Go Beyond

At Petra and the desert of Wadi Rum

The final day of any trip to assist people in need is always filled with mixed emotions for me. On the one hand, I feel the relentless tug of human suffering and need — the kind of need that makes my heart hurt and keeps me up at night. And, on the other hand, I feel the call of home — a place where I can be refreshed and continue to speak on behalf of those who have no voice. My wife will tell you that when I am home for too long I begin to show signs of an inverted homesickness, a longing to be back among the nations.

I am absolutely passionate about guiding others to love God and to go to the nations to serve His purposes in the world today. Occasionally someone will ask me what I enjoy most about travel. My answer has remained unchanged for years. I love leading others to make meaningful connections among the peoples of the world, those for whom Christ died and who deserve an opportunity to hear His story and to see His love in action. A part of that equation involves educating teams about how to build bridges of love by learning about and appreciating the history and culture of those we have come to serve.

To that end I try to set aside a day, when possible, to immerse teams in local culture and history. This task has been easier in Jordan because we are surrounded by layers of biblical history everywhere we have ventured. Yesterday, we set aside time to visit Petra, Jordan’s most valuable historic treasure hidden away in the southwestern corner of the country. This world heritage site is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab civilization that settled in this area during the time of Christ.

The most refreshing thing for me about introducing students to a place like Petra is seeing it anew through their eyes. The expressions on their faces was priceless when Petra’s Treasury, carved into the face of a sheer sandstone cliff, first came into view through the narrow canyon walls. Their eyes widened and they gasped. Petra will do that to you. It will stir your sense of wonder and imagination. Our students had a really good time learning about this magnificent place and what transpired here in the days when Jesus began His ministry in neighboring Israel.

After spending a few hours at Petra, we headed to Wadi Rum, a take-your-breath-away valley sculpted into the sandstone and granite rock of Jordan’s southern desert by centuries of wind and weather. We jumped into the back of Toyota trucks and set off into the desert to watch the sunset. Our guides took us to the place where the movie Lawrence of Arabia was filmed, the story of T.E. Lawrence’s amazing and heroic Arabian adventure. As if on cue, a herd of camels walked by, dwarfed beneath magnificent sandstone cliffs.

As evening approached we climbed up to a high place and waited for the sun to set. In those final moments of waning light, we remained completely silent, listening only to the sounds of the gentle breeze. As the sun slowly descended behind the distant hills, it gave us a final gift of beautiful colors and hues splashed ever so briefly against the desert canvas. These final moments of the day reminded me of Zephaniah’s charge to “Be silent before the sovereign Lord” (1:7). Afterward we talked about the importance of cultivating the disciplines of silence and solitude.

We are now back in Amman, packing and getting ready for our early morning flight to Istanbul and then on to America. Our students will not return home the same. God has done wonderful things through them and also in each of their lives as they have compassionately served Syrian refugees. Just as the sun set in the desert of Wadi Rum, the sun is now setting on this chapter of their lives. There are new days ahead for each of them as they head off to their respective universities and other endeavors. May God bless each of them and continue to use them to bring glory to Him — at college and beyond.

Amman, Jordan

My friend Jamal Hashweh, Director of Global Hope Network’s Middle East and North Africa humanitarian initiatives, and I returned to Amman today after a quick trip to the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. This trip to Lebanon gave me greater insight into the magnitude of the suffering of Syrian refugees. My hope is that we can continue to love these people as Jesus would and by so doing bring glory to God.

I asked Kelly Boldt, one of our adult sponsors, to write about how God used our students today to brighten lives in Jordan. I appreciate Kelly’s help, especially since I have been battling some heavy-duty congestion the past couple of days and need to get a little rest tonight. Thanks, Kelly!

We will spend the day in Petra tomorrow and then spend the night in the desert at Wadi Rum. I will post an update on this final adventure in Jordan on Thursday. Thanks for following our journey.

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By Kelly Boldt

One of the things that we have all found inspiring is how much our visits have brightened the day of the families that we have gone to see. Just that little break in what sometimes seems like hopeless monotony is such a blessing to them. We all agree that we love that feeling.

Today our quest to brighten lives took us in a different direction. Our main guide, Rami, helps a small church in a neighborhood of refugees from Syria, Palestine, and Iraq. It’s a Christian oasis in an otherwise Muslim neighborhood. At one point, the church was going to close its doors because its members wanted to go to bigger churches where they “have good music and play the drums” — Rami told us using his most animated motions and expressions. Attendance was down to only 4 people in church so its future did not look promising.

Rami has persevered and spent many hours keeping the church alive. Now the services are filled to capacity, which is about 45 people. The building is very old and run down so we spent the day painting and doing yard work. This was a perfect activity for our last day of serving since we all said this couldn’t be a true Kingsland trip unless we painted something!

