June 9, 2007

So, I think I left my scriptures on the bus or in the computer lab, which is locked on the Sabbath. So, I had to go to church scriptureless. Here's what I wrote about it. "I lost my scriptures today. I feel like a part of me is missing. But I've lost them before, and they always turn up. I have this ache in my chest, fearing that they're gone—but part of me simply refuses to believe it. It reminds me, in a very, very small measure, of the mother who hears that her son is MIA at war and is probably dead, yet deep down, she knows he's still alive. She mourns, yet hopes and prays. That's what I'm doing—mourning, yet hoping and praying." You'll be happy to hear that wherever I left them, they got turned into security and I got them back later in the day. Yay! :)

I think the lack of sleep finally caught up to me. I never fell asleep in church today, but I really struggled with focusing and found myself nigh unto nodding off a couple of times. After Sunday School, I went off to Relief Society only to run into Adam—one of Clark's old roommates! Talk about random! He walked with me into RS and introduced me to his wife, Martha, and his new little baby girl, then told me that Spencer (another roommate) was here too! Craziness! Wanna make the world a little smaller? Spencer is engaged to Martha's sister, who just so happens to be the best friend of two of the girls here at the Center. That was enough of a jolt to keep me wide awake during RS. It was an amazing lesson (#10 for anyone who cares). Just a few thoughts:

- What are you trading? Health for junk food? Integrity for a good grade?
- Satan shocks us so that next time, it's not so shocking.
- What kind of a movie has a good moral when it has no moral?
- How we spend our free time is a sign to both God and Satan of our priorities.

After church, I rounded up Adam, Martha, and Spencer, and we took a picture of us with the Dome of the Rock in the background. (Though, it's kind of small and partially blocked by a pillar. We were all in a hurry. Oops?) Then they left while our entire group got together for a group photo. After that, Theresa, Kathryn, Daniel and I went off to the Garden of Gethsemane via Orson Hyde Park. That was an interesting experience. Mix the sacredness of the places with the bickering of Theresa and Daniel with the humor of us all with the heat of the day, with hymns and journal writing, and you'll have a glimpse of those few hours. Oh, don't forget getting lost on the way there and back and fearing missing dinner. But it was really good. When you get to Gethsemane, there is the traditional garden that is surrounded by fence so you can see the really old olive trees, but not touch. And, of course, a church. However, there's another little garden that, for some unknown reason, they let the Mormon students into. It's a beautiful little place. It's bigger than the other garden, there are olive trees and little red flowers sporadically (they remind me of little drops of blood on the ground), and it's just a nice, meadow-like area. A place to leave the hustle and bustle of the touristy city. There's a giant fence all around it, but that's ok. It adds to the seclusionary feel.

One thought I had today that I'm not sure the answer to: Why is it that the people that we are closest to—those that we love the most—are the ones that we treat the most poorly? They're the ones we make sarcastic comments about then say, "It's ok, I can say that. They're my ______"

After dinner we had a fireside by Bro. David Galbraith, the man that probably had the most knowledge and history with the Jerusalem Center. He basically told us about the history of building the Center, all the trials and opposition they faced. He was amazingly funny and the story is phenomenal. We asked him afterwards if he'd consider writing a book. He said that there is 500 pages sitting on the 1st Presidency's desks and that it would probably never be published. Really. Someone needs to tap into his memory more often.