Category: Jerusalem

Emma's HXP Jerusalem Trip . Days 9-18

6/30/2023

DAY 9 . JUNE 21 . WEDNESDAY

Today we followed the path of the Savior’s final day. We started at the top of Mount Olive. We passed by the Garden of Gethsemane and onto the Court of Pilate. There we had some amazing devotionals about Christ's last day and the dilemma of Pilate. We visited the church of Flagellation and the church of Condemnation. We then headed down the Via Dolorosa (the road of Pain or “Painful Road”) to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We did some souvenir shopping before leaving the old city for the last time.

DAY 10 . JUNE 22 . THURSDAY

We were able to visit the River Jordan where Christ was baptized! The water felt so good on our toes! From there we headed over to Elisha’s Spring in Jericho. It was amazing that the water was still pure and flowing! Some of us also opted to a ride a camel and some also got a big old smooch from the camel.
We visited Tel Jericho which is the oldest city in the world. Finally, we headed to the incredible Masada and King Herod’s Palace. It’s impressive to see what the Roman’s built!

DAY 11 . JUNE 23 . FRIDAY

Today was an amazing day. We hiked up Ein Gedi which is also called David’s Falls. This is the area where King David hid from Saul. It’s amazing to see the backdrop of the dry desert and Dead Sea in the distance while walking along the lush narrow band that’s sustained by the stream and falls. We walked through huge tunnels of reeds and then had a nice soak in the natural pools. That was a welcome treat after hiking in the heat of the Judean desert.

We also visited the Dead Sea today! Everyone was so excited for today. We were all blown away by how buoyant we were. It was a hot day and even though the waters of the Dead Sea were very warm, we found ways to make the most of it.

DAY 12 . JUNE 24 . SATURDAY

Today was a heavy travel day! We left from Judea (in the south) to get to the BYU Jerusalem Center for Shabbat. We enjoyed another great sacrament service. We took lots of pictures since it was the last time we would be there. We left the Jerusalem Center and headed north toward Haifa and each of us was gifted with our favorite snack for the drive. When we reached Haifa we made a quick stop at the Baha’i Garden. The grounds were so beautiful! The grounds are so special to so many that they do not allow gum into the garden. They also asked that when we communicated that we did so with a whisper. It’s very unique to be a part of something so special to so many.

DAY 13 . JUNE 25 . MONDAY

We went to Magdala this morning. It’s situated near the Sea of Galilee. Afterwards we stopped at a water park that is just off the shore of the Sea of Galilee. We swam and played in the refreshing water and warm sun. Once we finished up at the water park we stopped by Yardenit which is an alternative location of Jesus’ baptism. Then we stopped at Mount Arbel. It was a hot day, but we all had fun, stayed positive, and happily worked on drawing closer to the Savior.

DAY 14 . JUNE 26 . TUESDAY

We started our day off at Mount Tabor, aka The Mount of Transfiguration. Next, we were able to walk through a replica of the village of Nazareth. We saw reproductions of many of the same things that Jesus would have seen during His life growing up. While there, we also enjoyed a yummy traditional Nazarene meal of roast chicken, olives, hummus, lentil soup, pita bread, and salad. Next, we went to the Church of the Annunciation—the presumed location where the angel Gabriel told Mary that she was highly favored of the Lord and the news of her special role as the Savior’s earthly mother. At the end of the day, we took a walk on the boardwalk on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and enjoyed the beautiful sunset and ice cream.

DAY 15 . JUNE 27 . WEDNESDAY

Today we headed to the Tel Dan Nature Reserve. It was a beautiful, lush piece of land. There was a refreshing river and plenty of trees and shade—perfect for our devotionals that we held throughout each day. We also headed south to the Jordan river where we canoed, swam, and just enjoyed the warm day and beautiful surroundings.

DAY 16 . JUNE 28 . THURSDAY

We started off at the Roman ruins of the city of Beit She’an. It looks very similar to the Acropolis in Greece or the Roman Forum. It was complete with a theater, cobbled roads, and lots of columns and other Roman buildings. Next we headed off to Cesárea - a picturesque Roman ruin built by Herod the Great (who, let’s be honest, wasn’t that great). The ruins are right on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea where there are scenic beaches, crystal clear water, palm trees, and some impressive ruins. It was very beautiful. We enjoyed a pizza lunch before we headed to another beach nearby where we played in the waters of the Mediterranean, combed the beach for sea shells, sun bathed and just unwound and relaxed.

