Jordan Trip!!

Me and Emily at a Mosque in Amman, Jordan
Me, Jessica, Emily and Mandy trying to be serious in the Mosque
starting with me going clockwise: me, Emily, Jessica, Allie, Mandy and Briggite
At Jerash: Esther, Candice, Catherine, Cary, Emily, Audrey, Me, Rachelle, Allie and Amy
Eating the best ice cream ever (even according to Brother Skinner): Me, Rachel, Rachel, Sydney, Aubrey, Amy and Jessica
Ashley, me and Elise in front of the Treasury in Petra!
Kellen, Rachel, Guy that looks like he's from Ratatouille, me and Lydia in Jordan
My mule and my guide through Petra
This is the amazing Amphitheater!
All 79 of us in front of the Treasury in Petra
Me and Trisha overlooking Amman

Day 1

We first went to Mount Nebo and looked at the beautiful view. We could see Jerusalem from this hill, and it was so beautiful! What an amazing place to be able to be! Everything we go to, we read about in the scriptures and see in the movies. SO COOL! Next we went to Madaba to see the beautiful mosaics of St. George Church. This mosaic is important because it is a map of the Holy Land for the Christian Pilgrims. We had lunch in Madaba then drove to the Shobak Castle. It was quite a steep climb up to the ancient castle, so our leaders wouldn’t let me climb up. I got to get to know some of the teachers wives that also didn’t climb. After we headed to our hotel in Petra. We explored the little city that we were in next to Petra, and had a great night! We talked to some of the Jordanians that live there. The Jordanian people are so nice!

Day 2

We got to go to Petra and it was my favorite place we have been to so far. So incredible! It’s such an unbelievable place carved out of rock, and it was so beautiful. Because it was a long walk, I rode through the siq on a carriage pulled by a horse with Sister Masters. The siq was so incredible! It’s amazing what the people could do at that time with the rock. They made works of art! The best part of the siq is when you start to glimpse the Treasury. The treasury is one of the most impressive and beautiful structures i have ever seen. Most people would know Petra from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. For the rest of the day everyone went hiking to the monastery and all the tombs built into the rock. I got to ride a mule to the place where we had lunch, and I got to talk to all the ladies in the group which was so fun! After our trip to Petra we drive to Amman and spent the night walking around the city.

Day 3

We went to Jerash, and it was beautiful! Some of the most beautiful ruins I have ever seen! They were surprisingly intact. My favorite part of these ruins was the amphitheater that was so intact that they still have concerts there! I can just imagine playing the harp there, and it would be so incredible! These places are such works of art, it’s incredible! We had lunch at a place that had the best pitas and hummus. From there we went to the place where the LDS members from Amman go to church, and the Branch President talked to us. He used to be in the army, and he talked about the situation in the Middle East with the church. It was a very inspiring meeting, and it really helped us realize that all of us are here for a reason. What an inspirational meeting. After we went back out and walked around the city.

Day 4

This was our last day in Jordan. First we went to a Mosque. All the girls had to wear long black hooded robes. We learned how Muslims pray and how every time they pray, they pray towards Mecca. From there we went to the Amman Citadel Archaeological Museum and from there we went to the Jordan River. It was about 105 degrees, but it was completely worth it. It was so amazing to be able to see where Christ was baptized. It was a remarkable experience to learn about Christ where he was baptized. Everyone stepped into the river, and I put one foot in to be able to say that we stepped into the Jordan river! Every place we go, I gain a greater testimony of Jesus Christ and his life of service and perfection. I am so grateful for my chance to be able to learn here in the Middle East, and to be able to live in the Holy Land.

What an INCREDIBLE week!!!