An Awe Inspiring, Life Changing, Experience

The Jordan project has been an awe inspiring, life changing experience for me. As I write this article, I have two months left in Amman, and it’s time to start reflecting on the previous eight months. During my time here, I have had ups and downs, highs and lows, wins and losses. Through it all, I have learned that the best way to deal with things is to focus on the positive and pull lessons from the negative. Having a positive outlook on living life in a different culture has helped me to fully appreciate and enjoy this wonderfully unique opportunity to serve in the Middle East.

Patience and Flexibility

In a culture where things are taken one day or one step at a time, this is a valuable lesson. There are many examples of this I can share, but here’s just one: Upon arrival at the school, the office I was in did not have any office equipment or adequate furniture. Thankfully, over the course of a few days all the items necessary for me to work were provided. I’ve learned to be flexible and patient; especially when dealing with those I work with and am around on a regular basis. Being able to remain patient and flexible has helped me to have a better understanding of others, enjoy Jordan to the fullest and build character.

Understand, Appreciate, Respect

Living in Jordan is completely different than living in America, and being able to understand, appreciate and respect the culture provides a better picture of the people and their country. Little things one would never think of being an issue can create quite a bit of conversation around the water cooler. For example, let’s say you’re a single American female, you’re friends with a single Jordanian male, and he offers to drive you home, to the store or dinner. In the States, you wouldn't think anything of this: just two friends hanging out. In Jordan, however, a number of consequences may follow—you may be thought of as dating, you may become a “prize” to him, and his friends may tell him if they see you with someone else. Knowing little things like this and adapting your behavior and thinking will help you understand, appreciate and respect this unique culture.

Keep My Light Shining Bright

There are daily challenges in life no matter where you are, and it is essential to keep your light shining bright. Being able to take daily situations, big or small, and pull a positive lesson out of them has helped me in trying to keep my light shining bright. I’ve learned there are little things I do that say so much about how I am feeling. Knowing this, putting more thought into my actions and listening to others has helped in keeping my light shining bright. Having been put in some amazing, interesting and trying situations, I’ve had to remember not to let the light go out. Also, while serving others and trying to make a difference for those individuals, I am working on personal growth.

There are way more than three lessons I’ve learned serving in this amazing country, but these are the three that have helped me the most. One never knows where life’s road will lead or what tomorrow will bring, but building character today will help for tomorrow. Living life with flexibility and patience; understanding, appreciating and respecting where you are and keeping your light shining bright will help you set your mind on the most important relationship of all.

Until Next Time ~ Stella

Friends in Far Away Places

There is really something to getting to know your neighbor. Here in Jordan, we have gotten to know our neighbors that live right across the hall from us. Through the friendship we developed, even though their home is in Australia, we know we will always be friends.

After our winter break, I was feeling very homesick and desperately wanted to return home.  And then our neighbor’s wife move to Jordan from Australia, and things got a lot better for me. She was the perfect mother figure to have when feeling homesick. Lots of times I would tell Darren, “ I will be right back; I’m going to talk to Cathie,” and not come back for several hours. He was so happy that I had made a friend that he didn’t mind me spending a lot of my free time with her.

We went on several adventures with Andrew and Cathie that we feel are worth sharing.

Inside Kan Zaman restaurant

Our first adventure was to Kan Zaman Village and Wild Jordan. The Kan Zaman complex was the sight of a successful merchant operation in the 1800s; it is now used as a tourist attraction. Here we enjoyed doing some shopping and eating a delicious buffet meal. We were the fist and only ones there for the first hour of the buffet being open!  We had bread and falafel made fresh just for us. After we left, we were hoping that there would be tour busses coming so that none of the food went to waste. On our way back home, we stopped by a shop called Wild Jordan, where they sell jewelry, art, soaps and bags made by the local Bedouin tribes. The money that is made from selling the local crafts goes back to the respective community. Their focus is on green industries and educating the community about the importance of conservation and restoration.  They even host seminars on these topics (one of which I got to attend). The shop also houses a delicious café/restaurant – the prices are a little high compared to the local venue, but the food is fresh and the chef is fantastic, so it is worth the price.  

Our next adventure was to Iraq Al Amir, or The Caves of the Prince. On our way to the Caves we were watching for a section of the old Roman aqueduct that you can see from the road. We did find a section of it, but it was not the one that was in the Lonely Planet Guide. I think the one we found was on someone’s property, but we still drove down the little dirt road and took all the photos we wanted of the structure. After that, we went to the Castle at Iraq Al Amir, which was constructed by a powerful Jewish family before the Roman era. There has been lots of restoration after its destruction in an earthquake, but you can tell that in its prime it was a beautiful building. After thoroughly exploring the castle, we went to the caves, where Darren and I enjoyed exploring some of the interconnected passages. In one cave you could still see were they carved troughs out for horses.  We were also able to visit the women’s workshop in the nearby village, even though they seemed closed when we arrived. A lady came and opened everything up for us. She showed us where they make paper, ceramics, and rugs. Then we were led to the showroom, where everything they made was set out for display and sold. On our way back to Amman, we found the section of the Roman aqueduct that we were looking for in the first place, but it was nowhere near as impressive as the other.

