The first view of the Old City.

Troy and Deborah.

Randy introduces the layout of Jerusalem.

Joe, Whit, Peter, and Daniel.

Sara, Clara, Tiffany, and Jared in front of Shabaan's.

The streets are often crowded.

Standing next to ancient ruins happens often at IBEX...

Joe is standing at the ancient Cardo.

Karen bought her Coke in a glass bottle.

Tiffany and Lacey listen in the Jewish Quarter.

Shelsy is dressed for the cold weather.

The first group picture.  Click here for a better view.

Danise, Caleb, Lindy, and Karen in front of Dung Gate.

Daniel overlooks the Kidron Valley.

Jenessa takes careful notes.

John T in front of St. Stephen's Gate.

Nearly 40 feet under the Old City in a likely location of Solomon's Quarry.

Karen, Shelsy, and Lindy in front of Damascus Gate, the most architecturally beautiful gate.

In their own words:

There are so many new things to experience in Jerusalem.  From the quaint outdoor market to the broad gates there was bright colors and pungent smells that are uncommon, and I imagine the combination of which isn’t found anywhere else.  I didn’t expect such a wide mix of people groups and languages.  It was a wonderful event I will always remember.  After all, who could forget the Arab shopkeepers yelling at you trying to get you to buy their wares?!?

-Noel Saunders

Amazing!  I can’t believe I am standing here looking at so much rich history!  It was much more colorful and dirty than I thought it would be, and the people looked and dressed differently than I thought.  I was amazed how close together everything seemed to be.

-Karen Rader

It was an incredible experience to be in the religious capitol of the world – I know that I still am not realizing the gravity of what I have experienced.  Our Savior saw fit to love this city and set it apart, even to sacrifice Himself there.  Since then millions or billions of people have died for this city, and here I just took a stroll through it.  I could not believe how war torn the city was, with shocking scenes of rubble-filled crags and crumbled walls.  The fractured nature of this city became a reality to me like never before.  Despite the damages, I could still see that this city was once beautiful.

-Peter Nordman