One more serious something.

I can't read my last post without tearing up a little...or alot. I'm in America. America is my home. Home is great. Home is different. Home is new and home is the same. But, there is still a part of me that aches for the people that made up my loved ones in Turkey, and i'm learning that i hope that ache doesn't go away any time too soon.

Learning to balance two worlds has been a major transition for me. Embracing life here and still wanting to show love to my girls in Turkey is a balancing act I'm working on mastering. I'm a bit unsure of where I fit in here, but this week for the first time, I got some closure and a taste of community to come in an unlikely place. I don't know what the future holds for me in Jackson...what ministry I'll plug into, which friendships will be just the same and which ones will be different, what my routine will be, or what my life is going to look like in a month, much less a week. But, I have a job. I have a car. I have a place to live. I ate Thanksgiving dinner with my family in person, and life is good. He's good. He's faithful here just like He was there and like He was here before I left. Just a little update. Life is good. This post is a little abstract, but I'm not quite at the place where my feelings fit into a complete thought yet. When I've had a bit more time to process, I'll let you know. For now I know the journey and the blog are soon coming to an end. I'm glad you hung around for the ride. I'll try and let you in on a few more funny stories since I've been back before I totally close the blogging chapter, but for now... I'm home and it's this weird, wonderful, scary, hard, but fabulous transition place that I didn't expect to be in upon coming back to a place called home...but here I am.

Goodbye Turkey.

(below is my 'I don't like goodbyes face')
Today is my last day in Turkey. It's hard to believe. He has given me a love for this place and these people that I never would have imagined could be as strong as it is. I guess that He just gave me His love for these people. In spite of how excited I am to be coming home, I have mourned for leaving this place. It has been like a death of something in me, but I choose to think that it is hard to leave here because actually, He birthed something new in me here.

Last night, I said goodbye to my sweet American friend that I've partnered with in leading our girls' Bible study for our Turkish sisters. We have loved side by side and we have laughed as we learned to pray and share and praise in Turkish, and mean it. It was so hard to leave her, yet I'm so incredibly grateful for her fellowship and I am privileged to have served alongside her here...and selfishly I am glad that after I am gone, she and her incredible heart will remain. He's just been so good to me throughout this time of goodbyes. Yes, I have wept and I have been stressed and I have been exhausted, but He's been here beside me every step of the way. Him and His peace. Last night a new girl that has been studying the Word and claims to want to follow His Son came to our study. It was a special time of goodbye and I didn't know her, but that didn't make it awkward at all. Instead, I thought, what a special gift for Him to give me when saying goodbye to these sisters that I have walked alongside on their faith journey for over a year now. He let me see the promise of more to come through her. And I wouldn't want to leave any other way.

The hardest goodbyes to come will be tomorrow morning when my three closest Turkish friends and two American friends will drop me off at the airport. I praise Him for the time I have spent with those girls. I praise Him for calling them out of darkness into His marvelous light and I'm in awe that He let me see it and get to be a part of it in a small way. My God is so good. But one of those friends does not yet believe and that breaks my heart. But, I know that He's not done here. It is His work and when I leave, He will continue to bring it to fulfillment. I pray that includes my sweet friend that I have so desperately shared with and prayed for. My season is coming to an end in this city, but I leave joyfully knowing that these friends will continue to be a part of the next season of my life wherever it takes me to, and I will continue to give her over to Him and wait expectantly for her eyes to be opened.
My sweet Turkey, you have been so good to me and I will miss you. Goodbye for now.

Something still grateful

Today was my last day at church. I have four days left in Turkey. Four precious days to fill with love and goodbyes. I honestly don't know how to say goodbye to this place. I reached my emotional quota sometime last week and this week I'm just, well make sure there's tissue around. I'm so excited to be going home, really, I am. But, for this moment, I'm here and in the right now, goodbyes are hard. I was remembering today about a year and a half ago when I shared with you a familiar scene to me today. I watched our fellowship say goodbye to a family that had served in our city for eight years. I remember standing on the outskirts of a circle of people surrounding them, praying, saying goodbye and sending them off with such tears of joy to have been able to be a part of their lives and such sadness to see them go. I did not live here for eight years. My season lasted almost two years, but today I stood in the middle of a very familiar circle of friends that were some Turks and some not, and was overwhelmed with the love that He has blessed me with in this place. I never imagined a year ago the blessings that He would fill my life with during my time in Turkey. Today I cried and everyone in my circle cried. There was just no other way to leave. Turkey and these people have meant too much in my life to leave any other way. We have impacted each other too much to leave without a few tears. I told you that the man told a story about when asked whether he felt sad or happy to be leaving Turkey, his answer was that he was grateful. Today, amidst many tears and hard goodbyes, I am grateful. I told you last year that his answer would be mine and it was and it is. I'm still grateful. I am so grateful for the season He enabled me to live and love in Turkey. I'm grateful for what those tears represented today. I'm grateful that He loved through me and that He loved me through them. My time, I realize pales in comparison to eight years, but it was the time He entrusted to me here and I will be forever grateful for it.

Something busy

Okay. So, I will not hold it against any of you blog readers (...if I still have any at this point other than my family) for not wanting the cats. We may have found a home, so thank goodness! I have been such a poor blogger lately. My Mediterranean life has become a very busy one as it comes to an end! My precious laid-back, short notice planning, show up late, beloved Turks have succumbed to being penciled into my planner in advance. I can't help it! It's gotten so busy. Just about everyone I've ever met in Turkey has wanted to have me over or eat a meal or drink tea or just see me--which is wonderful, but busy! I'm not complaining, I'm taking tons of sweet mental pictures to last me and lots of real ones.

Yesterday I had plans to go eat, what I thought would be dinner, at my D.V.D. friend's house. I was going to go over there at 3 or 4. So I thought...okay, we'll eat dinner about 5 or so. I didn't feel bad when one of my best friends called and asked me to come to her work and eat lunch with her and her co-workers. They're so sweet and I wanted to see them again. So, I just couldn't tell her no. I tell her yes, of course even though this means I am only going to be able to stay an hour and a half and that still only leaves me a half hour on the bus to high tail it across town--which unless the bus driver has had his complete quota of tea for the day usually doesn't happen. So, I go to eat lunch and of course, it's a good one. The oily Turkish kind, but delicious. We eat and then we chat and then they want to drink tea. And then they give me gifts! I don't even know my friends co-workers well enough to merit goodbye gifts! So sweet. Then, just about the time I'm already a little late to run across town, they want to go out and buy a cake and eat cake! I apologetically tell them that I have got to go, which I feel incredibly rude doing (but what do you do! It makes no sense to Turks to have back to back plans with 3 people in one day, but I'm a busy going to America in a week kind of girl...and I don't want to tell anyone no!), but I have to leave. So, while I'm on the bus my other friend calls and tells me she hopes I won't be late (I will). Apparently, I was not keeping just her waiting...

