it say about me? “by faith Katie…went to Jerusalem?” It is interesting to put yourself into the scriptures. I am taking a temple prep class and it is wonderful. They don’t teach us anything we don’t already know, but they say it in a more detailed way.. I don’t know how to describe it. Sister Brown spoke to us in this class and she talked about her and her husband she told us that one requirement for him was that he would have the same temple commitment as she did. This is so important and I encourage everyone who has a temple recommend to go as often as possible. You can only gain from going. 
There was a story told to us in relief society of three men in heaven. They all had to have an interview. The first man walked in and a man asked him to tell him all he knew about Jesus Christ. He told him and was handed a card and continued on. The next man did the same. When the third man walked in and fell to his knees saying “Oh my Lord, My Redeemer” I love this and I hope we can all strive to have a closer relationship with our Savior so when he comes we will know him and he will have no problem recognizing us.
 Another thought that snuck into my head was that we all decided to be here. We all supported Jesus up in heaven. I cant imagine our pre-mortal selves being told all of  the mistakes we would make. They wouldn’t believe it. We need to strive to be the best we can, so when we return to our father we will be clean and pure.   


I went to the Garden tomb on the Sabbath. I just sat in the tomb and the lyrics of I know that my Redeemer lives were playing in my head. I looked at the door and there is a plaque on it that says “for he is not here, for he is risen” 
We began the week with a wonderful field trip to the City of David. It was interesting to see ruins that date back to the time of David. We also saw (at area G) a house that probably one of “Nephi’s friends lived”. It was interesting to picture it however. It is very easy in this city to see the roofs and rooms of your neighbors. It was probably very easy for David to see Bathsheba. (nice name girl)
 A story that applies to all of us = If David was where he was supposed to be, he wouldn’t have been tempted by Bathsheba. Be where you know you should be. Keep your word.

We then headed over to Hezakiahs Tunnel. If you are ever here you must do this! It is the water system that empties into the pool of Silom (where the blind man washed to receive his sight) It is pitch black and at the beginning of the adventure the water went up to my…high high thigh. At some points I even had to crouch because the celing was so low. ( I felt bad for the over 6ft boys) Hezekiahs tunnel is where the soldiers came through to take over the city. I could only imagine a whole army single file with all their weaponry and torches crouching through this tunnel. It was probably really warm and stinky.

P

  Our finals are this upcoming week so we have been cramming in all that we can! We have like a 10 page midterm for our Islam class… its due the day of our final. (the midterm consists of material we have never even talked about…it’s a great class haha)  So this week I discovered that I had a sinus infection. I have never had one before so I really thought I was just dying. Our doctors here gave me some medicine and it is dong better. Just another week of meds and it should all be good. Of course my immense anatomy knowledge kicked in and I entertained myself imagining what my frontal and ethmoid sinus looked like.


    MAN SEARCH FOR MEANING THOUGHTS     Wow I really love this book and I encourage everyone to read it at least 3 times in their life . Today in my reading it was talking about how you can not dwell on the past. These people in the concentration camps dwelt in the past to make their present seem less real.   
  “But in robbing the present of its reality there lay a certain danger. It became easy to overlook the opportunities to make something positive of camp life, opportunities which really did exist. Such people forget that often it is just such an exceptionally difficult external situation which gives man the opportunity to grow spiritually beyond himself”    
 (speaking of being able to change thoughts to the future) “I succeeded somehow in rising above the situation, above the sufferings of the moment, and I observed them as if they were already of the past. “Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.”  
   “life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.”“His unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears his burden”  
   “it was necessary to face up to the full amount of suffering, trying to keep moments of weakness and furtive tears to a minimum. But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer.” now I know that we can not even compare our suffering to what these Jews went through but we can take this advice and apply it to ourselves 
    “what you have experienced, no power on earth can take from you”  
 “Human life, under any circumstances, never ceases to have a meaning”   
  “no one has the right to do wrong, not even if wrong has been done to them.”
I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES
I know that my redeemer lives - What comfort this sweet sentence gives
He lives he lives who once was dead - He lives my ever living head
He lives to bless me with his love-  He lives to plead for me above
He lives my hungry soul to feed - He lives to bless in time of need
He lives to grant me rich supply - He lives to guide me with his eye
He lives to comfort me when faint - He lives to hear my souls complaint
He lives to silence all my fears - He lives to wipe away my tears
He lives to calm my troubled heart - He lives all blessings to impart
He lives my kind wise heavenly friend - He lives and loves me until the end
He lives and while he lives I’ll sing - He lives my prophet priest and king
He lives and grants me daily breath - He lives and I shall conquer death
He lives my mansion to prepare - He lives to bring me safely there
He lives all glory to his name -He lives my savior still the same
Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives - I know that my redeemer lives


