Every tribe, tongue, and nation…

Tonight was one of those nights that made me thankful to be here for the unique experiences I am blessed with only in Jordan. I went to the Assemblies of God ch. nearby. It’s an Arab Christian congregation which includes some friends of mine from the center where I teach English. I love the time of music and worship there. Tonight there was a group from a ch. in South Korea visiting. The service was in Arabic and Korean (like I need any more languages to confuse me!), and it was really beautiful to watch the Jordanians and Koreans pray and worship together. They spoke of how they prayed for each other as one body. The Korean group did a presentation with traditional costume and music. They spoke of how we can all worship God in the traditional music and language of our nation, because that’s what it will be like in Heaven. I felt so privileged to watch and participate as such different cultures from all corners of the globe interceded for one another and worshiped God in their own way. At the end we all took communion together. The mood was broken when we took the wine and all the Koreans started choking! I guess they were expecting grape juice, and this stuff was pretty strong. It was pretty funny. But you know me, I threw it back like a pro.

A Tale of Two Cities

It’s late Friday night here in Amman, but for you it’s only late afternoon. I’m still on that jet-lagged sleeping pattern. Remember how when I got home I was tired by 7pm and kept waking up at 5 in the morning? Well it’s the opposite going the other way. I don’t even feel tired till 2am and then I sleep till noon. (Above: View of the city from my apartment)

It’s another semester and another beginning. Going home for the summer was more than I could have asked for (you’ve seen the pics), but traveling between here and home is like going to another planet. Yes, there are many modern conveniences (and even Starbucks) here, but
the differences go deeper than that. I kept telling myself how spoiled I was to live in the Middle East and still have so many familiar things from the West, but the challenges of living abroad have very little to do with a favorite restaurant or coffee shop. What are the real obstacles? I’m only beginning to figure them out. Going between worlds isn’t easy. Everything becomes a “first” again: The first night home, the first night of sleeping normally, the first time to see old friends. More than that, it’s a new environment that requires an adjustment of thinking and perceiving things according to the surrounding culture. This is my third “first” week in Amman. It gets a little easier every time, but it never feels like home. How a place can feel so second-nature yet so foreign at the same time I will never understand.

(Two common scenes in Amman: the neighborhood mosque and a skyline crowded with satellites)

Another city I would love to call home one day is New York City. Out of everywhere else I’ve been, it’s still my favorite city in the world. Although I have many still to visit, I doubt my opinion of the Big Apple will change. It’s truly original and American – in the best sense of the word. It’s diversity makes it a place in which anyone could fit. Every time I visit I vow to myself that I will live there some day. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that there will never be any place like home, but I don’t think there’s any place like New York City either. 🙂

I Heart NY.