It's Christmas! Let's Be Glad!

Holiday season is here in Jordan! It's weird to be almost two weeks away from Christmas and there are still no decorations in stores and on houses. But it is also refreshing. For the first time I'm not bombarded with stores telling me everything that is missing from my life. The space allows more room for remembering the true meaning of Christmas. Over the past few weeks we have been preparing the school for Christmas by decorating classrooms and putting up Christmas trees. A few days ago I spent the evening decorating our family's tree with my host brother. Although it was different then decorating at home, it was a great time and I'm glad I could share that experience with him. Here's the final product:

Christmas also often includes baking. The school is holding a Christmas bazaar tomorrow and my boss asked us to bake cookies to sell. 7 kilos of cookies to be exact. Over two days, and about 16 hours, Samira and I baked. A lot. The result? Approximately 715 cookies. Now that's a ton of baking.

Happy [late] Thanksgiving!

I know this is late, but I just wanted to let all of you know I had an amazing Thanksgiving. I predicted it was going to be one of my hardest days in Jordan because I LOVE spending Thanksgivings with my family in Bethany Beach. However, thanks to a wonderful dinner with family friends in Amman and a surprise package from my Aunt Ruth AND an amazing Skype date with literally my entire extended family...the day turned out pretty great.

Yummy Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks to the amazing package from Aunt Ruthie, we were even able to enjoy some LPRs!

My amazing hosts, Ann and Rusty Ingraham! They are friends of my Grandma's from Bethany...and wonderful people! [This picture is taken next to the beautiful rose bushes...quite a difference from November Michigan weather.]

The next morning we had a great breakfast in their little backyard. On the menu: leftover pumpkin pie. So yummy!

the traveling pillow. lessons learned.

I have a pillow that I sometimes refer to as my traveling pillow. About six years ago, my mom traveled with our church to Japan for a two-week trip to meet with & support missionaries there. She brought with her a small pillow for the long plane ride. It's one of those squishy pillows…you might know the kind. She covered it in this cute little pillowcase with Japanese painted umbrellas all over it. Since that trip I have adopted the pillow. Over the years it has traveled with me. Across the Pacific, from Chicago to Japan to Bangkok. Chiang Mai to Phnom Penh. Across the Atlantic to Ireland. Across the United States in a car with three friends after we finished our time at Wheaton. Then across the Pacific again to Hawaii. It has spent summers at Honey Rock and nights camping under the stars in the Ozarks.

Road trip after road trip the pillow has accompanied me. As I said goodbye to Ben in Chicago, traveled to D.C., to SALT orientation in Pennsylvania, and now once again over the Atlantic to the Middle East that pillow has been by my side. [Ok…I know this is super corny, but bear with me, there is a point to it all.]

Just last week the pillowcase ripped. Many years of me dragging it around finally showed through its seams. As I was attempting to sew the rip [thanks Mom for the little travel sewing kit!] the Holy Spirit brought to mind the verse in Matthew 19:24, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” In this passage a man comes to Jesus asking what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus tells him he must keep the commandments: do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, be honest in all you do, honor your parents, and love your neighbor. The man tells Jesus he has in fact done all of these things, and he is persistent on knowing what more he can do to secure his salvation. Jesus then rocks his world. He tells the man he must sell everything he owns. Everything. For this man the news was shattering, because he was a wealthy man. He probably had a nice house, owned a ton of sheep and goats. His comfortable life and the security he found in his stuff was something he was not willing to part with.

One of the things I love about Christ is the way he chose to talk with people. Jesus was God; he understood [and understands] everything in full. He could have talked “high and mighty”. But instead he chose to teach his followers and on-lookers in ways that they could understand. After the rich man went away sorrowful, Jesus turned to the disciples and used everyday things, camels & needles, to describe just how hard it is for someone who values the comforts of this world to live yearning for the next. He explains that if you’re always surrounding yourself with possessions to help you feel safe, comfortable and taken care of, it’s hard to come to the Lord to supply your needs. I love that within this passage, as the disciples are grappling with the idea of a camel trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle…something impossible to do…Jesus says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Just as the disciples are stuck in Christ’s allegory he announces truth! You’re right. It is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, but I can make it possible! Trust me. Follow me. Commit your lives to me, even if it means giving up this world and all it holds. And I will sustain you. I will show you how to give your things away and find even more fulfillment in life.

Before I left on this adventure I met with my pastor, Bruce Wilson, to pray. As we were meeting he gave me three points of advice. One piece of his advice was this: remember to stay reading God’s word. Not only will it sustain you, but as you are living in the land where events in Scripture took place, God’s word will begin to come alive to you in new ways.

