Friendly love

I came to Jordan, leaving some pretty great friends behind.....there were a couple I sooo wish I could have snuck in my suitcase. Soon after I arrived I met the young lady who was to teach 1st grade. Who the 1st grade teacher was, was a big deal b/c I knew that we would have to work alongside together a lot. You see, our school building has 5 floors. The basement floor is home to the library, the art room and the 1st and 2nd grade classrooms. So, I knew that the 1st grade teacher and I would be working in close proximities, and would probably do a lot of lesson planning together since the two grades are similar. I prayed that the Lord would bless the working relationship/friendship of whoever this 1st grade teacher was going to be.

Well, after about a week in Jordan I met her, Joanna, and I was instantly amused by her. She was this sweet young innocent lady from South Carolina. She had just graduated from college with her education degree and was about to embark on her first year of teaching.......in the Middle East! I was impressed by her bravery and interest in this part of the world. I became even more intrigued be her when I learned that she had studied in Israel for a summer.

.......then I learned how much of a nerd she was....I mean...she reads the Star Wars books....and listen to Irish jig music :) Nonetheless, this girl and I over the first semester of school became quite close. The Lord blessed me with a really cool and encouraging friendship in Joanna (I call her Jo). She's someone I can joke and have loads of fun with, travel with, take walks with, sit at a coffee ship and have a good mixture of alone reading time and conversation with. She's my confidant here, we discuss what the Lord is teaching is and what we're struggling with, we can be real and true with eachother and that is such a neat thing to have so far away from home and everyone that is familar to me.

Well when it came to Valentine's day a bunch of us girls here planned on getting all dolled up (which we never get to do here), putting on a dress and some heels and going out for a sweet little Valentin's dinner together. During the couse of planning and deciding on a restaurant, other things came up in peoples plans and the only two left standing at the end were Jo and I. We were completely content with this....so we put on our heels and went out to eat at a really nice restaurant called Centro here in Amman. We ate a delicious meal and shared a sinfully delicious dessert; we girl talked and laughed.....it was so much fun. I love this girl so much. I had a great Valentine's with her away from my fiance back home. LOVE YOU JO!