Christmas in the Holy Land

Sunday, Dec 22--From Tom:

This has been the most interesting 12 days to Christmas. 

Aftermath of record storm: First, the snowstorm that came through set all records. There was 3 feet of snow in Amman a week ago. It shut the city down totally. The university closed for over a week. They still have piles of snow up to 8 ft high in places. Their problem is that there are no plows, no salt and no one knows how to handle it. I have a video taken from a 4th floor window looking down on a street sloping down. The cars are just spontaneously sliding down and people are jumping in front trying to stop the vehicles but the trucks and cars just kept sliding and bumping into everything on the way down. 

Madaba only got about 3 inches even though we had fierce cold winds. After it cleared and was sunny and warm again, we drove as normal to school. Surprise!! There was no one there. School was cancelled the whole week because Amman, where most students come from, was totally iced over. 

So we made the most of it. We got a Christmas tree from a ward family and Ronna decorated it with little Jordanian crafts she modified. Little camels, elephants and Jordanian men in red scarves with red and white lights. We are actually seeing many shops decorated for Christmas. This in a 92% Muslim country. We hear that many Muslims see Christmas as a wonderful family holiday and join in. There are many shops dedicated just to Christmas. Interesting. 

Herod's Palace: We took a day and drove down to Um-al-Rasas, an ancient Roman city and Mukawir castle, which was Herod's getaway palace and fortress. It was there that Salome danced and asked for the head of John the Baptist. He was brought there and beheaded in one of the adjacent caves. Herod's castle is on a spectacular site overlooking the Dead Sea. It's a brutal climb to the top. As I was grinding my way to the top, I was thinking of the courage and dedication John the Baptist must have had to make that gruesome climb to be beheaded. It was an interesting reflection. 

Church Christmas Program: Our little branch is only 41 or so people now. So everyone was on the Program. There was a children's choir of 9, a men's choir of about 12, a women's choir of about 11 and a total choir of about 15. Two young boys were the narrators and mispronounced most words. The best was little 9 year old Claire, who directed the whole congregation in all the music. She did much better than most ward directors and was very serious about it. It was terrific. With this little branch in Jordan there was an incredible spirit of love and fellowship. I had tears through most of the meeting, but I'm getting old and sentimental. 

We're invited to the Branch Presidents home for Christmas so we got some presents and Ronna wrapped them. We also got each other some snugly things to keep warm and will re-wrap them. Two hot water bottles, long johns and sweaters. Not romantic but we're just trying to survive. 

Another surprise!! No one told us but the King or someone in government made the quick decision to go on Daylight Saving Time. It was a quick decision and who knows why at this date. Anyway, we got no announcement so we had an extra hour to doze in the car before church. "Welcome to Jordan"

Heaven: Today I discovered heaven. It's on the roof of our house. I took a chair up there and placed it next to a white wall. So I got the reflection of the sun off the wall, off the white roof and directly. While  our apartment is probably 50 degrees because it's all concrete, I was basking in the sun, feeling like it was over 80 degrees. Pure heaven. 

Our little Christmas Tree--Ronna fashioned the Ornaments

Christmas Tree and crafts at City Mall--No Santa

Herod's Palace ruins--where Salome danced, looking toward Dead Sea and Israel

View of Dead Sean and Israel from Herod's Palace--Where John the Baptist was beheaded. Bethlehem is probably on the horizon.