The thoughts running through my mind as I sat in my host mother’s kitchen stitching up the pillowcase were thoughts so closely tied to my daily life. Needles and camels. It is in everyday landscapes, animals, and items that I’m starting to understand Jesus’ teachings in new ways. I’m starting to not only imagine the settings of different Bible stories, but I’m actually able to see what it might have been like to be the woman at the well or to have been in the garden of Gethsemane the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested. *

It does sound impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But it also sounded impossible for a woman to become pregnant without having sex. And it sounded impossible/not probable that God would humble himself and become man. And it sounded impossible that the Son of God and Son of Man would endure this world, and die on a tree to create a new order. To tear the curtain. To change the world through love, through grace, through redemption.

All things are possible with God.

Blessings to you, dear readers, as you continue waiting in anticipation for the celebration of God dwelling with us!

* Three weeks ago I went to Israel/Palestine for the week to visit friends and sites around Jerusalem. I will write a post about my time there hopefully soon…there is much to tell.

election day!

Tuesday was election day here in Jordan. A little overview of Jordan's goverment: Jordan is a constitutional monarchy. The king and his cabinet ministers hold the executive authority, and the king signs and executes all laws, however, his veto power may be overridden by a two- thirds vote of both houses of the National Assembly. This National Legislature is split into two: the Chamber of Deputies [110 elected members] & the Senate [40 appointed members]. The cabinet is led by a Prime Minister who is appointed by the king. The 40 members of the Senate are appointed by the monarch for 4-year terms. The country's political power structure is divided along lines of tribal affiliation as opposed to party politics.

This year, there were around 800 people running for parliment seats! It seemed like every family in Jordan had a family member [or 2!] running. My host family had two uncles running, so we spent two days in Karak, a city about three hours south of Irbid. It was wonderful to see another part of the country and to partake in the exciting election day festivities. The day, as in all election days, made me think of my dad. He loves election day. He is always up earlier that usual [which is hard to believe based on how early he usually wakes up] and he's always the first one at the polls.

My host family also likes election day. Especially my host brother. Our morning begain a little later and slower then election day does for Dad. And instead of being the first at the polls, we spent the morning eating, watching election news on the TV, and having family come visit. My family here was torn over who to vote for because they were related to a couple different canidates. Throughout the two days of visiting family members and different election rallies, we constantly had to make sure we took off whatever badge or hat, or remove any sign from the car, that was given to us by a certain canidate. It all felt rather sneaky...but I guess that's what you do when you don't want to offend family.

All day the streets were croweded, and although the worst we saw were boys fighting on the streets, electon day was not so peaceful other places in Jordan. Click here to read a report a friend of mind pointed readers to in her blog.

When the polls closed around 7pm only 53% of the population voted. This number seems low to me, especially because the day was a national holiday here in Jordan, meaning most people had time off work. But after doing a [very] quick Internet search, I guess that's pretty average.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Samira and I with one of the canidates...he is the uncle of my host-sister's husband. Did you follow that?

My host-brother, Eyad, after voting. He was so excited!

Does anyone else think this canidate looks like Bush?

Posters for canidates were EVERYWHERE. This car was almost completely coved.

The Karak castle was closed becuase it was a holiday, so I attempted to break in....

Oktoberfest

There are moments in my life when I wish I had a camera with me. Last weekend was one of those times. However, I intentionally left it at home. Samira and I, along with some of her German volunteer friends, went to the Oktoberfest celebration at the Australian Embassy, co-hosted by the Australian and German Embassies. Pictures were not allowed in the Embassy…so I left the camera at home. I regretted it right away.

*Side note: You may be asking, “Why was it co-hosted by the Australian and German Embassy? Is there a special relationship between the two countries?” I, too, was confused by that…and after asking some of my German friends they said there’s no special relationship…it is just a little tradition for the two Embassies to join together to celebrate the famous German festival.

We arrive at the Oktoberfest party and I was immediately stuck by two things: the amount of Westerners around and the amount of skin showing. Both of these things should not, under normal circumstances, be surprising... I am at a party hosted by a Western Embassy with a guest list made up of almost exclusively Germans or Australians. However, I came from living in Irbid where Samira is the only non-Jordanian I see, let alone have interaction with…and as mentioned in pervious posts, outside of wedding celebrations, I never see women wearing little party dresses.

The evening was a wonderful mix of getting to know Samira’s German volunteer friends better [they are volunteering with a school in Amman] and reconnecting with old friends. I guess the term “old friends” is relative here. I was able to send the invite to Holly and Ryan, the MCC couple trying to study in Iran whom I got to know and travel with while living in Amman. It was so rejuvenating to spend time with them, visiting and having some good laughs on the dance floor. They are such a great couple and even though I have only known them for about two months, it felt like meeting up with old friends. So great! So encouraging!

