Life in Jerusalem Moves on

Well, life in Jerusalem moves on. We were finally able to do our Old City walking tour, which means that the students were finally able to be set loose to get out into the city by themselves. I enjoyed taking my small group of students around. Lana was in the group. I didn’t get lost, well not exactly. I missed one turn, but then we were back on track. It was interesting for me to see the change in me. Last semester I was tied to the directions and notes about all of the sites, but this time I hardly used them except to make sure that I hadn’t forgotten anything. So I felt that I have learned a lot in this last few months.

In class we’ve had one week of Old Testament and I’m already more than an entire lesson behind schedule! It’s the story of my life. There’s just too much great stuff to talk about. I was hoping to finish Genesis on Friday and start exodus, but no such luck. I’m starting to get to know the names of some of my students. It’s a hard job! I think that when we go on our trip to Jordan next week, it will help.

Picture 1 this week is of Lana and I at Mar Elias, an overlook that allowed us to see Bethlehem. The photo is us in front of an olive orchard. This overlook that we walked to was interesting because before the Six Day War in 1967 it was controlled by Jordan and was just over the hill from land controlled by Israel. So there was the remains of a Jordanian army bunker, so that was interesting to see.

Picture 2 was taken at the Good Samaritan Inn that used to be a Khan or a refreshment stop on the road to Jericho. It has been converted into a Museum that houses ancient mosaics from the West Bank. The faculty and wives took a trip there on Thursday. I really liked because it had a room dedicated to Samaritan mosaics found on Mount Gerizim. I’ve been interested in the Samaritans since I wrote a paper on the Samaritan Woman at the well. What I really enjoyed was being able to read the captions on these photos that were in Hebrew and English, but I didn’t need to read the English—I could understand the Hebrew! That was a lot of fun!

Picture 3 is Lana having her first shwarma in the Old City, just inside Damascus Gate. Tomorrow I’ll take her to Al Shula’s for the best shwarma (in my opinion)!!!!!

Picture 4 is Lana at the Garden of Gethsemane 

Today in Seminary I showed a video of the combined BYU choirs singing, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-a1VI7Q0g8.  It is a low tech video, in standard definition and the people’s mouth’s don’t line up exactly with the singing. Nevertheless it has great sentimental value for me. When I was hired at BYU I went to my first preschool meetings. In the afternoon session the Academic Vice President showed this video. I was so excited to be started at BYU, never did I ever think that this lower middle class Australian kid would end up teaching there. But I was also very nervous. This song is about the tension a person feels between their spiritual inadequacies and their longing to be one with Christ: 

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above."  

I remember the power and emotion of this video. I felt the testimonies of these students as the sang and played and I realized the responsibility that I would have as I taught at BYU. I also thought about how that song echoed my own spiritual struggles to give my heart and life over to the Savior, but realizing that I am so inadequate. It was just a powerful moment in my life, that comes back to me whenever I hear that song. Anyway, last night as I was preparing my Seminary lesson, I felt that I should share it with my class today, giving the background of why it is important to me. As I did so there were technical difficulties which interfered with the Spirit, but eventually we got it going and I felt the Spirit so powerfully. I just hope that my students did as well.