Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving. My parents came from Oregon, and my husband's mom left the side of her hospital-bound husband for long enough to join us for dinner. My sister's family and Fidel, my niece's boyfriend, were here, as well. I love to cook the turkey and dressing and cranberry salad and pumpkin pies. My sister's side brought the killer sweet potato dishes, mashed potatoes, a pecan pie, and a seriously artery-clogging Paula Dean frozen chocolate pie. Oh. My. Gosh.

The day began in jammies in front of the TV watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Then I spent a few hours in the kitchen--though I did set the table on Wednesday night, which helped.

My oven malfunctioned, so we started eating about the time the Cowboys kicked off. My brother-in-law, Mark, read a T-giving meditation he had written that morning inspired by the magnets and photos on his refrigerator door full of blessings. Then we prayed and dug in. After the feast, my husband shoo-ed me to the living room to catch the football game while he and my sis did the dishes. (I, not he, am the football fan in this household.)

My nieces brought Charlie Brown's two Christmas shows, so we watched them (I love them!), followed by three of us watching "Miracle on 34th Street" upstairs while A&M fans watched the aggies get stomped downstairs on the large-screen livingroom TV. Simultaneous to all this was the 1,000-piece Snoopy puzzle going on in the breakfast nook. And a niece napping on a couch here and there. And everyone snacking on leftovers. And another slice of pie. Or two.

Friday morning my mom, sis, two nieces, daughter and I went out for coffee (or rather, hot beverages) for some girl-time to celebrate Devin's birthday. That night Dad took us all out for a big dinner at Texas Road House. Then we came back here and our friends the Wagoners joined us for leftover pie. (Are you picking up on the food theme, here?)

Yesterday, my sis and I drove my parents to Waco, where we met up with my brother, who plans to spend a few days with them and then bring them back here on Monday. He treated us to lunch at Pei Wei. I had never heard of it but loved eating some good, tasty healthful stuff. I enjoyed the hours driving with my beloved sis, too. We don't get a lot of time together, even though we live only seven blocks apart.

I love hosting the dinner, having loved ones sleep on my couch, hanging in front of the TV, working a puzzle, drinking wassail and snacking. I love the holiday crowd of loved ones. I love the noise. The laughter. The teasing. I love it all because I believe the people in my life are my greatest sources of wealth. Congress can't destroy that. Nor can a lousy economy. I may not have a lot in the bank. Nevertheless, I am exceedingly, lavishly, decadently, abundantly rich, rich, rich, rich, rich. And I had nothing to do with it. So I am thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For what are you thankful? I'll start...freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Wordless Wednesday

Rethinking Tourism

Now that I've stood where Moses gazed and caught what must have been his view of the Promised Land, I'm reading his story with a clearer view of what it means. Now that I've seen what Ruth must have viewed when she looked up from the Jordan to her homeland, Moab, I can appreciate how far she walked for food. Now that I've seen the Dead Sea, I read with new appreciation Jesus' words about salt that loses its flavor.

And there's more... Now that I've seen Jesus's baptismal site and the wilderness where he fasted forty days, I can appreciate more of what incarnation's sacrifices involved. Now that I've batted flies in a place that uses all natural fertilizer, I can better appreciate what it meant to be wrapped in grave clothes and laid in an animal's feeding trough.

It has been said that every Christ-follower should seek to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land at least once in his or her life. Now I see why. Our God is a fantastic storyteller. What a setting!

There's also the consideration that traveling to developing countries helps struggling economies. (Granted, our own economy right now needs help, but our unemployment rate--bad as it is--is still around 6%. Jordan's is closer to 16%.) Jordan in particular is striving to be the big brother in a troubled region--a hospitable place for many Iraqi refugees, a moderate voice amidst radicalism, and a peacemaker between warring nations. That's worth positively reinforcing with tourist bucks.

But we don't usually choose vacation locations for spirituality or justice, do we? We go for beauty and mystique and fun. And Jordan has that, too. The spot that gets my vote is the Mövenpick Resort and Dead Sea Spa. Oh. My. Gosh. Check out this shot of the Dead Sea at sunset from the hot tub, taken by a friend. Sadly, when I was there, it was totally "Rotic"--that is, romantic without the man. Places this breathfaking were meant to be shared!

