First email from Ashley

Hi Mom and Dad!

We made it!  Right now it is almost 10:00pm on our first night here. I just finished a 45 minute workout with Annie and Neil.  At least for now, they seem committed to working out with me.  I don't know what it is with people but you should have seen the weird stares we gathered from people as we passed them heading to the gym, they looked at us like "working out is weird." I think they are weird.  Maybe people are still just unsure what they can and can't do here, I dunno. I could hardly wait to move around after being on the airplane.  I hardly know what to write. I should be really tired but I think I slept quite well on the plane so I am not. However, tomorrow looks to be a big day and getting a good night's sleep would be a good idea.

My initial impression upon arriving in Tel Aviv was that it reminded me of California with lots of palm trees mixed with Bucarest because of the feel of the sidewalks. And then, as we rode out of the city, gaining 2500 feet in elevation in less than an hour, going up to Jerusalem, the scenery changed to hilly and rocky with some scrubby vegetation. Similar to some Utah terrain, but more rocky. And pretty much like in the Bible movies!  And then we were in Jerusalem itself! And, strangely enough, seemed fake. Like all the buildings were made of white cardboard. Kind of a sad way to think of possibly THE most historic city in the world. I think much of that perception comes from fatigue (I'm probably more tired than I think), adapting to a different environment, and still viewing it from afar. Tomorrow we are taking our first tour into the city and I think that will bring things into greater reality. 

Sicne we've arrived at the Center, it has pretty much been orientation this and that.  I learned that I am not in the same bus/travel group as Annie, Neil, and Shawn. I think I would like to be so I will go talk to the guy in charge of that and see if that would be possilble. They made sure siblings were in the same group, so I think I may have a chance. It is really beautiful here. There are nice professors, missionary couples, and civilians who work here. And there are about 15 children (of faculty members) so that will add a nice change to things. Well, I think I had better head to bed. I LOVE YOU!

Ashley

Neil's first email

I have only been here at the JC for a couple of hours and already I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for being here. The feeling is so amazing. We haven't even been out into the city, but it is so beautiful to look out over the Dome of the Rock. Today, we stood on the balcony as the red sun sunk over the horizon and the call to prayer floated across the valley from the nearby mosque. The feeling was ethereal. We go on our first tour of the Old City tomorrow. I need to get to sleep because jet lag's got me bad.

Speaking of jets, today Annie and I somehow got invited to sit in the pilot's seat of a 747 jumbo jet! It was awesome, and we took pictures. Afterwards I was laughing giddily like a little kid. I never had even dreamed that could happen. I was thrilled just to get on the plane. Anyway, thanks again for your love and support, and I will keep you posted on how things are going.

Neil

Annie's first email

Mom,

      Hello from Jerusalem! I have been flying since 9 am yesterday so needless to say I am very tired. I think I've gotten about 7 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours but I decided to delay my beautiful time of sleep a little bit to write you a lovely letter!!! Our flight from JFK to Jerusalem was packed with a lot of people, and we flew in a 747, and it's ginormous! It's like hauling a thousand-ton bag of sheep into the sky!!!! We saw a lot of Jews, from the super orthodox to the secular ones. It was very interesting to talk to everyone from Jerusalem to see their view on Israel and us. Israel is amazing and we are kind of weird, basically. And loud. At the end of it Neil, Ashley and I were the last ones on the plane and we wanted to see the second story (which is business class) so we asked if we could go up and they said yes. On the second story the pilots were just chillin and talking to each other and then before I knew it they had pretty much ushered us into the cockpit for pictures! So now we have awesome pictures of us in the cockpit of a ginormojet and it was really fun!!!!

     After we got to Tel Aviv we took a bus to Jerusalem. Isreal looks just like it does in the pictures!!! It is very dry and desert-like, and all the buildings are made from more adobe-like material (although they are still very westernized). It was so exhilarating to turn the corner and see our first glimpse of the Old City and the Dome! It was like the scriptures coming to life! Then we pulled into the Jerusalem Center and all the staff and professors wth their children were there to greet us and show us around. We had an orientation meeting in the chapel, which is beautiful by the way. It has walls that are all almost completely glass so you can see out into the city while the speakers talk. After that we had tours of the center (very brief, but the center isn't very big so I don't think I really need a tour anyway) and then we took our stuff down to our rooms. Afterwards we ate dinner and had our first two classes (where I could barely keep my eyes open. I kept on falling asleep by accident and I didn't realize I was asleep until my head started nodding off and jerked me back awake). Then Ashley decided she REALLY needed to go work out, after being in airports and airplanes for two days, so we went to work out which was nice even if I am exhausted.

    I'm going to go to bed now so I'll finish up whatever else I wanted to say later, probably Saturday. Good luck and thanks for the emails!

-Annie

First email from Shawn

Mom,

  We got into Jerusalem today very tired. I have slept for five hours in the last two days. I am going to bed soon. It is nice here in Jerusalem. The Center is very pretty and well cared for. It looks like there is a lot of homework and I am already doing it. I hope to stay on top of things. There are lots of girls here... We are happy and are doing fine.

-Shawn