I get to her house. She has been inviting me to her house for 2 years, but in all actuality, she has been saying she is going to invite me to her house for 2 years and now in my last week, it happens. But, not only are her parents there. Her aunt has come to see me. The neighbor across the hall has come to see me. The neighbor's son has come to peek his head in to see me and tell me that he wishes I wasn't leaving and if I weren't, could we get to know each other better (thank goodness I am leaving on that note). Then the uncles came by. Then the aunt's husband came by. Mercy. All to see the foreigner before she leaves. I'm like a booth at the fair. Maybe I should have charged per person! Anyways, I was wrong. Apparently, we were going to eat at 3:00. I'm not sure if this was lunch or dinner, but I began to literally pray that the Lord would make room in my stomach for this food. Immediately when I asked for less than a normal portion--which I can't finish on a good day--I got comments of, you don't think you're going to like it? Of course I'm going to love it, I tell them. Because even if I hate it, I'm going to shovel it in with the biggest smile on my face I can muster!

In Turkish, if you don't eat the server's desired amount for you to eat, then automatically you have not liked the dish. This leads to eating alot to be courteous. I have a drink at least 2 glasses of tea rule out of politeness. This has led to me putting on a few pounds which led to me working out all summer and not drinking caffeinated beverages to try to lose some kilos. Now, it's cold (according to them) and it's time to drink tea like it's going out of style again. In spite of my efforts which I thought had succeeded in losing a kilo or two, my friend's neighbor who came to see me who hasn't seen me since two Aprils ago at a wedding (remember the police escort--good times), told me I had filled out. I'm sorry, but this is one thing I'm just not sad to leave behind. Everyone quit watching my weight for me and telling me I've gained kilos!!! I dare you if you see me in America to tell me I've taken on kilos (which is absolutely normal conversation in Turkey). So, i might have given a few kilos this summer, but somehow according to everyone around me and partially because of them, I have taken them back on. But, I'm being polite and I'm not leaving any one of them to say I don't like their food!

Anyways, we ate. I miraculously finished my plate. We drank tea. We ate fruit. Fruit is usually the closer. It's usually the last thing you serve. So, being a bit tired after the long day and knowing my marathon wasn't over yet, but that I had stayed over 3 hours, I got up to leave. I hadn't stayed long enough. At this point though, I knew I was going home only to turn around and go to the neighbor's house and drink tea which was making for a very full day and stomach and I just had to excuse myself.

I did come home and go to the neighbor's house, who didn't understand why she had rung our doorbell every night that week only to discover we weren't home every night this week. I am telling you, I am exhausted. We're busy. So, by the end of the night, I was Turkish'ed out. Two years later, my Turkish is enough, but my brain was a bit sluggish, I'll sadly admit. Someone from home asked me the other day, if I was fluent and my answer was, 'honey, I've led a Bible study on Ephesians in Turkish'...if that's not fluent enough for my short season here, then I don't know if I can do much more! Seriously though, I could do so much better. I still become sad thinking about how much more I could have learned. But, for now no regrets. I have heard of a book that is popular in America by the name of Eat, Pray, Love. I am NOT recommending this book on here because I have not read it! Can't say what it's about, but I do love the title. When I heard it, I thought...well, that's exactly what I've done here. Were I to have written a book, I might could have named it that, but alas the title is taken. I have certainly lived and I have loved here...and if my schedule wears me out for the next seven days because these people are so desperately wanting me to leave knowing that I am loved, then so be it. I feel incredibly full...of food and love. My cup runneth over. I hope as I'm leaving that some of what's in my cup will run over into these people that I so dearly love.

Something of an opportunity...

I have an amazing opportunity for you today. Boy, should you be glad that you are viewing this blog entry presently. Maybe it was ordained. So, Melissa and I have decided to sponsor a foreign exchange program...for our cats. Okay, so don't stop reading. Please HELP us, if you can! We cannot find a home for our cats here in Turkey for the life of us. Turks don't love cats, they don't actually love pets. (Should we have thought about that ahead of time, you ask? Well, we got them as kittens and they were free...and life overseas can be a bit lonely sometimes, so they've been good company. But, now seeing as neither Melissa or I know exactly what life will hold for us in America...(and we don't actually have homes of our own lined up for some time after we get back to house them ourselves) we have the need to find a new home for our beloved girls. I have included this picture, actually because I can't find another. But as soon as Melissa gets home I will post another. This picture shows their personality better! We are willing to foot the bill to fly our furry friends to America, if someone would offer, desire, or know someone who might like to give these 2 sister cats a loving home. Come on, Americans love pets! They are 1.5 years old. They're both sister cats who have been fixed, had all their shots, are usually very polite, and could live as inside/outside cats. They have always lived in our apartment, but the streets of Turkey are a bit different than your backyard. We're looking for someone who might like to give a home to both of them because well, they are too much like people! They really have taken on little personalities and we're not sure if they'd make the big move and being separated. They're very sweet good natured cats who love attention and love to be loved on. We are kind of in a bind here as my departure is quickly approaching in 2 weeks. Melissa and I are looking into cargo fees and details. We will take all the burdens of details upon ourselves as we see it as our responsibility, if there is an interested party possibly in the market for new friends. If you know someone who might be interested, please let us know. You can comment on this blog and leave your phone number or email address and I'll be more than happy to call you back. Thanks for helping us out in any way you can!

Something of late

One month. I have a ticket. One month. People have started to say to me things like: let's make sure and do this before you leave ...and make sure to make good last 'scenes' to look back on and remember..., and when shall we have your goodbye party?... One month. I went to put on a pair of shoes the other day only to realize those shoes that one week ago were stored under my bed, are now in America. My team leader for the summer was gracious enough to take home 2 of my 4 1/2...possibly 5 suitcases with him on his way to his sister's wedding. One month.
Tonight, I went to a friend's house for my usual weekly time in the Book with my sweet sisters. We are studying basically a quick from Creation to the cross. Tonight we read about Noah and the Tower of Babel. i was able to not eloquently, but sufficiently share my thoughts and pray in this second language that I now have panic attacks of going to America and forgetting. Can you believe I used to have panic attacks about never being able to learn this crazy language. He is so good. I'm more than I ever have been aware of how incredibly hard--despite my sheer ecstasy--that it is going to be to leave this place. To say the goodbyes that I have already started preparing myself to say, even as I tear up while I type. No one understands why I'm returning home. Why wouldn't I just stay forever? Why wouldn't I? Because, all I know is that home is obedient for now. I don't know what He has for me there, but He's got something and, like a line from a song that I love says, 'whatever's in front of me, I choose to sing Hallelujah.' It may be a mixed tearful hallelujah that first plane-ride as nearly all of my friends have offered to come to the airport--which I think may be more than my puddle of emotions will be able to handle. But, I am blessed for the 2 years I have lived and loved in this place. I will never be the same because of having lived here and I will love God more for having brought me here and sustained me here.
I'm studying the Psalms of Ascent right now, 120-134, psalms of pilgrims on a journey and that is what I am...a pilgrim on a journey. Now, it's become a journey home, but I know that I have found my real 'home' while I was away from home. And I will until I see Him face to face continue to be a pilgrim on my way there, home.

