I’m heading back to Jordan today and my friend, Lisa, asked if I’d take her along. She was joking, of course, but then we began to talk and she asked me to write to her about the things I see in a personal way. A “between friends” way. So that’s what I’ll be doing on […]
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Labels and Names
Here’s the problem: You can memorize all the terms, understand their origins, become conversant in the nuances, even know when not to use them. The Zionists and Palestinians. The settlers and the freedom fighters. Those who support Fatah or Hamas or Likud or Labor. And then you meet the people and they confuse you. Like […]
A small taste of Immigration
The books in my Skeptic’s Guide series are unusual. They are mostly question and answer, they include quotes and facts, and the have pictures and charts. They are fun books on serious subjects. Easy to read; easy to understand. That’s why I’m so excited that you can not only read an excerpt here, but you […]
Jordan Impressions
Traveling to Jordan for 10 days was truly a leap of faith. I went to listen, learn and find out what could be done to help the Syrian refugees. I came back with some answers and many questions. But here are some of my simple impressions of the country of Jordan. 1. Jordan is the […]
Just a Note
It was a lovely World Vision event at a beautiful location with delicious food and an inspiring speaker. I was a bit surprised when, during a break in the program, we were all asked to help place school supplies in a backpack for a needy child somewhere in the world. Then we were asked to […]
Girls Who Happen to be Refugees
It’s not easy to be a girl in many places of the world. And a refugee camp with more than 100,000 people could be a very dangerous place. But these girls are walking out of a program where they sang, danced, laughed, learned, acted, and seemed to have a wonderful time doing it all. Zaatari […]
The Girl with the Little Orange Purse
In the Jordanian city of Irbid, less than 20 miles from the Syrian border, refugees arrive daily. Most have walked, carrying few possessions, and many are traumatized by seeing loved ones killed or from dealing with their own injuries. Some Jordanians seem as stunned as the Syrians that a catastrophic war has destroyed so much […]
It Will Change Your Life
To honor mothers everywhere, I’m re-posting this article as Mother’s Day approaches. Time is running out for my friend. We are sitting at lunch when she casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of “starting a family.” What she means is that her biological clock has begun its countdown and she is being […]
Why Am I Not Poor?
For many years I sat in a pew on Sundays, listening to occasional sermons about the poor, giving to special offerings and looking appropriately sympathetic and concerned about poverty. But I did not truly- in evangelical speak- have a heart for the poor. For much of the rest of the week I was consumed with […]
Support for Syrian Refugees
The numbers are mind boggling. Just this week the 1millionth Syrian refugee entered Lebanon, a country with a population of just four times that number. Jordan now has nearly 600,000 refugees. We hear about the numbers daily, so much so that we begin to become numb to them. I’ve talked about this issue for so […]