when all else fades

the thought of putting all the incredible things i saw into words has been such a daunting task that i've avoided it until now. nevertheless, i'm going to try my best to convey what God did while i was gone.

JORDAN

as soon as we stepped off of the plane in Amman, i could smell the difference in the air. it smelled like Baku. i had perma-smile and felt more alive than i had in a really long time. this is what i was made to do.

we visited a whole lot of places in the 4 days we were actually in the country. i ate more than my fair share of hummus, falaffel, and shwarma. the people are incredible. for security reasons, i can't go into detail, but i sensed the presence of God more during the muslim call prayer most during the day. it was a reminder that He was still moving, still Light, in such a dark-seeming place. Dark is light to Him.

i loved Jordan. i loved Jordanian people. i didn't want to leave - but this was just the beginning of my love affair with the Middle East. Picture is from Mt. Nebo, towards the Dead Sea & Israel.

ISRAEL

crossing the border into Israel is like...well, getting into Israel. it's on lockdown. i think i went through 5 metal detectors and was questioned extensively about my visit. there are children with automatic weapons at every turn.

our visit started with a motion sickness-inducing taxi ride to Jerusalem, with stop #2 being an amazing hookah place. the next day we saw all the holy sites, from the Mt. of Olives to Golgotha. this was our tourist day, but it was the most stressful and my least favorite. i felt a lot of inner turmoil from the spiritual warfare that lingers over the city. ornate, elaborate cathedrals have been built over every station of the cross. i only felt comfortable at a place called The Garden Tomb. do some research about it if you want to know more. it was beautiful.

now that we're back, i appreciate Jerusalem a lot more. i read the Bible, and can actually picture things going on. knowing much more than a page has infinite value.

our 24 hour stint in Israel ended soon enough for me, and we made it out of the country right before the mock country shutdown. as we drove out at sunset, i imagined David running and hiding from Saul in the caves around the city.

IRAQ

jackpot. as i stepped off of our plane, which was named Jessica, i felt like Condoleeza Rice, walking into the tiny terminal with one gate. the next day we had lunch with the team we would be staying with - most notable of whom is a former afghan prisoner.

the next few days i felt like i was drinking from a fire hydrant. we met with lots of other "non government organization" people in Iraq, all with amazing stories of suffering and seeing God move among the Kurds. i was around incredible people who poured into my life for 4 intense days. it was truly one of the most life changing experiences for me. i really didn't want to leave Iraq.

God is doing HUGE things in these places, and in more across the world. it's a privilege to be involved in it, that He chooses to use us. everyone we talked with needed one thing most of all: more laborers. how will you respond to Jesus' command to "go into all the world?" He might not be calling you to Iraq, but i guarantee He's calling you somewhere. do you trust Him enough to listen?