Memories of Getting My Wisdom Teeth Taken Out

The very few things I remember yesterday afternoon and night:

- Feeling really happy whenever the nurses tried waking me up.
- Thinking, "The doctor is sawing open my gums as we speak. This is trippy!"
- For a moment, I forgot why I was hearing buzzing noises and feeling vibrations in my mouth. I thought, "What are they doing to my mouth? Oh yeah, I am getting my wisdom teeth out. Time to go back to sleep."
- Woke myself up snoring at the end of the proceder.
- Nurse putting me in a wheelchair and me realizing that I forgot my glasses while we were almost to the parking lot.
- Nurse asking me as we're almost to the Kevin's car, "Is that your boyfriend?" Me replying, "That's my home teacher."
- Kevin having to help me go up the stairs to my apartment.
- Kevin telling Cassie everything that needs to be done to help me out. I was annoyed to why the doctor and nurses didn't just tell me after the proceder all of the instructions that I needed to follow. I now realize that I couldn't even carry
- Me being too lazy to text or call anyone: Having my roommate answer my phone calls and text people.
- My roommate telling me to put the cold packs on my face, but me saying that it's irrational to use them because they are not even "cold."
- Kurt coming over to drive us to pick up my medication at Walgreens. I remember distinctly that I was not supposed to use stairs, but I had to use stairs to get to his car.
- Walking through the Breezeway confused to why people were sitting in chairs in the hallway of the men's apartments. I thought they were playing games and I started to feel bitter because they did not invite me. It wasn't until we got back from Walgreens that I realized they were doing tithing settlements. I didn't feel so bad anymore.
- I needed some kind of insurance thing to get the medication. I think I gave my phone to my roommate to talk to my dad because I started loosing it and feeling incoherent. (I am pretty sure I was getting cranky all that night too.)
- Giving a thumbs up to Lucia when she asks me how I am.
- Sarah making a medication chart for me to keep track of when I have to take everything.
- Cassie giving me yogurt.
- Me whining because I let my last bite of Jell-O fall in the trash.
- Me sleeping at 10 p.m. because I want to sleep off the drugs they gave me.

I'm not even sure if half of these things really did happen. I felt like everything that happened from 1:40 p.m. and on was a dream. I'd like to think that this all happened.

I felt like I was myself when I took that drug, but more loose and not afraid of what people thought of me. It was a pretty cool feeling. I think I understand now why people take drugs and how they get hooked.

"I'm giving a talk...I know it!"

The week before we got to Galilee, I thought to myself, "I could be giving a talk in the Tiberias branch."

Brother Ludlow approached me at the start of the Galilee trip and asked me to give a talk that upcoming Sunday.

Last Sunday, the Bishopric announced that we are going to have combined Church with several wards this Sunday. I thought, "I'm pretty sure they are going to ask me to give a talk."

Brother Christensen called me last night at 7 p.m. wondering if I would be willing to give a talk. I didn't check my phone until an hour later, so I missed his call. I ended up not speaking at Church today. I almost had to though.

The Holy Ghost is good at giving me a heads up.

Gelato...mmm

If you are ever in Caesarea Maritima, get this gelato. It is muy bueno/好吃/ono/tasty! It was so filling, it was ridiculous!

"Mormons are everywhere!"

Sarah and I were watching the BYU vs. University of North Carolina women's soccer game tonight on TV. In the middle of the game, the announcers said that there were two LDS coaches here tonight. I was confused to what that meant. I thought they were referring to BYU having two coaches that were LDS, which is not news at all considering this is BYU. Sarah ended up finding out that the two coaches they were referring to was BYU and North Carolina. I was shocked. I could not believe that the top teams in the nation were coached by Mormons. BYU, before this game, was ranked no. 1 in the nation. North Carolina was ranked no. 2.

Sarah made the comment, "Mormons are everywhere!" This is so true! Nowadays, I feel like you can find Mormons anywhere and everywhere. They are spreading like wildfire! I am pretty sure Mormons are going to take over the world pretty soon.

The Dead Sea Scrolls...Not Found in the Sea

Growing up, I always thought that the Dead Sea Scrolls were found at the bottom of the Dead Sea. I was enlightened. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found here in caves next to the Dead Sea. A mind blowing realization!

What's Most Important?

Today in my LDS Marriage and Family class, I learned that what we need to do to determine what's important is to slow down and listen to the Holy Ghost.

I feel like I have been going full-speed-ahead since day one of this Fall semester. I am the type that likes to pack in my day/semester with as much tasks as I can. I like being busy. I like having something productive to do. This is not how life is supposed to be.

Today is the first time things are slowing down for me. I never realized how out of place my priorities have been this semester. This was a huge problem with me last year as well. I'm surprised that I didn't learn from my mistake. I have been putting school before a lot of things that are much more important: God and people. This reminded me of Elder Cook's talk, "Can Ye Feel So Now," from this past General Conference. It reminded me of this following passage:

Many who are in a spiritual drought and lack commitment have not necessarily been involved in major sins or transgressions, but they have made unwise choices. Some are casual in their observance of sacred covenants. Others spend most of their time giving first-class devotion to lesser causes. Some allow intense cultural or political views to weaken their allegiance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some have immersed themselves in Internet materials that magnify, exaggerate, and, in some cases, invent shortcomings of early Church leaders. Then they draw incorrect conclusions that can affect testimony. Any who have made these choices can repent and be spiritually renewed.

I would highly recommend reading this whole talk over. It's a really insightful one. Actually, all talks are insightful, but this one especially.

I feel like the best way to recognize what's most important is to see if what you're doing is in line with the two greatest commandments: 1) Love God and 2) love your neighbor.

Missiles Targeted at Jerusalem

This is impossible. Who is dumb enough to aim at Jerusalem?!? Jerusalem is sacred to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. There is also a good mixture of Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem. If someone were to attack Jerusalem, they are only going to piss off the whole world. Hamas better get their militants under control if they want to survive.

