Saturday, September 8, 2012

Now seated in Jordan

Back in wifi land for a few hours.
The last two nights have been in tents and there will be one more tent night tomorrow in Wadi Rum (change in schedule; we'll be in Petra the two days following due to weather).

We left Jerusalem on Wednesday and started traveling south.

Highlights include:

Wednesday
Walking one of the four possible Emmauses and breaking bread over lunch at a monastery there.
Luke 24 13-35


Meeting with a women's cooperative in Lakia which was started to raise the quality of life for Bedouin women and children (you'll be hearing more from me about that in the future as I ponder how to support this good work)
www desert-embroidery.org

Thursday
Meeting with the pastor of the only Christian church in the city of Beer-Sheva; a Roman Catholic Church with an open table; it has no sign, and they can do no evangelism other than word of mouth

Walking the ruins of Tel-Sheva (was this the ruins of the Beersheva of Scripture?) and Tel-Arad that had an altar built to the specifications of the book of Numbers ( some prayers said there for those dear to my heart)

Staying in a communal tent watered and powered with ecology in mind and spending one of the nicest afternoons and sunsets ever watching the colors change on the expanse of rock and sand below.

Friday
Walking the ruins of Advat, a Nabatean community that flourished on the ancient Spice Road; two early examples of Christian churches

Long drive through miles and miles and miles of wilderness that puts the journeys of our Biblical ancestors in fresh perspective.

Crossing from Israel into Jordan and experiencing how very complicated it was to travel between these two neighbors

Tonight we had a lovely dinner outside overlooking the city.

Appreciating my own room and my own bed and my own bathroom for this night.

Saturday
Off to swim in the Red Sea before we trace a piece of the Children of Israel's route and then to Wadi Rum for the night.

I hope to write again from Petra.

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