sabbath shalom

We arrived today!!! Wow, what a trip. We got to the ATL airport Wednesday at 10:30 and arrived in Tel Aviv Friday at 1:45 Jerusalem time (which is around 7am in FL). It was quite the trip... the first one to JFK felt SO long, although it was 2 hours and then the 10 hour flight was also not my favorite. I took Tylenol PM a little too early and was dozin off a LOT while I was trying to eat dinner. It was quite comical. I didn't get much sleep because the plane was very uncomfortable and hot, but it's good because it is now 9:43 and I am exhausted!
When we arrived this afternoon in Tel Aviv, I wasn't too impressed. It looked a lot like Florida, maybe more South Florida than Lakeland. It was pretty, but then when we started into Jerusalem, it was beautiful. The houses are very different, along with the rest of the architecture. They are all just built on a hill and when you drive by you can see the whole city in once glance. It's amazing. We arrived to our bed and breakfast and was told that this was the most religious neighborhood in Jerusalem. They told us to be very quiet and to try to attract the least amount of attention to ourselves because it is Sabbath. I wasn't aware that it was quite as serious as it is, but it is indeed. We walked around Jerusalem to find dinner (since everything is closed) and no one was out. Our tour guide was telling us that after tomorrow 7pm/7:15pm Jerusalem becomes alive! I am anxiously awaiting tomorrow.
I have internet connection, but it's not very good. I will try to blog and post pictures as much as possible. Tomorrow is a prayer walk around the Old City, lunch, and Church.
Until then,
Sabbath Shalom.

Jessica