2018 | John Brown University Student Life Blog

Abila: Reflection on Worship

Jul 13 2018

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Forty kilometers from raging conflict, bombings, and displaced people in Syria, peace that surpassed all understanding settled in my soul as our excavation team worshipped Christ at an ancient Byzantine church in Abila, Jordan. I came on the Jordan Studies trip two years ago as a Bible and Theology student. This season, I was asked to serve as the camp manager and assistant chaplain, now as a JBU alum. At the time I accepted the position, I was unaware that I would be given the opportunity to preach at one of our Vespers services, let alone preach at the final[…]

Jul 10 2018

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Due to previous stints abroad, I’ve had the opportunity to celebrate the 4th of July away from the patriotic enthusiasm of the United States before, but the 4th of July of 2018 was definitely a new experience for me. In Jordan, there are no fireworks stands by the roadside or American flags in the stores. It can be easy to forget about the holiday when you’re 6,695 miles away from the U.S.: there’s work at the dig site, pottery reading, and homework still to be done. But Americans can still have an amazing celebration wherever we are in the world![…]

Jul 06 2018

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“You know, I never thought I’d lick a bone.” This was all I heard the first few days at the dig site. Many people expressed the same thought, while I silently disagreed; somehow, I knew that someday, somewhere I would be licking a bone. “Why in the world are you licking bones at Abila?” you might ask. Well, if a bone sticks to your tongue, it’s over 500 years old. In archaeology, that can give you a pretty good idea of when the area you are digging in was occupied by someone or something. For someone who has been interested[…]

Respectful Disagreements

Jul 01 2018

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Before I started going to John Brown University, all the Christians in my life seemed to think the same way. I wasn’t really confronted with opinions that drastically differed from my own. Once I came to John Brown University, however, I learned that people do not always have to think the same way. I personally believe that it is through disagreements that we actually come to better ideas, because no one can be right at all times. When disagreeing with someone, it is important to remain respectful. Here are a few tips for when disagreements come up: Actually listen to[…]

Jul 01 2018

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“Okay,” I told myself as I looked out over Area B of the Abila site for the first day of excavation. “It’s Indiana Jones time.” The gray light of dawn was just coming, giving everything—the squares, the tells, and even the goats and sheep on the hill across the narrow valley—a hazy image. In the cool, crisp morning it was easy to imagine that I could actually do this; I could be a little bit like Indiana Jones, or Benjamin Gates from National Treasure, or even Alan Grant from the original Jurassic Park film. Just a little. When I first[…]

Jun 27 2018

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During my freshman year of college, I took a Gateway class with Dr. Vila. On the first day, he shared a slideshow with photos of Abila. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to come to Jordan. Since arriving two weeks ago, I’ve been excavating Square 22 of Area AA, uncovering ancient Roman walls. While excavating is exciting, the real reward is learning about the former inhabitants of Abila themselves through the artifacts they left behind. Each morning, my square partner Kari and I fill plastic buckets with pottery to take back to camp. Dr. Susan, our area supervisor,[…]

Jun 26 2018

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Posting from the Abila Archaeological Project. “Break!” Dr. Susan announces. Excavators drop their picks and scurry up ladders. Wheelbarrows screech to a stop. Empty guffas tumble over stone walls. Binders full of top plans snap shut. We all know what Dr. Susan’s words mean: it’s food time. Members of the Abila crew unzip backpacks and pull out sack lunches packed by the camp chef—flat bread, a hardboiled egg, an orange, a tomato and a triangle slab of cheese wrapped in foil. Jordanian team members trail toward their resting spot—the shaded gap between the wall of a Byzantine church and what we[…]

Jun 24 2018

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Posting from the Abila Archaeological Project. My favorite room at camp is the registry. In layman’s terms, it’s where cool stuff gets sorted and documented. During field school, dozens of JBU students crammed into the registry for a training session. They clustered around desks covered with Munsell soil charts, rulers, pail tags and microscopes. Peter, our resident priest and registrar, explained that archaeology is destruction, purposeful demolition for the sake of learning. Because the sediment and artifacts we uncover can never be returned to their original state, documenting our work with great care is critical to honoring history. After providing[…]

Jun 20 2018

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I’m sitting with two of my best friends by a window in the cafeteria. The sunlight is streaming in… it’s a beautiful Monday, a great start to the week. As I look around at everyone entering, sitting, leaving, I see four different friends getting their own food and then sitting down at individual tables. Less than three months ago we ate all of our meals together. This is a thought that makes me pause. Can it be? My semester studying abroad in Ireland feels so long ago. It’s like it was a different lifetime, and I’m a time-traveler, jumping between[…]

Jun 20 2018

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40+ volunteers, staff members, JBU students and alumni are in Northern Jordan for 4 weeks at the Abila Archaeological Project. Earlier this week, our excavation crew traveled to base camp in Harta, a village in northern Jordan. Gradually, our bodies are adjusting to jet lag, late nights of talking on the rooftop, and waking up at 4 a.m. to excavate. With the help of afternoon naps and Turkish coffee, we’re finding our rhythm. As a returning staff member, I enjoy seeing JBU students encounter Jordan for the first time. They approach each experience with a certain sense of magic. Their[…]

Archive - 2018

Abila: Reflection on Worship

Celebrating Independence–Jordanian Style

Tasting History

Respectful Disagreements

The Dig’s What You Make It

Pottery Reading

Second Breakfast

Field School: Registry

What if Seasons Never Actually Ended?

Field School: Seeing a Place