A jumbled update...

Confession: I haven't updated the blog since Turkey and a lot has occurred. So here is a little update of the past two weeks. Outside of the JC has been a blast. Inside the JC has been loads of "fun": reading, tests, class, more reading, eating, volleyball, more tests, and occasional PT's with Josh and Alvin. It finally hit me that I really am here for school... but our first set of midterms are over with and I'm loving the things that I am learning. 

JERICHO!!! We went to Jericho. Yep, like the road to Jericho where the story of the Good Samaritan took place. Also the place where the walls came tumbling down!

This is a picture of my friend Jerica with a Jericho water bottle! LOVE THIS GIRL!

Next was Arab Night!

SOOO FUN! For Arab Night, we all dressed up like the local Arabs (or at least tired to) and went to the Forum where two men from the Al Aqsa Mosque came and did the Call to Prayer for us. It was really interesting to learn about the call to prayer. After that ceremony, we went into the Oasis to have dinner. Our wonderful chefs had prepared an arab dinner for us... it was DELICIOUS! After dinner, we all went into the gym and learned a traditional Arab dance. 

Here are some pictures form the night. Interestingly enough, I really do look like an Arab. I probably could just stay here and fit right into the culture. But, because I like Utah, my family, and I like hamburgers, I think I will return in August. 

Left: Me, Joe Ludlow, and Chloe! Love these two!

Middle: Me looking like an Arab!

Right: Rachelle... just in the Arab moment!

On Sabbath (which is Saturday here), I finally got to go to the Garden of Gethsemane. WOW! Such a powerful and peaceful experience. We had the opportunity to sing in the church that is on the grounds of this cite.. the acoustics in this building are amazing and it was an overwhelmingly cool experience to sing here. The church that owns this ground has done an amazing job of keeping the grounds beautifully groomed. There is such an astonishing feel about this place, and the thought that this could be where Jesus Christ atoned for my sins is a very powerful and impacting thought. The event of the atonement is real. One thing that I think is very interesting is a story that my friend Natalie told me about olive trees. I guess that once upon a time someone burnt all of these olive trees down. But, because they were so strongly rooted, they grew back again even stronger. This story of olive trees can be related to our relationship with Christ. When all of the world comes crashing down on us, if we are deeply rooted in Christ and the atonement, then we will be just fine. We will have the strength and courage to grow back even stronger than we were in the first place. I guess the key to life is digging your roots deep in the things that you KNOW so that when the world tries to destroy you, no permanent damage can be done. Christ is the key to happiness and success in our lives today. This story is similar to one that my aunt has taught many times! Thank you!

P.S. isn't this picture just beautiful??? I LOVE THIS PLACE!

On Sunday morning, a whole group of us got up at 4:30 (in the morning) and headed over to the Western Wall for Shavout. It is a Jewish Holiday where they stay up all night and read the Torah. So we went to the Western Wall for the sunrise service. It was so cool to see all of the Jewish people worshiping. 

This is Rachelle and I with the Western Wall in the background. 

After our experience at the Western Wall, a bunch of us went to the Dome of the Rock. WOW! This building is MIND BLOWING. The Dome of the Rock sets on the Temple Mount and it is a very sacred place. The Dome of the Rock is even more beautiful than I had imagined from afar off. I definitely will be making more trips back to this cite. 

Monday we went on a field trip to the low hills of Israel. We went to the place where David slew Goliath and to a bunch of other cool cites. While here, our class reenacted the story of David (Robin) and Goliath (Blake). We got to sling rocks with slingshots. We also had the amazing experience of singing in a bunch of cisterns and bell caves. Such an amazing feeling. 

I just have to tell a funny story about this field trip! I had so many FUNNY things happen to me on Monday that it is kind of ridiculous. Mind you, it was over 100 degrees outside and we were hiking all around Tels and other cool ancient monuments (and don't forget that I am already a super sweaty person and that we have to wear pants that go to our ankles)! At one particular cite, we had been walking around/ climbing on rocks for what felt like forever in the blistering sun. When I finally got back to the bus and had situated the air conditioning to be blasting in my face, I looked down to realize that I had a gaping hole in my pants!!! YEP... thats right, at some point and time during our hike, I had ripped a hole in my pants! OH GOSH! hahaha But no worries, I quickly covered it up by wearing my fanny pack! To add to my struggles thus far in the journey, our next stop was at a location with a bunch of cisterns. These cisterns were all carved out of the ground that was made up of a chalky substance. Seeing as I was hot, tired, and a little out of it, I sat down on the ground at the beginning of this cite. The moistness of my pants (from excessive sweating) + the pile of chalk = natalie having a completely white bum, thighs, and calfs. Oh goodness.. so now I had a hole in my pants and they were covered in chalk. hahaha I don't think that I have ever been so excited to take a shower in my entire life! One thing I learned though is that by the end of this summer, our whole group is going to be so close that it is ridiculous! We already have shared so much of our personal self that it is crazy! But, I can honestly say that I love every single person here and I am beyond blessed to be surrounded by the very best people in this world!!! YOLO!

