It's good to be home!!

After 53 hours of travel time, sixteen hours of layover, six airports, and seven plan rides, and five countries we are finally home!!
Our first night in Jordan we went to a wedding party for a relative. The next day went to a different relative's wedding. This picture is taken in front of the Church. Weddings in Jordan are a lot different than they are here in the states. The family usually has parties all week long before the wedding day. On the wedding day, the bride's family meets at the bride's house , and the groom's family meets at the groom's house. After the two families party separately for a few hours, the groom's family goes to the bride's family's house and to pick up the bride, and the two families head to the church. When they arrive at the church the two families dance, sing, chant about the bride and groom before entering the church. This is what everyone is doing in this picture.

This is the groom's house we went to before we picked up the bride from her house. We walked into this big house with about 100 people inside. I had to go and sit with the women, while poor Scott had to go in another direction and sit with the men. He did not know anyone except my uncle and my cousin, who could only speak a few words in English. I felt bad for Scott but he said he enjoyed it!!

This is a different wedding party that we attended. The family here was not allowed to have a large party because they had a recent death in the family.

June 5Th of this year was my dad's tenth year for being in heaven. Scott and I went up the mountain to visit his grave site. It was my first time to visit his tomb. When dad passed away and they took him to be buried, the women were not allowed to go to the burial site until the next morning at dawn. I did not want to go then, and every time we would go back to Jordan, I say I'll go next year, but I always chicken out. This year I wanted to go, so Scott insisted that we go first thing that week. His grave was dusty, but the words from Romans 8 (The last chapter that dad read before he went into surgery) " What can separate us from the love of Christ? Not even death can separate us from the love of God" were still visible.

This is my cousin Samier at his office trying to negotiate some business for us on two phones!

This is his wife Suhair, at their house.

My cousin Samier and brother Layth.

This is my cousin Waleed, his wife Izdehar, and my aunt Nada.

My Aunt Jallilah and her daughter Suzan. My aunt has lung cancer and needs a lot of prayer.

Scott and I took a day to get away from all the business that needed to be done and went down to the Dead Sea. We had a great time. Scott loved it, because he float as long as he wanted to.

The lowest point on earth!! (1,300ft below sea level)

You can see all of the salt deposits on the rocks. The water has a lot of salt and minerals in it. That is what makes the water so dense so that all you can do is float to the top.

This is the king of Jordan and his wife.

The former king and his wife.

A house in Jordan

Another house in Jordan!!!

The largest mosque in Jordan.

Ajloun castle was built in 1184 by a nephew of Saladin. It is located on a very high mountain, so they could see the enemy coming from any direction. To enter into the castle you have to cross a bridge, because of the moat they have around it. The walls are ten feet thick, and because of its design it always feels cool in there. The interior is full of rambling corridors and staircases. The castle has openings called "murder holes" through which boiling oil or pitch could be poured on any invader
Ajloun was part of the chain of castles which, using heliograph(a signaling device by which sunlight is reflected in flashes from a movable mirror), fire beacons, and pigeon post. Using this they could transmit messages from Damascus to Cairo within twelve hours.
The castle was to defend the land held by the Arabs from the Crusaders. Ajloun was desired and was never taken by the Crusaders. The Mongols in the 13th century occupied it for a short time but was shortly back in the hands of the original owners.

Picking grapes in our orchard.

Our house in Jordan. This is where I grew up!!

Our living room.

Another living room/dining room.