Sunday, September 30, 2012

Sibling Shout Out


I love my siblings! I have been apart from them for wayyyy too long but it’s ok because we’ll be reunited before I even know it. I’ve been thinking about them a ton lately and hope they’re doing well back in the U.S. of A. Here’s a shout out to each of them!

Carly—22 years old and having the adventure of a lifetime in Florida with her husband Jared. I’ve always looked up to her so much. It was so hard on me when they moved to Florida but I know that it was the next step for them. She is so strong, beautiful, and confident. I’m so grateful that we have such a close relationship. She’s helped me through some of the toughest times! She has also been such a good support for me while I’ve been in Jeru. We love emailing each other! Basically I love this girl and can’t wait to see her in December when they fly home for the holidays. Fun fact: her wedding day was one of the best days of my life—and it wasn’t even my own wedding! Jared is so good to her and their marriage is such an example to me—I want to have a relationship like theirs!

Helping me move into Helaman Halls
Carly's wedding day
Aly/Alysse/my other half—17 years old and tearing it up on the volleyball courts. We have always been besties but have grown especially close during the last few years. I miss laughing so hard and being a goofball with her. We have done some crazy things together! We especially bonded over the Olympics this summer... we loved the USA swimming and gymnastics team! She is 6’3” and totally owns her height. She can pull off some serious heels! Too bad that every guy her age is intimidated by her height and beauty…I keep reminding her that college is SOOOO much better. She’ll start applying for colleges soon and I really hope she’ll go to BYU so we can be roommates after her freshman year! BYU volleyball recruiters have been keeping their eye on her so we’ll see what happens.

Awko-taco
gangtas and sistas for life!
Lauren-- 14 years old, in 9th grade, and is basically a super model! We are super close and I have been thinking about her a ton while I’ve been in Jerusalem. I remember being her age—those can be some rough times. I know that she is so strong and confident though and she’ll be just fine! She is a champ at soccer, gymnastics, dancing around, and being beautiful! I love her so much because she is always laughing or smiling. I am so lucky because I got to be her Girls Camp counselor this summer at Brighton Camp! I can’t wait to have some more late night chats with this girl when I get back!

Cowgirl sisters :)
Oh Le Lannee..
Jace—9 years old. What a stud! We love having this little man in the house. I miss watching him do tricks on the tramp and being a crazy boy with all his cute friends (he’s about a head taller than all of them!). He is super sporty and loves playing outside. Jace and I love wrestling and messing around with each other. I can totally see him playing volleyball for BYU in about 10 years! He’s an all-star but he also has such a loving heart. I’ve gotta say that one of the best surprises I’ve received as of recently was opening up Photobooth on my MacBook and seeing that he had sneakily taken three pictures that signed out “I love you.” It made my day! I love my lil bro :) 

What a stud!
One of my all-time favorites!
Here's some fun pictures of the Stephenson kids throughout the years:

Some things never change...
The happy children at Disneyland Paris
Easter 2004
St. George 2006
Hawaii 2008
St. George 2010
St. George 2012
I’m so glad that I get to be with these best friends in a few months but that I also get to be with them for ETERNITY!! <3

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Hezekiah's Tunnel

This place is SWEEEEET. It's located in the City of David and we got a little lost on our way, but thanks to Andrew and his ability to speak Arabic we were able to find it! There's a lot of stuff to look at in the City of David but we didn't have a ton of time to do other things. Hezekiah's Tunnel is for sure one of my favorite fun places in Jerusalem now. It's basically a quarter mile of underground tunnels with water up to your mid-calf (but it gets up to your mid-thigh at one point!). These tunnels were built to bring the waters of the Gihon spring inside the walls of Jerusalem in case the Assyrian army attacked Jerusalem. It's crazy that it was built in 701 BC! "Why are you so old?" ("Despicable Me" anyone?) It gets super skinny and small at some parts and for one who is slightly claustrophobic that was a bit scary...but I made it through and absolutely loved it! For part of it we turned off all the headlamps and waded through the water in the pitch black. That was super fun, besides hitting my head on the rocky ceiling a few times. The guys in front of us were doing Gollum impersonations...creepy. Next time we go we want to try doing the whole thing with our headlamps off. Can't wait!

Me and Andrew. I'm rocking the fanny pack of course. Check out the water line on my thighs!

I Can Only Imagine


Today we went to the Garden of Gethsemane. How I love that place! Today I had such a powerful experience. I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to go to the sites (or pretty close to it) where these glorious events happened. Today as I was sitting in the Church of All Nations looking at the Rock of Agony and the mural of Christ suffering in the garden, I listened to the song “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe. I love this song—look it up on youtube!

“I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by your side.
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When your face is before me.
Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine.

