BYU-Idaho Article

I had some time at the Center today, so I decided to write a small article for the newspaper at BYU-Idaho, I have no idea if it will make it in, but here it is, I hope you enjoy it.

Every day I open my eyes and the Holy City is there to greet them. The Dome of the Rock, the Mt. of Olives, and the Garden Tomb, unchanged from one year to the next, teach me lessons that can't be forgotten.
Each semester dozens of students from all walks of life leave the Idaho, Provo, and Hawaii campuses to study abroad in Jerusalem. There is no place quite like Jerusalem, it is an ancient city, a holy city. From my first moments here I realized this. I also came to understand that we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not the only ones in the world who feel strongly about what we believe. This became apparent to me my first morning here, when I was awakened at dawn by the call to prayer of the Muslims. It was shortly after this first experience that we ventured into the city, where we visited some of he most holy sites in this land; the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Western Wall, and the Dome of the Rock.
Although these sites are important and sacred to many people, I have found that it's the people that matter. I was able to feel the dedication of Christians worldwide when I participated in the Triumphal Entry and services on Easter Sunday, these are people with strong faith in Christ, they know the He is their Savior. I came to better understand the Jews one Friday night when I was able to welcome in the Sabbath with them at the Western Wall; it was there that I say their joy in being able to worship freely. I am touched when I think of the many Muslim bus drivers I've seen who pull out their prayer mats and pray each time we stop for a few moments, their dedication and faith had strengthened my own.
These lessons are not the only ones I have learned, the students I am with never cease to buoy me up and show me the way. One can imagine that after three and a half months of living in close proximity with 82 students that things could get silly, and they sometimes do. However, I cannot count the times I have rounded a corner here at our beloved center and seen one or two students reading the scriptures, praying, or writing in a journal, their insights and the examples amaze me. President Hinckley often told us that we, this generation, were good kids, my testimony of that has been strengthened because of the examples of my fellow students.
I can say that I have traveled the world after this expedience, I've seen from Egypt to the Galilee, and from Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. But, I have learned on very important lesson; it doesn't matter where you are in this world, whether it be Rexburg or Jerusalem, if we look around us, we will find the good, our faith will grow. I am grateful for this experience, I am glad that I came, I am blessed to have rubbed shoulders with the wonderful people of this world who love God and love their fellow men, these are lessons I will never forget.