Expecting the UNEXPECTED

This is an article Stephanie wrote for the United News. Sorta taken from some of our blogs and her own. Thought it was really good and would share.

Expecting the UNEXPECTED

There are no certainties in life – there are only opportunities. Opportunities to embrace what comes at each and everyone of us throughout the course of a day, a week, a month…a lifetime… How we embrace these opportunities, what we give, and how we respond to them is what matters. These opportunities may not reveal their full potential right away, but rather require time to explore all that they hold.

The five of us serving in Jordan this year responded to an opportunity. It was an opportunity to serve with United Youth Corps for one year in Jordan working at three different projects. We are now two months into exploring all that this project holds - for us as a group and as individuals. The city of Amman has offered us many new experiences in the way of people, sights, food, etc. We have met our neighbors, some who chuckle every time they see us return from one of our early evening runs (there really is no one else who runs along the roadways in Amman – I guess we give them an unexpected experience); we have watched beautiful sunsets – even from the middle of the desert in Wadi Rum (an unexpected opportunity to join one of the Bedouin guides as he “checked on tourists” - does that mean WE are no longer tourists?!); we practice our Arabic in the many yellow taxis (which sometimes includes a round of hand gestures and charades); we have become regulars at a falafel shop, always amusing the cooks with our request for extra hot sauce.

Living in Jordan for a year, we have an invitation to live expecting the unexpected. For us, still learning Arabic and becoming familiar with the culture, there are many "unexpecteds" in daily life. At times some of these situations pose challenges and frustrations; more often than not they are rewarding. In both ways, we are given the opportunity to learn, grow, and experience something new, something we may never have the opportunity to do again. And as Jamie said, "They usually have happy endings” (like accepting the Bedouin's invitation to join him for a ride out to the desert).

Our different projects have also offered us many new experiences. Stephanie is conducting a research project at the Regional Human Security Centre and has had the opportunity to visit a Palestinian refugee camp. Eduardo is helping with the restructuring of the accounting department at the Amman Baccalaureate School by documenting policies and procedures. Audry’s experience at the Amman Baccalaureate School has taken her out of the traditional teacher’s role and given her the opportunity to organize a library and provide resources to teachers. Kelley’s days are filled with assisting the art teacher at the YMWA Center for Special Education and breaking through the language barrier with lots of smiles and high fives. Jamie’s new project at the YMWA Center is to set up a first aid program, educating all the students and teachers in first aid practices.

We are still at the beginning of learning all that this year in Jordan holds for us – the expected and the unexpected. We look forward to sharing parts of this journey with you!

This is what we unexpectedly came home to find our kitchen and washer looking like. We found it funny enough to take a picture.

this is Jamie's Speed heater (heats the water in our shower) - was very unexpected when she was in the shower and this happened :)