One of our last field trips was down south to the Dead Sea! And I want everyone to notice something different about this picture....that's right. We are wearing shorts!!! This is the first time in BYU JC history that we were approved to wear shorts for the Dead Sea field trip. But it was just our luck...the ridiculous hot wave that hit Israel decided to disappear the ONE day we are allowed to wear shorts before dinner time. Before this, it never got below 70 degrees during the day- and now it's in the 50s. I know that's not very cold for December (haha) but dropping 20 degrees in one day is a little harsh. We have winds like you would NOT believe!!!
While we were at Herod's fortress at Masada, it started sprinkling and formed the most beautiful rainbow I have EVER seen! "It's a double rainbow!!!"
Just floating in the Dead Sea...no big deal. (Fun fact: The ocean is about 3% salt. The salt content of the Dead Sea is a whopping 33%!)
Apparently the mud (plus the salty water) is very good for ex foliating your skin...don't know if it really worked but it was fun :)
Every Sunday, the organ player for the Jerusalem Center (who also happens to be our Branch President) plays the bells of the YMCA tower. He lets the students go up and play the bells to if we want...so all of Jerusalem (which is over 70,000 residents!) heard me and Hannah play 'Sweet Hour of Prayer' on the bells. How many people can say that?!
Happy Hanukkah! All the bakeries in West Jerusalem and the Jewish Quarter make a bijillion donuts just in honor of Hanukkah. I don't know how the tradition got started, but you must have a jelly-filled (or cream-filled) donut every day of Hanukkah. No complaints here!
Here we are awaiting Hebrew University's musical production of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.' It wasn't particularly amazing, but it was really cool and entertaining to go to it in Israel; seeing Joseph in a kippa was just an added bonus!
The last night of Hanukkah, we took a trip to the western wall and saw the lighting of the giant Hanukkiah (like a nine-armed menorah). Super fun!
The Jerusalem Center hosts a very prestigious Sunday evening Concert Series that a few of the students can attend if you volunteer to be an usher. They have pianists, violinists, cellists, choirs, etc. but the last Sunday of the season the students got to put on a Christmas concert! A bunch of people came and it was really fun to share our Christmas spirit with the Jews and Muslims in our community. Afterwards we had a little picture sesh.... here are my Old and New Testament teachers and two favorite people in the world- Brother Muhlestein and Brother Judd. :)
Can't wait for Christmas!!!!
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