This is our chapel in Husn. There's no sign saying "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" out front. We're not sure how people find it, but they do. It's a rented building and not a normal LDS church building. There's an "immersion" out in the parking lot. (that's Jordanian for baptismal font). About 17 or 18 people attend. Four are BYU students studying Arabic here in Jordan.
The stone building is quite cold so we dress warm, wear thermals and bring a blanket. Actually Sister Tolley wears thermals.
Morad taught Sunday School and his lesson was on the Plan of Salvation. Even though we couldn't understand the words, we understood the message. At one point, he switched over to English and said, "When God created the garden of Eden it was like a father who provided an apartment for his son and he furnished the place with a stove, a bed, dishes and other items he thought his son might need. After all that, if he told his son to have no children, it wouldn't make sense." We loved the analogy. It fits right in with the culture here.
Morad will be graduating from school next spring and then he plans to go to BYU for an advanced degree. He broke up with his American girlfriend recently. She has waited 3 years for him and now she just couldn't wait any longer and wants to get on with her life. 3 years is a very long time for an American girl, but the Jordanians often have engagements that last for years because their families won't let them get married until they finish school and have a good job. Some couples wait 20 years. It's insane.
In Relief Society the sisters chatted like magpies for the first few minutes. I understood they were catching up on the news. During the lesson the women were completely absorbed in the scriptures and read long passages together. It was so sweet. I understand that many of them can't have the scriptures in their homes or carry them around. It's dangerous. So they use the scriptures at the Church.
Amer's sister, Sewar is in exams at school, but came to church. This is not insignificant, because the exams are very important and go on for a long period of time. Everyone stresses out about them a lot. None of the other young people in the branch come to church during exams. We asked Sewar if the Lord blesses her for keeping the Sabbath and she said yes, she got 97% on her last exam! She mentioned that she was upset because two boys at her school were killed in an automobile accident yesterday. Arabic people console themselves by saying "It's God's will" whenever anything bad happens. Sewar told us it was God's will.
After the meeting I saw Brother Fayez standing out on the porch holding a beautiful bead necklace. I asked him what it was because we have two necklaces just like it in our apartment on the shelf. He explained that the beads were prayer beads and he recited the Lord's prayer as he passed the beads through his fingers. Many members have a hard time giving up their Catholic traditions when they join the church. We have to understand and teach them.
After the meeting I saw Brother Fayez standing out on the porch holding a beautiful bead necklace. I asked him what it was because we have two necklaces just like it in our apartment on the shelf. He explained that the beads were prayer beads and he recited the Lord's prayer as he passed the beads through his fingers. Many members have a hard time giving up their Catholic traditions when they join the church. We have to understand and teach them.
These four BYU Students are in Jordan studying Arabic. They take the bus to Husn from Amman every Sunday to attend church with our branch.
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