I'm home!~

Well the trip has come to an end, I'm currently posting from home in VA. It feels good but really different to be back, even though I was only gone for 4 months. We didn't sleep at all the night we left Jerusalem because we had to leave for the airport at 2am. They took our bed linens at 9pm so we couldn't sleep even if we wanted to. The night before, I went to sleep at 3:30 am. Somehow I was still functioning.

Hayley in the Ben Gurion airport at 2am as we begin our day that consisted of 18 hours of traveling

Money rearranging to get his bag under the weight limit. He ended up having to pay $100 anyway because he lost his plane ticket

Blunk & Matt were the two leaders of the group. We just did whatever they said. It's a little tricky getting 70 students through the airport and to the next plane on time- they were great


exhausted.




Vienna looked beautiful~this is just a crappy shot from the airplane window



I got off in Washington DC and my dad was there to pick me up and take me to Richmond. VA's so pretty in the spring! Actually, year round...

mi casa~

A little haggard from all the traveling. Note the bum shirt & sweats, I'm not the classiest traveler. I was greeted w/ balloons & flowers~it's sure nice to be home

~Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.~

last night in Jerusalem

The whole last week we kept saying "last this" and "last that" ie, last Shabbat, last falafel, last concert, etc. This really was the last sunset over Jerusalem I would see for a while. I'm so glad I caught it just in time


we had dinner outside on the porch


Heid & I overlooking the city




All the professors and their families sang us a song in parting. Then we watched the slide show from the whole semester, a tour of the JC and a political slide show explaining our perspective of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after living in Jeru for 4 months.


this city is magical


kara v + me + chels =

JC roomies

Ladies of 304! I love them- we had no drama, it was awesome. Janay (thinking about math education) and Anne (applying to the nursing program) are rising Juniors. Celeste is graduating, served a mission, in love with Carson. They were all so easy to get along with and helped make the trip fun.

Janay Adams, Celeste Swenson, me, Anne Pearson

Sitting on our back porch w/ our neighbor, the beautiful Stefanie Tanner

Stef & I in all the roses right outside our door

people of Jeru

I have many categories of favorites all around Jerusalem; one being favorite people. Here's a list of people that contributed to the trip (besides all the amazing students, of course...)

Brother Wilson, or B Dub. He was fantastic, I had him for New Testament. He was always popping homemade popcorn then making his way around the JC handing it out to students. He'd be buying the whole bus fresh apples from fruit stands and providing sweet bread for those who went with him to the Great Synagogue on Saturday mornings. He also carted 9 or 10 students to the Shook (Jewish market) every Friday- this saved us $$ because we didn't have to get a taxi. Great, great man.


Emad. He had great earrings and scarves and always told us to "feel at home" as he went outside and waited so we could shop alone. This was unusual bc most shopkeepers stand right behind you the whole time and show you more things to buy; its so annoying.


I forget his name. He's not one of the fav's he just gets a spot on here because he's creepy. But he gave Kara, Chels and I free candles- maybe that's why he makes the list.


ALADDIN! The money changer- he especially loooves the Mormons. He's interested in everyone's love life


Joseph Smith. He gives widows mites to any guy who can do 100 push ups and any girl who can do 70- a few from our group did it.


we bought nuts quite frequently from this guy


where I bought my "Palestine" poster- one of my favorite souvenirs

Rita! His shop is right next to Shaban's. We mostly bought our sandals from him because they were the best quality.


the guy I bought my set of 6 bowls from


Shaban. He had fresh pita & juice waiting for the Mormons everyday. I would guess at least 10 students bought something from him every single day- no wonder he loved us, we had big fatty $$ signs on our foreheads


My absolute favorite one and I never learned his name! He speaks the least amount of English out of all of them. He works in Rita's shop and gets the right size sandals for us.
our t-shirt maker
Omar the chef. He looks 17 but is married w/ kids


Mohammad the chef


Firas up in security. We call him "dancing firas" because he dances his way through the center checking up on people. He'll also tell you if your fingernails are ugly



Murad. He always told us whether or not we got a good deal in the city that day since he has a second job in the city and knows what price things should go for. He also told us a little about what life is like for him, being a Palestinian. He had a good sense of humor for all things except breaking the rules..more to come on that later


I'll miss the people the most...

the Last Supper

Last Shabbat we had a Triclinium dinner to commemorate what the Last Supper would have been like with Christ and the disciples. It was a really neat experience, especially since we did it within a few days of when the real event would have taken place 2 thousand years ago.

2 of our professors, Brown and Skinner, talked about what the Last Supper would have been like, which disciple would have been sitting where, how they would have been lying, etc. Then different students took turns reading the account from John 13-16. (I think that's right..can't find my notes..)

Here's the auditorium where it was held. You can see the city of Jerusalem, where the actual Last Supper would have occurred in an upper room somewhere, through the three giant windows.
the set up complete w/ pita and fruit


bowls and towels for washing of the feet


12 men laying around the table. They're laying on their left elbow so their right is free; just as it would have been done. The right hand is used for covenant making, taking the sacrament, etc today and was back then as well.



It's incredible how this experience has strengthened my testimony in all aspects of the Gospel, even in the sacrament. The sacrament can, and up until this point in my life, had, become a repetitive covenant I just do every single week. But having been to where they think it took place, participating in this reenactment, really reading and pondering the Last Supper the Savior had w/ the disciples and the events that unfolded that night (the betrayal of Judas, the sacrament, washing of the feet, singing a hymn), sacrament meetings have a whole new meaning.

It's such a blessing to be able to renew ourselves each week and have a designated time set aside to repent and draw closer to Jesus Christ as we think about what He did for us out of pure love.

This night was really good for me.

the Old City

These shots depict the old city perfectly. We see each of these scenes 100 times everyday.

This is Jerusalem:

The one quiet place in the city where we escape all the hustle & bustle:
on the roof