2004 Jordan Mission Trip

3-14-04 Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan


What a trip. We left Bloomington at 4pm on the 12th, drove to Indy [Indianapolis], flew through Minneapolis (Where my luggage stayed) to Amsterdam, stopped during our 7 hour layover to wander around central Amsterdam and eat a meal, then arrived in Amman and drove to our lodgings. It’s 2:30am [making it a 34 hour trip]. But the trip is only the prelude to this great week. I call it great because I know God called us here. It’s me, Ben Martin, Ryan Schnitzer, Kate Wilson, Audrey Liljestrand, Christine Gulick and Gwyn Hamrick. I need to stop now because I’m so exhausted it hurts. It will be exciting to see what God does with us this week. I miss Mandi already.
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As I was showering this morning- a fine, long, hot shower- I started singing, “I Can Only Imagine,” [Mercy Me] as a way of worship, and it occurred to me that one day I will face the Lord face-to-face, one day my own chariot of fire will come, and it will be glorious to see what our real home looks like. “Will I sing Hallelujah, or in awe of You be still?” What a great day that will be! What hope we have in Christ Jesus! In the meantime, how incredibly blessed I am? I love my life… I have a loving wife, adorable children, the respect of family and friends and foes alike. I have [done] all there is to do in this world, all I want to do anyway, with few exceptions. I have lived life to the full and only one thing remains, namely, to persevere, to see it through to the end, to see the kids grow up, get saved, glorify God with their lives, to grow old with my beloved Mandi, and to continue in the faith. Nothing more, nothing else do I desire.

We had a nice traditional Jordanian lunch today: 15+ people, huge amounts of traditional foods, desserts, tea, a nice game of chess (I lost) [badly], and a wonderful time w/warm hosts. Later we went to a church service. I couldn’t understand anything the pastor said, but we shared communion and our group did the special music at a moment’s notice. Some things transcend language barriers.

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3-16-04 Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
We spent our second day with the kids at the Amman Baptist School. We’ve been able to share our testimony now with a couple of hundred kids. Of course, we haven’t been able to ask for a response, but at least we’ve shared and at least they’ve heard. We also got to visit The Citadel. There are a maze of ruins from several centuries B.C. to about 800 A.D., representing at least four different cultures. [This is the place David sent Uriah the Hittite to die in combat.]

The team is holding together nicely. Everyone is getting along great, everyone feels positive about our work, everyone has enjoyed our tours so far.

Tomorrow we’ll be working at a university and everyone is really nervous and excited at the same time. We’ll go out in pairs, hope the U. lets us inside (it’s a gated facility) and try to just talk to people with the hope of turning a conversation into a relationship and a witnessing opportunity.

Tragedy did strike today in Iraq. Four IMB M’s were killed in a cross-fire and a fifth was medevaced [sp] to Europe with 11 bullet holes in her. Mom and Dad are probably worried, but we’re as safe here as we were in Bloomington. Still, our host m’s [Names withheld for security purposes] were friends of the victims. B helped open the work in central Iraq after the war. Really, he’s an amazing guy. The school we’re helping represents the largest concentration of Christians in Jordan, and he’s picked out the site for a second school in Baghdad. Both are multi-million dollar facilities and I wonder at times what someone of his stature is doing w/a paean like me.

Their loss today was sharp; friends, but also the entire Board strategy for Iraq. Our own contribution to the recovery was minimal, (we distracted the regional director [Name Withheld] from his grief over dinner), but hopefully meaningful. At this point I don’t believe the strategy will alter our plans at all.

[In hindsight, it was an incredible experience. Surreal, almost. Our mission plan was altered radically for those few hours around dinner that night. Our job during that window was to provide a distraction, a stress-free moment, for the man who would be responsible for processing the bodies, refocusing the Iraq team, comforting and soothing the grieving, among whom he was perhaps foremost, and finding a new strategy for reaching the Iraqi people.]