By the end of the day, we had painted both inside and out and cleaned up the grounds all around the church. We were in the business of brightening once again. The church is now a beacon of hope shining brightly to guide anyone who’s lost.

Amman, Jordan

I am currently in Beirut, Lebanon where my friend Jamal Hashweh, Director of Global Hope Network, and I spent the day visiting Syrian refugee families in the Bekaa Valley. We will fly back to Amman in the morning to join our Kingsland team. I asked Kelly Boldt, one of our adult sponsors, to report on today’s events in Amman. Thanks, Kelly, for taking the time to write this post. Jamal and I had a 16-hour day and just made it to our hotel room but I will post a report on our time in Lebanon before I go to bed.

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By Kelly Boldt

One of the things we all struggle with when we go abroad to serve others is that we usually don’t have a tangible measure of our success. We will probably never know what happened to many of the families we have visited during our time here. Today I felt like God told our group to power forward.

The first family that my group visited this morning is an extended family of 11 people living in one very small flat. They have been in Jordan from Syria for almost 2 years, which is longer than most of the families we’ve talked to. A certain number of families each year are moved to different countries to start a new life. When I say “family” that means immediate family only.

The particular family we visited is struggling with the decision to leave. Should they leave the rest of their family? Should they go to Sweden or Germany or France? They are very afraid that they won’t be accepted in another country because they are different. Then the father told us that he was trying to listen to what God is telling them to do. As soon as he said that, I knew that he was something special — humble. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in Amman, Jordan or Katy, Texas, it takes a special heart to demonstrate humility.

Then we talked to this man’s sister, her children, and their elderly mother. They were all so gracious and hospitable. During our time with them, they served us Turkish coffee (I have to admit I whispered to Kyle Doe that I’d give him $10 if he’d reach over and discreetly drink mine!), tea, and water.

We could tell they are very warm, loving people just from the smiles on their faces. When we talked about God’s love, they nodded their heads in agreement and looked us straight in the eye. We could tell they trusted us. They told us about their beautiful home in Syria before the war and all their neighbors they loved. Their neighbors were several different religions, including Christian, and they all got along fine because they loved each other.

They told us about a man who owned a pharmacy in their community. He was Christian and he would help anyone — Muslim, Christian, anyone. He would tend to their medical needs on the side and everyone depended on him. Then one day he was gone and never came back. They think this kind and compassionate man may have been kidnapped, but nobody knew for sure. They just knew he was a good man and their impression was that Christians will love you, no matter who you were.

So thank you, Mr. Christian pharmacist, whether you’re still on this earth or experiencing His glory in Heaven. Because of you, we were able to put another link in the chain today that will hopefully lead to the salvation of this family.

From Amman, Jordan to the Dead Sea

There is value in going beyond distant horizons in order to broaden our understanding of the world. St. Augustine said, “The world is a book. He who does not travel reads only a single page.” However, those who go beyond read another page, broaden their cultural vocabulary, become better informed, see the world through new eyes, and grow in their understanding of the worldviews that shape the lives of others.

This morning our students broadened their understanding of the world by worshiping at my favorite church in Amman. Our team participated in worship by singing Amazing Grace and listening to beautiful Arabic worship songs. I had the privilege of once again preaching to believers that I now count as dear friends. And our team observed the Lord’s Supper with our Jordanian brothers and sisters — a very meaningful and sweet experience.
Following worship, the Muslim sheik who ministers to the Royal Family paid us a visit. I met this dear man on a previous visit to Jordan. He was so kind to meet with our team and to offer both words of encouragement and thanks for the good work that we are doing to help Syrian refugees. He is indeed a man of peace to our partners at Global Hope Network and was so kind to answer questions that our students had about him and his role with the royal family. This meeting broadened our students understanding of how Muslims and Christians are cooperating to meet needs in Jordan.

This afternoon we drove half an hour southeast of Amman to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. I have visited the Dead Sea before and was excited to introduce our students to this spectacular natural wonder. We had an absolutely fun afternoon. Our students effortlessly bobbed in the water and giggled like my kids did when I bought them their first plastic swimming pool. The brave of heart slathered themselves with Dead Sea mud and were convinced they had smoother skin after they had washed off the sticky black exfoliant.
At the end of the day we enjoyed a delicious Middle Eastern buffet. As I sat at the table I especially enjoyed listening to the conversations. They were not talking about typical teenage stuff. Instead the conversations were about participating in a prayer walk yesterday morning in Gilead, being with Palestinian orphans last night as they received Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, what they enjoyed about worship this morning, how nice the sheik was, what has touched them about visiting Syrian refugees, and how cool it was to float in the Dead Sea across the way from Jerusalem.

