Dear Last Day in Galilee (Day 94),

I think you know a place is wonderful if you:

            A. want more time there

            B. it invokes feelings of goodness in your heart.

Galilee has been a very peaceful place. It feels like too soon that we must leave it behind.

beautiful peaceful and captivating cemetery
 including grave sites of some early Latter-Day Saints
a powerful testimony of dedication to this great faith I believe in

view of haifa
with a glimpse of an adorable j.c. couple
as well as pink flowers, for hannah

 panorama of the Baha'i shrine
beautiful theology
beautiful gardens

my "big brother" & close friend/roommate in galilee: another adorable couple here

elijah...i mean andy...at mt. carmel
(see 1 kings 18)

rachel caroline edwards
provo roommate
stunning model
excited and happy about life
ancient aqueduct
glad I know her

this is robert
immersed in the caeseria experience
"literally," as david cramer would say

ice cream endeavors
THE gelato of the holy land according to the harpers

:) I love you, northwestern Israel.
Sincerely yours, Chloe Michelle

Dear Nature (Day 88),

So far in this trip, I have made it to four counties and two continents. Today was too...technical; I'm not sure what category this adventure falls in. As my roommate put it: "Today we are going into Israel Occupied Syria...but you might not want to tell anyone that. You could start a war." Golan Heights. Not officially annexed by Israel. Currently passing tanks as I write.

Made it to the top most tower of Gamla. It's this awesome city/fortress on the side of a mountain/cliff. As Professor Ludlow would say: a city needs water and defensible land. Other than that, I'm not sure why you would choose such a crazy place to start a city. Let's be honest, it was probably just for the view. The fog was a heavenly barricade against the sun...but not so great for accentuating vivid color for landscape pictures.
















Next was Qazrin Village a quaint little village that had a reconstructed home in the style of the Talmudic period. Adorable. I had a little spark of feeling comparable to what it must have felt like to really live there. I was a little jealous, actually. Small religious town, open wilderness, small courtyard. Was life simple there? Remind me why I want an iPhone again?














Kursi. An entire national park centered on the synagogue thought to be the sight of "the miracle of the swine." Honestly, I didn't even go in. I was too distracted with the thoughts Harper left us about parables. There is so much left for me to seek. I know this might just be my perseption of "the way things are," but Harper is brilliant. Something about the way I connect with him makes me feel like he cares about the individual. He never makes you feel guilty of talking or holding up the group...even when I'm sitting in the circle wishing everyone would just stop talking so I could listen to him lecture. Forever. Instead, he makes us think. He leaves me hanging and anxious for more knowledge. Knowledge he won't let me have. Not so easy. Not so fast. Not without some considerable work on my part.





Then we got to go river rafting. They told us not to jump in, so Brianne and I had a peaceful paddle down the river........for the first 5 minutes. Then, complete pirate warfare broke out. I attacked and traded about 10 different rafts, trading teams when convenient...except for Hannah. He fought too valiantly for me to abandon her. Plus, destroyed we the apparatus, so our mission be accomplished, mateys.

I sat on the grassy beach and read my history book. And you know what? I actually enjoyed it. There is something magical about coming across about 10 sites during one reading that I've been to. As I described it to the snack shack cashier: things are a bit more real here. Plus (as the cashier and I also discussed) chocolate is better here.

Sitting next to Luke in class feels...right. I haven't seen him for about two days. I don't feel adequate enough in my writing skills to express to you the significance of that concept. How two days seems strange when you are used to particular companionship. I think: so much has changed, yet the bond feels stable......days seem like months here......and re-remembering why you respect people is a spectacular emotion.


Finished the day off with life-stories and opinions in a hammock. Now, its time to dream. Figuratively and literally. -Chloe'

Dear I forgot to put a title on this post in my first draft (Day 87),

You know that feeling you get when you are so 'spent,' but your heart longs to keep going? *sigh* Welcome to Galilee. I went with my heart today when I used my precious Israel free-time to journal and hike, instead of study for my test. I don't regret anything...yet.

