Jerusalem is my leg day

I went to the gym for the first time in 17 years and got swole welllllll ok no I got really sore my abs hurt so bad today. no pain no gain.

Field trip this week: a billion overlooks!
We sure went to a lot of different places to look at Jerusalem and surrounding areas! What I did not realize/truly understand how close everything is to everything. I think because I have an American mindset that everything is far apart it's weird to think that you can literally see Bethlehem from Jerusalem. Also it was clear enough that we were able to see Jericho from atop the bell tower at Augusta Victoria church/hospital.

View of Jerusalem from the south:

also check out bethlehem

here's another view of Jerusalem and City of David also from the south, right next to the UN building

Note the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount in the distant

Next stop was the north side of Jerusalem at Nabi Samuel, which is a combination pizza hut and taco bell Mosque and Synagogue I am NOT even kidding. It's also connected to the Prophet Samuel. It was a really clear day and you could actually make out Tel Aviv from there. There's also a cool hill connected with some OT stuff that was close to us. Nabi Samuel is also an active archaeological dig!

hill of Gibeon

roof and tower that we were on

OK THAT ROOF REMINDS ME. for some reason idek. Jerusalem is nooooot ADA accessible aT ALL. Freaking Life alert would make a KILLING if they advertised here. There are so many terrifying staircases that are so steep and everything is paved with VERY slipper limestone (it's just very worn down). I feel bad for all the old people who like saved up their whole lives to come to Jerusalem because I feel like they won't be able to enjoy the experience as much because they have to worry about breaking their hips!!!!!!! moral of the story: come to Jerusalem when you're young! (seriously do it). Oh yeah the roof reminded me because as we were coming down from the roof a girl slipped on the stairs down. and slid a BIT. she was fine, but I mean if it can happen to a hale young 20 something, you better watch out.

I think my favorite stop of the field trip was definitely the Augusta Victoria church and hospital (we only went in the church haha). We not only got to go up in the bell tower and check that sweet sweet view of Jericho, but we got to tour the chapel (nave? idekkkkk) which was so beautiful and so much cool visual reference. Also there was an amazing painting of the Savior that I loved loved loved but I couldn't figure out who is was by or anything so if anyone knows HMU. Also I got to sing a solo of A Mighty Fortress is Our God which was pretty cool too.

costarring: Dr. Huff

this is the painting!!!! Sorry it was a dark room this is the best pic I got ok

all the mosaic work in this chapel was so beautiful

Our last stop was the outlook by the seven arches hotel. I will explain was we saw in pics below:

from background to foreground: Dome of the Rock and Temple Mount, Muslim cemetery, Kidron Valley, Jewish cemetery, one very greasy girl

oh also please enjoy my A+ outfit for the field trip day:

heck yea, put me on the cover of cosmo

oh yeah we also went to the garden tomb

Other Highlights from this week!

Went to St. Ann's and the Pools of Bethesda!!! It is such a cool sight. There's a bunch of RUINS!!!!! and a CISTERN!!!!! full of some really nasty water.. THERE'S ALSO A MEDIEVAL CHURCH WITH WORLD FAMOUS ACOUSTICS. Myself and the two other girls I was with sang Nearer My God to Thee and it was amazing. I want to go back and sing in that church some more.

this is the only picture when I don't look super awkward holding my hat

this is the cistern. It was kind of gross, but it was very cool (temperature wise)

I feel like most of this week was just doing a lot of homework RIP lol.
We did have district conference this week! It was so uplifting and amazing. All the members from throughout the Holy Land came. There was some amazing talks. The theme was peace and that was awesome and so appropriate for Jerusalem whose etymology means "Foundation of Peace."

We also had an awesome forum about the history of the Jerusalem Center which was GRATE. my favourite part of the presentation was this song protesting the building of the Center:

We also had a nice spanish guitar concert.

OK WE OUT I"M GOING TO GO EAT SOME PITA BREADDDDDD