This past week was our field trip to Jordan. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect there, but Jordan did not disappoint. For such a small country, it is packed full of sites from the scriptures and also many fun places.
The first day, we successfully crossed the Jordan-Israel border (hooray! but we didn't get a Jordan stamp. boo!) and headed straight to Mt. Nebo. This mountain top is where Moses looked out to the promised land. Our guide told us that from 1933 to the present day, archeologists have been looking for Moses' tomb on this mountain. Good luck with that.
(Pictures: 1. Modern sculpture of the staff that Moses held up and commanded the children of Israel to look at. 2. Jessica, me, and Danielle posing at the Mt. Nebo sign. 3. View towards Jerusalem from Mt. Nebo. 4. Map at the top of Mt. Nebo showing the directions to all the surrounding areas.)
Here is an aside about the bus. We spent some quality time on it. Starting in Turkey, our teachers have trained us to fall asleep on the bus. I'm not sure they meant for this to happen, but it's too late now. Brother Harper has the most soothing voice that puts me to sleep. He should think about narrating a book on tape. But, in a nutshell, the bus consists of sleeping, snacking, listening to our guides/professors, and talking. Also, I have mastered the art of "socking-up." In case you were wondering, this is where I take off my sandals and put socks on to be more comfortable during the long rides.
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| Yes. We love the bus THIS much. |
Also, I thought I should introduce you to our guide, Mohammed. During the four days, he wore 2 outfits. The first was all shades of green (see below), and the second was all shades of tan. It was pretty easy to pick him out of a crowd. Also, during one of his lectures, I counted how many pockets he had on his outfit. 17 POCKETS, people. I even counted twice to make sure. Pretty classy, huh? Mohammed was an excellent tour guide. I loved how excited he was about his country and its history. He gave many great insights on Islam, his religion. Plus, he affectionately nicknamed us "tigers."
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| Here's Mohammed teaching us at Madaba. |
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| Part of the map mosaic. It's found on the grounds of the church. |
At the city of Madaba, we saw a huge Byzantine-era map mosaic of the Holy Land.
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Whitney, Sarah, Desiree, Susy, Danielle, Kaylee, Mary, and me
outside the church at Madaba.
Our final stop of the day was at Machaerus, the supposed place where John the Baptist was beheaded. I really enjoyed singing some hymns up at the top of the ruins. We were there during the sunset, and the views of the Dead Sea and surrounding wilderness were beautiful. |
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| Me, Danielle, Andy, and Lindsay. |
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| View from the Machaerus. |
