I started this week with the realization that the semester's almost over! And this realization was accompanied by the fact that I may have almost a whole week off after finals end before I head back to the US on Dec. 23rd. So either that gives me a lot of time to hang out around Jordan and check out places that I haven't been to yet, or...visit Turkey or Lebanon! I'm leaning toward Turkey because everyone that went during the Eid al-Adha break said Istanbul was spectacular and worth every penny.
Jeremiah 2 Study
Thanks for your prayers last week. We had a pretty good discussion on Jeremiah 2 and the nature of sin and idolatry, which was a good carry-over from Mark's sermon at UCCD. After examining the ways we eagerly desert God for lesser objects of worship and the adulterous-image-charged descriptions of whoring after idols, it was great reminding ourselves of the good news at the end of the study. Please pray that next week we would be as meditative on the good news of Christ.
Israel/Palestine Next Weekend
Lord willing, next weekend I will be embarking to the "Holy Land" for a visit to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Next week is (apparently) the last week of Arabic language classes, which means I won't have class on Sunday, giving me an extended weekend to travel. The whole gang is going, Daniel Magalotti, Cindy, Stephen, and JoEllen. Cindy has a friend who lives in Jerusalem and he'll be helping us out with getting around and living situations. Instead of giving you the speculated predictions of what it will be like getting across the border on the Allenby Bridge and security and what I might be seeing in Israel/Palestine, I'll save it for next week.
Lots of Tragedy
I realized this week that this trip has been filled with a lot of tragic family problems for people around me. Daniel Magalotti rushed back to Pennsylvania this past week to see his grandfather, who took a turn for the worst. Alex Fischer's grandfather passed away a few days ago. Jerus (a friend from my program who's in my Arabic classes) father had a throat problem in Nigeria and is currently hospitalized in London; he went to visit him during the Eid al-Adha break and just got back two days ago. The brother of Rabi'a, my Classical Arabic teacher, passed away this past week. And the husband of a friend of Umm Salaam passed away last week. You can pray that my heart would be appropriately burdened for these individuals and that God would use these tragedies to draw them to Himself.
Transportation to Class
I do a lot of weekly updates in terms of events, but have not really treated any thematic issues that I deal with on a regular basis; so I have decided to briefly explain how transportation works for me every day. I take the public bus to the university, which is only a 5-10 minute ride (30-40 minute walk). The ride costs 30 piasters, which is about 50 cents. To get to the "bus stop," which is just a general area or wherever you want to wave one down, I need to cross 4-lanes of traffic and a "construction site" in-between where the government is building a public-transportation expressway. Hopefully the government won't be too efficient and finish the expressway before I leave and obstruct my routine crossing! Public buses have something called a "control," which is a suave, younger man who collects the payment, asks for your requested stop, and tells the bus driver the next location to drop people off. The "control" is also quite the gentleman becuase he always asks the men to get up if a woman comes on and there are no empty seats.
To get to work and back to school or home I take the taxi. Taxis are occassionaly fun when you get a talkative driver who is fascinated with a foreigner learning Arabic and tries to teach you words and asks the usual questions--where are you from, what do you study, how long are you in Jordan for, why do you study Arabic. I've taken to telling drivers I'm from China, instead of explaining the complicated US-citizen/growing up in Taiwan business. Interestingly, the Chinese have quite the good reputation. Everyone loves Hu Jintao, dislikes George W. Bush (naturally), and thinks Obama is "nos-nos," that is, so-so. One taxi driver told me he was Muhammad Ali and would not stop doing boxing moves throughout the ride. Many taxi drivers also stop at coffee shops on the way to your destination or fill up gas; you've just got to go with the flow--something I've learned from being in the Arab world.
Reading Updates:
I know I haven't done this in a while, but thought I might as well pile it on. If you've read any of the books below, I'd love to chat about them!