Having been raised in the PNW, I've often wondered what makes a desert in the Middle East great enough to qualify as the Promised Land. It's not green, it has no waterfalls, and farmers struggle to grow crops. The country is vast. And it requires dependence to live. Yet that's part of its magic. A cloud by day in the desert keeps people from frying; a fire by night in the desert keeps them warm. A place without water requires a leader to speak to a rock for provision. Or manna to come from on high. Or quail to fall from the sky.

What an eduvacation!

Sometimes a place takes on its own character in the story. And this is just such a place. As a novelist, I'm thinking a setting just doesn't get much better than that.

SoulPer Christmas

Add some art and contemplation to your Holy season.

The three artsy people at SPS have a ChristmasPerSuit lined up. Check it out.

"How Beautiful the Feet..."

While in the Middle East, I interviewed a couple who told of a Muslim friend who believed in Jesus Christ after having a dream about old religious leaders weeping and asking her "Do you know what they did to Jesus?" When this woman realized she didn't know, she asked this couple, who told her...

It is illegal to evangelize there, and because the civil law can't contradict Shar'ia law, people who convert can get hurt, and I don't just mean emotionally.

We journalists pressed this question with the religion experts with whom we spoke. In the end neither can yield and be true to the distinctives of one's faith. A Christian must have the freedom to share the good news of Christ's love, and a Muslim must obey Shar'ia law.

Books, Not Bombs

The New York Times has a good video available about how Americans are fighting the Taliban via books, not bombs. The work shown here is quite similar to what we're doing in Kenya. The only difference is that the Kenya work also has church-planting as part of the equation.

Book Launch

Today marks the launch of A Faith and Culture Devotional: Daily Readings in Art, Science and Life, to which I am a contributing author. My piece is a reflection on T. S. Eliot, Lady Julian of Norwich, and hope. Proceeds benefit the Veritas Forum and Compassion International. The Veritas Forum host campus lectures and forums dealing with philosophy and religion. Compassion International is a child sponsorship organization.

Here’s a sampling of the book’s contributors and their topics:

History
Walter Kaiser--Sodom: What Archeology Tells Us
Frederica Matthewes-Green--The Council of Nicaea
James Emery White--The Reniassance and Reformation
Chip MacGregor-The Middle Ages and the Second Great Schism

Philosophy
John Stott--The Mind, Spirit and Power
Nancy Pearcey--The Fact/Value Divide
Lee Strobel (Peter Kreeft)--Theodicy
JP Moreland--The Modern University
Phillip Johnson--The Ultimate Premise
Os Guinness--The Sleep of Death

Bible and Theology
Sarah Sumner--General Revelation
Darrell Bock--The Secret Gospels
RC Sproul--The Fairness and Mercy of God
Randy Alcorn--Heaven: Headed Home
Scot McKnight--the Small and Big Gospel
Darrell Bock--The Secret Gospels

Science
Francis Collins--God and the Human Genome
Hugh Ross--The Big Bang and the Bible
Ray Bohlin--DNA

Literature
Gene Veith--Paradise Lost: Milton’s Epic of Cosmic Betrayal
Philip Yancey--Leo Tolstoy
Bill Edgar--Augustine's City of God
James Scott Bell--Moby Dick: Not Mere Fiction
Joy Jordan Lake--Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Sandra Glahn--TS Eliot and Julian of Norwich

Contemporary Culture
Bruce Herman--Sex, Intimacy and Worship
Archibald D. Hart--The Gospel of Self-Esteem
Mark Joseph--U2
Stephanie Powers--AIDS
Vera Shaw--Tending the Garden Planet
Jody Hassett Sanchez--Today’s Slavery

Art
Michael Card/Francis Schaeffer--Art: A Response to Beauty
Catherin Claire--Vincent Van Gogh and Seeing
Francis Schaeffer--Michaelangelo
Chuck Colson--Real Art Beyond Ground Zero

Christmas is coming. Maybe you'd like to shop and benefit charity in one stop?

