I'm going to Chicken!! Err...I mean...Turkey!!!

This...is a camel...

Elise (my engaged roommate), me, and Josh Dance (crazy kid who looks so funny in this picture)...This is us, defying gravity, at Wadi Qelt (aka the Road to Jericho--that Christ walked)  It is also the place where the Good Samaritan parable happened.  It is also the place referred to in the Bible as "The Valley of the Shadow of Death".  It is an incredible place...I loved it!

JERICHO-The Oldest City in the World!
 "Joshua fought the battle at Jericho, Jericho, Jericho.  Joshua fought the battle at Jericho...and the walls came a tumblin' down!!"

Karate-Kid stance @ King Herod's Winter Palace 

To all of my faithful followers (aka mom and dad)...MARHABAA (مرحبا) (that's 'hello' in Arabic!)

In reference to the title of this blog...I am indeed going to TURKEY!! We fly out of Tel Aviv tomorrow (Sunday) and we will be back the following Sunday. I am so stinkin' excited! It's going to be awesome! We're not allowed to bring our computers and we probably won't be on the internet, so don't be alarmed if you don't hear from me for a week! I'll definitely update you as soon as I get back :)

So this past week in Jerusalem has been wonderful and eventful, as always :) Yesterday (Friday) we weren't allowed to leave the center or go into the city, because there were Palestinian protests and stuff going on. It was a little unnerving because I kept hearing really loud bangs all day (I'm pretty sure they were smoke bombs). They sounded alot louder and closer last night--but don't worry, we are safe and sound here at the Jerusalem Center! I really don't feel scared, but I was thinking about it last night and it just makes me sad that there is so much hate in the world--I just wish people could love eachother. Being over here has really opened my eyes--just seeing the conflict and how real it is. Everyone just needs the gospel! That's the main problem!

Speaking of needing the gospel--on Tuesday I had the opportunity to be in the presence of a general authority—and he spoke directly to us BYU-JC students—sitting around the dinner table in the JC cafeteria! It was Elder Pieper of the Quorum of the Seventy. He is assigned to the Middle East and he was over here for some meetings. But he wanted to meet with us, so he came and had dinner with us in the JC cafeteria! I felt the spirit so strong there—it was amazing.

I felt an automatic kind of connection with him when he said he grew up in Pocatello-what a small world! (Dad, he wrestled with the Armstrongs--he said he knew Bryce Armstrong?) Anyway... So at first, we were all just sitting around talking and eating and he was asking us questions about ourselves and we were asking him questions about himself. But then, eventually all 80 students were gathered around this table and he basically gave an impromptu fireside—it was amazing.

He talked about President Monson’s October 2009 general conference talk where he told us that we need to pray for the areas of the world (where the church is limited and we aren’t allowed to share the gospel) to be opened for missionary work. He related it to President Kimball’s talk where he told the members to “pray for the nations” and how it was through the faith and prayers of members that the Berlin Wall was opened. He said that in order to open up the Muslim world to the gospel, it will take greater faith than it took to open the Berlin Wall. But it is ENTIRELY possible!! He said “There is great power in the faith of members”. He also said “I am under the impression that you will see greater miracles than we have seen.” Wow—I am so curious and interested to know what kind of miracles I will see in my life, if I am living righteously and faithfully. He said something to the effect that “Something is happening in this area-something is moving-the gospel is starting...

He also talked about how in the past year, Elder Holland came to divide a stake here and how he brought the keys to this land. It was right after Elder Holland came that things started getting riotous over here. It wasn’t coincidence that Elder Holland came right before that—it wasn’t coincidence that the Priesthood power was upon this land while things started getting upset. They needed the Priesthood power over here-it’s a major blessing that the power is here. He also talked about how, in our lifetime, people without the gospel will have more fear in their lives. This is another reason why we need to share our testimonies and our light—so that our brothers and sisters don’t have to fear!

Something else I found really interesting was when he said that BYU has more students studying Arabic than any other university (University of Utah is second). He talked about how there is something that is impressing these individuals to study Arabic and how this isn’t just coincidence. These latter-day saints will play a major role in helping the gospel to move forward in this area. So anyway, that was just a really cool experience and I felt so lucky to be there!!

Okay, sorry my posts are so long--I'll try to make them more exciting...I'm still trying to figure out this whole "blog" thing...So be patient with me! Anyway, I love you all!!