Mafraq, Jordan

Like me, you’ve probably never heard of Mafraq, Jordan before.  Mafraq is in the far northern part of Jordan, only a 30 minute drive to the border of Syria. Because of that proximity, over the last three years it has become a place of refuge for 100,000 Syrians fleeing from hostilities in their home country.  That is slightly less than the population of Clearwater, Florida, my hometown.  Mafraq already had 90,000 citizens so their population has essentially doubled in the past three years.  Most of these refugees live in the Zaatari refugee camp but many also live in dismal apartments and rented rooms in this city that is bursting at the seams.  There is also a new refugee community in Amman as Iraqi Christians from Mosul have fled the horror of ISIS, most with only the clothes on their back, many being traumatized by people who used to be their neighbors.  The Shepherd Society, the charitable arm of BBC, sent two serving teams to Jordan and I was part of the one to Mafraq.

The Alliance Church in Mafraq

The Alliance Church in Mafraq has jumped into action to respond to the crisis on their doorstep. They meet the most immediate needs of refugees by providing clothing, food, baby supplies and diapers.  They have started a small school in their church for first and second graders. Abby, a volunteer from the US, runs the school and the children are thriving under her care and tutelage. They adore her and are so happy to have a safe and carefree place to go.   The Church is completing construction on a community center that will open in January and provide a bigger space for the school as well as English language and skills training classes for the refugees. The Church also has a home visit ministry through which they develop relationships with refugee families.

Abby, her student, and his family

Our team had the opportunity to break into small group and participate in home visits.  In four days, I visited ten Syrian families.  I can hardly find the right words to describe these visits, but let me try a few….helpless, sorrowful, disheartened, humbled, gracious, encouraged, grateful. The stories of these families share a few common elements – most have lost husbands and sons.   Most have family still in Syria as well as Lebanon and Turkey and other countries.  Four of the ten families I met have children with various disabilities, some severe and life threatening.  Three of these four families each had two children with disabilities; each child was precious and so loved by their families.

Two brothers with special needs

All these families are in a state of limbo, waiting for some change to the situation so that they might return home.  Each family served us tea, lots and lots of tea, along with sweets or nuts or even popcorn in one home.  One family made us a sweet and a savory bread pastry. I have always known that Arab culture is one of great hospitality so I was not surprised by any of this, but was instead filled with humble gratitude at their generosity in the midst of poverty. Hospitality is second nature in this part of the world, regardless of your circumstances.

All of the families were met we either from Daraa, near the border, or Homs, a large city that was devastated in the first year of hostilities and which I visited with Peachtree in 2004.  I know (or knew) a family in Homs and worshiped at the Evangelical Church.  The Church was severely damaged by a falling shell and the family I knew has left, but at least I had this small connection to share.  I had visited their city back when it was beautiful and whole.  One mother told us the people of this church were the only ones who had offered them any support.  Another woman who lost her husband and her son told us she’d been crying all night but had her spirits lifted by our visit and felt God had sent us to minister just to her. 

Mother who lost a husband and son

All the families we met were Muslim.  All were so grateful for our presence with them, for our encouragement in the midst of their suffering, and especially for our prayers.  One mother even asked us to pray for her family because God answers the prayers of the Christians.

One thing I know for certain – I have no experience with true suffering, none whatsoever, especially to the degree that the Syrian and Iraqi people in Jordan face.  What do I say that can mean anything to them?  I cannot relate to such suffering.  I can only say I am sorry and I will pray for them, which I did then and will continue to do.  I invite you to pray with me for these refugees, and for a peaceful end to the chaos in Syria and Iraq.  If you would like to support the Shepherd Society’s ministry to refugees in Jordan, click here. 

Our team and church members

Extended family with 12 children

Cast of Characters

One of the best things about my time in Bethlehem has been the visitors that have come through the Guesthouse.  The very beginning weeks of my stay set a great tone for my stay.  Bethlehem Bible College’s Guesthouse can accommodate about 30 people, though it has not been close to that full since I have been here.  During the past eight weeks we’ve had between 5 and 18 guests most of the time including BBC volunteers like myself.  Part of the deal is that guests and volunteers get breakfast each morning so that has been the best opportunity to meet and chat with people. 