So I'm trying to Google what's currently going down in Israel by typing in the search box "Hamas" and "Israel." Every time I would type in those words, Google would go haywire. So much for the Internet keeping us updated.

Turkey = Gorgeous

These pictures cannot even justify how glorious Turkey is.

Turkey is way too gorgeous for me to only post these pictures. So, there will be more pictures to come.

A stone of a sepulchre

I decided that I'm going to alternate writing about my present and my past (especially in the Jerusalem Center). I'll be throwing around random pictures that I took while I was attending the Jerusalem Center. I'm too lazy to write everything that happened from Day #1 of the Jerusalem Center until the end. I'll try to give a taste of all the different aspects of my Jerusalem Center experience.

During "the Last Days" tour of Christ's life, we went around the Mt. of Olives. Our teachers took us to a place that is assumed to have been graves. Above is a picture (not a very good one) of a type of stone that could have sealed Jesus' tomb. I thought this was neat because the Garden Tomb does not have the sealing stone next to Jesus' tomb. Items like these made me realize how real Jesus' death and resurrection was. 

Mission Papers...Started!

Obama is re-elected, by the way. I can live with that. I want to see what else he can do as president.


Anyways, I started my mission papers on November 4, 2012. I'm already like halfway through filling out my mission papers too. I can't turn them in until like the end of December since my availability date will be at the end of April. I think the earliest I can get my mission call is in mid-January. I'm super stoked!

The Jerusalem Center meets Harry Potter

This list cracked me up so bad. If you lived at the Jerusalem Center, this list would seem pretty accurate. I love every single one of these adults. I love them for making my Jerusalem experience the best that it could be.

The Last Sunset at Galilee

I just realized that I can post photos from my journeys from this summer since I have legit internet. This is the last sunset I saw at Galilee. I pretty much realized everything that I need to do in life while I was watching this sunset. It's amazing the things you realize when you just take a couple of minutes to stop and ponder life.

Lame Mormons

On a sabbath afternoon in Jerusalem, I sat in front of the Dominus Flevit Church overlooking the Old City and the Kidron Valley. (By the way, this vantage point of the Old City and the Kidron Valley is the absolutely gorgeous. If you're ever down in Jerusalem, just sit in front of the Dominus Flevit and contemplate life. ) I could not stop thinking about the people of Jerusalem. I thought about the kindness they show for others. I thought about their sincerity. I thought about the emotion they have as they worship. I thought about the love that they have for who they are worshiping.

After contemplating what this all meant, I thought "Wow, there are people here in Jerusalem that are closer to Christ or God (for those who are Jewish and Muslim) more than some Mormons, if not most." I broke down crying as that thought came to mind. Too long and too often in my life I have forgotten the Lord. Yet, I have been blessed with the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I owe the Lord my heart and soul for the blessing of not only the Atonement, but having His fullness. I have been given much, but I have not been grateful enough.

The thought of Mormons lacking passion for the Gospel and the Lord has really been weighing on my mind. Coming back to BYU after spending time in Jerusalem was a culture shock. It was more of a religious shock actually. Church seemed like a social gathering, rather than a worship gathering. The young adults seemed a little too light-hearted on the sabbath. I questioned where their hearts were, especially on the sabbath. It made me sad to think that members of the Church lack love for their Savior. (Although I am saying all of this, this does not mean I am not like them.)

I was so so so so so so so grateful that this past General Conference revolved around having a true conversion to the Gospel and the Lord. I felt like the Lord knew what has been weighing on my mind, so He decided to address this issue at General Conference. It's not enough to just be a worthy, active member of the Church. We should be living and breathing for the Lord. We should be keeping the greatest commandment: to love the Lord. I just realized recently that we could be worthy, active members of the Church without keeping the greatest commandment. Our motive for being worthy, active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should be our love for the Lord. Actually, our motive in everything should be our love for the Lord.

So let's not be lame Mormons. Let's be true disciples of the Lord.

LDS Marriage & Family = MUST TAKE

I believe that all single BYU students should take LDS Marriage & Family before they get married. It is one of the most enlightening classes ever...seriously. I feel like this class should be a required GE. My perspective on everything that relates to marriage is changed. Here's some ideas that were said in lectures that have stuck out to me:
- To be like God, family must be the number one priority.
- If you are sealed to it or you made a covenant with it, it should be your top priority.
- The Atonement makes eternal marriage possible.
- If we do not want to do what is right, we will not have the passion in marriage.
- Find someone that loves Christ more than you.
- If your career gets in the way of the family, you have failed.
- The temple will be the greatest marital councilor we will have.
- The temple gives the answers to all of our problems.
- Do not avoid dating someone because you are afraid of ruining your friendship.
- Do not fall in love with someone that you shouldn't marry, which is a statement directed towards LDS members dating other LDS members (not just nonmembers).
- Personality is the wrong criterion for marriage; you should marry someone for their Christ-like characteristics.
- If you want to know who someone really is, look at how they act around everyone else (family members, roommates, strangers, enemies, etc.). It doesn't matter how someone acts around you.

Here's a fun little section: "Lessons from Returned Missionaries"
- Dating can be spiritual, and not just social.
- God is more interested in our success than we are.
- Be purposeful - proactively look for a spouse.
- See each date as a beautiful son or daughter of God - leave dates better than you found them.
- Seek to serve those you date - don't just socialize.
- Honor agency - you are to invite not coerce.
- Do not let rejection or heartbreak keep you from finding heaven.
- The more you love - the less artificial your efforts will be, the more natural it will be...and the more enjoyable.
***These above principles can be applied to life in general***



....more to come....

Places I have been this year...

