Matthew 3

"For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!" - Matthew 3:3

Welcome to Jordan! I was first greeted at the airport by several men wearing berets and fatigues, carrying some form of automatic weapon. Well, they weren't there for me exactly. My friend Melissa was though and that was wonderful! I was so happy to be with my friend after being alone for a week. What a gift!

After spending the night at a Southern Baptist guesthouse, we headed off to see some sights. On our way toward the Jordan River, I took a few photos (well, it was more than a few - just ask Melissa) to give a visual of the landscape.

In the hour car ride, we passed at least 8 mosques,

. . . more than 8 sheep,

. . . 1 camel,

. . . and lots of arrid terrain.

Our first stop was the site of Jesus's baptism. Are you ready for the 7 JD (Jordan Dinar = $10) tour? For our investment, we received a guide (Ali is his name), a brochure, a ticket, a bus ride and a walking tour. Enjoy!

Here is Ali quoting the passage from the Book of Matthew. Please pray that he knows the meaning of his words and daily work.

At the far right is Juna, one of my travel companions. In the background is a group from a Korean church.

We walked through the middle of a casual Catholic service held around a basin of holy water. We also walked through an Russian Orthodox church with an Orthodox priest singing a chant along with the soundtrack

playing in the background. Very ecumenical!

Here are my other travel buddies. To the left is Candy and to the right is Melissa. Oh, and there's the Jordan River in the background! I even got to dip my toe in the water.

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for. Here is the site of Jesus's baptism. . .

. . . yeah, that was kind of our response, too. Nevertheless, it was a meaningful experience and well worth our time. Getting there is half the fun!