Jordan: The Meatier Stuff

As you probably guessed, the reason seventeen journalists went on a press trip to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was not just to enjoy its rich history, pamper ourselves in resorts, and eat olive-based foods (much as we loved these). We also had many discussions and two official meetings, both with high-ranking religion officials. In addition we had private interviews with our own contacts (in my case, two graduates of Dallas Seminary, one in Amman and one in Aqaba).

The first religion official with whom we met was former UN ambassador His Excellency Akel Biltaji with the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies (RIIS). The RIIS was established fourteen years ago to address interfaith and intercultural issues. They promote dialogue among the monotheistic faiths in particular, focusing on shared values.

Many Americans do not realize that Jordan considers 9/11 a terrible day in their own history. This is a common sentiment throughout much of the Middle East. A member of our team who was in Yemen some years back told us of women wearing American flags pinned to their burqas following our nation’s tragedy.

Then Jordan had their own 9/11 three years ago on 11/9—the anniversary of which was observed while we were there. Suicide bombers attacked three hotels simultaneously, in one case blowing up during a wedding party and killing the fathers of both bride and groom. The extremists were punishing Jordan for their cooperation with us. So Jordan has paid a high price for embracing good international relationships.

The hotel next to ours was hit as was another where I shopped. And all the large hotels I saw had security on par with airports, complete with blocked access to the circular drives and x-ray scanning of all incoming guests and their bags. I even saw a man with a mirror on a stick checking under cars for bombs in the parking lot. (See photo, where he's holding it upside down and leaning on the mirror.) Despite the in-your-face security, or perhaps because of it, I felt quite safe the whole time.

A core value of the institute is that contacts among the three monotheistic religions should be conducted in peace. They also use religion as a tool in politics for promoting peace. These values are of concern to His Royal Highness the king, who is a fascinating character. He attended Deerfield Academy in the U.S. and at the time he lived here, everyone thought his father planned to name someone else as successor to the throne. As a result, the current king has been known to say that he can switch from thinking like a Jordanian to thinking like a Westerner, being quite familiar with both mindsets. (We rented an interesting documentary of him taking tourists around his kingdom in which he said this.)

One of the DTS grads who lives in Aqaba told me he loves Jordan and is grateful for its stability in the region. A professor with the evangelical seminary in Amman with whom I spoke had only good things to say about the king and later described his father as an exceptionally rare man who was committed to truly caring for his subjects and seeking their good.

For centuries Christian and Muslim have coexisted in Jordan in relative peace. But the last half-century has seen great turmoil. As a result, many of the minority Christians (they comprise about 5% of the population), though they have an ancient history there, began to leave in high numbers. This is of particular concern to the king, and the Royal Institute exists in part to address this issue. No one, they believe, should feel their security lies only outside the region. More on all this to come.

Wordless Wednesday

Twelve Reasons to Visit Jordan

1. Jesus’s baptismal site is preserved in its natural state rather than with fortifications that make it feel artificial.
2. Food—it’s good and good for you with tons of olives and olive oil and yummy breads.
3. The people are warm and friendly, and they love Americans.
4. You’ll never read the Bible the same way again.
5. Sites people think are in Israel are actually in Jordan.
6. Non-swimmers can splash in the Dead Sea without ever worrying they'll drown. Even a beached whale could float there.
7. Jordan has fantastic beauty and a rich cultural heritage in addition to an ancient history with many connections to Bible stories.
8. Jordan’s resorts rival any in the U.S.
9. Communication is easy. People in Jordan’s metro areas speak English, and most signs are in Arabic and English.
10. Visiting Jordan as a tourist positively reinforces Jordan’s willingness to embrace the West.
11. Going to Jordan will force you to lose some of your misconceptions about Islam. (Most Christians don’t support bombing abortion clinics, and most Muslims don’t support flying planes into NYC high-rises.)
12. Modesty is a core value. It’s hip to be square.

(Besides, it's not everywhere you can see people riding camels off into the sunset.)

Kindred Spirit Fall Issue Out

The fall issue of Kindred Spirit, the magazine I edit, arrived this week. You can also read key stories on the web:


The Call to Care: Caring for God's Creation
The Earth is the LORD's …
Environmental stewardship lies deeply rooted in our belief system. Stewardship of the planet and its creatures is part of humanity's mandate.

