tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46053585511243515212009-10-13T16:30:05.847-07:00Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive. {John Eldredge}j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-3068856807761243242008-09-04T13:06:00.001-07:002008-09-04T14:47:40.606-07:00

With grateful hearts and calloused feet, we turn our eyes toward home. Speaking of eyes, am I or am I not staring at Wanida in the photo above? Hold that thought. You see, we've bittersweetly come to the end of our story here, and closure calls for revelation and resolution, so time travel with us back to the beginning in February--no, not six and a half months ago, but eight and a half years

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-82842468369091008742008-09-03T17:17:00.001-07:002008-09-04T13:00:00.547-07:00

When we purchased our round the world tickets we were given twenty flights to jump around the world at our leisure. It was perfect. After we charted out our flight plan, we discovered that we had one extra Europe leg, a bonus. Halt. Hold on. We had a problem. Both of us had very different ideas on how to spend the bonus segment. Joe was all for Zurich, Switzerland and I was pushing for

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-80669035439680903602008-08-28T10:34:00.000-07:002008-08-28T11:36:39.898-07:00

There's not much left to do here. The piano is gone, the sun has set, and we've said a few goodbyes, so all seems quieter now. Soon we will pull down some pictures, collect our things from around the apartment, pack our bags, and double check all the important documents. Like I said, there's not much left to do before we put our heads to our pillows and slow our hearts and minds for one more

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-33117355968416171582008-08-26T10:54:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:53:33.624-07:00

my journal entry from this morningIt is nice out today! I've said it four times already- but today, while I stand out on the balcony, it feels like I'm at the beach! Yes, very random, I know. Because I couldn't be more smack dab in the middle of a desert. But the sunshine, the strong cool wind, yes, if I close my eyes I can go there. I feel like I am sitting on the edge of a giant ocean. I will

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-6898896678282479262008-08-23T13:19:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:54:03.721-07:00

Showering was more important than usual last night after we got back from our two day desert excursion to southern Jordan. It was necessary--and it felt oh so good--to scrub from our skin a thick layer of red sand, a symbolic reminder of another layer of memorable life experience. We enjoyed the company of our good friend Mohammad as we accomplished a whirlwind tour of Aqaba, Wadi Rum, and

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-30221519218772079672008-08-16T14:06:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:54:25.299-07:00

Have you ever found yourself on the edge of your seat while archers fire their arrows at the far away bull's eye? Or felt the excitement of a judo wrestler flipping her opponent over her shoulder? Ever seen the crazy intensity of a Chinese ping pong-ist? Or enjoyed the beauty of a birdie smashed down onto a badminton court? Perhaps you've missed the barbarian madness of the Russian handball team

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-47423157489908929522008-08-10T08:05:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:54:46.073-07:00

We're alive! We visited volatile and historic Israel--probably the most controversial piece of real estate in the world--and lived to tell about it. Let's just say, it's incredible.Most people travel halfway around the world and spend weeks in the Promised Land (no doubt there is much to experience); we're already in the neighborhood, plus we felt ambitious and had saving money on our minds, so

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-48325331465369700422008-08-02T03:14:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:55:10.292-07:00

According to Tripadvisor, our hometown of San Diego has 260 points of interest. Contrast that to our current hometown of Amman, Jordan, where Tripadvisor, by a big stretch, counts 9. This week we took an outing to point of interest #9.Together, just after a shwarma lunch, we grabbed a taxi and headed toward Amman's old downtown (headquarters of the world for pirated DVDs and high-end name

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-41514546172321970902008-07-27T06:13:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:55:29.047-07:00

Allow me to introduce you to the new voice telling the story of West / Middle East dynamics. His name is Samir and he drives a taxi in Amman, Jordan.It was Samir who I happened to flag down for my cross town trip the other day. I quickly realized that here was a man--a small, smiley man--who actually spoke less English than I speak Arabic. That's not saying much, but time for me to practice.

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-88048122319450051032008-07-19T11:35:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:56:00.077-07:00

Although we remember with fondness our rainy days in New Zealand, we have since come a long way in terms of time, distance, and weather. We are happy to report that it has been exactly two months (May 19th in Rome) since we last experienced even a cloudy day. Yes, it's been quite "enlightening" to live life sunny side up. In other news, we're also marking exactly five months (February 19th)

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-7726185044478580632008-07-15T04:07:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:56:21.425-07:00

Sorry, no fun videos nor big stories today. (Although, Wanida did insist on one picture below.) Instead, a thought provoking, question raising, answer seeking post for your consideration. Fun!Generation after generation, the relationship between the West and the Middle East has been increasingly steeped in issues of oil, politics, military moves, the media, and Israel-Palestine. I'll risk a

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-3129418903240750322008-07-09T08:32:00.000-07:002008-07-09T09:14:47.703-07:00

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-81046096522764792442008-07-01T04:05:00.001-07:002008-08-27T01:56:47.097-07:00

