Read Like a Champion Today*

This week I completed my 19th and 20th books since arriving at MCC Orientation on July 5.  We are reading like champions.  Ryan has also finished a very large number, although I'm beating him by a few (largely because I read more novels than he does).  P.S.  #19 was Persuasion and #20 was The Shahnameh.

My 21st book will be Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War because we are going back to Lebanon!  Yes, next week we will return to Lebanon for an undecided period of time to volunteer with Imam Sadr Foundation.  We are still working out the details - more to follow.  (Edit: We are flying to Lebanon on Tuesday, November 2).

Why are we going back to Lebanon?  Earlier this week we heard from our colleagues in Iran that the answer to our visa applications is a somewhat vague-ish "Not now".  When, then?  We don't know.  We hold out hope that we may still be able to go to Iran, even for just a short-term visit, sometime in the winter.  In the meantime, we've decided it's best for us to find a way to occupy ourselves in a more fulfilling and useful way.  Lebanon presents some good opportunities for this.  It is likely we will have a better chance to practice Farsi while in Lebanon.  Additionally, the Imam Sadr Foundation is largely run by an Iranian family we had the chance to meet in September.  They responded quickly and positively to our request to help them in some way, and are exploring placement options now.  Ryan and I are excited to go - it's nice to be able to make a decision about something and go in that direction.  Our long-term plans are still ambiguous, but for now we are happy.

We are taking one last fun Jordanian trip this weekend to Petra.  I (Holly) have been twice before, both times for just a few hours.  This time, we are going for two full days and will hike some areas I have never seen.  We put off the trip as long as possible, hoping for the weather to cool down.  While it's been super hot in Amman again this week, the forecast for Petra this weekend is in the 70's.  My fingers are crossed.

 

Petra is an ancient Nabatean city built out of the rock mountains in the desert of Jordan.  The most famous image is of the Treasury, which was featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  When you can only go for a few hours, you have enough time to walk the Siq into Petra, see the Treasury and then walk along the Street of Facades, see the Royal Tombs and a few other things and then you have to go.  Because we are taking a couple of days, we will get to hike to Ad-Deir (The Monastery), The High Place of Sacrifice, through Wadi Farasa and then up Jabal al-Khubtha (Jabal means "hill").  At least, that's my planned itinerary.  We'll be hiking like champions!

*adapted from Notre Dame's official football war cry, "Play Like a Champion Today"