Jordan. No, not the basketball player.

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So, a while back I went to Jordan to see some of the sites and to relax.  Little did I know that it would soon become my favorite country to visit.  First, the food is fantastic.  The deliciously warm and succulent shawarma sandwiches are amazing.  I prefer the lamb or beef, which drip with juices from the fat that lines the top of the spit.  Mouthwatering you say?  Yes indeed!


 One of the must see sights though is Mount Nebo.  It was here that, “Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite of Jericho.  And the LORD showed him all the land…And the LORD said to him, ‘This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and to Jacob, I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.”[1]  Pretty amazing.  I remember reading about these things as a kid in Sunday school and even more recently in Seminary, but I would have never guessed that I would actually go to these sites.  The actual site is as it should be, relatively undisturbed.  There are a few memorials to Moses and a structure at the top of the mountain that serves as a small museum and to protect the remains of an excavated church.  I think it is important to understand that these places actually exist. People often read the Bible and see these places as far off magical lands that existed "back then."  This is not Tolkien's middle earth, but earth, the created work of God!  The people we read about are not just characters, but real people that lived and struggled just as we do today.  It is for this reason that the Bible is so awesome.  

If you ever head out this way, there is a cool little shop not too far down from Mount Nebo that you can tour to see how mosaic tile work is done.  It is quite the process with extreme details and precision involved.  The people there and elsewhere in the country are so friendly and welcoming, ready to explain anything.  Awesome.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20120517-secret-amman

[1] Deuteronomy 34:1, 4.

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