I also ran into the amazing Australian couple, Jeff and Peta, who were in my Arabic language classes in Amman. As soon as I arrived at the Embassy I thought “Oh wait! I bet Jeff & Peta are going to be here!” [They are working in Amman for two years with a program similar to the Peace Corps…but with the Australian government]. I took out my cell phone to call them and realized that their number was on a piece of paper back in Irbid. I hadn’t put it into my phone. Disappointed, I put my cell phone away and just hoped I’d run into them. Later in the evening, I was standing in a LONG line for some German food and beer [yummy!] when I looked to my left…and Jeff was standing there! It was such a great surprise. I went back to his table with him and spent some great time catching up with both him and Peta. It was wonderful. That’s all I can say. Wonderful.

The rest of the evening was filled with dancing. Lots of dancing. And although Holly and I tried to convince the D.J. to play anything other then techno, our efforts were met in vain. It was great to feel free, able to dance about not caring if people were watching…because everyone else was dancing too!

The evening was topped off with the most entertaining, way overpriced, taxi ride home. Our driver was dancing along to the music with Luke, a German volunteer, and the four of us girls squished in the backseat laughing at their crazy moves.

“Your Love is Strong” by Jon Foreman has pretty much played on repeat, both on my computer and in my head, for the past month.

Heavenly Father

You always amaze me

Let your kingdom come

In my world and in my life

You give me the food I need

To live through the day

And forgive me as I forgive

The people that wronged me

Lead me far from temptation

Deliver me from the evil one

I look out the window

The birds are composing

Not a note is out of tune

Or out of place

I walk to the meadow

And stare at the flowers

Better dressed than any girl

On her wedding day

So why do I worry?

Why do I freak out?

God knows what I need

You know what I need

Chorus (3x):

Your love is

Your love is

Your love is strong

The kingdom of the heavens

Is now advancing

Invade my heart

Invade this broken town

The kingdom of the heavens

Is buried treasure

Will you sell yourself

To buy the one you've found?

Two things you told me

That you are strong

And you love me

Yes, you love me

(Chorus 3x)

Our God in heaven

Hallowed be

Thy name above all names

Your kingdom come

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven

Give us today our daily bread

Forgive us weary sinners

Keep us far from our vices

And deliver us from these prisons

I like this quote by Wendell Berry:

"And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our feet, and learn to be at home."

mannequins

Irbid is a very conservative city. While walking to and from school, I NEVER see women wearing clothes that show any part of their arms or legs. At school, some of the Christian teachers wear short- sleeved shirts but they usually have something to put over their arms [i.e. a cardigan] when they leave the school grounds. One day we were at the mall and came across these mannequins. I just love the contrast between the three mannequins above.

learning how life works in Irbid

I have now been in Irbid for about three weeks and I’m learning something that I’ve always known, and something that I’ve even experienced at different points in my life: communicating cross-cultures, cross-languages is very, very difficult. Culture is defined by anthropologists in a number of ways. It is the attitude and behavior characteristics of a particular nation, people, or other social group. Culture includes obvious, surface characteristics such as the way people dress, to beneath the surface values like the importance of family and the definition of success. Since moving to Irbid, I’ve quickly discovered how deeply ingrained American culture is in my thinking and, when I become uncomfortable, how quick I am to compare the way I would do something or how I view a situation to the way of life and thinking here in Irbid. I am slowly starting to feel settled living here.

The first week here was very, very difficult. The combination of feeling homesick and moving into a community where I have limited interaction with non-Jordanians caused me to spend many moments in the bathroom crying, questioning everything about this experience. But after an EXTREMELY life-giving retreat outside Amman with MCC [each Fall MCC has an regional retreat for IIJP…Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine], I was able to return to Irbid with a bit of a reality check and a ton of encouragement.

Over the past two and a half weeks, I have become more settled in my host family and with my German roommate, Samira, who is also here for a year volunteering through a German organization similar to MCC. We share a wonderful flat, which is actually the first floor of a house. Upstairs is where our host family lives: Fowze and Elham [our host mom & dad] are a wonderful older couple who have gone out of their way to make us feel comfortable here. They have four older children, three of whom are married and who have children themselves. Although they all no longer live at home, three of them spend at least a few days out of each week living here, [partly because their spouses work away from the home, so they come for the company throughout the week, and partly to help their parents around the house]. My host father, Fowze, has Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, which makes it difficult for my host mother, Elham, to spend much time away from the home. Their youngest son, Eyad is 25 and is currently between jobs…so he is spending the time living at home and helping his mom care for the home and for Fowze.

Here's my room...MCC posters and photos on the wall.

As women, Samira and I are not really allowed to be out of the home in the evenings. It would not be culturally acceptable, and would draw a TON of attention, if we went to the mall or to University Street [a popular street for young people to hang out] by ourselves. It has been great having Eyad living at home because we can go run errands or explore Irbid with him. It’s also great to be friends with a Jordanian similar to my age to talk about life and ask him questions about life in Jordan.

Samira and I are learning to live together, much like learning to live with a college roommate. We have each enjoyed having someone else to navigate the city with and to have moral support when Elham continues to feed us too much food. J She is very sweet, and I’m enjoying learning a bit about Germany along with Jordan.