So, a few snapshots of our time of late. Spending lots of time, just about every night with friends and making the most of last opportunities. We went to make food with our sweet friend last night and I always love cooking with this friend because she's just not the best cook and she's learning, too. I can relate to that. I love all the fun phrases that can always be heard while cooking here, things like...be your own architect (when shaping rolls), it should be the consistency of your ear lobe (when kneading dough, of course), and then being reminded when our friend pulls out the special cheese from Cyprus, that she is using the 'special things' because her 'special friends' have come. 'Special friends'. A phrase that is music to my ears and sweetness to my soul. That is one of the scenes I'm storing up for a rainy day...

Something your way

It's amazing how slow time can pass and how incredibly it can fly, at the same time. Another year. Another Ramadan here in Turkey. I took this picture very discreetly at the mall yesterday. That's right. At Burger King, you really can have it your way... Is that even their motto? I haven't watched television commercials in 2 years...(i'm a bit behind the times). If it's not their motto, it really should be! You can come to Turkey, observe Ramadan by fasting all day, and break fast at Burger King with their special holiday menu. It comes complete with a date (of the dried fruit variety)--which is one of the foods that they break fast with and then a special dessert. It's called the Sultan Menu. Does not look appealing to me at all, but isn't something in you just temped to order the 'Sultan Menu'? You even have to say it with a certain inflection in your voice. The 'Sultan Menu'. I passed up the 'Sultan Menu' for a just plain delicious Whopper Jr. +cheese. I don't know why, but Burger King is a haven for me here. It ranks right up there with Little Caesar's for a treat, but I'm banned from ordering Little Caesar's for awhile. Possibly until I leave...how sad is that. I really wasn't planning on it, but I guess I'll indulge you and tell you my crazy embarrassing story. The one which has henceforth unspokenly added me to the Little Caesar's blacklist. (Before I share my little story, let me share that when I come home, the first places that I will want to eat are NOT going to be Little Caesar's, Burger King, or who knows what my mother was thinking when she excitedly told me they had found a lamb kebab place near our house! Mercy. No, my first weeks back I will be substituting these nonetheless appreciated Turkey staples, for well, ...the good stuff.)

Ugh. Okay, so I'll share my Little Caesar's story. It was a sad moment for me and you have to put yourself in my shoes for the moment while you read and realize that while I realize that Little Caesar's food is not the most wonderful pizza in the world...it's not only a food group here, it's a symbol. It is a piece of home. It's one of 3 familiar restaurants that have made an effort to travel across the globe to greet me in my Turkish neighborhood. It's exactly the way it is in America. And it has helped shape my experience here. Okay, I'm exaggerating now, but I love it and it's nice to have something familiar and easy every now and then or sadly sometimes way too often. But, I digress.
We ordered pizza one night. We were leaving town the next day, didn't want leftovers. Love us some pizza. I ordered the usual 'Caesars Caesars' pizza. It comes with extra cheese, some beef but very delicious substitute pepperoni, black olives and pizza sauce. (This may seem like a minute detail to you, but most pizza here does not come with tomato sauce on it.) I have placed many an order through the phone to my beloved team manning the Little Caesar's phone. Usually no problems understanding. Not so that night. Apparently the operator thought incorrectly that Melissa had said 'Caesar's Caesar's Ekstra'. Well, we didn't realize this until the driver brought our pizzas and mine had some type of meat on it. Some type of chopped up marinated meat on it. Now, it might have been beef, but you just never know! I did not want this pizza. By now, my hopes had risen, I'd had a long week, and I was waiting on my Caesar's Caesar's goodness. (It's the little things in life). Open box. Utter disappointment. Melissa runs to the balcony to shout at the delivery man getting on his motor bike (I had ordered her to do this, very uncharacter-like for her). I am running down the stairs pizza in hand (4 flights mind you) to try in hopes of catching delivery man. He is very speedy and I miss him. He apparently has poor hearing and Melissa misses him also.

What to do? On another day, I might have eaten the pizza. I probably would have. Not that day though. In America the customer is always right. I am not in America, what am I thinking? I call back the pizza place and I inform them that my order was wrong. They disagree. We disagree for some moments, until I give in to my insane-ness and inform them...that yes I am a foreigner and I do have a strange accent, but it has never hindered my pizza ordering abilities before. I want a new pizza. Yes, I'd like the pizza I wanted. I'll give them back the pizza at my house that I don't want. Silence.
Do I want to pay cash or credit for this new pizza, operator man asks. I want to pay neither. I don't want to pay for it. It will be free, I insist. Long story, still a long story...I got the pizza that I wanted. It was free. I got a very dirty look from the delivery man who I wouldn't have blamed had he spit in my pizza that I devoured anyways. So, what has living overseas turned me into? Apparently a rude person. I hope not. It can take me up to an hour on the bus to get places that you could drive in 10 minutes. People misunderstand me and I misunderstand them on an almost daily basis. I feel helpless alot. I miss home alot. No one does things the way I would do them, alot. In spite of all this, I love living here. I normally pride myself on trying to fit in, going with the flow, being uber patient because living in another culture is never easy. But, pride does come before the fall So, I had a bad night. It cost me some pride and possibly Little Caesar's delivery until I leave. What had I become that I was willing to be crazy person over a pizza??? I am quite sure, it was a new and foreign experience for them. But, it was a good lesson. A good point to step back and check myself and re-evaluate the value I place on a pizza or what it represents: all things convenient and the way I think they should be. My purpose for being here is bigger than all those things combined to eternity.

So, for some reason, these last days, I find myself craving Chick-fil-a and Sonic and Outback...and etc. But, I am keeping on trying to let Him use the mundane things in my life like pizza delivery gone bad to refine me and give me perspective that leads to joy in this place. I'm spending time like crazy with neighbors and friends and soaking up all that He wants to teach me during the rest of my time here and trying to be moldable into a usable worthy vessel. Embarrassing pizza story, but I'm a work in progress. But, it turns out Burger King is not the only place in town where you can have it 'your way'!

