Learning about the Old Testament here is AMAZING. Last Monday, we went on a field trip to several places in the Shephelah--the low hill lands that are west of Jerusalem. We visited places like Gath (the hometown of Goliath), Lachish (at one point the largest Israelite fortress city), and the field in the valley of Elah where David fought Goliath. What is most amazing to me about this experience is that I'm beginning to read about places in the Bible and have a good idea about their relative locations and important things that occured there. I don't think I've ever had a lot of appreciation for the Old Testament, but really, there is SO much good stuff in there! I've noticed that having a background and familiarity with the stories and history in it has increased my understanding of other things I've been reading, like the Book of Mormon.

There are four Megan's living in the Jerusalem Center right now. Three of us are students, and one is Brother Judd's daughter. Last week, Megan Gygi and I discovered that in addition to having the same first name, same hair color, and same color of eyes, we also have the same middle name. Two Megan Elise's! (Only she spells her's differently).

I never wrote anything about Egypt, but it was probably the most amazing week of my life! One of my favorite moments was when we were driving into Cairo the first night we arrived. Dr. Jackson told us to look out the front. I was expecting to see a cool mosque or something, but then we saw the PYRAMIDS! At first they just looked like big dark triangles, but as we got closer we could see their shape and color and IMMENSITY! The next day we crawled inside the middle pyramid. It was unreal to see up close and touch something that I've learned about and seen pictures of my entire life!

Camels. They were all over the place. They're ornery and smelly. I'm so glad I got to ride one! I've been looking forward to that since I applied for the Jerusalem program! We road for about an hour along the banks of the Nile. Egypt was surprising because I expected it to be much more deserty. But for as far as the irrigation from the Nile reaches, everything is lush and green.

My other favorite parts of the trip to Egypt were: King Tut's treasures and the mummies in the museum in Cairo, the Temple of Karnak in Luxor, seeing carvings and paintings in tombs, riding in falukahs on the Nile, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's Funerary Temple, hiking Mt. Sinai, the gigantic statue of Rameses II...Now that I think about it, there weren't really any parts of the trip that I didn't love. I hope so bad that I can go back there someday.

Egypt Pictures!

Sunrise on Mt. Sinai

Sunrise

Cool Mountains

Suuk in Cairo

Morning on the Nile

Karnak Temple

Sunset on the Nile

Sunset

Camel Ride

Hatshepsut's Funerary Temple

Pyramid!

Giza

Middle Pyramid

The Sphinx!