God's Most Beautiful Attraction in Jordan

One of the few that I have seen.

I'm not sure what these trees are called, but they are randomly scattered around Jordan. They are such a vibrant purple, it caught me off guard at first. They stand apart amongst all the others and are perfect naturally, the way God created them to be. I am captivated by them! I am going to try and take more pictures of them because they are so beautiful. They remind me of a special friend of mine... ;)  

In time, you will all understand who I mean.

But until then, pray for me!

Also, If any of you would like me to pray for anything, you can post your requests on here or you can send me a message through my gmail.

Love and blessings,

Cori

Desert Castles

Merinda's  "tiny pic." She's my roomy here! ^_^

My Favorite! The beams in one of the castles where the roof collapsed many years ago.

The tiny castle up close.

The tiny castle.

Inside the tiny castle. Art on the walls!

Roman Ruins in Jordan - Roman Castle

The Roman entrance…This was rebuilt and the original size is said to be twice as high as it is now, in this picture.

And this beautiful, precious little guy amidst all the rubble. A red poppy!

Playing in the ruins. ^_^

Help Needed! Prayers Needed!

Middle East North African Union

MENA

As many of you may know, the General Conference (GC) is coming up in Texas. Many Adventist organizations will be there and Bla bla bla, PR, bla bla…

But what the big deal REALLY is, is the spiritual reason for conferences like this…

³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.³⁸ Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” 

~ Math. 9:37-38

So, let's go guys! Live out your life like Christ with Christ's help, depend on Him in all things and Pray for laborers to help shine the light bright into this world. There really is no more time to loose.

I don't really have any social media, so if you would like to help spread the word to the masses of who would like to help those in need (spiritually, mentally, and physically) in the Middle East, please share this link. You can also post just a simple phrase "Pray for more laborers in the Middle East and visit the MENA booth this GC session!"

http://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/story2653-no-free-camel-rides-at-gc-session

If you are going to GC in Texas this Summer, please stop by the MENA booth, exchange testimonies with our friends there, and pray with them for more laborers and help for the Middle East region.

God bless,

Cori

From the Rooftop

  A couple days ago, I wanted to work out but didn't want to think I was some crazy random American working out in the backyard garden or be the annoying neighbor upstairs making the chandeliers shake…So I decided to be that weird student that runs up and down the stairs for excersize. :P

 I ran all the way to the top to find…There is no door to the roof! The stairway goes right to the outside. I decided to come back at sunset the next day and brought my roomy with me. So beautiful! What a surprising little adventure. ^_^

I have new adventures everyday.

Just yesterday I went with Baba (our host dad, Abu Jameel) to his work to study there and see a different part of Amman later after sunset. It was so beautiful! Hopefully put up a video soon…Or just find it on my instagram: cocomats313 

But why is it always the Bathroom that gets me!!! Yesterday was the first time I ever had "to go" in a whole in the floor. I told Baba I had to go to the bathroom and he showed me the bathroom. Mind you, his shop is a small little shop that is part of a big Souq building (its kind of like an outdoor mall, but you find everything there: Groceries, Nuts, Candy, Chocolate, Scarfs, kids toys, sports shoes, officer attire…Lots of random stuff). Not like an old school Souq where you imagine dirt floors and straw roofed booths…Amman is more modern than that.

But the Bathroom was not helping me with my Bathroom culture shock. It was a public bathroom, with stalls, but the problem was that there were no toilets!! I kept looking at each one, and when I gave up there where absolutely no sit-down toilets there, a women came in and said "Sho? Ma Bidik?" (What? you don't want to go?) I explained that I didn't know how and that it was very new for me. So she just kindly looked at me as I left.

Three hours later, I still needed to use the bathroom, but was too scared to use the bathroom. One of Baba's colleagues was talking to me then he asked me what was on my mind. "bidi ustakhdim alHamam, bes…uhhh I'm scared to!"

He was kind enough to illustrate to me how I should use the bathroom and then took me there and guarded the door for me.

I did what he said… and left. All is well and I took a shower right when I got home. X(

This is why it was so….new.

You walk in and its dim and pretty dirty. Look in the stall, and there is Porcelain whole in the ground and next to it is a faucet with a small plastic bucket (thats your toilet paper). Go to wash your hands….and there's no soap.

PRAISE THE LORD THAT MY HOST PARENTS HAVE A TOILET AND TOILET PAPER!

But hey! Now I know how to do it if I ever need to do it again!

Miss you guys….and being able to flush my toilet paper!!

<3 Cori

Driving in Jordan

First morning in Jordan - Going to school: https://youtu.be/igA6CIShNoE

Bathroom Culture Shock.

  So far, I haven't gone through much culture shock: Hugs and kisses from my host mom when I come home and leave the house, my host mom constantly putting more food on my plate or calling the situation "haraam", forbidden, for not wanting to eat, walking a distance to school, people driving like there's no lanes (because there are none), majority of the people talking/yelling friendly at each other everywhere……All things I get/see back home or at School.

But the biggest difference was Jordanian bathroom etiquette:

Toilet:
1. Go
2. (optional) Use water-spray-thingy, if the option is there, connected to the toilet to wash yourself (especially for #2, you'll see why later).
3. Use the Toilet paper
4. DO NOT flush the toilet paper down the toilet!
5. put used toilet paper in the garbage.
6. If there is a nob that protrudes out of the top of the toilet, pull it up to flush….Don't push down, it's not a button. (learned this one the hard way).

Washing your hands:
1. Wet hands, turn off water (Jordan has rationed water supply).
2. Use soap to suds up your hands
3. Turn on water again to rinse hands.

Showering:
1. Turn on shower, Wet your body.
2. Turn off the water! Don't leave it running!
3. Scrub and suds up your body/hair
4. Turn water on, Rinse your body


 Learned a lot of these things the hard way, except how to shower. Thankfully, my friend Liz lived in Amman for 4 months and gave me a heads up on that one. But what I wasn't expecting was that the shower curtain is like a mesh-like fabric, so when you take a shower, you need to take of the shower head and point it directly on your body so the water doesn't get alllllll over the floor…which I DID learn the hard way, but cleaned it up right after so its ok.

 I took a shower without my glasses on, so I'm basically legally blind at this point. Didn't realize that there was water ALL over the floor and that there is no drain on the floor of the bathroom. So, I had to use my two towels to pick up the water off the floor.

And by accident, since I didn't know about it until we talked at school, I flushed the toilet paper down the toilet. Just a habit I guess, Lol!


     So if you ever visit Jordan…now you know!!
          Love and miss you guys,
                                                  Cori

First Morning

https://youtu.be/Q_-C8PBakF4

The morning view from our bedroom window. So Beautiful...

First day in Jordan!

Queen Alia Airport

Ride from the Airport - No room!

   

View from our bedroom window (Me and My roomy Merinda)

From the same window, but looking towards the street.

View from living room window. GOOD MORNING JORDAN!! ^_^

….Then the crazy roads driving to school. It's actually not as bad as people make it seem.

"The Canary's Fly"

As I was tutoring one of my Jordanian friends for his upcoming English exam, I asked him what name would be good to use while abroad.

"Let's look some names up…"

My name in Arabic literally means "Korean man." I am neither Korean, nor a man, so to cut back most of the confusion, and laughter, I thought to choose a name that would be easy for my new friends abroad to know me by, but also sounds like my real name.

"How about 'Canary'? You know, like the bird?"

How beautiful! I will be flying…I do sing and am musically inclined…and it sounds close to my real name. Wonderful!

Plus, ever since I gave my life up into God's hands, He has made my life pretty fly. ;)

                               With Love,
                                                   كناري متسوي