Jonathan and I on the bottom deck of our ship ;) We cruised the Bosphorus Strait that divides the Asia and Europe sides of Istanbul. This was about 3 hours long of maybe the prettiest views I've ever seen- Istanbul definitely wins favorite city award. It is stunning.

Views of the European side of Istanbul

Tyler and I in front of the Bosphorus Bridge

This is the memorial at Gallipoli for the Australian and New Zealand soliders who lost their lives in WWI

Taking a ferry boat across the Sea of Marmara- with my new geanie pants I got for 5 bucks at a Bazaar

Troy! In our wooden horse!

At the top of Assos- city where Paul went, Aristotle lived here, Temple for goddess Athena.... and home of the best view of the trip- of the Mediterranean Sea (drat, can't see in this pic)

Pergamon- coolest city, with a good amount of ruins still in tact! The Temple of Zues was here- (think Hercules) I ran around and sang "I CAN GO THE DISTANCE, I WILL GO MOST ANYWHERE TO FIND WHERE I BELONG!!!"

Columns of Temple to Seraphis at Pergamon

Trying to be Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice... I didn't meet Mr. Darcy, but I did succeed in not getting in trouble for disrespecting antiquities.

Sitting in the Theater, listening to the tour guide, Nick and I decided to pretend we were bored rebel Romans in the back of class. 

Picking olives for Pressing (more pics to come!) 

Ishtar Gate for the City of Babylon (built by Nebuchaneezer)- Lion tiles. The rest of the giant gate is in Berlin.

Excavating for old columns and .... other rockin things. This was at the History Museum in Istanbul

Spice Bazaar first night in Istanbul.... I tried the Turkish Delight, and I honestly didn't find it that delightful. Haha! But I loved the different smells, bright lights, men asking you to buy things at every turn, and just crowded excitement here!!!

At our first hotel in Istanbul. Morning continental breakfast of cold eggs, weird cheese and meat platters, brownies, and cocoa puffs with hot milk. hahaha the breakfasts were always so weird, but the other meals we had were 3-5 courses of AMAZING kabab meats, vegetables, pitas, and mmmmmmm baklava!!!  

Feeeeeeed the biiiiiirds, topins, topins a bag. Or should I say doooooont feeeeed the starving pack of wild fowwwwwls, lirrra lirrrra a bag. These birds were INSANE. 

Outside the Blue Mosque- covered in beautiful blue Iznik tiles on the inside. Women have to cover their heads inside, as the custom for Muslim women. 

Our AMAZING tour guide, Necip. He was with us the entire week- and was so fun and really knew his stuff! He was "so so nice." and we always imitated his cool accent! He told us a story of how he met his Finnish wife while giving a tour to her and the group she was with!!! He talked about how he had led a party life and when he fell in love with her he knew he wanted to marry her in just a few short months of long distance dating... He took her to the place they had first met in Istanbul and he asked her "Do you want to spend your life with a crazy Turk?" She said Yes and they have two children now... I wish I could have met them! He was my favorite person of this trip. SUCH a great man... When he shared his story it honestly made me cry, I loved it. Turkey was just opened for missionary work about 8 months ago: just the city of Istanbul so far, but they have 12 missionaries there and have had 8 baptisms I believe... which is amazing!!

Blue Mosque... Lydia, Devyn, Whit, aaaaaand Ryan in the background!

Blue Mosque- there are 1000s of mosques.... Its incredible. Turkey is 98% Muslim!!! about half of those are really practicing, but it's still just amazing to see such a cultural religion!

The Roman Cistern built underneath the city! A giant resovoir for water!

YEP. we called it the squatty potty.

Outside Damascus Gate- Ty's first time taking pictures ;)

King David Citadel Museum- King David didn't actually build this or come here- fun fact. 

Great overlook- Dome of the Rock, and three towers on the hill- Hebrew University, Augusta Victoria Cathedral, and the Russian Church of the Ascension. 

