Jordan: Part 1

So...I realize that I am home...but my blog is far from being up to date. Since my blog is for my own records...the blog posts from Israel (and Jordan) are just going to keep coming...


This one time we went to Jordan. Ya, Jordan. I don't think I ever thought in my life..."hey, I would really like to travel to Jordan one day." But I sure did enjoy it! Usually when we go on these trips...the teachers don't really give us much details about our trips...so we are always pleasantly surprised. Low expectations always result is high satisfaction...at least for this summer they did!

We started the trip on a Monday morning, bright and early. Earlier than any of us would like...but hey, it's Jordan...and we sure don't want to be left behind. So, we boarded the bus and headed for the border. We were now studying the New Testament, which meant that we had switched teachers...and we were now Huntsman-ites. Bro. Huntsman called the trip our "awkward first date." It was totally true. We love all of our teachers. But especially the first day together, we were just adjusting to the different styles and different quirks. Even something so simple as counting off was throwing us all off.

When we got to the border crossing...we all got off the bus, with everything in hand.  It was definitely a different experience than Turkey where customs were at the airport. All of us luggage was unloaded. We went into a building, got in a large line...they looked at our passports...then we walked through and boarded another bus. It was a funny concept. Then we waited a while for them to give us the clear? I think that's why we waited. It sounds good. Right?

When we first drove in Jordan, there wasn't a whole lot to see. But we got a glimpse of the tiny little Jordan River out of our window. We were also introduced to our new tour guide. Being in Israel, our teachers have permission to be our tour guides...but as soon as we go into another country, it is a rule that we have to have a tour guide. The hard part about tour guides is they have a lot of pride in their countries...so they have a tendency of talking...A LOT!  Our teachers understand how much we can take...and that on the bus rides we tend to just fall asleep.  But our tour guide had a tendency of starting to talk in the middle of the bus ride, when we were all half conscious.  Also, sometimes they are hard to understand.

Our first stop in Jordan was to Mount Nebo.

Deuteronomy 34:1, "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo..." There Moses sees all of the promised land, and it is recorded that Moses died there. But we know that since Moses appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration later, that Moses was a translated being and did not die as Deuteronomy says.

Anyways...Mount Nebo commemorates Moses. So, we overlooked the Holy Land, read the scriptures, sang a little (Bro. Huntsman is in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, so he loves singing...and we love the spirit that singing brings), and of course, we clicked those cameras.

The "Brazen Serpent" behind us.

Next, we were off to Madaba....where our tour guide had a whole lot to say...and let's be honest, I don't exactly know what all he said. Madaba had a church where there is the oldest map of the Holy Land, in Mosaic form. So, that's pretty cool. 

After Madaba, we headed to "Dana's" for lunch. Mostly it was great because we had a Dana in our group, so we ended up stealing napkins and writing birthday notes for Dana on them. It was cute! 

After lunch we headed to Machaerus. 

And we hiked to the top of that hill.

Machaerus is a fortress originally built by the Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus and after rebuilt by Herod the Great. It is the site where John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded by Herod Antipas.

Herod sure loved his building projects.

So, we read from Mark 6 and sang "Faith of our Fathers." Bro. Huntsman always had a song to be sung at every site.

"Strike a pose" pictures started becoming a more common occurrence...we learn to entertain ourselves in our picture taking.

We then had a long...rollercoaster ride to Petra. I became quite grateful for the well paved roads of the States. It's hard to sleep on a bus in general, but it's even harder when you are being whipped around. 

But we made sure to take a real quick stop on the side of the road to enjoy a beautiful Jordanian sunset. I was honestly super shocked when we just stopped and all of us piled out of the buses to take a quick picture before the sun was down. 

We arrived in Petra where they greeted us with juices and a horse in front of their hotel. We then went to dinner where there was music playing...and a buffet of food (which is often the case of the food we eat). Our room had nice little towel hearts and flowers for us. Precious.

The next day was the day we had been waiting for. The only place in Jordan that we actually had some knowledge of...Petra! Woot! The fact that they allowed us to wear shorts was indicative of the fact that it was going to be a hot day...but we were ready for it!!

 It was a pretty incredible day...probably one of the coolest sites I have ever seen!

We walked a little...and from the beginning you see tombs in the rocks...then you run into the siq. 

