Little Known Facts

Ok so many people have asked me to post this about things that are different here in Jordan vs. the States.  Here are some little known facts that I thought you might enjoy!

1.     Water Day:  Each household has a water tank (or couple of tanks) on the roof.  That water tank is all the water that is used for doing dishes, laundry, taking a shower, toilets, etc.  The water tank is filled once a week (and I just learned for some twice….jealous!)  The water gets turned on all day and is constantly filling on your water day so that is the day to run the water!!  Laundry is done this day and long showers are taken.  The problem with this is if you run out of water before the next water day.  L You can pay for a truck to come and fill you water tank or you can just wait till water day, but depending on when you run out…..that can be quite gross!

2.     No dryers: Most households do not have a clothes dryer. L  We have a washing machine but you have to hang your clothes to dry.  There are clothes lines up on balconies and rooftops, but if it’s a cold and/or a rainy day your clothes take FOREVER to dry.  You can dry your clothes on the clothes rack inside, but it still takes some time for them to dry.  Not to mention if we happen to be having a dust storm.  If your clothes are hanging outside during that….can you say the word re-wash?

3.     Can I get it delivered?  McDonalds, Burger King and Pizza Hunt are some of the fast food restaurants here and guess what??  You can call in your order to all these places and they will deliver to your house!

4.     Smoking ok: Smoking is EVERYWHERE here!!!  It still throws me off to see ash trays on the tables at restaurants.  Personally I didn’t used to mind the smell of smoke, but now I absolutely detest it! 

5.     Everybody wants to be a cat: Cats are also EVERYWHERE here!  I can’t even tell you how many times I have been walking down the street and a cat will jump out of a garbage can because it was in there looking for food!  It’s crazy!  They are just everywhere here.  Jordan is like one huge version of Disney’s Aristocats!!  However, as one person put it, “would you rather see cats on the streets or rats?” 

6.     Work/School On Saturdays! The work/school week here for most is everyday except for Fridays.  Fridays there is no work and no school.  Most malls don’t open till about 2:00pm on Fridays.  Schools are either Sun-Thursday or Mon to Thursday with a spilt weekend. (no school Fridays and then back to school on Saturday and then no school again on Sunday.) 

7.     Was that a gunshot? When people are celebrating things like weddings, soccer games victories, etc you can pretty much expect to hear shot guns being fired.  It used to startle me, now I don’t even blink! J 

8.     Long life milk!  The cheapest and easiest milk to buy here is long life milk.  It’s not powered milk, it’s milk that is on the shelves of the grocery stores and I have no idea what they do it to make it "long life."  You store it in your cupboards till opening it and then put it in the refrigerator.  Well, I put one in the refrigerator before opening it so it’s cold.  I was not too sure about this when first arriving, but it taste pretty good.  I wouldn’t drink of glass of it but I do drink the rest that is in my cereal.  There is also fresh milk at the stores.  This is a little more expensive than long life milk and the expiration date is always 3 days from the day you buy it.

9.     Can’t leave a voice mail: I don’t think voice mail with cell phones even exists here.  No one has a voice mail box so if you call someone and don’t get an answer, you have to send a text. 

 10.Easter in May: Here is something I just recently learned.  The Orthodox Easter is celebrated here.  So while you all in the States will be celebrating Easter, March 30^th, I won’t be celebrating it till May 5^th.   This will allow you to buy things after your Easter and then send them to me for mine!  PS I like normal the jelly beans and peeps!  J. 

 11.Hooray for Hollywood! Pretty much all the movies released in the States are release here as well.  Sometimes at the same time they are released in the States, but sometimes later.  Lincoln and Les Mis have not come out here yet, but are suppose to soon so I’m looking forward to that.  The cost for going to the movies here is pretty much the same price that we pay in California.  When you buy your movie ticket, you pick your seat so it’s assigned seating which is fun.  And you can buy popcorn….normal OR caramel popcorn to snack on while watching your movie!  And of course all the other kind of movie snacks. 

Let's Start A New Habit!

Yesterday I left Amman and took a bus down to the city of Aqaba (pronounced Acaba), which is about 4 hours south of Amman.  It is absolutely beautiful here!  For me it was one of  those moments when you step out for the first time, take a look at where you are and feel a a sense of peace wash over you. 

After getting settled, I walked down to the beaches of the Red Sea where you can see parts of Israel and on a clear day I heard you can also see Egypt.  As I stared across those waters, I was just moved to think that those very waters that were in front of me & I could touch were the waters that God parted for Israel as they were escaping from Pharaoh so long ago.  I can’t even described to you how awe struck I was as I stared across and was trying to picture the waters parted and dry ground being right in the middle allowing one to simply walk across.  There are no words to describe how I felt at that moment.  It was one where I was just in awe of our great God. 

This morning as I was reading my devotions, I read this:  “I want you to learn a new habit.  Try saying, ‘I trust You Jesus’ in response to whatever happens to you.  If there is time, think about who I AM in all My power and glory; ponder also the depth and breadth of My love for you.” 

