Jordan Joys Part II

(Jessica, Stefanie and me at the temple of Diana)

Our third day in Jordan we went to Jarash which is a Roman village with a bunch of ruins. I looooved Jarash. It was so green and smelled like grass and the day was beautiful, it was just a great day walking around looking at ancient buildings. We saw the temple of Diana, a Roman Theater and the hippodrome where we watched a Roman show. The show was awesome. We learned about Roman Legionnaires and watched gladiator fights. The fights were awesome. My favorite part was the creeper gladiator with no shirt who asked to take a picture with me after the show… creeper. When one gladiator beat the other one, the audience had to vote whether or not to let them live or die by showing a thumbs up or thumbs sideways (for killing them). We let most live but one gladiator we gave the definitive thumbs sideways and crazy fake blood sprayed all over. Needless to say, the show was pretty dramatic… I loved it! After the gladiators, we saw a chariot race. Great more horses… We got some pretty awesome pictures with the cast after the show. Apparently this is one of the best Roman shows in the world, hm.

Day four was my favorite. It began at the Muslim mosque in Amman, where Moon Cate and I did a little mediating under the gorgeous ceiling. It was very relaxing. Check out our Harry Potter uniforms we had to wear too…

Then we went to the River Jordan. I loved the River Jordan. The water was pretty dirty but the day was beautiful and it was humid with a sticky breeze, just like the beach or something. Ryan, Bryan, Kara and I rolled up our pant legs and got right in the river. It was FREEZING… reminds me of when I was baptized in the Church. The water was really cold then too, so it was fitting. Then we got to have Brother Skinner, one of our teachers here, talk to us about the scriptural account of John the Baptist baptizing in the River Jordan. We talked about how Jesus was baptized in the lowest inhabited land on earth, which is the River Jordan. He descended below all things in his perfect state, and was crucified in the high mountains, rising above the sins of the world. Even though I’ve been in this amazing land for a couple of months, it is still hard to believe that I am right here where the scriptures I love so much happened. I saw where my Savior was baptized and it was so neat to remember my own baptism and how special it is to me, to be baptized in His church.