DAY 17 . JUNE 29 . FRIDAY

Today we started off by heading towards the Church of the Beatitudes. It was so pretty to see the meshes of mosaics lining the interior church. We talked about the Sermon on the Mount and the importance of it. We then continued to Capernaum where we walked around and looked at the ruins. We had some of our own time to look at the shores of what I believe was lake Tiberius. The funniest part of this day by far was embarking on the "Jesus boat." We each got a certificate and everything. We were able to look out on the Sea of Galilee and also play some pretty awesome party music. From there we found a spot behind a building, I am pretty sure it was an art museum, and we had a testimony meeting together. It was pretty awesome. On the way back I got to hang out with Emma (other Emma) even more and I could really tell we were becoming close. We had about a few hours to sleep when we got back to where we were staying. This was before we would embark on our long journey from northern Israel back to the airport.

DAY 18 . JUNE 30 . SATURDAY

Overall, the trip back to the USA was one to remember. We started off very early in the dark of the morning on our very massive bus. I sat next to Emma and we played the best music, and we also used each other as pillows, so our arrangement was pretty sweet. When we got to the airport, it was pretty bittersweet that I would have to come home, but overall I was excited. When we got to the airport we had to wait in line forever at customs and getting through an entire group of kids with bags that needed to be under a certain weight was definitely a challenge. Fortunately for me, I don't like buying things I don't need, so I actually came home with one of the lightest bags! Customs went smoothly for me. Once we were through customs we travelled through the painstakingly task that is security without TSA. After all was said and done, we all found our terminal and collectively split off to find food. Emma and I found smoothie bowls, but unfortunately we weren't able to get them because they only served between certain times (we waited in line forever). All was well and we got "healthy" little pita snacks instead. They didn't taste great, which was fine because I stole some McDonalds chicken nuggets from someone else as well. There was an HXP survey we all had to fill out, so I got my phone back temporarily. It was so weird to hold, decently heavier than I remembered. Turns out, our flight got really delayed, so to pass the time, almost all of us fell asleep. Once we boarded the airplane we made sure we had everything, but ultimately, all of us ended up sleeping. We then proceeded to land in London again with a quick transfer. We quickly got through customs this time, and eventually made our way to JFK. Once in JFK, we all got our bags and eventually parted ways as we were going to different terminals. We all took one last picture and split off with the people who were going in the same direction. I ended up seeing a few of my closest friends from that trip before I headed home. It was definitely bittersweet, but super nice to finally be going home.

Emma's HXP Jerusalem Trip . Days 1-8

6/30/2023

DAYS 1 & 2 . JUNE 13-14 . TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY

Jerusalem Group 4 has made it to Jerusalem! After arriving, the day was spent getting to know each other more and getting settled in. We ended the day with a gorgeous view overlooking The Old City, reviewing important trip items and journaling.

DAY 3 . JUNE 15 . THURSDAY

The morning kicked off with overlooking Jerusalem. Then we toured the City of David with Warren’s Shaft and Hezekiah's Tunnel. There was an extra special opportunity for personal reflection at the Southern Wall and its steps at Temple Mount where Christ frequented. Everyone in this group made it amazing during our first full day in Jerusalem!

DAY 4 . JUNE 16 . FRIDAY

Today was another great day in Jerusalem. We visited the Jerusalem Holocaust Memorial Museum. We learned so much and showed amazing reverence in such a sacred place. Our parents would be so proud!! We went to the well where Mary and Elizabeth met (and where their babies met for the first time). We went to the church on the hill where it’s believed that Elizabeth hid John the Baptist from the murderous King Herod. We prepared for the Jewish Sabbath (Shabot) with our amazing tour guide who taught us an amazing, reverent, yet fun way to start the Sabbath! After that we grabbed a delicious shawarma dinner in the Muslim Quarter. From there we visited the wailing wall where there were hundreds upon hundreds of faithful, devout Jews sending up prayers to God. Anyone from our amazing group who wished to do so, went up to the wall and sent up a prayer to the very same God! The combined faith and devotion was so powerful. The Jewish people were so welcoming and glad to have us in their midst! All in all, a very amazing, blessed day!

