Jerusalem for the night

The invitations said, "Come to Jerusalem" with a sheep from teacher section of dollar store. Activities included make a Roman soldier helmet from aluminum foil. Spit Pit (look up all the times spit is mentioned in the New Testament!). Scoop from the well with ladles into a bowl and balance pool noodles (pretending they were water)in a bowl ON YOUR HEAD and race to a traffic cone and back first before the other team. Make an oil lamp from oven-bake clay. Race sheep vs. camel vs. goat vs donkey. Sheep kept winning. (Cut out animals from cereal boxes, punch hole in top, string on 15 foot strings and tie end to chair-or volley ball net holder- and shake string up and down to get it to move along string to finish line. My mom made this party game when we were young, using turtles vs rabbits.) Everyone brought a pillow for the feast: warm salep (almost like eggnog), homemade Naan, 5 types of hummus to sample, olives, a Middle Eastern coconut cookie, and John the Baptist trail mix (with a mini Butterfinger instead of chocolate covered locusts). Eaten lounging around tables flat on gym floor and battery candles to light the meal, Hebrew music playing in background.

Scriptures read at each station relating to the activity.

Our Class September 2012

There is always room for one more! 

9 guys, only 4 girls right now.

3 graduating this year.

5 freshman.

Great class!

New School Year NEW TESTAMENT

I split the class in half, sent half upstairs to kitchen.  Both teams had an un-opened box, the 3x5 card, and a plastic knife.  I said they had 3 minutes, and no, I wasn't going to answer any questions. 

TWINKIE TOWER RULES
• Use the Twinkies® and the silverware to create a structure that is at least 3" tall.

• The 3x5 card is to be used only as a measuring device.

• Any Twinkies not used in the structure itself can be placed on the structure.

• At the end of 3 minutes, any Twinkies® supported by the structure and still in their wrapper may be eaten.

• Any Twinkies® that are not supported on the structure or that were used in the building of the structure may not be eaten.

I should have taken pictures.  Both structures were very different looking.  After the first 3 minutes I let them ask questions, helped them understand how to measure with the card edge, and gave them 3 more minutes.

Then asked, "How does this relate to seminary?" 

Reading the directions helps, but being able to ASK clarifying questions helps more.  (Pray for answers and help understanding the scriptures.)
Do-overs are a great blessing. (Repentance!)
Team-work gets results. (edified together, including everyone is important)
Seminary is fun!  (yeah!)

Congratulations to our graduating seniors!  All of you sounded amazing singing, "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" for the program.  Thank you!  See you when school starts again!

A Wedding: A Bride & a Cheater

How to make Hosea real for teenagers? Talk about a couple in love. Faithful. Making promises to each other, taking it to the next level of serious committment, legally wedded as husband and wife. Then cheating. Then who broke up with whom? Will he take her back? Is she worth the pain she caused him? How can he say he will never divorce her? How can he love that much? I didn't go into details, but told my students about sitting with Maxwell in the hospital last night and him wondering what the purpose of life is? And me testifying he is a son of God...and telling the students to never forget no matter how much they mess up, no matter how much trouble they are in, or how badly they've hurt & disappointed their families, or how much they break the law, they can come back, they can repent. Christ redeems us as we return to Him. He won't hold a grudge as a jilted lover. He will forgive & forget and welcome our return.

Scrabble + Rummicube

I have enough scrabble games for the whole class to team up by twos. Goal: create Scripture Mastery references!

Isaiah was a Poet-Prophet

Brock eloquently read Isaiah 25.

Suzanna played Hymn #3 for us and I told the class this was like a Mad-Lib with no words, just 12/11/12... syllables to fill in.

As Sung to Hymn #3

Though the goal may be Zion, and glory and heaven.
Through life we'll have trials, suffering and pain.
The Lord will never give a trial we can't bear
So long as we follow His message with care.

Though the path may have danger, and will test us all
Through life we'll have scriptures, and prophets to lead.
Though the path may have danger, and will test us all
Through life we'll have scriptures, and prophets to lead.


We talked about using our talents to serve the Lord.

Credit to Orson Scott Card's hymn writing workshop notes.