Galilee: Day 6 and 7

July 16

We got to go to the branch in Tiberias for church. I think we have been spoiled for views this semester… the house that is the branch building overlooks the Sea of Galilee. Best. View. Ever. (It is only really comparable to the view from the JC...) 

emily, sharla, megan, amber, me, kayla and ariel outside the branch building in tiberias

We had one of the best testimony meetings I have ever been to. I practically fell off my chair, because I knew that I had to bear my testimony, and I kept scooting closer and closer to the edge. Finally, it was get up or fall on my rear and get really embarrassed.

On the way back from church we stopped by the northern Jordan River baptismal site. There are two supposed places where John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ – one we already went to when we were coming back from Jordan, and this one, called Yardenit. 

We got back in time for dinner (with the hottest waiter alive… which just made dinner that much more fantastic) and then we had a devotional. I had to give a thought for the devotional, so I spent most of the morning reading the scriptures and thinking about what I have learned from and about my Savior Jesus Christ while I had been here, and more specifically what I had learned while I had been in Galilee. Ariel and Robert also got to give their thoughts, and we also got to hear some amazing musical numbers. This group is so musically talented… sometimes it makes me sick! (Not really… I just get super depressed when I think of how lousy my piano playing compares… but it really does inspire me to be better!)

Day 7: July 17

Today was another class day – mucho notes and lots of learning crammed into 3 hours. Not to mention a small-ish room with debatable AC at times… but I wouldn’t trade a minute of it! After class, (surprise!) we went to the lake! The best part about coming in the summer semester is the fact that we get to swim ALL THE TIME. We had several epic games of tunnel tag in the water, and pretending we were jellyfish and letting ourselves sit and be tossed with the waves.

Some of us went out to the buoys and talked for a bit. I could still touch, so I would basically bob up and down with the waves… some of them were more predictable than others, so sometimes I would end up getting a mouthful of water. It brought a whole new meaning to James 1:6.

We had another class with Dr. Chadwick before he had to head back to his dig at Tell es-Safi (biblical Gath). We went their earlier in the semester before his dig started for the summer. Yeah, you head me right… I’ve been to where Goliath grew up.

We had a kickboxing class taught by the ever-capable and talented Kerry Allison McNeil! The problem with working out here is the fact that you sweat even when you walk outside. (I don’t think that I could ever get used to it.) So when I got back later than night, I looked like I had just gone for a swim. But when you feel healthy you don’t care what other people think! ;)