We Signed Up for Another Year / Our Health / Refugee Conference

Sunday, April 20--HAPPY EASTER

This week, leading up to Easter, we reflected that we are only about 30 direct miles from where Jesus brought about the Atonement. We are grateful to be here since it gives a visual reference to all those sacred events that changed the world and all mankind. We were grateful to have spent time in Galilee and Nazareth. I'll share more later but it deeply touched us. Now, as we read or discuss stories in Jesus life, there will be vivid images and feelings.

It's pretty interesting celebrating Easter in a predominantly Muslim nation. Much quieter but we are still greeted by shopkeepers who recognize us as Westerners with a "Happy Easter". Many students and other faculty also celebrate Easter and send very kind greetings. I was even told that they have colored Easter eggs for many generations, even using natural materials like onion skins for coloring. It is interesting to note that this region was predominantly Christian many years ago. The shift to Islam came as foreign powers such as the Ottoman Empire was very coercive. Today, Jordanians pride themselves on enjoying peaceful tolerance. I was told by one Jordanian, "you don't ask about religion or make it an issue". I have found that many Christians are proud of their faith and openly express it.

We have our Sabbath on Friday, as do the Muslims. So today, Easter, we had an unusual activity--we spent the morning paying our taxes at the Ministry of Finance---gruesome experience. We were helped by a wonderful accountant with KPMG who originally quoted about $6,000 fee to do our $700 taxes, but later offered to do them for nothing, primarily because his son was one of Ronna's favorite students. Is that good luck, corruption or as they say here, "wasta"---you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. It's how the country runs.

RE-ENLISTING: Ronna and I were asked to come back and teach for another year. We accepted, even though we knew it would be tough on Lindee and her family. Why did we sign up? We don't think our work is completed here. There are some initiatives I've started that focus on changing the campus that are taking hold. I've also been helping develop the foreign studies program, which has more obstacles than you can imagine. I believe I've also been helpful in how they approach resolving problems. But that may take a lifetime. I'm also teaching four classes and am having some success in seeing creative thinking start to develop in the students. (Classes are Design Principles, Psychology of Design, Conceptual Thinking and Professional Practice). I have no textbooks. And the kids really don't read. As a  culture they don't read but I'm pounding reading into their heads.

Ronna is also teaching four classes but has much larger classes totaling about 90 students. Plus Ronna started a writing lab that is starting to grow. She is a very dedicated and creative teacher and we get a lot of feedback that they like the American way of teaching. We both are very interactive with the students, asking their opinions. One of my students said he loves it because no other professor has asked his opinion. He wants to be a film director and is very ambitious.

So we'll come home for the summer about June 24/5 and stay until Sept 3, when we will go to visit Chandi and Geoff in Pennsylvania. We need to be back in Jordan on September 15th. Dean Ra'ed says he wants me to take a leadership position but that hasn't been confirmed yet, so we'll see.

Jordanian Rainbow--In a country where it seldom rains, it's very rare to see a rainbow. We took it for a sign. 

OUR HEALTH: Many have asked how we are doing, being away from our usual surroundings and good medical help. Actually we have been doing very well, even better than at home. That may be due to the milder climate, the better sleep, or more regular lifestyle. We still have stress but it's manageable. Recently Ronna came down with deep, severe coughing. It started to look serious but our physician at the campus felt it was an allergic reaction. There is a lot of wind which kicks up the dust and various pollens. The medicine he prescribed did the trick and she's doing well again. I always have a deep cough due to asthma and have learned to live with it. It has been better here and I haven't had a serious bout requiring antibiotics over the winter at all. That's a first in 10 years. 

My trouble is knees, legs and back. I have spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease so my legs go numb if I stand over 10 minutes. Hard to lecture, so I keep jumping around, dancing, whirling and doing imitations. The students think it's a teaching method but it's therapy for neuropathy. 

REFUGEES: We hosted an International Conference on Urban Minorities and had students and scholars here from Germany, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. It focused on how various social/ethnic groups have migrated into Jordan and other countries over the years. The majority of the population of Jordan now are refugees. Jordan's tradition and culture is to welcome all refugees but it is now reaching a breaking point. Groups have included Circassians, Iraqis, Egyptians, Gypsies, Palestinians and most recently, Syrians. Most groups, given some time have integrated into the social fabric and become successful. The current wave is too large and have come too quickly. 

I was asked to make a presentation with only about 45 minutes notice when two of the presenters didn't show up. I did a presentation on the grassroots decision making process we employed with "Envision Cache Valley" and had graphics to show. It worked out well. 

Lara Farah lived among the gypsies for several years and gained their trust and confidence. She said they enjoy their lifestyle although we see them as the most troubled social group, living in horrible poverty. 

Our Egyptian friend, Hebatallah

 We really connected with Hebatallah, the lead scholar from Egypt. She spoke of how the "construction mafia" had ruined Alexandria and Cairo by wiping out existing neighborhoods, evicting people without recourse to build unsound, extremely dense new developments that don't meet building codes, all through corrupt practices of bribes and payoffs. Buildings collapse on top of other buildings but the developers and contractors have made billions while destroying the social fabric.

Immigration in the US is a much smaller issue than many of the countries in the Middle East. What if the US had 175 million refugees or illegal immigrants? That's a proportionate number to Jordan.

International Students of Urban Minorities Conference at a Break

A gypsy encampment just east of our home. They come through our yard with goats daily.

VISITORS FROM THE US: This week Brian and Mary Ann Strong, Brent's brother, will visit and stay with us. They are on a tour of the Holy Land and Istanbul and will take an extended tour, visiting Brent and Margaret and us. 

We are getting homesick and certainly our children and grandkids are foremost on our minds when thinking of home. But we also miss our wonderful friends and neighbors. See you in June.