FIRST TIME EATING SCHWARMA (also first time spelling that...) The people in the Old City know the BYU students so well because of years of legacy, and so we get treated really well... This restaurant the man gave us discounts and free falaffle pitas!!! So, thanks to all those who came before... there is a wonderful reputation of  Mormons and BYU here in this City. 

Fun story: Tyler makes this fabulous hide out room to study and hang out in.... BUT- no A/C!!! Not a fan of heat, and having a knack for ingenuity, Tyler hunts down and buys a giant fan from the city (for a steal of a bargain) and lugs it the few miles of winding busy streets back to the center, sets it up annnnnnnnd.....

Completes the party room with beanbags and friends for a movie night!!! 

Most perfect wash of color in this sunset- I remember trying to create something like this in paint, but you just can't- it was beautiful!

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher- Catholic Church in the Old City: location for many believers of Christ's Crucifixion, Death, and Burial. This is supposed to be the stone he was laid on in the Tomb.

In the Holy Sepulcher Church at a Mass 

Trying to find clothes for the Arab culture night

Absalom's Tomb in the Jewish Cemetery on the Mt. of Olives

With our friends we met in the Cemetary- they had been picking Olives.

We followed the Boys to their house in an area of town called Silwan... We hung out with the boys and their older brother and mother for a few hours

In their home- they shared some delicious lunch with us!!! (read the full story down further)

Favorite day!

TURKEY DAY!

It’s not quite Thanksgiving… BUT WE’RE GOING TO TURKEY! ;) We leave for Turkey tomorrow at 4 am! The menu is: Istanbul, Troy, Ephasus, Galipoli, boat rides, bazaars, and mosques! DELIGHTFUL! I never thought I would have the chance to go to these places I have studied in Art History courses (like Haggai Sophia!) or watched in movies and read in books!

The field trip this week was a blast- we went to the valley of Arad, where David fought the giant Goliath and the Philistine army! It was a spiritual experience to think of the valley filled with warriors and to read of David’s sure faith. He didn’t go down to face Goliath think “well golly, I sure hope this works, God if you could maybe help me out a bit….”  David had faith that could work miracles, fully KNOWING that he fought for the omnipotent Creator, he said: “Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God!!!” (1 Samuel 17) We got to use slings and practice our giant slaying (and rock dodging) skills! I’m sure someone could kill a man with that weapon…. But it definitely wouldn’t be me.

We also visited the tel of Lakish where the Assyrians fought the Israelites before they took over Jerusalem. A tel is a mound of ancient cities… Because people would conquer again and again cities, they would simply build on top of each other and so it’s like a giant layered cake of history!

      I didn’t have much time to go into the Old City to explore this week… because for some of our classes we had midterms! They weren’t nearly as hard as I thought they would be and I did well on all of them! :D Lots of reading…that’s the best way to describe my classes…. Homework is usually just hours of study and reading!

Some favorite quotes from my travels:

As we walk through the desert: “I’m really gaining a testimony of Lamen and Lemuel….”

“No Turkish baths in Turkey!” –Dr. Seely

“My father has 11 children…. That we know of!” –young man we met in village

You can have multiple wives in Islam... “You have 4 compartments in your heart… so you can have 4 wives!” –Bashir Bashir (Palestine teacher)

      If you eat a turkey sandwhich at all this week… think of me! Love, KL

Hanging out in the Tree house (Tyler made a genius secret hide out behind some classrooms!)

My new friend Abuuo (not sure if that's really how you spell it...) He is a Coptic Monk who serves in a church near the Holy Sepulchre. Nicest man- speaks a few words in English- he kissed my hand and said I was pretty!

Ramparts walk around Jerusalem's walls. I loved seeing the residential areas of the Old City- domed rooftops, clotheslines with fresh white shirts, school yards, trash piles, little children waving up and saying "Malhaba!". (Also, I look like a proud supporter of Boise State in this outfit ha!) 

