Only 7 weeks left here in the Holy Land! Time is flying by! Im soooo happy and relieved that finals are over. So the only classes we have till we leave are New Testament and Near Eastern Studies which lightens our load a whole heck of a lot!

So on Sunday, June 1st I think... we went to Tel Aviv which was so fun. A big group of us went to the beach, walked around the city, ate gelato & relaxed from our hectic schedules. All I can say is...... I have missed the water! The next weekend everyone in the center took a trip to Eilat on June 15. We all went snorkeling & soaked up a little sun! Loved every second of it. There was also a blood drive on June 11 which I was hesitant about doing haha I hate needles but I felt obligated to help someone in need. Im glad I did it even though I shed a tear from that HUGE needle haha It was a mixture of laughing & crying while she shoved that fat thing in my arm haha

June 12 we walked through Hezekiah's tunnels which I LOVED! It was so fun! We rolled up our pants, turned our head lights on & descended down the stairs into these dark tunnels with water running. We were knee deep, (sometimes thigh deep) in cold rushing water. The walls were so close to us & in some areas you had to crouch down so you didn't smack your head on the ceiling. We all decided to turn off our headlights. So we grabbed the person's backpack in front of us, turned off our lights, & ran through these water tunnels screaming. You could not see a single thing, the only thing you could rely on was which way the backpack in front of you was turning. It was sooo much fun! Everyone was laughing & screaming as we ran through these tunnels. As we made our way out of these tunnels we sat down to listen to Brother Belnap give a lesson. He asked us if we remembered the story of the blind man that was healed by Jesus in John 9. We nodded our heads & he continued. He explained that the area of water behind him was the place that Jesus told this man to wash his eyes after Jesus applied mud on his eyes. He explained that the creation story of man was just like this story of the blind man. In Genesis 2:7 it says, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." In this story of the blind man, Jesus spit into the dust on the ground to make a muddy paste. He wiped this mud onto the man's eyes & asked him to wash it off. Dirt was what was used to create man & to heal this blind man's eyes. Brother Belnap said, "This is the place where Jesus stood, within 15 feet of this place." BOOM! This hit me so hard. I know I am living in the land where Jesus walked all over but there are about three sites for every event in the Bible of where people think things happened. But Brother Belnap said we know for sure that it happened in that exact place. The spirit touched me & gave peace to my soul. I know what Brother Belnap was saying was true.

in the tunnels!

Just a little wet!

love these guys!

roomie picture

the place where the blind man washed his eyes & was healed..so cool

em & I

I know lately I have just been ranting on about what has happened & when we did it but I want to try to talk about the spiritual side & what I have been feeling. I hope that I can communicate to you guys how I have felt & my testimony of this church. I have had such an amazing experience. The spirit has been so strong. Everyone here in this center has such a strong faith & testimony of this church. Everyone has the spirit & is always smiling. Here in the Holy Land was can not talk about our church to others. The staff members in our kitchen have said that they can tell something is different with us. They said they just feel something different & they don't know what it is. What they are talking about is the Holy Ghost. This church has blessed my life in so many ways. It has brought me happiness to me & my family. God has such a beautiful plan that works so smoothly if we just listen to his teachings, read the scriptures & pray. He loves each & everyone of us so much. He knows us each by name. He knows exactly what we need. He is waiting for us to turn to him in prayer & talk to him, tell him how our day went, what we are struggling with, what we succeeded in, EVERYTHING! He is our father in heaven & wants to hear from us.

The other day in church Chris gave an awesome talk. At the end of his talk he bore his testimony which  hit me. He bore it with such firmness & strength. The whole audience was quiet to listen to his firm beliefs. He testified of this church. He said that he knows through God's words & the spirit that this church is true. He got a little choked up, he had so much emotion & love that he was expressing. The spirit touched my heart & told me everything he said was true. After he bore his testimony, the view of the old city just lit up. The sun right then & there came out of the clouds & shown so bright. It was like Heavenly Father said, yes, everything he said was true. I have felt the spirit here so strongly through personal scripture reading, classes, other's testimonies, just people smiling & through church meetings. I am so grateful for this experience to be here. I can't thank my family enough for letting me experience this. I am thankful for all those who are pushing me to become a better person. I can't repay them for everything they have done for me. I want to give a shout out to my parents. They are my strength. They are my EVERYTHING. I want to thank my grandparents for raising such amazing people who have strengthened me & have raised me in this gospel. They have shown me the kind of parent I want to be to my kids. They love me for who I am, & push me to become better. My mom is always there for me whenever I need her. She strengthens me like no one else. She has such a quiet but strong testimony that glows through her eyes. My dad is a spiritual giant. He has a testimony that blows me away. He can relate anything that happens in life to something spiritual.They both love me more than I deserve. Grandma & Grandpa Stone, you guys are awesome. Thank your for throwing that pre Jerusalem party & putting in so much time & effort. Thanks for telling me all about it & getting me ready to come here. You guys have shown me so much love & I can't thank you enough. It has been everything I expected & more. I can't wait to come back & share these experiences with you. You cherish every moment I am with you guys, you make me feel so special. Grandma & Grandpa Henderson, I love you two so much. I know that even though Grandpa isn't here on this earth, he is alway watching over me. He has let me know that by some personal experiences I have had here. Grandma, I am so thankful for your strong testimony of this gospel. You are such an example to me, you have shown me the kind of relationship I want to have with my Heavenly Father. I miss you so much & wish you were here to experience it with me. You are here with me in spirit... I can't wait to see you when I get home. I want to let all of my family know that I love & miss them so much. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for them. Sorry this got a little  mushy gushy but I just feel like I need to let them know how I feel & how blessed I am to have them in my life.

felt like a princess pose was necessary..

learning how to throw rocks like David & Goliath

telling Jordan that my rock is going to go farther than his haha

thee coolest place, we sang hymns in there & it sounded amazing

the city is beautiful

Next week I will be in Jordan which will be so fun. I can't wait! I will update you guys & post when I get back! Or if I have time & strong wifi ill update in the hotel. I love my family & am so blessed to have been able to experience this amazing land. I can't say it enough! I love my family so much. I am so happy right now & my heart is overflowing with joy. This gospel is true, without a doubt! If we follow God's council & Jesus's example, our lives will be enjoyable. God just wants the best for us. He has given us this gospel on this earth to help us through this hard time on the earth. We are sent here to gain a body, go through this life, remember him, follow's Christ's example & make it back to our Heavenly Father. We can do this if we hold to the iron rod. This gospel has paved the way for us back to heaven. I love this gospel & am so blessed to have grown up in it. We can all share this happiness by being missionaries. It doesn't mean that you have to open your mouth & share the gospel. Just be an example, have the light of Christ & people will notice. We can't share the gospel here in Israel but we can be examples. I know this church is true & I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I am having an awesome experience here, I love & miss everyone back home... XOXO