Jerusalem

Hello!

Today was an amazing day in Israel! We drove to the city of Jerusalem where we visited the Temple Mount. We learned the Muslims are trying to take over the Mount and are preventing people from doing any archeological digging. While we were learning about this fascinating Temple, one of our fellow teammates, not going to name any names (Karissa), got pooped on by a bird. It got in her hair, but don’t worry Mrs. Lukasiewicz, she washed it out ;).

Our next adventure took us to the Dome of the Rock which is a Muslim building. There is controversy over ownership of the Mount because the Jews claim it’s their territory. Our next excursion led us the the City of David where we entered Hezekiah’s Tunnel which supplied water for Jerusalem during its time. The taller people had a little trouble getting through the tunnel and some might have a had a few knocks of the head :) but it was totally worth it. After the tunnel, we headed the King David’s tomb where we learned that he was buried inside the city which was unusual in that day. Next, we had a quick snack break at a Jewish bakery and headed to the Temple Institute. They believe that in order for the Messiah to come, a third temple must be built so they build the objects and instruments needed in the temple so when the day comes to rebuild the temple, they will be ready. We headed back to the hotel to get ready for a late dinner at Abu Ali’s house (our bus driver) and a practice afterwards. They served us Maqkluba, which means upside down in Arabic and is made of chicken, rice and vegetables. Jenna and Rocky definitely won the food battle eating at least two full plates of food. After dinner, we went outside and had dessert, tea, watermelon and coffee. All of the food was DELICIOUS. Next, we got up, stood in a circle, and clapped and danced. The family’s hospitality and generosity was mind blowing. In their culture it is natural for people to dance with the same gender so it was interesting watching two of Abu Ali’s sons dance together with us. Overall it was a really fun experience.

The final adventure we went on today was a practice with the Beit Sahor women’s team. In Israel, women’s sports are less important and female coaches are unheard of so practicing with them was a impactful experience for both teams. All in all, we were overloaded with information but we took it all in stride. Wish us luck as we continue our adventure and we hope all is well in Colorado!!!
Jenna and Raegan