Palm Sunday March

This is a day late, but I have to tell you about the Palm Sunday March I participated in.
This is the first time that Passover week has coincided perfectly with the JC Passover week activities, which is amazing. My semester seems to be full of firsts (ie - first semester to be in Egypt during riots/see Bent and Red Pyramids...there are more firsts, I just can't think of them right now).
So, the Jerusalem Center is on the Mount of Olives, so we just walked up and over to Bethphage where the march starts. We left around 1:45pm and got there fairly early. There were lots of Arab boys selling water and palm fronds, which just helped add to the mood. We waited around for about an hour and boy was it hot. Sunday was probably the first really hot day we've had here, which is pretty good I think.
My first view of the march was some priests dressed in white followed by boy scouts. There were security guards who were keeping the public back until they had passed, and then everyone rushed in. My favorite part was the music! I hung out by a band that was just walking along and singing their hearts out. We learned the song pretty fast because the main word was HOSANNA! It was also great to see the assortment of people: old and young, all different races and religions. The coolest part was knowing that everyone who was marching was marching to commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ! What a powerful thought and feeling!

1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

2 Saying unto them, Go into the village aover against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

One of my favorite moments was seeing the gate in the distance and then walking through imagining what it must have been like when Jesus Christ walked through declaring His divinity. I am so blessed to be here and be able to experience what I have.



This was such a great way to start off this week. The past couple of days (Monday and Tuesday) we have been going to the various sites that the Savior visited during the last week of His life. I am so grateful for my Savior and for what He did for me. I can't wait to come back and share what I have learned with all of you!