Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Jordan

At the end of October, I had the chance to attend a regional YFC conference in Jordan.  We met in Ajloun, an area about an hour and a half north of Amman.  A beautiful area with little towns nestled among the rocky mountains and olive trees, it was an ideal setting for a retreat.  I loved the beautiful views, the cool weather (it is fall after all!) and just the chance to be outside.  I met YFC teams from Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia as well as some of the regional and area directors.  It was a good opportunity to learn more about YFC as an organization and develop a broader understanding of the YFC community, especially in the Middle East and North Africa.  We had daily Bible studies, small groups, and teaching sessions.  One of the most interesting sessions was on inter-faith dialogue between Christians and Muslims.  We also had some free time to explore the area and an extra day at the end to spend in Amman.  I was even able to meet up with a former Al Raja teacher who is now living there!  It was great.  Here are some of my favorite photos of the trip.
Hadrian's Gate--Roman ruins in Jerash, Jordan


Gotta love the Arab bag pipers  :)

The ruins are in the middle of the town


surrounding countryside






Amman, Jordan
a city build on hills

strolling through the Citadel

old meets new
Roman bath house vs. high-rise buildings

view of Amman from the Citadel


These ruins called the Citadel literally sit on top of a mountain in the middle of Amman

view from the Citadel--a Roman amphitheater.  Our hotel was right across the street from that.  

steep steps in the amphitheater

October Happenings

Wow!  October was a busy month!  We kicked things off by partnering with a local young adults' group to host the first ever inter-church football tournament!  The event, called Kaleide, was held on October 12th.  We had teams from 12 local churches participating.  The football tournament started in the afternoon and went on until evening.  Following the tournament was a small concert featuring three local, Christian bands. The event was a great way to pull the Christian community together for a time of fellowship and friendly competition.  







The following week we hosted the Bridging the Gulf youth leaders' conference.  We had a great three days of fellowship and teaching with more than 30 youth leaders attending!  Participants came from Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Oman.  During the second day we participated in a scavenger hunt across Bahrain where we had to decipher clues, reach locations, and complete tasks.  It was an adventure to say the least!  
everyone climbing a tree
a little Bahrain Titanic  :)
team bonding