Friday 1 January 1999, New Year’s Day
Departure 1:00am, 2 January
Dear Israel Journal,
I have told the students that it is not enough when people ask “How was it?” to answer with such phrases as “it was awesome” or “great” or “no words to describe it.” Now that we are at the end of this experience I find myself in the same dilemma. How can I put into some sort of summary form an eighteen month experience in this land? Well, I told them to say something so I suppose I’ll give it a shot.
Historically, this Land is fascinating with cultures spanning thousands of years and archeological evidence of their civilizations everywhere. We’ve roamed over every pile of rocks from Dan to Be’er Sheva, climbed Mount Sinai, swam in the Med, the Dead and the Red and the Sea of Galilee. Visited churches, mosques, synagogues and rode on horses, camels, buses, planes, carts, cars and even donkeys. We’ve explored caves, castles, museums, cisterns, gardens and groves. Listened to teachers and guides, read books and leaflets, watched videos and slides, took pictures and wrote, watched sunrises and sunsets and ate cultural foods from Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Israel & Palestine. All of this has been fascinating, overwhelming and educational insomuch as old folks like us can retain such a mass of information.
Culturally, I have been swayed back and forth in the seemingly endless debate between the Jews and the Arabs. Some days I have been pro Israeli and other days pro Palestinian and all of this without trying to “take sides.” I think I understand (as well as someone with my limited kind of exposure could) a bit of both sides of this “conflict” and I have sympathy for both. I have seen the “very pious to the secular” and congregations without a shepherd and synagogues without a voice, and I have been ever grateful for living prophets with sure voices and iron rods.
Religiously I have been “overwhelmed” by the depth of my feelings about the Savior in certain places. In the Garden Tomb, a combination of sorrow and great joy and peace to realize that while this is a “nice” site, the significance of the empty tomb is so touching to me. The comfort I feel as I realize that “He is not there but is risen” adds to my “brightness of hope.” In the Garden of Gethsemane where I have been allowed to feel such intense sorrow and have felt quite alone in my feelings without the bustle of the city nearby, looking at ancient olive trees and wondering if they were near to the spot where the Savior suffered and “bled from every pore.” In the Upper Auditorium as I have looked into the faces of these clean, bright youth of the Church and have sat also overlooking the city where within view is the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Kidron valley, Golgotha, the Garden Tomb, and singing “there is a green hill near at hand” and partaking of the sacrament in remembrance of Him and being unable to control my tears or emotion.
I have climbed Sinai and watched the sunrise and sat among the students and listened to their sweet testimonies and have felt a bit of the vast nature of the Universe and of His creations – worlds without number – and have sung in my heart again the lovely primary song “A Child’s Prayer” – “Heavenly Father are you really there? And do you hear and answer every child’s prayer?” And realized that even tho in this cosmic universe, He is there and does hear and answer every prayer has greater meaning for me on this mountain.
I have sat in a lovely chapel on Mount Tabor and listened to my family sing Christmas Carols around a tiny organ, sung with BYU students while other visitors openly wept, considered the events that occurred on this “mountain apart” and felt a witness of Him again. I have visited Capernaum and re-read the miracles performed in this city and wept again as I read to the students about some of these miracles and talked about the power of the priesthood today. I have gone to the Galilee Branch and prayed with them, worshiped with them, loved them and worried about them so “isolated” and far distant from the Church.
I have served with wise, capable and loving couples, administrators, faculty, students and members in a near Zion society where everyone is always willing to help and support. A society where common goals are met without complaint and a shared environment is everywhere present from fixing to feeding to housing to teaching. I have developed strong feelings for each of these people and even though I am aware that our paths will only occasionally cross, I will be grateful that they have crossed and that I am better because of it.
I have been uplifted and filled with a mixture of so many feelings. I desire to be better because of all of this and I am saddened with myself when I don’t measure up to what I profess to believe. When I am sharp with someone who requested my help or angry when I am cut off in traffic, or when I watch too much TV when I could be doing something of worth.
So my journal concludes after eighteen months in this land with a simple testimony that hasn’t really changed but now has so much more “color” and understanding. I believe in Christ and I have hope in Christ and I want to be good enough to be with my family in this life and in the life to come.
Dave & Jan Peterson, Physician service couple 1997-99
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