From August 2011 to August 2012:
Utah - here for obvious reasons
Colorado - to get to Texas
New Mexico - had a pit stop here at Jodie's relatives
Texas - final destination of the road trip
Arizona - drove for like 20 minutes through this place to get to Four Corners
Washington - for Christmas break with cousins
Oregon - decided to drive down here for fun. We were planning on going to Canada, but I didn't have my passport at the time.
New York - stopped over here to and from Israel
Israel - here for most of my spring/summer 2012
Turkey - the spring break I never had (literally, because there's no such thing as "spring break" at BYU)
Jordan - the true Middle East
California - stopped over here going to Hawaii from Israel
Idaho - drove up there for a wedding reception
Hawaii - here for like 2 weeks

Back in Provo

Round 3 at BYU.

My apartment is pretty exotic. We have a ESL student from Argentina, a Filipino from Hawaii, a Missourian that's into Japanese things, a South Carolinian, and a Texan (Texas is practically another country). Our apartment knows how to speak English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, German, and some Hebrew (Hebrew probably doesn't count considering that we only took a half-credit worth of Hebrew).

In all my classes, except for my Analysis of Variance class, I will have at least one friend. I'll have tons of fun talking to them.

I'm going to go play kickball now at the Opening Social with the ward so this post will be continued.

Playlist of My Life...in the Jerusalem Center

Sad day. The day after I landed in Hawaii, my laptop broke. There is a chance that everything on my computer will be wiped out when I get it back after it's repaired. That means pretty much all of the pictures that I ever took of the Jerusalem Center experience will be deleted. I took several thousand pictures and there's a possibility that they will go "chow-see-ya-go-bye-bye."    :(
At least there's thousands more that my fellow JC students took, so I could just rip their pictures off of Facebook or something.

The whole Jerusalem Center experience is over. After arriving back home from 30 hours of traveling, I felt like that whole experience was just a dream (kinda reminds me of Inception). I seriously need to remind myself that it was not a dream. The best way for me is to listen to the music that remind me of the whole experience. Throughout the semester, I compiled a playlist of songs that will remind me of the Jerusalem Center.

1. Fall Apart Today - Schuyler Fisk
2. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
3. Summer Love - Justin Timberlake
4. What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction
5. So Good - B.o.B.
6. Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright
7. Jerusalem - Matisyahu
8. Helena Beat - Foster the People
9. So This is Goodbye - William Fitzsimmons
10. Consider the Lilies - MoTab
11. Flightless Bird, American Mouth (Wedding Version) - Iron & Wine
12. King Without a Crown - Matisyahu
13. Homeward Bound - MoTab
14. This is the Christ - MoTab
15. Time of Your Song - Matisyahu
16. On Top of the World - Imagine Dragons

I'll give some explanations to why these songs remind me of the Jerusalem Center:

• 2, 3, and 4 were the songs that were played in Turkey constantly. Since then, if there's songs being played on the intercom on the bus or at a dance, these three songs would definitely be in the mix. 5 was also played at like every dance party. And the fact that this song talks all about traveling, it reminds me of all of our adventures.
• 6 reminds me of the Old Testament. It describes the feeling I get as I read about King David and Samson.
• 7 obviously reminds me of Jerusalem. It mostly reminds me of the Old City. 
• 8 reminds me of the desert. It reminds me of the long bus ride down to Eilat to go swimming.  
• 9 actually reminds me of the middle of my Jerusalem experience. That was when it kicked in that we were actually going to leave Jerusalem for the states in no time. 
• We (the ward choir) sang 10 and 14 in sacrament meeting. 10 reminds me of the nature found in the Jerusalem Center/around the Jerusalem Center/Galilee. 14 reminds me of our last Sabbath day in the Holy Land. We sang 14 as the closing song in sacrament meeting.
• 11 reminds me of the sunsets in Galilee. I would listen to this song as I watched the sunset over the Sea of Galilee. It reminds me of calm waters, birds gliding in the air, a watercolor sky, shimmering Tiberias across the sea, and peace.
• 12 reminds me of driving around to our field trips in Galilee.
• 13 reminds me of going home. More specifically, being happy about going home.
• 15 reminds me of leaving the Jerusalem Center to go to the airport for the states. This song pretty much reminds me of the last things I see in Israel before we reach the airport.
• 16 reminds me of the whole Jerusalem Center experience. This song was on one of the memories videos.

AAAHHHH!!!

LESS THAN 24 HOURS UNTIL CHOW-SEE-YA-GO-BYE-BYE (THE WISE WORDS OF BASHIR).

On a happy note, here's a Primary song gone awry:

I looked out the window and what did I see?
Skinny dippers in the Sea of Galilee.
Summer has brought me such a nice surprise,
Naked Mormons right before my eyes.
I could take my swimsuit and wave it in the air.
Brother Jackson is coming but I really don't care.
Don't you want to be swimming bare and free.
Skinny dipping in the Sea of Galilee.


Once I get back home, I'll have legit internet so I could post pictures on here (not pictures that relate to this song though).

I'll Be "Homeward Bound"

I have 4 more full days at the Jerusalem Center program. I can't believe the final week in Jerusalem is here. I could not even fathom leaving the Jerusalem Center during that first week being here. I have mixed emotions about leaving. On one hand, I'm sad that this whole 4 month experience is coming to an end. This whole experience has been unbelievable. I love the people, places, and everything here. On the other hand, I'm happy to go back home to Hawaii for a bit and then to BYU Provo. I feel like I have a lot to come back to. The song "Homeward Bound" that the Mormon Tabernacle sings reminds me of the Jerusalem Center coming to an end. I am posting the lyrics because they are beautiful:

In the quiet misty morning, when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing and the sky is clear and red,
When the summer's ceased its gleaming, when the corn is past its prime,
When adventure's lost its meaning, I'll be homeward bound in time.

Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.

If you find it's me you're missing, if you're hoping I'll return,
To your thought I'll soon be list'ning; in the road I'll stop and turn.
Then the wind will set me racing as my journey nears its end,
And the path I'll be retracing when I'm homeward bound again.

Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.

In the quiet misty morning when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing, I'll be homeward bound again.

