Freedom!

Wow, where to start for today? So much happened, I have so many thoughts.

This morning we had four hours of classes; two hours of religion and two hours of near eastern history. We learned A LOT and it was all very interesting, intense, and overwhelming.

After classes we had lunch and then meetings with our committees. I'm on the field trip committee and I am responsible for taking care of hotel keys, making sure the bus driver is fed, making sure everyone has extra water, and taking care of headsets that all of the students use on the field trips. It should be a good way to get involved with everyone and learn names. My committee is also in charge of doing bus counts and special spotlights during long field trips like our 18 hour drive to Egypt.

Today we finally got to go into the city on our own! We couldn't go out until 3 because on Fridays the Muslims gather to worship in the old city for their Sabbath day and we have to stay away from crowds. Then once we were able to go into the city we had to come back before sunset, so we only have a few hours.

When we got out of the center on our own it felt so good! The weather was wonderful, and it was fun to get to know people in my group. I was in a group of 6 people with 4 girls and 2 boys. We took a lot of pictures and had a lot of fun. I got so many amazing pictures today, I wish that I could load them onto my blog.


While we walked through the city a lot of people would say "Mormons" when we passed, and a lot of the merchants would catch us walking by their store and would say "Mormons!!" and when we told them that we didn't have any money (lies) they'd say "Oooh, you come look for another time!! Come look at my store!" We would go and look and compliment on how beautiful the things were that they were selling, etc, and they'd say "This is normally such and such a price, but for you, Mormon, I give you a good deal!" They were all really great and I had a lot of fun talking to them. They said that since the other group of BYU "Mormon" students left they have been looking forward for the next one to come.

The kids in Jerusalem are so cute. When we walk from the center to the Old City they are always at the gates of their yards and they wave to us and say "hello!" While we are walking, I noticed that people in Jerusalem honk their horns at very random times. And then I realized that they were actually honking at us. Friendly, little "hello" honks. My favorite today was when a man riding in the back seat of a car, smoking a cigarette, leaned out of the window (after his car honked at us) and said "Hello, Mormons". The people really are so friendly. One man in the old city heard us talking about a place we wanted to go to and he stopped us and told us we were going in the wrong direction and told us where to go. So nice, so friendly!

I am so exhausted and have a lot of homework, but at the same time I want to be social and have fun. I have had a great time getting to know everyone and becoming friends with them. At dinner we eat at big tables and then just sit around and talk for a long time. I'm having a great time in Jerusalem, and I look forward to all of the other things I will get to do.




**Explanation of pictures: The first picture is of a group of BYU students right outside of the city at a cross walk. We see this view very often and it is absolutely beautiful. The Jerusalem Center is on the hill behind us. The video is of us out for the very first time on our own. The last two pictures are of me in the Old City. (p.s. are you digging my fanny pack, or what???)