Returned from Galilee just in time for Good Friday

Sorry that I haven’t written for a couple of weeks. We were up in the Galilee for 11 days and we’re constantly on the go up there. It’s all that I can do to keep up every thing. It’s a wonderful trip. Just exhausting! We went to all of the same sites as last semester, but we didn’t have the rainy weather when we were on field trips, which was nice. It was good to have Lana up there, but I hardly saw her. The two classes are going in different directions except for the last three days, which are long field trip days. 

This picture is sunset on the Galilee from my bungalow! Did you see the Church’s latest Easter video clip, “He lives”? The last scene is of Mount Arbel and it looks like it is taken from En Gev, where we stay. The students had fun sitting on the beach watching it, and seeing the live picture and comparing it with the video. We actually had remarkably clear visibility this trip, which was lovely. I felt a little more at ease with the field trips this time. On the last day I even flew solo, because Jeff Chadwick had sprained his ankle so he drove straight back to Jerusalem. I did ok though, so I was happy with that. 

Again, I loved the visit to the Mormon pioneers in the local cemetery. I was especially touched when one of the students, Mary, began pulling the weeds on Georg Grau’s grave as I was speaking. I think that she wanted to honor this man who sacrificed so much for the Church in Haifa.

We got back late on Thursday night. Friday was Good Friday, so we had class and then headed down to the Old City to participate in the Via Dolorosa parade from the Antonia Fortress to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The parade winds its way through the old city past each of the stations of the cross. It was a wonderful atmosphere. It was all in Arabic, but I loved being in the middle of the devotion of all of the people who were participating.

This morning, (resurrection Sunday) we all got up early and went to a dawn service at the Garden Tomb. It was a wonderful service: a great sermon by a Pastor from Oxford and great music. I loved being there.

I have really enjoyed celebrating Easter here in Jerusalem. I am so grateful for blessings of the atonement in Gethsemane and on the cross and for the Savior’s resurrection, which makes possible everything that I hold dear in my life.

I can’t believe that this group of students will be leaving in just two weeks. Where has the time gone? I have loved getting to know them and working together. I have felt the Spirit so strongly as we have studied the Old and New Testaments and my love for the gospel has tangibly deepened, in ways that I have never experienced before.