After spending Christmas in the desert and changing teams, we still had a little over two weeks in Jordan. My team and I were told that we were going to do ATL ministry for the duration of our time there.
ATL stands for Ask The Lord and it is exactly what it sounds like. Everything we do, including logistical decisions, are fervently prayed about and we seek God to guide us into the direction He is wanting us to go, including what type of ministry He would like for us to partner with Him in. Sometimes it can be as simple as going around the city to do prayer walks and other times, He leads us to making a connection with someone local that we are able to volunteer with and minister through.
We were on our way back from Wadi Rum going into the city of Amman, exhausted after walking around Petra. The entire bus was filled by just our squad and as you can imagine, it was nap time for a lot of us. With three hours left on the bus, we then discovered the air bnb we booked did NOT exist. So at this moment we were going home…to nothing.
However, at this point in the race I have seen God provide so timely and efficiently, all I can do is chuckle and giggle a bit and start praying. My team leader, Sav, and teammate Bradon, surfed the internet looking for a place to stay and like true professionals they found us a place to stay with 30 minutes to spare. WAY TO GO TEAM!!!
Top of a rock in Petra!
Fast forward a few days, we found a nice apartment to stay in and we filled the place with worship, praise, and prayer; asking God to guide our steps. Because Jordan is an Islamic country, there are multiple mosques around the city. Mosques are beautiful architecturally, but very heavy spiritually.
There are a lot of rituals that are to be done, if Islam, before entering the mosque; including washing of feet, hands, mouth, and removing of shoes. Women are also required to wear a type of head covering at all times inside. Men and women have separate sections of the mosque to pray, so women and children are usually on the upper and smaller part, while the men pray in the main section of the mosque. The picture below is of the mosque we decided to go to, the Grand Husseini which is one of the oldest mosques in Amman.
The Grand Husseini Mosque
Picture by TripAdvisor
Our team felt led by God to go in and start praying inside. This was my first time going inside a mosque and I could instantly feel the atmosphere change. It really required a new level of boldness. The girls on my team and I covered our heads out of respect and went in. We walked upstairs and sat on the floor, in the back. This was an experience like never before.
I took a second to zoom out of my mind and really think about what was going on; me, a girl from Louisiana, found herself by the grace of God, in the country of Jordan, in a mosque, in a small room filled with women praying to a false god…my heart became ten pounds heavier in a matter of seconds. So many thoughts and emotions were happening in that moment. We really are His children AND His army.
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12
Some of us got our Bibles out to meditate on scripture and some of us kneeled with our faces to the ground praying for God to reveal Himself to these women.
On this day, my heart became a little more like the Father’s. I felt just a fraction of the pain and frustration He feels when He sees His own creation reject Him and chooses to worship a false idol. I felt just a fraction of the jealousy and righteous anger He may carry when His children won’t take the Living Water offered. I say just a fraction because I can’t even begin to imagine the fullness of God’s feelings. Although they were a fraction compared to His, they crashed over me completely like a wave devouring a boat in the sea and at the same time, I felt an increase in compassion and love. With tears streaming down my cheeks, I felt a fraction of the love Jesus has for His daughters, yearning for them to come home.
That day, seeds were planted. Temples of the Holy Spirit had the opportunity to shine light in a place of darkness. My gratitude for my salvation increased, drastically. We stuck out 100%, but we were called to do so. However, a young lady noticed us and approached us. Next thing you know, we were having brunch with her, having the opportunity and honor to pray over her in the name of JESUS.
This is what the majority of our last two weeks in Jordan looked like. We serve a GOOD Father who pursues us daily and loves us whole. Join me in praying for this specific mosque and the people in Jordan; that the Lord will send more of His people there and those who are lost will call on the name of the LORD.
Thank you so much for reading!!
Until next time amigos,
Gina Oyuela-Dickinson:)