Samira and I

There are still some mornings I wake up and the first thought is “I can’t believe I won’t be home for another 9 ½ months!” But I don’t even let myself get out of bed those mornings without praying, asking Jesus to give me JOY throughout the day and to make my heart content being here. He is always faithful.

A daily ritual is learning to trust these words:

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. […] But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” [Psalm 73: 23-28]

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.” [Psalm 139:1-4]

Olives

I don't like olives. I've tried to eat them over the years but each time my taste buds scream at me to spit out whatever awful thing I have just placed on my tongue. As I was preparing to come to Jordan, many people asked about the type of food I'd be eating. And often they would ask if I like olives. I said no...but I'm sure they will grow on me throughout the year.

After living in Jordan for almost two months, I still don't like the taste of olives. So, what is a person who hates olives, but lives in a country that includes olives in almost every meal and who literally has olive trees growing around her house supposed? The method I've figured out is this:

1. Never buy olives.

2. When offered olives, decline the offer. Or at least try to decline. On offer #4 I have to give in.

3. Take ONE olive, place it into my mouth, possibly rolled up in some bread or perhaps dipped in some hummus.

4. Begin to chew very quickly and swallow.

5. Try not to make any grossed out faces to avoid offending the host.

Fun fact of the day: the only difference between green olives and black olives is ripeness. Unripe olives are green, whereas fully ripe olives are black.

Want to learn more about olives? Check it out!

"Words and pictures can work together to communicate more powerfully than either alone."

Click on this link to see some pictures from the past few weeks:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050436&id=187700396&l=247e421f38

*Quote from William Albert Allard

Mail!

A few of you have asked for my address here in Jordan. Should you choose to send letters or cookies or LPRs [uhumm...Bethany gang :)] I would greatly appreciate any love you're able to send. But no pressure. I'm also not sure how long it takes mail to travel across the ocean, or if it will even arrive, so don't send anything valuable.

This is the address for the MCC office in Amman. If you want to send anything other then letters, please send to this address. I should also note that packages are best sent in the bubble- type envelopes, rather then boxes. I'm going to be in Amman every one-two months, so I can pick up mail when I travel that way:

Mennonite Central Committee

PO Box 911503

Amman 11191

Jordan

If you'd like to only send letters, here's the address for the school where I'm working:

Arab Episcopal School

PO Box 765

Irbid 211 10 Jordan

Any and all mail will be met with unfathomable joy & appreciation!

out and about: Dead Sea, Jerash & Ajloun

A few weeks ago, before moving from Amman to Irbid and after finishing our official language study, the SALT girls and I braved the roads and Arabic road signs to spend a day at the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth. It was quite an adventure! Joanna did a wonderful job driving and dealing with both the backseat drivers and the drivers who totally disregarded the idea of lanes on the road. However, compared to driving conditions I experienced over three years ago in Cambodia, diving in Jordan is a breeze.

In our rental car, named Tanny Brent.

“Swimming” in the Dead Sea was such a neat experience! Having spent literally years of my life swimming in various bodies of water, my body was not expecting and my mind was unprepared for how the Dead Sea would feel: you can literally float...it is impossible to submerge yourself in the water. Even though I had heard and read stories about how completely buoyant you are, the experience itself was still somewhat shocking and I laughed out loud at the strangeness of it all.

Floating in the Dead Sea.

On the beach we found vases of mud from the Dead Sea. There are countless products created from Dead Sea salts and mud promising anti-aging effects, so we decided to try it out and proceded to entirely cover ourselves in mud. This picture is compliments of a very hilarious older British man. [Side note: since we went on a Thursday (side side note: Weekends here are officially Fridays and Saturdays) and school had just started for schools here in Jordan, the hotel and the Dead Sea were fairly empty. The majority of the guests were older, mostly British, tourists…which created some wonderful little conversations.]

MUD!

We had read in multiple tourist books, and had heard from more experienced individuals, that it is worth paying a little more to spend the day at a local hotel, where not only is there direct Dead Sea access, but there are pools to use and showers are available. This was a great decision! We enjoyed floating in the Dead Sea, but I would not say it was a refreshing experience. It was wonderful to be able to cool of in the multiple pools offered to guest at the Holiday Inn. We spent the day reading, talking, and I was even able to do some laps [I had brought along my goggles hoping this would be a possibility].

I'm so excited for the Dead Sea!

so refreshing!

Games with FunMan. Best part of the day.

************************************

The next day, my last day in Amman, Holly and Ryan [an amazing couple working with MCC] invited us girls to join them for a day traveling north to Jerash and Ajloun castle. Jerash is one of the best-preserved, most dramatic and explorable Roman cities of the Middle East. It is a huge site that is filled with ancient temples, theaters, and amazing walkways. It was fun to spend the morning walking around these ruins. My favorite part was after climbing to the top of the theater, we were able to sit overlooking the site, listening to Jordanian man play “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” [!] on bagpipes [!]. I’m not sure they knew the same words we did…

Great start to the day. :)

Beautiful columns at Jerash.