FAVORITE DAY

SHALOM from the Holy Land! Almost a month into my Jerusalem adventure, and I am just now starting my blog! I have had the most incredible day today and it was just magical enough that I said, "Ok, I HAVE to tell everyone about this!" Not just today, but the last few weeks! I wish I could play catch up, but I have PILES of homework I need to catch up on, which I already procrastinated all day- much preferring adventures in the city to staying here in the center studying ;)        

  Today I went out to the Old City with two of my new friends, Sam and Jared! I've learned by now to plan my day well and travel in small groups- you can get so much more done! We did the "ramparts walk" where you climb to the top of the wall surrounding the Old City of Jerusalem and walk the border- with great views of some parts of the city you just can't see from the streets! We paid a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Pools of Bethesda. Then we hurried around to the base of the Mt. of Olives - which is covered in a giant Jewish Cemetery. The scriptures talk about Christ's Resurrection and him splitting the Mt. of Olives and marching down through the Golden Gate of the City- well, in order to be the first to be resurrected, many people for the last couple thousand years have chosen to be buried here! The mountain side is covered! And at the base is the Tomb of Absalom (King David's son!)

        We walked around there for a while and listened to a man play some Egyptian music. Then, over the hill came five cute Palestinian boys with coffee cans and water bottles of olives that they had been picking from the mountain. We chatted and laughed and they got me to try an olive- very bitter! Then the oldest boy Mamul said, "You are our friends, and we bring our friends to our house. Come home with me!" The three of us looked at each other for a second wondering if this was "OK" and then made the obvious choice to follow our new friends to their village just around the base of the mountain in the Kidron Valley.

        We met their father, Abe, out on the front porch of his business where he makes widow's mites for tourists to buy. Then we climbed up to their beautiful porch and their mother opened the door with a "Welcome, Welcome, please come in!" We tried to explain how we'd met her sons, but she spoke very little English, and yet, not knowing who we were or how to communicate, welcomed us whole heartedly into her home! We sat in their beautiful living room, where they had a full wall mural of Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock. Gradually, about 5 of the 11 children came in and out and we met her oldest, Seti (? I had a really hard time remembering their names!) We talked with him and the boys for about an hour and a half, and part way through Fatima brought out a beautiful lunch for us! Pitas, vegetables, cheese, eggs... oh so delicious!

Being with this sweet family was... powerful! Spiritually powerful, and not just because I felt like a missionary again! But I really recognized how similar all of God's children are. Honestly this culture has always seemed very foreign to me- they dress in head scarfs and long dresses, eat strange foods, speak in a completely indiscernible tongue, and worship in a different way. But, sitting for just a short time with this family all of that "different" mentality was erased, as I felt nothing but love and trust between us. We talked about their family and they were so expressive of love and the importance of families. Seti has a wife and daughter back in the States, but came here to work with his dad. Across this whole globe, in all nations and cultures, I think spiritually, we all need the same things- We need love and family... at the very base. No matter the religion or beliefs we attribute these feelings to... there is undoubtedly a measure of divinity in this. God truly does love us... because he gives us families and the emotions that come with those bonds.

Romans 8:

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

I love you my family (and friends included!) -KL

Walking the Via Dolorosa (14 stations of the cross) in the Old City

Tel Aviv Trip!!! Got a bus to take 25 students out to the Mediterranean coast! Spent the day at the Beach and walked around Jaffa (an old part of the city) Had delicious food and watched the sunset!

At the Matisyahu Concert in benyimmina 

Matisyahu!!! 

Dome of the Rock! 

Shalom!!!

I just have a quick minute to tell you about the last few days... On Thursday we toured around the city for the first time, we were flanked by guards from the center whole time! I felt very important! We tried some bread that's called kaapaer with weird green seasoning... Zaraat I think? I may be butchering those. 

The next day was a little boring we had a ton of orientations and tried to stay awake jeeeeet laaaaaag. I love the Jerusalem center though, it's huge and has spectacular views.... It's like living in a palace. We are also fed reeeeeeally well. Too well probably. I eat like triple what I was eating a week ago. And muchhhhh better food.

