Galilee Day 5--Another Class Day

I know that field trip days are supposed to be the best part, you go to the sites where Jesus was.  I love them, I really do.  But I absolutely love class days.  I love sitting in class and learning about the life of Jesus.  Literally I am amazed by everything I learn. 

I can't wait to come home and be able to share what I have learned.  There is just too much to put on a blog.

Today we learned about the gospel of Luke--Luke loves to write about marginalized people.  This includes women.  Of course I love the gospel of Luke.

After class I had a nap which was delightful and studied for my midterm.  Then I went to dinner and then from 7-9 on a Friday night I went to my Ancient Near East class.  Doesn't that sound like a great way to spend an evening?

Then I went and walked on the beach for a while and then headed to bed.  Quite a delightful day.

Galilee Day 4--Rain Rain Rain!

Got up like regular and got on the bus.  We had our “Galilean Judaism Field Trip.”  I don’t really remember anything about the places I went because it was super rainy but luckily I have sources to tell me what I did—ala field trip manual.  

First we went to Gamla which was one of the last Galilean cities the Romans besieged and destroyed.   Rather than surrender, many of the Jews jumped from the precipice to their deaths.

When we left we had no idea it was going to be rainy and we had no idea we were going to be hiking.  So I was wearing a cute dress and my toms.  I pulled my dress up to my knees so it wouldn’t get muddy and headed down the mountain.  The mud would stick to my shoes and it felt like I was wearing ankle weights.  It was super enjoyable though.  There is something about rain and not wanting to do something that is hilarious to me.  We were all in pretty good moods regardless of hiking to somewhere we didn’t necessarily care about through the rain and mud.  A few girls slipped and got super muddy but for the majority of the time we sang songs and had a blast.

Then we headed to Qazrin.  The main thing we looked at there were different houses that have been restored.  We watched some really weird movie in a room with 6 screens and it was just plain odd.  Oh well!

Then we got to come back and we were all very grateful.  We were supposed to go on a hike later in the day (a hike that we had paid for and signed up for) but most of us decided against going because we were cold and had already hiked.

Well when I got back and went to lunch I got talked into going.  I knew it would happen but at the time I wasn’t to thrilled about it.

I am glad that I went—but really I would have been happy either way.

The hike was crazy, there were palm tree’s next to cacti next to tulips next to olive trees.  But it was beautiful.

We had the option to swim on the hike.  I put my feet in and it was so cold that I couldn’t get in.  Oh well!  I don’t regret it.

Then I went back, had dinner, and went to study.  I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open so I went to bed at 8:30.  Pretty delightful.  (Even though I had so much to do it wasn’t the most relaxing night because I was stressed I am glad I got to actually get some sleep!)

Galilee Day 3--Class Day

The schedule in Galilee is a little different than normal.  On one day one class has a field trip and the other class actually has class.  Then things get switched up.  So it was my time for class.  The thought of sitting in one class for three hours didn’t sound all that enjoyable.  Luckily I was wrong.

I really am growing to love the New Testament and Jesus.  I have LOVED learning about His life.  I love sitting in class with just my scriptures in front of me and reading the text.  I love learning about His miracles and his sermons.  I am learning so much about His life.  This has been such a blast.  

There are two verses that really stood out to me that I want to share from today’s lecture because obviously I can’t write it all down.  

Matthew 5:9.  “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

I have been called a peacemaker basically all my life and although it has not always been true I have always felt a connection with the title peacemaker.  It helped me get into the London study abroad and as I have been here Lindsay and Ben always refer to me as the peacemaker as they fight with each other (Usually in great fun!)  

We talked about this verse for a few minutes and Brother Huntsman said that usually peacemakers get a bad view and people call them “pansies.”  So perhaps I am just a pansy but I learned a lot about what being a real peacemaker means.

• First you need to make peace between yourself and God. 
• You need to make peace within yourself.
• You need to make peace with others after you have done both 1 and 2.
• When a problem is over let it be over and move on.

From this view I realized that being a peacemaker involves repentance and forgiveness much more than I had viewed.  Clearly I have a lot more work before I can receive the blessing of being called one of the children of God.  But, I am working on it.

The next verse that we went into a lot of detail on is Matthew 5:48—“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

Usually this verse can be pretty depressing.  I know that I am not perfect!  But the way we read it is super inspiring.  

The first word “be” translated by Greek can either be the commandment as we usually look at it or it can be a future tense meaning you will be perfect.  

As this comes after the beatitudes it seems to suggest that if we follow are poor in spirit, if we morn, if we are meek, if we hunger and thirst after righteousness, if we are merciful, if we are pure in heart, if we are peacemakers, and if we are persecuted for righteousness’ sake we will be considered perfect.