This picture is for my family! We have a slight obsession with wheat! Hope you enjoy this one gramps!

Last, but definitely not least, a group of us went and saw The Avengers (in 3D) last night! IT WAS SO GOOD! I seriously love it! Please enjoy the awesome people that I hang out with! Love them all!

TURKEY... TURKEY... I WENT TO TURKEY

I had the spectacular opportunity of spending the past week in TURKEY!!! Yes, that is right, for school I get to go on field trips to Turkey. Oh my, it was such a wonderful experience and the things that I learned and experienced will forever change how I live my life. Here is just a quick little list of some of the funny things that I learned while in Turkey: come to find out I am a picky eater (meats that cannot be identified are not worth eating); egg plant is slimy and disgusting; rain makes a country so much more beautiful; buss rides can be extremely fun and exciting if filled with dance parties, AJ stories, guess that song, and Brother Harper's endless knowledge; and that I absolutely love every single person that is here on this trip. It definitely was a "bonding" seven days together. So... here we go. This will be a little insight into the past week of my life. ENJOY!

WELCOME TO ISTANBUL!!! We flew into Istanbul which is a magnificent city. We were so excited to finally be there and we trilled for the adventures ahead.

This is the BEST CLASS EVER in front of the Suleymaniye Mosque. On Monday we visited this Mosque and got our first taste of how beautiful these buildings can be. 

HOW BIZARRE IS THE GRAND BAZAAR?

There is this place in Istanbul that is called the Grand Bazaar. It is like a mall but 100 times cooler. It is similar to an enclosed market and is full of people selling all sorts of things. I really like this because it was clean and there were so many interesting things to be seen. 

TURKISH DELIGHT IN TURKEY! This was our tour guide, FATIH. He was wonderful. So fun and taught us a lot. He even joined in on some of the jam sessions on the bus. He gave each of us our first Turkish Delight... Pistachio was my favorite flavor but oddly enough, other than that I don't really like Turkish Delight.

Topkapi Palace: this palace is located along the bank of the Bosporus Strait (the water in the background). It was a beautiful and never-ending palace. I think my favorite part of this palace was the 86 karat diamond that was on display. WOW!!!

Basilica Cistern: we have visited a lot of cisterns in the past few weeks but I must say that this is the most magnificent cistern that I have ever, and probably will ever, see. AMAZING! The Basilica Cistern has 336 thick columns made of marble and granite that hold up the ground. It can hold up to 2,800,000 cubic feet of water. 

The Hippodrome: The Hippodrome originally was a large race track built for Chariot Races. Back in the day, this stadium could old up to 100,000 spectators. However, today it just looks like the rest of the city with three main monuments. So we had to go back to our childhood days and just imagine what this magnificent race track would have looked like. But on the upside of things... another great CLASS PICTURE!!! Lookin' good guys!

Gallipoli: Isn't this the most beautiful picture ever? Gallipoli was stunningly amazing. Blue water, stark mountains and colorful flowers. Such a sight to be seen. Gallipoli was the sight of a famous World War 1 battle. One of the monuments there said, "Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now living in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... you, the mothers. Who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well." -Ataturk 1934. I just loved those words and the peace this country sent to the mothers. 

TROY: Most famous for Trojan War. Story goes that Paris (the prince of Troy) kidnapped Helen (known as the most beautiful woman in the world) and took her to Troy. The Greeks sent their entire navy to rescue Helen. It ended with the "peace offering" of a wooden horse that was actually a trick. The Greeks had hid inside and when the night came they left the horse and won the war. 

Sunsets are my favorite and this sunset over the Aegean Sea was stunning. Our hotel was right on the beach and we had our own pier. The best part about this night was the fact that we had a bon fire / dance party. SO FUN! The hotel set everything up to have a bonfire and then brought out some big speakers and we all danced the night away. Best "spring break" EVER!!!

ASSOS: aka the most beautiful place in this world!!! This was probably my favorite place of the entire trip. The scenery was amazing. We were at the top of a hill overlooking the Aegean Sea and off in the distance we could see the mountain range of Greece. The picture on the left is of my best friend Lauren and myself. She is just the greatest.

 MAGNUM BAR ANYONE??? Yes that is right, I have a new love in life. They are called Magnum Bars. Delicious Ice cream covered in chocolate. My favorite was the double chocolate: chocolate ice cream covered with milky fudge then covered by a hard chocolate shell. DELICIOUS!

