As we all know, Jordan and United Arab Emirates (Dubai) are primarily Muslim countries. Israel is, of course, a Jewish state and home to the whole Palestinian mess. So the most frequent question we get when we tell people we just returned from a trip there, "Did you feel safe?" The answer is, yes, we felt safe. There was an obvious military presence in Israel because of the Annapolis meetings happening simultaneous with our trip, but it made us feel more safe, not less.

Now for the real unasked question to be answered; Yes, where-ever we went people knew that we were from the United States and still they were very friendly. In fact, several places in Jordan preferred American currency over local currency. About 90% of the residents of Dubai in the UAE are foreign born. They may not be Christian but religious tolerance still is a pragmatic response to, "who's going to do that job." Our Indian driver proudly pointed out his place of worship, a Hindu Temple. It was close to a mosque, in downtown Dubai. There was also a church near by.

Since we went during December, signs of Christmas were everywhere. We saw our first Christmas tree of the season in Amman, Jordan...even bought a few Christmas ornaments in Amman. We also bought Christmas ornaments in Israel, from a shop run by a Turkish family (98% chance they were not Christian, but the ornaments were handmade and the prices were fair.) In Dubai, we saw even more elaborately decorate trees and saw Merry Christmas signs everywhere. Oddly enough though, the only place we saw any sign of Santa Claus was in Israel. Most places, the religious aspect of Christmas was respected.

While we were in Jordan, our Jordanian tour guide, Adnan, pointed out the spring where Moses threw his staff to the ground to find water during the Exodus. He also pointed our the mountain where Moses first saw the Promised Land and another peak where Moses' brother Aaron died. There is a memorial to Aaron at the top of the mountain. He told of the Exodus proudly, explaining that it is a part of his heritage too. The Jordanians are pleased to have these and other more famous historical sites in their country. They are pleased to have Americans experience their hospitality.

In Israel, I toured the area around the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, the Jordan River and of course Jerusalem, with two different Jewish guides. Both were respectful of my beliefs and I learned a lot about my own Savior's life from them. The Kibbutz on the Jordan River, Jewish run, has a concession for baptisms. The local Christians perform the actual baptisms, but it is tasteful and respectful. We were allowed into Palestinian territory as we were permitted onto the Temple Mount. There we were, two Christians and a Jew. They didn't invite us into the mosque but everyone we encountered was pleasant and polite.

The lesson is that we all have a shared heritage and need to respect that. God's presence is there in the Middle East; it is up to us to reconcile our differences and feel his presence everywhere.

Merry Christmas ya'll, with love.