Jordan....Best Trip EVER!

I had no idea what in the world we were going to do, when they told us that we were going to spend four days in the country of Jordan, but it was a blast!
DAY 1:
The border between Israel and Jordan is actually less than an hour bus drive from Jerusalem.  Going through security took a little bit of time, and we had to switch buses for some reason.  We headed straight to our first sight which was to Mt. Nebo.  This is the mountain in which Moses was on looking over to Jerusalem and Jericho, into the land that the children of Israel were going to enter, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to enter.  It is also probably the spot where Elijah and Moses were translated.

The next spot was Madaba.  There we went to the St. George Church, which has a mosaic floor that depicts Jerusalem as it was during the Byzantine time era.

The last stop was a hike up to Machareus (spelling?).  It was a pretty steep hike, but the view from the top was beautiful.  There Bro. Judd gave a devotional about John the Baptist, because this is where John the Baptist was jailed and beheaded.

DAY 2
PETRA!!!!!
Think Indiana Jones...
It was a nice boiling hot day, but I made it through some of the hikes we were allowed to do.  When most people think of Petra, they think of the "Treasury."  I don't think I have ever been so excited to see a spot like this before.  Here is where I paid to ride a camel named "Daisy, for like one minute but it was totally worth it.  The best part of riding a camel is when they stand up with you on them.  My balancing wasn't as good as I thought.  After that a group of us hiked to the "Monastary" and shopped at the jewelery shops on the way back.  This area is just full of tombs, and there was also a Palace to Dushar, and the "Great Palace." 

DAY 3
Spark note version:
City of Amman

Temple of Hercules

Jerash (which is a ancient Roman city)
Jabbok river:  where it is written that Jacob wrestled with an angel
A night in down town Amman with Bro. and Sis. Chadwick

DAY 4

This was a very short day, when it comes to visiting spots.  We packed up our luggage and head to a huge Roman theater.  It was fun because there was an X mark on the floor in which if you stood the acoustics were really loud!  After we picked up some KFC for lunch and head to the Jordan river.  This day was by far the hottest ever!  The Jordan river was amazing.  My Old Testament teacher Bro. Muhlstein gave a devotional and talked about the different feelings between people baptizing themselves, and baptizing with the correct authority.  I was able to stand in the river and meditate on what occured in this area. 

That night after we got home, a group of us went to a concert in West Jerusalem.  The artist was named Matisyahu.  He sings the songs:  "One Day" and "Jerusalem if I Ever Forget You."  Of course we had to be front and center so we were totally squished the whole time. I lasted a couple hours, but I ended up leaving before he ever sang the two songs that I actually knew. 

Finals are this upcoming week!  Time has just flown past, because I only have 6 weeks left to do a million things I want to do in the Holy Land!!!



Jabbok river




Downtown Amman




Crazy taxi driver who flailed his hands and only drove with his knees ....never again will I ride in a Jordan taxi!!




We went to a book store and caught up on summer reading.



Jordanean King's night club!!!

I think I could be vegetarian

Matisyahu concert:  waiting to go in!

On Mt. Nebo there is a replica of serpant statue that the children of Moses were suppose to look to and be healed.

St. George Church

Jerusalem!!

Jordan Barbies :)

The Siq in Petra

The owner of the camel

Daisy the camel

The Treasury in Petra

I might have gotten hurt trying to climb the Monastary

The monastary

A little Bedawin boy!

Dushar's temple

Karate chop!

The Police...

Jerash--in front of the Temple of Artemis

In the holy of holies in the temple of Artemis (who is the goddess of love etc.)

Theater in Jerash

Main street (cardo) in Jerash

The spot a person is suppose to stand in the Roman theater who hear the best acoustics

In the River Jordan!!!

Machearus where John the Baptist was beheaded

Josiah being tough in front of the temple of Hercules

Ouch!..skull that has holes from a brain surgery