Just back from Souk Jara (a pre-Ramadan open market just off 1st Circle, Rainbow Street, Amman for those who know), where I had a good chat with a really nice Palestinian couple selling some trendy pottery (too heavy) and some handpainted Handala cartoons and Mahmoud Darwish poetry (lighter – and so I bought a small one). They still describe themselves as refugees, although they have lived in Jordan all their lives. It led to an interesting conversation about ‘homeland’ and ‘home’.

Handala is a famous cartoon figure in the Middle East drawn by cartoonist Naji Al-Ali (go search for examples!). In every cartoon Handala’s back is turned to the world and he is watching the action in the cartoon, inviting the viewer to do the same. Sometimes he takes part in the action in the cartoon, but generally looks on. Handala means ‘medicinal bitter desert fruit’ in Arabic. Handala was born ten years old and remains ten years old, the age Naji Al-Ali was when he was expelled from his village in 1948. Two out of every three Palestinians were expelled from their homes when Israel was established in that year. They have not been allowed home and so remain refugees.

Darwish’s poetry complements this aching observation of life in the Middle East for those calling themselves refugees. He writes not just for Palestine, but for all refugees – as Naji Al-Ali drew for all marginalised people. Check out http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-come-from-there/ for one of Darwish’s poems to get the idea.

So, here I am travelling, listening, talking, praying and supporting where I can – which I love and feel God has called me to do. But I travel not as a refugee….and I go back to my homeland in the UK next week – and then to the places, family and friends I call ‘home’ in the north of England. In the words of Darwish ‘I come from there’, and although as a Christian I know known the scripture ‘we have no abiding city’, I also know the rootedness of earthly ‘home’.

A brief chat on a sunny, crowded market street with some lovely people still aching for ‘home’. Maybe something to reflect on…….

OK, so how did a swan and a large heart get onto my bed whilst I’ve been out? Yes, it’s amazing what hotel staff can do with bath towels and bedspreads nowadays! Anybody got any other random towelling origami stories?

Had a great day down in the Jordan Valley at the Jofeh Center (www.jofehcenter.org) with Yousef Rizik and the amazing staff and volunteers. Amal – a star member of the staff – provided a special meal of Mansaf (the traditional Jordanian celebration dish – lamb cooked in jameed – a sauce of fermented dried yogurt – and served with rice, almonds and pine nuts with spicy baharat on top). This is a great honour as Mansaf is the greatest symbol in the Jordanian culture for generosity, and is not an everyday meal. But that’s what I keep finding down in the Valley – generous people trying to change their own situations, and those of the disabled children and marginalised women down there.

Wa’ed, another of the key staff at the Center was doing an amazing job co-ordinating a kids summer camp, which seemed to be on the subject of transport….roads, cars, planes, trains were everywhere. Anyway, everyone was having a great time – the Shaun the Sheep Youtube clip (spot the transport link??) went down well…as did the dancing (yes, more random dancing from Ian to the strange delight of the staff and children… mmmmm).

A tour around the workshops, and I was able to share that due to a generous gift in recent days Micah68 will be able to send the target money for the scroll saws (see the 2012 project on http://www.micah6-8.org.uk/jordan.html). So now we plan for 2013 – and the supplying of some industrial sewing machines.

But could I escape Yousef’s insistent pushing of Christmas trees, silk purses, olive wood angels and of course, the camels?  Of course not, and so I have a small bag full to take back to Israel, and then get home to the UK. “These will be good for you to sell at Christmas Ian…….tell your friends about us, and the goods we are making to help the poor and marginalised down here”. Yes I will Yousef, yes I will…..

A late night in Nazreth with too much barbequed chicken and ‘sheep liver’ (‘It’s delicious Iron….have some more”) but ending with some great conversations about the importance of real faith in Christ – and what type of Jesus actually lived in Nazareth all those years ago. Early morning fruit and English tea, and then a dash for the border.

So, crossing the Jordan here I am in a country I really like (maybe because the Jordanian security guys at the border crossing with Israel are so much more friendly!). I enter a country of huge contrasts. Masses of money pouring in from Iraqis and Libyans relocating to modern Amman….and extreme poverty in the Jordan Valley where I started my day in Kreimeh – the site for the new Rehabilitation and Vocational centre being developed by Brother Andrew and Yousef Rizik. Bare earth a few months ago, already you can see the start of something significant for the care of disabled people in that area. But heck, was it hot….it felt like my head was being pickled, and my toes being burnt as I stood there listening to the explanation of what it will all look like.

Then down another 60 kilometres to the Jofeh centre (www.jofehcenter.org) – one of the Micah Projects, to be greeted by staff and volunteers with ‘breakfast’ (yes, more hummous, foul (beans), tomatoes, pitta and something very hot in a small bowl…again, more burning!). A sense of being home – I’ve been coming here for 7 years, and really good to see how it has developed and how some of the women are really being empowered to run the centre in the future (Amal and Wa’ed for those who know them). It really gives a tremendous sense of what the new centre in Kreimeh is going to do in the future, and how lives can be transformed in so many different ways.

Tomorrow it’s back to the Valley – repeat after me “water, hat, suncream Ian”.