The aqueduct

The "castle"

The stable cave

Tel Hesban

Our third, and most exciting, adventure with Andrew and Cathie was to Tel Hesban. We were going with them to attend an international luncheon at a school outside of Amman, but when we got there it was so crowded that we decided to find somewhere else to eat. On our way to find something to eat, we noticed in our guidebook that there were ruins nearby, so we decided to check them out after lunch.  Tel Hesban is a free historical sight that is only partially excavated. There are a few signs here and there telling you what was suspected to be at that location, but these aren’t the cool parts about this sight. What made this place so much fun was that we were able to dig a bit in the dirt and find different pieces of pottery. We spent hours just looking for things. All we found were potshards – thousands of them, in fact – but it was still fun to look around.  We returned to Amman a bit on the grimy side, but we were all happy.

Souk Jara

The last outing was just Cathie and me. We went down to Rainbow Street, where on Fridays during the summer there is a little street market called Souk Jara. Cathie’s goal for the outing was to find Darren and me a going away present but she only told me that she was looking for something for Darren. I told her that the only thing Darren had mentioned, that he would like but would never buy for himself, was some artwork. So the hunt began, and we found a beautiful black and white painting with some accent colors that we thought Darren would love.  For my going away present, she got me a little teapot with two cups and a beautiful tea tray that is decorated with an Arab village motif. Which I unknowingly helped pick out.

We look forward to when our paths cross again, and we are able to go on more adventures. Thank you Andrew and Cathie for sharing your time here in Jordan with us. We will miss you lots. 

~Amber

Seize the Day!

As the recent Spring Holy Days saw us in Israel, we once again got the chance to soak up the scenery and the history of the Promised Land.  As we spent a significant amount of our time in the northern part of the country, that is, in the region of Galilee and the area around the Sea of Galilee, I was particularly inspired.  The land is not lacking anything in natural beauty, and Amber and I decided (this being the area where God, having become man, decided to live, work, and base His earthly ministry) that God, indeed, has great taste.  I say this somewhat jokingly, but walking around the village of Arbel, just outside Tiberias, where we stayed in a little bed and breakfast, I really felt that it was the most beautiful place I have ever been.  The rolling mountains, covered in fields of wheat, terraced vineyards, and citrus groves, overlooking the waters of the small inland sea captivated me, and the gentle breeze, bringing the soft bleating of sheep in the distance along with the sweet smell of orange blossoms stole my heart. 

Courtyard at our B&B	View of bluffs near our B&B

Aside from the spectacular scenery, just being in the area where Jesus walked, called disciples, and performed miracles made the biblical stories really come to life.  I found myself wanting to go through the gospels and find all the accounts that took place in the area, just so I could picture them in my mind.  So often it seems that Bible stories can take on an almost mythic perspective, and this really helped to make them more concrete. 

Vicinity of the Sermon on the Mount

The whole experience of being here in Jordan, and getting to take advantage of one opportunity after another, has been truly amazing.  I have to tell myself often not to take things for granted, to get as much out of it as possible, while it lasts.  Just as I may never get another chance to visit some places again, perhaps I will never get as good an opportunity to learn certain lessons or develop certain skills…and the same goes for all such opportunities in life.

We in God’s Church are blessed with a special vision of the future: an amazing vision, full of hope and limitless potential.  Sometimes this vision of the future, just like the stories of the past, can seem almost mythical if we aren’t careful.  When we fail to appreciate the future God has planned for us, we also fail to appreciate the opportunities He gives us to prepare for it.  If we fail to take advantage of the opportunities He gives us to learn and grow, how will we develop the traits and skills we need to serve Him?  Indeed, how can He use traits and skills we never developed?  The Bible is full of admonitions to learn, to grow, to overcome – to make use of our time wisely.  As we move forward, I pray that we can all set our eyes on the goal, and that we can see every opportunity between now and then for the blessing it is.  Carpe diem!  Seize the day!

Galilee: Breadbasket of Israel

~ Darren

Spring Time In Jordan

 When you think of spring time, what comes to mind? Flowers, sun, rain, warmer weather, green trees and grass; for me spring break and spring Holy Days come to mind. Living in Jordan I have taken the opportunity to travel as often as possible since it is so feasible. Spring break and the spring Holy Days were two more opportunities to see some amazing places. 

During spring break, I went to Cyprus with Amanda and Jane (an American teacher from ABS) for five wonderful days. We flew into Larnaca, secured our rental car, and we were off to see the city. The unique thing about driving in Cyprus versus the US is that they drive on the opposite side of the road and the drivers side is on the opposite side of the car. The adventure had truly begun! We explored Larnaca and got some food from McDonald's before heading to the hotel in Paphos. On day two we drove to the Troodos Mountains to see Mt. Olympus, which turned out to be a bit disappointing. The landscape however was beautiful, we did some exciting off roading in the rental car, and Amanda ended up driving across a stream in order to get back to the main road. Next time I'll check the map better to make sure direct routes are really shorter than the indirect routes. After a full day in the car, we decided to sleep in, relax, enjoy our hotel and the warm sun. 