This song changed my perspective on leaving. The phrase "set me free to find my calling" makes me excited to apply and teach all that I have learned in the Jerusalem Center programs. I feel like I can fully apply and teach what I've learned once I return to the states. 

I absolutely love the 3rd verse. It's my favorite verse out of the whole song. The 3rd verse made me excited to come back to loved ones. "To your thought I'll soon be listening; in the road I'll stop and turn." If you hope for me to return, I promise I'll stop and turn.

A Little Humour at the Mt. of Beatitudes

I had a very spiritual, yet amusing time at the Mt. of Beatitudes. Is it even possible to be super spiritual, yet be bursting out laughing all at the same time? Like every other site, there is a church that is built wherever Christ has done something. Brother Harper sat us down in front of the church that commemorates the Sermon on the Mount. We were yards away from it though. When Bother Harper gave his devotional, a little old lady would start screaming in a microphone saying, "Be quiet! There are people praying in the church!" She had pretty good English. I could only hear a slight hint of an accent. The whole time Brother Harper was giving his devotional, every other ten seconds she would yell into the microphone. Brother Harper started feeling self-conscious after a while and thought that he was the one being too loud. He was not talking loud at all though since we had headsets to hear him clearly. I thought it was ironic that she was yelling into a microphone to tell people to be quiet. I am pretty sure she herself was disturbing those who were praying. She was a cute, well-intentioned lady though.

Megan and Rachelle then performed "Consider the Lilies" right where we were. I was freaking out because I was expecting the little lady yelling in the microphone to tell them to be quiet. Luckily, she did not say anything because that would have been super awkward. Megan played the violin and Rachelle sang. It was such a beautiful rendition. I started tearing. During the middle of the song, an African tour group were passing right behind them. They stopped to take pictures and videos of them. I could not help but laugh at this sight. They seemed so eager to get a shot of them singing. After Rachelle and Megan finished singing, the same lady that was yelling into the microphone started clapping. She even came up to take a picture of them. There was just so much going on around us while we were having such spiritual moments, that I could not help but laugh at this whole episode on the Mt. of Beatitudes.

I am pretty sure this does not sound funny at all to whoever is reading this. These are one of those moments where you have to have been there to understand. Or maybe I was just slap happy and immature at that time and I was the only one that found this all funny.

Christ's Purpose on Earth

I decided to post a writing exercise of mine that I did for Brother Harper's class. My mind was blown after writing this writing exercise. I always thought that Jesus' disciples knew during Jesus' ministry why He came on earth. The disciples had no idea that Jesus would die, that He may save all mankind.

Below is the confusingly worded prompt that led me to figure out Jesus' disciples:

This essay should reflect your accumulation of insight over the course of the semester (the passage of time/experience) relative to seeing or understanding and its relationship to memory.  Use John 12:16 in context as your guide.  In your first well-developed paragraph, explain to readers why even Jesus’ disciples did not understand everything “at the first.”  According to that verse, what transpired before the disciples could understand what they had witnessed in Jesus triumphal entry?  According to that verse, the disciples did not “remember”--a scholar of memory might prefer “recognize,” a specific component of memory—until what they already knew until “then.”  What is the “then” in John 12:16?  A combination of two things catalyzed the disciples’ ability to discover the meaning in Jesus’ triumphal entry: namely their knowledge of scripture and their personal experiences.  Comment on that combination.

With all that in mind, reflect thoughtfully and specifically in your second paragraph on what you did not understand about Jesus “at the first,” meaning, for our purposes, before you came to Jerusalem.  Then assess in a thoughtful sentence or two how little you still know and how your future experiences, combined with your Jerusalem experiences, will enable you to remember as Jesus’ disciples remembered in John 12:16. 

I wrote a pretty basic essay, but I felt like sharing what I analyzed through the scriptures:

Jesus’ disciples did not understand everything “at the first” because they did not expect the Messiah to save all mankind through the atonement. The Jews believed that the Messiah would be one that would deliver the Jews from the rule of the Romans. At first, His disciples did not perceive that the acts of Jesus riding on a donkey and going straight to the temple to preach were acts of the Messiah. However, the disciples understood that before Jesus’ triumphal entry, He was a divine being. Jesus manifested His divine nature through His miracles and words. Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and raised the dead. In the chapter before Jesus’ triumphal entry in the Gospel of John, Jesus testifies He is the resurrection and the life. Jesus resurrects Lazarus from the dead. This last miracle in the Gospel of John foreshadows Jesus’ resurrection. Despite Jesus foreshadowing His glorification through His resurrection, Jesus’ disciples did not understand Jesus’ true purpose on earth. The disciples only understood Jesus’ true purpose after the atonement was complete. The time Jesus was resurrected was when the disciples are referred to as having “remembered” in John 12:16. Jesus was glorified after His resurrection. Jesus was glorified after the completion of the atonement. The disciples discovered the meaning of Jesus’ triumphal entry through their scripture knowledge and their personal experiences. The prophecy of Zechariah was fulfilled through Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. In Zechariah 9:9, Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah be lowly and riding upon a donkey into Jerusalem. His disciples realized that their preparing a donkey for Jesus was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah. The disciples then realized that Jesus was the Messiah that came to earth to suffer that all mankind might have salvation.

            Before I came to the Jerusalem Center, I did not understand that Jesus had a different will from Heavenly Father. If there were any other way to save all mankind, Jesus would choose the other. I did not take into account that Jesus had His agency while He was entering Jerusalem for the last time. He could have easily chosen not to go to Jerusalem. He was aware that the leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem were out to kill Him. Instead, He chose to follow God’s will and enter into Jerusalem to die for all mankind. I realized being here that I know very little of the nature of Jesus. I hope that my future experiences combined with my Jerusalem experiences will enable me to remember that the word of God is being fulfilled.

 

  

Get Some in Galilee (GSG)

So the students of the Jerusalem Center Spring/Summer 2012 chose "Get Some in Galilee" as our motto. Super inappropriate, but whatever floats their boat.

