Living in the Old City

Well Friends,

I have finally gotten my room settled, started to get to know people around school, and been out discovering the city quite a bit. I have posted some pictures below that show you the room my roommate and I share and it seems to be a pretty good set up. The building we live in is actually built right on top of the old city walls and is an incredible stone building. Even the floor in our room is old Jerusalem lime stone, pretty incredible. There are many, many, many stairs on campus and it takes about two and a half flights of stairs to go down to the bathroom from our room. It makes showering an interesting process ;). I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea that I am even in this city or in a very, very different place. I have a strange sense of comfort, as if this city is already home for the semester, even though it is so different and can seem to be an incredible uncomfortable place. I am sure it helps that I have other American students around me all day, but even as I walk in the old city, it seems as if the pictures I have seen in magazines have come alive. It’s kind of paradox of feeling like being here makes perfect sense even though I’m all the way across the world in a very complex and different environment. The people here are very nice, both at the school and the native folks. I traveled across town today to pick up a cell phone and our taxi driver was a very nice man. They are all very friendly. We do have to be careful in how we conduct ourselves, just like in any other city, but over all I find this place very safe.

One class started today (Sunday), the class that we do all of our traveling and field study in, and we walked all over the Old City discovering the physical elements of the city and how it developed over the years. We haven’t even talked about the Biblical significance of this place and already there is so much to learn. I posted a few pictures below of the journey around the city from our class and I’m sure there are many more to come as the semester goes along. I am continually praying that my mind and my heart can be a sponge that never grows heavy, constantly absorbing the information I am being taught. I can only imagine that as I start all my other classes tomorrow, one taught by a Rabbi, that my horizons are about to be burst through and expanded to places I never thought possible. What a journey this will be!

One part of the dining hall area...up the stairs to the left is where we get food

The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount -
and the wailing wall is just below it

Mount of Olives

Part of the Old City Wall

One of the views from my room...the inner courtyard of the school

These are the beloved stairs we walk down to get to the bathroom (and everything else)

A view of the new part of the city from the roof just outside our room

And this is the room...sorry about the angle here....that is a mural of Jesus on the wall, my roommate and I are thinking about covering it up...it's a little cheesy....the lockers on the right are our closets and the floors are made of stone!