We were assigned to different student committees. I am on the "shekel shack" team that buys snacks in the city and resells them in the center for profit. So we can make money for tshirts! We have a huge budget and its really fun to kinda run a business on the side! We went down to explore Jerusalem today and got a little lost in the old city,.... We went to the garden tomb, and then wandered our way to the western wall! We were in the Jewish quarter which was empty since today is the Shabbat (Sabbath)

It was fun, and a really long long walk! 

My classes are awesome! My Old Testament teacher is bro Belnap who is pretty legit. He knows his stuff. I taught his daughter Emma in young women's today! I wish they would make that my official calling!!!

I am really loving it here, still pretty tired! jeeeeet laaaaaaag

Love, kl

Ma nishma!?

 "how are you doing?" in Hebrew! (actually it means directly - what are you hearing? Haha

 and you can reply Be'seder- meaning "good" or directly "all is in order" 

My Hebrew class is one of my favorites! the woman who teaches us is fun- we get to sing Hebrew songs :D she’s married to a rabbi and shares a lot of cultural things with us. My favorite class is Old Testament. we have it every day- and I love going into depth on these scriptures, especially because I feel like I really struggle with the Old Testament. We've talked this week about the creation and how scriptures often compare the "wilderness" and "sea" to the chaos that existed when there was merely 'matter unorganized." And you see that throughout scripture- people compare death and sin to wilderness and chaos. But God is constantly moving from chaos to cosmos (Greek word for ORDER) Bro Belnap gives really awesome insights! we spent almost an hour last class going over Hagar, Sarah's hand maid and mother of Ishmael when Sarah couldn't have children. Its so fun! and then to get to go to Mt. Moriah where Abraham supposedly went to sacrifice Isaac (Dome of the Rock now) or this week we go to Beersheba which is along the patriarchs way where Abraham traveled. 

I love living here too- there’s so many fun people. Like today (Saturday, the Sabbath) we went to the Garden tomb and had a tour and then sang songs outside... it was really beautiful music. and I got with a group of people just now and did some improv singing! haha i love it I had my interview with the branch president just now, I was called as a gospel doctrine teacher earlier this week! I taught today :D it was really last minute bc I was just covering for a girl who got sick! but it was soooooo fun to teach. I get such a rush to teach.... I feel like I’m doing the best thing I could with my time, studying and teaching! haha I am really jealous of Alyssa who gets to do that all the time on her mission! 

Y’know, one thing that has struck me as I am here, is that I feel the spirit more strongly when I read the scriptures and pray then I do when Im touring the sites, etc. I mean its cool and fun to be in the places, but I (and you ) can learn just the same and feel the spirit just as strong without ever seeing these places!!! 

I wrote my first paper of the semester this past week…On the contextual rules of propinquity. tell me that doesn't sound like a blast!?!? I worked harder on that then most assignments. That’s one plus to living in your school and having not much else to do then homework sometimes. haha there’s always the option of going down to Jerusalem and hanging out! But I am trying to focus on getting good grades!!!

Speaking of, gotta run to do some H slash W!!!

Love,

KL

Friends and Family!

I am so sorry it has taken me almost a month to start this blog, but I will post some of my previous emails to catch you up! The time is flying by and I had too many things to tell and pictures to share- I can’t put this off any longer! This was the best way to communicate with everyone at once, but feel free to email me at:

 lovekaraleigh@gmail.com

…or if you are feeling really benevolent you can send me a letter at:

BYU Jerusalem Center
P.O. Box 19604
Jerusalem, 91196 ISRAEL

I promise I am a great pen pal!!!

I am so grateful to be here in this land and among these people, both in the BYU program and in the city! I think everyday of the great blessing this is and I want to thank everyone who helped support me to be here!

את כל האהבה שלי 

(all my love)

أنا أحبك 

(I love you)

Kara Leigh