Recently Finished:
Jeremiah 2 Study
Thanks for your prayers last week. We had a pretty good discussion on Jeremiah 2 and the nature of sin and idolatry, which was a good carry-over from Mark's sermon at UCCD. After examining the ways we eagerly desert God for lesser objects of worship and the adulterous-image-charged descriptions of whoring after idols, it was great reminding ourselves of the good news at the end of the study. Please pray that next week we would be as meditative on the good news of Christ.
Israel/Palestine Next Weekend
Lord willing, next weekend I will be embarking to the "Holy Land" for a visit to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Next week is (apparently) the last week of Arabic language classes, which means I won't have class on Sunday, giving me an extended weekend to travel. The whole gang is going, Daniel Magalotti, Cindy, Stephen, and JoEllen. Cindy has a friend who lives in Jerusalem and he'll be helping us out with getting around and living situations. Instead of giving you the speculated predictions of what it will be like getting across the border on the Allenby Bridge and security and what I might be seeing in Israel/Palestine, I'll save it for next week.
Lots of Tragedy
I realized this week that this trip has been filled with a lot of tragic family problems for people around me. Daniel Magalotti rushed back to Pennsylvania this past week to see his grandfather, who took a turn for the worst. Alex Fischer's grandfather passed away a few days ago. Jerus (a friend from my program who's in my Arabic classes) father had a throat problem in Nigeria and is currently hospitalized in London; he went to visit him during the Eid al-Adha break and just got back two days ago. The brother of Rabi'a, my Classical Arabic teacher, passed away this past week. And the husband of a friend of Umm Salaam passed away last week. You can pray that my heart would be appropriately burdened for these individuals and that God would use these tragedies to draw them to Himself.
Transportation to Class
I do a lot of weekly updates in terms of events, but have not really treated any thematic issues that I deal with on a regular basis; so I have decided to briefly explain how transportation works for me every day. I take the public bus to the university, which is only a 5-10 minute ride (30-40 minute walk). The ride costs 30 piasters, which is about 50 cents. To get to the "bus stop," which is just a general area or wherever you want to wave one down, I need to cross 4-lanes of traffic and a "construction site" in-between where the government is building a public-transportation expressway. Hopefully the government won't be too efficient and finish the expressway before I leave and obstruct my routine crossing! Public buses have something called a "control," which is a suave, younger man who collects the payment, asks for your requested stop, and tells the bus driver the next location to drop people off. The "control" is also quite the gentleman becuase he always asks the men to get up if a woman comes on and there are no empty seats.
To get to work and back to school or home I take the taxi. Taxis are occassionaly fun when you get a talkative driver who is fascinated with a foreigner learning Arabic and tries to teach you words and asks the usual questions--where are you from, what do you study, how long are you in Jordan for, why do you study Arabic. I've taken to telling drivers I'm from China, instead of explaining the complicated US-citizen/growing up in Taiwan business. Interestingly, the Chinese have quite the good reputation. Everyone loves Hu Jintao, dislikes George W. Bush (naturally), and thinks Obama is "nos-nos," that is, so-so. One taxi driver told me he was Muhammad Ali and would not stop doing boxing moves throughout the ride. Many taxi drivers also stop at coffee shops on the way to your destination or fill up gas; you've just got to go with the flow--something I've learned from being in the Arab world.
Reading Updates:
I know I haven't done this in a while, but thought I might as well pile it on. If you've read any of the books below, I'd love to chat about them!
Recently Finished:
- Jane Eyre by Charolette Bronte
- Love in Hard Places by D.A. Carson
- The Iron Wall by Avi Shlaim
Currently Reading:
- The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink
- The Trial by Franz Kafka
- What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper (Chapter by Chapter)
- U.S.-China Relations by Council on Foreign Relations Task Force
Prayer Requests:
- That I would have good follow-up/debriefing conversations with Daniel about his time back home with family this past week; must have been difficult with his grandfather at the last stages and during Thanksgiving.
- Good conversations with Greg, who is a GW student that's on the program with me and recently started working with me at Aljidara.
- Fruit from the Bible Studies going through Jeremiah.
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