River Jordan

November 7th, 2013
The River Jordan was nothing like I had expected. I figured we would stop at a spot of the River where no one really was and have a quiet moment to our class but instead there was a site designated for the baptism of Christ. There were people actually being baptized  It was crazy to see them want to follow in the literal footsteps of Christ, if they only knew the real way toward salvation. The thing that struck me the most was reading and studying the Baptismal story. (John chapter 1) I have never realized how significant and down played John the Baptist role was in the life of the Savior. He was the forerunner of Christ, setting the path for the gospel to be established through Christ. I loved how he chose to be righteous and was selected to baptize the Savior, how special is that! I just think of all the examples we have in the scriptures that we tend to overlook. 

This shirt was quite fitting for a day full of inspiration!

 I loved how this captured some faiths praying on the Israel side of the Jordan River, others being baptized in the Jordan river from the Jordan side, and then BYU Jerusalem Students cluttering the path. We also had the chance to sing some songs about baptism which was cool because by the end we had people recording us or just being quiet and respectful. No matter what religion, language, or place-songs can always add to the site!

November 5th, 2013: Petra, Jordan

Today we went to Petra and it was breath taking! I have to admit it was hard to wake up at 5:30 AM to leave the hotel by 6:30 on foot to Petra. Luckily the site was right around the corner, who would have known. By the way I accidentally dipped my toothbrush in the hotel water, so I may just get travelers’ diarrhea....Wish me well! The Al Khzneh Treasury site of Petra didn't only include the Treasury used in the Indiana Jones movie but tons of other neat things! At first we walked in and there were huge red colorful mountains of sand with the path cut out to walk in-between. It looked similar to Lake Powell, but better because we are in Jordan and they are huge! There was also many Bedouin shacks set up along the sides to sell jewelry, trinkets, and bottles of sand. At one alcove we stopped and our tour guide sang a song in Arabic which sounded really cool! I couldn't understand anything and it seems like they are just making sounds instead of singing, but it still sounded really good! We then sang "How Firm a Foundation" and can I just say again for the millionth time that I love singing; it just welcomes such a sweet spirit to any activity (with the appropriate music of course!).   Finally we made it to the Treasury and I don't know what I was expecting, but this building cut out of the front of a red sand stone was AMAZING!!! It really did take my breath away, with that and the camels I didn't hear anything the tour guide was saying. We also got to ride a camel around in a circle which was fun! It kinda surprised me to have the camels get up and down while I was on, but I’m glad I didn't have to climb up when they were standing-They are so tall! I was lucky and got the one with all the colorful blankets, and Lauren took pictures of my adventure!

Here is the Treasury!

Ross and I riding camels in front of the Treasury!!! 

                After that our guide let our class have free time from like 7 AM to 2:30 PM to wander around and explore this amazing place! Hopefully my map of Petra is still around because that explains why we needed so long to visit all 34 sites, I just wish it included how many steps! I went with a group to the High Place of Sacrifice which was the highest rock and had a beautiful view. I swear there were probably 1,000 steps and I felt like giving up so many times. The sun was beating down on us already, there was very little shade, and lots of uneven steps. Also I have been having difficulty walking lately; I've tripped a few times so I was also afraid of falling and rolling down the hillside! I felt so accomplished to finally reach the top red faced and all! It was so fun to look how far we had made it and also just to see all the carvings in the red stone surrounding us. We ran into Brother and Sister Seely on the top, who have visited quite a few times so they said they would lead us to the Ad-Deir Monastery. We wanted to get the most experiences out of our trek so we went back an alternative way. It was such a cool path with so many cool tombs and carvings, but really long thank goodness it was downhill! It was also cool to see all the different colors in the stones. It was explained to us that they were dyed by the minerals in the ocean water years ago. The blue was from cobalt, red from iron, yellow from calcium, black from magnesium, and white from phosphorus. I was just fascinated that the ocean provided the colors, the wind and flash floods provided the shape of the stones and then the people were able to get so high and detailed with their carvings.

 Luckily I found a slow buddy who would rather take it slow and not die and still get good pictures, it was Sheridan. I just love Sheri, she is such a sweet redhead who has spunk and energy most the time when we aren't dying from the walk. We also ended up with Sister Seely who was fun and made us feel a little better with our speed. I was kinda holding a grudge to the center who wouldn't allow us to take the donkeys which they were offering for $5 up to the monastery, because honestly that looked so fun and a lot less work. Once we got to a certain point all the shops were saying "You're half way" which obviously wasn't the truth when you hear it for the next 4 corners. Finally after putting on some motivational music and leaving Sister Seely with Brother Seely getting a drink, we made it up to the top! The Monastery was amazing! The Treasury was still probably my favorite but this building was worth the hike! 

