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 I didn’t really think too much about the impact of a visit to the place where Jesus was bapt
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 I didn’t really think too much about the impact of a visit to the place where Jesus was baptized by John over 2,000 years ago. Not only was I raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools, but I also got my teaching degree at the Catholic University and taught in Catholic schools. But since I’m no longer practicing, I wasn’t in the “this is a big deal” kind of thinking. In fact, I thought it was going to be the most uninteresting part of our Jordan tour. That was until I started walking beside the small bubbling stream on a shady path leading us to the baptismal site. The sudden change of energy grabbed my soul’s attention. It’s hard to describe as it was so different to anything I’d experienced before, but peace and gentleness was definitely at the core of it. Our guide Rustom Mkhjian, the Director General of the site was extremely passionate and enthusiastic about sharing the sacredness of this site and providing us all the sources that prove this was the exact place where Jesus was baptized all those years ago in the Jordan River. Except the river has now shrunk so the actual site now lies a little beyond the Jordan (a five-minute walk). The crystal-clear water has been diverted to a scared pool that is in the shape of the cross. As we were there early before the crowds and on a private tour arranged by Globus, Rustom was so excited to share this moment with us that he allowed us to all go down to the water and bless ourselves with it. This is a rare happening. It was quite nerve wracking approaching the water as I was unsure what to do. But, I did remember to make the sign of the cross - years of church attendance and dipping my hand in the holy water there had taught me that. It was only after I stepped back from the water that it hit me how monumental the experience was - to be at the place where one of the most well-known, influential, and historically significant figures of all human history was baptized by St John the Baptist. We had all arrived to Bethany Beyond the Jordan shocked, saddened, and reeling at the news of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, feeling immensely powerless and quite frankly hopeless about humanity. Rustom helped to ground us, reminding us of the connection we all had to each other. He shared the efforts the Jordanian Muslims have gone to protect and preserve this scared site for Christian pilgrims, proving that we do really care about each other despite our differences. He reminded us of the importance of all of us to share this with others and build bridges of love and peace. I have so many stories of my Jordanian trip to share with you, but I’ve chosen to share with you the stories of the people I have met. I think our interactions with others as we travel is what stays with us long after the trip is over. They help us to learn and grow and that is the whole point to life. It’s how I feel I can use my life experiences, and blogging platform, to build those bridges of peace and love. I know I’m not always going to get it right, but I’m not going to use the fear of mistakes, or being ridiculed, to not do the best I can to make a difference. We all need those strong bridges of love and peace right now and every kind act, no matter how small counts. Â
Caroline P.S. You can see the [Reel of this experience here](. I am close to finishing my first Jordan blog post which will be published soon. Ă‚
 Caz @ytravelblog Y Travel Media [BirdSend](  This email was sent to you ({EMAIL}) because you opted in on our website and indicated you’d like to receive emails from us. If you no longer wish to receive such emails, please [unsubscribe here](. Please add cazcraig@ytravelblog.com to your address book to make sure you receive our emails. Our postal address: 150 Wrenn Drive #1714 Cary, NC 27511 [open]
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