1 month in, 1 month to go

Hi everyone. I extend the most sincere apologies for not updating this blog sooner. I have been really busy with classes homework and chilling!!

So I won't write much here because there is not much to say. Jordan is beautiful and I am having a great time. I am learning at a reasonable, though not optimal, rate. But I am satisfied for the most part. It was kinda crazy because it hadn't registered with me that I was actually in Jordan the land where Jesus was baptized and the prophets of old lived and experienced the presence of God, until about the 3rd week when I went to the Baptismal site.

So the Baptismal site was awesome. It is the place where Jesus was baptized during his earthly ministry. Not only did I get to see the place but we also got to put our feet in the Jordan river. It was a surreal experience. I was thinking the whole time how so many people came to believe in God in the river, by way of John the Baptist and some of the disciples. While I was there, I admit, I prayed and was so thankful to be in that place.

On the same trip I saw the place where Elisha was taken up in the flaming chariot to heaven- Yeah, also in Jordan. It was AWESOME!! From that place, about maybe 50 miles you could see the city of Jericho, around which the Israelites marched and shouted and the walls came down by the power of God and they took the city.

To say the least it was a very cool and spiritual trip. Of course I took my Bible with me so that i wouldn't miss a step. More than that happened in that place, but those are the major things that I remember.

Also on the same trip I met this awesome Christian lady (not eastern or orthodox thank God) who introduced me and the 2 girls I went with to a Church in Amman. Praise God for her because I hadn't found a church until that time. Now I go to a church that is completely in Arabic and that seems pretty awesome. Hopefully I will build some relationships with the members, despite my Arabic:), and we can encourage each other and "run the race" together.

I also found out yesterday that one of the girls at the organization that I am volunteering with (Freedom House- yes it finally worked out praise God, and hopefully it will help me get a job in our wacky economy when I return to the US), her name is Dina and she is Christian!!! God is so good and he answers prayers. One major thing that I have noticed that is different in Jordan from Egypt is that I have found more non-orthodox Christians that orthodox Christians. I am so grateful for it- although I was grateful in Egypt for anyone who believed in Christ, but their understanding of the Bible and structure of church is very similar to Catholicism, with all the symbols and saints and the priest and whatnot. I think it is awesome to see people who just believe in Jesus and the Bible, without all the extra-ness, and it perhaps is a remnant of the church started by the disciples from way back in Jesus' time. Anyway, I am having a blast.

So I have been able to share the Gospel with a few Muslims here and with a few of the American students on my program. It is awesome, though scary sometimes, to share.. but please pray for their salvation.

Otherwise, I am just very busy, trying to work out a trip to Syria right now (though it is looking bleak), planning on going to Jerusalem and hopefully the Palestinian territories at the end of the trip, and getting to know Amman much better. The people, in my opinion, are much nicer than Egyptians, though I was surprised to see that there are not many black people at all here. I have literally counted like 5 or 6 the whole month I have been here. I also went to the Dead Sea, which was great and it is true that you just float in the water because of so much salt- First time I ever floated on my own!! it was great. But it is EXTREMELY and excruciatingly painful to get any tiny drop of that water in your eyes or in your mouth (nasty as heck). No one puts their head under water to my knowledge (unless you closed your eyes really really tight). But it was very fun.

Other than that, I don't know. I will update more in the future, hopefully more regularly. We are going to the Dead Sea as a group this weekend (the first time was just with friends) and to Petra at the end of the program. Hopefully we will go to Aqaba (on the Red Sea coast) in the south at some point, we will see.

I miss you all and I have plenty of pictures and will put them up shortly- also check facebook in a while, I'll put them there too.

Alright, until next time!

Yvonne