bethlehem

Is there even a way to describe this amazing day?? It felt like Christmas today. The weather, the experience, the songs we sang, the scriptures we read, the savior we commemorated. 

We actually started just outside Bethlehem at the Herodian which is the burial site of Herod. It's one of his palace/fortress complexes. That man definitely knew how to build. My favorite part was the pool in the palace. It was ginormous and even had an island in the middle. But more importantly we talked about the pretended King of the Jews and compared him to the true King of the Jews, our Savior. Although Herod built many fabulous buildings, owned a lot of land, taxed the people, and was known as king of the Jews, his fame and success, as well as his wickedness are left only to this world. After all he did, his body lay in a tomb. His name is well known but not only for good. He was a murderer and did not always have the best intentions. Christ on the other hand rose from the grave. He accomplished his success by teaching truth and healing those in need. He did not seek to gain power, but only be recognized as the Son of the living God and lived his life doing the will of the Father. After being crucified, he broke the bands of death and rose from the grave. Looking forward, Christ’s kingdom is the one that has continued throughout millennia and will continue when he returns to the earth someday. Ultimately, everything he does trumps that of Herod’s. I’m grateful for a true king whose rule extends beyond this world and throughout time. 

When we got to Bethlehem and started walking it felt like we were in a foreign place even though we were only 5 miles away from Jerusalem. First we went to the Church of the Nativity. It is the oldest continuously operating church in the world, starting in the 4th century.   

I have a hard time with some of these old churches so I have to really concentrate on what they are celebrating and the significance of it.

We had to wait in a long line to get down to the grotto which is the traditional site of the Savior's birth.

We also went to Jerome's grotto. He translated the bible from Hebrew to Latin which was the primary bible used by early Christians. Elise sang O Come Emmanuel in there and it was so powerful. She has a beautiful voice. We sang as a group angels we heard on high and that's the first time today that it really hit me. The third verse says come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing. Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord the newborn king. Wow. How blessed I am to have this experience and really truly be living these hymns and living the scriptures. My testimony and conviction is growing stronger every day.

Then we walked to the Milk Grotto. Tradition says this is the place where, as Mary and Joseph were traveling to Egypt, they stopped to feed the Savior and a bit of Mary's milk dropped and turned the inside of the cave white. It has now become a place where people have seen miracles happen, especially those regarding infertility.

Dr. Whitchurch had his wife talk to us about Mary and motherhood. She bore such a sweet testimony about this. I couldn't think of a more refined woman to bear such a witness. It made me think about my namesake and if I'm doing all I can to honor her name. I think that today we take these things too casually and aren't very dignified in the way we speak about women and their role. I think that I need to make it more of a priority to not get caught up in the world or even how I interact with my peers.

When we got to shepherds field they explained to us a little bit about the shepherds and then we split into our classes. It was so green which was fun! The sun was setting and it was still beyond freezing. Dr. Muhlestein read the Christmas story to us as we looked over the city. We sang almost all the Christmas hymns. Then people were able to share their testimonies. It was beautiful. Everything was so peaceful, the spirit was definitely present and I was so grateful to be there with these people that I have come to love so much and that are so spiritually mature and create moments like this for us to enjoy together. Right as we got on the bus, it started to rain. What a blessing that the weather stayed nice for us the whole night. Definitely a tender mercy of the lord. It will be a night I will never forget.

 I'm sure it was a night similar to this and there would've been a star shining brighter than all the rest. But other than that I think it looks about the same. Someone shared their testimony about how when you look up at this night sky and the world around you there is no doubt that Jesus Christ is the creator. He came into the world in the most humble of circumstances but everything that he is is majestic and glorious. Glory be to God for the great miracle and blessing of His son. There's not many people that get to experience something like this. There's almost not any words to really describe the surreal feeling of being in this very place. I'm grateful to catch a little bit more of a glimpse of it. I'm grateful to share it with these people and I look forward to continuing to share my testimony of the living Christ throughout the rest of my life. He is my Redeemer and because of Him I can be forgiven of my sins and return to live with my Heavenly Father. The plan is real. It is good and merciful and just. All God asks for is our hearts. He asks us to sacrifice and do things we never thought possible to accomplish his purposes and do all things with him. I continue to learn every day that it's not about me. There is so much more to this world than me. It's about him. He has blessed me with so much. He uses me to bless others. He uses me to build his kingdom. He teaches me of his ways and how I can become like him. He has given me a family. He has given me the perfect example of our savior. He has provided everything possible for me to return to him if only I will keep his commandments and follow him. How simple is that? He knows what's best and his plan for me will exceed anything I could ever imagine. It's hard sometimes. Like really hard. We fail, we mess up, we make mistakes, we forget, but through it all he will never leave you. He will never give up on you. And he will never stop giving you opportunities to remember. To remember how you felt. To remember the covenants you made. And to remember the sacrifice of the savior. And to remember how much he loves you. His arms are open wide infinitely. You just have to reach up. Remember who you are. You are a daughter of a king. And because of that you have infinite worth and potential. Live for that. Live like Him. Remember Him.