Day four was the best day of the trip; we went to Polis to see the Baths of Aphrodite, took and amazing boat tour around the cap, and had a great meal. The Baths of Aphrodite are in the nature reserve so we did a bit of hiking, enjoyed the beautiful scenery and saw a herd of goats. Jane's flight left early on day five from Larnaca so after we dropped her off at the airport we went to Ayia Napa. While in Ayia Napa we did some shopping, walked around the town, sat on the beach and got the best gyros I have EVER had in my life. Then we headed back to Larnaca to catch our flight back to Amman, what a great adventure. 

For the spring Holy Days the H-Team traveled to Tel Aviv to spend the time with the Hoyer family. The Register's and Francesca also spent the Holy Days with us. Francesca came to Amman early to visit the schools and then her, Amanda, and I spent a day in Jerusalem before heading to Tel Aviv. 

While in Jerusalem the three of us were on a whirl wind tour of the city. We went to the City of David, walked through Hezekiah's Tunnel, saw the Mt. of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations, and the Garden Tomb. Not to mention a delicious dinner from a street vendor and shopping in the Old City. 

The Holy Days and Night to Be with the Hoyer's were very enjoyable, and we had a wonderful start to the Holy Days. While in Tel Aviv, they took us to the beach, we toured Old Jaffa with the Register's, and went to Caesarea. 

Following the first DUB, The H-Team and Register's headed to Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee and stopped at Megiddo along the way. We had lunch from a street vendor in Tiberias, then drove up to Capernaum to see the city ruins. After seeing Caperuaum we headed to our "fairy tale" bed in breakfast in Arbel, close to Tiberias, and had the most phenomenal dinner there. The next day we found a super market and had a picnic brunch at a park before leaving Tiberias. That day we went to Bellvior; Yardenit, a location on the Jordan River where many Christians are baptized; and Bet She'an. Then the H-Team and Francesca headed back to Amman from the North boarder crossing and the Register's went back to Tel Aviv to catch their flight home. Being able to spend the Holy Days in an area so rich with history was very exciting and meaningful. 


Until Next Time ~ Stella

Dead Sea Marathon

The Background

The Jordan Project has been a wonderful opportunity, and has been a long procession of firsts in my life:  first time overseas, first time living in a foreign country, first time working with special needs children; also first time to scuba dive, ride a camel, and, as of April 8th, to run a marathon.  A big part of the Jordan Project is leaving a legacy, both for the people we serve here and also for future volunteers.  So it was that I decided to follow in the footsteps (literally) of last year’s volunteers by competing in the Dead Sea Marathon.

Our neighborhood

When I started running a few years ago, I considered ultimately trying a marathon.  At the time, this was more of a life goal, a bucket list item that could take many years to realize.  However, after getting accepted to the project and learning that last year’s volunteers ran in the marathon, I was immediately ready to accept the challenge for myself.  Amber and I drew up a training chart, and I hit the neighborhood streets starting just after the Feast of Tabernacles.  Running the city streets was a bit intimidating at first, and I’m sure the locals got a kick out of watching the crazy American go by again and again, but it seems that we all got used to it after a while.  Training was sometimes quite boring and tedious (summoning the will power to put in the time is the hardest thing about the marathon), but its payoff in patience and endurance was easily worth it.  The more I ran, the more thankful I became for my health, strength, and ability to persevere, and race day arrive without any injuries or incidents on the road and with my confidence peaking. 

The Race

After grouping at the starting line, the countdown began.  The runners quickly split into 2 groups, with the faster and more experienced easily outpacing the rest.  I started out slow and at the back of the pack to help with pacing and to give me the opportunity to pass more people, which is a psychological boost.  Shortly after starting it actually began to sprinkle a bit, which wasn’t completely unwelcome, as it pushed back the sun and heat I knew I could expect for later in the day.  There was a long and gradual uphill stretch near the beginning of the race, and because I had trained extensively on the hills around our apartment, I took the opportunity to pass everyone in the slow group.  This put me in between the two groups, where I stayed for the duration of the race, gradually catching and passing others strung out in the middle.

It was the furthest I had ever run, and was not without difficulties.  Running downhill might save some energy, but it’s way harder on your feet, knees, and back.  From the downhill I got some temporary joint pain and one bloody toenail because of my feet sliding in my shoes.  My worst enemy on the route was the heat down in the valley, which made the last 10 km (8 mile) stretch of the race the worst.  The sun was out, the temperature was somewhere in the 80s °F, and there was no breeze.  This might not be too bad for some, but I don’t sweat much, so I had to use most of the water from the watering stations for dousing instead of drinking.  In order to hold off the possibility of heat stroke in the home stretch, I went into running and walking alternately; I probably walked 2 to 2½ miles of the last 6.  Also, after the 10 km mark, the road was so clogged with 5000 or so school-age kids that were walking the 10 km fun run, that I had to weave around them as I went; also, the crowds reduced the visibility (which had previously been miles) to less than ½ a mile.

9 km to go!

Shortly before the 2 km marker I began running for the last time, and soon passed Amber, who was doing the mini-marathon with some of the kids from our school.  I had seen her when the bus drove by me taking them to their starting line, almost an hour before, so I was kind of surprised.  As I ran passed, she told me she thought we were less than a kilometer from the finish so I picked up my pace a bit.  After a couple minutes I realized that she had been a little off, but I was definitely nearing the end, so I didn’t allow myself to stop.  Also, as I came within sight of the finish line, a man I had been neck and neck with during my walk/run period passed me; not wanting to be beaten, I pulled out all the stops and ran to catch up.  We crossed the line almost simultaneously, he on the right and I on the left.  Official results for my time – 4:07:49.