The Call to Care Caring for Earth's People
… And All Who Live in It
God is at work across the planet, raising up worshippers. Read how God is using a variety of people and opportunities to reap a spiritual harvest.

Stranded on Omnipotence When Brian and Heather left Kenya in December, they packed for a ten-day trip. Seven months later Brian (MA[BS], 1998) returned to find the ministry better than he left it. This one will give you the back-story on my hubby's new job handling administration for a Kenya ministry. For more on Brian and Heather's work, you can also view a short video here.

Crisis in D. R. Congo

Following the news in D. R. Congo? I received this message today from an indigenous pastor friend there:

We are so proud here for your prayers for us. That's why we are as we are today. Together with my family are doing well and the Church. Please, first keep praying for God's provision for a place of the Church service. This is one that is disturbing us a lot. The crisis we face here has cause a great damage, many people have been killed, women are treated very badly, many of them are raped, one woman to be raped with more than 7-10 men, women with pregnant have been maltreated very badly in the way that you can't explain. This has brought a great shame, many children have left Orphans. Please, keep praying for all these, also it has caused the price of food to get very high. Please keep us in prayers.

Finally Home!

Our last episode found me in the Amman airport facing long flight delays to New York City. After twelve hours in the air, we finally got there, and my friends picked me up. They took me home with them after first swinging by an authentic pizza place. (How could they know I craved pizza after a week on Middle Eastern food--which was great, just different?) Well, that New York pizza delivered, and I don't mean transportation-wise. And as if that weren't enough, they also ran out for a chicken parmesan sandwich and some kind of Italian soup. They had me happily stuffed within 15 minutes of reaching their house. I love New York!

My friends and I stayed up until after midnight trying to jam in as much talk time as possible before I turned around and got up at 3:45 to catch a 6:05 AM flight. I was using Delta miles and had to go first class (burn a ton of miles) because that was the only way I could get a seat. But I ended up being glad, because my bag weighed 60 pounds, which would have cost me $90 in coach but was nothin' in first class. (Guess I brought back too much sea salt and soap?) I was soo glad for the extra leg room, plus the pillow and blanket.

The first leg of the US trip took me to Cincy, where I saw snow. We got delayed thanks to a technical problem and the need to de-ice on the Cincy-Dallas leg. But finally we took off from Cincy, and I walked off the plane into the eager arms of my family. My girl looked taller and my husband, handsomer.

I arrived to find a clean house and laundry done (bless them!). And after delivering presents and paying the most urgent bills, I did a little happy dance next to my own bed, crawled in, and slept a sleep that would rival Snow White's. Eleven hours later I feel human again.

It was great to have gone--truly the trip of a lifetime. But it's also great to be home.

More on what I learned in the days to come...Stay tuned.

Jordan Rocks!

Homemade marshmallows dipped in a cauldron of chocolate... Need I say more?

Yesterday at the Dead Sea

Yesterday I floated in the Dead Sea, which is like being dunked in a vat of hair gel. You couldn't sink if you tried. I covered my body with the local mud, let it bake, and then washed it off. It didn't make me beautiful, but it did make my skin feel soft!

Then I swam in this pool that overlooks the Dead Sea, and watched the sun slip behind the mountains of Israel. Once the sky went dark, I saw the twinkling lights of Bethlehem and Jerusalem...and prayed for peace.

Memories

My friend LouAnn got baptized in the Jordan River near the site where Jesus was baptized.

Matthew 3:16-17 says, "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

This photo is of the sky above that site after we visited...

Over the Atlantic

I'm sitting at the airport in Amman. Our team goes together to New York, and from there everyone pushes through customs, picks up luggage and catches flights to their own cities. Our flight is delayed 4.5 hours from its original time, so I won't be hugging and kissing my family tonight (and hearing my daughter ask, "What did you bring me?")

The "up" side is that I have arrangements to stay with my former student Linda-Rose Hanik and her family overnight in NYC, so I'll have friendly faces greeting me.

Salt, Salt Everywhere

Today we wake up in Amman and enjoy a day of rejuvenation and reflection at the Dead Sea. Then tonight we have a farewell dinner and return to our rooms to stuff everything into our bags--remembering to put liquids in Zip-lock bags.

