I liked the Red Sea Eilat

I know I haven't posted in a long time, but our internet was out for a couple days and then we've been absolutely bombarded by schoolwork. So allow me to play catch-up for a minute here... 

For forum (a big meeting with all of the students where we get to hear special guests speak) last Wednesday, we heard from a man named Elias Fienzlberg – a 96 year-old Polish Holocaust survivor. He is the sole survivor in his entire family. Some things that I wrote down:

·      “We didn’t know that the soap was made out of people.”

·      “I have 11 great grandchildren. This is what gives me life to live.”

·      “Every time I go to a party, I say ‘This is my revenge on the Nazis!”

·      “There were so many days of fighting with only one piece of bread.”

·      “I fought and I fought. Thousands of people died, but I fought and I fought.”

·      “You’re like horses looking straight ahead. I had no friends. I looked out for myself.”

·      “We all fought to live.”

·      “It has been very difficult for me to live without my family. But thanks to God, I have been able to make my own family. This is my revenge on the Nazis.”

·      “Only God knows how I was saved.”

Mr. Fienzlberg is the one with suspenders in the front!

Thursday we had another field trip to King David’s city! We saw some really incredible excavations and talked about the symbolism of seals in ancient legal documents and how that is representative of seals with our families.

We went through Hezekiah’s Tunnel and I LOVED it. I don’t have pictures because I didn’t want my camera to get ruined in the water, but I think I’ll get some from my friend’s GoPro in a bit. It is narrow and pitch black when you turn the headlamps off (yes dad I rocked the headlamp). I think I’m going to go back in couple weeks. After King David’s city, Eliza, Seth Bunker and I tried to get falafel in the Old City, but out of the blue, everything was totally shut down. Apparently, all of the Palestinians were protesting something going on in a jail…? Not totally sure of the details. So, long story short, I ate a Magnum ice cream cone for lunch. ‘Twas grand.

Friday was a long day of classes, but afterwords, Eliza and I went with two of our guy friends into the Old City to just walk around and we stumbled across a really nice Palestinian community center. We befriended the manager and he showed us around, went through the photo albums of past events held in the center, gave us cokes, and proudly showed off the computer room for the students that attend day school there. He gave us his phone number, name, and FaceBook page and invited us to see a children’s dance class!

Sabbath in Jerusalem is so peaceful. I am so lucky. Mission prep was really good – we got to practice teaching! It was harder than I thought it was going to be, but I love that we study Preach My Gospel so intently and that I’m actually getting practice.

Room 408! Gabby, Jenni, and Eliza.

Sunday, we went to EILAT! After a 4 hour bus ride through the desert, we arrived at the Red Sea and got to spend the day snorkeling! It was so incredibly blue and we saw some really cool fish and coral as we swam. Later that night, I got to call my dad for Father's day. I love him.

We had fun with Taylor's GoPro

Jake Slater. He's great.

Ready to snorkel!

Here are some pictures from our free day last week...

Lord's Prayer in GERMAN!!! Pater Noter has the Lord's Prayer in 180 languages.

Tomb of the Prophets

Russian Orthodox Convent

Traditional site of the Last Supper

Schindler's grave

St. James'

ARMY OF SISTERS! I'm headed to Germany, Theresa is headed to Japan, and Jenna is headed to Korea! Not pictured... Alyssa - Argentina and Liza - Paraguay.

Yes. I squealed like a little kid when I saw this.

I love it here. Absolutely love it.

"HELLO LOVELY I LIKE YOU"

The title refers to something a shopkeeper yelled at Eliza and me as we walked down Via Delarosa. He then promptly asked if we had boyfriends. We may or may not have told a white lie... 

Anyways. 

Today was our field trip day and we went to Yad Vashem (an incredible Holocaust museum) and Mount Herzl (the burial site of Theodor Herzl). The museum was one of the coolest museums I have ever been to - Mom you would LOVE the building materials and style. It was interesting to go through the museum knowing that I will be serving in Berlin. 

...Casual side note.... NO I HAVEN'T STOPPED FREAKING OUT ABOUT THE FACT THAT I AM GOING TO BERLIN FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE. I am on cloud 9. 

Anyways. After the field trip, a bunch of us didn't want to just bum around the Center for the rest of the day, so we wandered around West Jerusalem and found the coolest market where I took many a creeper shot of cool people in the market. People watching is the best in Israel. So many interesting faces. I got an amazing falafel for dinner - spicy! West Jerusalem is so different from the Old City and where the Center is - so much more modern! They have a Gap! 