Something homeward bound

I have to admit, that lately I have not been the best blogger! I know, I know. But I'll try to do better! I had a really restful week in Istanbul a couple weeks back and now I'm back for the final leg of my journey. I have officially bought my ticket home. October 24, Jackson, MS 7:30...Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be home.
But, here I am for the moment and enjoying all the time I can get with friends. We went to see our neighbors tonight and of course, they are not ready for me to leave and would prefer (they did ask), that we visit them daily! Not sure about daily, but I am making the most of every minute with these sweet people I've come to love. Things are a bit different here this month. It's Ramadan time and that means during the days, most people around us are fasting. This is a spiritual month for our neighbors in that they fast during the day in order to try and win favor with their god. But, before they fast, they wake up about 4 every morning to eat before the sun technically rises and they are obligated to fast. We do not fast with them and we do not celebrate the 4 o'clock pre-fasting meal with them, but if we wanted to...we could. There's an official pre-fast alarm clock for anyone who cares to be woken up and anyone who doesn't want to be woken up! I have woken up about every other morning since the neighborhood drummer started making his rounds before the crack of dawn. Good reminder to pray for those around me and then, roll over and go back to sleep immediately (which if you know me, then you know I have no problem doing).

Something tasty

So, tomorrow morning I'm heading off to Istanbul for a week. But before I go, I thought I'd leave you with your mouth watering. I'm learning to cook Turkish food. My friend is teaching me and we cook together every week. It's become quite a feat this summer because the kitchen can get a bit toasty, but it's been worth it to learn how to make my beloved Turkish culture's food. I'm coming home with some new skills.
So, after my cooking lesson, we had another friend over this week to taste the dolma (stuffed anything you want, basically...mine was stuffed peppers, eggplant, and zucchini) and let me know how authentic mine turned out. She was so ecstatic and assured me that my cooking was better than hers (sadly not a hard feat though), and that it was de-licious. I thought it could stand a few moderations. It didn't taste nearly as delicious as my neighbors dolma which is out of this world. But, it's a work in progress. My 'cooking teacher' is becoming a pro at fixing errors that she has never encountered before, than I tend to make when we cook. I don't do it on purpose, but bless her heart, if there is something I can do while she's not looking to cause a disruption to the recipe, all be it meaning well, I usually do... and then she has to figure out how to fix it. She dares not turn her back on me! She just laughs at me though because I tell her, these are necessary skills. I'm very likely to run into these very same situations when I'm making this on my own, so I need these problem solving skills! I think that she fully expects me to skype her every time that I make a Turkish dish...and I very well may need to!

Something for the Bus Driver

I've decided that maybe I need to change my bus route a bit. I'll explain. I don't have a car here, as most of you know. I take public transportation, which means I usually take the bus. It's no big deal, I'm used to it. If you don't know, I live in a city of 2 million people and I cannot even imagine how many buses there are in this city, but you know...after time you tend to see some of the same bus drivers around. Well, let me go back and give you a small transportation orientation. Okay, in Adana, there are blue buses and there are red buses.

The blue buses are in general not air conditioned and they're smaller and not as nice. The beauty of the red buses in summer is that they are air conditioned, but they are less frequent than the blue. So, in general you roll up your sleeves and let the warm breeze cool you off on the good old blue bus. And then--I'm not totally sure why, possibly because there are a large number of illiterate people in my city, or maybe just because there is a lot of unemployment in my city, or maybe for some reason that I have no clue about-- but there are bus helpers on all of the blue buses. It is an official job. They collect your coins and then at every stop, they get off the bus and holler (yes holler) out where the bus is going. If you look like you're unsure of where you want to go, they'll try to convince you to get on the bus and go where they're going. It's very amusing, but nice if you actually don't know where you're going (like I tend not to at moments). You can tell them where you're going and they'll help you get off at the right stop. On these blue buses, you can press a button above the door to signal your stop or you can just call out that you're getting off at the next stop or say the stop's name. That's what I generally do. Remember those key words, way back from the first month of my blogging..."Durakta!"

I'd say you're oriented to the buses now. So, the other day I was riding on a blue bus. On the small blue buses, there is a row of seats that sits facing the driver. So, I was sitting in this seat and before we got to my stop, and before I'd even had a chance to realize that I needed to be getting my things together to get up and call out my stop, mind you, the bus driver looked at me and said, "the next stop is yours, isn't it...". Well, I'm a foreigner and I do tend to stick out, but apparently people keep tabs on us a bit more than we realize!! I hadn't done anything to let him know I'd be needing to get off. I think he just purely recognized me and knew my stop was coming up. Now, let me tell you in a city of 2 million, full of hundreds of buses, this is not a service they offer to everyone...memorizing your stop and all! Despite my cover of sunglasses and poor Turkish accent, alas, my comings and goings still tend to draw a bit of attention. What do you do?! The day he veers off his route to turn down my street to drop me off, that's the day I'll worry! Until, then I just laughed at his efforts and said, yes, my stop is next.

Something 'bana rağmen'

So, recently I was preparing a short devotional thought for my bible study (in Turkish) and my language helper was helping me...err...well we'll call it refine my sentences. I must have said something to the effect of, 'I hope He can use my Turkish', to which she responded, He can work even in spite of you. Exact translation. (All of our conversations are in Turkish.) Hmmm, well at first I was almost offended and thought, He'll work in spite of me? Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. (so my flesh thinks.)
But, the more I've thought about it lately, the more her words have resonated in me and I've found Him drilling them into my head. They've become His words which has led me to be reminded to praise Him that He has and is working here through me and in spite of me, because He is in me. I praise Him that He works here IN SPITE OF ME...especially after some of the humble pie that I ate last week. I am telling you, the summer heat makes my attitude crummy. And I can do that fine on my own without the heat here! But, I'm working on it. He is worthy, oh so worthy of my good attitude because of all He's done, because of WHO HE IS, even when it's 95 degrees, 85% humidity, and I've had no air conditioning all day for many days in a row. He's always worthy of it and I'm trying to be better about desiring to give Him a portion of the glory He's due here in this place this summer, even in my melting moments.
I've been reminded several times this week that I am so grateful that He works in spite of me. I saw one of our neighbors in a store downtown on Monday. Her husband has been out of work for most of the summer now. We exchanged pleasantries and before I left, I made sure to tell her that we will continue to pray for her husband. We'd mentioned that we would pray for him and their family when we learned about his job loss. I tend to pray more for his soul than his job, but who knows what the Lord might use to draw them to Himself. So, when I told her we'd continue to pray for them, she said that she knew, she always knew that we were praying for them. hmmm. Praise You Father, that here in this place in spite of me, you have given me a testimony that speaks of You in this place. Praise You that You work in spite of me.

