Sunday, November 10, 2013

I have witnessed many things

So! Here's a few pictures to show you, so that I can use less words in today's blog entry.

As always, be sure to check out the latest on my photosphere album for some of the best-of-the-best.

So, let's start with the most important stuff first! I just had to buy this hoodie. It was worth it. A couple of us have this shirt now. Take that, name brands!
Lindsay Hawkins and me wearing our Pumba shirts. Take that, name brands!
(And Becca Pearson photobombing in the back =D )

Next up, I was thinking that maybe this is a little more important... I went to the zoo a week ago. Yeah, it was like most zoos. You know, there were animals and stuff. But! Here's what made this one interesting: the animals actually move around and do stuff! I swear that never happens in Utah. Maybe it's too hot there. So yeah, there were lots of monkeys, and they were fun to watch.

Speaking of monkeys... we went into the lemur section of the zoo, and there was a staff member there who would help lure them onto our bodies with a piece of food. We got lots of pictures of it. So fun! Oh yeah, and then at the end a REAL staff member came and told us we're not supposed to touch them. Turns out that first guy was uh... not a staff member. Whoops! Well, it was a whole lot of fun getting lemurs to climb all over us.
My room mate, Nick Hardy. Check out his band's new album!
https://soundcloud.com/robertandthecarrolls
Did I mention they have battled bands against Imagine Dragons? NBD...



One more thing! I guess this one might be important, too...
We went to Jordan for four days last week and saw some great stuff. Among them were:

  • Mount Nebo - where Moses looked into the promised land of the Israelites. On a clear day, you can see the mount of Olives and even the Mediterranean sea from there! Be sure to turn around to see the statue of the brazen serpent.
  • Machaerus - The traditional site of the death (beheading) of John the Baptist. It was on top of a mountain as well. They have a lot of those out here.
  • Jabbok River - Where Jacob wrestled the angel of the Lord. After prevailing against the angel he was given the new name of Israel, which means "God Prevails." Ever thought about that? Jacob put forth everything he had and won, and yet the moral of the story is that God prevails. He is in control. He is leading our lives. Ever since we visited this spot, God has confirmed this to me over and over. God prevails. He is in control. Things will all work out with His plan. Just stick with him, and you'll be okay.
  • Petra - One of the seven modern wonders of the world. It's a giant city carved into the stone walls of a miniature grand canyon. You'll recognize the structure behind me from Indiana Jones and the Last crusade, Transformers 2, or Mission to Mars. There are dozens of spots like this, but this one is one of the most well-preserved. The other one is the monastery, which you can see below.
"The Treasury" in Petra


"The Monastery" - a huge, huge structure at the top of a mountain with an altar inside.
See the photosphere album link for a much better-quality view

We may or may not have hired Kirk Jeppesen to sacrifice Melissa Boud to the pagan gods while we were at it...
I got to take a camel ride with Karren Hunsaker!

  • Bethany Beyond Jordan - The site of the Savior's baptism. It's a really special experience to visit there with the many other people of other faiths that believe in Jesus Christ. In fact, just across the bank we saw a group of people dressed in white being baptized.


I sat along the edge of the Jordan River, washed my feet in the river and thought to myself, "What does it matter if I wash my feet here or not? Why does it matter if I come here at all? God is not a respecter of persons. He doesn't consider one person more righteous because they go on a pilgrimage to see the River Jordan. So why do I care so much about being here?"

And then the Spirit whispered, "Because you can testify that you, too, have seen this with your own eyes. You are a witness."

I am a witness! Not only have I physically seen much of the Holy Land (and much more to come), but I am a spiritual witness of what happened here. God has always been involved in the dealings of the world. He has always been intimately involved in the details of my life. He is real. He is involved in your life, too. Pay attention! You may be missing what's going on in your own life! Just take a minute or two each day to look back on what He has done, and He will always show you what he did for you.

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