The Road Trip (Part III which also may be referred to as The End)

So...this is the end of stories from my first Turkish road trip. I know you've just been dying to know, and yes, the water was on when we woke up Sunday morning...thank goodness. I was beyond ready for a real shower! I know, I'm just down right spoiled, huh. I don't know if this village girl could swing it in Ankara. The power has already gone out twice here in my little abode today and I'm okay with that...water; however, that is another matter. That might require an even further daily attitude adjustment... They really know how to make the best of it there and surely head to Starbucks when water is short in their part of town, I mean we did. (smile).

Sunday was a great day. We went to a Turkish church with our hosts. It was a really neat experience for me. I didn't know a lot of the songs, but I knew one and I actually knew it by heart. That's the first time I've been able to sing a whole song by heart in Turkish and not have to read the words and try to figure out what I'm singing to Him. It was a neat feeling to be able to raise my hands and sing in Turkish something I believe and actually know what my heart was expressing to the Father in a language other than English. It was kind of an incredible feeling. A milestone, if you will, being in a new city with nothing really familiar around and being reminded--once again-- that He is the familiar. He is the constant in my life. He always will be. He is bigger than English and Turkish and He sees into the depths of my heart no matter what language I may choose to praise Him in as long as it's from my heart's overflow.

The rest of the day was spent really in waiting. We ate lunch, did a bit of shopping, and hung out with our friends at their house waiting to go to the bus station at--yet again-- midnight. I've never ridden Greyhound, so pardon my mistake if this is how it is in America (it's been awhile), but I don't think the Ankara bus station could have been more busy if it had been the middle of the day. Midnight was crazy busy at the bus station. There were so so so many people there. Apparently midnight bus travel is the way to go. We bought a few bus pillows--a risky move in itself as I am quite sure they were pre-used, but we hadn't had a ton of sleep between the two of us during the weekend and we were practically giddy as we boarded the bus. Anything to help aid in the sleep process was a luxury at this point. We were ready to come on back home and we actually slept right through the 3 a.m. pit stop this time. It was a neat weekend spent making memories with a new friend, who now I can call a really close friend and I'd take a midnight bus with anytime...