Something loud

To watch this video, scroll down to the right side of my blog to the music player and push pause. It's just a little snippet, but my Internet won't let me attach any of the longer videos. Last night, our neighbors got engaged-mış mış. There's a whole verb tense in Turkish for things that you have heard or are almost certain of, but don't know for sure because you don't have first-hand information. You add this "mış" ending on to the end of your verb to clarify that well...you weren't there, but you heard... or you didn't see it, but you know that... and so on and so on. I hardly ever use it, because well...I can't totally figure out how to use it correctly most times. The hearsay tense, if you will. I don't know for sure, I wasn't invited, and I didn't go... but guessing from what I saw and heard outside of our windows last night for a very long time, I'm assuming one of our neighbors might have gotten engaged. There are no noise ordinances in our city. Your neighbors can decide to have a raucous loud party across the street from you that doesn't start until 8:30 or 9 and might go until...who really knows when because at some point, your ears adjust and you just fall asleep in spite of the noise--thank goodness--and there is nothing wrong with it. Actually it's perfectly acceptable. And you quite expect it. So, there was lots of loud pop music and lots of dancing--some traditional, and some maybe not so traditional! Some people are dressed up and some not, some maybe a little too dressed up for a party in a parking lot, but it's still a special occasion. The noise started about 7:30 when we heard this drum banging outside our window. The sound check had begun. We knew we were in for a loud night.

I mean, really, if you have a party that we can feel like we are attending in spite of the fact that all of our windows are closed, our air conditioner is on, and we are watching a movie at full volume, then you'll have to indulge us because we are going to spy on you and take pictures! My apologies. But hanging out the window listening to Turkish pop music and trying to get a good night picture did entertain us for probably...too long. It's loud, but it's fun to watch and sometimes be a part of their traditions. If it wasn't loud and over the top, it wouldn't be right somehow!

And then sometimes, there are things that they do that aren't quite the way we would do it, and I think...that really worked in our favor. Last night, (pre-very loud lively party) I called Melissa and asked her to bring home a salad to go with our leftover lasagna. Everywhere you eat here will serve delicious salads before the meal, many times more than one, so sometimes we'll stop and pick one up for really super cheap from a restaurant we like close by and eat it as a side. Last night, she was coming home from a different direction so she stopped somewhere new. This ordering a salad-to-go and no meal is very strange to them. Why wouldn't we just make our own salad at home. We're lazy. Inconceivable. So, of course, they do not make Melissa only one salad, they make her the traditional lettuce salad, the onion salad, the roasted red peppers, and a tomato salad and wrap them all up for her. Delicious. Why would we want to make our own when we can pick up such delicious sides, I ask you. So, she gets ready to pay and they don't want any money from her. She hasn't actually ordered a real meal, so why would they charge her? I mean, she came home with a lot of vegetables! But, they wouldn't let her pay for any of them! Perhaps they felt sorry for the foreign girl who they thought possibly couldn't find her way to the grocery store? We just laughed about it. We're so strange here. We can't help but not fit in, but sometimes it just works in our favor!

Somewhere east of here

We packed our bags and headed east on a bus this past week to visit our sweet house mate from last summer and some sweet friends that we've met during our time over here. Our bus experience was...well, it was warm to say the least! At one point, the bus display read 46 degrees Celsius outside. Indulge me here. That is like 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Too hot. Much much too hot. And of course, my fine friends here tend to wear winter coats at the first hint of weather under 85 degrees, so they were more than comfortable to leave the air... almost off. Okay, riding a bus in the summer with barely enough air conditioning to breathe is for the birds! But, the visit with our friends was so much more than worth it! The further east we headed, not only did the landscape change from lush green plants and tall tall palm trees to dry brown rocky flatlands like the picture above, but the more conservative the culture around us became until we got to our final destination. In a way, the picture of the land is much more than just a picture of what the climate is concerning weather. Really, the east has such a different feel to it in this country. I can't totally explain it, but there was definitely a different feel to where we headed.

I was reading through psalm 31, and ran across this verse during my visit: "Blessed be the LORD, for He has made marvelous His loving kindness to me in a besieged city." I read that and thought, in a different way, this city is besieged and find myself praying that He will one day make His marvelous loving kindness known to more than just my friends who know Him in this city.

We spent the days sight-seeing, drinking tea with our friends, and catching up. I was reminded of the special-ness of two kinds of friends this trip, my foreigner friends and my national friends. It was so good to be around our friend, who lives and loves where we do and knows what we feel and how we feel it here. She is about my age, single, and has been living here just about as long as I have. It was so refreshing to be around this sister and the people around her. It's been a long summer. A wonderfully long summer, but it's been tiring, too. So, having some sweet time with our friend was just the encouragement I needed. Seriously, our Father has been so good to me during my time over here. He blesses me in different ways, just when He knows I need it. And I needed the Body, in this way last weekend.

And... I was reminded how precious these people are to me here that I live among, the Turks. Our precious, crazy, sweet roommate from last summer--I have no idea why--seems to love me something fierce. I have no idea what I have done to earn her devotion because it's been about a year since I've painted her toe-nails or made her a quesadilla, but her love is steadfast and was still very much in tact when we visited her. She of course, made a spread and we stuffed ourselves with our beloved Turkish food at her house. To see and be with her was like a year hadn't passed since we'd been together. It reminded me how blessed I've been by such sweet friends here like her and like the girls I love in my own city, but it also reminded me what an incredible privilege I have in these people's lives to love them and be loved by them. Someone once told me before this experience that the people's lives that I would touch would never forget me and not to forget them, either. Seems silly. Of course I won't forget them. But, last weekend, truly made me realize that I want them to know that I won't forget them. I want to let them know a year from now, much like my friend made me feel, that no matter how much time passes in between tea or toenails, they are loved and very much remembered by me. I'm still working on what that looks like in heart and action once my feet hit the pavement in Jackson. I know, time will pass and I'll start new things and be around old friends, new ministry and make a life again there. But I've walked through some serious life with these people! Especially, my girls. I've walked from the beginning of a journey of faith with some of them, and that's not something they take lightly and I don't want it to be something I take lightly either. This summer has over and over again reminded me that I'm so inadequate to do what I do over here! To love these people, but He has reminded me that His power is made perfect in my weakness and I'm just about at my best when I'm on my knees, and that's exactly where He wants me to be, to do what He wants me to do here. How do you like that for humbling, but so true! And being on my knees and letting these precious girls know that they have someone loving them and lifting them up is one privilege that I can bear from near or far and want to seek to both now more faithfully in the near and still faithfully in the far when they become my precious friends 'somewhere east of here'.

