Saturday Nov 10, 2007

Allie Braby
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Today was a peaceful Shabbat day. With all of our studies in the scriptures, church is still an escape, not from the gospel, but from the stress of homework and trying to find a balance in our chaotic schedules. When we first arrived in Jerusalem, I think most of us were subject to the feeling that we always needed to be out in the city, doing everything that we could think of during every possible second of the day. Each Shabbat was filled with groups leaving the Center, mostly going to the Garden of Gethsemane or to the Garden Tomb. We have always been told that we will not be able to do everything and see everything that is in Jerusalem. I know that I am not going to be able to see everything, but I still feel that I should use every opportunity I can to get out to the city.
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, Brother Huntington told us about the first group that came back to Jerusalem in the winter semester. Their schedules were just as busy as ours, but they also had their Shabbats full of choir rehearsals and firesides. Brother Huntington said that a couple of students approached him and just asked when it would end. Shabbat had become another day full of activities instead of a day of rest. Lately, I have been feeling the importance of having a day of rest to myself. The Jerusalem Center’s goals are focused around building up our testimonies and our relationships with our Heavenly Father, but it is hard to do that when we don’t have a day in which we can rest and really worship and listen to the spirit. I think that because of this realization that we each have been making, we feel that we can go out on Shabbat and enjoy good things, or we can stay in. We do not need to be going out all of the time.
With this in mind, I made the decision to go to the Garden Tomb today. It was nice to be able to walk through the crowded and hectic streets, past the extremely loud bus station, and into the quiet of the beautiful Garden Tomb. Although it is more crowded and a little louder than the private garden at Gethsemane, I love the people there. It is comforting to share a common belief in our Savior Jesus Christ with people from all over the world. As I was sitting and studying in the garden, I could hear hymns of praise being sung in various languages. It came as a surprise when one group started to sing “Count Your Many Blessings” in another language. I love the familiarity associated with hymns. After an hour or so, we got up to leave and we ran into a tour group full of Latter-day Saints. Our groups immediately recognized each other. It amazes me that no matter where we are in the world, being with other members of the church is comforting although no one knows each other individually. A lot of the people in the tour were older and were visiting the Holy Land for the first time in their lives. I think I am starting to realize what a blessing this has been to be here and how much of a responsibility it will hold. It is a life changing experience and because we are experiencing it at such a young age, we will have so many more opportunities to share what we have learned with others. Much of the rest of the day was spent hanging out with friends or having some quiet alone time.
This semester, I want to learn so much in our New Testament class. This part of the scriptures is a big part of my decision to come to the Holy Land. I want to study the Savior’s live and be more familiar with his teachings. But most of all, I want to get to know him on a more personal level. We have been counseled to be like our Savior and in order to do that, we need to know Him. By immersing myself in the Holy Land and by studying his doings and teachings, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of Him as a person and as my Savior and Redeemer. And by doing that, I hope to apply this understanding in my life and start the change this experience can instill in my life.