Ma'a salama Jordan--We're home to stay!

Sunday, August 10, 2014--From Tom: 

A Change of Plans--We Will be Staying in Utah: 

We had planned to come back to Jordan and teach for another year. We had signed the contracts with the university, our landlord, on our car and even signed up for a cruise on the Mediterranean next year. But when Ronna had a visit with one of her physicians, he advised her to stay home. She's OK but needs to get some follow-up tests and take good care. So I've made the announcement that we are leaving here and I am now packing.

It's bittersweet! Sure we want to come home and be with family and friends, kids and grandkids and have the conveniences we have come to expect like hot water from the tap, a heating and cooling system, mail, good internet connections, clean streets and yards, etc. But we've come to figure these things out here and are fairly comfortable. I am rather melancholy.

If You Are Hungry, Pick Up a Hitchhiker: What will I miss about Jordan? The greatest thing about Jordan is the incredibly sweet and hospitable people. I've never experienced anything like it, ever. For example, I went to work on Saturday to get better internet connectivity for my research. I was the last one leaving and as I went through the gate there was a man standing there. I thought he was a guard saying good by. I went down the street and something said to go back. I backed up and asked if he was OK. He said he needed a ride so I invited him in the car. He spoke very poor English but through sign language I figured he lived on the other side of Madaba. I offered to take him home. He then invited me for dinner with his family. I had things to do but agreed if it was just a quick little snack. He called home and told his wife.

When we pulled up to his house, his three teenage boys came running out to greet us. They threw their arms around the neck of their "Baba" ( father ) and kissed him. Then they came and embraced me and kissed my neck as well. (It's their normal custom among those they like.) It was a simple apartment in a large housing block. His wife, Dima, was scurrying to get everything ready like they had a special guest. In just a few minutes they had a meal that looked like Thanksgiving. Lamb, rice, Turkish salad, special side dishes of yoghurt and cucumber, chicken, bread and hummus. The more I ate the more they piled on the food. I started to plead with them that it was enough. Then they invited their neighbors to come and meet me. The boys eagerly engaged in trying to make conversation even though they  barely knew English. You could tell the boys really were well behaved and loved their parents. You could feel a sense of joy and happiness in the family. They also mentioned several times that they were a Christian family and lived among other Christian families. (They are Orthodox).

The Joseph al-Farah Family

This type of event could happen daily if I would let it. If you connect with someone or help them in any way, they insist on having you over for dinner, right then.  

Students: What else will I miss? The wonderful students!! I have turned my attention to serving the students instead of trying to change the world through the administration. The students I have this summer are very bright and eager. It's easy to love them. They are sweet and happy and many of them are very talented and bright. For example, I am teaching a Cultural Development Class of 44 students. The 8 week class requires the students to find a project that they can actually accomplish something in the community. We talked about how to identify a problem that can be solved, how to determine if it can be accomplished, identify their goals, determine how to plan out the tasks, organize their resources, and make it happen on their own in this short 8 week period. Some are trying to solve world peace or bring an end to the Syrian war. One girl wanted to stop "Honor Killings" and another to bring gun control. 

Samira, or "Sam", a Palestinian girl of 18, whom I had wonderful discussions with about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, decided to change the lights on the streets of Jordan from incandescent to LED. It would increase safety because of the brightness, drastically cut the energy costs and almost eliminate the maintenance but it seemed too complex. Four days ago, she turned in her report indicating that she obtained the lights, had them installed on a "test" or demonstration street in Amman and showed the photos of before and after. The King's representative is very impressed and wants to see it happen throughout Jordan. Wow!! There are many other examples including recycling, starting student government, gun safety, traffic lights and improving respect for women.

 

"Sam" got LED lighting installed in Amman. She will be a definite "change agent" in Jordan. 

The government may not change but these students may become change-agents in their world. It's what Jordan needs. These students will become the leaders and ministers in the government and hopefully we have given them the sense of hope and vision that will overcome the evil and despair surrounding us in Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan and Palestine. 

I also have loved the weather. It really is very comparable to San Diego. It's much warmer than Utah in the winter but more moderate in the summer, and their is always a breeze. It's like the air is sweet. I just went out to pick grapes off the arbor and sat on the porch in the sunset eating the sweetest grapes I've ever had. The last rain or clouds we've had was in February. 