The Euphrates River

The Tigris River and the Mesopotamia Valley in the background.

Here is my proof that 'one man's trash, is another man's treasure'.

We found all of this in part of the ruins of this old church building below.

Don't worry, we made sure to tip our little tour guide. He had memorized the history of the church and after politely asking, we decided that was worth his efforts, plus he was a cute little guy!

Something dishy

Today, we celebrated a friend's birthday together after church. I love my sweet friends. I'm incredibly sentimental (end of story, in life, in general, about everything, but especially now). I just think to myself, I love these people. It's so incredible to see my sweet friends grow. I had a conversation with one of my closest friends last week about some things on my heart that I felt the Lord desired me to chat with her a bit. I had encouragement from others, but I was the closest one to actually give voice to the thought. There was potential for a bit of awkwardness because it was a bit of an accountability chat. It had gone as smooth as one can hope those things go. I shy-ed away at first, but then realized that I can't be silent about things He desires to be included in refining process of 'making of disciples'. I'm here and that was hard and it was obedient. But being a part of the discipling process requires being obedient and I'm learning that it's not always easier either. But boy does He bless obedience. He does. Even if it doesn't look like what you thought the blessing would be. So the discipleship process. There is lots of room to be used of Him in that area when you're a part of someone's faith journey from the beginning, really if you're willing to be a part of someone's journey on any part. So many of you reading are a part of mine. So, I was really nervous this week post-conversation. Praying that my friend received it and that the Lord used the words He wanted and that nothing I said was of me. I didn't see her this week and she didn't return a text and missed our girls dinner night without explanation. The people here tend to be very prideful (I know aren't we all, but in general as a people group they are very proud), easily offended, and hold grudges. All of which lead to many individual hurtles that must be worked through by the Holy Spirit once He takes residence specifically in believers' lives we see here, sometimes more so than in other areas because of attitudes engrained from growing up in a culture. So, I worried a lot this week and then this morning when church started didn't see my friend. Had I been mistaken and overstepped my boundaries? Did I mishear the Lord and my support system here of people praying for me and my friend? Had I offended her and pushed her away by what I thought had been a very small effort on my part compared to what I could have said? (I tend to over-react). Much to my relief, I turned around during a song and met her smiling face. It was just such a sweet relief to see her sweet face ready to meet mine with a smile. We had a great day together and I was reminded that although, I know there's still obvious room to grow in the area we talked about, the Holy Spirit is still working and our friendship is still very much intact. And I can totally relate to that because I look at my life and think, there is still obvious room to grow in so many areas, but He's not done with me yet,... or my friend. All back to why today, I just had that overwhelming sense again of awe over Him saving my friends here in this dark place and working in their lives right in front of me (even using me at times when I'm always unworthy of it). I love these sweet people. I love that I'm a part of their journey and that they very much in turn are a part of mine.

So, today like I said, we went out for a friend's birthday and we ate at a local restaurant. One of my friends ate what happens to be her favorite dish at the restaurant. Mumbar. f.y.i.: Mumbar=stuffed sheep intestines. The stuffing is de-lish, but you have to get over the fact of what it's wrapped up in and that there's just an interesting texture, I'll leave it at that. I have never been offered before, but today I was offered and I decided that it was high time I tried something new. I know, it's been awhile, eh? I know people in Africa and people who live lives similar to Indiana Jones probably eat things way weirder than that like monkey brains, but this was a stretch for me. It looks like intestines sitting on the table. I'm a nurse, but I don't like to look at it sitting on my dinner table. It was actually very tasty, except for the moment before I swallowed when I had to work to control my gag reflex. I managed to swallow with a smile and impressed all at the table, including myself.

Something safe

"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And He replied: 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.'"-M.L.Haskins

I am finding myself thinking tonight about the 3 1/2 months and one long plane ride that lay before me. I always tend to think about home when I'm missing things. Our vonage phone has been broken for the past few weeks and that never tends to put me in a very good disposition. My family calls, but it's usually full of static and chats with friends are much fewer and far between when the vonage is broken. It's a small thing, a fixable thing at that--a reminder to be thankful for the ways that I can communicate with those I love on the other side of that body of water--but I'm a social person and I still have very strong attachments to those I love there, so not being able to talk to them, well, it isn't my favorite. Sometimes in my limited perspective, I tend to think that when i'm missing nouns (people, places, and things), that I must be missing out on things. I have come to realize in the past year and a half plus some odd months at this point, that I haven't missed out on a thing. I take that back, I am still realizing the full reality of the fact that I have not missed out on anything. When I'm walking with Him, I don't miss out on things. This is not how it works.
'Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneith...Has thou not seen, how thy desires have been granted in what He ordaineth'...
Have I not seen? Two years later of walking with Him intimately in this place and have i not seen?...how can I forget that I have seen. My desires have been and are being granted in what He ordaineth because my desire is to very much resemble someone like David who was a man after God's own heart, who reminded me of the promise that when I'm walking uprightly with Him...I don't miss out on things when he wrote Psalm 84. I realized today that at the end of one journey, I am very much still deep on a journey that will span much further than the plane ride from here to there, learning to realize the promise, the truth and the challenge that lie in Psalm 84:11, "...The Lord gives grace and glory. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly (NASB,KJV)/whose walk is blameless (NIV)/who do what is right (NLT).
David reminded me that a walk that is upright is to walk in an attitude of: 'For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.' What a reminder of so many things. The things around me will pass away. They're tents, temporary. But my God has a house. He was, and is, and is to come. When I'm walking with Him uprightly, when I'm longing to be in His presence more than to dwell in the outside around me, He doesn't withhold good from me, He never has, and He will not. I have what He wants me to have right now. I can trust Him in that, regardless of what it looks like...whether it's in Turkey or America, whether it resembles what I thought I wanted or not, whether it is the same as what others have around me or not.
How precious this promise is to me as I think about all the things I love, yet all the things I could worry about in going home, if I let my mind overtake me...new relationships with old friends and family, a job, a car, money, singleness, ministry, culture shock, being understood, and so many of the things I strive to surrender daily. In surrender, i am desiring to step out into the darkness of the unknown future that is nearing and put my hand into His hand...for that shall be better to me than a light and safer than a known way. There and only there, is my yielded hand and heart safe.

