Israel Museum, Dome of the Rock, and the Pool of Besthesda

So today was our second free day, and we started our day by going into West Jerusalem to go to the Israel museum.  Everything there is super super old so by the time we got to the end, it was like "Oh, thats from 900 AD?  Moving on!".  It really does amaze me the intricate stuff that was made by people thousands of years ago.  Really, it is amazing what they are able to do with such unsophisticated tools.  These are some of the pictures from the museum.

Outside the museum.

 Islam door to a temple from a couple hundred years ago.

 Ancient bronze statue from the period of the Romans.  It is of Herod I think.

Jewelry from the Caananites (it is really elaborate, but you can't tell from far away).

 Some really cool rainbow mural we found.  

 A group of students eating lunch outside the museum.

 Us at the Dome of the Rock.  We went there for a little bit, but we went just as it was closing so we didn't get to see much.  

Then, on the way back some of us went and found the pool of Bethesda.  This is the pool where many invalids would come because once a year it was said that angels would come and rustle the water and the first person to get in the water will be healed.  There was a man that was paralyzed and had come to the pool every year for 39 years, trying to be healed.  When Jesus comes he tells him that he tries to get healed he has nobody to lower him into the water, and while he is making his way, someone always gets to the water first.  This man has great intentions, but just always falls a little bit short of the mark.  Then Jesus tells him to "Stand up, take your mat and walk."  I think this is a beautiful analogy to the atonement because I feel like I am trying to be better and do all I can, but I will always fall short of the mark of perfection.  But the miracle is that when we come to Jesus and say "I tried to reach out and complete my goals for myself today, to follow the commandments and be the person I know I have the potential to be, but I fell a little short."  and then Jesus makes up the difference. I have decided that this is the place where I am going to open up my mission call.   Which hopefully should be coming in the next two weeks!!!