Here's a little briefing of how Galilee is. I'll go into more depth with my experiences in future posts. I have not emailed anybody about how I am doing, so I am writing this so people won't think I died.

Galilee reminds me of Waianae on Oahu. It is a tropical countryside, but not the prettiest tropical place I have been to. It is super hot and moist. There's dead shrubbery on the mountains. There is the Sea of Galilee against the mountains. I hear that during the winter time Galilee is a lot prettier.

We are staying at a beachfront resort. The water at the beach is not the greatest I have been in. The water is like warm bath water. It is nice though that we can go swimming everyday while we are here.

Galilee is crazy hot! At least last week was intense. The temperature was in the 100s and possibly in the 110s. What made it worse is that it was way humid here. All at the same time, my apartment was a freezer. I felt bad for turning off or turning down the temperature in our apartment, so I would alternate going inside and out.

We still had class while we were here. We had 3 hours of New Testament for 3 days. We had 2 hours of Ancient Near Eastern Studies for 2 nights. We were all pretty wiped out in Ancient Near Eastern Studies because we had it from 7-9 p.m. There was one night I could not stop giggling in class because I was so tired that I was slap happy. There was another night that I had a throbbing headache because I was doing back flips into the water at the beach.

The field trips have been way fun. I think some of my favorite field trips have been up here in Galilee: Boating on the Sea of Galilee, Mt. of Beatitudes, Golan Heights, Megiddo, Gan Ha-Shelosha, Dan, etc.

We have been in Galilee since July 16 and we will be leaving July 26. The end of Galilee marks two weeks before the end of the Jerusalem Center experience. Sad.

Best place in Jerusalem...

This is going to seem ironic, but if there is only one site you could go to in Jerusalem, I would say go to the BYU Jerusalem Center. You probably think I'm crazy because why go to the BYU Jerusalem Center while you could go to "the original sites" of where Christ was? You also probably think I'm extremely biased since I live here. When I first arrived in the BYU Jerusalem Center, I felt like I entered the temple. The BYU Jerusalem Center is the most peaceful place I have been to in Jerusalem. I felt the Spirit strongest in the Jerusalem Center. I felt like the Spirit is naturally here. In other sites, I had to bring the Spirit there (maybe with the exception of the Garden Tomb). I know that the Spirit of God dwells in the Jerusalem Center.

Elder Holland's Remarks

Here are the notes of Elder Holland's remarks in sacrament meeting that I promised from the post before. What he said was more applicable to those who have gone to Jerusalem; however, I feel like this talk can be stretched to apply to anyone who is LDS.

- Everyone doesn't get the chance [to be in Jerusalem].
- Savor, cherish, and be grateful for every moment here [in Jerusalem].
- We have an obligation to those who do not have the opportunity [to be in Jerusalem].
- The investment of this experience should touch lives.
- Our children's children's children will not have the chance to come here.
- There will be points in our life and the Church when life will not be so great (we are currently enjoying good times).
- Cloudy days will come in our lives and the Church.
- Individuals have to say they are here to stay.
- We are counted on being in the meeting of 120: the first church meeting mentioned in the book of Acts.
- The Church and the Savior needs to count on you.
- If there is a favorite place here, it would be the Garden Tomb.
- Everyone loves a happy ending.
- We can have a happy ending if we wanted to.
- We will have no one to blame in time and eternity.
- We have nobody to blame but ourselves.
- All has been done for us to gain eternity.
- We could not do this all by ourselves without grace.
- Every concern has been addressed in heaven.
- Be your best; be strong.
- If can all be done with grace - it has all been provided.
- It is up to us to embrace and receive all that we have been given.
- We are free and gifted and blessed people.
- Bare witness of the Son of God.
- Realize what it means to have the restored priesthood.
- Men have come to the Gospel because of the women in their lives.
- A missionary asks Elder Holland, "Would you give your life for the Church?" Elder Holland replies, "I am giving my life to the Church."

Throughout this talk, I felt like Elder Holland could see the future as he was speaking. It was interesting how Elder Holland said that in a couple generations, they won't have the chance to come to Jerusalem. It was also interesting how Elder Holland said that there will be a time of cloudiness in the Church. I might be completely misinterpreting what he said, but I think he made a reference to the fall of the Church. I have never really heard talks refer to the fall of the Church (or maybe I haven't been paying enough attention to talks to notice). We need to stay strong, while the Church is in this state. Even in our lives, we are in it to stay.

I am hoping that you guys were inspired to go to Jerusalem. If it is at all possible for you to come here, definitely do. And if you do go to Jerusalem, have the willingness to grow. While being in Jerusalem I had to make the effort to spiritually grow. For a bit, I thought that my growth would be handed to me on a silver platter because I thought the Jerusalem Center would just give it to me. I thought just being in Jerusalem would be enough for me to grow. I thought that hearing the things that were taught was enough. I learned that I need to fully embrace and take to heart the experiences and teachings that are offered here.

A Game-changing Experience

 I typically write about lighthearted things in my blogs. This is not one of them. Actually, my next couple posts will be serious and probably personal (this post will be personal). I'm going to try my best to write about what I am prompted by the Spirit to write.

The title of this post is taken from a topic that Bother Crockett mentioned in his talk today in sacrament meeting. A game-changer is one who brings innovative ideas to a business. He pointed out that the game-changer represented Heavenly Father and that the business is us. Brother Crockett gave an example of a man who had a game-changing experience that brought him to dedicate his life to the Lord. I believe that Heavenly Father blessed me with a game-changing experience these past two days that, like this man, had brought me to dedicate my life to the Lord. My life gradually changed these past two days. It was not until Elder Holland's remarks at sacrament meeting that I realized that I will never be the same.

A lot that that has gone yesterday prepared me for today. I talked to Sister Ludlow about serving a mission during the service project. Something that stuck out to me was that she wanted to serve a mission so that she could share all that she has learned about the Gospel. She also pointed out that she wanted to serve a mission because she loved the Lord. What she said reminded me of why I wanted to serve a mission. I forgot about those motives. I feel like that is a part of why I lost the fire to serve a mission.

