O Little Town of Bethlehem...

Last week we took a field trip to Bethlehem - this is something I had been looking forward to all semester. We started off at the Herodion (one of Herod's palace-fortress complexes) which was really neat, and then we went into Bethlehem. Unfortunately this was the part of the day that I was slightly disappointed by....especially the Church of the Nativity. This is an incredible church, and it is the oldest continuously-operating church in the world (it has been in used since the 4th century, when it was built). Pretty neat right? The traditional place of Christ's birth (one of them) is in this church. The problem was, we had to wait in line forever before we could get through, and when we did finally get to the point where the "manger" was, our tour guide was so frustrated and stressed that he was slightly rude and hurried us through. So we had about .3 seconds to try to take a picture before we were herded into the next room. It was so rushed and stressful that we couldn't really think about much of anything. BUT, later in the evening, we went out to "Mormon's Shepherd's Field". This is a field that we believe may have been the field the shepherd's were in when the angels came, bearing the good tidings of great joy of Christ's birth. We got there as the sun was going down, and we were able to have a class devotional, sing Christmas hymns, and then share our testimonies of the Savior with each other. It was really powerful, and that's when I had the spiritual experience I was hoping for. I thought a lot about Christ, but I also thought a lot about the others involved in the "Christmas Story"...the shepherds, Mary, Joseph, the wise men...there is so much we can learn from them. I'm so grateful for their part in the Savior's birth and for their examples of humility, faith, and obedience.
I know my Savior lives. I know He was born for us, He lived for us (so that we might have a perfect example to follow), and that He died for us (so that we might be able to repent and live again and return to our Heavenly Father). Heavenly Father's plan is perfect, and His son Jesus Christ lived a perfect life. I owe Him everything I am, and I'm so grateful for His role in my life. I have come to know Him better here in Jerusalem, but I will continue to develop a testimony of Him throughout my life. I will come closer to Him as I strive to more fully live the gospel and keep the commandments. I truly am happiest when I am doing the things that would make my Father and my Savior proud of me. I love this gospel, and I'm so grateful for the knowledge I have of these things. I am so blessed...

 The Herodian...pretty cool stuff.

 Can you imagine getting hit by one of these rocks? They were huge!

 Typical Dallin and Andrew...goofing around next to an animal carcass...haha

Star Wars anyone? :)

 The Tent Restaurant. The food was delicious! The conversations...interesting. :)

 Outside one of the churches.

 I really loved this mosaic of the shepherd and his lamb.

 A really neat piece of art inside one of the churches. 

 We barely were able to squeeze this picture...this star is in the spot 

that many believe Christ was born.

 Mormon Shepherd's Field...so neat.

 Dallin with his scriptures and Bethlehem. Love it. :)

Our wonderful class, with Bethlehem in the background. I love them all!

Pretty picture...

Dal and I in Shepherd's Field with Bethlehem behind us. :) 

What a great way to end the day.

Oh, another highlight of the day. Dal and I bought a baby blanket from Bethlehem. Neat huh? We were thinking we could use it for our newborn children as we bring them home from the hospital and then again for their baby blessings. I'm really excited about it :)