i'm studying at jerusalem university college (JUC) for the next two weeks, learning about biblical geography, history, archaeology and other cool things like that. probably the best thing from the first three days has been going through hezekiah's tunnel in the old city of jerusalem. for those of you who don't know, there is a long, winding tunnel wandering beneath the old city that was carved through rock during king hezekiah's days. it is an amazing feat, considering it was finished long before radar and computer technology existed! while we were trekking through the tunnel, we sang songs like "in the rifted rock" and "we're marching to zion." it was pretty great. :)
my schedule while i'm here has so far involved being in class from 8 am through 12:00, then an hour for lunch, then walking through the city looking at archaeological sites until 5 or 6 pm. tomorrow we are starting at 7:00 and taking a bus to a site somewhere outside jerusalem. this will probably be the norm for the rest of my time here - in fact, next week we are actually taking a bus to the galilee and spending three or four days in that region (i think we are staying in a youth hostel).
right now i have taken a book from the JUC student lounge - you will never guess what it is. Sailing Acts, the book Linford wrote! I am about 110 pages into it right now and it is so good! if any of you get a chance to read it you definitely should.
i've pretty much decided that the stutzmans are the most interesting people i could possibly hope to meet. i feel so priveledged to have them as my cross-cultural leaders. they are always so ready to jump into new situations and take on new ideas - i love it. when we went through hezekiah's tunnel they were telling us about the first time they went through in the 70s before it was made into a nice, safe tourist site. the water in the tunnel comes from a natural spring that, if unregulated, can gush out with water and the level of water in the tunnel can change. when we went through this week, the water was only up to our shins, but when they went through that first time, it came up to linford's beard. at times the ceiling of the tunnel is only about four feet above the floor of the tunnel - and they went through using candles!!! crazy.
tonight i still have to write my impression journal for the day (i get graded on these - yes, i DO have homework in this cross-cultural!). i guess i will go do that. :)
my schedule while i'm here has so far involved being in class from 8 am through 12:00, then an hour for lunch, then walking through the city looking at archaeological sites until 5 or 6 pm. tomorrow we are starting at 7:00 and taking a bus to a site somewhere outside jerusalem. this will probably be the norm for the rest of my time here - in fact, next week we are actually taking a bus to the galilee and spending three or four days in that region (i think we are staying in a youth hostel).
right now i have taken a book from the JUC student lounge - you will never guess what it is. Sailing Acts, the book Linford wrote! I am about 110 pages into it right now and it is so good! if any of you get a chance to read it you definitely should.
i've pretty much decided that the stutzmans are the most interesting people i could possibly hope to meet. i feel so priveledged to have them as my cross-cultural leaders. they are always so ready to jump into new situations and take on new ideas - i love it. when we went through hezekiah's tunnel they were telling us about the first time they went through in the 70s before it was made into a nice, safe tourist site. the water in the tunnel comes from a natural spring that, if unregulated, can gush out with water and the level of water in the tunnel can change. when we went through this week, the water was only up to our shins, but when they went through that first time, it came up to linford's beard. at times the ceiling of the tunnel is only about four feet above the floor of the tunnel - and they went through using candles!!! crazy.
tonight i still have to write my impression journal for the day (i get graded on these - yes, i DO have homework in this cross-cultural!). i guess i will go do that. :)
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