After the service project, Alicia and I talked about serving a mission as we were walking to the Old City. As I was rambling on trying to figure out the numerous reasons to why I was unsure about serving a mission, I realized that a huge reason was that I was afraid of going on a mission. She told me that I should not pass the opportunity to serve a full-time mission because of fear. She asked me, "do you know where fear comes from?" I knew exactly where fear came from.

Alicia also mentioned that the mission will be the worst of times and the best of times in your life. That reminded me of a concept that a forum speaker mentioned to us this past Wednesday night: With high risks come high returns. I have been taught this concept before, but I felt like I most needed it now in regards to serving a mission. It is kind of a stretch applying the risk-return concept to serving a mission because if one deals with a high risk situation, there is no guarantee one will get high returns out of hit. I do believe that serving a mission is a high risk, but I know that through diligence and faith on the Lord one is guaranteed high spiritual returns from serving a mission.

Also watching "Life is Beautiful" for the first time last night helped me gain a better perspective on life. Even in the worst of times, you can make life beautiful through joy. It is a very touching movie that I would recommend everyone to watch.

As I took the sacrament today, I truly comprehended how much the Lord loves me and how much I needed to return that love. Jesus Christ is a completely righteous man, yet He took upon Himself all of the sins of the world. He died for me. I fully comprehended today that Christ's love for me is the purest and the most sincere love that could ever be shown to me. It made me realize how much more I needed to show my love and devotion to Christ.

After the Crockett family spoke before leaving Jerusalem after living here for 3 years, Elder Holland gave us the last remarks. He has been here on vacation, so he has been staying in the Jerusalem Center these past couple days. What he said changed my life. What he said was like no other talk I have ever heard. His talk was on a plane of its own. The Spirit was unbelievably strong. Maybe I felt this way because his remarks were directed to the Jerusalem Center students. It felt like God was talking directly to me. As he was speaking, my future life flashed before my eyes. I could see the next generations that would come after me. I could feel eternity. I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience the whole time. I will be posting the notes that I took of Elder Holland. All though I took notes on quite a bit of what he said, I know that they won't do his talk any justice. His talk is one of those you have to have been there to understand.

After his talk, I realized that I need to devote my life to the Lord from now on. Only now do I have the heart and willingness to serve the Lord. I need to be a disciple of Christ 24/7 and not just on Sundays (or in Israel's case, Saturdays).

As a result, I feel more content with the idea of serving a full-time mission. We even had a lesson on missionary work in Relief Society right after sacrament meeting. I think God has been trying to tell me that I should serve a full-time mission. I determined that I am going to start filling out my mission papers this Fall semester.

The First Lady Pagent

So our Jerusalem Center President needed a lady companion to help him fulfill his presidential duties, so the newly found matchmaking committee established the first annual First Lady Pageant. This has to have been THE BEST in-center/FHE activity ever! I could not stop cracking up! The contestants were hilarious and the rounds that the contestants had to go through were creative.

When the ladies introduced themselves, they all had a witty remark to say why they would be the best first lady for Ian.

They then had a trivia round. The ladies had to answer questions about Ian before he became  president. The questions about him were hilarious and random. There was a question where the girls had to guess who Ian's man-crush is in the Jerusalem Center. One of the choices was Brother Jackson.

They then had dodge ball competition right on the stage of the forum. It was funny seeing girls in dresses on the stage in the forum trying to get each other out. The MVP was picked among the judges.

The top five then had a bed making competition. Brother and Sister Peterson had their clipboards in hand to judge who had the best made bed. This is an inside joke. Nobody on the first cleaning check of the semester knew how to properly make their beds. The bad has to be made where the blue cover and the comforter have to be tucked under the bed tightly.

The last round was the questioning round. The first question was a Bashir Bashir question (his first name is the same as his last). His favorite words "vis-a-vis," "i.e.," "homogeneity," "exoticism," "contextualize," and many more were used to ask the question of how the contestant would handle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The second question that was asked was another inside joke. The Colombian student in the Jerusalem Center asked, "In theory, if Ian breaks your feelings what would you do to make sure he doesn't reject you?" In Ancient Near Eastern Studies, there was a day when our family home evening groups got together to form a skit to describe a king in biblical times. In her amazing accent she yelled, "do not reject me!!!" The last question was, "If Ian was any food, what would he be and how would you eat him." Rachel made up a super awesome answer and said that he would be a Turkish Baklava. She then gave a super funny, but appropriate response to how she would eat him. She ended up being the First Lady.

This event was not even awkward at all. The funniness of it flowed pretty well. This was the greatest pageant I have ever seen!

Food of Israel

Here's a list of food and food places that are pretty big in Israel and/or among the JC students:
- shawarma - After watching the Avengers in theaters for my birthday, it got me pumped to try a shawarma. Robert Downey Jr. suggested that they get shawarma as a victory meal. It was a prime moment in the movie considering Robert Downey Jr. said that (he's like my favorite actor) and I was watching it in Israel. I have been in Jerusalem for a month at that point in time and I still had yet to try a shawarma. I finally tried it like a week or two later and it was so good!
- falafel - Falafel and french fries in a pita dipped in fry sauce is delicious.
- hummus - I absolutely hate this stuff because I hate the taste of peas, including chickpeas. My hate towards chickpeas makes me feel unworthy being here in Israel. I feel bad, but I can't help it.
 - pita - Never have I eaten so much pita bread in my life.
- watermelon - When I get back to the states, I am going to miss having watermelon for breakfast everyday.
- Lion bar - It's like a 100 Grand candy bar, but better! I am addicted to these things.
- Magnum bar ice cream - Pretty much on every field trip, Huntsman would suggest we get a Magnum bar. Magnum bars in Turkey were a lot better though because almonds coated the ice cream bar. The Magnum bars in Israel are really bland. 
- "Nutella" - The Oasis has a Nutella-like spread offered at every meal.
- hot milk - I am in love with the hot milk in the Oasis. I am going to learn how they make the hot milk over here so I can make it for myself back home.
- gummies! - Buying gummies off the street is cheap so I would buy them every time I went out. I stopped doing it because I felt like I was going overboard with gummy eating.
- pistachios - I think it is just me, but I love pistachios. It's heavenly that pistachios are all over Jerusalem.
- The Waffle Bar - Haven't been there yet, but the JC students go there all of the time. I'll just buy waffles when I get back to the states.
- Holy Bagel - Overpriced bagels that I could make on my own. The cream cheese chive bagel was yummy though.
- The Armenian Tavern - I think this is what the restaurant is called. Every time I would walk from Jaffa Gate to the Armenian Quarter, I would pass this place. It smells so heavenly every time I pass by this restaurant. I am determined to eat there before I leave.
- "Arab Costco" - This is where the Shekel Shack (the JC snack bar) gets their goodies. It's Candyland over there.
- THE OASIS!!! - Eat here breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I am going to miss getting a balanced diet. Once I get back to Provo, it's back to Top Ramen.

