Holy Week in the Holy Land.

Since the very beginning of this Jerusalem Study Abroad, I have been documenting my feet everywhere I go…or I at least have tried. I did it with the intent of a scrapbook page or a blog post dedicated to all the places my feet have walked. This week, I documented my feet with a very different purpose in mind. This week, I walked the path of my Savior as He entered Jerusalem triumphantly on Palm Sunday, as He climbed the stairs up to the temple, as He performed the Sacrament in the upper room, as He prayed to Heavenly Father beneath an olive tree on the Mount of Olives, as He carried a cross on his back through Jerusalem, as He was laid to rest in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb, and as He appeared to Mary after He had been resurrected, triumphant over death.

Palm Sunday Service at an Episcopalian Church

Palm Sunday Walk: Path from the Church of Bethpage into Jerusalem.

Temple Mount: The stairs Christ climbed to get to the temple.

The Upper Room: Possible site of the Last Supper.

Via Dolorsa Walk: Path from Christ's trial to His crucifixion mount. 

Holy Sepulcher: Site where Christ is believed to have died, been anointed and laid to rest. 

Never before have I appreciated the last week of my Savior’s life with such gratitude in my heart. And as I sit this Easter morning looking out my balcony over the city of Jerusalem I am in complete awe of my life, my Savior, and how real His life now is to me. 

This morning I woke up at 4:30 am to get ready and walk up to the Garden Tomb for the English Easter morning sunrise service. There I stood, in the midst of thousands from every continent around the world, singing to Christian rock music, listening to the words of the Gospels as men of old told the story of Christ’s resurrection, looking at what might have been the tomb that Christ was laid in, as the sun rose and the Jewish Sabbath ended with the resurrection of my Savior. I cannot express in words the Holy Ghost that filled my whole being. My Savior lives. He suffered, bled, and died for me and now…He lives.

 The Garden Tomb: Possible site of Christ's Resurrection.

He atoned for my sins, pains, and weaknesses and through Him I am able to return to my Heavenly Father and forgiven of my sins if I turn to Christ with a contrite spirit and a broken heart. My theme for this year has been to make my hands like those of my Savior, to strive more to be like my Savior in all that I do. As I study and learn of my Savior here in the Holy Land, my desire to be more like my Savior has grown so much stronger than I could ever imagine. I testify that my Savior lives. He walked a literal path that I have followed here in Jerusalem, and he perfectly exemplified a path of righteous that I will follow the rest of my life. He is my elder brother, my Savior, and Redeemer and His grace is sufficient for you and me, no matter how inadequate we may feel. He loves us and has opened the door for us to have eternal life with our families. Oh how grateful I am for my Savior. He is the rock of my foundation and I have never been so excited to bear his name on my nametag as I go out on my mission in 58 days. I have never been so exquisitely happy-the gospel is real and with that knowledge, I have purpose, meaning and fulfillment each and every day of my life. And I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, Amen. 

Side notes from last week that I never blogged about:

1. I stalked Obama one afternoon last week when he came to meet with the Israel Prime Minister. Of the four possible routes his motorcade had to pass to enter the King David Hotel....we chose the wrong one. Still strange to think I've been closer to the President of the United States half-way across the world, than I ever have been in the United States. And yes...we met some Secret Service men. That was all sorts of delightful (Security was EVERYWHERE).

2. We went on a field trip beneath the Western Wall to all the hidden tunnels built when King Herod extended the Temple Mount. Crazy cool. (Extra side note: I adore KC.)

3. We adventured to Southern Israel to snorkel in the Red Sea!!! Biggest successes of the day...I swam in the Dead Sea, I touched a fish with my toe, and I finally learned how to skip rocks. I owe you big time Preston!

4. Our field trip to Bethlehem, where Christ was born, was exquisite. My favorite part wasn't the actual Church of the Nativity, but instead the Shepherd's fields. Our devotional and testimony meeting sitting where the shepherds herded their sheep the night our Savior was born was beautiful and filled with such a great spirit. 

5. I may be obsessed with Arabic graffiti and the darling Jessica captured a bit of my obsession perfectly. 

6. We found the way up to the rooftops of the old city. You can walk/run/dance/jump/parkour across them all. LOVE IT. Oh and yes...we finally found Lina's too. Best hummus I have ever had. Oh my word, I could eat that everyday for the rest of my life and not be sad.

7. Old City field trips to a lot of places we have already gone on our own? Yes, appreciate the facial expressions. It was nice to learn more about these beautiful places though. 

Okay, yes...you've finally made it to THE END. Love you all. Have the best day. (And if you need a semi-opinated entry in your life, scroll down a bit to see what I posted yesterday about the Separation Wall.)