It is Jewish tradition to place stones on graves and memorials to leave your mark. This is a memorial commemorating those non-Jews who risked and gave their lives to help Jews during the Holocaust.

Stones have also been placed on this relief outside of the children's memorial. This exhibit and memorial was one of the most beautiful and interesting I have ever seen... I can't even describe it... 

SUCH a good falafel - this was a couple days ago.

Friends Jenny Pattison and Chelsea Clayton. The normally bustling West Jerusalem is empty on the Sabbath!

I will never get over this view.

Braids because BERLIN

Spicy falafel for 8 shekles? Yes please!

Market life

Supposedly, if you pedal the right way, the fans and lights and sound machines on top of the bikes work. We tried for a long time... our efforts were in vain.

My noble steed.

This girl was b e a u t i f u l 

Star Trek Jerusalem edition?

CALLED TO SERVE HIM

"Dear Sister Hendricks, 

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the GERMANY BERLIN MISSION. 

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, October 22 2014. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the German language."

I have waited to read those words for as long as I can remember. I AM GOING TO SERVE IN BERLIN! 

After 7 hours of classes and a midterm, I was in my room reading a message given at the Provo MTC by Elder Jeffery R. Holland concerning missionary work and the Atonement. Our room phone rang and my branch president told me that he had something in his hands that was very special to me. I ran up the stairs and proceeded to freak out - my mind was racing at a million miles a minute. I got a few close friends together and we walked to the Orson Hyde memorial garden on the Mount of Olives - the place that I had previously designated after reading Matthew 24 and learning about Orson Hyde as the first missionary in this part of the world and the man who gave the dedicatory prayer consecrating Jerusalem as the Holy Land. I got to Facetime my mom and sister Maddy as I opened my call! Then I got to call my dad and talk to my siblings and grandparents. 

As I read my call, I had so many thoughts running through my head. So many emotions. But all of them were positive - that's how I know that this is where I am supposed to go. And GERMANY? Can you think of anywhere better for me to go?? I am so blessed and SO excited. 

I will be serving with one of my best friends from freshman year - Elder Brigham Gallacher! I will also be serving with my friends Elder Jacob Clarke and Sister Hayley Walker. Maybe Hayley and I will be companions! 

After I opened my call, we had to hurry back to hear His Excellency Ambassador Lazzarotto (a delegate for the Catholic Church here in Jerusalem) speak to us about the Catholic church and his experiences as the ambassador here. It was so unbelievably cool. Such a happy and passionate man. 

Thank you everyone for your love, support, and role in helping me prepare for a mission. I am so excited to serve the people of Berlin and teach them about WHY I am so happy!!! If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask me. 

The Church is true. I have a testimony of Jesus Christ. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and knows me. I know that He loves and knows the people of Berlin. And my job is to let them know that! 

A FEW PHOTOS FROM BRIEF ACADEMIC INTERLUDES

Feet of a new friend made at Herod's Winter Palace

The locals love Michael's falafels too

T U R K E Y. FAVORITE COUNTRY.

I give you fair warning: this is going to be a long post. But totally worth it. I have just returned from the coolest trip I've ever taken. My week in Turkey was quite the adventure. And we did and learned too much for me to ever do justice through a blog post, but I'll do the best I can.















 DAY ONE

We pulled into the city and our first view of Istanbul was the glittering Bosphorus Strait. Unreal. First stop was the Hagia Sophia - SO BEAUTIFUL. The mosaics were gorgeous (especially the gilded ones). I really liked that as a museum, they preserved both the Christian and Muslim eras of the Hagia Sophia's history. Next, we went to the Istanbul Archeological Museum. There were some really cool displays and our tour guide for the whole Turkey trip got us into a really limited access room called "ROOM 28"that had ancient Hebrew artifacts. I thought Dr. Seely was going to cry out of excitement. That night, we got to watch Alyssa Greenwood open her mission call in front of the Hagia Sophia - Argentina! You can imagine how I was feeling. So excited.

(ALSO side note... There are going to be a ton of pictures... I took over 1200 this week...Some of the photos may be out of order, but there are tons of them - I did the best I could!)