  I love you all so much and I want to let you know that this is the most amazing experience ever! I am learning so much about EVERYTHING. Keep being the amazing people that you are! I love you.:/katie

Happy Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Shout outs::: Mom dad karo Emily lexi nat pat eliza  celeste cic boomin nate Grandparents Jessie Sammie Mike and Ash James!

Random thoughts…

Judges 2:10

Judges 5:7

Have better journal entries not only for you but for you family

Do we only talk about spiritual things in a spiritual setting

Have fhe. Do what you can and the lord will bless

Until you make an effort to come back there is not much I an do

 This week is quite a laid back week. We are recovering from Egypt, I have been sick with a cold for about a week and a half, but its cool because I am in Jerusalem! à funny experience: me and some friends wanted to go across town to this mall and look around. So we took about a 20 min taxi drive to this mall. It was huge and very nice. After about two hours of walking around we decided to go back to west Jerusalem to the strip mall there, then head back home through the old city. So instead of taking another taxi back to West Jerusalem, we just started walking in the direction of West Jerusalem. After about an hour of walking we finally made it! It was so much fun, we felt like Bedoins just venturing off into unknown lands.

Our field trip this week was very fun. We went to many Tels my most favorite part was the caves! We went to the bell caves. They were HUGE man made domes all connected together. We sang hymns, when we finished they would ring all through the caves. The next caves that were truly spectacular were the Miccah caves. You crawled into the side of the mountain then down down through a small space, into an even smaller space the size of a doggy door. You crawled on your hands and knees throught this tiny space. It dropped off into a huge open space. So you would take a ladder down. In this huge opening there were many other small slits in the rocks that you would squeeze through. Most of the time we would be on our bellies wiggiling through the spaces. I truly loved it and want to go back!

Moustache Militia had their closing ceremonies this week. I performed a rap… Pretty intense. The moustache militia was a pact between the boys. They were to not shave their upper lip area for 10 days…these boys, once again boys, struggle growing facial hair… some shaved at the ten day mark and some are still going strong. We will see where this leads.

This has been a wonderful week to ponder and to think. We have been doing a lot of homework as well as going to class.

Me and my girlfriends watched the testament last night and it was wonderful.

I am sorry this isn’t the best blog entry but there are no words that can explain this experience. I am so full of love (not only because it is Valentines day) but because life is just so wonderful. It has hit me really hard how extremely blessed I am. I have been lucky to travel to many countries and there I have been able to focus on serving others. Here I am able to focus on myself. Please write to me or send a letter or two. My email is dance_freak03@hotmail.com. Feel free to send advice… anything! I love you all! Have an amazing valentines day/month.

PS: Michael happy birthday on the 18^th! I am so proud of all you are accomplishing! I LOVE YOU. 

David and Goliath?

  

                                                                                       

I'M AN AUNTIE!

First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAVEN! Mikey and Ash I love you two so so much! Ill be calling soon!Honestly the most exciting thing that happened to me this week was the birth of my little niece Haven! The pictures show that she is so angelic and just beautiful! I cant wait to meet her in April! So I guess I am an auntie now!

SHOUTOUTS: Grandma/Grandpa Bourne, Bette and Bubba, James, nat pat, little lexie true, nate, Sammie knaphus, ali, jess and luz (best aunts ever!) Phil, and how can I forget my parents!! 


