We rented an apartment from a Jordanian family and got really close to them. I learned a lot about family structure, and arranged marriages. They had four sons ranging in ages from 20 to 28, so we got more of the Jordanian college experience through them.

My parents weren't too excited at first, neither was my girlfriend. Most of my friends were pretty concerned. My parents warmed up to the idea after they were convinced by missionary family friends who lived in the Middle East and said that it was a lot safer than it seemed.