The Monastery

On our way to the bus I met the cutest Beduoin girl ever! The children here are required by law to go to school up to 15 years old or something, yet the parents keep them home in hopes they will sell more at their shops. There was this one girl walking around barefoot who was probably 10 years old. She was selling postcards for 1 dinar ($1.50= 1 dinar) She was so cute I just wanted to buy one, even though we were told not to support the parents in their decision. We ended up taking the cutest pictures together tho and I love it! I've realized once I go home I'm not going to have very many pictures of the people here. I love seeing the sights but the times I cherish the most have to do with hospital patients where we can't take pictures. This little Beduoin looked like my first cancer patient tho so I was really happy!

She was so excited to take a picture with someone, even if I didn't have change to buy some post cards. After our funny picture she wanted to take some of the hills around us, if I hadn't kept a hold of the safety loop I would have lost my camera. Oh how I miss little kids!

The Miracle of Life-Real Live Version

 

October 27^th, 2013

Today I was dreading clinicals at Red Crescent so bad because of the crazy finals week ahead. I just don’t see the point of going most days because we honestly can’t do anything. I love the people and getting a sense of the family significance and the way healthcare is carried out threw a culture, but the language barrier is rough. We honestly don’t do any hands on nursing care and we can’t communicate, so the only thing that is left…..Is to watch! Also last time we went there was another group who watched a C-section and so I was kinda bummed. We were however going for 7 hours so I was somewhat hopeful of seeing a delivery and even more hopeful of forgetting finals were in the air.

 

I was placed on the post neonatal unit by myself with only one nurse on this unit. This unit was comprised of 5 bed which were reserved for mothers and newborns (vaginal delivery) who were healthy a couple hours after birth. They would stay here for at least 6 hours for closer observation before going to a more independent unit in the neighboring building. There wasn’t much hope for a delivery on this floor but I was excited to handle newborns! If you haven’t figured this out yet, I want to go into Labor and Delivery or Pediatric Nursing, so this semester is right up my alley! My nurse was so sweet and willing to answer any questions I could think of! She also was super helpful even with the language barrier at times. For example if we didn’t use the same medication and I couldn’t find it in my medication book she would go get me the wrapper to one so I could keep it and research the American comparison. I was so impressed with her kindness and generosity. She told me that when she was a student she hated not getting an answer for her questions and being left in the dark, so she wanted to make this the most beneficial experiences as possible for me which I was very grateful for.

 

Toward 9 am Sister Garbett came up to say there was a C-Section on the surgical floor and that I could go watch. OH MY LANTA, I am so excited!!! I have to admit I did get a little queasy with the smells and cutting during my OR clincials so I was a little nervous, but my excitement outweighed everything. I could have done without the cutting into the stomach, which by the way it was her 3rd C-section and she had so much fat and scar tissue it was disgusting! Anyways, I was so glad they started to see the baby when they did or I could have passed out it was making my stomach so queasy. Anyways, the baby was pulled out and the cord was wrapped around its neck, the baby was so blue and lifeless it was scary. We had just had a practice simulation the previous week about neonate resuscitation if they don't start crying/breathing so I was prepared for the worst. Once they took the cord off from around the neck they literally swung the baby by its feet to the weighing table and it started to cry and the color slowly started to come back. It was such a neat experience to see life pop back into this baby. OMG I almost started crying it was just so cool to see and experience. The baby was adorable! Babies are the most amazing creation of God and I am so glad God allowed me to witness this miracle and for mothers to be co-creators of His children. It really made me value life. This is a real life we are talking about, a child who deserves every right to a family and all the privileges of the covenant right from birth. They shouldn't have to wait to be sealed for the blessings of the covenant, but unfortunately in this country they may not have the chance. Anyways I was just overwhelmed with the spirit and grateful that I could see a baby even amidst such a stressful week.

Real Babies or Real Wine....I'll take BOTH!

