Saturday September 15

Saturday, September 15, 2007
Shabbat Shalom! I quote one student here in saying, “Why can’t everyday be Shabbat?” We love Shabbat here at the Jerusalem Center. It’s a day of rest from homework, and a focus on spiritual matters. It is also a day of bonding and a day of opportunity to visit sacred spots here in the Holy Land.
Today’s church meetings were exciting, as many of the students were able to actively participate in church meetings with newly received callings. Also, we felt more connected with the Branch, as Brita Ball gave a talk focused on Zion and unity, and as Lauren Timmons, Lynn Gabrielson, Kerri Regher, and McCall Barrick sang a special musical number. It was fun to really start off the semester in our branch! This semester we are looking forward to our various Sunday School classes; Sister Hayes will be teaching “Women in the Scriptures” which we’re all excited about!
After church we had our branch “Munch & Mingle” where the students of the Jerusalem Center had the opportunity to talk with the long-term branch members. It was a great unifying activity. Each apartment brought some sort of goodie, but definitely the food item that was consumed the quickest was the pits bread! We love pita bread here! It was also a fun activity because we usually don’t have lunch on Shabbats, so we enjoyed the extra treats! In looking at the city of Jerusalem itself, we see peoples coming from all different places for different reasons, but ultimately living and working together. It is a city rich in history and culture. I feel like the branch is the same way, but on a different scale. We are all coming from different backgrounds and are here for different reasons, whether work, school, etc., but ultimately we live together and love each other through the Gospel and the Church being our glue.
After a time of rest, a large group of students made the hike into the city to visit the Garden Tomb. The streets of Jerusalem are quite an experience. They are lined with street vendors, food merchants, bumper-to-bumper traffic, and lots of people and noise. It’s fun to walk around and feel the city, but it’s also amazing how you can step not too far outside of those streets and feel peace and quiet. Walking into the Garden Tomb area brought this peaceful feeling. The park is well-kept by an English Christian church group, and they are very welcoming and kind to our students. As we walked around the park, we could feel the love of our Savior, and the testimony that our Savior lived and died for us. How great it is that we know this truth, and how truly blessed we are because of it. Looking at the Garden Tomb, where Christ was laid to rest, it is a humbling thought to think that He is resurrected and lives now. I pictured Mary Magdalene coming to the tomb after the third day and not seeing her Savior there. I think had we been her, we would have cried also. But then turning around and having Christ come to her and call her by name—wow. “He is not here, for He is Risen!” The feeling at the tomb was definitely one of humility, gratitude, and love. We congregated as students and proceeded to sing hymns of praise, such as “He is Risen” and “How Great Thou Art.” I think it was definitely a great experience for all of us to be there.
Shabbat is a special day, and we’re still getting used to having it on Saturday and then having classes on Sunday when our families are all going to church. We all look forward to future Shabbats when we may have similar growing experiences!

--Whitney George