I can only imagine when that day comes
And I find myself standing in the sun.
I can only imagine when all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you.
Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine.”

While listening to this song I imagined what I will do when I enter the presence of the Lord. I’m pretty sure that I will fall onto my knees and not be able to utter a word. What do you say to the One who died for you? Who endured so many afflictions for you? Who you sometimes forget? Whose sacrifice you don’t fully comprehend? Who loves you far more than his own life? Who was always there for you even in the darkest times? Whose life was lived perfectly so He could redeem you? Words will not be enough. 

Monday, September 24, 2012

TURKEY--Saturday 9/22


Nicea (now underwater) is where the First Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church was held as a result of many disputations concerning the nature of the Godhead. Here it was determined (as stated in the Nicean Creed) that Christ and the Father are of “one substance,” basically meaning the same being. From this stems the idea that Mormons are not Christians—we don’t accept that doctrine. I learned that the Nicean Creed was not the cause of apostasy but rather the result of it. It’s so interesting for me to learn about this stuff because it doesn’t shake my testimony at all—to me it’s just fun to learn the history and accept it for how it happened, but I know that God and His Son are two separate, distinct beings. We can’t understand our own nature without understanding the nature of God, and I know that they have bodies of flesh and bone and that we were created in their image.

We had another ferry ride to the Asian side of Istanbul and I got to brush up on my sign language skills (or lack thereof) with my friend Rachel Pullan. I’ve decided that I want to take a sign language class at BYU during winter semester so I can be fluent!


Hagia Sophia—the moment I’d been waiting for all week! I remember learning about it in AP European History in high school and I can’t believe that I actually got to go inside it. This thing is MASSIVE. It was first a church, then a mosque, and now it’s a museum. The pictures hardly capture the grandeur of it. The highlight of being in there though was sharing my headset with Quin Stevenson—we were all listening to our tour guide Ugur but when the other class came in he quickly took our the ear bud and ran over the listen to their tour guide. He referred to her as his “Turkish delight.” It made me laugh so hard! I’m sad to say that I never tried Turkish delight while I was in Turkey…I did try it when I got back to Israel and decided that I didn’t miss out on too much.





We had a red-eye flight out of Istanbul and it was rough, especially for someone like me who gets sick on planes and cranky when she’s tired. But eventually we made it back to our home on Mt. Scopus! It felt so good to sleep in my own bed (that’s actually not my own bed but feels like it by now…). Turkey is amazing! I never thought in my lifetime that I’d go there but I’m so grateful that I had the chance to go! I learned so much about the New Testament. A few things that I’ll never forget are:
-the squatter toilets (I actually didn’t mind them that much…)
-our tour guide Ugur (who said we were his favorite group ever!)
-long bus rides
-heart to hearts with fellow classmates
-taking pictures at the ancient sites
-Brother Schade’s awesome devotionals and one-liners
-trying new food
-people on my bus getting the “Turkey Trots”
-being pampered at Ephesus Princess
-watching the sunset on the Aegean Sea
-learning more about Muslims and respecting their unique practices
-never getting enough sleep
-our last dinner: a whole fish. I actually ate it!

-dance parties to Turkish music on the bus as it was cruising along
-singing along to the Hercules soundtrack after visiting Assos
-Gallipoli Battlefield Memorial
-finding a dead lizard in my room upon return to the JC at 4 am....rest his soul


and so many other things! One last thing that was a recurring theme this week: “The wonders of the world eventually fall, but His word will not. It passes the test of time.” I love Turkey and it’s people and I’m so grateful for the chance I had to live there for a week and learn so many amazing lessons.

TURKEY--Friday 9/21


We went to Sardis, the Temple of Artemis, Thyatira, the Bursa Bazaar, and the Grand Mosque. I bought lots of fun souvenirs for the family (which will also be Christmas presents—killing two birds with one stone!) and absolutely loving going to the Mosque.  This one isn’t a tourist mosque so when we went in there were people actually praying and worshipping. I loved watching them and respect them all so much for their devotion and humility.

Brother Schade's class at the Sardis gymnasium
Me and Hailey
Yummy deep-fried things
When we got to our hotel we had a delicious dinner followed by FREE TIME! I went out with some friends to explore the Bursa neighborhoods and we ended up talking to three Turkish teenagers. They had a translator app on their phone so we could have a little conversation! Very limited of course but fun nonetheless. They wanted a picture and our emails but we just got the picture ha—as much as I’d love being a pen pal with three Turkish 15-year-olds, I think I’ll pass. 
Turkish grocery story with Nicole, Kayla, and Annie

TURKEY--Thursday 9/20


EPHESUS! We spent 3 long, hot hours here but it was so worth it. It was so crowded—they say that 4,000 tourists come there everyday! The famous library is beautiful. We sat in the huge theater where the people yelled “Great is Diana of the Ephesians” for two hours because they were mad at Paul—his message of worshipping one God went against their pagan practices (they worshipped Diana who was the goddess of the hunt). But we know that “God has so much more to offer than stones and statues.”




