We Started a Riot

All we wanted to do was deliver some food boxes to the Syrian refugees with Jamal today.  The boxes were special for Ramadan and included two frozen chickens and two packages of frozen meat.  Everyone was so excited to get them, but the excitement turned ugly when some men from another camp tried to get in on the give-away.  Accusations were made, people yelled at Jamal, they started shoving and pushing and then we left. "Yella!  Yella!  (let's go, let's go!!)

Rocks and sticks were flying as we drove away.  We have to sympathize with these people.  If we were in their shoes we would probably do everything we could to get food too.  They are hungry and desperate.

No Eating Allowed

Today we had a 9 o'clock appointment to get our car serviced so we left early, drove an hour and a half to Amman, waited for 3 1/2 hours for our car, missed our appointment to go out on a food box delivery and couldn't have anything to eat or drink until we got home.  Tonight we're a little bit cranky.  We don't know how the Muslims can do this every day for a month.

Boom!! Rattle Rattle!!

Yesterday we heard a loud boom and the windows shook.  Lynn said it was probably the wind blowing one of the doors shut.  Later on we found out that a stray shell from Syria had come over across the border into Ramtha about 10 miles from here and hit a house and that's what shook our windows.  A young man was killed and 4 people were sent to the hospital with injuries.  There were four other "stray" shells during the day.

This morning the members of the church from Irbid were all excited that the traffic around streets by the mosques was being rerouted because the cities of Ramtha and Irbid were expecting protests.  People are kind of edgy anyway because they're fasting and they've been staying up all night.  We decided to send everyone home after Sacrament Meeting for their safety.

As far as we can find out, nothing much happened.  The police were ready and had all the streets around the mosques blocked off.  In a few days everything should be back to normal.  No announcements from the embassy, so we should be okay.

Special Ramadan Breakfast Foods

The belief is that the prophet Mohammed ate three dates when he broke his fast.  Today dates are on the menu for Iftar (the fast breaking meal before sunrise).  The markets around the area have been selling a brown liquid, usually in a plastic bag or a used soda bottle that looks like oil for your car.  Our friends offered us a drink made from the brown liquid and explained that it's made from dried dates.

Thick and very sweet!

Pancakes anyone?

The Jordanians ruin these perfectly good yummy pancakes by folding them over, putting coconut in the middle, crimping the sides, baking until brown and dipping them in sugar water.  Haven't they heard of butter and maple syrup?  With a side of bacon of course which you would never get here.

The Great Reconciliation

The road to Amman goes through some beautiful country--large valleys, hills filled with olive orchards and magnificent vistas. 

 

We travel this road a LOT!

 In one area the road slopes down, passes between two mountains and then crosses over the ancient Jabbok river.  

In Genesis when Jacob took his wives and left to go back to Canaan his father-in-law Laban was not happy.  Laban chased after Jacob and they had a big "discussion" by this river about the unfair way Jacob had been treated.  The two men settled their differences, and Laban left peacefully.

This was not the end of Jacob's worries.  Twenty years earlier he had fled Cannan when his brother Esau threatened to kill him.   Now Jacob was scared to death to go back.  He sent his servants ahead and they returned with the news that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men. That night Jacob prayed fervently for help and the Lord told him "I will do thee good."  The next day Jacob started sending presents to Esau--goats, sheep, camels, cattle and servants to say nice things.  Then he sent his wives and sons away and waited alone for Esau.

While Jacob was waiting an angel came to him and they wrestled most of the night.  Jacob asked for a blessing and was given a new name--Israel.

In the morning Jacob bowed himself to the ground seven times when Esau approached.  Then Esau ran to meet him and "embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him: and they wept."

Murmur, Murmur, Murmur

My job is to help Haia Tashman prepare the lesson for Relief Society on Friday (the Sabbath).  Sounds easy, right?  Not so much!!  All week I've been worrying about it...worry, worry worry.

1.  How do I communicate with and teach a young woman who can only speak limited English and can't read any English?
2.  She's not been very active and I don't think she knows much about the gospel.
3.  She has never taught a lesson before.

 Me:  "This is too hard . . . I don't think I can do it."
Lynn:  "Yes you can."

On Wednesday we went to her home to help her prepare the lesson.  I didn't know what would happen, but we started with prayer (a really good idea) and pressed on.  As we sat there on the couch together, me with the scriptures and lesson in English on my lap and Haia with her scriptures and lesson in Arabic on her lap, something special happened...the Spirit came.  This is important because with the Holy Ghost we were able to understand and learn together.  Haia would read a section in her book and I would follow along in my book until she stopped.  That's how I knew it was my turn.  Then we would talk about it in English and she made notes and underlined her scriptures.  She learned things about Nephi that she didn't know, like going back to Jerusalem to get the records from Laban and breaking his bow and the Liahona.  After a while, she had a lesson prepared, and I think it will be a good one.  That qualifies as a tender mercy and an answer to our prayers.

Want to know the rest of the story?  (this is so embarrassing)
The lesson is about Nephi's great attitude.  "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."  1 Nephi 3:7

Yes, I'll admit it.  I was more like Laman and Lemuel this week than I was like Nephi.  I murmurred.  BUT . . . I repented really fast.  I'm good at that.

A Great Big Miracle

When we arrived in Jordan last fall our first visitor was a member of the branch named Ban who came asking for money from the church to pay her bills.  Lynn told her he had no authority to pay anything from church funds and she should go to the branch president.  Since that time there have been constant requests from Ban and her husband for assistance from the church.  All this from a family who runs a candy store (initial start-up financed by the church), owns land and a big 2-story house.  Oh yes, they don't come to church very often.

Ban died two weeks ago.  On one of our last visits to see Ban in the hospital she asked us for money.

After she died we were expecting to receive a request from the family for the church to pay for the funeral, bills and food, etc.  In fact, President Amer already sent us an e-mail from Thailand approving the payment from fast offering funds.

Yesterday the first counselor in the branch presidency phoned Ban's husband to see if he was okay and ask what he could do to help.  He got a big surprise when Amjad told him they didn't need any help.  We couldn't believe it.

Then today when we went by the candy shop to see Amjad we told him he could sell the expensive oxygen machine the church bought for Ban and use the money to pay bills.  We had even arranged for a man to give him advice on how to do that. We got the shock of our lives when Amjad said he would not be selling the machine because wants to keep it and lend it to other families in Husn who might have a need.  We were speechless.  His change in attitude is a GREAT BIG MIRACLE.