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3-17-04 Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Today was a full day. We went to the U. of J. (Amman) and tried to witness to the students for about half the day. Of course, we don’t know the language, or the culture, and it is illegal to share Christ, so we were all intimidated. I spent a good thirty minutes just walking around and trying to get a feel for the place while I overcame my fear. This being a Muslim culture, the men talked only to men and the girls only to girls. –Watch some revisionist idiot call me prejudiced or chauvinist or something for saying ‘girls’ instead of ‘women.’-- Anyway, it was a really interesting lesson.’

I shared with 9 people, the team total was 46. Of course, some people talked for an hour, others for a matter of seconds. No one came to Christ, but the local campus ministry [Name Withheld] garnered enough contacts to keep them busy for weeks.

As I shared I was asked about my family several times. In normal American fashion I pulled out my wallet and showed them pictures of Mandi and the kids. All of them were interested in Nate. It got to the point that I was a little irritated by their cultural bias against women. However, it was later explained to me by [Name, Position Withheld] that they were trying to be polite by not looking at my women. It was their way of showing respect. Talk about cultural differences!

Later on we were heading to the m’s for dinner when we saw a woman stranded in her rental car in the middle of 8 lanes of traffic. The guy behind her got out to help, then I joined him. Together we pushed her up the street a block then went our separate ways. Back in the van V. informed me that the guy was ‘Brotherhood’- an ultra-conservative political party dedicated to the spread of Shari’a law, very anti-American. Perhaps I gave him something to consider. He can never again badmouth all Americans or say they’ve never helped him.

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3-18-04 Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Not a lot to report today. Kate racked her knee pretty bad and may not go to Petra tomorrow. Lord, why Kate? She’s been a perfect servant all week long, and now this. Anyway, today was our last time to minister to the kids. I’m not sure we were effective, but I know we were affective. It will be fun to talk to B in August about how things go after we leave. One sure thing: I miss my wife. I love Mandi so much, and I hate being apart from her. Of course I miss the kids also, but its not the same. I can’t wait to hold them all in my arms again and to snuggle w/my Woobie in bed. If you ever read this, Mandi, I love you.

One cool thing: I got my bird book today. I can finally start identifying what I see. [That was a big deal since I am an acknowledged ‘Bird-Nerd’. I also purchased an ostrich egg that has been painted decoratively with an antelope of some kind. Beautiful, but I had to gift it to my mother since I couldn’t justify the expense on myself.]

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3-19-04 Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Today was a good day. [Terrific understatement!] We hiked all over Petra and had a great time. Its amazing to see an entire culture embedded in the rock face. Kate even felt good enough to come. That, as much as anything, made the day. [In fact, I wept in prayer with Kate the night before when it seemed impossible for her to make the excursion.] She couldn’t do everything, but really had a blast seeing the Treasury and the Amphitheatre. Audrey and I even hiked up the trail to the Monastery. THAT was a climb. I should’ve bought a map. We didn’t have near enough time to see it all, but another group saw the ‘High Place’ altar, and we saw a lot together. On the way to the Monastery Audrey and I were offered several chances to ride donkeys up for 3 Jordanian Dinars (about $4 USD). Like ignorant tourists, we said no. By the time we reached the top we were out of breath, and out of time. We walked to the bottom where its located, then definitely took the first donkey ride that came along back to the amphitheatre where the others were supposed to be waiting. Of course, we were over an hour late, so they had gone back to look at other stuff. Good for them. Now, I am dog tired. It seems odd that we’ll be leaving Jordan tomorrow. I would love to bring Mandi back here for a visit sometime.

[In those last two days we saw not only Petra, but also the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, Mt. Nebo and the baptismal pools where it is claimed that Jesus was baptized. Although Israel has a claim on pools on the opposite side of the Jordan, the Bible itself says that John was baptizing at Bethany-Beyond-The-Jordan, which would put it on the East shore, which is modern Jordan. Sorry Israel. What a magnificent trip! I wish I could do it again.]

2002 Society Islands Vacation Trip

6-10-02 Bora Bora, Society Islands [Tahiti], South Pacific
What a long and excellent day it has been. I can only barely believe we are in Tahiti. We arrived on Bora Bora this morning and are staying in an overwater bungalow with a glass-bottom coffee table. The snorkeling here is even better than Aitutaki- if that is possible. Le Maitai Polynesian is the name of our hotel.