 It isn’t the destination but the journey… 
I firmly believe that it is the Destination that make the Journey worth it. You must be striving for good things.


The Lord didn’t put us in cages, he gave us wings.


 At times we don't see our progress until we get close to the top and look back from the high ridges

LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT
“Lead kingly light amid the encircling gloom, lead thou me on!
The night is dark and I am far from home: lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet, I do not ask to see the distant scene
One step enough for me

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on.
I loved to choose and see my path; but now, lead thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears, pride ruled my will.
Remember not past years. *


 I love this song! The words didn’t hit me until this week. The second verse says how we need to give our lives to the Lord and let him lead us. We all love to choose and see clearly our path, but the Lord may have other plans for us, so we need to give that to the Lord. It takes immense faith, but it will be worth it in the end! 


*On February 1st I went to Yad Vashem, this is where the Holocaust museum is. We only had about 2 hours to walk through it, but we were able to stop in every room, as well as the children’s memorial. Honestly there are no words that can describe this museum I was on the verge of tears the entire time. They have documentary clips of survivors and their stories. I knew about the Holocaust, but I didn’t understand what truly happened, and I don’t think anyone ever will. These people were humiliated, beaten and killed mercilessly. There were some whos job was to photograph during this time. They have these pictures in the museum. It truly disgusted me. The Nazi soldiers looked like cruel Jr. High boys picking on the scrawny kid. They had just pure joy in their faces as they tormented these people. There is one picture that really hit me. So of course I had to choreograph a dance. I am working on it right now. This picture is a simple one, a woman and child. She is holding her son and just staring. It is a profile shot and the emotion on her face is so hard to pin point. She was just about to be taken from the line and shot along with her child. I tried putting myself in this woman's place, what was she feeling as she sat there waiting. There was so much happening that there was just a blank nothing on her face. I hope that I can, through my dance bring some sort of emotion out as to how horrendous this must have been to my audience. There are about 10 girls that are in the piece and they are all hard workers and passionate about the subject. I am excited to send you the final piece.


 * This whole week we have all been inside studying…all day every day! Good news however, It was hailing really hard and sort of “snowing” (misting) I loved it and I am so glad that these people are getting the moisture they so desperately needed. *I had two midterms, Judaism and Old Testament…. STRESSFUL*We are in Joshua and I was really touched by Joshua 1. These people have a great attitude!

 vs 9 “have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage: be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.
 vs 16 “…all that thou commandest us we will do, and withersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
Joshua 7:10 “ And the lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up: wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?” I LOVE this, we all get discouraged at times but honestly buck up and move on with your life! Someone out there has it harder than you. Get up and go do something good for someone else.

MORE HOLINESS GIVE ME“More holiness give me, more strivings within
More patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin
More faith in my savior, more sense of his care
More joy in his service, more purpose in prayer
More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord
More pride in his glory, more hope in his word
More tears for his sorrows, more pain at his grief
More meekness in trial, more praise for relief
More purity give me, more strength to over come
More freedom from earth stains, more longing for home
More fit for the kingdom, more used would I be
More blessed and holy, more Savior like thee.”
*We need to do and give more in this gospel. We can no longer just sit by and breeze through life. We need to be actively involved in our spiritual lives. This song is so powerful. I don’t think we listen to the words of hymns close enough. I challenge you to really look at what you are singing every day in church. 


”Wherever you live in this earth and whatever your life’s situation may be, I testify to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness” –President Uchdorf 
“Even when things are dark, we need to realize that God won't let anything happen to us that isn’t for out own good.”


 *I am so grateful to be born in the family that was born in, to have the siblings I have. I love my life and my situation. I am so grateful for all the blessings that have been poured into my life and I wish I could have been more grateful. I wish I hadn't been so selfish with my life, but I know that I had to learn certain things. I wouldn't be the girl I am today without certain trials.So much love your way!.:/katie
(pictures are of my beautiful amazing room mates!)right to left… me Leslie Ali and Lacey