After crossing, I had my tracking chip removed, grabbed an apple to munch and a water to drink, and waited for Amber to catch up.  She and the kids from the YMWA were so excited to see me, and I them; however, by this time I was completely drained, and the rush of excitement could only overcome so much of the deficit.  After some time to rest, I made my way on wobbly knees to the bus and went with the kids to a local restaurant, and then it was back to Amman to start my recovery.

End of the marathon: the Dead Sea

Reflection

One of the best things about doing the marathon was the lessons it taught me, things which I had lots of time to contemplate and meditate on during my many long runs.  I’ll share some of those here with you. 

One definition of a marathon is “something (as an event, activity, or session) characterized by great length or concentrated effort.”  Indeed, the marathon can be seen as a type of the struggle of life, and especially for the Christian life.  Running as an analogy for the Christian life, of course, has been popular since the earliest times – phrases like “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb 12:1) are very much a part of the Christian tradition. The bible often uses types and symbols to help us better understand spiritual concepts, and this is a great example.  The marathon, like life, is a long and often arduous journey.  Like life, it is not a sprint, and can only be completed through much effort; the trials and hardships experienced during it cannot be predicted ahead of time; it requires planning and timing, patience and endurance.

This analogy works well in the general sense, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it works even better in a more specific sense.  Specifically, the marathon symbolizes any major trial that stretches us to the limits of our endurance.  Just as a runner can participate in many marathons in the course of a lifetime, so, too, might a Christian have to overcome many difficult trials.  The keys to finishing these figurative marathons are the same as those for real ones: preparation and determination.  The first part of this is having and maintaining the proper equipment.  For a runner, these are shirt, shorts, and a trusty pair of shoes.  Modifying the list found in Ephesians 6 for the running analogy, our essential equipment might be the shorts of truth, the shirt of righteousness, and the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, etc.  It might sound funny, but its fair!  Another crucial factor is training.  Runners diligently follow a program of small runs, building up gradually to race day.  Likewise, Christians build the character and endurance to overcome large trials through the small trials and setbacks of life.  Making the most out of these small, often daily tests strengthens us spiritually so we can confidently endure the larger ones that come along less frequently.  An additional aspect is maintaining proper nutrition, both before and during the race.  For a Christian, this is a healthy diet of the word of God and staying hydrated with the Holy Spirit.  Without these, our strength doesn’t last long, and we come far short of reaching our goal.

Our goal in the specific sense is to successfully overcome our trials, becoming ever stronger through them.  And in the general sense, our goal is nothing less than eternal life in the very family of God.  Concerning this goal, notice what the Apostle Paul says.  “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (1 Cor 9:24-25).  May God bless us all with the strength and perseverance to make it to our goal!

~ Darren Henke

For All Those Concerned

With all that’s happened lately in the Middle East, we just wanted everyone to know that we are alright.  To get a feel for what we are looking at in terms of safety, please read the following evaluation from our management team, dated March 26th.

I feel it is necessary to update you all on the current security and safety situation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.  The timing of this assessment is based on the fact that demonstrations yesterday, 3/25, in Amman turned a bit violent between pro-government and anti-government protesters.  The Jordanian police had to intervene to quell the violence, and the particular area where the demonstrations occurred has been cleared out.  The following assessment is based on Western news reports, the US Department of State, the US Embassy in Amman, and most importantly, a lengthy conversation with the four Jordan volunteers today on Skype.

 

I have reached the following conclusion, and this is shared fully by the four volunteers:  The situation in Jordan remains stable enough for the volunteers to continue their current service in Jordan with a strong feeling of safety (overall).

• All of the above being said, we are all monitoring the situation very closely, and remain in continual contact with the volunteers related to the security situation in Jordan.
• The above conclusion does not imply that we do not have concern, or that in any way, shape, or form the situation is being taken lightly.

We reached the above conclusion based on the following information and assessment:

• Demonstrations have been occurring on a weekly basis and for the most part, they have been confined and controlled.
• These demonstrations typically are not real large and are numbered from 1,000 to 2,000 protesters, including the one that turned into some clashes yesterday.
• The locations are fairly well-known, and somewhat consistent, so it is possible to avoid problem areas.
• The larger and more vocal demonstrations typically occur on Fridays, so the day of the week to be extra vigilant is known.
• Jordan has a history of demonstration long before 2011, so they are not out of the norm, and it is reasonable to conclude that on occasion a demonstration may turn a bit violent as emotions escalate.
• The Department of state for the U.S. has no travel warnings for U.S. citizens, which assumes that the country is still safe for U.S. citizens.
• We will continue to monitor this, and if one is issued, we will inform everyone of this.
• The US Embassy in Amman monitors the situation closely and Warden Reports come out on a weekly basis.
• The Warden Report from yesterday, 5/25, was the following:  "Violent demonstrations occurred today at Jamal Abdel Nasser Square, north of the Fourth Circle in Amman near the Marriott and Meridian hotels.  An increased security presence is in the area and the square is closed to traffic.  One Jordanian citizen reportedly died during the demonstration.  U.S. citizens are strongly advised to continue to avoid this area.  Spontaneous and/or planned demonstrations take place in Jordan from time to time in response to world events or local developments.  We remind U.S. citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence.  U.S. citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations.  U.S. citizens should review their personal plans, stay current with media coverage of local events, and be aware of their surroundings at all times."
• The volunteers are registered at the US Embassy, and receive reports (Stella reported on this today).
• The US Embassy in Amman is not advising any US citizens to leave the country -- If this changes, we will advise everyone of this and will evaluate it seriously.
• The focus of the demonstrations is not and has not been directed at foreigners or Westerners.
• The protesters are a loose conglomeration of leftists, communists, Islamists, and other private citizens.
• Their list of grievances include a desire for the Monarchy to become Constitutional in practice, a desire for a more open governance and for reform in this area, and a call for less intrusion by the internal security apparatus.
• The list of grievances is and has not been directed at foreigners.
• The sense we have is that the government will work to insure that demonstrations do not get out of hand, and that the Monarchy continues to enjoy the support of not only the Military, but a broad swath of the population.
• I spoke to a close friend of Palestinian origin living in Jordan this past Sunday, and he says that the public believes that things will remain stable in Jordan and that the public in general does not want things to spiral into chaos (this individual has a wide variety of people with whom he discusses these items, including Palestinians, Jordanians, former government officials, business people, etc.).
• We have a very strong support network in Jordan, including our sponsor Princess Sarvath Al Hassan and the team she works with to support the volunteers.
• If any of our support network has deep concerns, I will be the first one they contact to address the situation.
• As it stands now, they feel the situation remains stable enough for our volunteers to continue their service in a productive and safe manner.
• Finally, the volunteers report that they feel safe and that they are treated no differently now than when they first arrived.
• We have had discussions on the most practical approaches to safety, including activity on Fridays and a vigilance to keep up on things and avoid areas of demonstrations (per the Embassy advice).
• We also all well-acknowledge the importance and preeminence of God's protection, and understand that not only those on this copy list, but many others are praying for the safety for the volunteers as we always have, even in times less stressful.

Thank you all for your concern and prayers during these uncertain times. 

Exploring Jordan

Jordan is a wonderful country with so many interesting places to explore. During the Feast I was able to travel to several of the popular sites like Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, and the Dead Sea. Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to travel to two more destinations, Salt and Karak. Both places are a short drive from Amman and provided an amazing adventure. So I rented a car with a teacher from school and we set off on our adventures.
Our first adventure took us to the small town of Salt about 40 minutes North West of Amman. There are a few museums to check out, a walking tour of the historical town, and a great market. Upon arrival in Salt, we parked the car and just walked around the town to the market. The market was mostly closed because we went on a Friday but it was neat to walk down the empty stone streets and admire the architecture. After walking through the market we went to the historical museum and enjoyed learning a bit more about the history of Salt. The other museum was closed so we headed home after a bit more exploring.


The second adventure was to Karak to see the castle ruins and Amanda joined us for that trip. About 2 hours South West of Jordan, off the main road, after driving past Karak, we found the castle ruins. A local teacher at our school advised us, before leaving, that the signs to Karak are not great, and when you are about to lose hope, keep driving because that is where you will find another sign. So, we kept driving, and once we knew we were in the right area we would ask locals for directions. The locals were very helpful, the problem was we had the wrong word for castle in Arabic and were directed to a town past
Karak. Along the way we passed this amazing looking Sweet Shop and when we had to pass it again to get to the castle we decided to stop for sweets and ask for directions. After having some local sweets, followed by shawarma from the place next door we were on our way to the castle again. The castle ruins are in a very beautiful area, and the view of the valley was amazing. The prison and market areas were still intact to some extent and it was neat to explore the ruins. Before heading home, we stopped at a local restaurant for some delicious fresh squeezed orange juice and lemonade.

Being able to explore some of the smaller gems of Jordan is an amazing experience and I look forward to more adventures in the future! 


Until Next Time ~ Stella

Just an Update

Here’s an update on what we’ve been up to since returning from India.

New Coat/Date Night

Last week I went shopping with Stella and Amanda at Mecca Mall.  There is one store in the mall that I always pause at and look at the beautiful coats.  This time when I passed the store they had a 70% off sign in their window, so I went in and promptly fell in love with one coat.  I called Darren, just to make sure he was ok with me spending more than we had anticipated, and that is how I ended up with my new coat.  Now that I had this fun coat, I really wanted an occasion to wear it.  So, I decided that Darren needed to take me out on a date – our first real date since being here in Jordan.  Darren had gone out for a run, and when he got back I let him know that he was taking me out for dinner.  We got dressed up all fancy and went out for Italian food, which we have been missing here.  The restaurant was very nice and the food was very similar to Olive garden.  We ate so much that we almost didn’t have room for dessert.  We ended up getting a frappuccino from Starbucks and sharing it as we made our way back home.  It was a wonderful evening and I felt pretty in my new coat.