The SALT girls with one of the amazing Jerash streets behind us.

View from the top of the theater.

***************************************

After trekking around Jerash, we hopped back into our van and went to lunch at Suzi’s [MCC local worker] favorite place. After a HUGE and very yummy lunch we headed to Ajloun Castle dated from the Crusader- period. We had a blast climbing around this ancient castle, which has a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding countryside and over three major wadis leading to the Jordan Valley. The hill that the castle sits, Jebel Auf, is said to have formerly been the site of an isolated Christian monastery. The area surrounding the castle was so beautiful and, because it was located amongst rolling hills, the cooler weather was a nice change of pace from stuffy Amman.

The view of Ajloun as we drive through the beautiful hills.

Inside Ajloun Castle.

Janae and I at Ajloun Castle. Very windy...but a beautiful view!

Ramadan

This weekend marks Eid, the Muslim holiday commemorating the end of Ramadan. The anticipation that came with Eid felt similar to the Christmas season back in the States. It is a huge holiday here, where people often spend great lengths of time visiting family and taking trips around the region. As our group arrived in Jordan about a week after Ramadan began, we only know Amman as it is during the month of Ramadan, a quite, not quite- like- itself city. As the fireworks began yesterday morning, I felt excitement building within me, anticipating being able to live in Amman when it is its normal bustling, busy community, alive with storefronts open and people out during the day.

Allow me to explain a little for those of you not-so-familiar with Ramadan. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is observed through a month of fasting, restraining from drinking, eating, smoking, and sexual relations, from dawn until dusk. Observing Ramadan is believed to be a commandment from God and required by all Muslims, exceptions being made for the ill, those traveling, the very young, and the elderly. It is seen as a time to concentrate on prayer and worship, to discipline the mind and body, and to make resolutions concerning ones’ relationship with God. It is a time to be able to focus more on God, increasing time in prayer, without the regular daily distractions.

Families will wake up early, early each morning [3am-ish] in order to eat a meal to prepare for the day of fasting. Then around 4:40ish the call to pray begins, marking the beginning of the fast at the first sight of sunlight. People then go back to sleep for a few hours, making our daily morning walks to school feel similar to an old western movie ghost town, as we were the only ones walking around at 7:45am.

Throughout the day, it is illegal to eat, drink, or smoke in public. Even Christians and foreigners will risk being reprimanded if caught doing these acts in public. It is seen as a sign of respect to restrain from these activities. Besides the limited restaurants that carry a “tourist license” most businesses have very, very limited hours, often only opening up a few hours a day. In Jordan specifically, most businesses are closed during the day, opening up only after people have completed iftar and their evening prayers.

In the crazy heat that Amman has been experiencing, I can imagine it is tough for Muslims to go all day without drinking or eating. On top of that, many are probably sleep deprived due to the altered sleep schedules to accompany the iftar celebrations and regular business that happens during the night. This causes on-edge taxi drivers, and terrible traffic, as people are more impatient then normal.

All afternoon women are in the kitchens, preparing the evening meal. Around 6:30ish [just before sun down] the streets become deserted as everyone, including all the taxi drivers, head home to prepare for the evening prayers and meal. The fast is broken [iftar] by a series of prayers and a feast with family and friends. The local Mosques will read a portion of the Quran each evening, reading the entire Quran within the month. Iftar looks different depending on what part of Amman you live in, but it is always a time a celebration. The streets are buzzing with activity as people visit friends & family, go to work, run errands [most offices and businesses are open in the middle of the night, i.e. banks], and kids play games in the streets. There is a ton of celebrating all night long…and although I am a very deep sleeper, I’ve heard from my flat mates that there is a ton of very loud socializing outside our windows all night.

About a week ago, we went up to the roof to grab our dry laundry from the clotheslines and we were invited by the hotel staff to join them at their iftar celebration. Since we’ve been living here for the past few weeks, we become familiar with many employees, often stopping to talk with them, practicing our Arabic. It was quite the celebration! The food was abundant and very delicious [zac-key]! We really enjoyed talking with some of the guys and learning a little about their lives. I love stories, partially hearing bits and pieces of people’s life stories. It was great to be able to observe the celebration and to feel so welcomed by people who barely know us. As I’ve prepared to come to Jordan over the past months, I’ve heard in detail how hospitable this culture is; but I think I have only skimmed the service of what I’ll be experiencing this year, especially once I’m immersed in the community in Irbid. I move to Irbid in a week! Please pray for my last week in Amman, that it will be filled with more good language learning and great fellowship within MCC staff.

new found friends.

“Where are you from?”

“Boston.”

“Philadelphia.”

“Nebraska.”

“Chicago.”

“None of you are from California?!?? I love California! Especially Malibu! The view is wonderful!”