October 24th, 2013

We also had our first day at Red Crescent, the Labor and Delivery facilities right on the side of Mount Scopus. This is the smallest, cramped hospital I have ever been in. It is so different to have the hospitals be build upwards rather than horizontally like in the states. I was placed on the Labor and Delivery unit with Lindsey Hawkins, which I was stoked about. There weren’t any women in labor though and we were only going to be there for 3 hours. We did however get to visit with a new mother of her second child, who thankfully spoke really good English. Her little boy was born at around 4:30 am today and was currently sleeping. She was having a really hard time getting him to wake up and wanting to eat.  She asked us for advice but we didn't really have any tips to helping her rather simple little things to wake the baby up. She ended up instead just talking to us about her father who owned a Souvenir shop inside Jaffa Gate. She was such a sweet lady and loved to ask questions and be really open with us.

Once lunch came we gave her some space to rest and eat with her new baby boy. The rest of the day was so slow, nobody else was ready to have a baby. There was two individuals in for observation, one for decreased fetal movement (how scary!) and the other for induction because she was over 41 weeks (poor lady!). Lindsey and I ended up having a heart to heart. It was fun just to talk and share different experiences since we haven't been as close. It's sad because with nursing we nursing students spend so much time together in classes and clinicals that we don't want to spend any additional time and it has really strained some friendships. I like to catch up with friends, especially hearing some of her amazing experiences. She really as a good example for me! I've noticed everyone can teach you or inspire you in some way if you'll only listen and give them time.

To finish the night we had our fake Passover dinner! How fun to participate in a mock Jewish tradition with our Jewish teacher, Ophir Yarden. We had name cards, participating parts such as songs and narratives for the program, and we dressed up. I happened to be a narrator of a huge passage; it still makes me nervous to read in public even if it is in English. I just loved the setting and this cool experience. We read out of the Haggaddah of the Jewish traditions and took part in the Passover dinner traditions. Just as we poured our first glass of "wine" (fake grape juice) and was starting to drink the glass we realized it was REAL wine with alcohol! How funny, a ton of BYU students getting drunk on Passover, that would have made the church news! Luckily they caught the mistake and corrected it quickly with fake juice that was disgusting, I hated the taste! But overall it was such a fun night full of good experiences!

Passover center piece with different foods for each section we read. Yes that's the real wine in the back....don't worry they wouldn't even let us keep the bottles...

Lindsey Hawkins and I at the special narrator table!

To Stand as a Witness

Wednesday October 23rd, 2013: Elias Feinzilberg (96 yr old Holocaust survivor), and ICC

 

Today I had some really neat experiences! First of all we had our ICC for Nursing which included Trachea care/suctioning, neonate resuscitation, and neonate respiratory distress scenario. To be honest I was dreading this day.  Sister Garbett is such a nice lady but honestly she takes way to long to spit things out and seems to waste a lot of time. Time is of the essence here, it can't be wasted! So I kind of went into ICC with a bad attitude. The trachea care started off rough. Sister Garbett didn't bring any materials really, which I don't blame her without 50 lbs limit, but it made things a little hard. We had a shoe box for a baby, a premature resuscitation bag for the trachea, a shoe lace for the straps, and luckily a suction kit to suction with. Overall it ended up being pretty amusing to watch but surprisingly we didn't all get to go through the steps because we ran out of time. Then Sister Whitchurch came to help with the neonate resuscitation part. This previous month there was a team from Primary Children's Hospital that came to neighboring hospitals to teach a seminar about resuscitation and stayed in the Jerusalem Center. Sister Whitchurch and Sister Garbett were fortunate enough to go with them on one or two of their expeditions to teach. She brought her kit to help teach us and help us to be comfortable with the basic skill of resuscitation. She said it was so surprising to see the midwifes and hospitals not realize they can save a baby. She told of one lady who said she had never lost a baby but then after the seminar came up to explain that she thought if a baby wasn't breathing when born it was dead. She then would just bury the child without any further intervention. She was so grateful for this new knowledge. It was so fun to learn on a warm water filled baby. I was just so impressed with this group traveling across the world to increase the knowledge and materials of other hospitals. I really hope that one day I have the chance to do something like this! It was also nice to see how you can save a life in just under a minute with this new skill!