~Amber Henke

Kids Say the Darndest Things

The best part of working for the YMWA, is dealing with the kids, and sometimes they just crack me up.  Last week, for instance, they were arguing about what type of food each other were: one was kofta (a meat dish), one was koosa (a squash), and one of the teachers was tufah (an apple).  WWE wrestling is also big in Jordan, so the kids are constantly pretending to be wrestlers: John Cena, the Undertaker, you name it.  It’s so funny; I love it!

Running Progress

I just finished up running for the week with an 18 mile run earlier today.  Whew!  Only seven weeks left until the Dead Sea Marathon.  If you would like to follow my progress just click on this link http://yearoftheh.blogspot.com/p/marathon.html.  Unfortunately, Amber developed a pretty bad case of shin splints awhile back, so she hasn’t been able to continue running.  She still hopes to do the 10K with some kids that will be entered by the school. 

~Darren Henke

The Henke's go to India

On Sunday, January 30th we returned from a 5-day trip to India.  Our winter break at YMWA is at the true mid-point of the school year, so we had the last week of January and first week of February off.  Why India?  Starting from Jordan, we knew it would be much cheaper to get to many places in the world than it would be from the US.  Also, we figured it was much more likely that we will visit somewhere in Europe during the future than somewhere in Asia.  India seemed like a good pick: not too expensive to get to, cheap once reached, and full of fascinating things to do and see.  As such, we started planning a couple months ahead, saved up some money, and made our plans.  The only thing left was to wait, which we did until our break began.

We started out on Monday, January 24th, getting up early to finish our preparations.  At noon we were picked up and taken to the airport, leaving lots of time to kill before our flight at 5:30pm.  Being prepared for this, we started reading the books we brought for just this purpose.  Our flight departed on time, and we flew from Amman to Bahrain, where we had a short layover, and then on to Delhi.  When we booked our flights, we didn't realize we selected seats in front of the exit row and our seats wouldn't recline.  So, for our 6.5 hours of flight time we only got about 2 hours of sleep. 

We landed in Delhi at 4:30am, but our rental car was not scheduled until 7am, so once again we passed the time with our books.  Our car arrived a little late, and after some confusion, we found out that our driver didn't speak a word of English.  After being in Jordan for 6 months, we are kind of used to dealing with this, so we decided not to make a big deal of it and just make it work.  Luckily, he did understand the names of most places, so we managed to tell him the places we would like to go.  Our first stop in Delhi that morning was the Jama Masjid mosque, a large piece of Mughal architecture with 40-meter tall minarets that were reported to have an excellent view.  The structure itself was nice, but the admission prices went up, they required us to remove our shoes even though they were feeding the pigeons, and the morning smog limited our view.  Our next destination was to be the nearby Red Fort, but we learned that it was closed for preparations for the next day, which was a national holiday. 

Not to be deterred, we moved along to our next stop, Humayan’s Tomb.  The Humayan’s Tomb complex, with many large walls, wonderful buildings, and beautifully manicured lawns was peaceful and serene – just what we needed after our previous disappointments.  After that we made a trip to the National Museum, where we saw lots of great examples of Indian art and artifacts, dating from 2000BC up to the present.  It was now mid-afternoon, and we needed to be finished with the car, so we had our driver drop us off at the State Emporium shops, where we could do a bit of shopping without having to haggle.  When we started to walk around, we thought people were being so helpful, but in reality they were trying to rip off the tourists by leading them to overpriced shops where they would earn a commission.  Once we figured that out, we stopped accepting help from them and just relied on our maps. 

After we were finished shopping, we walked about 3 miles to the train station to catch our night train to Ramnagar.  Those 3 miles were some of the craziest miles we have ever walked!  We walked through the Old Delhi bazaar district, which was crammed full of thousands of people: people pushing their way through on foot, on bike, on bicycle-rickshaws, and on auto-rickshaws.  We alternated from cramming our way down the sidewalk to dodging rickshaws while we walked down the road, but after Amber got her foot run over by a cycle-rickshaw, we stuck to the sidewalk.  After about 45min of walking, through the narrow, crowded, and winding streets we finally made it to the train station.  Upon arrival we were in need of a restroom, but apparently India is not big on public restrooms.  At the train station, there were only restrooms available in the upper class lounge, which we were allowed into even though we did not have 1st class tickets.  Once we had relieved ourselves, we went in search of our train.  There is a shocking lack of information at the station, so we went to the manager and asked for assistance, eventually finding out where we needed to be.  Because we were trying to do this trip on a budget, I didn't book us in 1st class, which turned out to be a mistake.  In our sleeper cars, not only were we the only 2 white people, with Amber being one of the only girls, but we had no accommodations: no heat, no insulation, no blankets, no pillows.  Also, Indians must have bad nasal passages (possibly from all the pollution), because it seemed like 90% of the men on the train were snoring. Needles to say, we didn’t get much sleep that night either, and we started day 2 of our trip with only an hour or two of shut-eye.

