JORDAN

Well, good news!
This week was a lot more exciting than the last one.
We kicked off the week with a free day to Tel Aviv, the captial of Israel. It was so nice after a week of finals to relax at the beach. It was interesting to see Tel Aviv as well. It struck me as a lot less conservative than Jerusalem which was interesting.
We went to the beach (the Mediterranean Sea) and swam during the day and returned later for the sunset.

Nailed it. Sorta. 

Think ponderous thoughts.

We also rode bikes along the beach which was fun! As much as I detested my bike when I had to ride it to the grocery store and stuff, I've actually kind of missed it. I think my next exercise goal will be a triathalon.

We also visited a cool market, ate TACOS which were delicious, and then headed home.
The next day we headed out for Jordan! One of the first sites we visited was Mt. Nebo, which is where Moses was showed the promised land. There wasn't anything monumental that I learned there since we had already learned his story in class, but I couldn't help but feel so much appreciation for Moses. He was the man! Despite the tendency of the Israelites to consistently complain and rebel, Moses was willing to intercede in their behalf. Although he was not able to enter the promised land, he was translated, so I think it's fair to assume he was pretty righteous.

You know who else I felt a ton of appreciation for on this trip? John the Baptist, that's who. We went to the site where he was beheaded by Herod and talked about his story. Dr. Allred talked about how he was called to prepare the way for Christ and related him to an Aaron or Hyrum character. They were people who supported people in huge callings yet didn't seem to get much recognition. Yet they were essential to the work. I know that a lot of this things God calls us to do, like being a mother for example, don't always seem to receive much acknowledgment at times, yet they are critical. I want to be a John, Aaron, and Hyrum. 

Next, we went to Petra which was INCREDIBLE! Indiana Jones captures the majesty of it pretty well. Petra is the territory of the biblical Edomites and are ruins carved into the sandstone. These ruins are tucked away in this beautiful canyon. It was a fun (and long) day of hiking. After walking through a long narrow canyon, you see the Treasury (below).

We also hiked to the "High Place" where the Nabateans offered human sacrifices.

We also hiked to the Monastery, which is similar to the Treasury, but it was a really fun hike. 

We also got to ride camels again. Mostly it was just really fun. 

The next day we went to the Jabbok river. That is a place Jacob would have passed by on his way to reunite himself with Essau. After Jacob was given the birthright (over his brother Essau) Essau wanted to kill him, so Jacob left his family and home and everything familiar. I thought about that at the Jabbok river. That would have been so hard to leave all behind, but there was so much good to come. Jacob later had a temple experience, married his wife, and started a new life. Years later, the Lord told him to return to his brother Essau. This was Jacob's Abrahamic Sacrfice in a sense because he again had to pack up and leave everything and risk his life and his family's life as he had no idea how Essau would recieve him. That would be so difficult. But he was rewarded with a sweet reunion with his brother and a healed relationship. So many times it seems like we are losing something- an opportunity, a blessing, something we had worked so hard for. But we never really lose. The Lord always pours out incredible things. 

I also loved this site because while Jacob was walking towards what he thought could very well be his death God spoke to Issac and called Himself the "God of Bethel", which was to remind Jacob of the remarkable temple experience he had had. I think it is neat to think about our personal "Bethel". What are experiences/ places we can look back on as evidence of God working in our lives? When we are headed into the unknown we can always look back on those places/experiences and remember how sure we are of God's existence and care for us. 

There are also some Roman ruins in Jordan that were cool to see. Change-up!

Some of these ruins were also great because of their great hiding places. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say I practically scared the pants off my friend Christa. I have no regrets. 

We also went to another beautiful mosque! It was nice and peaceful in there. Although, super hot because we had to wear a full length black tunic. I enjoyed learning more about Islam from our Muslim tour guide.That was another interesting thing about Jordan. Jordan is more than 90% Muslim and it seemed that more women were dressed conservatively. Many had their faces veiled in addition to the headscarf. 

Also, shout out to Muslims for doing Ramadan this month. Holy wow. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Our tour guide practiced this while walking around in the heat working- with no water. Our cooks at the Center do the same. It is quite admirable to me. 

We also got to go to another museum!

"That thing belongs in a museum!" <anyone got that quote?

From a young age, I have always taken museums very seriously( Think Bean Museum)

Seriously though, it was impressive.
Last but not least, we went to the Jordan River! Wow wow wow. I am so glad Jesus was baptized. He had no sins to wipe away but He did it in order to submit his will to God. It is so interesting that this took place in the same river that Elijah parted to make way to the promised land. In this river, Christ made a way for us to get to a spiritual promised land. Baptism represents the death of the natural man, and the birth of a spiritual man. I am so grateful that because of Jesus Christ, every week I can take the sacrament, and continue my efforts to get rid of the bits of natural man in me. I love Him so much.

And I love you all!!