Sunday, May 25, 2008

Coming home...

Well well well, my journey has just about ended here in Jordan. I am very very very sad! Just thinking about leaving these beautiful people brings tears to my eyes! I can't explain how much love there is here. It's unbelievable! I have never felt so loved in my life from all the hospitality that has been shown. I wish some day it will be like that in America. I am going to miss it here more then anyone can ever know. I might hide out for a couple of days, so friends and family don't be mad, it is going to be hard for me to transition back. Especially since I don't really even want to come home. It is crazy to think when I first left and even up to about the second week here I was excited to come home but this last week has been amazing! We have been hanging out with so many Arab friends and I don't want to leave them, not in the slightest! Just today we hung out with soem awesome girls and were laughing and they took us around downtown then we went to one of the girls house and she served us tea and we shared more laughs. No one can understand what I have seen and who I have met they have to come out here for themselves and do it! I am excited to see my family and friends of course but I understand now what it is all about being here and what a difference a friendship out here can make. I hope I can really keep these beautiful people as my friends! I will and ya'll keep me accountable! Yesterday we went to Jerash, it was INCREDIBLE!!! Got lots of pics so I will post them as soon as I can. We got to go inside different caves (we weren't allowed to go in them but we were curious, haha) and see how the Romans lived and see the castles they built for the gods. It was really fun, and saw Roman theaters. I got to see 3 different ones, and some Jordanian men were playing bagpipes and drums and they played Amazing Grace and then Yankee doodle. It was so fun and all us girls started doing a Jordanian dance that we learned from friends. We were all laughing and having a blast! I really am becoming family with my team I love them so much! We are headed to citadel, a place in Jordan that is extremely high up and it looks over the city of Amman. It is gorgeous. That will be the last thing we do, then we pack up and leave. ='(

Hmmmm, well I am kind of speechless I didn't know it would feel this way. I thought I would be sad to leave but I didn't think it would go by this fast. It is a feeling I know I have to feel but I can fix it, I can come back. I will do everything I can and it is not me that is in control. I love you all so much I can not deny, and once again thank you for keeping me safe out here from you keeping me in your thoughts! I will let you all know when I am safely home. My girl Bowsa is getting me at the airport so no worries! Bye bye....

Saturday, May 17, 2008

UPDATE #2! =)

First of all, I just want to say I love you guys! All my friends that have been keeping up with me out here. It means more then you know! I am starting to get a little homesick because I have never been away from my friends or family this long. It is a good thing though! We are learning Arabic and it's going pretty good. Im excited to practice it with you when I get home, it is very very hard though! I love the people out here, it is sooo different but beautiful the way the people carry themseves! The women carry themselves in a whole lot different way then the women carry themselves in America. That has definitely been the biggest struggle for me, learning to hush up and not even look at men or they will think the wrong idea. Trust me they stare and stare and yell at you, but you have to ignore or they will be "naughty". Therehave been a couple very uncomfortable times for me and Kels because we are blonde, but luckily we have got some great guys with us. I am naturally a loud person so it is hard at times, but I know now that I can be the submissive, quiet women that I never thought I could be. It is interesting to see the culture here and how radically different it is from being home. I can't tell ya'll enough how much I love it here! I havent had major culture shock at all, I feel the same, just miss everyone that's all. I really can't go into detail about anything else. I wish I could but all I can do is share about myself really. Just know we are making MANY friends and learning each day. It is simply amazing over here, I hope one day everyone can experience it.

So, I went to Petra on Monday!!!!! Let me just say AMAZING!!! 3 mile walk in down hill and 3 mile walk out up hill, CRAZY! Luckily I was okay and wasn't to out of breath. Me and Kels rode camels!!!!!! We rode them for a good 10 minutes and took some neato pictures, my butt hurt afterwards though. It was super strange but super fun!!! There are zillions of places around Petra we saw a couple of tombs and climbed and hiked all over and went into caves and such! It was incredible to see the beautiful rock carved into a city! I can't wait to show you all the pictures! =)

Here's an update on my cleanliness. I have showered now a total of 3 times. Yippee! It is sooo dusty so everytime I shower dirt runs out of my hair, it is nasty but funny. I went a total of 3 days without shaving my legs, I KNOW CRAZY!! It was rough but I did it! Oh, and another thing our (the girls) water has been turned off for 3 days now. Haha, so it has been quite diffucult to brush our teeth, wash our face, shave my legs, haha, flush the toilet, wash our clothes and so on and so on. We have been hanging in there though, that is what it's all about. We are all being stretched and are doing great! The food once again, amazing! When I leave I know I will be very sad about leaving that.

Other then that I think everything is going great. People have been sick beyond belief on our team, and Guy had a rootcanal here in Jordan. There have been a few injuries but all in all we are handling everything moomtas (perfect in Arabic)! Well folks that's all she wrote, I am sorry once again I can't write more details about other things, but once again keep us all in your "thoughts" please we need it!!! A good note we are all getting along as a team perfectly! We have had no major conflict and all mesh so great! We all laugh and smile and work great together! =)

Alrighty dooders I am off to get lunch, it is 12:30 here which means it is 2:30am there. I love you all again!!!! SEE YOU SOON!!!! =)

9 days....