After you walked through the siq...there is a gap and you begin to see the treasury. It really is quite a site to see! Think Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Same place. Although...I did not find the Holy Grail. Darn. :)

After our tour guide gave us a good rundown of Petra and we got a little history. We were let lose. We walked down a street where there were tombs and a street that was full of columns and ruins of buildings. We took some good pictures...this was a BIG picture day. I would post even more...but it might get a little excessive.

The main goal was to hike to the Monastery. And a hike it sure was. We hiked and hiked. Many people tried to offer us donkey rides up to the Monastery...but we weren't allowed to take a donkey. Once we started up the stairs...we fully understood why! It would have been terrifying to be on a donkey up that path. The stairs were super steep and uneven. A donkey ride would have been miserable.

But before we knew it, we turned a corner and beheld an incredible site...

I am one of the only ones in the air. Woo!

And then took an excessive amount of pictures...

We hiked to more look out spots...

We even hiked to "The End of the World"...

And then head back down for a delicious buffet lunch.

After lunch we just explored more. The entire site is filled with places to see and it is all cut out of the rock. I'm not sure how they did it! We were going to hike to the "high place," but let's just say...we were a little hiked out. We were tired and sweaty and we were not feeling the "high place." Our teacher had shown us a picture of it in class, and I felt very satisfied with that.  At that point, all I really wanted to do was ride a camel.

So, after more exploring we headed back to the front where the monastery was, and payed $3 to get on the camel. I wanted to say I rode a camel, but mostly we just kind of got on the camel, and did a little ride around. But it was still fun! The best part is when they get up and down because they are so stinkin' tall, it's a long ways up. I feel bad for those poor camels, they just go up and down all day. They are cool animals though! 

I am really quite proud of this shot of Juan.

Here I am in all of my camel riding glory! I rode a camel in Petra. Ya, it was a pretty epic day! Definitely a day I will always remember!

Some of our friends went exploring some more with the little bit of time that we had left. While some of us were feeling pretty content with what we had seen. Our bodies were warn out...and being tired brought all of our sassiness out more.

So, instead I looked at a necklace that a little boy was selling. He was about to sell that sucker to me for $25. I laughed and told him that I was not going to pay that...with which the price slowly began to decrease. I didn't know if I cared enough so I walked away...but before I knew it that boy had followed me and the price had lowered to $3. What the heck? I guess I'll buy the necklace from you. (I actually have come to love that necklace...it makes an appearance in many of my pictures.)

But the necklace was missing something. A nice cold Diet Coke. Mmmm. Sometimes a soda is just necessary...especially after a long, hot day.

Petra was such a cool day. We all got on the bus, sweaty and dirty, and warn out.

We had one more site though! Our teachers hadn't ever had enough time to go to the Castle, they had only previously looked out the window at it. But we had time...and the teachers were in Jordan for their last semester...so they were going to see it.

So, we went to the Castle for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

It was sweet. Being in a castle, I felt that it was necessary to take a Princess pose. So, I recruited Priscilla, and we put forth our best princess efforts. We get bored of taking pictures, so we really try to get creativity. Some pictures are definitely more creative than others.

We headed back to our hotel, showered off, ate dinner, and hung out at the hotel for the rest of the night...which included playing card games for a little bit, and then going on the roof of the hotel with Steph.

It was a good, long day!

We love Finals...but mostly we love Tel Aviv

After our City of David field trip...the week was not all that exciting. For you see, we aren't just here to have fun...we actually have to take classes and have tests and stuff. Weird. 

So, it was finals week! Woo! Everyone's favorite...

So...our week consisted of two writing exercises, a take home test (hardest take home test of my life), and an in class essay in Old Testament. A final in our Israel class. A final in my Arabic class. A midterm in our Field Trip class. And an essay final for our Palestine class. Fun stuff! 

Tuesday and Wednesday consisted of staying in the center and studying! 

Tuesday night we had a self-defense class. Although I was stressed, I went anyways...and man, I feel like I learned some sweet skills! I actually do feel like I know what to do. Let's just hope I never actually have to use the skills that I learned.

Wednesday night was the funniest though...we only had our field trip midterm on Friday left and people weren't ready to start studying for that...so people were walking around so bored. It was the first time I had felt that I didn't have anything pressing to do...I could do whatever I want. Granted...I should have probably been writing my Palestine essay or my Israel Extra Credit essay or studied for Field Trip...but oh well. We watched a movie, and I didn't even feel the need to simultaneously attempt to study.

