Walking the Paths of Kings

Today we spent the day in the city of Jerusalem, walking the city and seeing the sights. We started the day at the Mt. of Olives, which had a great view of the city. Then we walked down to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed to God on His last night and where He was betrayed by Judas and captured. We also visited the Church of All Nations there too. It was really beautiful but we could not enter since Mass was going on. From there we took the bus into the old city and walked through a lot of the market area. We visited another church dedicated to Mary, where the stones that she is believed to have rested on before she ascended are held. We also visited King David's Tomb and walked the Palm Sunday Path. This took us through the old cardo, or main street, of Jerusalem, where we saw another market, pieces of old Jerusalem being excavated, and an ancient map of the city. We spent some time in the cotton market, which was another busy street full of shops and streetside stands. Also during this time we visited the church built at the site where the Upper Room, where Jesus ate His last meal with the disciples, was. Then we went up onto a rooftop and had some great bagelas. After the snack we went to the Dome of the Rock, which we were'nt allowed into, and the Western Wall. Both of these places just felt really reverant, and our guide took the time to explain Islam to us, which was really cool. After that we walked to the Teaching Steps, where Jesus is believed to have taught with the rabbis. This had another breathtaking view of the city, and it was really peaceful there. Then we walked down to King David's City, where we saw some excavations being done and pieces of the city in David's time. After that we ended the day at the Pool of Siloam, where healings took place. One of the most prominant of these was when Jesus healed the blind man.
Also, for all you worried people out there, we are all safe. We were not close to the bombing that took place earlier today, so there is no need to be worried.
Tomorrow we hope to have just as great a day, maybe without so much walking. We did just over 6 miles today, mostly up and down hills. But it was a great day, and we'll all sleep well.
Abby Clark and Kourtney Berg
youth conveners