One of the main things on our to-do list was a safari at the Corbett Tiger Reserve, and we made our way to the ticket office in Ramnagar at about 6am, only to find out that all morning safaris were booked.  We could, however, still take an afternoon safari if we returned at 8am to book it.  So from 6:30 to 8:00 we found a place to eat breakfast, and ate with a friendly young British couple we had met at the train station.  At 8am, we booked our safari, but had to go back into town to blow some time because our safari guide wouldn’t pick us up until noon.  So, we had lots of time to wander around the town of Ramnagar.  A note on walking in India: everywhere you go, there are people (mostly children) begging, and here was no exception.  There were 2 little girls that followed us down the street for some time.  One even laid her head on Darren’s leg, begging for money.  We didn't want to give them money because we didn't know what they would do with it, so instead we bought them some food.  When noon rolled around, we made our way to the meeting point for the safari.  Our time slot was from 1pm to 5pm.  It was so beautiful inside the park, which is in the foothills of the Himalayas, and peaceful – so peaceful that Amber started to nod off a few times.  Unfortunately, we didn't see any tigers; however, we did see lots of monkeys and two different types of deer.  Once our safari was over and we found somewhere to eat dinner, we made our way back to the train station to catch our train back to Delhi.  The overnight train ride was the same as before; except that we were so tired we were able to sleep for about half the ride, or 3 hours.

Once back in Delhi, we went to the other train station to get our train to Agra.  This time we booked in 1st class, and it was amazing!  We were given food and water, and the car was comfortably heated.  Amber was asleep within 10 minutes, and had to be woken up when they brought the food around.  What a great train ride!  We arrived in Agra around 8:30am, and we were greeted by some local Church brethren (which we had contacted previously) holding up a sign with our names on it.  They acquired a rental car for us (which was a much better price than the one we rented in Delhi) and we all went to the Taj Mahal and then the Agra Fort together.  The Taj was by far the most beautiful building we have ever seen.  No matter how many pictures you have seen of it, they just don't do it justice – absolutely immense yet intricately detailed.  After we were finished, we went to our hotel room (that's right, we got a room), where we slept for 10 hours straight, not waking up once.  Sleep is such a beautiful thing! 

On Friday, day 4, we stayed in our room till after noon, and then went out to meet more of the local brethren. We were able to meet most of them on Friday, as well as spending all day Sabbath with them.  Darren was surprised to be asked to give a message at services, but guest speakers and live messages are in short supply.  He was not prepared to do so, as only so much fits into a backpack (the only baggage we had) and a heavy bible and bulky notebook did not fit.  Fortunately, he was able to borrow a bible and use the internet to retrieve some of his notes, which enabled him to give a short message on service (made longer by translation into Hindi) based on a sermonette he had given back in the States. After services, we enjoyed a wonderful home-cooked lunch and fresh baked bread, called chapati.  We stayed there and visited for several hours before we had to catch our train back to Delhi.  Before we left, we gave them Amber’s old digital camera as a gift, and in return they gave her a traditional dress, called a sari.  The ladies had fun dressing her up in it, and she enjoyed it too. The brethren in Agra hosted us graciously, touched us with their humility, and impressed us with their zeal.  We will certainly cherish our time spent with them, and we recommend any of the brethren traveling to India to visit with them, if at all possible.

We caught our train at 8:30pm, and arrived back in Delhi around 10:30.  Once there, we found a taxi to take us to the airport, where we would catch our flight at 5:30am back to Amman.  As opposed to our flights there, our flights back were spectacular.  For our flight from Delhi to Bahrain we were bumped up to 1st class because they over-booked.  Also, our flight from Bahrain to Amman was only half full, so we got to move back to a row with no one in front or behind us.  Since we’ve been back in Amman, we’ve done a lot of sleeping. It took us about two days to fully recuperate. 

India is a country of contrasts, as was our trip there.  We are definitely glad we went.

For more photos, visit our India Photo Gallery at yearoftheh.blogspot.com

~Darren and Amber Henke

Refugee Camp and Random Ramblings

Firstly I would like to appologize for the absence of pictures...just use your imagination. Haha. I have struggled recently with the internet and the blog website recently(which is why this is late) and I also wanted to wait until after the weekend because Stella and I had the privilege of helping with a donation of shoes for a refugee camp.  ABS had a shoe donation and collected over 2000 pairs of shoes!!! Then we left early in the morning(several staff members and about 10 students) to head about an hour away to a refugee camp of over 35,000 people.  We were set up on a roof of a two story buidling. We set up stations of measuring the children's feet and then finding shoes that fit and then also gave them socks that were donated as well.  The kids were adorable. One had to show off his "fo hawk" which he was very proud of because it is an Americanish hair style. haha After going through about half the shoes some ladies came in asking for multiple pairs of shoes and were saying they were for there kids...I sure hope so and that they weren't just taking them to sell them.  After a little while longer we were starting to hear crying outside the door of the roof.  I walked over climbed on a water container and looked over.  There were so many kids standing on the stairs waiting to get shoes and they were being pushed around by other kids and some woman also trying to get in.  It was very sad and upsetting to see the struggle for something as simple as shoes.  Its sad to see what they were wearing before they got there. We finally had to leave the last bit of shoes there and then leave and let them have at it because it got so crazy. Luckily we had several strong men and a police officer to keep it reletively under control. It was a really nice experience being able to learning about where they come from and to see the children happy.

I was invited this week twice to go to a hip hop class! I learned two ruetines and I would deffinitly say that I don't learn fast enough. Haha. I had to come home and practice to get it at my pace. :-P It was fun though. I went with the drama teacher from the school and she is a blast to be around. I don't know if I will go that often because its a little expensive. They had a special teacher in from turkey who was awesome...but she talked a lot. I wanted more time dancing. :-P It was still a cool experience though!

