...like ice cream with hot fudge on it

This city is absurd! Last week, we had a good day's worth of snow. The brisk air was stinging and bitter on my face, and my lips were chapped beyond reason. I actually still feel the sweet taste of a wound on my lips from the cracks that I got in the process of stuffing my mouth with a falafel - delicious. Actually, that was only 2 days ago, which is exactly my point.

I was enjoying a nice stroll through Cardo Road two days ago, wearing an almost unnecessary light jacket and baffled by the beauty of the city. Shlomy, J.E., Daniel, and I ascended the stairs to the top of the incredible Lutheran Church of the Redeemer tower, finding a view of the city that we had yet to see. The narrow stairset spun around what seemed to be an unending pillar to the first two stories of the building. I thought we had finished when we got to a room with windows. Anxiously looking around, I felt as though I got ripped off for my two sheqels. The windows were fogged up; I could barely see through them. Right around that time, I looked to my right and saw the last stair set, thinking, "...Seriously?" After feeling like I had acquired a hefty case of asthma and got to know a couple of men (way better than I ever wanted to) who were descending the narrow stairset as I went up, I finally got to the top of this glorious tower.

Ha, that sounded entirely too dramatic. The view was beautiful (of course). The tops of the houses, on one side in particular, resembled a large pizza with olives covering it - hundreds of satellite dishes... HUNDREDS!! It was ridiculous. I think there were more satellite dishes than there were religious symbols, and that is saying something. It was a great view of many of the famous religious buildings and the entire landscape. Descending the tower wasn't too bad - though I did get to know two other men just as well as the first two... I mean, it wasn't even our first date and we were practically hugging.

From there, I got my falafel and proceeded to tear my lip open biting into it. Last week, my lips got terribly chapped from the blistering cold wind; this week, I am currently wearing shorts and a T-shirt and I am completely fine. It's like ice cream with hot fudge on it. You face the sun and you get a tan while the other side of you is actually so cold that you could have worn a jacket. Best of both worlds - rock and roll. Damascus Gate -->

Yesterday and today were the best days so far. I woke up at 6 a.m. yesterday to eat breakfast and start my first field study throughout Jerusalem at 7. We walked around from 7 until 6 p.m. I won't go into every detail, or much detail at all actually, but it was amazing. There is just so much to say that I wouldn't know where to begin. If you would like to know about it, tell me and I'll send you the impression report that I wrote up after it.

OH! Before I forget!! I got to play a guitar!! It turns out that the Wright's have a son who plays and he left his guitar here - they let me play it! SOOOO stoked! Funny story about it too.. Last week, my friends Ben and John were preparing to lead vespers on Friday. I volunteered to play the guitar... Actually, both me and J.E. volunteered saying, "... but we don't sing." I thought little of it, I anticipated them to put me on bongos or something while J.E. played guitar and they sang. John gave me the tab for the songs on that day, some of my favorites - Shout to the Lord, Great is Thy Faithfulness, and How Great Thou Art. I have only played the first one, and the others I sang before. They aren't hard to play on the guitar at all, so I was prepared fairly quickly. The funny thing is that when vespers started, J.E. didn't have a guitar, and Ben and John were sitting down as I got up to play. So there I was.. standing there with every insecurity I've ever had and always had, expected to lead this group of believers in worship (singing and playing guitar to songs I barely knew) when I myself don't even feel competent enough (in any way) to have that honor. I should start a facebook group called, "Not all Christian guitar players aspire to be worship leaders." Good times though, it helped me break out of my shell a little. Ah.. if you have read this.. you are a trooper... way too long haha. Much love!