Reading this after seeing the Red Sea touched my heart in such a deep way.  Thinking about the power and glory of Jesus is just so overwhelming!  He has the power to do absolutely anything.  He parted the sea to save His people!!  He is able to move mountains!  His love for me is so deep my little brain cannot even begin to comprehend how much He loves me. 

I am going to develop this new habit of saying “I trust You Jesus” this year.  No matter what happens, whether it is good or bad, I want to hold on to the hand of my Savior and know that He will guide and direct me to what He wants for me.  I challenge you to develop this habit with me.  We all know that this year will be filled with many blessings, but realistically there will also be times when we will be standing at the shores of a huge sea and think that all hope is lost.  But remember that He can part the seas and you can walk on dry ground!  There is nothing too hard for Him to do!! And when we are trusting Him through those tough times, I have a feeling that we will see that the bad times are wonderful blessings from Him as well.  

Always

The other day I came to the conclusion that I tend to get a lot more sentimental around New Year’s vs. at Christmas time.  I think the reason why is that in the days leading to December 31^st it is one big retrospect of both the good and bad things that filled the last year.

As I look back at this year, it was filled with lots of changes for me.  I said goodbye to my father as he passed away in June.  I moved out of where I had lived for quite some time and quit my job to move halfway around the world.   I live in a new country where I am constantly learning new things about the culture, the language and where doing such a simple task like going to the grocery store can still be the most exhausting chore I do. 

There have been many blessings this year as well.  I have made so many new friends who are an answer to prayers prayed by so many before I came to Jordan.  I have been reminded of the great group of friends that I have back home who have shown me more love and support than I could ever imagine.  I have a family who faithfully prays for me and for all my new friends. 

Most of all I am growing closer to my Savior.  Each day Jesus takes me to a deeper place with Him and I am learning how to be constantly in His presence throughout my day.  As this lesson penetrates deeper into my heart, I trust Him more.  As I stay in His presence throughout the day, He is changing my heart and making me into the person He wants me to be.  He is pouring his infinite wisdom in my heart, soul, and mind.

Am I feeling sentimental as 2012 comes to close?  Yes because in looking back, I see the faithful hand of God.  Tonight this song was played and it brought tears to my eyes and I sang it: 

Standing on this mountaintop

Looking just how far we’ve come

Knowing that for every step

You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much You’ve done

Knowing every victory

Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

                You are faithful, God, You are faithful

 Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Carried by Your constant grace

Held within Your perfect peace

                                                    Never once, no, we never walk alone

Every step we are breathing in Your grace

Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

                                                   You are faithful, God, You are faithful

He has been and will always be faithful!  Those are the most beautiful words and such a marvelous promise!   Happy New Year!

A Christmas To Remember

Yes I know it’s been quite a while since I have written in my blog.  It was a combination of things that kept me from writing.  One, I was busy teaching English, studying Arabic (where I’ve reached the point I have to study at least an hour a day!), meeting new friends both Arabs and foreigners….busy!  And then I wasn’t sure what to write.  Life seemed pretty routine and kind of boring!  But the last couple of weeks brought something to mind that I thought I would share with all of you.

As Thanksgiving was approaching I was excited!  I simply love the holidays, but then I remembered that I wasn’t in America celebrating this time of year. I started to feel a little homesick since.  And as I looked around Amman, there were very little signs that the holidays were upon us.  Thanksgiving day is just another day here.  Kids still go to school, and people still go to work.  The weekend that followed Thanksgiving I was seeing countless posts on facebook of people putting up their Christmas decorations and posting pictures.  That excited feeling I had because it was the holiday season soon turned back into that homesick feeling I had after first arriving here.  Holiday traditions were not going to happen this year and that made me sad.

As I was listening to some Christmas music that I have on my computer, a song came on called “A Christmas To Remember.”  The second verse of the song caught my attention:

I know it's true

Time doesn't stand still

Many things can change

But we know some things never will

The memories we share

The songs we always sing

The mystery of life

The hopefulness this season brings

And I have a dream or two

Maybe they will come true

Setting our hopes on a big snow tonight

We'll wake up to a world of white

It's gonna be a Christmas to remember

Light up the fire, play some Nat King Cole

Always sentimental and don't you know that

It's gonna be a Christmas to remember

Just because I don’t have my countless tubs of Christmas decorations to put up this year and because I’m not home doesn’t change what Christmas is all about.  This season brings hope.  It brought us all hope so long ago.  Heck, I’m so physically close to where it all happened!!!  It will be a different way of celebrating.  There are not decorations everywhere on the streets, but there are decorations in a few places I visit.  It feels like Christmas in Starbucks with the red cups and the Christmas music that’s been playing since before Thanksgiving!  This year I will just need to find it and look for it unlike at home where it’s everywhere you go! 

Don’t get me wrong, I will probably still have moments of sadness and there will probably be some tears.  I don’t think it would be normal if I weren’t a bit homesick and sad at Christmas time.  However, I can’t let those sad moments ruin this precious holiday!  I’m just choosing to look at this way….. this year it’s going to be a Christmas to remember!