Petra Update

This Monday morning we are headedback to Petra! We had a lovely first visit yesterday late afternoon. Unfortunately we don't have wireless access at this hotel, so this will be photo free until we reach a different situation.
Briefly, Sabbath was another answer to prayer. We found the Adventist Church in Amman and stayed for the English Church guest luncheon. There was a whole contingent of guest workers from the Phillipines and Kenya and other English language countries who worship together. They gave us a wonderful set of musical specials. The Madaba Plains Project (MPP) personnel returned to their own meal. But two special people in my life were there!
1. Lloyd Willis, Prof. of OT at Southwester Adventist. He was my "Preceptor" at Vincent Hill School, India, when I graduated from academy 44 years ago. We hadn't encountered each other ever since.
2. Jony Hajaj, English pastor. Jony was the only pastor in Iraq before the 2003 war began. And his last sermon in Baghdad was the same Sabbath I preached my pre-war sermon at Milton! For years I havewondered what he chose as his verse. Turns out it was Jn 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled." He and I will now keep in touch.
Vonnie and I visited the archaeological museum in Amman that afternoon, plus the amazing ruins that surround it. Then we hired a private car to take us to Petra on Sunday. Now we're working on finding a wife for our driver Aymon :-) . He is a good, good person. Such adventures he took us on. (A Bedouin cave merchant!)
Then it was Petra. Our hotel. The entrance to the Siq. The walk through the narrow approach. The amazing rock tombs. The constant push for donkey or camel rides. We ended our day greeted and treated by an archaeological couple from Brown University who drove us to our hotel through the Bedouin village. They even know Doug Clark! They are excavating an amazing temple.
Now off to some more adventures.
Loved your comments!
We just had an emergency out the door from the hotel's computers. A young soldier collapsed in a seizure! They lifted him into a van and rushed him to a clinic 10 min away. They suspect heat injury. Sooooo dangerous. And a reminder to us to be careful!