We laughed at this comment, as the twelve year old boy in the front seat continued to talk about places in the U.S. he loved. Tennessee was on his list “because of their accents and country music!”

The other three SALTers and I were squished in the backseat of a fellow MCC worker’s car as we drove through the different hills of Amman making our way home after church last night. We had just attended our first Arabic speaking church service, where I managed to somewhat follow the service and hear a word or two I recognized in the sermon. Hopefully in a few months I’ll be able to recognize more then a few words. It was wonderful to be able to worship alongside Jordanian believers!

In other news: I have Jordanian friends! Since arriving, I’ve been so blessed by the MCC Jordan staff and by the friendships of my fellow SALTers. Between language class, orientation, and becoming settled in Amman, we haven’t had a ton of opportunities to get to know people outside of our language school or MCC. On Saturday, we had the privilege of meeting with Shoroq, an IVEPer who had just returned from spending a year in California. It was wonderful to hear about her experiences and to get advice on what to expect about this year in Jordan. She invited us over to her house that evening, and we immediately jumped at the opportunity. From the get-go I was overwhelmed with her family’s hospitably. The cool evening breeze was wonderful as we sat together talking, smoking hookah, and eating a TON of very, very YUMMY hummus, falafel, and other Jordanian food. I felt immediately accepted into her family and, being a tight-knit family who is not afraid to joke around and laugh together, it was fun to observe their interactions. One of the sibling’s favorite activities seems to be spontaneously hopping into their cars and driving around. So after dinner we did just that…often times going around the same circle [or round-about] multiple times as the familiar English words of American pop songs were blasting through the speakers. It was a wonderful evening and, because I’ll be living just an hour north of them, I look forward to getting to know Shoroq’s family better over the next months.

a fellow SALTer put this quote on her blog, and i really liked it...

"... But I also know that embracing uncertainty is one dimension of faith. And regardless of your vocational calling or relational status, you have to do something counter intuitive if you want to reach your God-given potential and fulfill your God-given destiny. Sometimes you have to run away from security and chase uncertainty." -Mark Batterson

finally some photos!

So I finally decided to upload photos to a Facebook albam for the time being. It was way easier and took less time. So...without further ado, just click on the link below and it should take you to my pictures. If you're unable to view them, then we should be Facebook friends...even if we're already real friends [which is better than Facebook friends...but for photo sharing Facebook friends is necessary].

The beginnig of my SALT journey in photos.

moving, markets, and laundry mishaps

NOTE: Images are taking way too long to post...I will upload pictures as soon as I have more time on the internet or when I find faster internet. Sorry for the major lack of pictures lately.

Sorry for the major lack of updates. Today [Friday] marks our one-week anniversary of living in Amman. There are many moments where I realize this…and can’t believe it has only been a week. It often feels much longer…which I think is a good thing because many parts of life here feel so normal to me already.

Because today is Friday we have no language class. Woohoo! I feel like a kid again excited the weekend has arrive. For the next month the girls and I [Sara, Janae, and Joanna] will have Arabic language class Monday- Thursday, and Saturday. Friday and Sunday are the days off… a split weekend. We all enjoyed sleeping in this morning and then we headed to the Friday morning market in Abdali…but I think I’m getting ahead of myself. Updates first:

As I mentioned in my pervious post, when we first arrived in Amman Cindy and Daryl [our “mudiirs”, Arabic for bosses] had arranged for us to stay at the local Y.W.C.A. It was a great little room with four little beds lined up in a row. According to Janae it reminded her of the seven dwarfs. The room had a great view of the street and they even provided us with locked cabinets to store our stuff in. Because the Y.W.C.A. is an acceptable place for single, workingwomen to live on their own, there were a number of other women, mostly older women, whom we enjoyed practicing our Arabic with through conversations. However, on Monday [August 23^rd] we packed up our stuff and moved to a hotel right across the street of the MCC office.

The move was mostly do to the fact that the hotel is less then half the price of the Y.W.C.A., which was super surprising to me due to the fact that at the hotel we have a free laundry room, air conditioning, and an actual apartment with a living room, giving us much needed space to study. The best part of the hotel is the amazing view it offers of Amman, both from our apartment and from the terrace. The terrace is on the roof of the building and it is my new favorite place [see pictures below]. It is a huge open area with tables and chairs and lines to hang your laundry to dry. At night the amazing view is accompanied with a refreshing desert breeze, making it the best place to eat dinner and study Arabic.

Arabic language classes have been great so far! I love our little class, our little Arabic studying family. It is the four of us SALTers, another girl who is living and teaching in Amman, and then an amazing Australian older couple, Jeff and Peta. Their three sons are now in their 20’s and fairly independent, so Jeff and Peta decided to come volunteer in Jordan with an Australian organization that is similar to the Peace Corps. They will be working with the U.N.R.W.A. [The United Nations Relief and Works Agency] and will be here for two years. Peta is a social worker so it’s been interesting talking with her about social work and what opportunities that career path has led her to. They are such a great couple to have in class with us; they are fun to talk with and I feel like they view the four of us as adopted daughters, which is super cute. I hope that when I’m their age I still have a desire for adventure and a willingness to live outside my comfort zone.

