Goodbye to the Jerusalem I love!

    


   Well, here I am deserted by  65 of the students and left to fend for myself in this lonely place. Mom and Dad, I can not express to you what this experience has meant to me. Yes I have been able to go to some cool sights, see too many tels and sneak into thousands of cisterns. But I am a totally different person I feel then when I stepped off that plane in Tel Aviv. I have 82 best friends. They are the best of the best. These people are truly Amazing and I am honored to have been able to spend this time with them. I have grown deep strong roots of testimony for this Gospel. I can truly say that I know my Savior, I know He Lives, He loves me. He has felt everything I have felt and I can turn to Him whenever. He died for me. He suffered so much I can not even fathom what he went through those two days. I love you two and I love our family. You two are truly remarkable people and I am sorry it took me this long to show and express that. I know I was trouble, but I hope we can look back and laugh at what a drama queen I was? I love you guys and mom I can't wait to talk to you about everything! I dont think we have ever talked about Jerusalem and your experience. Well Mom and my girl Soph- I will see you two at the airport! Ill be crying most likely so be prepared. Dad and James Ill see you two when  you get home. Dad I hope your  birthday was amazing!! I love you so much. I love this land and I am coming back one day. I will never forget how the Savior changed me here.
.:/katie  

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE WHERE CHRIST WALKED TO BE WHERE HE IS...

One week left? I swear that is not right! I go through stages of being excited to come home and stages where I wish I could just stay here with these people forever. I cannot wait to see my beautiful family (well the ones that are in Utah- the others I will see soon). School will be fun to get back into and I have a ton of fun plans for the summer!

I am having a great day where I can just sit here, read my journal, and reflect on this experience. I came here, more like I started the year, with a theme in mind. It is an amazing poem that my mom showed me probably in 8^th or 9^th grade. It is called “Comes the Dawn” and if you know me you have probably heard me quote it.

“After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and changing a soul, and you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning and company isn’t security (kisses aren’t contracts and presents aren’t promises).  After a while you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open, with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child. And you learn to build your roads on today because tomorrows ground is too uncertain and the inevitable has a way of crumbling in mid-flight. After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you stand too long in one place. So, you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone else .  You endure, and see that you really do have worth. You learn that with every good-bye comes the dawn”

 One of the first things that I noticed about the people here (in Jerusalem) was their dedication to their religion. I saw the ultra orthodox Jews and the Muslims fully living their religion. It taught me a lot about how I should rank religion in my own life.

 January 9, 2010

“The sacrament prayer was just said. It hit me so hard this time, looking out at the very city where Christ was bruised and broken, looking at the very garden where he bled and suffered for our sins. I don’t think I have ever felt so close to my Savior as I do right now.

 “Real love does not support self destructive behavior”   Love is the first law. I have learned so much about what real love is and how everyone deserves REAL love.

 January 28,2010

“I don’t think I needed to be on Sinai to know that Moses was a prophet, or go to the Garden of Gethsemane to know that Christ gave his life for me. The confirmations I get for those are when I am alone, still, reading my scriptures, or writing in my journal. I don’t know why I am here or the reason I came. Honestly it is because my parents told me to - but as the weeks go on I realize why I HAD to be here I NEED this experience whether I wanted it or not. I am so grateful to my parents for this!”

 "Even when things are dark we need to realize that God won’t let anything happen to us that isn’t for our own good”

 Music has been a huge testimony builder here. The words in the hymns really have hit my heart and made this gospel a more tangible thing for me.

 I have learned so much about the power of the priesthood and the atonement. I am truly amazed that Christ would suffer, bleed and die for each one of us. He struggled and asked his Father to “remove this cup”. Christ knows what it is like waiting for pain to pass. He knew the Father’s will and continued to endure the suffering. We are all able to take advantage of the Atonement. The Lord loves us so much. We are his children and the Savior is our Brother. We are family, they love us and we should return the love. They provided a way for us to be happy and to return to our Father in Heaven. I am so grateful for worthy priesthood holders. The guys here on this study abroad and such amazing men. They all love their Savior and put him first. They are caring and protective of us girls, which I am so grateful for.

 February 24, 2010

I will admit I didn’t know what to expect, coming here to Jerusalem. I didn’t know why I came, but day by day I find reasons. I have learned how strong I can be, I am being immersed in the gospel and feel the spirit every day! I have been able to meet people who truly blow me away. I see qualities in them that I want to acquire.

President Okiishi opened my eyes to how eternal our lives are and how this world is just one small dot on the line of eternity. He opened my eyes to how involved in my life the Lord is. My eyes were opened to my divine worth and what my potential is.  I was able to feel the Lords love. I have been humbled to a sobbing mess and have never felt so much light in my life.  I have never felt so much love in my life.  Who knows where my life will go when I get back but I know that if I keep the commandments the Lord will guide my life.  I know that there will be pain and tears but the Lord won’t put me through anything that I can’t get through.  I am looking into the future with bright eyes and with the knowledge that the Lord is on my side.  I testify that this is the one true gospel and if we trust in the Lord he will lead us to where and what we should do.

 I have been able to learn that we are not perfect. And we are not expected to be perfect. God knows that that is a silly request to make. But we MUST try. We must give our all every day to do the BEST WE CAN. Because the best we can do is accepted by the Lord. As long as you are striving for something you are slowly getting there, and that comforts me.