DAY 5 . JUNE 17 . SATURDAY

We started off the morning by visiting the garden tomb, but He wasn’t there. However, the Holy Spirit definitely was. We joined a bunch of our LDS brothers and sisters for Shabot Services at BYU Israel. We found it cool that we observed our regular Sunday services on Saturday instead of Sunday. From BYU-Israel we visited the tomb of the prophets where Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi were buried. It was a short walk to the Garden of Gethsemane. The spirit was so strong in such a holy place. Everyone showed reverence and humility throughout our brief stay at this holy garden! We each got to spend some time in the garden, pondering and praying.

Next, we headed to the pool of Bethesda and a magical visit to St Anne’s church that was erected nearby. We sang Hymns in the Crossing (the part of the church between the Nave and the Alter/Chancel/Apse). The acoustics were amazing! We sounded like the legions of angels singing praises to Him!!

Everyone was really excited for a delicious dinner. We also visited a fun shop where we bought some amazing olive wood gifts.

the garden tomb

BYU Jerusalem

tomb of the prophets

garden of gethsemane

pool of bethesda & St. Anne's church

DAY 6 . JUNE 18 . SUNDAY

Today we went to Bethlehem, which is in Palestine, we had to cross the borders in order to see where the savior’s supposed birthplace was. We went to the Basilica of the Nativity where we entered into multiple churches such as the church of the nativity and the Church of St. Catherine, (which is one of my favorite churches). The church itself is made up of a main building that is designed like a typical roman basilica with five aisles made up of columns, featuring mosaics on the upper ceilings. The doors to the Basilica are very low. The church was original very old and features old medieval mosaics of various types, representing angels and disciples of Christ. There is a grotto where it Is said Jesus had been born, overall, it was a chaotic experience, there were so many people crawling their way in, fighting with each other and clawing at each other’s hair. Overall, a very chaotic experience that many of the youth could agree, drove away the spirit of the place. Outside of the Main area were open hallways that surrounded the Church of St. Catherine. I loved the Church of St. Catherine, the decorations were simple and beautiful, and it was a much-needed break from the chaos we had just experienced. After the church of the nativity, we ate lunch and were then able to look and buy some olive carpentry. Most of the youth poured out money to buy things like nativities and chess boards, I was determined to simply pick up an ornament at best. Near the end of the day, we got to do one of my favorite things that we ever did and visit the Mormon shepherds field. It was a moment of reflection and a lot of peace.

Today was Father’s Day and so we each videoed a special message to our fathers.

DAY 7 . JUNE 19 . MONDAY

We started off the day by visiting a picturesque green space outside the Old City walls where we played a fun game of cat and mouse. The game was a great object lesson on which barriers hold us back. We already had breakfast when we visited the upper room where the last supper was. No food there, but it was a great place to talk about the Savior. Next we headed off to Dome of the Rock that’s situated on top of the Temple Mount. It is an incredibly beautiful structure, and the grounds are nice too. Our tour guide took us to an abandoned Jordanian king’s palace that was never finished. It was a great opportunity to talk about the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and some of the extremely complex political/cultural/religious aspects of life in this region. Our guide was amazing at being open to any questions we asked. It was an eye-opening experience for everyone. In the evening, we returned to the green space where we had started the day. There we were greeted by another tour guide who answered even more questions from a Palestinian perspective. We enjoyed a picnic dinner in a nearby park and then most of us played on the splash pad as the sun went down.

DAY 8 . JUNE 20 . TUESDAY

It was another beautiful day in Israel. Today we boarded the bus and headed for a few unique sites outside of Jerusalem. First stop was a place called Neto Kevin where we worked on leadership training and team building exercises that included herding goats and sheep!! We learned to make some traditional shepherds’ food like flat bread and toasted wheat kernels. Next, we stopped at a cave system called Bar Koth. It’s a world heritage site and is an amazing example of the beauty and complexity of the world created for us. We also visited the valley where David faced-off with Goliath! It was awesome!. Finally, we made our way back to the hostel where the resident cook taught us how to make some amazing falafels. He shared the recipe with us so we can recreate it at home!