Let it SNOW!

Not that I woke up this morning thinking that this trip would be straight forward and predictable, but had I done so it would have taken 5 seconds to realize it would be anything but! Outside my window on the ground below lay 6-8 inches of SNOW! Now if you had asked me to list all of the "surprises" that we might encounter while here, snow would not have appeared on my list! I'm told it is not as uncommon as I would have thought, but Amman does not seem to be equipped to deal with the snow the way Aspen would.

After marveling at the powdery layer across the city, I headed downstairs to meet up with the rest of our delegation. Everyone has arrived and we enjoyed getting acquainted with one another over breakfast. I was privileged to meet Jamal who will serve as our guide and translator, Liz who is a delightful woman that is involved in a wide variety of organizations and causes worldwide, and Ellen who works with Catholic Charities in San Jose and was the one person I knew prior to my arrival.

Our plans for the day changed quickly as the city was shut down and many of our contacts were simply not able to travel around. And this is where the first "sharp left turn" of the trip took place :-)

Liz and I decided to walk to a neighboring hotel [Liz actually decided...I just tagged along!] for a cup of coffee and to see the city. After we discussed some of the political, religious and cultural complexities of the region [with me playing the role of listener/learner in our conversation!] Liz thought it would be fun to take a driving tour of the city...in a cab...in the middle of a blizzard! So off we went!

Before I knew what was happening, our city tour became a trip to the Dead Sea and the Israeli/Jordanian border as we headed out of the city and began our descent. Amman's elevation is very high and we were hoping that there would be better weather at the lower elevations. Thankfully there was.

As we drove the visibility improved and I was able to take in the landscape, the topography and the geography of the region. Around one turn and all of a sudden I am looking at Jericho and I get the chills. I am in the part of the world that I have read about my entire life.

We drive to the location on the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized...the actual spot and the modern spot that commemorates it. It was spectacular. As a Christian it was almost a surreal feeling. When I woke up this morning this was not where I thought I would be!

To walk in the places where Jesus walked; to dip my hand in the Jordan River where John baptized Jesus; to walk along the Dead Sea and feel the warm water; to feel as though I was inside of the narrative texts that I had studied so many times was amazing. And it brought me back to why I am here.

Tonight we are having dinner with Iraqi refugees who are living in Amman. We will listen to their stories and there desire for "new life." Please don't misunderstand me...I am not trying to sermonize here :-) But as I recommitted myself along the Jordan this afternoon to the new life I have experienced and been given because of a refugee named Jesus, I couldn't help but think the two were connected.