I love the people in my program. Yesterday, I was so happy just busing all around the sea, spending every minute with another person I like. I did love my half-hour of alone time to ponder on the 'Mount of Beatitudes'...and the two hours I got to steal away with my closest friend here for a wonderful conclusion to a mind-blowing day.

Today, I'm glad to be here. Today, I'm happy to be done with my test. Hiking = totally a new favorite pass time. Ice cream. Photobooth with Abby Harper. Life is good in Galilee.

With love, Chloe'

Dear Faith (Day 86),

Internet here is dodgey. It works really well and then randomly cuts out. I give up trying to use it.

Today, my life was changed with insights of the stories from the New Testament that happened on and around the Sea of Galilee. Perhaps the stirring of faith is more important than the calming of the tempest. No faith is ever lost to Him who knows you.

I sure love the people in my life. Onward and Upward, Chloe' Michelle

Dear New Love (Day 85),

You know you are in Galilee when:

-you walk to and from your apartment and the "classroom/cafeteria" building 42.6 times in one day

-you blame the heat for your craziness

-you live 60 steps from the beach

-all you've done today is study and go to class and eat...but it's fun because it's all about GALILEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If there is anything I would like to live, breathe, and eat right now...it would be Galilee.

-you ask someone to turn down the AC, and realize it's the first time you've been cold for 3 months

-you then walk outside and get hit with a wave of 110 degree heat...in the shade...plus humidity

-you find a frog in your shower

-you find a new love: the Gospels 

I absolutely love the feeling of reading my scriptures and saying "Hey, look: this happened RIGHT HERE!" This place is so romantic and wonder-ful...but probably boring for any reader to hear about because I literally read my New Testament ALL DAY LONG! You think I'm kidding?

My schedule today:

7:30 wake up and eat breakfast

8-10 NT class

10-11 read NT

11-12 NT class

12-1 lunch

1-4 study session in my room

4-6 study session in the classroom

6-7 dinner

7-9 talk with roomies.....but mostly (you guessed it) STUDY

9-10 bonfire

See what I mean?

Oh well, life is great. Here are a few random-funny-moments of the day.....at least....they were funny to us.....

• "He came to you too?" mistaken for "Think we can youTube?" -Rachel E.
• When twisting words describes our personalities:    Natalie: "Sheep-herd"  Me: "Sheep-her-dahs"  Hannah: "Aw,  sheepers, man"   
• "When you said that word, I imagined capital letters and exclamation points in my head." -Me
• "My computer is about to commit mutiny."    "What?"   "She said her computer is going to die...like a mutany."   "What's a mutany?"
• Jay hits me on accident after I sass him: "Sorry, uncalled for regression from me"   "Did you just say that was pretty Russian of you?" 
• "So, when I was writing my stress paper...wait..."

Quotes that could only come after hours of NT studying:

• When we analyzed Natalie's ice cream joke and then knew that Professor Harper had REALLY gotten into our heads.
• "Who sings that song?" "Roman Direction" "You mean One Direction?" -Rachel and I

Life is good on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. -Chloe' 

Dear awe-some (Day iDon'tRemember),

Woke up not tired for the first time in a long time. Figured out how to use my curling iron after 3ish months here. Made it on time enough to church to pick up a program. He was sitting on the stand. "I can't hope," I thought. "It can't be. His presence is enough. I already had a short conversation, including a hand shake. That's enough for me." But then I dared a look at the program. 

"Closing remarks: Elder Holland" 

I had a little spastic moment in my heart. "YYYEEEEESSSSSSS!" I had wanted to believe it all week, since Tuesday's announcement session when our director had informed us that Elder Holland would be living under our same roof. Amazing. 

"When is he coming?"

"Tonight."

And so is was. 4.25 days with the presence of an apostle of the Lord in this place I call home. I didn't want to bug him. I didn't want to intrude on his family vacation, but I craved just a few profound words. "He wouldn't leave us without addressing us....right?..........right????" Church today was our last hope because afterward, he leaves.