There's other food places JC students often go to, but I can't think of the names off the top of my head. I would only eat outside of the Center if I skipped a meal in the Center. I haven't been doing that often though. I should probably eat out more just for the experience.

Women of the Old Testament

I always thought women are marginalized in the Old Testament. I have always thought women are marginalized everywhere actually (don't get me wrong, I'm not really a feminist). After going through the whole Old Testament, I was baffled by how influential women are in these books. It's sad though that most of these anecdotes are of the "bad wife/wives." Adam ate the forbidden fruit because of Eve. The sons of God married the daughters of men, which led men into wickedness. Unrighteous mothers lead to unrighteous children and perhaps unrighteous husbands. Samson falls because he told the secret of the strength in his hair to Delilah (she was only a girlfriend of his). The kings of Israel married foreign wives. Foreign wives worshiped false gods instead of God. As a result, the kings of Israel influenced their citizens to worship these false gods. Ultimately, this led to Israel's downfall. If only these kings married God-worshiping women, Israel could have been preserved. Every time we went over a story about a "bad girl," I would get so irked about the fact that they caused so much unnecessary trouble. If I could, I would slap them.

I learned that women have had unprecedented influence on the events of the Old Testament. By influencing the decisions and fate of men, women influenced major events of the Old Testament. I have never realized how much power women have through their examples. The course of history in the Old Testament could have been completely different if women were righteous God-followers.

All in all, it makes me realize how vital it is for women to be good examples for the sake of men.

Everybody's Shufflin'

So I did not think that we would have as much dance parties as we have had in the Jerusalem Center. Here's a list of some of them:

- Palestinian dance party
- Israeli dance party
- Bus dance parties (kind of a fail, but we tried)
- Bonfire dance party on the beach in Turkey (I am pretty sure that everybody watching us thought we were practicing some pagan ritual. We looked like we were worshiping the bonfire through dance. That was a really fun night though.) 
- iPod dance party for Joe, who just turned 14-years-old (we all downloaded a 30 minute compilation of songs and listened to them at the same time and danced around the Jerusalem Center)
- Attempted dance parties in our Islam/Palestinian class - Bashir, our teacher, tried to initiate this
- A Jordanian dance party during dinner that people got in trouble for (this is the one I did not participate in)
- Impromptu dance party the day before our Islam/Palestinian final exam paper is due
- 4th of July dance party (happened after I wrote this blog)

I thought we were going to be stifflers while we are at the Jerusalem Center (just kidding). We are able to have a good mix of spiritual fun with some worldly fun.

Why BYU Provo and not BYU Hawaii?

So I was talking to Chantel on the bus about why I went to BYU Provo instead of BYU Hawaii and I feel like sharing it via blog.

I applied for both BYU Provo and BYU Hawaii. Mom was ticked at the fact that I wanted to go to BYU Provo over BYU Hawaii. She would yell at me like everyday for wanting to go to the mainland for school. She thought it would be too pricey to live on the mainland. I felt bad for being so hard-headed and disobedient that I decided that I would go to BYU Hawaii. I made a deal with God, however. I prayed that if I got accepted into BYU Hawaii and did not get scholarships/financial aid, I would stay in BYU Hawaii. I thought this would have been a guarantee.

Provo accepted me...Hawaii did not. At the same time, I ended up getting a good amount of scholarships/financial aid. I must admit, my ego was shattered at the fact that Hawaii did not admit me. It felt like a low blow. I shouldn't have felt that way though. I'm pretty sure the reason why I am still "on hold" to this day with Hawaii is that I put Hawaii as my second choice and Provo as my first. If I were accepted into Hawaii, yet still got the money, I think I would have chosen to go to BYU Hawaii. I was unbelievably stoked though to go to BYU Provo! Provo has been good to me so far.

I miss you Provo and Hawaii. See you guys in a bit!

Jordan is Jammin'. Petra is Prime.

Jordan is definitely an Arabian country. People actually listen to Arabian music on the streets. People looked like how I imagined Arabians. There was a bunch of people smoking their water pipes. There were camels everywhere. The place looked like a desert. There were even quite a bit of Filipino people, which I was not expecting. There was even a guy that could tell that I was Filipino, so he started talking to me in Tagalog. It was a pleasant reminder of my roots. Also, males were definitely the dominant force in this country, which I was expecting. I wanted to watch the Portugal vs. Spain game with a couple of other people out on the town in Amman, but it would have been a "stupid" thing to do (breaking Brother Harper's rule #3). Soccer is a big deal in Jordan and I knew the streets of Amman would have been filled with crazy guys. I felt like it wouldn't have been safe for me, especially because I am a little girl, so I didn't go out that night.