I know what you're thinking: "Nice legs." To focus on those, though, is to miss our Dead Sea story, so stop staring and keep reading. Here's the story: We went to the Dead Sea. Not enough of a story? Let's review, then, some of the fun facts that make the Dead Sea quite an interesting and unique place. From Amman, its shores are only about 30 minutes away by car, and doing the drive involves

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-45400124022093336172008-06-26T09:58:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:57:16.871-07:00

We met Hassan in the dairy section of the grocery store. As an employee, with great English, he was determined to help us find sour cream. Up and down the aisles, this search became the foundation of our friendship. When the sour cream was discovered, we had already exchanged numbers and he had invited us to go out with him to his home. It was settled, he was picking us up at 7pm. Together we

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-52828509104501422422008-06-21T04:16:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:57:52.422-07:00

On our third day in Amman, we met these two Arab girls: Rania and Tamara. From the moment we met, they have showered us with kindness. They have gifted our apartment with DVDs of the TV show Friends and big red heart shaped pillows "to make you feel more at home." At a mere twenty years old, they have captured our hearts. To celebrate the girls finishing their 2nd year of university, I

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-62537111858038980412008-06-17T08:18:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:58:20.018-07:00

"What in the world are we doing here?" "Why have we committed to spending a summer living in Amman, Jordan?" It's not that we ourselves are still struggling for answers to these questions, but people from all over the place continue to scratch their heads and ask, so we thought we'd spell out the method to the madness of our being here.It's been a while now, but one day, post-9/11, a seed was

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-38398704617065973102008-06-12T07:33:00.000-07:002008-06-12T07:51:08.475-07:00

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-21907485973456045402008-06-04T14:49:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:58:48.720-07:00

Turks are warm and welcoming people, and likewise our time in Istanbul has been sunny and sweet. It's also been characterized by our awareness of tomorrow's imminent transition. We are, admittedly, a little burnt out on the backpack life, but nonetheless we maintain a sense of bittersweet closure as we share a smoke from the water pipe on our final travel night. From east to west and back as

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-32220991248909289892008-06-01T11:04:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:59:11.366-07:00

In Istanbul, we're marveling at the 36 hour timeline of events that finally and surprisingly brought us here. From noon Friday until midnight Saturday/Sunday, we endured sleeplessness, hopelessness, and visions of hitchhiking nightmares that we thought were sure to befall us. Triumphant after a day and a half of back breaking pack carrying, like turtles in a marathon, we finally closed the door

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-57801687094009235722008-05-28T11:21:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:59:33.634-07:00

100! Incredibly, it's been that many days since the two of us embarked to fulfill this life size dream. While we're halfway home--and that's a nice thought--we also continue to wonder whether we're halfway to anywhere else. You know, whether we're making progress in our spiritual, relational, and personal pursuits. We like to believe so, and in that spirit we press on in our journey of the heart.

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-88693239882354554022008-05-23T03:03:00.000-07:002008-08-27T02:00:18.519-07:00

We wrapped up a week's worth of Italy with Dad and were sad to see him go; the time was sweet. He did some writing of his own, so we thought we'd share it below and let him tell a couple tales from Sorrento and Rome.This morning we sleep a little longer. I spend the most relaxing morning of my life watching the boats pass, the flowers grow and the birdies fly. I read and relax. I think of

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-88048285850116626812008-05-12T16:27:00.000-07:002008-08-27T02:00:36.838-07:00

On Friday we officially welcomed (with many hugs) my dad, as the three of us now venture together through the France/Italy leg of our trip. What a treat to share such experience with someone so dear. For four nights we've been living the high life on the ritzy French Riviera, soaking up the colors of Nice, and going big by trying to mix and mingle in rich and famous Monaco and Monte Carlo.

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-41536424272467068222008-05-07T15:24:00.001-07:002008-08-27T02:01:06.230-07:00

Spain is a country that makes it easy to relax. One is obliged to pose the question: Do people work here? I mean, they must, because everything is open and everyone is tending to his or her shop, but it doesn't take long to realize that each and every venue is open (and open late) to facilitate the enjoyment of life. Perhaps I've managed to avoid the business districts and corporate

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-18647581499831409972008-05-05T03:47:00.000-07:002008-08-27T02:01:28.597-07:00

we rolled into granada on our high flying overnight bus ride, and crossed our fingers as we arrived to our "completely booked" hotel. she shook her head. we were nervous. she apologized for not having our room available... instead she offered us a key to a suite!!! she upgraded us!!! trying to compose ourselves, we giggled the whole way up to our grand suite. we could have invited a host of

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4605358551124351521.post-33183616826857759902008-05-01T03:47:00.000-07:002008-08-27T02:02:20.860-07:00

We know, we know--where in the world have we been? Good question. We've definitely failed of late at keeping you in the loop. Our apologies if you feel like you're not getting your money's worth out of this, and sorry too if we're not better bloggers this month either. We made it to Europe last week, and this continent is expensive! Prices for internet will be no exception, we're figuring.

j and w maertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04545014044412594909noreply@blogger.com8