Galilee = AMAZING!!!

I just came back from 11 days in Galilee. It was literally life changing. I didn't have internet while I was there, but I wrote daily blog posts. I know it's a lot, but here it is:

Monday March 15, 2010

This morning I was suddenly woken up at 6:10… 5 minutes before we were supposed to load the busses for Galilee. Yikes! So apparently my alarm didn’t go off. Go figure! So, after a few stressful minutes of amazing productiveness and speed (which is not typical for a recently awakened Jeremy) I was up and loaded and ready to go. On the way to Galilee we hit a few different spots, including Caesarea and Nazareth. Caesarea was cool… basically an ancient beach town! Nazareth was awesome! The Church of the Annunciation there is officially my favorite church of the Holy Land. It was HUGE, but still reverent; beautiful without being gaudy. My favorite part was singing “A Child’s Prayer” in the chapel of the next-door church of St. Joseph. 2 PB&J sandwiches later we arrived in Galilee. We’re staying at a hotel on a kibbutz, which is basically a Jewish commune. The rooms are like bungalows, and they are right on the beach of the Sea of Galilee… the shores of which are a 30 second walk from the door. But as amazing as it is, that’s not my favorite part. I LOVE the atmosphere here. It is so calming and relaxing. I came here with the intent to treat this as a pilgrimage… a time of reflection and inventory, and the spirit and atmosphere of the place will definitely be conducive to that.

Tuesday March 16, 2010

Today is officially going in my top 5 best days ever!!! Galilee is officially my favorite place on earth. It is gorgeous here! This morning we loaded onto a boat and sailed across the Sea of Galilee. It threw me off a bit when the crew raised the US flag and started playing the national anthem. We all got up, put our hands over our hearts, and sang along, wondering why we were doing this in Israel of all places. Oh well… We also took the opportunity to sing “Master the Tempest is Raging” and “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me”. Our stops today included the Mt. of Beatitudes, Capernaum, St. Peters Primacy, and Bethsaida. My absolute favorite was the Mt. of Beatitudes, where the Sermon on the Mount took place. We had a quick devotional, and then had some time for personal reading/reflection. It was amazing. It was a culmination of some things I’ve been feeling for a while. My testimony of my Savior deepened, along with my love for Him. However, this was not accompanied by some grand revelation or any profound insights… just a soft reassurance from the Spirit. My favorite hymn for the week is “Lead Kindly Light”. I’m a prideful person (surprise, eh?) and I stress about everything… particularly when it comes to my future. I realized that I need to become much better about allowing the Savior to lead me.

After the rest of our field trip, I went for a refreshing run around the kibbutz. I can now say that I’ve run on the shore of the Sea of Galilee! Then tonight we had a big bonfire, which was hilariously fun and awesome. We did skits, sang songs, played charades… ya know, everything that a bonfire requires. I LOVE these people here, and feel very close to them. I’m glad we still have a month together, and we’ve gotta make it count!

Wednesday March 17, 2010

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day everyone!!! I wore a green belt… just in case you were wondering. Today was yet another awesome day. We had a three-hour class for New Testament. The weather was gorgeous outside, so we opted to have an outdoor class. We talked about the Sermon on the Mount and the parables. I love Brother Emmett as a teacher. He takes a lot of time for personal stories and application. After class I did a crazy workout, doing sprints and lunges and other stupid stuff that kills your legs. It was right after that I realized that tomorrow is our class hike. Yikes! We’ll see how that goes. After lunch we had 2 hours of swimming in the Sea of Galilee, which is pretty much a glorified (no pun intended) lake. It was way fun… even if it was freezing cold to walk into. Then I laid on the beach trying to become slightly less white as I read for class tomorrow. After that, I spent a few hours just doing some personal reading/reflection time, overlooking the setting sun above the Sea. Sigh… I love this place. After dinner, we had our ancient near east class for 2 hours. What sick freak scheduled that?!?! Everyone was vacillating between digestion comas and being distractingly hyper. I tried to take notes for a bit, but finally degenerated into doodling on a friend’s hand for the rest of class. Now I’m ridiculously tired… and it’s only 9:15! I guess it’s all that lazing about on the beach- that really tires you out! So my plan is to be asleep by 9:30 and be up ridiculously early to watch the sunrise. I’ll let you know how that goes. Good night!