Until this past Monday our Guesthouse managers were Paul and Miriam from upstate New York.  They’ve been here since May and are part of the Bruderhof community, which I was completely unfamiliar with until I met them.  Founded in 1920 in Germany, the Bruderhof is an international communal movement of families and single men and women who seek to put into action Christ’s command to love God and neighbor.  

Paul and Miriam

Paul and Miriam picked me up at the airport, and have provided delicious breakfast and wonderful friendship for the past eight weeks.  They know the ropes here in Bethlehem including where to worship, how to use the bus, and what is the best place to get fresh fruit and vegetable (across the street!) They are two of the most humble people I’ve ever met; servants of Christ in the truest sense of the word.  Miriam has a wicked sense of humor and a twinkle in her eye, and Paul is always willing to share words of wisdom over Miriam’s delicious omelettes.  I may not see them until we meet again in heaven but they have been a vital part of my time here.

When I first arrived, two other “P’s” were here along with Paul…Palmer and Peter, soon followed by Patricia.  Palmer’s a Canadian with the Mennonite Church and to me he is a rock star.  He is close to my parents’ age yet he is here in Palestine, teaching in the college, sharing messages at Chapel and connecting with the locals, including a young friend named Mohammed whom he met at the Mosque right across the street.  Yes, Palmer has no qualms about entering the neighborhood Mosque in order to meet and befriend Muslims.  This is how you share the Gospel message, by building relationships with non-believers. Palmer also spent two weeks teaching at the College’s study center in Gaza.  Yes, you read that right…this incredible servant of God came here specifically to teach 12 BBC students who live in Gaza. Palmer also embodies a spirit of true servanthood, wherever and whenever and with whomever, that astounds and inspires me.  My first Saturday here I explored the Old City in Jerusalem with Palmer.  It was a day I will not forget.

Peter and his wife Patricia are lovely Brits from a town near Windsor.  Peter is a pastor that was here on Sabbatical and Patricia came to share her skills as a palliative care doctor with a local hospital. They became dear friends over many cups

Peter and Patricia

of tea, a few (quite a few, actually) dinners at local eateries and many lengthy discussions about Palestine and Israel.  At the same time Judi from Dallas was visiting for the second time this year.  Judi is a volleyball coach who founded a sport ministry that brings women’s volleyball teams on trips to build bridges of understanding through sports.  She came this fall to pour herself into one-on-one relationships she has with young local women who play volleyball.

We've had several visitors from the Seattle area (Lance, Jim and Ken from a Presbyterian Church I know) here to lead Celebrate Recovery workshops, as well as a seemingly endless array of lovely Brits, all of whom had visited Israel and Palestine previously and returned to learn more and better understand Palestine and Israel and the conflict.  As expected, many cups of tea were shared with these Brits as well!  Luke came from Chattanooga to use his training as a Physical Therapist to serve kids with special needs at the House of Hope down the street and Stephen came from California to pay one of his numerous visits to Gaza, providing much needed support and supplies.

Plannning team and other BBC friends

Some of my favorite days were when the planning committee for Christ at the Checkpoint, a huge conference that BBC organizes, was here for two days of meetings.  Wow, what a great opportunity to meet some global leaders who are truly making an impact for peace and reconciliation. They know so much about Israel and Palestine that just sitting at the breakfast table with them was a privilege.  I can now count these very cool people as my friends, too! 

Then there are the long-termers like me.  Beverley is from Canada and has lived and served in the Middle East for more than 30 years.  She knows the lay of the land in Israel and Palestine almost like a native.  She is here for several months teaching English and has been my guide to all things Bethlehem (most of which seem to involve walking up many hills). 

Beverley and Palmer

Beverley recently hosted a group of 11 women from her church and their delightful presence filled up the Guesthouse (and breakfast table) for two full weeks. Theodora arrived from Cincinnati three weeks after me and, though she has never been here before, heard the story of BBC and felt God was calling her to come and serve.  She also teaches English. Michael, an Egyptian-American, is a recent addition to the BBC staff.  He is the BBC Chaplain and is engaged to Grace, a local girl and BBC faculty member.  They will get married in the spring. Our most recent guests, from Germany, were here for six days simply to pray with and for the College as well as various ministries around Bethlehem.

