So, my last blog talked about the culture shock I experienced when I first arrived in Jordan but, this blog will be all about my first adventure day!
(This is the monument on top of Mount Nebo explaining in both English and Arabic the significance of this place.)
Most adventure days are usually filled with walking around the city I find myself in and random activities I stumble upon. But this adventure day was something very different and very special. We had an amazing opportunity along with 2 other teams along with my own to visit some Biblical sites in Jordan. This day will live in my heart forever and it will not be a day I forget.
Deuteronomy 34:1, “Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan.”
(This was the view from the top of Mount Nebo. On a clear day you can see all the way to the Dead Sea and into Israel)
Our first stop was at Mount Nebo. Mount Nebo is the mountain that Moses died on, it is the mountain Moses saw the promised land from, and it is directly across from both the Dead Sea and Jericho. It was filled with history from the Old Testament but it also was tied with New Testament history as well. There was a beautiful sculpture that represented both the serpent that Moses lifted up and slain in the desert and how our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted up and slain for us all. The verse that was coupled with the sculpture was John 3:14-15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” I got to look out and see what Moses saw. This mountain is where a servant of the Lord spent his last days and who knows what else he did there. It was the first stop of the day and it only got better from there.
(this is the sculpture that represents both when when Moses was in the wilderness and our Savior being slain for all of us)
“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew? ?3:16-17? ?ESV??
Our next stop truly blew my mind. We took a tour of the baptismal site of Jesus, saw the Jordan river, and got a peak of the Palestinian side as well. We got to see where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Let that sink in for a second. My feet walked where Jesus’ walked. Stood where he stood. I processed what it must have been like as a person in the crowd watching this event. How I would have felt seeing my Savior baptized by his cousin and fellow servant of God. I won’t lie, I cried and it was a very intense spiritual experience. Just the weight of being in such a holy place and feeling the presence of the Lord so tangibly was incredible. I will never forget these moments and how they impacted me will always stick with me. Then we walked to the Jordan river. I put my hands in the cold water and I pictured myself back in the time of the Israelites and all the stories I learned as a kid. The Jordan river is mentioned nearly 200 times in the Bible! The first reference of the Jordan was all the way back in Genesis 13:11 when Abram and Lot are dividing the land. “So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.”??Genesis? ?13:11? ESV. While at the Jordan river we were in the country of Jordan’s side. The other side belonged to Israel/Palestine. While we were not allowed to speak to those on the other side we waved and knew we were all there for the same reason. We got to sit and just meditate on all the sites we had seen that day.
Photo Taken by: Hannah Green
(This is me just soaking in this moment and seeing the baptismal site of Jesus)
“And the east boundary is the Salt Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan. And the boundary on the north side runs from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.” ??Joshua? ?15:5? ?ESV??
(The most beautiful sunset over the Dead Sea)
Our last stop was the Dead Sea! This was the end of our adventure day. It was by far one of the most fun! And I can report that you really do float. In fact it is really hard to swim normally. You can’t help but float. It was the perfect ending to a magical day. While this day was unbelievable this was a fun ending to it and it was amazing that I got to experience it with people I have come to consider friends and family.
(Just a few of us having the time of our lives floating in the Dead Sea!)
Wow!!!!! I am go happy you got to see these amazing things!!!!
You are so blessed Katie. This seems like the best adventure day ever! Thanks for sharing. You look great in the pic and the others are lovely pictures of the landscape and your friends!