Middle East Travel Seminar: Our trek from desert to sea
BY HEATHER WOODWORTH BRANNON
Greetings from Aqaba, Jordan! From city to desert to sea, we have traveled approximately 400 miles by bus throughout the diverse terrain of Jordan over the past week. No two days, nor hours, have been alike. Each day is an invitation to experience God’s creation in unexpected ways.
Today is our final day in Jordan, where we visited both desert and sea. The first part of the day began at Wadi Rum desert camp. Wadi Rum is mostly known for the setting of the 1962 film, Lawrence of Arabia. But to us, it encompasses the wilderness that the ancient Israelites trekked through on their way to the Promised Land. This was an opportune time for us to imagine and wonder how the Exodus unfolded in such challenging conditions. How did they travel without access to water? Where did they sleep at night in unfamiliar territory? In what ways did they experience God in this thin place? These are just some of the questions that cycled through our minds during our brief visit.
After arriving at Wadi Rum last evening, we settled in for a good night’s rest. Perhaps the most surprising part of the twilight hours was the sound of a canine symphony into the wee hours of the morning. A pack of lively dogs lived amidst the towering bluffs and as we soon discovered, their most active hours of barking were precisely those in which we planned to sleep. One single dog bark would echo throughout the land to form a continuous polyphonic chorus with only a few moments of silence. Nonetheless, most of us persevered and let our exhaustion lull us to sleep.
Group members hanging out in the pickup truck getting ready to explore the desert.
Shortly after worship, we hopped on the back of four tiny pickup trucks and embarked on an off-road adventure through the desert hills. Stopping along the way, we spent time climbing the bluffs, basking in the sun, and learning about first century BCE carvings that can be easily ignored if you aren’t looking carefully enough.
(left to right) Richmond students Heather Brannon, Rebecca Heilman, and Linda Kurtz on a camel ride.
After exploring the wilderness, several members of our group enthusiastically volunteered to ride on a camel caravan near camp. It’s truly amazing how these creatures manage to travel in hot conditions with human beings and all their belongings strapped on their backs. Luckily for the camels, this ride was short lived because more than a few of us have luggage just below the 50 lb. cutoff!
City of Aqaba on the drive in from the highway.
Once we stuffed our bellies with a traditional Jordanian grilled lunch, we departed from our temporary home back onto the highway en route to the southernmost tip of Jordan. For our last adventure in this hospitable country, we are spending these final hours in the beautiful port city of Aqaba. Situated along the Red Sea, Aqaba is the only coastal city in Jordan and is in very close proximity to Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. We are grateful to have a moment to rest and reflect on all that has happened this past week on the picturesque banks of the sea. And for those who prefer not to sleep among the wild desert dogs, the hotel in this resort town never looked better!
View of the Red Sea and city from our hotel room.
For many of us, this time in Jordan has been a welcomed opportunity to discover another culture and hear different perspectives about tensions in the region. For others, being able to see the places where our most cherished biblical stories occurred transforms our perceptions of what happened. This wondrous time has bonded us together as Christians, who are eager to experience God in a new place, and better understand the sacrifices those humble believers undertook for our faith thousands of years ago. We will truly miss our time in Jordan and the ways in which our hosts have invited us into their world. This visit has taken us to unexpected places and new experiences we will never forget. With each mile we travel, we know God is leading us as we gradually continue our quest to Jerusalem. Thanks be to God for my adventurous travel companions and all those who continue to pray for us on our journey.
Heather Woodworth Brannon is a Master of Divinity student at Union.