Today we tried SNUBA, a.k.a., AquaWalk. We went to a part of the lagoon called, "The Aquarium," and put on diving helmets like the old brass divers' suits had. This enabled us to walk on the bottom without coming up for air. We spent 40 minutes feeding frenzied schools of fish by hand. It was awesome!! We also spent a good deal of time enjoying one another and praising God for the absolute beauty of this place. I believe Bora Bora could convince even the most jaded atheist that there is a God. Unfortunately, we are so tired from our busy day and jet lag that we are both going to sleep now, even though it is only 8:30 at night. God, be with our children and help us rest unto renewal. Amen.

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6-11-02 Bora Bora, Society Islands, South Pacific
Well, its 8:30 again, and Mandi and I are almost ready for bed, again. We went on an all day excursion that took us all around the lagoon. We began by snorkeling @ the Aquarium, then went out near the outer reef and watched while our guide fed Black-Tipped Reef Sharks by hand. I thought I might be nervous, but I wasn’t at all scared watching them glide past us. Later we picnicked on a motu, but the highlight of the trip was feeding the stingrays. The water was shallow enough to stand in, and the ‘rays were plentiful. They’ve been trained to expect free fish. One went so far as to wrap itself completely around waist. It was amazing to watch them move gracefully among us as we floundered about trying to touch them. In fact, there were so many it was difficult not to step on one from time to time. The neatest part for me was two-fold: first, it was amazing to feel them nuzzle up behind you, two beings both wanting something from the other, literally bumping into one another in the crowd. Second, after the guide called us all back to the boat I thought to myself how neat it would be to touch just one more before going in. That’s when about 5 ‘rays decided I was their last chance for a meal. As I walked back to the boat a series of ‘rays came alongside me and glided past with my hand on their silky-smooth backs! Awesome!!

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6-12-02 Bora Bora, Society Islands, South Pacific
Today was much more relaxed but still full. Mandi and I ate a leisurely breakfast and toured the island on a motor scooter. Even now, our third day here, the scenery is breathtaking.

We also had great fun snorkeling here at the hotel. We swam out about 40 yards from shore and saw dozens of varieties of tropical fish. In fact, I think we saw more types today than at the aquarium. At first we just watched them hover near coral heads, but soon they came out to watch us. It was amazing-even better than the Aquarium because of the variety and depth of the water (we were in much deeper water today at the hotel). I took a picture of Mandi from under the water, I hope it turns out well.

One of the main reasons for this trip was for Mandi and I to rediscover God and one another. We pushed so hard for the last three years that our relationship to one another and to God was suffered- that is the bad news. The good news is that we are aware of our problem and are here to fix it. I love Mandi so much I want nothing more than to help her draw near to God. Lord, help me to do that. Help me to lead by example and help her to follow close, and help us both to be filled and engulfed, overwhelmed and submissive to your will and your Spirit. Help us to love you and lean on you and use us to help eachother in our daily walk with you. Amen. Please also bless the remainder of our trip to that end.

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6-14-02 Moorea, Society Islands, South Pacific
Yesterday we ate at a restaurant called La Lunareva, which means, “The Floating Boat.” It was a stormy night, so the rain blew in sideways through the windows and the boat rocked all through dinner. We ate with a newlywed couple we met at the hotel- Robert and Angie. Between the four of us we had barracuda, shark, tiger prawns, parrotfish and cuttlefish. (The Cuttlefish was a mistake.)

Today the fun continued with a 4X4 tour of the island- which was nothing special- and an hour of swimming with dolphins. Our 4X4 tour was less than stellar since the drought here has dried up the waterfall everyone wants to see. Still, the guide- Bubba- was very good. The dolphin show was excellent, meanwhile. We stood in about 3 feet of water and played with an Atlantic Bottle-nosed Dolphin that is trained here at the hotel by DolphinQuest.