I almost applied for the Jordan International Development internship for this spring/summer instead of the BYU Jerusalem Center. I really want to get a career in the international development field, so I wanted to get some experience with that. However, spiritual growth trumps a resume building experience. So I chose the Jerusalem Center. Besides, one of the main reasons I went to a BYU school is so I could apply for the Jerusalem Center program.

Petra is the shiz! This place is breathtaking. To have carved structures out of sandstone is remarkable. The most glorious parts of Petra is the Treasury and the Monastery. I wish we had the whole day in Petra. I would have sat in front of each of these structures for hours just to take it all in. I know that my pictures will not justify the experience at all. The temperature was only in the 90s so I wouldn't mind staying there all day. Yesterday in Jordan, the temperature under the shade was 107 degrees. I was ready to go back to the Jerusalem Center after being in that heat all day.

The Grand Bazaar

I have never been so overwhelmed with shopping, ever. We went to the Grand Bazaar during our first full day in Turkey. This place was huge. This place has over 3000 shops. We saw a tiny fraction of the Grand Bazaar considering we only had half an hour to look around. There was a ton of gold, diamonds, jewelry, scarves, carpets, souvenirs, clothes, Turkish delight, etc all over the place. There was quite a bit of wedding dress stores as well. I must say, I have never seen such gorgeous wedding dresses. They were even cheaper than dresses in the U.S. considering how beautifully made all of the dresses in Turkey are. A fellow Jerusalem Center student who is engaged said she might return the wedding dress she bought in the states and order a dress from Turkey.

What was annoying is that I did not exchange money before then, so I couldn't buy anything at that time. I was bugged because there was so much things that I wanted to buy there. We did not even have the chance to go back to the Grand Bazaar. When I go back to Turkey, which is a must, I will definitely dedicate a whole day being in the Grand Bazaar.

More posts on Turkey in the future...because it is the 4th greatest place in the world (inside joke).

The Diminishing Rain Cloud

On a cliff side at Assos overlooking the Aegean Sea, Huntsman's class held a devotional. We were facing a rain cloud that was coming straight at us. I remember thinking to myself before the devotional, "We better get this devotional done quick or else we're going to get drenched." We talked about Apostle Paul's missionary journey to this city. We spent quite some time talking about him, that I was pretty sure that rain cloud was going to hit us in no time. Once we started singing hymns though, I noticed that the rain clouds started to dissipate. By the time we were in the middle of singing our hymns, the rain cloud was completely gone. We were able to sing in peace. There is no doubt that this was a blessing.

Spare a shekel

I have never felt so guilty about not giving money to the poor. Poor Palestinians, as wells as Israelis, have approached me asking for money. They looked hopeless, yet I would always shrug them off saying, "I do not have money." That phrase is total bull-crap. I always have money. I lie and I do not help the poor. This makes me feel like the cruddiest person ever. I know that this needs to change. I need the heart to help. I know if love was my motive, I would have never hesitated in sparing a couple shekels.

The Mormon Presence in Jerusalem

People, especially in East Jerusalem/the Old City definitely know about the Mormons. When the Jerusalem Center students would go out to the Old City, people would call out to us, "MORMONS!" This makes me smile every time because the people know who we are. I sometimes wonder though how much these people in Jerusalem know us. How much do they know about our beliefs? For those of you who do not know, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made an agreement with Israel that members of the Church are not allowed to proselyte in this county. I wonder how much people in Jerusalem are curious enough about Mormons to research who we are. Palestinians, especially, are always exposed to us since the the Jerusalem Center is in East Jerusalem and since the students go out to the Old City all of the time. I have seen olive wood carvings of Joseph Smith and Emma Smith in random stores in the Old City. There is a store called Jimmy's Olive Wood Carvings in East Jerusalem that caters to Mormons. He has wood carvings of the Liahona, Captain Moroni, Christ depicted through the LDS Church, and famous LDS paintings. He even has wood carvings of Jimmer.

Often times, people in Jerusalem have told me, "Mormons are good people." I can hear the sincerity in their voices. I have also heard from other students that people have approached them and told them, "There is a light in your eyes." When I went with a couple of students exchanging money, I overheard a cash exchanger tell a girl, "Mormons are the chosen people." He could have been joking with us, but I got a hint of seriousness in his voice.

Israel and Palestine: Complete Opposites

Yesterday, I have been cooped up in the Jerusalem Center all this week working on midterms, so I went to the shook (if that is how you spell it) in West Jerusalem. The shook is an outdoor market place. I love the shook. I discovered that I have an affinity for markets. To me, market places have genuinie personalities.

The time that I went to the shook was right before the start of the Jews' sabbath day. The sabbath day for the Jews starts on Friday sun down. The shook was crowded with locals. Since I was in West Jerusalem, the locals were Jews. I am pretty sure I could have found every kind of Jew here. There were the Orthodox Jews with their top hats and curly locks. There were a couple Hasidic Jews with their furry hats. There were a ton of people wearing a kippah. I overheard people speaking in Hebrew. A hand full spoke perfect English. I wonder what made these English speakers move from America to Israel. My guess is the Zionist movement. I was amazed to see a whole Jewish culture at a market place. I am pretty sure there is no where else in the world where you would find a community of Jews.

West Jerusalem is a clean, modern, European-style city. Even though West Jerusalem's shook has personality, West Jerusalem is a little too artificial for my taste considering this is Jerusalem. West Jerusalem is nice and all, but in addition to its artificiality, there is something off about this city that I cannot put my finger on.

I felt like I was in another country when I crossed the street to East Jerusalem to get back to the Jerusalem Center. The people were dark. Women wore head scarves and trench coats. The sidewalks were broken. The city was dirty. The modes of transportation looked broken down. Palestinians live here in East Jerusalem. 

I am amazed at the stark differences seen between the Israelis and the Palestinians. I don't think I could have ever grasped the disparity between these two nations if I had only learned about them through a textbook. I could see why some people want a two-state solution; however, I do not think the Israelis and Palestinians are ready for this jump anytime soon.