A friend of mine name calls me on the 7th and wants to know if I’d be interested in delivering some Bibles to a couple of missionaries living in Amman, Jordan. He wanted me up at his place in Jerusalem by the 9th, as he waited for my ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
I told him, “Look, give me some time to think; talk it over with the wife; I’ll call you back in a couple of hours”.
Running Bibles wow! A chance to rake in all kinds of "At-Ah-Boys" (blessings)! But, the problem was ‘getting in and out alive’.
Talked it over with Lura, in a way I was hoping she’d say “No, it’s too dangerous” but she didn’t. Instead she said “Go for it!”
My next problem was my hair, braided into peyot and a kippah (Looks very Jewish). I needed to get with A. and have her do something; my life would depend on it (Biblically correct, my life depends on God).
She rigged my hair where it could pass, but barely, and God help us if something goes wrong (Biblically correct, need God’s help 24 - 7)
2/9/04
A. fixed my hair, Lura drove me to Beersheva, I then caught a bus to Jerusalem.
2/10/04
We (R. and I) caught a cab from Jerusalem at 6 a.m. to the Allenby Bridge crossing, arriving there about 7 a.m. and were told that it would be 8 before they opened. At 8 they told us that we could not enter Jordan at Allenby (something to do with R.’s passport), that we had to go to Beit She’an, but that we could return through Allenby. ??? So we caught a cab to Beit She’an, the Nahariya – Yarden Border Crossing.
Upon reaching Beit She’an we had to switch cabs to one with Palestinian tags which took us to a security check point. After much to-do and R. telling them that we are missionaries, delivering Bibles and books…miraculously we got through.
Then we hopped on a bus that took us across the bridge, crossing the Jordan (a hop, skip, and a jump). Then we caught another cab to Amman.
En route to Amman, we were carded at 4 or 5 different heavily armed checkpoints (I didn’t take pictures…smile).
All in all, we delivered 74 Arabic Bibles, 27 booklets, 592 tracts, and 5 Jesus Videos.
2/11/04
We got off to an early start. I purchased a winter coat I’ve been trying to find for over 2 years. Word was you can only purchase them in Jordan. It was only 30 Jordanian dinars ($43.00); it can also serve as a blanket; and the 13th was my birthday!
Little did I know, to get this coat we had to go deep into Palestine territory. I wasn’t told this until we were practically surrounded and our missionary friend (V.) was getting somewhat worried. We were in the heart of an area that hated Jews, Christians, and Americans (I forgot in what descending order).
V.’s wife was walking around with her hair uncovered which is not a good thing where we were, passersby began sticking their tongues out at her.
Meanwhile my hair was coming undone! Remember I said “God help us if this should happen”, well He did! Less than a block away, I see this guy selling Bobbie Pins and Ballpoint Pens…that’s all! Hindsight it was a Kodak moment, but I was only thinking ‘hair’ at the time.
Looking over at R., I noticed that his Star of David with The Cross was dangling on the outside of his shirt! It looked like Satan was really tring to set us up, but we got in and out alive.
I’ve heard that on a clear day, near Qumran in Israel, you can look across the Jordan at the Jordanian Hills and see the monastery on top of Mt. Nebo. Since than I’ve been carrying binoculars when traveling that route, but haven’t had a clear enough day.
While in Jordan, I began figuring that Amman must be somewhere near Mt Nebo; I was right! We decided to get a cab to take the four of us there, then to drop R. and me off at the Allenby Bridge crossing, and V. and his wife off in Amman.
P.S. Mt Nebo - Upon which Moses saw the promised land (Deut 32:49, Deut 34:1-4) and where he was buried (Deut 32:50, Deut 34:5)
Click here to see my 1st visit to Jordan, details, and map!
Edwin Beckford
02/04