finding virtue

Clockwise from me: Rachel, Heidi, Chelsea, Stacey, Megan, Kelsey, Jenny

"Young women, in a world ever growing in moral pollution, tolerance of evil, exploitation of women, and distortion of roles, you must stand guard of yourself, your family, and all those with whom you associate. You must be guardians of virtue."
- Sister Elaine S. Dalton, "Guardians of Virtue," 2011 General Young Women Meeting

I am unsure of how I can start this one...my head and heart are swimming with thoughts and things. My strides in the streets of Jerusalem are shortening, my time here steadily creeps to an end. This experience has changed me - completely - but why, I've been wondering.

Thought leads to thought, memory follows memory, and I draw the conclusion for my change at this: I have further discovered virtue, and in the process I have found more of me. 

Virtue is naturally an abstract thing, I think. Initially it's hard to grasp and see and create. But as I have been around my friends here, especially my JC girls, virtue has become clear, emulative, and real. During these last months I have seen these women around me consistently act in accordance with commandments - especially the simple ones of service, prayer, and study - and watched the Holy Ghost dictate their lives. These girls are letting the Lord make them into masterpieces; it is seen in their bright eyes, optimistic faith, and high goals. I have been more than influenced by their love, more than impressed by their purity. Sister Dalton's most recent request for virtue's defense can and will be met with these true, beautiful women. Having stood among them and been taught daily by their lives, I find myself forever changed, perpetually blessed, and ever committed to virtue. 

once upon a field trip...

in a Middle Eastern country, Kelsey and Jeni were sick (clearly). It appeared that the two girls might not be able to fulfill their adventuresome dream - seeing the great Nabatean city of Petra - but oh how appearances can be deceiving...

Fortitude prevailed, and with the support from friends both

 new

and old,

(Mark is literally supporting me in this pic)

they made their journey down through the old canyon city

 

 and eventually reached their destination in one piece: the infamous Treasury, the rocky resting built for the great Nabatean king, Araetas IV.

(Pause for background: the Nabateans were an ingenious people from Northern Arabia. Arateas IV reigned during the life of Christ. These dudes definitely deserve an award for creative architecture)

 Their exit from this historic place is an even better story for a better setting, but let it be said that the two girls - so sick to the stomachs but healthy at heart - were a very lucky, happy pair to see this petrified city in stone.
(And yes, of the three days of rainfall that Jordan receives a year, we were there to enjoy one of them. Loved it)

End of story - Jordan was quite an adventure! It was undoubtedly the most "Middle Easternish" country of the grand three I have been privileged to visit. As foretold, I was a little sick girl for a chunk of the trip, but what's foreign-country living without getting a sick sometime, eh? Luckily Kels and I were blessed with enough of a recovery to enjoy Petra, the prize of this field trip.

Aside from this ancient city, Jordan brought us the largest Roman theater in the Middle East; Machaeus - the hilltop whereon John was beheaded by Herod Antipas; and Mt. Nebo - the site of Moses' transfiguration. It was a solid, packed final field-trip vacation as a JC kid. Lucky are we!

misc. jerusalem

I love Jerusalem! Here are just a few randoms from some recent adventures at the Center and in the city. My heart has already started to hurt a little as I think about the upcoming crossroad that will divert my path from walking in this place and with these people...but if this was the best experience of my life, it'd be the last, eh? Good times have been, but with the experiences from Jerusalem behind me, the best times are ahead.

The peaceful Garden Tomb on a springtime Sabbath afternoon

My attempt to recreate Elise's classic landmark photo, standing on the Mt. of Olives with the Kidron Valley between me and the Dome

Three cheers for Cub Scouts! Our latest activity: ship building with cardboard and duct tape.

Caleb the Cub Scout, Rachel, me, and Jess, up on the 7th floor lawn after dinner

The classic JC get-up: cargo pants/old jeans + some sort of white baggy shirt, men's v-necks are undoubtedly the most popular

The Triple Gate entrance to Solomon's Temple on a field trip last week. The Savior would have entered through these very arches

Painting at Princess Bosma - a neighboring school for disabled children. BYU kids have been painting the school's walls for the last few years, so now the halls and rooms are dominated by imaginative murals 

One of these 'staches is not like the other one!..."'Stache Greg,' affectionately called so at the JC, was one of the creative minds behind our mural. Kaitlin, the designer of this very classy 'stache collage, was another

The city that Denise and Jeni built!

Sweet Meg, me, the Dome, and the encroaching storm

Last Friday night's dinner special: yummiest sushi ever on Emek Rafaim, West J's street of eats. Emek Rafiam is a required site for visiting for one of our classes - no complaints here!

Dearest friends: Jenny C, Kev, Madi, Meg, Greg, and Addie Cakes

The Jeni's/Jenny's of the JC - so lucky to share the name with this girl

Three heavenly weeks are ahead, baby! No regrets.

galilee: part 2

We're taking it back to the Galilee!

Dancing just a bit on the Roman theater's stage at Bet Shean

Tel Dan's female golden calves, although all of ours combined still cannot compete with Neal's (please see previous Galilee post)

Cam and AJ pointing out the line between our path to Hippos, another Decapolis city, and the hills of hiding bombs. A wee group of us sneaked away from the Kibbutz with Bro. Jackson to visit this old Roman city - definitely one of my favorite adventures of the trip

Hippos' synagogue, now laying to rest nearly perfectly thanks to a little earthquake

I heart these homies...

Pondering a bit at Gamla, the "city set on an hill" (Matthew 5:14)

Our first "aerielish" view of Galilee from Mt. Arbel - it was breathtaking!

The Sea...

Visiting and studying in Capernaum - definitely in my top 3 experiences of Galilee. That tiny town is bursting with glimpses of our Savior

Homes next to the Capernaum's synagogue, homes most likely inhabited by priests such as Jairus, thus the miraculous raising of Jairus' daughter most likely occurred somewhere here 

The Church of St. Peter's Primacy, in honor of Peter's inheritance of the role of prophet, right on the shores of the Sea

The Mt. of Beatitudes! This is such a special, peaceful place

The church dedicated to Moses, Jesus, and Elijah atop Mt. Tabor, one of two proposed sites of Christ's transfiguration

Standing in the River Jordan...never expected to stand here in my life
(please, I never expected that I'd do anything that I have over here!)

A fisherman's boat dating to the time of Christ - an underwater find in the Sea

Candles at Tabgha, the church dedicated to Christ's miraculous feeding of the 5,000

More of our waterfall hike!

Pillaging at an ancient crusader castle

...getting caught in the rain!

Sabbath in Tiberias - the Church has a little house there overlooking the Sea

Now at the Mediterranean Coast...

Our last sunset in Galilee...too beautiful for words, both because of how it looks and what this scene and this place means to me

"Oh Galilee, sweet Galilee, where Jesus longed so much to be" - words form Each Cooing Dove, an old W.W. Phelps hymn we learned before going. My time here will never be forgotten - mm! I love Galilee.