once upon a field trip...

in a Middle Eastern country, Kelsey and Jeni were sick (clearly). It appeared that the two girls might not be able to fulfill their adventuresome dream - seeing the great Nabatean city of Petra - but oh how appearances can be deceiving...

Fortitude prevailed, and with the support from friends both

 new

and old,

(Mark is literally supporting me in this pic)

they made their journey down through the old canyon city

 

 and eventually reached their destination in one piece: the infamous Treasury, the rocky resting built for the great Nabatean king, Araetas IV.

(Pause for background: the Nabateans were an ingenious people from Northern Arabia. Arateas IV reigned during the life of Christ. These dudes definitely deserve an award for creative architecture)

 Their exit from this historic place is an even better story for a better setting, but let it be said that the two girls - so sick to the stomachs but healthy at heart - were a very lucky, happy pair to see this petrified city in stone.
(And yes, of the three days of rainfall that Jordan receives a year, we were there to enjoy one of them. Loved it)

End of story - Jordan was quite an adventure! It was undoubtedly the most "Middle Easternish" country of the grand three I have been privileged to visit. As foretold, I was a little sick girl for a chunk of the trip, but what's foreign-country living without getting a sick sometime, eh? Luckily Kels and I were blessed with enough of a recovery to enjoy Petra, the prize of this field trip.

Aside from this ancient city, Jordan brought us the largest Roman theater in the Middle East; Machaeus - the hilltop whereon John was beheaded by Herod Antipas; and Mt. Nebo - the site of Moses' transfiguration. It was a solid, packed final field-trip vacation as a JC kid. Lucky are we!