The little branch of our church has been wonderful also. Even though it's a 45 minute drive it's a high point of the week. We are always having new, bright people moving in and their is a great spirit. This week the Primary almost doubled. And in a few weeks there will be 40+ new BYU students coming for their semester program here. Am I busy in the branch, well first I post the music, then prepare the sacrament, then lead the singing, then teach the Gospel Doctrine class, then work as Counsellor in the Elders Quorum. But then members invite me to come and play with their kids and share a meal. 

I know many of you are concerned for our safety in Jordan, especially with the ISIS or Islamic State being established by perhaps the most cruel, brutal force on earth. People are getting a little anxious but they feel pretty confident in the security of Jordan. There have been some small demonstrations in Ma'an but the government seems to be addressing it. There have been a few attempted incursions into Jordan from Syria and Iraq but the Jordanian security has intercepted and arrested them. A mysterious drone was shot down over Jordan's northern border. No word on whose it was. If I didn't see the bad news on CNN or BBC I wouldn't know they existed. We don't see any evidence here. It still feels very safe. But I'm sure that will change. 

What has been accomplished? It's hard to measure but perhaps the greatest influence has been in giving a hope and vision to students who have been taught to memorize and get by. Ronna and I have challenged them to try to think critically and we are constantly asking them tough questions for which there is no text book answer. In fact, in the nine classes that I've taught, I have not had any textbooks. They either don't exist for what I was teaching or they take too long to get here. So I had to create the material or research it, usually the night before. But the students are responding. 

Examples include a few boys from Nigeria in my Appreciation of Art class. They didn't want to be there, sat in the back row and never spoke. I badgered them and interacted with them until now they are sitting in the front row and offering questions and responses in each class. 

Pereowei Amaiko Zikeye (I call him John) has come alive and is engaging regularly. He's smart and full of energy and ideas and has a good kind spirit. 

In fact it is interesting that if you identify the major trouble spots in the world you would include Nigeria (Boko Haram and Ebola), Ukraine, Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria and Palestine. Some of my best students are from each of those areas. They are wonderful young people, very bright and don't have an ounce of trouble in them. It breaks my heart to know of what's happening in their homelands. 

What I won't miss is the bureaucracy and narrow vision of some of the administrators here. I can understand why there are conflicts in the Middle East that go on and on for decades. No one forgives,  apologizes, backs down, compromises or focusses on listening to solve the problem. The leadership gives "lip-service" but nothing gets accomplished. It's about appearances and talk not decisions or action. So our value is in inspiring the young people who still are altruistic, pliable and are the hope for the future of these troubled lands. God bless them. 

Yes, God answers even tiny prayers!! Today I lost my i-Phone. Do you know what that means? I have phone numbers, schedules, data, etc and it's the only way we call each other here in Jordan. It was a busy day packing boxes and sorting along with numerous visits to the grocery store, cleaners, Osama, car wash, drug store, phone company, internet service and gas station. It's our Saturday. I looked throughout the house 5 or 6 times. Nothing. I didn't want to bother God with such a small item compared to all the people asking for help in Palestine, Syria, Nigeria and Iraq. But I apologized for troubling him with this petty request but I told him it was pretty important to me at this time. So I started looking again and was feeling a bit in despair and then I thought I ought to go to the car wash. Sure enough, there it was. 

As I drove up ( after closing time ) the man came running out to meet me with my phone. I'm very grateful, but I'm also embarrassed. Like my friend and former Bishop taught me from his experience needing a handkerchief in a snowstorm in Germany in WWII. After he found a clean folded handkerchief lying in the snow he thanked God for the little blessing. A voice whispered to him, "Now you know that if I take care of you in the little things, I will also be with you in the big things."

So it has been with us. We have seen Gods' guidance and protection in many little things. I know also that we have been guided in some major things as well. We probably won't know most of the reasons we are here for a long time, maybe never. But this experience has certainly changed me. I needed it in many ways, too numerous to mention. 

My last 12 days in Jordan: I still need to give one more week of lectures in three classes, do final exams, grade exams and projects, create a portfolio for each class and an evaluation. Plus shut down all the accounts and finish packing up. On August 22 I fly to London and then to Chicago. My brother Dick and his wife, Gale, will meet me for a dinner since I'm staying overnight there before flying to Salt Lake City on the 23rd. Gale is struggling with a return of her cancer so it will be good to give them hugs. Ronna is now up in Northern Idaho seeing Helen, our dear friend of 44 years, who also has cancer and only a short time to live. We're grateful Ronna is able to go and be with her.

Life is fragile and each day is a gift.