Another experience I had today was the Forum. Usually I dread forums also because they seem to be a waste of time and lose my interest quickly. I was however excited for todays! Today we were fortunate to have a Holocaust survivor come to tell his story and insights. He was the cutest old man who was accompanied by a Pilipino caregiver. He told basic statistics such as 6 million Jews were killed with 1 1/2 million being children. He told of time frames and countries/people involved. Then he began his story. The first thing that happened were posters being put up that said 400 men were needed for work. They would need to be strong and healthy, checked out by their doctor, and report to a certain place. Elias was able to pass and was then hired and taken for work. Part of the deal was that the family would also be paid. Throughout his story he tells of being in 9 concentration camps, of volunteering for work any chance he can get. Of getting sick and being sent home only to find his house abandoned his 7 brothers and sisters gone and his parents nowhere to be found. His neighbor then prepared him for the news that his dad died of hunger and his mom and siblings had been burned to death. Still he persevered, he continued to press forward not knowing how long he would last. I was amazed at the little details he remembered as a 22 year old man and the emotion his story was filled with. He told of the blunt violence and hatred that the German soldiers and SS had and the beatings he endured, and the little food he received. He then told of the liberation and of going to work in a kitchen where he would then meet his wife. This couple fled to Guatemala where his Uncle lived and there established a family. The part that struck me the most out of this experience was his last comments. He said he is part of a "club” of survivors, yet he is the only one to talk. He believes that God saved him to be a witness, to tell others what has happened so they can learn and prevent this in the future. I also adored the true love he had for his wife and how you could see in his presence that he cherished life in every form but that he truly missed her presence. I sure hope that I can cherish the life I have been given and share my testimony as a witness of Christ and all he has done for me.

Day Talate (3 in arabic) of Turkey!

Turkey Day 3: 10/9/13

Today was the longest bus riding day yet, and it killed. We had roughly 6 hours on the bus and I knew I'd get sick if I didn't sleep so I pretty much slept the day away. Thank goodness I had a late night girl talk with Lauren Law and Kinsey Ferrell, we are such good friends! We first drove to Assos (watch how you pronounce that one!) which is on the coast of the Aegean Sea on the Asia side of Turkey. Here is where we saw our first white huge pillar temple, this one being temple of Athena.  (and by pillars I mean, using technical "Brother Whitchurch" terms: Doric Columns. This temple dates back to the 5th century B.C. The temple was built on the crest of the hill overlooking the Aegean Sea and you can see the Island of Lesbos, part of Greece. That would be so cool to go to Greece! That is one of the places on my bucket list for sure! (if I ever get out of the country again...) Here we talked about the Apostle Paul and his missionary work. We were very close to Troas in which Paul gave a sermon before making his walk from Troas to Assos. We also talked about how he sent his disciples by boat but he walked alone, signaling a time of personal preparation with the Lord.



We also went to the Pergamum Acropolis, one of my absolute favorites! (at least this far) Its located on a steep hill so we road a tram, thank goodness. Earliest remains date to the 8th century B.C. God refers to Pergamum (Bergama) in Revelations 2:13 as "where Satan dwelleth." WE also introduced Pauls 7 letters to the Church's of Asia Minor. Each letter starts off by saying what the people were doing right, recognizing their need to repent, and then a promise of eternal life with imagery of the temple if they obey God's council. All the letters are located in Revelations chapters 2-3. Pergamum is one of the 7 cities Paul writes to. We sang "High on a Mountain Top" in the theatre, very fitting I thought as we looked out over the land. It was cool to see where Paul went and where his letters were written to.

Olive Oil and the Red Sea, oh what a week!

The Red Sea: 10/20/13

Sunday we went to the Red Sea to snorkle and it was alot of fun! The coral reaf wasn't as colorful as I had imagined (I must have a wild imagination) and we weren't allowed to go very far but still worth it.  When I first got in the water I felt like such a pansy! I honestly had a panick attach. I hate those masks since they make us breathe through our mouths and trust that little pipe to keep me breathing fresh air. Every one wasn't wearing a life jacket since we are young and invensible so I didn't want to wear one and I know how to swim anyways. This may sound stupid but it is so hard to focus on swimming and breathing at the same time, especially when don't know what is swimming around you....Finally I decided to be brave and go get my life jacket, which really made all the difference! I still had to train myself to breath out of my mouth but it worked out great! I wish I would have had a waterproof camera to take pictures! After laying out on the beach we went to an aquarium which was cool! Kinda like Sea World but Israeli style ;)

Olive Oil Making at the Jerusalem Center: 10/21/13

Today we made Olive Oil with the Olive presses! We picked some of the olives from the trees around the Jerusalem Center and bought the rest of them. Then we all took turns crushing them and then placing the bags on the squisher machine thingy. Wow this is hard to explain! Hopefully I'll upload pictures soon and then you can have a little better understanding! We also talked alot about the symbolism of the atonement with the making of olive oil. As I watched the weight of the rocks crushing the bags of mushed olives in order to squeeze out the juice it made me think of Christ bleeding through every pour because of the weight of the worlds sins. Its crazy how real and intense the Spirit can be when you visualize the atonement.

