Road to Damascus

Jordan has experienced a snowstorm that has shut down the capital. After a 3 a.m. arrival, the drive from the airport to the hotel, which would have typically taken 30 minutes, took 2.5 hours. We looked out the window as we passed disabled cars and young men who stood in the middle of the highway engaging in a snowball fight – even though it was 4 a.m.

We met with Monsignor Matteo de Mori at the Apostolic Nunciature in Jordan after a somewhat precarious taxi ride to the Vatican Embassy. We were greeted warmly by the first secretary, who spoke of the tragedy that is occurring in Iraq and the ultimate threat that there will be no surviving Christian presence in Iraq as a result of the war. He spoke of recent coordinated attacks in Kirkuk. Two Catholic churches were bombed in January. He said prior to the war there were more than 800,000 Christians living in Iraq and now there are but a handful. Most have left fearing for their lives

We met with two young Iraqi men whose former boss was concerned for their wellbeing. They have been living in limbo in Jordan for months. The boss, who resides in Baghdad, had asked that we meet with them as they had been instrumental in saving one of his colleagues from a sure death when a group of employees was kidnapped and they hid one employee below the floor boards.

We met with the regional coordinator for US Today – an interview and commentary I will write about on our way to Damascus. We leave tomorrow via the road. Because Amman remains paralyzed by the snowstorm and all offices are shut down, we have decided it is best to go to Syria, where we have meetings with the editor of Syria Today and a local economist who has reported on the impact of refugees on Syria.

About our group - it could not be a better mix of truthsayers and diplomats and people who care desperately about making a difference. Oddly, I have become the target of all jokes - it seems to be quite unifying so I will go with it. Today after our meeting with the regional refugee coordinator, we were in agreement that our report would be titled: "Designed to Fail - The U.S. Refugee Program."