Something for the cowgirl in me...

or something to destroy the cowgirl in me... time will tell.
so there i am riding off into the sunset on my Turkish horse (within the limits of the riding rink, of course). Okay, now I have done alot of things since I have been in Turkey, but it's always interesting. You may not be able to totally comprehend it, but ordinary life is just way more interesting in a second culture, I highly recommend it. I have not ridden a horse since childhood. I never disliked it, but Camp Sycamore as a Girl Scout was quite a few years ago. Now a horse is a horse, of course, of course...(anyone remember where that's from? Penny for your thoughts.) But, its still bigger than me and higher off the ground than I am, (which isn't saying much, granted).
So, one of my friends called me and told me she wanted to take me to look at the horses. She has joined the riding club at the university. She picks me up and immediately as I get into the car in my skirt, I realize that I am improperly dressed. We are not actually going to look at the horses, of course we're going to ride them. Why had this thought not crossed my mind. My covered friend has joined the riding club and she wants to take me to ride horses. It's just all a bit interesting to picture in my mind, but nonetheless, that is what it is and I go and change my clothes to something more appropriate. You see, I do all the things that I did in my former life, they just all seem to have a new twist to them over here. Variety is the spice of life, my 9th grade history teacher used to tell me.
This is one thing that I have to admit, he was right about. It sure has been.
There are absolutely no flattering pictures of me riding the 'Typhoon'. It was awkward. I mount the horse and am instantly reminded that my instructions are all in Turkish. The man telling me how to get on the horse, how to sit, how to hold the reigns, and how to make him go and stop properly--all very necessary things to learn, mind you--are coming to me in Turkish. I am not a totally easily scared person, but I'm sufficient to say a bit nervous at this point. Several loops around the fence and many many 'I don't understand you's later, I am ready to call it a day and gaze at the lovely horses from afar. He proceeds to make the ride a bit longer than I thought it was going to be and then I have to show him, yes I do know how to politely tell you to 'get me off the horse now', in Turkish. I did manage to last my '8 seconds' of fame though. I managed to ride longer than one of the girls I went with, who actually happened to be in the riding club. Nicely done, eh? Sufficed to say, next time I get on a horse, it will be one that speaks English.

Something uncooked

Okay, So i have this friend. My sweet perfume D.V.D. friend. I invited said friend over to cook today. (I know, you are thinking, how in the world do you get the courage to invite a friend over to cook in your non-air conditioned kitchen in 100 degree heat in June?) But, I did. So, we planned it all out. I was going to have her over and teach her how to make this one Turkish food that I know how to make and she doesn't. She is always laughing because she says that I'm like a Turk because me and my roommate are forever getting our language helper to teach us to cook Turkish things. We were both really excited. She's really sweet and we've been planning to cook together, but putting it off for months now. She asked off work for the afternoon. I went to the store this morning and got all the ingredients we needed. I had a recipe on hand from my other Turkish friend, who actually taught me to make the aforementioned food. I've made it before. It's my favorite. Delicious. I'm sure I'll make it for some of you when I get home. My mouth is watering thinking about it.
Where is this all leading, you ask? Well, my friend came over today and I whipped out my recipe card--which I painstakingly collected the last time I had made the food, because usually they don't measure when they cook. The recipe card, I will give you that it was a bit odd for my friend. I lost her vote of confident right then and there. (Mistake #1 on my part--but I didn't have time to memorize it!) They don't use recipes. They use generalizations. A water glass of this, several spoons of this spice, some oil, etc. I happened to need the card. I wanted it to be exactly like my friend and I made it.) So, I got this one ingredient (we'll call it Ingredient A--I'm not sure what it is in English) out of the fridge and get our bowls and pots ready. My friend looks at me and conversation goes something like the followings:

her: Are we going to use Ingredient A?
me: Yes, my friends' recipe calls for it.
her: No, there is no Ingredient A in the food we're making...
me: Okay, but I've made it before and eaten it several times made by my friend who gave me the recipe with Ingredient A in it. It's delicious and tastes like ever other time I've had the dish. I think we should just try the recipe with Ingredient A. I have bought everything for it.
her: No, she firmly says, let's not make it. We can't make it. My mother can make it better than us. Should I call her and get her to verify your recipe for us? We should have invited her over to make it for us.
me: Well, come on, let 's just try it. I think it'll be great with the recipe I have, surely there is more than one way to make the dish--(especially the way they throw ingredients in without measuring, I'm thinking.)
her: No, we don't know how to make it. We can't make it. Let's make something else. My mother will make that other food for us some other time.
me: I don't have all the ingredients for this new food (that we hadn't planned on making)
her: Doesn't matter, what do you have? What you don't have enough of, go ask the neighbors for some...

So, one trip to the neighbors later, I realized my afternoon activity and dinner party were not going to go quite like I had planned. I didn't totally love what she cooked for us (she would not let me help, even though she confessed that she never cooks at home and wasn't sure it would be good!!!). Maybe I was just looking forward to what I thought was going to be on the menu. I was a bit offended at first, but then I just laughed and thought, welcome to my life here. Obviously, I can't be the expert on Turkish food and my recipe cannot be trusted for I am not a Turk. Welcome to flexibility and humility.
But, p.s. if you're ever invited over to dinner to my house...for future reference, eat what I cook for you and pretend to like it. (smile). I'm okay with this being the cultural norm where I'm from.

Something overdue

Back in time. I never posted this...but it is so worthy of being posted. Especially for the MS family who has since left me. I always chickened out on adventure that included heights and claustraphobic spaces with you guys, but not this time!!! I did it! Read on. So, after we left Konya (several posts back...remember the oldest salt shaker in the world?), we headed back to Kapadokya to let the visitors see one last sight before they left us and headed to Ephesus. I told you, so much cool stuff in Turkey. Kapadokya is such a neat place. (Cappadocia is the English spelling--1 Peter 1:1). It is the neatest place. There are all these land formations of rock that people at one point in history had built their houses into. We toured a bit, shopped a bit. The tourist areas are full of shopping, and of course since I have a problem...I had to stop in and do a bit of shopping. All gifts,... of course. We had the food that they're known for. Chicken in a pot basically. But, they bake the chicken in the clay pot and then you get to break it open to get your food out! I don't think everybody gets to open it or maybe even wants to, but of course we did! It's all part of the experience! I opened one, even though I wasn't eating it! I hope my pot's owner didn't get to much grit in their chicken! I might have whacked the pot a little bit too hard!

So, while we were in Kapadokya, we did some exploring. You know, last time I went on the near death (maybe small exaggeration...maybe not!) four-wheeler experience. This time, I faced my fear of heights and claustrophobia! So, the picture below may not look as grandiose to you as it does to me, but give me a little credit here! If you look very very closely, there is a window near the top... I'm in the window. I climbed and crawled through the rock to reach the window! Aren't you so proud! Doesn't matter. It was big to me!