I just joined a choir! There are about 50 people and I am a youngin compaired to the others. We practice on Mondays and its FREE!!!! :-) We are learning Mozart's Requiem and we will be singing it in Syria and in Amman. We also should have the chance to learn other songs to sing for community service projects. I had to audition for it which was the first time I have ever had to do that. :-P For the audition they asked me to sing a song...so I sung "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban.  Then they had me do some scales and then sing row row row your boat with a guy taking notes...yup they did. No joke. lol For my big finale they handed me a Christmas ornament and a toy doctor kit and told me to tell a story using the props...it was odd but I did it. Haha. Good thing they accepted me. I also had a confidence boost when during our first practice the guy who was taking notes for the audition came up to me and said that he couldn't tell me this during the audition but he said I have a phenominal voice. :-) Yea! hehe! Go me!  It is an odd experience singing in this choir because the director has strange techniques but I am determined to ignore that and learn the music and enjoy the experience.

 

I am currently still invloved in music and the student yearbook.  I have just begun coaching baketball and I am very excited about the girls I am working with.  Their first game is tomorrow!

 

I miss everyone very much and hope that everyone understands that I am very safe and our area is not being effected by the issues in Egypt other than just discussing it a lot.

 

We are officially half way done with our stay here in Jordan!!!!!  I know that the rest of the time will fly by and even though I will miss being here...I miss home and everyone more!  I hope to see everyone again soon!

 

Love ya'll bunches,

Amanda

Ski Trip to Switzerland

During our winter break, Amanda and I had the opportunity to travel to Switzerland for eight days. Now, you might be thinking “that’s great, a vacation in Switzerland,” but there is a small catch. We were accompanying 46 ABS students to a ski camp, Les Elfes, along with four other chaperones. Les Elfes is located in Verbier, about three hours from Geneva Airport; and is considered one of the best ski resorts in the world. Traveling to Les Elfes from the airport was only the beginning of our many adventures during the week.

The day before arriving, Verbier received quite a bit of snow and the road going up the mountain to Les Elfes was sketchy. As we proceeded up the mountain, the bus began to slip, and there was not traction; so the driver stopped to put chains on the tires, twice. Upon arrival to the camp we were greeted by the friendly staff, there was a fire burning in the fire place, hot dinner, and warm rooms. After dinner and a bit of settling in, everyone went to get fitted for ski or snowboard boots and get their equipment for the next day.

Most of the students skied; Amanda and I snowboarded with three of the students. Everyone, including the chaperones if they wanted, was divided up into groups of about 10 based on level of experience, lead by an instructor from Les Elfes, and started on the beginner slope. Since this was my first time snowboarding I joined the level 1 group and started learning how to snowboard. Depending on how the groups did the instructors would start taking them up the mountain to the harder slopes as the week advanced. By the end of the week, every ski group made it off the beginner slope, and the level 1 snowboard group was ready for the mountain. Daily it seemed one new student was added to the level 1 snowboard group, which slowed the instruction down, and kept us from getting up the mountain. Regardless of the slow instruction, pain from using muscles I didn’t even know I had, and multiple bruises from the “button” lift and falling; snowboarding has become my new hobby!

Every morning started with a 7:30 wake up call, followed by breakfast at 8:00, and departure at 9:00 with a warm lunch on the slopes. After daily skiing or boarding, from about 9 in the morning until about 4, we would go back to Les Elfes for an afternoon snack, activities (shopping, swimming, or staying at Les Elfes), dinner, an evening activity, and then bed. The schedule for the students keep them very busy and was well organized. Evening activities included ice skating, “talent” show, game nights, night skiing, and an awards ceremony on the last day. Les Elfes was fully staffed, and provided the supervision for the students while at the camp and on the slopes; leaving free time for Amanda and I. During our free time we explored Verbier, spent some time in the hot tub, and went para-gliding (which was absolutely phenomenal). I must admit, I was a bit nervous before going para-gliding, but it was an amazing view of Verbier and a great flight!

On our last full day in Verbier, we went on an excursion to a “near-by” chocolate factory, visited the capital city of Bern for some site seeing, and then went to the mall. The chocolate factory was by far my favorite part of the day, and yes, I ate a lot of chocolate that day! When we arrived at the chocolate factory with the students, we were divided up into 4 small groups for our tour. The tour was self guided, using a PA system, and automatic doors to guide through the factory. Basically, we started in one enclosed room and a pre-recording was played, when it was finished a door opened and we proceeded to the next room and another pre-recording started. The last stop on our tour was the tasting room with 20 plus different kinds of chocolate to enjoy. In Bern, we had a picnic lunch, saw the sites, and then went to the mall. Our day ended with dinner back at Les Elfes, an awards ceremony for the students, and then a “disco”

Thanks to the athletic director at ABS I was able to have this opportunity to help chaperone the students and enjoy the beautiful country of Switzerland. Since I coached volleyball and volunteers don’t get paid like other who coach, the trip was the AD’s way of thanking and paying me. My experience in Jordan has been very rewarding and positive, and I look for to more amazing adventures like Switzerland.

 Until Next Time ~ Stella