Eric and I at the Roman Citadel on the top of one of Amman’s seven mountains.
Last week, I was in Jordan. The one across the ocean. The one that required an 11 hour nonstop flight from Chicago to reach. It was an amazing and surreal experience–surreal in the sense that it was my first time to the Middle East. Notice the use of the word first. It’s very intentional.
The ruins on one of the sites near the Dead Sea where some think Herod had a palace, and where John the Baptist was beheaded.
While there we explored the city, spent time sight-seeing, and had the opportunity to have many conversations with locals. It was incredible to experience Arab hospitality on the streets in the Baladi, or in homes of refugees. There was a special warmth that wrapped around us as these people welcomed strangers (me) into their circles.
At one time this Jordanian flag was the largest flag in the world. It’s something like 146 meters long. Seen through Roman ruins at the Citadel.
A very modern mall that opened in the last year or so, and is filled with stores that are common in the US.
Amman was an interesting blend of very modern and classically old. It blended ruins with modern construction. Water tanks dotting apartment buildings and cars zipping along the roads.
The church on the Jordanian side of the Jordan River commemorating the baptism site where John the Baptist may have baptized Jesus.
More ruins from Herod’s fortress.
I left Jordan with a heart to return to that county and others in the Middle East. What I didn’t expect was for my heart to be so affected by the people themselves. It was truly the best part of the experience.
Have you traveled to an unexpected place? Did you find your perspective changed in the process?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Latest posts by Cara Putman (see all)
- Book Recommendations in Time for Summer and a Giveaway - May 22, 2025
- Cara’s Favorites - May 18, 2025
- What’s pulling you down? - May 8, 2025
It’s on my bucket list. 😊😊 were you afraid at any time?
Traveling to Guatemala in my early twenties on a medical missions changed me.
Last summer on a mission trip to the Czech Republic, our team flew into Prague and then taught English classes at a camp near the Austrian border and developed relationships with the participants. I had done some “research” about Prague, but I was totally unfamiliar with the area where the camp was located. One afternoon my husband and I hiked into the nearby town and enjoyed seeing a community much like any other small town. It was a national holiday, so very few businesses were open. The homes/yards were neat, several women were going to the cemetery to visit graves and water flowers at the grave sites. Dogs barked as we walked by their yards. While the language of the community was very different from ours, I was reminded that the town residents would be living with their families, going to work, taking care of their children, their health, and their property in similar ways as we do. Since WWII and communism, most of the people are atheists. Our role in addition to teaching English was to discuss spiritual matters with the camp participants whenever possible.
I’ve not traveled to an exotic places other than the fascinating places in the the US. However, we took a 32 day bucketlist trip to the New England states in the fall of the year two years ago. I learned a lot from that trip like how we can do with less since we took tons of clothes but used very little with the use of laundry in some of the motels, how good home cooking is not always easy to find and makes you appreciate the time and effort to get a good meal on the table, and mostly that places in books and magazines look great and are wonderful to visit but all in all there really is no place like home.
Great pictures! Sounds like a wonderful trip.
We lived on the island of Cyprus, 40 miles south of Turkey, in the Mediterranean, for two years. Our daughter was born there and has both Cypriot and US citizenship. It was a great experience!
Several years ago we visited Niger in west Africa. Our son was a Peace Corps volunteer there so we went to his village for a few days. The residents of this village were Muslim so I was expected to be with the village women. While my husband and son did “manly “ things I hung out with the women. We watered the camels and other livestock which had me thinking about the Old Testament and what women did in those stories. This was a life changing trip.
My husband and I recently traveled to Florida to visit his sister and brother-in-law. I have never been a huge fan of Florida, but found myself loving the warm weather and sunshine in the middle of our dreary winter weather. We ended up staying for 3 weeks, and are now contemplating spending a month or more down there next winter.
God took me on a trip to Lebanon in 2008 that has indeed changed not only my perspective, but my life. I’ve since made at least 10 other trips to Lebanon, but unfortunately haven’t ever made it to Jordan. I’d love to visit Petra! Were you able to go there, Cara? The people I’ve met have left an indelible mark on my heart, too. So, how has my perspective really changed? I am much more interested in news from that area. I know a few Arabic phrases and love seeing the pleasant surprise when I am able to interact with Arabic speakers. And, now my husband and I are prayerfully considering relocating from our comfy suburb to the city where many refugees have relocated in the hopes of befriending some in order to have spiritual conversations as God opens doors.
I wish I could go to the Holy Land sometime.
In May, I’m going to Israel.
Traveling overseas, I saw beautiful churches and architecture. They were sights to behold.
Three years ago I went to India with my son, daughter-in-law, and her parents, to meet their family who live there. We went to a church on Christmas day that had recently been started by a family friend who was led to start an English speaking church, and it was wonderful. It was an incredible experience to see life lived on the other side of the world!
I work for a Christian radio station and we literally just did a trip to the Holy Land. Everyone who went was impacted in a beautiful way. I pray I can go some day.
When I still lived in Arizona, we traveled up in the north in order to help repair a church for a Navajo tribe. It gave me so much to think about and reassess.