It's a beautiful day. Don't let it get away.

I'm in the middle of midterm week and the end is in sight.

That's right!
No more studying all night.
My backpack will once again feel light.
This rhyming might give you a fright.

[insert awkward pause here]

Hey, I've been stuck in the center for almost 3 whole days. That's 72 hours, people. Have you ever been in a single building for that long?
It's weird, because it feels like I've been outside with all the open areas and windows throughout the JC. And technically the hallway to my room is outdoors. But I still haven't set foot outside the building in quite some time. And I might be going a little crazy.

In other news, I have discovered a new tasty treat. It makes studying so much better.
Ahem, introducing... the happy hippo!

Yes, that's right. It's a hippopotamus-shaped wafer biscuit, filled with chocolate-hazelnut goodness. Perfectly designed for 3 delicious bites. The only problem is the tiny size. I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. Probably 50, if you catch my meaning. I will definitely be bringing some of these home, so family, get excited. :)

Our field trip this week was awesome. First, we stopped at a Bedouin village in Naqab. We got to hear the history of these nomadic Arab people from a Bedouin women association called Sidreh. Sidreh is an organization that helps Bedouin women develop their literacy and economic stability. We got to meet some of these women. They showed us the process of making yarn, dying it different colors, and then weaving it into rugs, pillows, and blankets. They have a business that allows them to sell these products. You can read more about Sidreh here. It was very encouraging and exciting to see these women proudly explain their jobs and the great contributions they make to their family and village because of the skills they have developed.

Bedouin woman weaving a rug.

Some of the colored yarns they have made.

Decorations under the tent where we sat.

Our group listening to one of the Bedouin women.

We also went out to an unrecognized Bedouin village in literally the middle of nowhere. I'm pretty sure our professors didn't even know where we were. The people there live in shelters with no air conditioning and dirt floors. While we were trekking through the dusty village, several helicopters flew overhead. I felt like I was in the middle of some movie. Also, I was wondering if there was some war going on that the Jerusalem Center had just failed to mention to us. :) Seriously though, for living in Israel it's surprising how sheltered we are from what's going on right outside our home.

Bedouin women walking up a hill.

3 helicopters that flew over the village.
P.S. Thanks to Danielle for taking pictures throughout the day.
1, her camera is better and B, I was too lazy to take any pictures!

Next, we went to Tel Arad, where an Israeli fortress has been excavated. The area is west of the Dead Sea. Arad was repeatedly settled throughout biblical times because of its strategic geographical location, positioned directly along routes coming from the east and southeast. We saw an ancient temple there, complete with the Holy of Holies.

The Israeli fortress on top of the Tel, taken from down
in the valley where the water would collect.

Awesome dust devil seen from atop the Tel.  

Me and Danielle in the temple ruins.

Observe the falling man. Peter and James, I thought you would
enjoy this! 

Danielle and me standing in the Holy of Holies. 

Our final stop was at Tel Beer Sheba. Go here for a sweet aerial view of the Tel. This is the place in the scriptures where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all had encounters with God. It was amazing to explore this location after reading about its history in the Old Testament.

Awesome power line we saw on the bus to Tel Beer Sheba. 

Me, Maddy, and Danielle at the entrance of Beer Sheba.
Yes, that's a plum in Maddy's mouth.

A group of us on top the lookout tower at Beer Sheba.
We loved the hard hats. 

Going down to an underground cistern.  

The classic bathroom pic. I experience this on a daily basis. 

In my research of Tel Beer Sheba, I stumbled across a New Era article written in 1975 by a women who helped excavate the site. It is a very interesting and insightful article and you can read it here. The author, Janene Wolsey, said something that really struck me.

"When you are placed out in the middle of nowhere and denied most of the conveniences you are accustomed to, you become grateful for things you never realized you were blessed with before. It amazes me that I could be completely covered with dirt, have blisters on both hands, sore muscles, flies flying around my head, and an upset stomach, and yet feel so completely blessed for experiences in which physical discomfort teaches patience and gratitude. I started thinking past the physical and material things because I was living on so little and was amazed at how little I need materially and how much my whole life depends on my Father in heaven."


I experienced a little of what Janene went through as I visited these hot, dusty sites in the middle of the day. But this quote switched my paradigm, my point of view, and reminded me of all the incredible blessings I have. Often times you don't realize what you have until it's gone.