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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…

Because the kids get Friday off from school but do have it on Saturday, we left after school on Thursday and did an overnight trip to Jericho. Jericho calls itself “The Oldest City in the World”–an argument it can take up with Damascus, Syria at its leisure. In Jericho one can visit the Mount of…

Things slowed down a bit after the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Which allowed Christy’s colleague Marc (originally from Aberdeen, Scotland) to host a belated Robbert Burns Night. He had an array of Scottish Gin and Scotch Whiskeys, as well as some helpful literature on their regional roots. He also had several Burns poems…

Tonight we all attended the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service at Kidane Mehret, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church outside the Old City. Tomorrow night we wrap up at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin (Greek Catholic), inside the Old City. Outside the church, which first opened in 1893. The church interior, as…

The Week of Christy Unity has kept Christy busy, including the worship service at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer on Monday, and service at the Armenian Patriarchate on Tuesday. Tonight’s service will take place in the Upper Room at Mount Zion, where tradition has it is the sight of Jesus’ Last Supper. In addition to…