If I Had Ta Get Sick...

...two days ago, at least I got to lay there and look at this. See Israel through the haze in the background?

Jesus' Baptism Site

In my continuing travels in Jordan, today we check out of the Aqaba hotel early and head north.

Our journey through the area of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah takes us through Wadi Araba along the Dead Sea Highway to Zoar, where Lot and his daughters fled after the destruction of the two cities. Passing the Dead Sea, we arrive at Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan, the wilderness area on the eastern bank of the Jordan River.

Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan In this area between the Jordan River and Tell el-Kharrar, John the Baptist came to preach and baptize, and his baptism of Jesus marked the first recorded manifestation of the Trinity.

After dinner we return to Amman, checking in again at Le Meridien.

Today I...

Dipped my toes in the Red Sea...ate lunch in a Bedouin tent...and watched the sun set at Wadi Rum. God's own cathedral rivaled any manmade stuff we've seen.

Aqaba/Wadi Rum

I had a great night of fellowship with a former classmate, meeting his wife and kids and hearing about their work here. I rested all day yesterday and feel much better. A bunch of our team have had stomach pain, I'm now told, I was just the first. So it must've been something we ate. I'm glad to have that behind me! Here's the plan now:

Aqaba We have a free morning taking in the warm atmosphere of Jordan’s playground on the Red Sea. Aqaba is a year-round resort with some of the best coral reefs in the world, providing many options for water sports enthusiasts or those seeking a relaxing sunbathing experience.

Wadi Rum On the agenda for the afternoon is a departure for the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum, which T.E. Lawrence described as “vast, echoing and God-like.” After a brief stop at the Visitor’s Center, we get to venture off the beaten path in a four-wheel tour of the desert. (Think: Dust!) We hope to take in a glorious sunset.

Petra!

Our group is going to Petra today, where they have a full day exploring its rich history and impressive remains.

I, on the other hand, am staying in my room. I got sick yesterday and have slept most of the morning. Fortunately now I'm just tired and my stomach doesn't hurt any more.

Bummer!

One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Petra was featured in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Its more significant connection is to Moses’s Exodus journey, as he and the Israelites passed through the Petra area in ancient Edom. Maybe some other time, eh?

On to Aqaba

Today we check out of our hotel and take a quick motorized tour of the capitol, which will include a brief stop at the Citadel of ancient Rabbath Ammon, capitol of the Ammonite Kingdom. We'll see the simple archaeological museum that houses one of the finest collections of ancient artifacts in the Middle East, including some of the Copper Dead Sea scrolls. Then we’ll stand atop the fortress where David sent Uriah the Hittite to his death.

From Amman we travel south along the 5,000-year-old King’s Highway to Mount Nebo and Madaba.

Moses arrived at Mount Nebo after the exodus and viewed the Promised Land. From a platform there we’ll have a breathtaking view across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to the rooftops of Bethlehem and, even on a clear day, (we pray!) Jerusalem.

We end the day with dinner in Aqaba, where we'll stay for a few nights.

Sunday in Jordan

Today we donned our business clothes and sat at the table with His Royal Excellency Akel Biltaji with Jordan’s Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (www.riifs.org). He's a gentle man who has been sorry to see a mass exodus of Christians from his country. The burning question on our minds was the fact that it's illegal here to convert to Christianity. (Jordan's legal system cannot contradict Shari'a law.) He told us "I answer this question in every meeting." He went on to explain that Jordan has "freedom of religion apart from the sensitive matter" of converting, "which is only a minor factor in our society."

This afternoon some of us took a four-hour round-trip to see remains of the oldest church in the world. Beneath a seventh-century church they found a cave with an altar that turned out to be a first-century church, where excavators have found coins dating to roughly the time of Jesus' resurrection. Some of the phone service was down today so the person with the key never arrived, but we made our own fun instead.

Jerash Yesterday

Of Good and Evil

Had a great day. Can you see the Sea of Galilee in this picture? I took it from where we ate lunch (the village where Jesus proved His power over the supernatural, and a bunch of pigs lost their lives).

