Dates Grow on Trees at the BYU Jersualem Center.

View from Orson Hyde Garden

Crows were cawing, doves were cooing, and the Muslims were praying when I awoke this morning. I got out of my bed and gazed out onto the city. The city lights were glowing and I could see the Dome of the Rock in the distance. I had to pinch myself to make sure this dream was my reality. I opened the sliding door and walked out onto the cold limestone balcony to embrace the view and the new day.

The rocky hills and valleys of Jerusalem are beautiful. The air is warm, wet, and full of the scent of spices, bread, and meat. The people are friendly and eager to get business from the Mormon students. Merchants stood on the street corners and ran out of their shops, pushing business cards into our hands. As we passed each stand, many filled with scarves, pottery, and religious souviners, a few BYU t-shirts could be seen being sold as well.

We walked around the city, touring the streets and neighborhood I now call home. I feel so comfortable being here, yet I feel overwhelmed at the sites to see and places to explore. There is so much to learn.

Within the Old City behind the giant limestone walls, exists a maze of people, shops, and buildings. Cats roam the streets and climb the endless rooftops. Young soldiers dressed in green uniforms and machine guns in hand, guard the people and the places called sacred. The city feels ancient yet modern. As you walk, you overhear conversations in languages from all over the world and see people from various faiths making their pilgrimage to the Eternal City.

Life at the center is different from life in the city. The center has been described as a biosphere or bubble. We eat, sleep, study and live with our professors at the center. We are all Americans and all Mormon. The staff and the windows are our only glimpse of life on the outside. The administrators, cooks, and security are all local people from various faiths. It is a unique experience. The facility's beauty often leaves you in wonder. Jerusalem limestone and marble make up the floor, walls, and foundation. Large windows fill the rooms with sunshine and the grounds are covered with olive trees, roses, and other green foliage. The building itself is cold since it is entirely made of rock, but the students fill it with warmth. There are about eighty students this semester with a girl to guy ratio of 3 to 1, and as the title states, dates grow on trees here, except we are not permitted to date, so the only dates here are actual dates on actual palm trees.