Thursday March 18, 2010

Well, I did wake up at 5:30… but it was only long enough to reset my alarm for 6:30. Go figure. However, some friends told me that the sunrise was clouded over this morning, so I didn’t miss much. Maybe tomorrow, since it’s looking like I’ll be getting to bed early again. Anyhoo…

Today was an awesome day! We started off with a field trip to Gamla, which was a Galilean city destroyed by the Romans during the first Jewish revolt around 70 CE, followed by a mass suicide of the Jewish inhabitants. Historical relevance aside, it was BEAUTIFUL! We did a hike down to some ruins on a mountain that made me feel like I was in Scotland. We definitely needed some bagpipe music. To top it off, it started to rain a little bit, which just added to the experience. The hike back was mostly uphill, and by the end of it we were all sweating like crazy! Another site we went to was Kursi, which is a spot that fits the description of where Jesus cast the legion (which btw was a Roman term for 12,000 troops!) of demons out of a man and they went into some swine that ran off to their deaths. We sat down and had a devotional and talk about setting ourselves apart from the worldly things around us.

We got back from our field trip at 1pm with the whole day ahead of us. I took the opportunity to catch up on some readings, took a nap, and worked out. Speaking of reading, I have a way cool story for you: So on Monday as we were driving here to the Galilee we stopped in Nazareth, as I mentioned previously. We stopped in a few churches, and in one of them (I’m not sure which) I left my Bible. So, I’ve been really bummed since I’m in freaking Galilee without my Bible. Well, the faculty went down there for a meeting today, and they found it! I’ve been reunited with my Bible! I am SO grateful for my scriptures, and the insights I’ve received while reading them. They are very precious to me, and are more or less a journal of my spiritual development and testimony.

Friday 19 March 2010

Another fantastic day in Galilee! After another awesome seaside New Testament class, we went kayaking (kind of) down the Jordan River. I went with my good friend Lauren, and we discovered that river navigation is not one of our strong points… unless the goal was to run into low-lying shrubbery and trees. At one point we had to abandon all attempts to steer so that we could save our faces… and not just figuratively! We peacefully floated, as well as had water fights, as we paddled down the river where the Savior of the world was baptized. We got back just in time for us to clean up and head to Tiberias where we had fish for dinner. It was tilapia, although the head and scales and everything were still on. It’s supposed to represent the miracle of the fishes, but I just thought it was gross! Mercifully, they also served a healthy portion of pita with hummus. Still, I got some good pictures out of it, and I still ate ½ of the fish, for those ready to accuse! ;) Then we had some time to just walk around the city. It being Friday night (the evening of Shabbat, or Sabbath) most of the stores were closed, so it was nice to just walk around mostly left alone with time to talk to some good friends.

Saturday 20 March 2010

Shabbat Shalom everyone! Today was yet amazing day. My favorite thing is that everyday is awesome for a different reason. This morning church was just late enough that I got to sleep in a bit, and take my sweet time getting ready. Church was across the sea in Tiberias. The church building is a remodeled home and is the only property the church actually owns in Israel (the land for the JC is leased). It has a balcony that looks over the sea, which Elder Holland said (and rightfully so) is and even better view than the one from the Jerusalem Center. Sacrament meeting was awesome. There are 4 languages spoken in that branch (English, Spanish, Russian, and Hebrew) and we heard one of the talks in Spanish. I was able to pass the sacrament along with a 15-year-old Israeli boy named Yaron Hansen, and we put together a men’s quartet singing “See The Mighty Angel Flying”, which was requested by a woman in the branch. My favorite thought from the meeting was that God hates sins because He loves the sinners. He is desperate to have us come back, and so despises sin, which is the divider. After church we drove up to Mt. Arbel, which has no scriptural significance but has the most amazing view of the Sea of Galilee and the entire surrounding valley. It was breathtaking.

After we returned home, we had several hours of free time. I read a few more chapters in the latest book that I’ve been reading: “All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience” by Neal A. Maxwell. It is an awesome book with many insights. Indulge me for just a moment, and I’ll share a quote with you:

“We sometimes think we would like to know what was ahead, but sober thought brings us back to accepting life a day at a time and magnifying and glorifying that day.”

Isn’t it awesome? That’s kind of the theme of what the Lord has been trying to teach me. I realized the need for me to look outside myself, recognizing each day as an opportunity to serve others.

Sunday 21 March 2010

Our class had another full day of field trips today. We started out with Mt. Tabor, which is one of the possible sites of the transfiguration. I’d never thought about it before, but it’s definitely possible that that experience was similar to a temple endowment for the 3 apostles who were there. We also went to an ancient synagogue, which had to be the most highly guarded site we’ve been to… because of the old grouchy lady at the front desk. She wanted all of us to show her our passport copies in order for us to use the tickets purchased for us in advance. The problem was that most of us had failed to bring those copies, so she was ready to turn us all away- “No passport? NO TICKETS!” If you’ve seen Anastasia, it was kind of like the ugly grumpy Russian lady in the beginning of the movie at the train ticket counter. Finally with some squirming we were able to get into the site, which wasn’t interesting enough to report on, only that the film there was just as corny as all the rest at the other national parks.