Ephesus: such a magnificent ancient city. This is Sarah and I standing in front of the Library. The story that takes place in Acts 19 most likely took place here in Ephesus. We had a fun time acting out the story in the theatre at Ephesus. Everyone got involved and it was quite the event. SO FUN!

NICEA: the famous place where the Emperor Constantine gathered the leaders of the early Christian Church for the Council of Nicea. 

HAGIA SOPHIA: Coolest building ever. So magnificent. It was constructed by the Emperor Justinian over the ruins of two previous churches of the same name. Such a cool experience and definitely the perfect way to end our journey here in Turkey. We got some sweet floor pictures. Love how they turned out!

SULTANAHMET MOSQUE (BLUE MOSQUE): The Blue Mosque was stunningly amazing with over 20,000 blue tiles decorating the inside. In this picture you can kind of see the amazing stain glass windows that also make this Mosque special. This is my friend Robert. He is just the greatest!

I just have to end this post with one last picture! These two men are two of the greatest men that I have ever met in my life. They have such a deep knowledge and understanding of the gospel and this land. Brother Ludlow (left) is my Ancient Near East Teacher and he never fails to make me laugh. Brother Harper (right) is my Old Testament teacher and has more knowledge concerning scripture than anyone I have ever met. He is the greatest and has given me a desire to learn. But most of all, I want to thank these teachers for being so willing to leave their families for a week just to teach us and help us experience such magnificent things. They truly are examples of selfless service. Thank you for all that you do! 

In the end, I just want to share one thing that Brother Harper has shared with me. Every day (even multiple times a day), he poses the question, "What do you know and how do you know it?" This simple question has caused me to search deeply what I know and how I know it. My desire to search the scriptures and learn and grow has been deeply strengthened. So my challenge today is to ask yourself, "WHAT DO YOU KNOW AND HOW DO YOU KNOW IT?"

Mother: my absolute BEST FRIEND!

To anyone who may know me, it doesn't take long to learn that my absolute best friend and life-long example is my mother. This weekend we have the spectacular opportunity to celebrate all of the wonderful mothers and women in our lives. I cherish and appreciate all of the women that have had influence in my life. From reading the about the lives and examples of women in times of old as well as the close relationships that are existent in my life right now, the influence of righteous women is powerful.

Seeing as I am currently half way across the world and unable to give my own mother a hug this Mother's Day, I thought I could send her my love this year from Jerusalem. Thank you, mom, for teaching me everything that I know over the years. Thank you for your constant love and understanding. I hope this finds you well and that you can feel the love that I have for you this Mother's Day! 

 Sister Beck spoke a few years back on the topic of Mother's who Know! Mom, you are definitely a mother who knows! Thank you!

"Mothers who know are always teachers." 

My mom has taught me everything that I know. Everything that is good about me comes because of my sweet mother! 

"Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world."

Thank you, mom, for always making time for me and teaching me to prioritize my life. 

"Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth." 

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

"Mothers, we acknowledge and esteem your faith in every footstep. Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever." -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Thank you, mom, for keeping the faith and pushing forward when I know that being a mom at times was heartbreaking. 

  

"We are living in a great season for all women in the Church. Sisters, you are an essential part of our Heavenly Father's plan for eternal happiness; you are endowed with a divine birthright. You are the real builders of nations wherever you live, because strong homes of love and peace will bring security to any nation." 

-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“And so, my dear young women, with all my heart I urge you not to look to contemporary culture for your role models and mentors. Please look to your faithful mothers for a pattern to follow.” 

-M. Russell Ballard

"The influence of your mother will bless you throughout life" -Elder Russell M. Nelson

"Motherhood is more than bearing children. … It is the essence of who we are as women." -Sheri L. Dew

Mothers Who Know Stand Strong and Immovable

"Who will prepare this righteous generation of sons and daughters? Latter-day Saint women will do this—women who know and love the Lord and bear testimony of Him, women who are strong and immovable and who do not give up during difficult and discouraging times. We are led by an inspired prophet of God who has called upon the women of the Church to “stand strong and immovable for that which is correct and proper under the plan of the Lord.” ⁶ He has asked us to “begin in [our] own homes” ⁷ to teach children the ways of truth. Latter-day Saint women should be the very best in the world at upholding, nurturing, and protecting families. I have every confidence that our women will do this and will come to be known as mothers who knew."

Above all else, I love my mother best because I have never for one day questioned what it is she stands for. My mom is firm in her beliefs, consistent in her actions, and loving in her deeds. Thank you mom for the example of deep love that you have for the gospel and for your example of steadfastness. 

To my sweet mother,

Thank you for the example and love that you have shown me for the past 20 years. Not only do I love you, I like you. You truly are my best friend, my favorite person to spend time with, and the only person I  can honestly tell everything. Thank you for teaching me to be a woman, to be respectful, to love people, and to love the Lord. I appreciate the woman that you are. You are courageous, strong, faithful, happy, fun, steadfast, loving... the list goes on and on. I hope on this Mother's Day that you can feel my love for you coming all the way from Jerusalem. Thank you for everything over the years! Happy Mother's Day!!!

