Catching up

The other night we had our Arabic night. It was pretty awesome. We all dressed up the way we thought Arabs dressed (Mostly based off of Aladdin and Jasmine of course). What did I wear you may ask? Well, I had my beautiful white with sparkly thread scarf wrapped around my head, with a white shirt, big blue dangling earings, and bright blue fanny pack pants. Yes, you heard right! Seriously, what a fabulous invention—making the fanny pack a part of the pants! MARVELOUS! Also, they are super fashionable. See!

Fanny Pack Pants!!

We started out in the forum and listened to two professionals recite the Koran as well as do the call to prayer—it takes them a lot longer to read than it does us. They continually change the inflection of their voices so that it sounds similar to a song although it is not. The men that came had had the Koran memorized since they were 9. That is AMAZING! Can you imagine if we had memorized the Book of Mormon that young? Or even ever?  Interestingly, I just listened to Elder Richard G. Scott’s general conference talk where he talked about the power in memorizing scriptures. I have made a goal to memorize a new scripture each week—would anyone like to try that with me?

Next we headed into the Oasis and had a traditional Arab dinner. It was really fancy and even had place cards. I sat at a table with some students from the program as well as the young girls of the faculty—they really like me and had switched me to be on their table. It was super fun and pretty yummy. I wouldn’t want it every day but it was delicious. (P.S. I haven’t really ever been grateful for the variety of food there is in the US. One night for dinner you will have Italian and the next Chinese—wow isn’t that AMAZING?!)

After dinner we headed into the gym to learn dancing! It was like a line dance that was more intense than ours and went in a circle. We weren’t really all that good and by the end of each song we would be in the middle jumping up and down—something Mormons are really good at. It was pretty fun though.

What would it be without the classic polygamy picture?

Other life updates:

We had a service project the other day putting humanitarian kits together. We are able to put kits together that say “BYU Jerusalem Center” on them and send them out within the community around us. It is pretty amazing because it helps people know who we are and that we care for them. We are more immediate than the church is but in the end we are all the same people. We broke all the records they have of past groups putting the kits together—and we could have done more but we ran out of towels.

Today in sunbeams our lesson was on being reverent. Only Isaac was there today and it was a challenge. He is such an adorable little kid but he did NOT want to be reverent or even pay attention. He told me he wanted to do Karate and go play. At one point he ran out of the room and hid from me. I carried him back to class and he asked me “Why don’t you like me, everyone else likes me?” And then he told me that he didn’t like me. Super sad because I think he is adorable. Then we went and I was trying to teach him and he wouldn’t even talk to me. So, I put a piece of paper in front of him and let him color while I sang to him "Reverently, Quietly." After I had sang it a few times he started to join in. We sang it a few times and then I stopped. He told me that we could keep singing and we sang the song a few more times until he knew it himself. I went from feeling like a total failure to being super happy! It was a pretty unique experience. When he was leaving primary (this was his last week in the Jerusalem Branch) he told me that he would miss me! Oh the joy of little kids.

I am going to share something a little bit personal from my journal. I hope no one minds.

“Right now I am in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is beautiful. I was reading the scriptures and hymns about the Lords atonement and His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. The song “Abide With Me ‘Tis Eventide” struck me as interesting. It is written as the singer pleading with the Lord to “stay this night with me.” In Matthew 26:38 the Lord makes a similar plea of Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. He says “tarry ye here, and watch with me.” The savior is sorrowful and wants them to help comfort him and be there for him but they fall asleep! This makes the hymn more inspiring. The Lord will NEVER be too tired for us, He will never be too busy for us, He will never ask us to wait a minute until He is ready. He is always here when we both want him and need him. Even more amazing than that is that he wants us to want him. He is ready with outstretched arms just waiting for us to turn to him! I love Jesus Christ. He is my Savior! I know that He loves me and that He atoned for my sins!”

Okay, now for an experience that happened when I left the Garden of Gethsemane. I may not have used my best judgment at the time but it turned out to be a fairly good experience.

After I left the Garden of Gethsemane today I was walking up the hill to a certain church. As I was walking this Arabic guy pulled over and asked if I want a ride. Naturally I said yes (after him asking 5 times and me saying no 4 times). So after I was in the car he kept driving past the church--not quite understanding where I was going--and took me to a Jewish cemetery and gave me a tour. Then he told me he was 33, divorced, and had 2 kids. He invited me to the dead sea with him tomorrow cuz he is meeting up with some friends. Then he gave me his number and email address. Then he took me back to the center and kissed me on the cheek. He really wants to play again soon. He told me he would give me a lot of things (such as posters, postcards and coffee) for free. (I think I should add here that I was with 2 other girls as well) It was kind of sketch but pretty funny! Who knows maybe I have made a best friend! But, I am not going to the dead sea with him and if there is a next time a boy will for sure be with us!

Conference—can you believe the tabernacle will be a second temple in Provo? AMAZING!

Also, I loved President Uchtdorf’s talk. Amazing.

I am not sure when I will get to see the other sessions of conference but I would love it if you would tell me what your favorite talks are so that I can still learn.