DAY TWO

Started off the day going to the Hippodrome. Then we went to the Blue Mosque which was awesome because I remember going when I was super little with my parents and sister Maddy. Again, gorgeous building. The domes! The art! The calligraphy! The photos I got to take! Next we headed to the cistern - a giant underground water storage area with awesome lighting showing the columns and an upside down statue of Medusa's head! Then we went to the Topkapi palace which was very elaborate and ornate - almost had a European vibe going. I was SO TIRED though so it was hard to be as excited as I should have been. But I saw supposed hairs from Muhammed's beard and a casual bowl o' emeralds! The Grand Bazaar was next and then a gorgeous ferry boat ride along the Bosphorus. We finished up with a performance by the Whirling Dervishes of Istanbul. I got dizzy just watching them... BUT it was a really neat cultural experience.

DAY THREE

It was a llllooonnnngggg bus day - super cool though. We drove to Gallipoli (WWI site - incredibly tragic) and visited one of the ANZAC cemeteries where President Woods gave us a really good lesson about life after death. I feel so lucky to know that death isn't the end - that's why I'm so excited to serve a mission! To help people understand that comforting truth! Anyway - there were tons of really beautiful headstones. Some highlights:
"God stands within the shadow and watches o'er His own."
"They never fail who die in a great cause"
"To live in the hearts of those we love is not to die"
Also the plaque of Ataturk's dedicatory comment is really moving - read it off of the photo.
Next was Troy! It was pretty poorly excavated, but cool nonetheless.

"The greatest battle ever fought is within the silent chambers of our own soul."

DAY FOUR

Our first stop was Assos. Perhaps the most beautiful place I have ever been. We hiked up to the Acropolis through quaint, ramshackle streets to a view that truly was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. President Woods gave a great lesson on Paul and his specific qualities that made him such a good missionary. (Most of the places we visited either had to do with Paul's travels or where John the Beloved wrote the Book of Revelation, so I really felt like the focus on Paul's missionary work was Heavenly Father's way of preparing me to get my mission call.... WHICH IS IN THE MAIL.... Any day now!!!)
Then we headed to Pergamon - cool temple of Artemis funded by Alexander the Great and a really big amphitheater on a steep hill. We saw the view that Paul would have seen as he sailed into Asia Minor. Amazing. That night we stayed in the most incredible resort right on the shore of the Aegean Sea. A bunch of us stayed out and talked on the beach for a really long time - I've loved really getting to know these people.

DAY FIVE

Started off the day with the news that my mission call had been assigned. I expected to feel an even bigger rush of anxiety, but instead I just felt comfort, peace, and assurance. Now all it is is a waiting game. I have been called and I will answer that call.
So.
Fitting that the first stop of the day was ancient Ephesus - the city where Paul struggled with paganism as the Ephesians kept worshipping the goddess Diana (Artemis) and was tried in that massive amphitheater. Trials of a missionary. I remembered when I came to that same amphitheater with Mom, Dad, and Maddy when we were little. I remembered reading Acts 19 with my dad. I had a chance to go off by myself and reread those verses. I reflected on my relationship with my dad and how that has had such a big influence on my desire to serve a mission.
Next, we went to the church of St. John the Baptist where we got a great view where a massive ancient temple of Artemis once stood - one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Then off to Priene - another mountainous ancient city where Alexander may have stayed.

DAY SIX

We went to Sardis and it was gorgeous! Climbed up to a great view point and there was a shepherd who let us hold a baby lamb! So cute! On the way back to the bus, I bought a super cool hand crocheted and beaded necklace that I got from a sweet old lady on the side of the road for 3 lira! That's a buck 50. Big time score.
We spent the rest of the day in the Bursa Bazaar. Kind of repetitious. But I got to spend some quality time with Taylor Smith, Jake Slater, and my darling roommate Eliza.

DAY SEVEN
We went to the Grand Mosque in Bursa and then had a lllloonnnggg bus ride to Iznik. In Iznik, we visiting the Iznik Hagia Sophia and then got free time to wander around in the city for a bit. Iznik is famous for its time - the Dome of the Rock itself is decorated with Iznik tile. Really really beautiful. We saw the ancient Iznik city gate and then went to the lake shore for lunch and lecture on the Nicean creed as we sat on the foundations of Constantine's palace. As we sat, I felt my first earthquake! I thought the heat had just gotten to me and I was losing my sanity! Crazy.

Then we flew back to Jerusalem. It was so weird pulling into the center and feeling like I was coming home. I think its a good thing!

I learned a lot on this trip. I learned a lot about what it means to be a dedicated and devoted missionary. I learned that I adore Eliza even more than I thought would be possible in a month of knowing her. I learned that I most definitely and 100% want to go back to Turkey. I learned to be careful about where you buy kabobs on the streets of Istanbul.