Thursday was basically a free day...aka we should have been studying but we chose to have fun. So, we went to the Old City, stopped by Rita's shop. Then we went to the Tower of David Museum, which was cooler than I was expecting. Plus, we didn't have to pay anything, so that's always great. 

Basically the Tower of David Museum has been used for various different things throughout the ages. It wasn't actually constructed by David, which is deceiving. But it was used as a fortress at one point and as a mosque at another point...the uses vary widely. 

Not the typical museum.

The Tower of David is the highest point in the Old City...so it has a sweet look out point.

It was a fun adventure. Then, I came back to this beauty...

My mom is seriously the best! Honestly, clothes and chocolate are all I really wanted! I had secretly been looking at the Loft online...excited about going shopping when I get home and having more variety in clothes...then this beautiful package come! Love my mom!! (2 shirts, a skirt, a dress, and a sweater! Perfection!)

Friday we had our first New Testament class...and Old Testament was making me more excited to study the life of Christ. Plus, Bro. Huntsman just loves Jesus and he is so passionate! It will be a fun term!

Friday we also finished our field trip final...so we were basically done with finals...and we were feeling real good about life! I helped at the humanitarian project. We have an ongoing humanitarian project of making school kits for surrounding schools and cities. It's fun to feel like we are helping the people of Israel. Then that night we went to a synagogue. Going to synagogue was way different than I was expecting! But it was great! I enjoyed it! I love experiencing other religions and being able to see people so faithful in their religions. Being in Jerusalem has definitely helped me gain a greater appreciation for other religions.

I came back to a Justin Bieber dance party. The life at the JC.

Saturday after church I went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Sometimes it seems nice to stay in and not enter the heat...but I don't want to regret not taking advantage of the moments I have to spend in these great spots on the Sabbath. Sometimes I am really good at walking...and my foot kind of slips off the curb and rolls a bit. And sometimes I am kind of embarrassed that I just fell...so I suck it up and keep walking, because I actually do feel fine. Then, I get back to the center and struggle to walk on my ankle...so I get the doctor to wrap my foot and I ice it and I confine myself to bed...because walking is a serious struggle.

But then I wake up and feel so much better! Prayer works...because I was not about to miss a day to the beach! 

Yes. The beach! Since finals were over, we all felt that it was necessary to take a trip to the beach. So, back to Tel Aviv we went!! It was such a fun day! (I realize the word fun is extremely overused in my blog posts...but my word use is limited.) It was even more fun than the time before because I was more comfortable with the people I was with, so we had a blast!

First we headed over to Old Jaffa!

And we headed over to the flee markets. It was fun to just wander and shop a little bit. I surprised myself and got a necklace and a scarf. My necklace is an elephant necklace, I am surprisingly pretty proud of my elephant necklace. They were good purchases.

There was the funniest little store with ceramic statues (I don't know if that is the most accurate description of what they were...but oh well), so Steph, Juan, and I had fun wandering through the store and just laughing at the obscure things they had! There was a hot dog with a face, a pink panther, a giraffe, a monkey astronaut...the possibilities were seriously endless!

Then we were off to...the beach! The moment we had been waiting for! Every time I say "...to the...beach." I think of Mr. Bean's Holiday, but no one ever seems to know my reference or think it is funny...so I just awkwardly laugh to myself. It happens. 

We hung out at the beach most of the day! The water was seriously perfect, so we just hung out in the water for long periods of time. It was so fun and relaxing. I think the moments when I got sunburned were from just floating and chilling in the water. Some how we all ended up in the same spot...so it was fun to be around the whole group that was in Tel Aviv together. 

(Super cute water picture on Steph's blog...here. Steph is a photography major...so she has skills.)

It is so fun to be here during the summer because we get to enjoy the beach more! Other semesters it is too cold to enjoy the beach and the water...but we live for it, because it is toasty! I just took a nice nap on the beach, enjoyed being in the water, and learning even more about people's lives! 

We then wandered to Tel Aviv's shuk. My sunglasses had gotten broken in my backpack, so I purchased some new sunglasses, and Brooke and I shared a delicious...sandwich? Ya, it was like a schwarma sandwich. It was delicious! 