 March 15, 2010 (Galilee)

We went to the beach and were standing ankle deep in the water singing hymns. The waves were getting big and the wind was raging. It was very powerful. I was imagining Christ out there on his boat saying “peace be still”.  The words from the song “Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing” really hit me --“here’s my heart oh take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.”

 You don’t have to be where Christ walked to be where is IS.

 Not only walk where He walked but walk as he walked

 March 26, 2010

I find it amazing how everything about this gospel teaches us TODAY. We learn from these people’s lives. What were they learning from? Why did they come in those dispensations? Why am I here now? What can I do so others can learn from me? God knew what we needed in this life. He knew what we would learn from. He knew what to put these people through for us to learn from them. It is so easy for us to see the hand of God in their lives. Why is it so hard for us to see it in our lives?

 If the Lord asks us to do something…that is reason enough to do it.

 “Come to the edge…No I will fall!

Come to the edge…No I will fall!

Come to the edge…so I came to the edge

He pushed me and I FLEW”

 March 27,2010

Christ is exactly who he said he was. He came, he taught, he performed miracles, he suffered for us, he was killed, and rose again. He lives and he is my Savior. I love Him and love the opportunity to become closer to Him.

 April 1, 2010

“ We just reenacted the nativity. During our program we sang beautiful hymns. This is where Christ took his first breath of life. This is where his young mother Mary gave birth to our savior. I believe that his birth was a very humble and loving one. I believe it was quiet, without spectators. I can’t imagine the joy of Mary and Joseph as they looked into the face of their Redeemer.

 April 3, 2010

Thinking back on who I was and who I now am, I am blown away. I know that Christ has slowly been changing me. Day by day I have been shaped by my Savior, taking a little off here, adding a little more there. I am so grateful! I know my Savior lives, and I cannot deny it. This experience has been a little piece of Heaven. My Savior was born in Bethlehem, preached and lived in Galilee, he healed in Capernaum and Jerusalem. He fed the 5,000, He is the bread of life and the living water. It is only through him that we can return to our Father in Heaven.

 This has been the most amazing experience thus far in life to be able to live in the Holy Land for 4 months and study my Savior's life and learn about His sacrifice for me. I am so grateful for this opportunity and it will shape my life forever.  

More Photos of our trip to Jordan!

Easter service at the Garden Tomb

The Treasury at Petra

Monastary at Petra

Me in a huge water cistern

Dead Sea Mud Bath!!

A WEEK IN JORDAN...

Hey everyone! wow I will be home so soon and I can't wait to see you all! This trip has been the most amazing experience ever and I am so happy I have been able to meet all of these amazing people and see these amazing sites. We recently went to Jordan and were able to go to Petra which is BEAUTIFUL and so spectacular! I will see you April 23rd. 

Me and my security men...

JERASH: A very cool Roman place, very well preserved...

In a huge mosque.  We had to wear these Harry Potter robes...

View of Jordan

Jordan River

Me and Ali in the John the Baptist Church...

EASTER WEEK!

Ill just highlight some fun things I was able to do this week.

Palm Sunday was very interesting. Me and some girls headed into the old city we first stopped at the Church of the Redeemer. They were holding a service so we sat and listened for a little. This church is beautiful! It was the first time I was able to enter, and it had high high celings and the whole church was made of beautiful white stone. Then we headed over to the Church of the Holy Seplecher. It was crazy and some fights broke out in the line to enter Christ’s “burial”.  We were able to go upstairs and listen to some monks in training sing. Later that day we joined a HUGE mob of people on the Mount of Olives in the walk of Palm Sunday. It was very exciting and full of energy. I felt like I was in a parade. The old ladies did this crazy warrior call that was hilarious. There were so many people dancing and we threw in a few of our hymns.

We went to the Separation Wall today. It is very sad and causes a lot of heartache and trouble for these people. Followed by a hilarious talent show.

Shepherds field! We went to a beautiful field overlooking Bethlehem and celebrated Christmas! It was so much fun, we put on a Nativity and I was a little lamb.

Walking the Via Dolorosa on Good Friday. This was truly insane! We all started at station 1. There were people dressed as roman guards and a man as Jesus covered in red paint. I didn’t like that part at all. I was in a little courtyard and was trying to get out. The monks were arriving so the Israeli soldiers shoved us all out of the way and pushed us up against the wall. We were sooo squished but with the help of my man friends they protected us and got us out safe. We waddled our way through all of the stops with thousands of people from all over the world.

Later that night we welcomed in the Sabbath at the Western Wall. This time being there, was much more somber and quiet, we hardly danced. (we are not allowed to take pictures on the Sabbath, because you cant push buttons, so I don’t have any pictures…sorry)

Sabbath was amazing here at the Jerusalem center. Some girl friends and I went to Orson Hyde Gardens. It was so beautiful just overlooking Jerusalem on a beautiful, clear, warm day.

Wasn’t conference just wonderful.! I only have seen the first session so far.

Easter Sunday! I went to a service at the Garden Tomb. They played Christian rock and praised the Lord every other second. I loved it so much! There were people from every continent there!

I then literally walked EVERYWHERE! In west Jerusalem my friends and I took off our shoes to enter the Ethiopian church, there we sat for about an hour, all alone on the colorful rugs and sang Easter hymns. It was so beautiful. 

CHILE- FOR EMILY!