I'm too tired to write more about what we saw. More on that in days to come.

But I have to tell how it ended. After walking all day in some places where Jesus walked, I spent the evening with others from across the globe gathered to worship Him. People of various races and languages lifted their voices with vigor praising the Lord of the nations.

A brother from Darfur spoke of a little boy whose weeping, praying mother sent him to run away to another city where he might have a chance to survive, and that homeless kid living on the streets grew up to serve the Lord and devote his time to feeding children on the streets of Sudan. Want to know how this man knew the story? He was that boy.

Glory.

Scoping out the Decapolis

Here's the view from my room this morning, right before dawn.

Today the agenda has us visiting these sites:

Decapolis and Perea (Old Testament Ammonite Kingdom) On the way are olive groves and pine forests referenced in the Bible as the Forests of Gilead. Nearby is Mahanaim (near the Jabbok River), where Jacob wrestled with the Angel and where David sought refuge during his son Absalom’s rebellion.

Um Qais (ancient Gadara) This site is where the miracle of the Gadarene swine (Matthew 8:28-32) happened. At this location people can stand at the junction of Syria, Israel, and Jordan and overlook the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias). An ancient five-aisled basilica from the fourth century was recently excavated here, as well.

Rihab Center for Archaeological Studies – overview and tour of excavations at catacomb/St. George’s Church and tour. Archaeologists have discovered a cave underneath one of the world’s oldest churches.

Jerash (ancient Gerasa) Jerash is noted in the Bible as being in the “region of the Garasenes” and is considered one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the world.

If I have any energy left after all that, I may attend an evening international worship service or connect with someone I need to interview.

I feel rested and ready to face the day. I've been up since 3 AM Jordanian time, so it may be an early evening for me. :)

Outside the Wardrobe

Have you ever eaten at a Middle Eastern restaurant? Dark-haired people speak Arabic and the music wanders. When I walked onto my Royal Jordanian airlines flight out of New York City, that's how the atmosphere felt. But now that I’ve actually arrived in Amman, I feel more like C. S. Lewis’s adventurers taking their first steps outside the wardrobe. The smell of cigarettes everywhere mingles with that of food cooked in olive oil. And there's that same sound--like “stream of consciousness” set to music. I detect no tunes, only notes.

Our group of about twenty journalists, a fairly even mix of men and women, from the states met for the first time as we gathered in the Amman terminal before gathering our bags—which were run through security scanners before we could take them out. Then we boarded a bus for the thirty-minute ride to our beautiful downtown hotel. There we waited once again for our bags to be scanned before we could tote them into the hotel.

So far my most interesting experience has been reading yesterday’s Jordan Times. When was the last time news out of Jordan was pasted all over our papers? Well, the headlines here said, “After historic win, Obama looks to future” with this subhead: “World reaction mostly positive.” Jordan and the U.S. have a history of good relations, and everyone expects that to continue. One reporter did acknowledge that Jordan may soon receive less aid, but only because of the financial crisis, not because of a failure in diplomacy. Interestingly, while the US stock market plunged, Jordan’s shot up in response to our election results.

The paper contained numerous stories about positive worldwide reactions. How about this one: “Kogelo, Kenya (AP) – Barak Obama’s Kenyan relatives and Africans across the continent sang, danced in the streets and wrapped themselves in US flags Wednesday to cheer for America’s first black president. Kenya will party for two days, after the president declared a national holiday.” The article also said partiers picked up Obama’s half-brother and carried him through the village, and Kenya’s president declared a public holiday. So did Sierra Leone, where newborn babies were named “Barak Obama” at the city’s main maternity hospital.

While many Americans watched the election results with a “ho-hum, sure will be glad when this election is finally over” attitude, the Jordanian news reported a much different response across the globe.

People here held all-night watch parties in private homes or at the US embassy; international students attending college in the U.S. called their parents in the middle of the night yelling “We did it!” Not they did it, as one proud father living in Jerusalem pointed out, but we.

