Category: Uncategorized

The past several weeks have been busy with school, sports, travel, and being present for friends and others. Sadie and Christy went on a school trip to Washington, DC, promptly followed by Christy and I popping back up to DC for a two-day Churches for Middle East Peace advocacy summit. Sadie (school) and Riley (YMCA)…

Hey, y’all. It’s been a minute. As many/most know by now, we have been relocated to the US given the ongoing political and military crisis in the region. We are back in North Carolina for the time being, with the kids finishing out the school year and trying new sports (for Riley, t’s flag football;…

Seen outside the Royal Automobile Museum. The letter on the red block is the letter “m” (mim) in Arabic, but it reminded me of the Philadelphia Phillies logo. This is a Mercedes race/rally at the museum. I post it out of appreciation for the VHS recorder attached to the front bumper. Respect for the old…

One our hosts was performing in a school Spring music concert, so we headed down to the Rainbow Street neighborhood to hear a selection of choral and orchestra pieces performed by students from Grade 1 through high school, as well as some community members. Wize One seems distressed. Inside a local bookstore we encountered a…

We got out of the bubble for a few hours to visit the Roman Theatre as well as Citadel Hill, an archaeological site where you can find the remains of (amongst other things) a mosque, a Byzantine church, and a temple to Hercules. Which gives you a sense of why it is considered one of…

We got out of our host’s apartment for a few hours to check out Amman’s nearby City Mall, and pick up some provisions for the coming days. The mall includes a HyperMax, which is said to be the largest retail store in the country. Think Costco or Sam’s Club, but with two floors instead of…

Given the current uncertainty in the region, we have relocated to Jordan and are staying with our very gracious and generous colleagues Jen and Mark, while we assess current events and next steps. The day started at 5:00am and included a super long line of vehicles at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge crossing. But, we –…

As is the tradition on Shrove Tuesday, we prepared for the start of the Lenten season by hosting a pancake dinner at church. We are immensely grateful to those who shared the meal with us (28 in all, including the Lohr Sapps), and to our colleagues Olivia and Nik for all their help with prep…

Christy and I are always on the lookout for religious artwork. It can be more traditional in approach, such as the painting we bought of St. Paul’s Reformed Church in Newton. But it can also be things that bring joy in their own quirky way, like this little gem that we found at a gift…