Today, Friday, we went to the local market where we were able to purchase some yummy veggies and fruit. I also walked away victorious with a new beautiful skirt [from H&M!]. The market reminded me of a Salvation Army store on steroids. Merchants started setting up their stands of hidden treasures the night before. All day they worked to sell a skirt here, and pair of Crocs there. Because it’s Ramadan, the majority of the population is unable to eat or drink during the day, which leads to many cranky people, and even more tired people. The heat just knocks you out…especially without drinking water all day. Therefore, as we meandered through the market, there were many times we’d spot people sleeping under tables or even right on top of their tables pilled high with t-shirts sporting slogans such as Boy Scouts of America or “somewhere in America” South High School Varsity Basketball 1996- 1997. I’m anticipating the day I spot a t-shirt of a place I recognize.

After the market, we decided it was time to do some laundry. Between the heat and the straight downhill/straight uphill walk to school that includes an unknown amount of stairs [exact number to come J] I can only wear items of clothing a few times before they are completely disgusting. Our laundry experience was quite the adventure. The machines here are much different than the machines I’m used to using in the States, which is not surprising. I think the biggest difference is that you have to move the clothes through each cycle. For example, once clothes are done soaking you have to change the cycle to spin and physically move the clothes over to another section of the machine. It’s totally doable once you get the hang of it, it only seems to require more time since you need to stay near the machines to supervise the cycles. However, being the good Arabic students we are, we take advantage of that time and use it to quiz one another on vocabulary.

The laundry experience was going fine, but it is one of those days where I am accident-prone. For example, later today while doing dishes I dropped a glass that shattered all over our kitchen floor, and then when walking in my room a wooden beam fell out of the wall [from between the closet and the wall] and almost hit me over the head. So, looking back on today it just seems to fit that the laundry incident happened on this day. As I was turning off the water, I turned the knob too far and it broke off, causing water to literally gush ALL OVER the laundry room. I held my hand firmly over the faucet as Janae ran down all six flights of stairs where she attempted to tell the receptionist lady, through a mixture of broken Arabic and hand motions that would fit well in a game of Charades, that mayy [water] was EVERYWHERE. Thankfully, a repairman was sent up and he quickly repaired the handle. I’m sure they were all thinking “silly foreigners”.

I hope you all are doing well. Stay tuned for more adventures including stories about staff community meals, time exploring downtown Amman, and what ever else happens between now and the next time I write.

Blessings.

ilhamdulillaah [Praise to God.]

orienting and arriving.

There is so much to tell that I feel very overwhelmed sitting down to write this update. But I want to try my best to accurately portray to you what has happened since arriving in Akron, PA last week for orientation and since arriving in Amman, Jordan.

Orientation for the SALT program was a wonderful week of learning and fellowship. I came into orientation with a heavy heart from saying good-bye to friends, family and Ben. But through the very informative sessions and time to get to know other SALTers I left orientation feeling 100% more prepared, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally for the journey that lay ahead. Each morning we began with prayer, a devotional, and a time of singing [lead by people from different parts of the world on different days…for example: music by “Asia Team”, by “Africa Team”, “Middle East & Europe Team”, “Latin America Team”]. This orientation was very unique because not only did it contain participants of the SALT program, but there were also people who were part of the IVEP and YAMEN! program [for info about these programs feel free to check out MCC’s website]. Having all of these programs together gave us all opportunities to learn about other cultures and become friends with our brothers and sisters from around the world. Many of our large worship times felt very similar to the Urbana Conference, at least on a smaller scale. It was an amazing preview of what Heaven will be like: people from every tribe, nation, and language. At orientation we had people from 30 countries!

Out of the 60 SALTers, there were about half of us who did not grow up in the Mennonite tradition. Being one of those SALTers I was very grateful for the sessions that went over the history of Mennonite Central Committee and their mission & vision. Throughout these sessions I became very thankful that the Lord led me to MCC. It is such an amazing organization! Throughout its history it has entered into communities humbly with a strong desire to work alongside local partners in three areas: relief, development, and peace. Their purpose is to share God’s love and compassion in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice. I feel so honored to now be a part of the MCC family…and I’m excited to continue to hear stories of how God has worked through them over the years. Another session that focused on the Mennonite tradition gave an overview of where MCC’s peace mandate comes from. This, too, was extremely helpful. Coming into the SALT program I knew that Mennonites were pacifists, but it was good to hear the reasons and support for their peace theology.