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6-17-02 Moorea, Tahiti
We definitely stayed one day too long. We have had fun, but this place is extravagantly expensive, and yesterday I got bit by a large Parrotfish, and today it is supposed to rain all day. We are essentially stranded for nine hours in our hotel. Still, everything is beautiful and relaxing.

[I don't actually remember it as relaxing. I remember the last day as highly stressful. The fish bite wasn't serious, but probably could've used a stitch, and it hurt like like Hell. It happened on an island tour we took that left us snorkeling on a motu where we ate lunch. I was feeding the fish with a bread roll when this vicious sucker just comes along and bangs my thumb at full throttle. I sought first aid frim the guide, but all he did was squeeze a lemon on it. It killed the germs, but I nearly passed out from the pain. All I could do was apply direct pressure until we got back to the hotel and dress it properly. Wow, that hurt!] Adding insult to injury, it was there that Mandi lost a nice ($200) watch.] Our gift to the island. I won't go back to Moorea.]

2000 Uruguay Mission Trip

4-1-2000 Somewhere over Bolivia
Today begins at 33,000 ft. over the eastern tip of the Andes. I slept fitfully, spread across three seats in a Boeing 767. I hope and pray that as we seek to glorify God in Uruguay that my Spanish will return quickly. What an incredible adventure is life! I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me next.

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4-1-2000 Montevideo, Uruguay (10:20pm)
We've been here all of 8 hours and already things are happening, the mission is taking shape. BL [I can't in good conscience reveal missionaries' names], the missionary we are assisting, is a nice guy, young too. I am pleased to see how much he loves the Lord, it will be a joy to serve with him.

Evidently B is not much of an administrator. Wisely, he is aware of that. We know where we are going tomorrow, but don't know where we will be sleeping. Since it will be Sunday, we have total freedom to share with the kids who up for our baseball clinic about Jesus Christ. Monday and Tuesday, the same will not be true as we will be teaching high school phys. ed.

Mandi is still struggling with leaving Aly behind w/ my folks, but she'll be okay. From a human perspective, this trip is going to be hard. We gave up our baby and don't even have a clear itinerary of what we are doing. It's hard for me, but I know Mandi is really torn up. She has cried for days about this. The only thing that makes it better is the eternal perspective.

From that vantage, this trip is a blessing. Our first love is supposed to be God Himself. He guards that jealousy. His ultimate goal is to be glorified, and if we fail to love Him first, then we thwart His glorification. This trip makes that crystal clear. It does not ease the burden of giving up our daughter, but nothing can now come between us and God.
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After reading that last paragraph, I don't think I communicated my thoughts well. What I mean is, Mandi and I gave up a lot to come on this trip. It is hard for both of us to be here. We did anyway, however, in order to glorify God. We have made ourselves available to Him, and I believe He is honored by our sacrifice. Should anyone ever doubt our commitment to Christ (and I hope there is never cause to do so) I will point to this trip and say, "HA! What have you done?"

It should never come to that though. Ultimately, we are not here to serve God anyway. He cannot be served. He is entirely self-sufficient. That is what separates Him form other gods. No, we are here to be served. I believe God has our best interests at heart, and I believe that for that reason He brought us here to Uruguay. Likewise, He loves Alyssa more than Mandi or I will ever be able to. He has her interests at heart as well. He is consistent. He will use this time to our benefit, to her benefit and to His glory. If we love God first, the last should be enough. If we trust God, the rest should be enough. Either way, it is enough.

May our hearts not doubt him, may we only love Him more.

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4-2-00 La Charceada, Uruguay
Lord, I'm tired. We drove 3 hours in a cramped truck and taught baseball for four more hours so I could give my testimony to a group of about 44 students. Then we ate a quick dinner and drove another hour and a half, dropped Jayne and a translator off at a missionary's house, and went for another half hour to a church where the rest of us will spend a short night. We've got 8 hours of teaching to do tomorrow, but it should go well, there's no reason for it not to.

Did you know that there are wild ostriches in Uruguay? Now you do. And the stars are amazing. Now I'm going to bed. I'm too tired to write or think anymore tonite. Morning will come way too early.