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Jordan

HI GUYS!!!!!! Ok first I want to say I made it safely, and jet lag wasnt too bad! I still am getting tired at random times but I am toughing it out! We had an 8 hour lay over in Germany so we got to go out and see Frankfurt for a while it was really cool! I am a quarter German so I got to see a little of my "home" haha. We got to Amman, Jordan at about 2:00am and our friend came to get us after we went through customs and all that crazy stuff it was about 3:30am and we were all soooo tired! Instantly I felt as if I was in a different country because of the language and look. It was dirty and dark feeling in the airport and people were trying to carry our bags for us and followed us out to the car and grabbed our stuff. They were trying to help but really all they want is a tip. It was a little strange and scary at first but now I am honestly used to the staring and looks. Our apt. or flat is what they call it is crazy. It is huge! Although, there is no hot water and we can't flush toilet paper down the toilet, it is pretty amazing! So do to that I have only taken one shower and am darn proud of it! Those that know me know that I can't go longer then two days with out shaving so I have been shaving with a bucket of water. Ha ha, I don't mess around! I enjoy it though. I can survive on this one-hundred percent. I think it shows how strong you can be when you don't even know it and how much we take what we have for granted, when in reality we don't need all the things we have, we just are used to being pampered. Alright, so I am going to go straight for the amazing things that have already happened on the trip! The first day we got to eat Yemen food and let me tell ya the food is excellent!!!! Later that night we got to eat Jordanian food which was even better! I love hummus and pita bread and that is everywhere in the Jordan! YUM YUM YUM!!! So I could go and on about how lovely there food is here but I think I might make you all a little jealous so we won't do that just yet ha ha. Yesterday, Saturday was our first tourist day. We are doing all the tourist stuff in the beginning of the trip for a reason. We went to the Jordan River and the Dead Sea yesterday. It honestly the most amazing day of my life! Let me tell you why, first I got baptized in the Jordan River, yes I did! I was the only one in the whole group that was allowed to go in the water and get baptized in the same place Jesus did. It was the most incredible feeling. Words can't even describe what it felt like! I made an outward expression from an inward decision and there was no better way to do it other then in the Jordan River, right? I thought so too. We toured around the place and got some awesome pictures and the team got a bunch of videos of me getting baptized too. There were different people there from all over the world coming up to me saying congratulations in different languages and shaking my hand it was neat! I was soaking wet so I couldn't go in the church at the Jordan River but I got to look inside at least and it was beautiful. After that we headed to the Dead Sea. Here are some random facts by Robert (a guy we met from Geogia) the Dead Sea is 20x saltier then the Ocean. The Dead Sea loses about an inch of its water every year and it is said that in 50 years the Dead Sea will be no longer there. Crazy hu? Robert knows just about everything about anything, trust me. We got to the Dead Sea and Kelsey, Guy and I ran in because we were so excited! It stung a little but we got right in and it's true, YOU FLOAT!!! It was sooooooooo cool! I didn't want to get out ever! Kels and I couldnt touch the floor but we were just sitting there bobbing and floating away. It is fun to play in it until you get the water in your eye, it stings horribly! Kels got in her eye and then decided to get some in mine and we were running around screaming! It was funny though. There is this special mud in the Dead Sea that is really good for your skin so Kels, Guy and I swam over there and it was under this salt rock. We put it all over our skin and face and looked black but it felt really good on our skin! Our whole team met up with us out there and we were all in the mud. It was one of the coolest experiences ever! There is so much more to say about this but you all have to wait until I get home. I have tons of pictures to show you all and I can't wait. I want to tell you all that is happening in Jordan beyond this but that will have to wait until I get home once again. Please just keep me in your "thoughts", rest assurred things are happening here! That's all I can say, I love you all and will update you soon hopefully! BOWSA thanx for my presents in my bag!!!! =) It was certainly a sweet suprise! XOXO!!!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

GOOOOOONE!

So it is 4am and I am writing a blog when I need to be up at about 6am to finish packing and getting ready, haha what am I doing? I am so excited to go to the Middle East. I was not for the whole moth of April, I was actually dreading it. Now I can say I am 100 percent ready and stoked for what God is going to do in my life and the lives I will come in contact with! I let other things distract me and now that that business is done and over with I feel so connected with God! It is just amazing! I am going to try and keep everyone updated on this blog as much as I can, but I can't make any promises. If anyone is interested my e-mail is shibbles123@yahoo.com, shoot me an e-mail and I will try and get back to you. I love you all and thanks to all for being so helpful and supportive through everything! I can't wait to tell ya'll about my trip when I get home. I will miss each and everyone of you!

BOWSA, don't find a new best friend I am coming back ok!!! haha I will miss you so much but when I come back, were roomies again the whole summer and we will go to chipotle everyday still!!! =-) You are the most amazing person Brit!!! I can't stress that enough! You mean everything to me, and your family has treated me as one of their own and I can't even explain how they have changed my life!

Potter, you are simply amazing I can't thank you enough for how many times you have gone to bat for me! I owe you so much, probably my life but God already has that sowwy, haha! I'll miss ya homie and be good while I am gone!

Brisco, oh brisco! I have had a long history with this one and it never gets old with her!!!! I love her to death and always have a great time when we get together! Brisk you better be ready for when I get back to get down at JOHN MAYER!!!! WHOOT WHOOT!

All the rest of you, meaning family and friends, I LOVE U GUYS SOOO MUCH! Jodi, Lisa and bowsa thank you for an awesome birthday before I left!!!! Also, thank you for your support the most, you guys have been the most supportive of everything I plan on doing in my life especially with this trip! AMAZING! Sheesh I have been blessed with amazing people! I am sooooo happy right now and I haven't been able to mean that for a long time. God has perfect timing!

BYE GUYS!!! See you in 3 weeks!!!! =)