We played on some of the exercise equipment along the beach. Posed by this weird...mouth? sculpture. And went on the swings...where I my bum may of may not have slipped off the swing...leaving me frantically trying to slide my bum back on to the swing...and endlessly relieved that I hadn't changed out of my swimsuit. Poor Juan would have gotten more of a show...and I would have been mortified. But instead there were just A LOT of laughs!

I thought this was the coolest. All the Muslim woman in their clothes in the water. So interesting.

It was a fun day at the beach! All smiles, all around!!

We got back to the Center with some time to pack our bags and prepare ourselves for our next adventure to Jordan!

From Argentina to Jerusalem

Today, I got an email from my sister.

You see. My sister is on a mission in Argentina, and getting emails from her each week is such a treat.

As I looked at the pictures that she sent in her email, I started cracking up...

This is the treat I found.

Naturally a donkey picture is pretty funny.

But it was even funnier because of this....

Yes. We both have pictures of us pointing to donkeys.

She has never seen my picture before, so she wasn't trying to mimic me.

They both just happened.

One in Argentina...the other in Jerusalem.

It blew my mind.

Apparently Van Wagenen girls enjoy donkeys...I'm not sure what that says about us...but it's funny.

There is a possibility that we also have matching skirts and shoes.  The shoes I was aware of when I bought them.  The skirt I was not aware of.  Our family friend, Jen, sent it to her on her mission, and I just bought mine in preparation for Jerusalem.  Accidental twinsies.

One day I was even wearing the shoes and skirt and my friend told me that I looked like a missionary.  Conveniently my sister has the same outfit...so it was fitting. My sister is a super cute sister missionary, so I am perfectly fine being called a missionary.

Weird. It's like we are sisters or something! :)

(Don't worry. This is not the only outfit I own. It just so happens to be the outfit present in both of these pictures...and in my blog picture...it's whatever. If she had been wearing that skirt in the donkey picture...it would have just been icing on the cake!!)

Love and miss this girl! She comes home a week after I do...craziness!!

City of David

I feel like I say this about a lot of the field trips...but the field trip to the City of David was definitely a winner! And you are about to find out why...

We walked over to the City of David in the early morn...stopping for a little devotional on the way in the Orsen Hyde Memorial Park. But as soon as we arrived...I just knew I was going to love the City of David.

Ok. So mostly we were excited about Hezekiah's tunnel that was part of the day's agenda. But before we could go to the tunnel, we had a few other things on our day's agenda.

We watched a 3-D movie that gave us a brief rundown on the history of the City of David, which we mostly already knew from our classes...but it was still a fun movie. Basically, King David conquered the Canaanite city of Jebus and he made it the capital where he and Solomon ruled.  Over the years though, the city of Jerusalem grew to the northwest (the Temple Mount is to the north), and the City of David remained an important section of the city until the Babylonian destruction.

There is a brief rundown for you.

We then walked around the excavations that they have made. One excavation is believed to be David's Palace. We don't know how accurate that is...but it sounds cool. It is really easy to see how David would have looked down onto Bathsheba because the City is right next to the valley, and the palace is at one of the highest points of the City of David.

We then made our way to the tunnel...woohoo! We were pumped! Many had their head lamps ready to go...I didn't have one, but it was fine because so many others were providing light.

The tunnel was engineered by Hezekiah in 700 BC to safeguard Jerusalem's water supply in preparation for the Assyrian seige. So, the tunnel connects the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam.

Without light though...it is pitch black. At certain points people decided to turn off their lights and it was almost freaky how dark it was. But the water felt so good. It was so surreal that I was finally in Hezekiah's tunnel. This was something that I had been excited about for a long time, so it was hard for my to realize that I was here...walking through the water that was past my knees.

I was obviously really happy.

Look how high it was. Also, try not to be completely jealous of my aqua socks. I actually love those guys. They have done me good.

This is where the tunnel pops you out.

We are being fountains. Obviously.

We then went to stairs that had been recently excavated that lead to the Temple Mount for the Pool of Siloam. There is only a portion of them excavated. But it was surreal when my teacher told us that Christ would have definitely walked on these steps from the Pool of Siloam. For how much uncertainty everyone normally has about these sites and whether or not Christ was really there...that was amazing to hear.

We sat by the Pool of Siloam for a minute while our teacher talked to us. I love going to the sites that are Christ related.

 John 9:11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.

It was a good day! It was our last field trip with Bro. Harper, which was sad, but we were getting more and more excited to study the New Testament and the life of Christ.