Love always,

Natalie McKay Pennington

Caves, Field Trips, Sunsets, and the Beach: this is what I call school!

I must apologize because it has been quite a while since I last updated the blog. So much has gone on, therefore this post is going to be a long one. But I hope you enjoy some of the adventures I have experienced over the past few weeks! Here is just a few of the things that I have realized/ thought about/ learned recently:

• Pitas are possibly the yummiest things ever!
• We, as in all of the JC Crew students, are going to be the best of friends by the end of this trip because we are already sharing food, chap stick, sunscreen, sweat, nap time, and pretty much everything. We definitely have and will continue to see each other at our "best"
• The Old Testament is a magnificent book that fascinates my mind.
• And lastly, that this is going to be the sweatiest summer of my LIFE! It is only May and I have already been more sweaty than ever before! BRING IT ON!

This is a group of us entering Zedekiah's Cave. Super cool cave that goes on forever!!!

Strike a pose in Zedekiah's Cave

Tour under the Jerusalem Center anyone? Yep... Hard hats and all. So fun to see that the center is kind of floating above ground only held up by cement cylinders. This way all of the electrical, plumbing, and everything else is easily accessible. And yes, don't worry, I left my mark along with hundreds of others that have been here!

Another visit to the Holy Sepulcher: Alvin, myself, Lane, Rachelle, and Ian. Just gotta love these kids!

Sunset on the Sabbath overlooking the city from the center. Has to be one of my favorite views of all time!

So on Sunday (don't worry, our sabbath is on Saturday so our Saturday is really on Sunday... figure that one out) a group of about 50 students went to Tel Aviv. It was amazing! We toured the city of old Jaffa, played in the water/ on the beach, ate yummy gelato and falafel's, and just took a little break from the school life. 

This is my new best friend, Alvin. And the beautiful Mediterranean in the background. 

And this is what we do on the weekends!!!! 

Strike a pose everyone!

Ok... just a quick funny story, as we were posing for this picture, some random guy from another tourist group walked up, took a picture of all of us, and then walked away! hahaha So great

Story is told that if you make a wish while on this bridge and overlooking the beach, that your wish will come true! 

Sunset in Tel Aviv with two of my besties and a nice little sun tan! This sunset was one of the most amazing of my life. 

I may be obsessed with sunsets! Nothing as magnificent as the simple sunset at Tel Aviv!

Guys... look at this! Most amazing thing EVER! I AM OBSESSED! 

On Monday, we had a long day of field trips. We traveled to the Negev Dessert where we visited a women's empowerment facility, lots of ancient ruins/cites, and hiked a mountain! So sweaty, so cool, so AMAZING!

There is this amazing group of women in the Negev dessert (the southern most part of Israel) that have started a company of weaving rugs, purses, pillows, and other home artifacts. This group of women are trying to become empowered and are promoting the rights and education of women. This was an amazing stop on our trip and I greatly respect what they are doing. 

This is Yasmin (Jasmine in English). She is a volunteer at this women's organization. She is currently studying English at a university level. Go Yasmin

This is Lauren! She is such an amazing girl who is so passionate about the things that we are learning! I just LOVE her! We are currently standing under an arch of the ancient ruin of Avdat. It was a city that was on the top of a hill in the middle of the dessert. Somehow they survived and prospered.
As we traveled throughout the dessert, I began to realize why people who lived here and are main characters in the Book of Mormon and Bible murmured. I probably would have not been that happy of a person either!

Me and AJ... 

Jumping pic anyone? 

On our field trip, we took this amazing hike that the students haven't done for the past two years but it probably was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. However, I didn't take my camera because I didn't want to whack it on a rock! But just to explain a little bit, we were hiking in the Valley of Sin or Zin as it is also known (this is where Moses and his people wandered in the wilderness for 40 years). It is a valley with a small stream and then steep, rocky walls that go up for what seems like forever. At the beginning of this hike I made the joke that we should hike to the top... completely joking. Well karma has its way of getting around because guess what, we did hike to the top... the very top! I have never been so sweaty in my entire life. YUMMY! However, it was probably one of my absolute favorite hikes ever. The view the entire way was amazing and when we got to the top, it was striking to look back at where we had just come. When we reached the top, we sang "Redeemer of Israel" and the song echoed throughout the canyon. I love that. 

Well, that is all for now. I will update again soon. We head to Turkey on Sunday and I am beyond excited. WOOT WOOT! I just have to say that one thing I learned this past week is that it doesn't necessarily matter where an event took place but what matters is that the event did take place! This church is true. Take heart and keep the faith.