Swans, hearts, Mansaf and camels (of course)

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…..

 

 

2 thoughts on “Swans, hearts, Mansaf and camels (of course)

  1. Thanks for doing this blogging…
    FAO Yousef…maybe Ian you need to pass it on…’I/many bear witness to Ian being very good at telling everyone of the work… and about the goodness of you and your people being established in love…and be encouraged…’
    On a lighter note… i feel the need for a camel coming on…

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