another name for love : jerusalem: Jerusalem Day 2

I couldn't be happier right now. I love this experience so much and I can't begin to express this, and how complete my life feels here. So guys....this one time, I thought about America. Once. And I remembered how much I was caught up in the fast life, social networking, school, social pressures, time wasters, and now I realize that I was not focused on the right things. Here, life seems to go a little slower and I'm only focused on learning, being with my new friends, and growing spiritually. There is nothing to distract me, really. Everything we do is working towards our goal of knowledge and spiritual growth. I cannot imagine being more content with my life.

Soon, however, the stress of school will set in. School....what? We had our first day of classes today. 2 hours of Old Testament and 2 hours of Near Eastern Studies. Kiiiiinda rough. But I'm excited for both. We'll learn so much and I've always wanted to know more about the Bible, and I'm learning it where it all happened. Couldn't ask for more.

Today we had class and then went to lunch. I was put on the humanitarian/hosting committee and we had a meeting about what we're planning: teaching in a preschool, painting murals at the preschool, making hygiene kits, working with random charities, helping at hospitals, etc. On Fridays, it's the Muslim prayer day and we cannot go out into the city until 3pm because it's their time. So we waited until then, and headed toward the city like little turtles heading toward the sea.We all left as soon as we could with our cameras, water bottles, and fanny packs. Typical. We ran through because we only had a little while, because we have to be back from East Jerusalem by sundown, which was at 4:45. We can stay in West Jerusalem into the night, but then we have to get a taxi because the center is in East Jerusalem and we can't be in East Jerusalem at all at night. Aaanyway, we had a great time, went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Chrsitian Quarter of the Old City, where the Christians there believe that Christ was put on the cross, crucified, anointed, and buried. They have the supposed stone of Golgotha with a hole in the ground you can put your hand in. *I'll get pictures soon* Then they have the rock slab where His body was laid, where people touch and kiss and touch their souvenirs and items to the slab to make them holy. Then, there is a shelter thing that holds the burial place of Christ. Cool. Then we went back through the city, and made it back right at sunset which is always amazing from the center.

Tomorrow's our first Sabbath and it's fast sabbath so I'm very excited. I love being in that auditorium and hearing the powerful organ, which is currently being played by Richard Elliot, a famous organist who plays for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Our usual service couple that is in charge of music is out of town, and Richard Elliot happens to be here to play an organ concert for the 25th anniversary of the organ being placed in the center. So he's our organist. No biggie. SO ready for tomorrow.

The weather is perfect, the sky is so clear and blue, the air is fresh, the sun is very bright, and the birds are flying. I love my life and I have officially fallen in love with Jerusalem.