Mt. Sinai

After about 10 days in Egypt we started heading back across the Sinai. We drove South along the coast of the Red Sea and then inland towards Mt. Sinai where we stayed the night. At 2:00 AM we started hiking Mt. Sinai. I was going to take a camel like David recommended, but I wanted to get there early so I could see the stars while laying at the top. So I booked it up there and was one of the first to arrive. We were told to think of this as a pilgrimage and not just some hiking experience. It turned out to be a pretty neat experience. The sunrise was spectacular and I hiked along some rocks (for mom's sake I won't call them cliffs) and found a secluded spot to read some scriptures. We had a testimony meeting on the mountain and I bore my testimony about the blessing of having living prophets today, like President Monson, who can lead us in our own journey. ...and thank goodness our journey isn't to wander around the wilderness for 40 years!!! The girl in the picture is Aubrey and she was my hiking partner for a little bit. The last picture is of Pres. Brown (director of JC) and some of the faculty. This was the place where the Israelites fought Amalek and Moses raised his arms so that they would win. I never realized until now that this is a type of the Savior. Notice that if forms them shape of a cross, representing Christ as the Savior.

Pyramids and Nile

Last week we traveled across Southern Israel and across the Sinai and into Cairo. It was awesome! It was a long drive, but well worth it! Cairo is huge. We went to the pyramids first thing. They were pretty big and I was excited that I was able to go in one since I didn't expect it going into the trip. About 1/4 of the tourists in Egypt are from Spain so it was fun talking with them. If you're wondering about the gash on my forehead when i'm in front of the sphinx, it is my battle wound from running into a tree the night before. Like Father (In Czech Republic) like son (In Egypt). Almost all of Egypt's population lives within a few miles of the Nile on either side. The Nile valley is relatively green and full of palm trees and plants, although everything is pretty dusty. The green stops instantly and then it is wavy Sahara desert sand dunes. One of the highlights in Cairo was going to church on Friday (sabbath in Egypt is Friday). We had a special meeting with just the BYU students and the Cairo branch presidency. It was a moving experience and a memorable one for sure. The last picture shows the Nile with some camels in the background, some of the students are actually the ones riding the camels. I took the picture from one the Nile. I got to ride on the Nile in a sail boat way far away from the shore! Ahoy! (I hope you got that) It was incredible! We got stopped by the river police but no biggy.

Jericho

On Monday we had a field trip into the West Bank to see Jericho-the oldest city on Earth. It is an oasis city in the middle of the Judean Wilderness, which is code word for desert. The wall that can be seen in the picture below is believed to be the wall that fell when Joshua marched around it with the Israelites. The other picture is the base of a tower that was found under that wall, meaning it is a lot older than the wall. In fact, it is the oldest structure in existence, dating back 10, 000 years. That's old! I know that's contradictory to what some people think possible, but either way, it's an old building. Tomorrow I head out to Egypt for 8 days! If I don't drink the water, eat the food, breath the air, or touch anything, I'm told I may not get sick. I'm pretty sure my Shallenberger stomach can handle it though! Actually, never mind, looking back, that may be our weakness...haha...I better just not eat anything. :)

Tel Aviv

A few days ago a big group of us went to Tel Aviv to see Jappa where Peter received revelation to take the Gospel to the gentiles and to go to the beach. It was a perfect, warm sunny day. The picture of me and a friend, Sterling, is when a small group of us went to explore an old shipyard. We found a cool piece of coral near there where you could walk out to the edge. The edge of the coral was an underwater cliff with clear water that allowed you to see down at least 20 feet. Of course we had to try jumping in, so all five of us did and swam around for a while. Awesome!

The Garden Tomb

On Saturday afternoon, after church, all the students and faculty went to the Garden Tomb which is one of the two places believed to be where Christ was buried. The hill of Golgotha is nearby. One of these pictures shows the inside of the tomb where Christ was laid inside. The other is a picture of a picture showing what Golgotha looked like 100 years ago. You can see why this would be called "the place of the skull."

The Western Wall

On Friday night we went to the Western Wall at sundown to welcome in the Jewish Sabbath. The plaza that is in this picture was full of people. Many people were praying, others were singing and dancing. Some of the Jewish leaders had us join in on the dancing, it was a pretty fun night.

Zedekiah's Cave

I thought Dad would like this no smoking sign on the street.
This other picture is of Zedekiah's cave which goes under much of the old city. It is a pretty long cave and took about an hour to explore. The rocks used to build the temple of Solomon were brought out of this cave. You can still see the parts where the walls have been cut. Pretty impressive.

Sunday Trip

Here is the YMCA bell tower in Jerusalem. It was built in 1930 by the same architect as the Empire State building. The tower is closed to the general public, but since Bro. Whipple plays the bells I got to go to the top balcony and see all the bells plus the view of the city. The other picture is of Bro. Whipple playing the bells. It was pretty impressive to hear LDS hymns being played so that everyone outside could hear them.














Last Sunday we woke up early and went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is one of two places believed to be where Christ was crucified and laid to rest. Near the floor you can see some glass boxes that show the rock on Golgotha.

Field Trip

Last week we went on a field trip to several places around Jerusalem. The picture with the Shepard is around the area the angel appeared to the shepard's to announce Christ's birth. These shepards watched over the lambs that were used for sacrifice in the temple. In the background is the city of Bethlehem. Absent in the picture is the 40 foot cement wall that encircles the city separating it from Jerusalem. The other picture is the old city wall in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Blog

Hello from Jerusalem!

After the last email I sent out to my family, nearly everyone mentioned either setting up a blog and sending pictures. As a result I have decided to start using this blog site to post updates frequently along with pictures. I'm excited that you'll be able to see some of the things I can while over here. This picture is of some of the group and I after we just arrived at the center. This is the view from one of the balconies. Sister Whipple is at the bottom left.