Where we Are - Please Read!

It seems that when people read this Walking Ancient Paths blog they can draw the conclusion that we are writing from the Middle East.

Of course, that is the case sometimes. We have lived for extended periods in the Middle East three times and I do blog from there, when I have time and the Internet connection is strong enough to allow me to post my blog entries.

But right now, we are on the East Coast of the United States.  

Occasionally, my blogs are written in the present tense, giving the unintentional impression that we are on Middle Eastern soil. The use of present tense is often the result of blog entries that began while we were there and were never completed. But mostly, I just think that using present tense is the most interesting method to use to share our experiences. 

When my husband and I go overseas, we go there to work. Our primary purpose is not to explore biblical sites, but to work in the churches there. And there is a lot of work to do. 

Our supervisors do, however, allow us days off and we are grateful to them for that. I carefully plan what we will do and see to make the best use of our time during these days off. We cram a lot of activities into a single day of sightseeing! We take a lot of pictures and I scribble a lot of notes. 

It actually works out well that going to archaeological sites is something we enjoy because there is not much for American Christians to do for recreation in Jordan. 

For example, there are very few bookstores and in those few bookstores are very few English language books, which are expensive. I can't go kayaking because there are no lakes. Bill can't golf because there is very little grass; hence, no golf courses. (Well, there is one. Bisharat Golf Club has a nine-hole sand course. You have to bring your own grass...a portable mat with Astroturf attached to it. All this for just 45 JDs...$65.00!) We do visit with friends sometimes when we have time off, but as far as actual recreation that we are familiar with in the United States, it is nearly non-existent. 

Regardless, since our time is almost exclusively devoted to working and not sightseeing, I do not have the time to thoroughly research and write about the places we see while we are working in Jordan and Israel. That usually happens when we are in between our ministry at churches here in the United States. 

Researching Bible manners and customs and digging into archaeological findings is one of my favorite activities. I find it fascinating to realize the meaning behind names, places, and events chronicled in the Bible. I blog and write books to share this information with others. 

As those who have lived in the Middle East can attest, just living and working in a place so rooted in biblical history and cultures similar to those from Bible times gives much insight. Our day-to-day activities and interactions with Middle Easterners bring to light many concepts such as honor and shame, family structure, and social norms. But, for the most part, I only have time to process and write about these insights once we are back in the States. 

So if my blog entries sometimes sound like we are in the Middle East when we are not, this is why.

Hope this helps to clear up any confusion! :)