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4-3-2000 La Charceada, Uruguay
Mate. A tea-like substance poured directly into a wooden cup, then water is added. You drink the water, usually only a mouthful, through a filtered metal straw. [Its a fairly common drink from Brazil to Argentina, and I've seen it drunk from a thermos and in family-sized bowls which many people will share.] It tastes terrible, but has a kick to put espresso to shame. Our room last nite reminded me of Romania, only smaller, more rustic.
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Cebollati, Uruguay
Well, I have done it again. I have burned myself to a crisp in the Uruguayan sun. Still, it was worth it today because our mission saw four people trust Christ...

The day started out normal, except that there was no hot water in the church where we are staying. We taught baseball all day long with a two-hour break for lunch. We had four two-hour sessions of instruction and twice were able to share the gospel at the end of the session. Scott Flippin [our group leader] shared the first time and Mandi shared the last time. Although several people indicated an interest in spiritual matters, there were no decisions at those times. They were not, however, without fruit.

At lunch time I was sitting with Andres (Kyle), our MK interpreter, when a boy asked me about an evangelism bracelet I was wearing. As I began to share with him, with Andres' help, several other kids came and listened also. In the end, Vanessa, Fernanda, and Pablo prayed to accept Christ. We did everything in our power to make sure they understood what their decision meant, explaining that it was a relationship and a friendship. We gave them tracts also with Bill's [our Missionary] address on them. Afterwards they came to our four o' clock clinic. Bill explained to me that he is excited because they have heard the gospel before from him, but failed to respond. They are young, 12-14 years old, but old enough to understand.

After dinner we all went to a Bible study here in town. There were several of the boys we played ball with earlier and Cesar who was with us yesterday as well. Cesar did not know Jesus Christ even though he heard the gospel from me, Mandi and Scott each today and yesterday. Then in the study CC (the local M) asked one of the boys to share what he had learned on a trip the boys had taken earlier. The questions was loaded because C organized the trip and knew the answer.

Several boys shared what they had learned through an evangelistic tool called "the cube." Before long, the gospel had been clearly presented una otra vez para Cesar. Luego varios de nosotros compartimos versiculos favoritos y cosas que nos han impactado hoy. Cesar no pudiera escapar. No queria escapar. Por fin, oramos en grupo y Scott dijo que pudia ver a Cesar visibly shaking while we prayed. After the prayer we broke up and began charlando, talking while Andres invited Cesar to accept Christ. He prayed to receive Christ after the most amazing tag-team display of impromptu evangelism I have ever seen. I wish we had it on video. This is an important step foreward for the Christian community here because Cesar is very popular, a real key leader.

Finally, on the predictability of Satan... Just as it looks like great strides are being made, Maria Selia was approached today by an angry parent upset that she would allow us to teach her child about God. All she accomplished was to make Maria mad because the program here is squaky clean. We teach ball only during class time and make it a point to tell everyone that they are in no way obliged to stay afterwards to hear about Jesus. We are not making a secret of our ministry, that is not the goal. We are not ashamed. I just pray that this negative pressure does not increase and only serves to drive Maria closer to making her own decision for Christ. [Later reports indicated to us that she did pray to receive Christ some months after our departure.]

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4-4-00 Rocha, Uruguay
Seven hours of clinics, a fifteen minute gospel presentation, four decisions. Un dia excellente. Mi espanol esta mejorando tambien. Hoy vi Cesar y el me ayudo mucho cuando jugabamos partidos. I wonder where he works. Anyway, he caught because my legs are too burned to squat. Also, he helped teach batting. When we had a chance to talk about spiritual matters, he was open and warm. I believe he genuinely accepted Christ.

After our presentation tonite, I talked with a boy que se llama Laurelinio. Me dijo que quisiera parte del grupo de Cliff. Cinco minutos despues le vi orando con Guillermo y el grupo de C. He had mentioned to someone else earlier that he was interested in becoming a Christian. It was exciting to watch as that group welcomed its 2d new member in 2 days through prayer.

