Separation Wall and other things...

Well the weeks continue to fly by and we all try not to think about how fast the time goes. This week was another busy one packed full of field trips and classes. We were went to the Western Wall last Sunday night to tour the tunnel right next to it. The tunnel has been excavated about 50 below where we stand today. There is this really large stone, about 400 tons, which during Jesus' time would have sat about 50 feet high. They aren't sure how the stone got up there and how it was moved. We walked over shafts that went down another 50 feet or more to the bottom, where Jesus would have walked 2000 years ago. 

We were officially off lock down on Tuesday which was nice to be able to come and go as we please. We had a huge mid term on Wednesday for Old Testament. It was really nice to get over and now we start the New Testament until the semester ends. On Wednesday after noon a small group of us got to go to the US Consulate of Jerusalem. A few people from our ward work there and one was willing to move his schedule around so he would have a few hours to meet with us, show us around, and answer any questions. We ended up staying for a little more than three hours! But, we all loved every minute of it. 

Thursday we had a field trip in the afternoon. A lawyer from Jerusalem came in to talk to us about the Separation Wall and what it was exactly. He is consulted by the US government and other governments around the world and what is exactly happening in the area and what peaceful tactics can be done to help the situation. It was an amazing lecture and for once, someone explained the conflict in terms that we could all understand. We went about a mile away from the Center to the actual wall. This is the literal boundary that separates the West Bank from the rest of Israel. It was very erie to stand at the base and look up at a 20 foot wall with barbed wire at the top. There was graffiti all over it saying things about how this was like the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII and how Palestine was supported by people around the world. It was really crazy to realize that one day people were neighbors and the next they couldn't see each other. 

Last night we went to the Western Wall for the Jewish sabbath. It was really crowded with tourists this time, but it was still really cool. We got there before sunset, so I was allowed to take some pictures of a lot of Israeli students singing and dancing around the plaza. 

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday so we're going to be a part of all the festivities here in the city!!