A European wrote a column saying how the standard response to those challenging racism in the past in his own country has been "At least we’re not as bad as the liberty-loving US! Look at their pathetic history on racism. People don't change." Now, he says, their excuses are silenced. All defenses shift to the past tense. The election of a black president says the US has overcome and November 4, 2008 marked the beginning of “someday.” Not only have US citizens demonstrated we’re less racist than Europeans thought. More troubling—and exciting in its implications—to this writer (him, not me) was that we’re less racist than his own people are. Illusion shattered.

There were other reasons cited for the excitement. For some Obama’s win is a CinderFella story. Instead of the privileged rich kid becoming king, we have a kid breaking through both class and race barriers to ascend to the most powerful political office on earth. It screams to the oppressed that “All things are possible! Don’t give up! Yes, we can!”

Recurring themes like “justice” and “cooperation” kept popping up in the prose, as well. Here they say our image has been badly tarnished by the letter-of-the-law-but-violation-of-the-spirit practices at Guantanamo. When Americans think of the biggies happening in our nation, Guantanamo has not generally been on the list. But for many outside the US, it’s on the top three or four. Where were those who believe in human dignity on that one? Mostly defending their political party over justice—again, the way they see it here.

In the columns I read, the word “justice” kept popping up. And not just from the nations who typically criticize the US. It was pretty much worldwide. One Arab commentator even predicts a two-month honeymoon period in US/Middle East relations. The mere statement by Barak Obama that he would speak to Iran, while considered “soft on terrorism” by many of my friends at home is seen here more like a lovesick man separated from his wife saying “She many not want to work it out with me, but I’m stopping at nothing to make sure I’ve done everything I can.” They want to hope America, which once had a reputation for having the moral high ground, will be the last to quit trying.

Getting Settled

After being up all night, we'll get settled in Amman, try to get over jet lag, and attend a welcome dinner at the hotel in the evening. I'm eight hours ahead of Dallas time, so I should be having dinner while most of my friends are having a mid-morning cup of coffee. Afterward it's time to rest up, because the itinerary for tomorrow is non-stop.

From JFK

I made it through Atlanta to New York City and I'm sitting in the international terminal at JFK waiting for my flight to take off (one more hour).

FYI, for those praying for my return arrangements, Delta was kind enough to double-book me, so if I miss my flight on the return, I have a back-up reservation 12 hours later out of a different NYC airport, but at least I'll make it home one way or another. (The international flight back got delayed 2 hours, giving me only one hour on the way back to get through a terminal change, passport check, customs, security, and bag check--very unlikely.)

So far so good. :)

On to Amman

Today I'm scheduled to leave for Jordan, going through Atlanta to New York and on from there leaving for Amman tonight. Pray for "traveling mercies," okay?

A bit of history: After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's two daughters--seeing no eligible men--got their father drunk, and afterward they gave birth to a son each. One was named Moab and the other Ben-Ammi (father of the Ammonites). Their descendants inhabited parts of present-day Jordan. Ruth was from Moab. And it shouldn't be difficult to figure out where the name "Amman" comes from. At one time the city of Amman was the city of Philadelphia, not to be confused with the one mentioned in the Book of Revelation (1:11; 3:7).

Our host for the trip is the Jordanian Board of Tourism, and I'm going with a group of journalists with the religion press. I've pre-written my blog posts for the next nine days in case I don't have access. That way you can follow my itinerary and hopefully remember to pray for me (and my family back home who will, no doubt, eat more pre-packaged food than usual).

It's amazing to think of being where Moses looked into the Promised Land, where Jesus was baptized, and the site of ancient Petra!

Travel Time

In about 48 hours "if God wills" my husband will be taking me to the airport where I'll head to NYC and from there on to the Middle East with a group of journalists. You can follow my itinerary by checking back here--I've got it preprogrammed in case I have "spotty" internet access. I confess to being a wee bit nervous, but it's the chance of a lifetime. (Feel free to pray for me.) I'm setting up the rest of my interviews today and tomorrow.

Some have asked what we decided about Kenya. Some day soon I plan to tell the whole cool story here. But the bottom line is that my hubby is now working stateside with East-West, serving Kenyan nationals as they dig wells, start schools, empower and educate women, help orphans, set up microbusiness enterprises, and plant churches. If that sounds like something you want to be part of, here's a link to our account. We have cool stories to tell about this work. Stay tuned.