Time moves slowly in the desert, and our home for the night was at a Bedouin retreat house called Zaman Midbar (which means Desert Time). We were greeted by Affi, the owner, who had hot cups of tea and Arabian coffee - how refreshing. He spoke to us about the Bedouin culture, saying ïn the desert, there are no doors" which means on the one hand that the structures in which they live are literally made out of beams, blankets and rugs. But symbolically, this saying also means that hospitality is the ultimate thing to offer to a guest. In the desert, if you are a wandering traveler and people turn their back on you, you will die.
Following a service of ashes in the worship tent, we were treated by our hosts to a delicious feast of pita, hummus, olives, cheese and other delicacies. After, we gathered around the first at the center of the tent and told stories and shared our impressions of the trip so far. In the morning, I walked around in the desert praying and thinking of my family and friends back home. After a delicious breakfast and hot tea we were on our way to the Jordan River.
