Olive Orchard Retreat

Njoud and I spent the weekend at her family's holiday home in the countryside this past weekend, reading, napping, walking through the olive orchard, and eating Maqluba. It was a retreat from our busy city life.

Meanwhile the world watched as Mahmoud Abbas petitioned the UN for a Palestinian state. Though we didn't have exposure to the latest news via TV or internet, the subject was on our hearts and we could see Palestine over the tops of the olive trees. Olive trees are everywhere- in orchards waiting to be harvested, city sidewalks, and down into the valley past the border into Palestine. They grow as a symbol of peace and fruitfulness and righteousness, but its a symbol not yet experienced in this region.

Njoud's neighbor, a sweet Palestinian girl came for tea one evening and described the oppression of her family. "My people have no peace," she explained. I was reminded of a Palestinian man I met in Bethlehem last winter who suffers under the oppression but told me something different, "We have no political peace, but we have Peace in our hearts that enables us to love our oppressors."

My desire for Palestine is not only that it might become a sovereign state, but that one day the oil and fruit of eternal Peace and abiding Righteousness will flow into and from the hearts of the people as the pastor in Bethlehem, no matter the political circumstances.

The olive trees are a sign of encouragement to me, that the Creator would choose a place with HARD soil to plant a fruit tree that symbolizes peace and righteousness.


In front of Njoud's home- this girl is a BLESSING and awesome friend!!!

An olive tree in her orchard... its almost time for harvesting!


A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit...

Arab Hospitality

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.." 1 Pe 4:9

The past several months I have been reading about about hospitality and what it means to welcome others and offer them a place to be themselves. In the midst my search, I found myself a recipient of Arab hopsitality this past Eid.

By the third day of Eid (the holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan), I was shaking from countless cups of tea and coffee and sick from the trays of fig cookies that had been served to Judy and me as we went from home to home, but my heart was glad.

During these three days, families and friends visit one another, drinking coffee and tea, eating sweets, and handing out money and gifts to children and single women. While we didn't receive any money, we received sweets and drinks and kisses! Hospitality here extends beyond just gifts and food. Guests are given seats of honor... so we were seated farthest from the door. Throughout the visit, our hosts continually ensured our comfort and urged their guests to remain longer. We loved every minute!

I hope that my appreciation for the hospitality of this culture will also develop in me a hospitable heart.

Here are friends and I enjoying a traditional Eid sweet.

Planking

Last week I met up with my family for vacation in the Caribbean! It was a week of bliss... the beach was wonderful, but best of all was hanging out with my sisters and parents! I cherish time with my family, knowing that the last few years have been a bit harder for us to see each other. Usually on each vacation or holiday, one or two things stick out and become a 'theme' or 'joke' that will continue for years to come. If I had to think of a word or theme for our Caribbean vacay, I think I'd choose 'planking' and 'owling.' If you don't know what that is, don't worry, neither did I until Laura and Dillon sat me in front of youtube the first night in the hotel. The rest of our time was centered around when and how we could plank!

Besides planking and owling, Laura and I walked and read on the beach for hours. Dillon focused on tipping our float each time we were in the ocean. My dad treated us to amazing meals every night and went with us out on the boat to swim with the string rays, despite his aversion to water sports. My mom convinced us to snorkel, and then she and Mollie were kind enough to go with me to see the final Harry Potter movie. Harry Potter was definitely a highlight since its impossible to see it in Jordan! (Jordan has been boycotting all Hollywood new releases.)

Here are a few fun pics! My sweet family!

Summer Students

This summer we had over 30 American students come to teach English, learn Arabic, learn culture, and volunteer at an orphanage. Summer is one of my favorite seasons because of these young, energetic, passionate, and encouraging faces that join us for a brief time. Here are a few pics of new friends that came into my life for a moment.

(Click on the pics to make them larger.)
Visiting a friend for a meal:


De-briefing back at their house after a long day:

Call to Prayer

The Call to Prayer goes off five times a day, along with a 'warning' call 15 minutes before the actual call. In the summer, the first one is at about 4:30am (this is usually when I wake up and close my window) and the last one is about 9:00pm. Here is a glimpse into my life...

Mint Lemonade

Enjoying Jafra Cafe downtown with my Arabic teacher.

Just add a little bit of lemonade to mint. I could drink this everyday of summer.

A Few of My Favorite Things...

I love my life here. Its hard, and sometimes I am not so good at it. Yet for every challenge, He gives me joy by broadening my understanding of Him through His Word; meeting people who reflect His love... gypsies, refugees, shepherds, and neighbors; and through adventures in His creation as I walk through herds of sheep or cleanse my skin with mud from the Dead Sea.

This week He encouraged several friends and me with time at the Dead Sea!