As of today, we have only one guest so it is very quiet.  I miss the hubbub that goes on when there are guests coming and going so I hope some new people come soon.   Though, honestly, I have met so many new people over the breakfast table in recent weeks that I am a bit overwhelmed with names and faces and stories and places.  A few days of quiet will not be so bad either.  My time here is winding down and before long I will have my last meal at our breakfast table.  That hour each morning has been some of the richest parts of my days in Bethlehem.  I will be sad to see them come to an end.

Jerusalem Seethes

It was not my plan to post anymore about the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, but I am sure many of you are watching the news and seeing that there has been a great deal of unrest in Jerusalem.  Here is a brief (or not so brief) explanation about what exactly has been happening over the few weeks, as well as the preceding months, that has led us to this point.  Bear with me for this...as you should know by now, what goes on here is complicated. I apologize for any repetition from my last post but it is important to have a full picture of this conflict.

Sign at Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif

For decades, Jewish religious authorities have forbidden Jews from going onto the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  This is the holiest site in Judaism and they believe the Holy of Holies was located there somewhere.  They do not want any Jews to accidentally step on the Holy of Holies since no one knows exactly where on the Temple Mount it was located.  This edict has largely been followed by the Jewish community. They can pray at the Western Wall but not on the Temple Mount.

The Temple Mount is known as the Haram al-Sharif to Muslims and is the third holiest site in Islam. The Muslim holy sites on the Temple Mount (Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque) are administered by an Islamic religious trust under Jordanian authority. This arrangement has also been in place for decades.

In more recent years, Jews have been visiting the Temple Mount in small numbers, but have been forbidden from praying, as are any visitors who aren't Muslim including tourists and pilgrims like me. Over the past year, and increasingly in recent months, Jewish religious extremists have insisted on visiting the Temple Mount more regularly, entering Al-Aqsa Mosque (where they believe the Holy of Holies was located) and even praying in the Mosque. These Jewish religious extremists are always accompanied by a significant force of Israeli police who allow them to go and keep the Muslim clerics in charge of this area from preventing their entry. 

This has angered Palestinians, especially since there are great restrictions on Palestinians going to the Temple Mount/ Haram al-Sharif to worship in their own holy sites.  Palestinian men under 50 are often forbidden access as are Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza since they need to have a permit to go to Jerusalem and permits are rarely granted. There is also fear among Palestinians that as Jewish religious extremists are given more and more access to the Al Aqsa Mosque, it becomes more likely that Israeli authorities will take it over and divide part of it into a temple for the Jewish community (which has already happened at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron).

Palestinians express their frustration in protests, which most often involves young men throwing stones, the only “weapon” readily available to them, at Israeli security forces.  However, over the last two weeks, in three separate incidents, Palestinian men have used their cars as weapon, driving them into crowds. Four Israelis were killed and many others injured.  All three Palestinian men have been killed by the police. Another Palestinian man shot and seriously wounded Yehuda Glick who is one of the Jewish religious extremists leading the move to force their way into Al Aqsa Mosque.  

The family homes of each of these Palestinian men will be demolished and their families will be left homeless. Other men in their families will very possibly be jailed, whether or not they had anything to do with the attack.

Also this week, Israeli police forced their way into As-Aqsa Mosque. When Muslim worshippers tried to block their access to the Mosque, the Israeli police assaulted them, firing tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets. In their holy place of worship.  And of course, the police stormed in carrying weapons and wearing shoes which is also a great affront to Muslim worshippers.

So, Palestinians continue to protest.  Israeli security forces continue to try to stop them with tear gas and rubber bullets.  Jewish religious extremists continue to force their own agenda on the Temple Mount/Haram Al-Sharif . Not surprisingly, Jerusalem is seething.  Add to that decades of neglect and abuse of the Palestinian community in East Jerusalem by the Israeli government and the continuous building of Jewish-only settlements in East Jerusalem, is it any wonder that Palestinians lash out?  