We also went to Miletus. There’s not much left of it besides the theater. It’s interesting that there is an Imperial Box for the royal family as well as a section for the Jews. Here Brother Schade taught us that the Savior is the Good Shepherd who will lead us back to the flock. I love the quote “So few of the flock would every go astray if they only had a shepherd to lead them.” We will stay on the right path if we accept Christ as our Savior!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

TURKEY--Wednesday 9/19


It’s crazy that each day kept getting better and better! This was one of my favorite days for sure. In the morning we went to Assos and I loved it. It’s located at the very top of a steep hill that overlooks the Aegean Sea. This was our first site that is significant in the New Testament: Acts 20 talks about Paul walking 30 miles from Troas to Assos while his missionary companions sailed around. Brother Schade talked about the importance of this choice that Paul made—he was able to teach people along the way and he had some time to ponder and receive revelation about his life and his future. Acts 20:23-27 tell us that the Holy Ghost warned him that bonds and afflictions were awaiting him but none of them will move him because he has accepted Christ as his Savior, and Redeemer. Paul is such a good example of never wavering when trials come your way. He faced a lot of opposition but he endured it well. We can expect that we will face afflictions but “we [should] never complain because it’s through our tribulations that we come to know God.”




Sometimes you run into your stake president and his wife while you’re in Turkey. :) It was so crazy to see the Ostlers half-way across the world in some random restaurant in Asia Minor!


Pergamum Acropolis—this place was so fun for taking pictures because of the old, huge columns and ruins. It was not a righteous place in its day though—the majority of the people who lived here practiced emperor worship and paganism. We know that there were a few righteous members though because of Revelations 2:13 (specifically a man named Antipas who was a martyr). There’s not much left of the Altar of Zeus because it was excavated and moved to the Berlin Museum but the Temple of Athena was super fun to take pictures in.

Calahan and me 
Erin, Katie, and me

Oh the things we do on long bus rides...

A unique method of sleeping on a bus! I might have to try it sometime.
Mackenzie reading my palm and telling fortunes :)
Our hotel was SWEEEEEET. “Ephesus Princess” totally spoiled us. It was another beach resort with a few pools, unlimited drinks, a pier, a delicious buffet, karaoke, and so many other fun things (not to mention Turkish baths haha). We were strictly forbidden from taking Turkish baths (especially the girls) and it made me laugh when a man who first told us that he’s never had an American girlfriend offered us a Turkish bath later. Mom don’t worry—I felt safe here, the men are just super friendly…sometimes overly friendly. Haha but I'm still in love with Turkey!

TURKEY--Tuesday 9/18


Does life get any better than this? I submit to you that it does not. Turkey is the bomb! We had a very early start but it was worth it because of the amazing sites that we visited.

Gallipoli Battlefield Memorial was one of my favorite sites of the whole trip. It is like USA’s Pearl Harbor for the Australians and New Zealanders. This was a site of one of the most famous battles of World War I and it’s a very solemn yet peaceful place. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) were on the British side (the Allies) and tried a land and sea invasion of Turkey but the Turkish forces were on higher ground and killed thousands of ANZACs with their machine guns. The battle here lasted for many months and resulted in about 250,000 a million deaths on each side. We took lots of pictures here but were very respectful to those who died on this spot. At the graveyard and memorial spot Brother Schade talked to us and the words that he said touched me deeply. I am so grateful for those who have fought, fight, and will fight for freedom. I’ll never forget the feelings and impressions I had while sitting there, looking over the ocean and listening to Brother Schade’s words.



Cute Will stole my camera 
I loved this inscription from Ataturk (the Turkish President during WWI) to the Americans who lost loved ones in this battle: “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well. 



"Their name liveth for evermore"
Me and Calahan
Troy was awesome! We took lots of pictures and had an encounter with a very large stray dog. That’s one thing that I’ve noticed about Turkey—there are so many strays dogs and cats! As an animal lover myself, it’s very sad. We can’t pet or touch them because they might have fleas :( It makes me miss my dog Theo!



Brother Schade's class
Me and Abi
The awesome BYUJC staff
 Ida Kale Beach Resort was so fun! It was quite a step up from our last hotel. We were right on the beach of the Aegean Sea and it’s so beautiful! We swam in the sea and I found a huge sea snail! There was a dance party on the beach but I was so tired that I skipped it and went to bed. I can never seem to get enough sleep, even with the 4 hour-long bus rides!

Walking on water in the Aegean Sea
Our cute sea snail friend
Pool party!