So Bitter sweet :/

I have now lived in Jerusalem for four months and it has seriously been the most memorable and life-changing experience of my life. I have met so many people that have touched me with who they are and they way they live their lives. I have visited so many places and seen so many different sights that have helped me to see the Bible so much more clearly. I have made 82 new best friends that have helped me grow so much and I know that we will cherish our friendships forever. The Old City and Jerusalem have found a very special place in my heart and I will never be able to forget them. I loved my time to socialize, be academic, wander through the Old City and explore, make great friends, and most of all I have been able to take so much time to ponder and think about my life, who I want to be, and how I am going to live my life. I want to make sure that I leave Jerusalem with my memories, but also that I apply the things I have learned to my life. I know I will be able to make decisions in my future much better because of the things I have learned here. I hope you all know that I am so grateful for your emails and support through this amazing experience!

This is Jerusalem the second to last night before leaving, pretty much the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen :)

Oh Galilee

I don't even know where to begin. Living at the Sea of Galilee for ten days was such an amazing experience and I cannot even begin to describe just how wonderful it was. I learned so much about the Savior, Jesus Christ, and it was such a learning experience to live in the very places where he spent most of his ministry. We stayed on a kibbutz called Ein Gev, but we stayed in the "hotel" part of the kibbutz. It was a very peaceful place right on the shores of the Sea of Galilee; there was a beach with many hammocks and palm trees everywhere! I went swimming every other day and on my off days we usually had field trips all over the area of the Galilee to go to places where Christ performed miracles and where he taught. I did have class every other day, but somehow it wasn't so bad having class knowing where I was. We had bonfires two or three times and just had a blast hanging out under the stars and hearing the waves lap at our feet while roasting marshmallows in a fire. I was able to spend night and morning by myself just looking over the Sea of Galilee, studying the scriptures, and pondering the life of the Savior. I have never felt so much peace and tranquility in one place in my life. I feel so blessed to have been able to spend ten days there and learning so much about Jesus Christ. Amidst me learning so much and strengthening my testimony, I had so much fun just hanging out with the group, building stronger bonds, and doing crazy/fun stuff! I won't go into too much detail, but here are some pictures to give you a feel for what I did and where I was!

The boat we rode in on the Sea of Galilee where we sang "Master the Tempest is Raging"

Kathryn, Lo, and myself on the boat :)

The church on top of the Mt. of Beatitudes which was so beautiful! 

The grounds on top of the Mt. of Beatitudes looks like the Garden of Eden or what I would imagine it to look like, so beautiful! 

Me standing in the Sea of Galilee at a church called St. Peter's Primacy

The city of Capernaum where Jesus healed many people 

The beautiful city of Capernaum

The synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus probably taught 

The sunset over Galilee at Capernaum

Us playing at the Sea of Galilee during free time 

The church on top of Mt. Tabor, also considered the Mt. of Transfiguration

Father Antone, the priest at the church on Mt. Tabor 

In the basement of the church where people leave pieces of paper with prayers, on the back of this picture is a prayer for this baby 

Me and Will! 

Me, Steven, and Ashley riding an iron horse at Tel Megiddo 

Ha Shelosha, a huge freshwater pool where we went swimming 

Lizzie, Lo, and myself at Tel Dan, it was super green and so pretty! 

Me at the Winnie the Pooh tree! 

Me and Em at the city of Caesarea Phillipi

A big crusader castle that we got to explore! 

Me standing on the wall of the castle overlooking the castle! 

Me standing in the Mediterranean Sea at Caesarea Maritima 

Gorgeous sunset at the Sea of Galilee 

"I'll be home for Christmas!" I wrote this in the sand at the Mediterranean Sea where it was 80 degrees and gorgeous outside! We got to spend about half an hour in the water just playing in the water and taking pictures :) 

I cannot wait that I want to come home at all because living in Jerusalem for three and a half months has been the most amazing experience in my life and I wish I could just stay here and keep learning and traveling around, but my time is slowly coming to an end and I am very excited to see my family for Christmas! I cannot wait to hug them and just spend three weeks of Christmas celebrating the season and sharing my experiences with my family! I have finals this next week and then we do three days of fieldtrips of Jesus Christ's life and then I'll head home and I'll remember all of the amazing memories and friendships I have made. Anyways, I hope you all know that I am perfectly safe and that they keep us very safe here in Jerusalem! So don't be worried about my safety!