My favorite site of the day was a small, humble church in Naim, which is where the Lord healed the son of the widow. Brother Emmett shared his thoughts about it, which were very touching, and so I will share them with you. The story, as recorded in the scriptures, is that this woman’s only son dies. During the funeral procession, Christ arrives and raises him from the dead. End of story, right? Wrong. Let’s dig deeper. Let’s consider the state of this woman. When she became a widow, she had her children to rely on. When her son died, it would mean that her physical needs wouldn’t be met. Additionally, her lineage would end with her, and she would probably be socially ostracized. The Savior knew her situation, and came to her aid. From where He was at the day before, it was a 25 mile walk to get to her, so in order to be there for the funeral procession, He would’ve had to walk through the night. I love that imagery, imagining the Savior walking alone through the cold and windy night to help a lowly widow.

Another awesome stop was the pools at Gan Ha-Shelosha, where we got to go swimming. It was 12-13 feet of pure spring water surrounded by beautiful trees and grassy hills. There were even little fishes that would nibble on our toes if we kept still (which feels WEIRD!).

Our last stop of the day was at the Jordan River, specifically at a place where the Protestants celebrate the baptism of Jesus Christ. It was nice, but also kind of shocking. It’s been turned into a Protestant Disneyland, with a gift-shop, restaurant, and overpriced water bottles (empty, of course) to fill with water from the river. We watched as some groups performed baptisms. It was a good chance to reflect on my own baptismal covenants.

After a long day, I was wiped out! Alas, we still had 2 hours of class for Ancient Neat East. I may or may not have paid attention. Hehe. On that note… good night!

Monday 22 March 2010

Today we had an awesome class. We were talking about Christ’s rebuke of people relying on tradition rather than the Spirit. That led to a discussion of the culture of the Church today, and some of the superstitions that still exist (Coke, Sabbath activities, BYUSSR, etc.). The conclusion that I came to was that we should seek to act out of sincerity rather than duty. After class I had some time to run on the beach, which was a great chance to clear my mind.

After lunch, we had 6 hours of wonderful free time. I got in the water to swim right as the wind picked up and it got COLD, so I opted to read on the beach. I ended up staying there for 3 hours, caught up in my current favorite book, “All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience” by Neal A. Maxwell. Today’s chapter focused on communication with others, specifically how to make it the most meaningful.

In the evening we had FHE, and then all congregated together for some games. My favorite that I learned is called sushi-tag, and it’s crazy! 2 people sit together, one in-between the other’s legs. Several pairs form a circle, and the person standing in the middle picks 2 pairs. The person in front tries to get to the center while the person behind them does everything in their power to hold them back, as they race to the center. My arch-nemesis in the game was a girl named Mary. We were paired together for at least 30 minutes, with neither of us being able to escape from the other. It was awesome! I’m going to sleep awesome tonight!

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Today was another field –trip day, mostly to archaeological sites. Those aren’t always my favorite, but they were still interesting. (Sorry if that sounded spoiled…) We spent a lot of time at the Golan Heights, which is territory that has been contested between Israel and Syria since the 1967 war. One biblical site we went to was Caesarea Philippi, which is where Christ told Peter “upon this rock [of revelation] I will build My church.”

Once we were home, we had a class bonfire. We started off spiritual and mellow, and ended up rowdy. Our first activity was to draw names and go around the circle all spotlighting each other. Usually those kind of things stress me out because there’s someone I don’t know well enough, or I do know them well enough that I don’t have anything nice to say. But today I didn’t have to worry, because I know and love everyone in my class.

Time in Galilee (and time in general) is going fast. I can’t believe that March is almost over. More and more I am trying to live deliberately. I guess that’s one of the things I’ve learned, and one of the things I want to be sure to take home with me.

Wednesday 24 March 2010

My heart is full right now as I write this. We just concluded our day, and our Galilee trip, with a bonfire/testimony meeting beside the Sea of Galilee. In between every few testimonies, we would pick a hymn to sing, and afterwards a number of us stayed around the fire singing. I want to share a thought with you that I shared:

I’ve been thinking a lot about my relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Savior. Having served in the Bible belt, I met plenty of people who declared they had a “personal relationship with Christ.” I was always kind of confused by that declaration. How can you come to intimately and personally know someone without meeting them or talking to them face to face? I was reading in my book that I’ve talked a lot about lately, and Elder Maxwell pointed out that our relationship with God is already established genealogically, and He is always there to comfort, counsel, and guide us. We strengthen our side of the relationship through obedience. Through prayer and study we discover His will and seek to implement it within our own lives. We strive to reflect His image in our very countenance. That is how I might be able to strengthen my already very personal relationship with my Savior. He know me by name, He has felt my pain and my sorrows, and He chose to do the will of His Father so that there would be a way for me to return to my eternal home. I am ever grateful for my Savior, and for the peace that continually builds in my life as I implement His teachings.