Israel publicly blames all this on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, but he has virtually no power or authority over Palestinians in East Jerusalem so this is absolute hogwash, to quote my daddy.  In short, Israel knows what buttons to push and they are pushing them.  It is tragic and unacceptable that these Palestinian men have attacked innocent civilians.  They have certainly paid for it, as they are dead, and their families will pay for it for years to come.  But it is also tragic and unacceptable for Israeli authorities to allow extremists in the Jewish community to force their way in Muslim holy sites at gunpoint, which is what has incited the unrest in the last three weeks.  There are many more layers to and reasons for these most recent events than this short explanation allows.  That is for another day.

Protests do spill over into the West Bank and Gaza with, yes, young Palestinian men throwing stones and Israeli security forces responding with tear gas and rubber bullets.  There have been some protests in and around Bethlehem but I am fine and safe and well.  My friends and colleagues at Bethlehem Bible College are used to it as part of life here.  That is the most tragic part of all.

Sacred Spaces

I find it hard to believe that I have been in Bethlehem for almost six weeks.  My time here is about half over and there is so much work still to be done and so many people I would like to meet. My heart is full of stories to tell but I have been overwhelmed with how to really share them – there is so much to say!  

So, here’s one that started a couple of weeks ago.Two dear Atlanta friends, Barbara and Fran Exley, were in Bethlehem for 5 days as part of a Israel/Palestine witness trip. They kindly allowed me to tag along to some of their visits and meetings (more about those in a later post).  One incredible opportunity presented itself as this group secured an invitation to visit Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.  Visitors are regularly allowed on the Temple Mount but very rarely are allowed inside these two Muslim shrines.  As a big history nerd, no way was I gonna pass this up!  Not only are these two of the holiest sites in Islam but they are incredibly beautiful historic sites. 

Dome of the Rock

Al Aqsa Mosque

Our guide was Muhammad (of course!) and both sites were as majestic as I expected. The Dome of the Rock (most recognizable as the one with the gold dome) was built in 691 and is one of oldest buildings in Islam and Jerusalem. It is built over the Foundation Stone, where Muslims believe Abraham was asked to sacrifice Ishmael (or Isaac, as Christians and Jews believe).  It is also believed to have been built on site of Second Temple that was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD.  Jews think the Holy of Holies was possibly located here so, in general, Jewish religious authorities have forbidden Jewish people from coming near it or even onto Temple Mount to avoid stepping foot on what might be the Holy of Holies. It is their holiest site and they pray to it from the Western Wall, as close as they can get without being on the Temple Mount.  The interior is stunning – every square inch is covered with richly colored tile and mosaics, much of it decorated with Arabic calligraphy.  Muhammad the guide was very enthusiastic about showing us every last detail.  One word kept going through my head…wow.

Interior of Dome of the Rock

Exterior of Dome of the Rock

Interior of Al Asqa Mosque

Al Aqsa Mosque was rebuilt in 1035 for third time after being destroyed by earthquakes and is the third holiest site in Islam. Unlike the Dome of the Rock which has twelve sides, Al Aqsa is more square and feels like a big church with no seating as rugs cover every square inch of the floor.  But, also it was very grand and beautiful.  As an American, I find it hard to grasp the concept of buildings being 1000+ years old.

Sadly, Al Aqsa Mosque is now the site of growing controversy and tension.  For decades the status quo has been that the Temple Mount is primarily for Muslims; others can visit, just not pray here.  In recent months, extremists from the Jewish community have been demanding, and receiving, increased access to Al Asqa Mosque for prayers.  This has provoked a backlash of protests from Muslims, naturally fearing that Israel has plans to change this status quo.  Protests have then led Israeli authorities to restrict access to the Temple Mount to women and men over 50 and last week they even closed the Temple Mount entirely for a day for the first time since 1967.  The Temple Mount should be a place of beauty and sacredness to so many, but more often is a battleground used to provoke and inflame.   

So what does all this mean for me as a Christian living here for this short season?  The holy sites are fascinating places to visit and remind me of the foundations of my faith, but Christ lives in me and not in the "dead stones" of these old places.  It is tragic to me that others don't see it the same way, that their faith relies so much on a place for expression.  But more importantly, I am witnessing injustice on a scale that makes me burn with anger at times and breaks my heart at others. But since I have prayed for my heart to be broken by the things that break the heart of God, I suppose I am getting an answer to my prayers.  Figuring out what to do with this is the hard thing.   That is a work in progress.