Gretchen, one of the young ladies on our team, said the blessing before we ate at my table. I could hear such gratitude in her voice for the opportunity to be in Jordan and to have so many wonderful experiences. “We will never forget this trip and these experiences,” she said. Her words warmed my heart. Our students have indeed embraced every opportunity to read another page and broaden their understanding of the nations. They will return home a little wiser and much more in tune to the purposes of God in the world and the role that they can play in glorifying Him and growing His kingdom.

Among Syrian Refugees in Amman, Jordan

“There Is a Balm in Gilead” is one of my favorite hymns. I especially like the refrain of this old African-American Spiritual: “There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul.” Gilead figures prominently in Old Testament history. Among other things, it was the place where King David fled during Absalom’s rebellion and also the birthplace of the prophet Elijah. The Bible also mentions a particular balm of Gilead, an ointment made from the resin of a tree and widely used for medicine, perfume, and body ointment.

Our team at Gilead.

This morning, our team ventured to the region of Gilead to symbolically break ground for a Christian conference center and to prayer walk the grounds. From our high vantage point we could see the Jordan River in the distance and look over into the ancient land of Samaria beyond the Jordan. I reminded our students that this is where the famous balm of Gilead was produced. This was the same balm that Jacob encouraged his sons to take to Egypt along with other gifts to use in their negotiations with Pharaoh’s second in command, their brother Joseph (Gen. 43:11).

As I mentioned in a previous post, I encouraged our students to take “a little balm and a little honey” (Gen. 43:11) with them as they visit Syrian refugees. Emotions among the refugees we have visited are tender and raw. Many are faltering from exhaustion and grief. Several have told us about the hardships they face as strangers in another land. “Many people spit on us and curse us and tell us to go home,” one woman told me today. Little did the people who have mistreated this poor woman realize the hell she has been through over the past couple of years.

A grieving mother holding the only photo of her deceased son.

This mother told me that she and her kids arrived in Amman only three months ago. They spent a brief time in the Zaatari refugee camp before finally finding their way to a two-hundred square foot room that they are renting at a usurious rate. She had a faraway and pained expression on her face as she told us about how her 22 year-old son was killed in Syria. Soon afterward her home was destroyed, leaving her no option but to seek refuge in Jordan. As she talked she stared at her phone. On her small phone is the only remaining photo she has of her son.

A mother’s only remaining photo of her dead son.

My heart sank when she handed us the phone to look at the tiny digital image of her son. We offered our condolences and prayed with her. We assured her that we would continue to pray for her and her beloved country. She thanked us and told us that we had done more than enter her home. “You entered our hearts,” she said. Our presence was indeed a soothing balm to this woman.

As Christ-followers we must be prepared to offer a prayer, to shed some tears, to listen to a story, to help carry a burden, and to walk beside weary travelers — all essential ingredients in dispensing balm. The woman has been through enough heartache without having to endure the hatred of others just because she is trying to survive in a strange land. Shame on those who spit on her and cursed her. May we, as Christ-followers, never miss an opportunity to liberally dispense the balm that can make the wounded whole and heal the sin sick soul.

In the ancient land of Moab in Jordan

Jordan is a country that is bulging at the seams with biblical history — one of those places that can make you feel like a kid who has wandered onto a world-famous stage like Carnegie Hall. Everywhere we go we find ourselves in locations where so many amazing biblical dramas unfolded. From the heights of Mount Nebo to the muddy banks of the Jordan River to the salty shores of the Dead Sea, you simply cannot escape the past when you visit Jordan.

Today, new dramas are unfolding across this ancient stage. Since March 2009, Syrian refugees have come to Jordan seeking safety from the madness that has gripped their nation. These nameless actors have unwittingly made it onto the pages of the Jordan’s playbill. They are engaged in a daily life and death drama filled with intense emotions. Their presence on this stage became the cue that prompted us to play our part to bring them measures of hope and encouragement.

This morning, we headed to the ancient land of Moab to serve at a place called the House of Ruth, so named because this is the place where Ruth, the woman in the lineage of Jesus, once lived. Our friends at Global Hope Network started this home as a place where women learn to speak English as a second language while receiving vocational training, where children can get their first exposure to the biblical stories that are a part of their own history, and where visiting teams can stage initiatives to assist refugees and the poor.

At Mount Nebo with the Dead Sea in the background.

On the way to the House of Ruth, we took a quick detour to the area around Mount Nebo, the last stop for Moses on the way to the Promised Land. Concerned about the welfare of a people he would not be privileged to lead into the Promised Land, Moses delivered his final three sermons to the Israelites. These sermons are the heart of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy — his final words of exhortation, encouragement, warning, instruction, and guidance.