Finally, we returned to Rocha. Its a two and a half hour drive which isn't so bad except that the road isn't paved about half the way and we had so many people and so much luggage that we had to strap five bags on the roof. Mandi and I rode back in the bed [of the truck] the whole way. Uncomfortable? Yes, but it gave us a chance to talk privately which we haven't done since we got on the plane.

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4-5-00 Montevideo, Uruguay
Today was a good day for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being that another person made a decision for Christ today. We are back in Montevideo now which is also nice (the accomodations are much better). Also, I lightened my load in a considerable way, if you know what I mean. [A reference to the fact that I hadn't yet had a bowel movement since we left the US.]

We parted with CC and family today, which is sad because he's a great guy, fun to work with and an authentic Christian. I hope to stay in touch w/him and send him some grip tape for a couple of baseball bats. Before we left he gave me a Spanish Bible, new and old testament in an NIV format.

It has been interesting this trip to see how God is working through us. We give testimonies every day, but leave the invitations with C and B. They evaluate the contacts we make and it is they who will follow up any decisions that are made. It feels like we have to take people to the edge, but not tell them they need to choose. It makes sense from the relational standpoint because we want authentic decisions, not obligatory ones. At the same time, it just doesn't seem right.

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4-7-00 Montevideo 9AM
Yesterday began wet and ended soaked. We got to the field and stood around while Bill drove through the neighborhood trying to round up kids. Eventually we had 6 or 7 show up. It rained all the way through, but no one flinched and we finished with a testimony. Although we didn't see any decisions, B says we made an impact on several kids who needed to hear the gospel. In the afternoon it rained even harder and we had to give up the second clinic early and cancel the third. Its the first break we've had since we got here. The schedule we've been keeping since we got here puts the army to shame, except for the firewatch of course, we don't spend two hours a night watching for sparks or badguys.

We're supposed to go to our 1st clinic in about 20 minutes, but its been raining heavily and is still raining now. We'll see...

Something else that ought to be remembered is how Mandi's translator stirred things up in Cebollati one afternoon. Evidently she was just beginning to work with a new group of guys, teaching them how to field gorund balls, when Andres noticed that they weren't interested in her at all. So, she gave her 1st introductory speech and instead of giving a direct translation, Andres said, "Boy, you sure are the ugliest group she's had to work with," referring to Mandi's intro. It took a moment for what he said to be understood, but they were totally shocked. Then thye figured out it was a joke and everyone laughed and the clinic proceeded.

Tonight we went to a Bienvenido for an ISC couple who just arrived in Uruguay. It was nice to see the missionary turnout for the event. It was a potluck and we were invited to share our experiences from the week. Mandi is getting desperate to see the babies, she's called home 3 times since we got here. Anyway, it rained hard all day long, so we didn't get to do our clinics all day. In lieu, we went for a couple of prayer drives; driving from place to place around the barrio where B is working, praying for various people and events.

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4-8-00 Buenos Aires, Argentina (Airport)
Going home. Finally. I am tired and grateful to have come on this trip. Today was a Sabbath, we spent most of the day just sightseeing.

Mate Part 2. In Paraguay it is taken cold (so I’m told), but in Uruguay it is taken scalding hot. It is so common down here that you can hardly walk down the street without seeing someone slurping away, cup in one hand and thermos of water under an arm. Often they will share their cup and straw, but etiquette demands that you drain the cup ‘til the straw slurps. That way they know there’s no backwash when it’s passed.

As far as sightseeing went, there’s not much to say. Montevideo is somewhat like Lisbon, a rundown port-Capital whose glory is long past. It’s sad really. The most interesting thing we saw was the Baptist Theological Seminary. B gave a devotional there this morning and we got to watch. Just before we left for the airport we were interviewed by a guy named Pedro who writes for several publications including the Uruguayan Baptist Convention’s paper. He wants to do a piece on our trip since it was “successful.” By the way, we made it on TV in Chuy. Now Mandi and I have been on TV in 2 countries – (we were on in Romania also, same reason exactly).