Orientation also included many sessions about cross-cultural adjustment, communication across cultures, and living with a host family. These were all a great review from my Anthropology classes at Wheaton, and many of these sessions gave us an opportunity to talk in small groups with people who are from the places we are going to. For example, there were two wonderful women from Jordan at orientation as a part of the IVEP program. I had so much fun getting to know them, and through conversations they were able to give me insights into the culture I was about to enter into for a year. They were great cultural informants! And great dancers too! J

The last evening of orientation, we had a Global Fair and Talent Show where people preformed different music acts and cultural dances. I was a part of an act with a few girls, including the girls from Jordan, doing a Jordanian dance! It was so fun!

When we weren’t in sessions we were able to have free time to learn informally from one another. There was a ton of laughter and I was so glad that within the SALT group there were many game lovers. There is just something great about bonding with people over a game of Beans or Farkal or Dutch Blitz. J

Thursday morning [August 19^th] people began leaving Akron and heading all over the world. It’s actually really sweet to think that I now know people on 5 of the 7 continents [excluding Australia and Antarctica]. Our group left Akron at 1:30pm and drove to the Philly airport where our flight left at 6:30ish. I traveled with three other SALTers who I will also be living with for this month in Amman. Sara is from Nebraska and will be working in Palestine, along with Janae who is from Boston. Joanna will be working as a kindergarten teacher and with the Coptic Church in Iraq. It was great being able to travel with other SALTers… many SALTers traveled alone. I know my parents felt better that I was able to travel with others J.

We had a five-hour layover in Paris and, because none of us had been there before, we decided to travel outside the airport and visit the beautiful city of Paris. Thanks to the advice and guidance from a fellow SALTer who had spent a semester studying in France, we found our way to Sacre de Coeur cathedral on Mont Martre. The cathedral itself was absolutely amazing and the view from on top of the hill gave us a wonderful view of Paris! I loved walking through the winding streets and seeing all the beautiful buildings with flower pots and laundry hanging out to dry. It made me want to come back someday…and spend more then a few hours exploring. On our way back to the metro [Paris’ train system] we stopped to buy some very yummy chocolate croissants and a baguette sandwich. It was the perfect treat as we headed back to the airport to catch our flight to Jordan. With only a little confusion and ending up on the wrong train, I know we all breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when we made it back through customs and security… with just a few moments to spare before our flight started boarding. I’m so glad my fellow travelers desired to use our layover to explore Paris and that we were able to work together to find our way around and then back to the airport. Our second flight was about 6 hours long…and I must say that we were all impressed with the food options on the Air France flight! We were even offered champagne, for free! Classy Air France!

We arrived in Amman a little after 7:30pm [Jordan time] and met the Area Directors for IIJP [Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine] Daryl and Cindy, who welcomed us with open arms. I already really like them and I’m excited to hear about their lives. From the time we left Akron to when we landed in Amman it was almost exactly 24 hours… But it felt much longer with all of the time changes. We are eight hours ahead here from Central Time, if any of you were curious.

For the next month the four of us are living at the Y.W.C.A. on the East side of Amman. It is an accepted place for single working women to live in Amman. I already know I’m going to enjoy getting to know the women who work here. Most of our meals are available here home cooked and delicious [or za-key in Arabic]!

We started this morning [Saturday, August 21] with Arabic language lessons. After a somewhat restless and very, very, very HOT night sleep, we went to language school bright and early. I really like my teacher…and know that she will be a good fit for our group. We are going to be in language school five days a week [excluding Friday and Sunday] from 8:15am- 12:15pm. I know this is going to be a shocker to anyone who knows me…. But I’m actually really, really excited to learn Arabic. I know…me…wanting and excited to learn a language??? But it’s true. I have heard that it’s a beautiful language and I’m excited to be able to communicate, one day, in Arabic.

I think that’s it for now. I am currently in a bookstore called “The Good Book Store” [really that’s the name…I thought for a while that our country directors were simply saying it was the best book store to go to…] and I forgot to upload my photos from my camera last night…so I will have to show you the pictures on the next post. You will simply have to wait in anticipation for pictures from orientation, Paris, and arriving in Amman.

I have included a link to an amazing video we watched during one of our sessions at orientation called “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Adichie. It is an amazing talk about the way we view the world and what happens when we have a limited view of those around us. I was going to try to describe it all to you… but the video is just so good that I figured I would allow Chimamanda to speak for herself.

I miss all of you! And I hope to get you addresses and phone numbers as a way to contact me soon. And please do let me know what is happening in your part of the world. I want to know how I may pray for you…

Allah yibaarik fiiki!

May God bless you!

Chimamanda Adichie: "The Danger of a Single Story"

http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

Here are the pictures that I was supposed to post with the previous post. There are just a few...I probably end up posting more on Facebook eventually.

WWII Memorial.

Michelle Obama's dress that she wore to Inauguration Ball.

View of the Washington Monument from the middle of the Mall.

Catherine and I at the dance circle.

Here is Gandhi and me on Embassy Row.

Here is Catherine with her very beautiful, very yummy tea.

Here are the cute houses that line some of the streets of D.C.