Furthermore the word perfect can also mean mature.  It can mean to be what you are meant to be.  As you do that you will come closer to being perfect.

3 Nephi 12:48 says “Therefore I would that ye be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”  The difference between this verse and the verse from Matthew is that in Matthew Jesus doesn’t say that He is perfect.  We know that Jesus was morally perfect all of his life.  But perhaps He wasn’t completely perfect or mature at this point.  In Nephi He had gone through the atonement and had been resurrected.  After He had done all that He came to do and after He was resurrected then he considered himself perfect.  Only then does Jesus call us to be like him—perfect.  This gives me hope.  I won’t be able to be perfect in this life, and I can’t become perfect by myself.  But, with Christ help I can be perfect.  When I am resurrected I will be perfect.  

So what is the moral of this little verse?  Be happy!  One day, you will be perfect!

After class I had class, lunch, and a little nap.  Then my class had our “fancy dinner” night and went to a fish restraint.  I had pizza.  Yep, I sure did.  It was pretty great (even though not the best pizza I have ever had…or even close but still, it was pizza!)

Then we went to Tiberias to experience some night life and see the city.  It didn’t really have much!  Oh well!

When I got back to Ein Gev I went to my room and was locked out (the point of having two keys for four girls really isn’t the smartest but what can ya do) so I went and talked with Kaitlyn and Lauren.  When I had stayed for a while and thought that my apartment would be open again I went to leave.  I opened the door and saw a little cat look at me.  I hurried and shut the door.  Then I opened it again to see where the cat went and its nose was at the crack of the door.  It pretty much terrified me.  So Lauren came to the rescue and started meowing at the cat.  They had a pretty long conversation.  It still wouldn’t leave.  So we got a door hanger and tried to hit it away.  The cat just attacked the hanger back.  Somehow eventually they made it so I could get outside.  Talk about a traumatic/ironic experience, getting locked out of my apartment to be locked in another apartment.

Galilee Day 2—Our God is an Awesome God! Jesus Day!

We started out with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. Our boat driver put some awesome gospel music on and we rocked out. We definitely have soul in our group. It was an absolute blast. I loved singing along, clapping my hands, and shouting hallelujah. As Brother Huntsman said, “In the church we don’t get a lot of opportunity to break loose and praise the Lord!” Well we certainly broke loose!

We stopped in the middle of the sea and talked about Jesus walking on the water and calming the seas. At breakfast I had told Brother Huntsman that mom told me that I should walk on water because all it takes is faith. We talked about Peter and how he was able to walk on water because it was a symbolic action of him coming unto Christ. If I could see Christ walking on the water I may have been able to jump out of the boat and run to him—but he wasn’t there. In reading the scriptures this week I have come to love Peter! Peter is up and ready to do things. He is the disciple that views Jesus walking on water and wants to try it out too. Oh how I would love to be like Peter (even when he denies Christ, making a huge mistake, he repents of it and goes about doing good!).

My walking on water picture!

We sang Master the Tempest is Raging and even though it was a very peaceful day on the sea there was a great spirit that could be felt there.

Then we got off the boat and went and watched a movie about a really old boat and then saw that old boat. It could possibly be a boat that Jesus or one of his disciples had been on.

Next up, the Church of Tabgha. This place commemorates the miracle of feeding the 5,000. While we were there I touched a fish.

Mount of Beatitudes. The most beautiful spot I have seen in a really really long time. It was absolutely stunning. We were given some alone time and I sat on a rock next to a palm tree basking in the sun looking out onto the Sea of Galilee. Literally, life cannot get any better. While I was there I felt very calm and at peace with my future. I realized that although I have absolutely no idea what I am doing with my life but I do know that it will all work out.

Next we went to St. Peter Primacy which honors the time when Christ appeared to the Apostles and told Peter to “feed my sheep.” It was on the beach and it was pretty.

The next spot was Capernum where Jesus performed many miracles.

Kursi was last on the field trip stop. Although the scriptures have several different locations for where the demons were caste into pigs this is the most probably location. Naturally there were a lot of pig comments throughout the spot. (The location in the scriptures that Mark cites as the spot is actually 13 miles away from the Sea of Galilee. That is a half marathon for the pigs to run before jumping off a cliff. I doubt that happened—and if it did, that is just embarrassing that pigs can run a half marathon whereas I…well can’t.)

Then we came back and I headed to the beach and chatted with several girls. It was pretty delightful. Then after a 15 minute nap I went to dinner. After that we had a bonfire on the beach. Scary stories were told. I realized that I am a wimp with a capital W—I can get scared by a two pound cat. But, the stories were so not scary. I was slightly disappointed, and slightly pleased that it wouldn’t affect my night’s sleep.

That was day 2. Pretty packed! Yay for Jesus Land!