Short and Sweet but at least it's complete!

Day 4 of Turkey: 10/10/13



Today we are going to another letter city, I'm so excited to be traveling through the missionary journey! We started off at St. Johns Basilica (Church) where we were able to lookout over the Temple of Artemis. WE then headed to Ephesus, modern Selcuk. This is also another city of Paul's letters. I loved the fact a whole city outline was left in the remains. There was a gym, library (Huge), temple of Domitian, and many many shops. We even saw ancient toilets, still slightly better than squatters (which I'm ashamed to say I had to try.....) We also took a picture to match the pictures in the back of the scriptures. I am so excited to make my own picture album of all the places in the scriptures we have been.



We then went to Miletus. Once again we read the more of Paul's missionary stories, although this city wasn't one of the 7 cities waiting for a letter from the apostle.



On our bus ride to the hotel and dinner, it was a 3 hour one; we played a fun singing game which was Niceps idea. The volunteer went to the front of the bus, where I was sitting, put in both headphones and then sang with the bus microphone a song of their choosing. It was hilarious to hear how people sound when they can't hear how off tune they really are! Nicept also told us how he met his wife. At the end of the story he stressed that the "free party life" is nothing compared to a family! It is interesting to see the world figure out priorities when the church tells us from day one: family, family, family. I am so glad that I had the direction and examples of my parents to teach me the gospel and give me the resources I need to be successful and to stay on the path.



Day 5 of Turkey: 10/11/13



Today we are planing to finish seeing 2 (kind of 3) of the church cities in Paul's letters. I say kind of three because we only drove through Smyrna and read the story on the bus. The first place we actually stopped was Sardis. Here we found some remains of another temple of Artemis and a huge gymnasium of the 2nd century A.D. You can find the letter of Sardis in Revelations 3:1-6 :)

The 5th city was Thyatira. This one was located in the middle of the city of Akhisar. Because of the setting it was a very different place! Some pedestrian stopped to ask why we would possibly stop a tour bus in a ****hole place like this. (Excuse my ****s) It's crazy to see people not realize or be interested in such cool biblical history or just plain history that are literally in their backyards!



To finish off the day we went to the beautiful Grand Mosque of Bursa. This is an active Mosque so our trip was fast to allow for their daily service, especially since Friday is a huge thing! This Mosque has 20 domes and 6 pillars. The pillars were a huge controversy because the Mosque in Mecca which is the BIG deal also had 6 pillars, so another pillar was added to Mecca to keep its status quo. Finally the Bursa silk bazaar where I bought a few scarfs and skirts. Not enough time, I just love to shop!



Day 6: Last day of Turkey 10/12/13



Our last day in Turkey, so bitter sweet! I just love this beautiful place! Our last stop was in Nicea, the modern Iznik. The council of Nicea formulated the Nicean Creed here in 325 A.D. This document by Constantine, a new Christian convert, would establish that the Nature of God and Man were different. The Joseph Smith History 1:5-17 disputes the Nicean Creed and states our potential to one day become like God. Such a powerful message!


Before we left we squeezed in 1 more ferry ride to the European side of Istanbul back toward the airport. Because of scheduling miscommunication we were in a huge rush and missed shopping. Dang it, I really wanted a cool glass lamp. We did have dinner at the airport and ate McDonalds, which I hate doing in a foreign country but food is food. We also had to say goodbye to Nicep, I really which he could come back and be our guide-he was great! Oh I almost forgot to tell you! I got some amazing apple tea from the airport, Herbal tea that we as Latter-Day Saints can have (don't worry our teachers gave it to us first!) I never like any other kind of Herbal tea but this stuff is heavenly. I can't wait to have some at home when it’s snowing outside!



Back to Jerusalem on Pegasus Airlines! I can't explain the cool experience it is to be considering Jerusalem as your home after a trip in Turkey, it’s an unreal experience! Oh how I love the life of a traveler!