It makes sense, in my mind, that I wanted to hear him speak. It's one thing, I concluded, to have him living at the JC. It's another to have him grab my hand for a shake and pull it into a power-fist-grab, like we had been friends. It was another thing to have him speak to me directly, to ask me how my day had been. I wanted to be ok with just that. I wanted to be satisfied. . .but I found myself craving the sense of power I feel when I hear apostles speak. I wanted to hear him testify. I wanted a prophetic message for our little tiny corner of the world here.

It was better than I could have imagined. The meeting ran over almost an hour and I was so thankful. He apologized for intruding on our time...but he must know, O he must know how much we were pleading him to stay. 

His message spoke peace to my heart: enjoy your time here. You are blessed. Not to minimize personal challenges, for SURELY there will be hard times ahead, but you MUST stand strong.

He then left us with a blessing.

BEST.DAY.EVER!

I had some ponder time in the Garden of Gethsemane and sang and played cards with my close friends, along with our tradition of Sabbath Sundown watching. Wondrous Jerusalem. 

I love God. So so so much. Being in Jerusalem has taught me so much...but honestly: what I've learned most is how little I know. We have a teacher here named Brother Harper. Genius. His tag line is "what do you know and how do you know it?" Super intense question. I feel like everything I have learned in my life-before-Jerusalem has been shaken. I know it may sound strange, but through the many little experiences I've had here, I have learned to question. And I love it.  I feel like my eyes are beginning to open and now I must literally put everything I know back onto my solid foundation: and that is that I know I love God. I know He is real and that He loves me. And everything else is slowly being built on top of that. I'm asking why, and finding strength. I'm asking questions, and striving for answers.  I'm learning how I know things, and that is: most directly from the Spirit, sent to me by my Lord Jesus Christ. That reality (along with the things that are now stemming from it) are the only sure things in my heart. 

O communion sweet. Take my heart. Make me more worthy of thy love. 

Most sincerely and openly, Chloé Michelle Sumsion

Dear Searching (Day 74),

So Sarah Barlow and I may or may not have had a life epiphany today.

WHAT USE IS LEARNING IF YOU DON'T APPLY IT IN YOUR LIFE?!?!?!?!?

Think about it. It's deep.

Natalie and I studied "the Woman at the Well" story from John 4 today. I cannot get enough of the New Testament.

Went to crepes to celebrate Alicia's birthday...turns out our renowned store is closed...turns out life is great and things work out wonderfully sometimes. The store owner was there, despite the tradition of vacant streets before Sabbat. So he opened his shop just to give us gelato. Coconut and Raspberry. Yup: life is good.

i personally love that i caught the happy couple in the background

Took Sarah to the Shuk for the first time...and my last time. I decided I can't spend all my fridays in open air markets. I was so happy to be in one of my favorite places, yet mixed with a heavy burden of sadness for trying to move on to other things. *Sigh* There is more Israel to explore.

Dilly-dallied home. I don't know where on earth that expression came from, but it perfectly describes my attitude on the way back to the center. I wanted to soak everything in. And you know what I found? BEAUTY! I love the homes here. I love the streets. I love the sound in my heart when Jerusalem is quiet. How can I ever leave this?

"lighter than pillows"....made of concrete.
if you are asking yourself, "what the random?!" you are not alone.

Tonight was girls night. Apparently, when girls live in Jerusalem, they have nothing better to do than paint their nails as they watch chick-flicks. I am morally opposed to lame movies when I have precious and few moments living in this land. Then again, all Luke and I did instead was laugh at things on the internet...so I don't know if that's any better...except I think it is. :) I would take laughing with someone who you think is wonderful over unnecessarily pouring your heart out into a love story that isn't even yours ANY DAY. (Although I'm not opposed to good movies at the end of a long day when I have absolutely no homework to do......which has been, like, once in the last 3 months. Just so you think I'm not entirely insane. Also, I did watch for like 20 minutes, just to be somewhat a part of my girls.)

brielle blue!!!! love and miss you, girl!

I love weekends in Jerusalem. Search for beauty and you can find it. Sincerely, Chloé Michelle