Home and reflection

I have now been home for almost 2 months and it feels like a dream that i was actually studying in the Holy Land. I feel so grateful for the opportunity to study in such a sacred environment, it was truly a blessing. I walked where the Savior walked and went to so many sacred sites. My life has been truly blessed. As I reflect on my experience I realize that I really had an incredible time and felt like I came closer to my Savior and gained a understanding better the love the our Heavenly Father has for each one of us. I have been asked many times what was my most favorite part of Jerusalem? This question is very difficult to answer, there were so many incredible things that I saw and experienced, I saw the Pyramids in Egypt, Petra in Jordan, I welcomed in the shabbat with the Jews, I went to many mosques, I rode a camel in Egypt, I floated down the Nile, I went to Gethsemane, the Garden Tomb, the Church of the Nativity, The Dome of the Rock, many Tell's and other historic sites. Originally I would tell people that my most favorite thing was living there, in the holy land. I think though a more accurate answer would be my most favorite things while I was in the holy land were the times when I had time to reflect on all of the incredible things I was seeing and feeling. It all hit me once when I was in Gethsemane during the last week walk our class went on. We were all instructed to sit in quite reflection, I began thinking and pondering about the incredible mercy the Heavenly Father has shown me personally in my life, the trust that Heavenly Father has in each one of us, as well as the love that he has shown personally to me and has for each one of his children. I already had a testimony of the atonement and life of the Savior before I went to the Holy Land, but while there I was able to understand more of the gospel and have visual images for the scripture stories. My testimony was strengthened through the things I learned and experienced and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I had to go to the Holy Land.