I Have Arrived!

Hello everyone!

I arrived in Jerusalem two days ago. The trip over was long but easy, I even managed to sleep on the plane and eat some of the plane food (and yes, they did serve hummus and olives)! When it was getting time to sleep some of the Jewish people started reading from their prayer books and praying in the corner of the plane. It made me feel safe and protected, knowing I was probably on the only flight in the world that is covered in so much prayer! I landed in Tel Aviv then took a sherut bus for an hour into Jerusalem. My first impression driving through Israel was how colorless everything is. The buildings are all made out of the same limestone, which is a government mandate but also effective in the heat, and the terrain is kind of like Pasadena, dry and desert like. We also drove through a Jewish area where I saw Orthodox Jews who have long curls, beards, black coats and slacks, and wide brimmed black hats.

I arrived at my school in the afternoon. It is right along the Old City Wall and has all sorts of stairwells, courtyards, and all the rooms are different.

Our first day we did a walking tour of the Old City. The Old City is divided into four quarters: Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Armenian. Everything is within walking distance of each other and surprisingly small.

We went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the location of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. A big church has been built over where Jesus is believed to have died and inside are altars from the Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Roman Catholics, Syrians, Ethiopians, and Coptic. It was so interesting to see these groups all commemorating the same spiritual event and having to coexist in this church while also being in conflict with one another.

We also went to Saint Anne’s Church and the pools of Bethesda. This is where Jesus healed the crippled man in John 5. I had no idea the pools were so huge, which was especially evident when getting to walk around in their remains!

On our way back we stopped by a shop owned by an Orthodox Jew who is a friend of our professor’s. His life work is bridging communication between Christians and Jews. He told us that everyone who is in Israel has been invited by God, and no one who comes here can leave unchanged. He also said every piece of fruit and every tree we see is a prophecy fulfilled.

Today we went to King David’s palace and the pool where Jesus healed the blind man. While we were at King David's Palace we read Psalm 121, which begins "I lift up my eyes to the mountains--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." It was so interesting to read this Psalm in its geographical context, because David's palace is at the bottom of the Kihdron Valley. It made so much sense that he would say this because in looking up from the valley he would have seen mountains.

The most exciting part of the day was walking through a long, narrow tunnel that was Hezekiah’s water system. First we walked down several flights of stairs, then entered into a dark tunnel that was chiseled out of stone. The water came up to our knees at parts and the walls were as close as our elbows. I can’t imagine being the people who had to carve the tunnel!

The light in Israel is really a unique quality. During the day it is bright then it cools down to a golden tone in the evening. Before coming here I kept visualizing Israel in bright golden lights, just like it turned out to be.

Well, those are the highlights so far. JUC has kept us really busy, with lots and lots of walking and things to see. That has definitely helped with the jetlag. I hope everyone at home is doing well! Send me notes on my blog or email me, I’d love to hear from you!