Students kicking up the dust of history near the Dead Sea.

Our students enjoyed the opportunity to wander the rocky ground around Mount Nebo and gaze at the Dead Sea in the hazy distance. Just being here for a brief time has given our students a little more clarity and context to stories they have heard since their earliest days in Sunday School. They were visibly excited to kick up a little of the dust of history that has settled here.

At the Greek Orthodox Basilica of Saint George in Madaba.

We also took a some time to stop in Madaba, known as the City of Mosaics, to visit the Greek Orthodox Basilica of Saint George. This old basilica houses the oldest cartographical depiction of the Holy Land, a mosaic map made up of 1.6 million tiles carefully laid onto the floor of the church. As we stood around the map we sang a worship song together to the delight of other visitors in the basilica.

Serving at the House of Ruth.

At the House of Ruth our team worked on several projects. One team built an impressive stone wall at the entrance to the small campus while another team repaired breaks in the wall at the back of the property. This exercise prompted our students to lead us in a devotional at the end of the day from the book of Nehemiah, the wall-builder. Another team scraped and painted some of the outside walls of the center. And all of our teams engaged in teaching a Bible lesson to neighborhood kids.

Our team at the House of Ruth in the ancient land of Moab.

To say that I am impressed with our students would be an understatement. They are serving hurting people with deep compassion and cheerfully embracing every task assigned to them. I am grateful to have this opportunity to guide them on this shared mission and shared adventure to this ancient place. They will come home with a deeper appreciation for current world events and the role they have played in serving those whose lives have been dramatically impacted by those events. They will return home with a little of the dust of history on their feet.

Among Syrian Refugees in Amman, Jordan

“The Four Feathers” is among my favorite novels. Written by Alfred Mason in 1902, it is a fascinating story about a British officer named Harry Feversham who resigned his post just before his unit was sent to protect British interests in Sudan in 1884. As a result of his decision, Feversham received four white feathers, a symbol of cowardice, from his friends and fiancé. The rest of the story is about Feversham’s attempt to redeem his honor by traveling to Sudan in disguise.

At a critical point, Feversham was near death in the desert when an African man named Abou Fatma found him, nursed him back to health, and protected him. This unexpected act of kindness prompted Feversham to ask Abou, “Why are you protecting me?” Abou replied, “Because God put you in my way. I have no choice.” Near the end of the story, when these two men parted company, Feversham asked Abou where he was going. Abou simply said, “To see who else God puts in my way.”

“Soldiers arrested my neighbors. These friends were not heard from again.”

Over the past couple of days, our lives have intersected with many Syrian refugee families in desperate need. More than once as we have visited these families, I have reflected on Abou’s words to Feversham. Abou was a simple man who behaved in the spirit of the good Samaritan. Our students have also played the role of the good Samaritan. They have helped people who have shared heartbreaking stories of escaping certain death in Syria only to find themselves living lives of quiet desperation in neighboring Jordan. As if suffering unimaginable losses were not enough, these families are now struggling to survive from day-to-day.

One team visited a 52 year-old man who lost his eyesight in a bomb blast. He and his young teenage son escaped together — the son leading his injured father the entire way. Another team met a family that arrived in Syria two months ago. They live in one small windowless room and have only the clothes they were wearing when they escaped. Another man shared how Assad’s soldiers had tortured him by pulling his teeth. Still another 32 year-old woman and mother of eight lost her 47 year-old husband to a heart attack two months ago. When our team arrived they learned that she was to be evicted the following day. We paid her rent.

These are just a few of many of the stories that we heard today as we canvassed the city to visit Syrian refugees. There are hundreds of thousands of more stories just like these that are waiting to be told. While every family we visited appreciated the humanitarian aid we provided, they were even more grateful that we had traveled so far just to reach out to them. They desperately needed the hope and encouragement we offered, perhaps more than the groceries we delivered. Many expressed that just knowing that they are not forgotten and that someone is praying for them has made all the difference.

The members of this family live in a single room and own only what they are wearing.

Sooner or later, we all find ourselves living the role of either Harry Feversham or Abou Fatma. When we find ourselves in dire straits like Feversham, the thing we need most is a good Samaritan like Fatma, someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to help another. More often, most of us are in the position of Abou Fatma. We can do something to help those whom God puts in our way. And, we should do something, even it it means altering plans or digging a little deeper into our wallets.

Because Feversham’s life was saved by Fatma, he was able to go on his way and ultimately saved the lives of others. You’ll have to read the book or see the movie to find out how. You just never know what the next chapter will hold for those we help because God put them in our way. As you go about your day, look for Harry Feversham and when you find him, give him a hand. Your act of kindness will have a reach farther than you can imagine.