Mount of Olives

Welcome to Shabbat everybody! Jerusalem has been quiet since last night (Muslim sabbath's beginning) and will continue to be still until tomorrow night. It's nice to see the streets deserted (save the Christian shopping district) and families at home, or in church, worshiping God.
Today was our first "field trip" day, which meant we left at 7am and didn't get back till 5pm. whew.
First we went to the Church of Christ's Agony, where the Lord's Prayer is displayed in hundreds of languages, to commemorate the place where Jesus taught the disciples how to pray.
Then we explored more of the Mount of Olives, like the Church of all Nations, Orchard (Garden) of Gethsemane, the olive oil press where Jesus and his disciples often met, and the Church of Saint Mary (where Mary is said to be buried).
After than we ate nutella and pita overlooking the entire city.
Highlight: saw a segway tour riding around and could not stop laughing at how dorky they looked. 
Next we traveled to Herodian Fortress, where we saw some more of Herod's handiwork in protecting Israel and his safe escape if a siege did occur. We also go to experience all 3 different types of limestone today, which may sound dumb, but it is so cool to stay in a building made of one, touch the soft chalkiness of another, and use the third to write on black boards.
Last, we traveled to Bethlehem (it's amazing how close together all these places are!) and went to the Church commemorating Jesus' birth. It was very interesting to be in this sanctuary after visiting the Church of the Holy Seplicur, it felt almost fake. What was cool was the amazing Palestinian district that Bethlehem sits in! The shop owners were so nice and flattering and truly welcoming, while most of the Christian and Jewish vendors are pushy and rude.
The best experience was at this store where I bought a gift for someone, and the Palestinian woman spoke with me for a few minutes, and then slipped a bracelet on my wrist and told me I was her daughter, since she only had sons.
It was so hard to experience the honest generosity of this displaced people, and then head back through the giant 20ft tall wall that separates them from Jewish districts like animals. I know that it is a tender and painful subject for everyone involved, but everything is so much different here than it looks on the news.
Anyways, I am just watching Princess Bride with a few other students and getting ready to head to Jericho tomorrow! Maybe I'll finally meet a camel...