So far we have 38 dolls and figure we’ll have about 50 total when we leave.  I’ll be having another doll decorating gathering next month so please let me know if you want to be invited!  

I did find an website that describes the journey from Egypt to Jordan and gives excellent advice on visas and the crossing via Israel. Jordan Jubilee 

Also, I’ve been reading the following book and LOVE it. Finally someone can explain such a complicated area in a way that I can understand.   

What Every American Should Know about the Middle East

The What Every American Should Know series returns with a timely guide to the region Americans need to understand the most (and know the least)

The latest edition of Melissa Rossi’s popular What Every American Should Know series gives a crash course on one of the most complex and important regions of the world. In this comprehensive and engaging reference book, Rossi offers a clear analysis of the issues playing out in the Middle East, delving into each country’s history, politics, economy, and religions. Having traveled through the area over the past year, she exposes firsthand the U.S.’s geopolitical moves and how our presence has affected the region’s economic and political development. Topics include:

· Why Iran is viewed as a threat by most Middle East countries
· What resource is more important than petroleum in regional power plays
· What’s really behind the fighting between Sunni and Shia
· How Saudi Arabia inadvertently feeds the violence in Iraq and beyond
· How monarchies like those in Jordan and Qatar are more open and progressive than the so-called republics
With answers that will surprise many Americans, and covering a vast history and cultural complexity that will fascinate any student of the world, What Every American Should Know About the Middle East is a must-read introduction to the most critical region of the twenty-first century.

We held a doll decorating party on Jan 31st. Here’s a photo of the dolls we made. We’ll be delivering them to schools and orphanages in April. Our destinations are: Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.  If you have any connections or info on the area we’d love to talk to you!

To host your own doll decorating party please visit our website One Doll.