The View From My Window--The First 24 Hours of Jerusalem

Arrive at SLC airport, say goodbye to my mom.  Plane ride to JFK.  Five hour layover.  Nine hour flight to Tel Aviv.  One hour on a bus and we have finally arrived.   Brief welcome, then dinner, then orientation, then bed.  Morning. Lots of orientations, lots of jet lag, lots of meeting people, lots of laughter, lots of new friends being made.  This is my 24 hours of Jerusalem.

But the amazing things I have seen so far make me even more exited for the next couple months that lay ahead for me.

Today we went on a walking tour through the Old City to get oriented with this new city we get to call home for the next 3 months.  We passed a Bar Mitzvah and our teacher/tour leader got invited in and he sang and danced with them.  You could tell Dr. Woods was having the time of his life, and so were we.  I love seeing all the beautiful culture of this new place.  This little boy had finally turned 13 and his family laughed and sang through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, celebrating his emergence into adulthood.  In a way, I think I connected to this boy because this is the first time I have lived in a different country as my parents, and also because today is also the day that I submit my mission papers.  I am making this transition into adulthood as well, and seeing this little boy at his Bar Mitzvah reminded me how exiting this time of life really is.

My other favorite moment so far was this morning, when I woke up and heard my roommate on the balcony.  So I followed and walked out.  And the I saw the view from my window and it was breathtaking.  The picture doesn't even start to do it justice.  Is is so gorgeous.

So people have been making pilgrimages to Jerusalem for something like 1600 years.  My ANE (Ancient Near Eastern Studies) professor talked to us about how we are not tourists, we are pilgrims.  We have come to this land to learn and grow, both mentally and spiritually.  And I like the idea of that.  Liza, the pilgrim.  I can see it.