Something fatherly

Tomorrow is Father's Day and I have the absolute best dad in the world. I am a total daddy's girl and he's totally wrapped around my little finger and he knows it and I know it, and we just like it that way! And lest you think that I am only a total clone of my mother, so much of who I am is from him, too. I am not one of those people who could say that their father wasn't a good example of how we are to think of our Heavenly Father. I've never met a man who has been a more godly example to me more than my dad. That's not every one's story, but it's mine and it's blessed. So, tomorrow I'll tell him 'Happy Father's Day' and how much I love him just like every other day. But, this year is a sad Father's Day for all of us. I've experienced another new milestone of being overseas for some amount of time. I have had a loved one to die. My papaw died Friday, and I wasn't there. His mind hadn't belonged to his body in some time and his body had been slowing down and slowly starting not to work for awhile. But, he was my papaw and as far as he was concerned, I hung the moon. I think he may have been as smitten with me as my dad is. They're totally biased (don't you know!). And, he was like no other in my book, too. But, I wasn't there to kiss his cheek like I loved to do and tell him that I loved him and that, ...that is hard. I'm at such a good place with being overseas right now. I love where God has me at this moment, but I am ready to be home. I want to be home this weekend. It's just his body in a box. It's not the papaw that I used to take long walks with, look at lots of Pearl Harbor pictures (that I wasn't always as interested in as I should have been) with, or wake up early and drink coffee milk with just for the company, when I could have slept in. He's not here anymore. Going home wouldn't bring that back. But, it's the goodbye. It's the knowing, I wasn't there and I'm not there. And that is a whole other set of emotions that I am learning how to deal with today. It's the having the greatest dad in the world and knowing that this Father's Day, he's missing his dad...and I'm not there.
But, then there is the weight lifted, the sweet peace, the comfort in knowing that always God is Sovereign and He is good. And, this Father's Day, He was kind to my old dying papaw. He hadn't been himself in sometime and my mamaw couldn't take care of him anymore and neither really could my parents. His poor body was hurting, but in that sad and somehow kind moment, he was no longer hurting and he was at that instant and until forever more in such a better place. And that, in spite of the sadness this Father's Day is the gift that we will be taking with us from our Heavenly Father who is preparing a place for us and knew it was papaw's time to be with Him there.

"Amazing Grace"
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;’
Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.
--John New­ton

Something new

Words are not enough. I won't even try to do justice to what these pictures mean to me.

Something old

Today, I find myself travelling with some visitors from America to a new part of Turkey for me. I've never been to Konya before, which is known as Iconium in the Bible. Konya is known for the whirling dervishes. But, on the way today we stopped by and visited supposedly the oldest discovered/uncovered civilization in the world. I'm telling you, there is tons and tons of cool stuff in Turkey. I'm sure you could pick up a shovel and dig just about anywhere and find something old and historical. And, an interesting addition to the museum (my personal favorite) was the display of quite possibly the oldest discovered...

...salt shaker in the world! I'm not much of a history buff, but surely that was worth the drive, right? It was interesting. The settlement was interesting to see. But, you couldn't quite distinguish what was what in the dirt so I didn't post a picture. Thought you'd enjoy the oldest discovered salt shaker in the world, just as well. I'm enriching your lives aren't I? (smile).
So, we past tons of squatter villages on the way from this settlement to Konya--our final destination for the next few days. We're looking around here and doing alot of lifting up the people around us in this city that is known for being very nationalistic and religious (Islamic). So, when we past one of these squatter villages on the way, they waved at us and we waved back and took that as a sign that we'd found us some people of peace! We pulled over and immediately were ushered into their tent and offered tea! Turns out they are actually from my city and they are only here for 2-3 months out of the year to harvest sugar beets that grow in this particular area. We had fun conversation as our fearless tour guide and my boss carried on conversation and we loosely translated for our visitors. One of our visitors joked with us--a little too seriously-- that he's pretty sure he can learn Turkish enough to communicate in about 6 weeks roughly... I thought about referring him to the blog to read about all the blogs I have written in my year and a half devoted solely to the lovely blessings of learning a second language. But, I didn't. We all smiled and kept on translating! It was really fun, though. I mean, I am so going to miss that about Turkish people. They are just so hospitable. We pull over on the side of the road into their village and are instantly sitting chatting with the whole village and drinking tea as if they don't have a care in the world--when really probably they had much work to do. These people are so warm. I love that they drop anything they're doing to have conversation over a cup of tea. Conversation ended with the migrant workers (but not before they offered to give us one of their sons, marry off one of our volunteers, and after the main head old guy asked to show us some pictures. Apparently, he moonlights performing circumcisions. He says up to age 12,... yes it can be very different here. The boys get a big party and become prince for a day and then the bad part comes. He apparently does this as a side job and showed us all his medical case and some pictures... Awkward. Conversations can just about always head just about any direction! Pretty much after that, we left. But,as we were leaving and saying goodbyes to the instant friends we'd just made, we did have a chance to give them a gift-- none other than our favorite Book. It was such a neat morning and who knows how He will use it. His Word does not return empty without fulfilling the purpose for which it was sent out.

Something child-ish

I am updating this blog from the perfect spot. I'm at the beach, sitting on my balcony looking at the Mediterranean after a fabulous day lounging in the sun, reading a good book by the ocean and ordering Turkish room service poolside! Pictures to come in the next blog. It's blog worthy. Bea-u-tiful. It's a tough life I live, I know. A girl needs a vacation every now and then...and I definitely needed one after this weekend! So, I had a fabulous birthday. I spent most of my birth 'day' (Friday) on a bus travelling to a Turkish women's conference, that many of the women in our church attended, where Melissa and I provided childcare for the weekend. But, prior to the day of bus travel and lots of Turkish children, I got another, yes another fabulous package from America from sweet friends in MS (thankyou!) and had a party with my discipleship girls Thursday night! And, if that was not enough, Melissa has showered me with gifts and surprised me with a cake tonight at dinner tonight here at the beach! We deemed today my replacement birthday since the actual day was spent in travel and babysitting. I know. Who does that? ...I do.
So, we kept children for this conference last weekend. It was a good thing. I'm really glad that the mothers were able to come and were able to fellowship with fellow sisters in the faith...child-free. I may have had to remind myself of that just a time or two. Really, though, the kids were great, just very energetic. (they're kids). There were some Bible stories, something similar to dodge ball that seemed to be played endlessly, a few games of Twister, and half a movie in there somewhere. It didn't take a ton of Turkish. They totally speak my level (smile). I used the sentence: 'Don't do that', pretty repeatedly. I'm not sure that the lady in charge of childcare could tell I've lived here for a year and a half until I broke out an 'if' clause and said, 'If you weren't doing that, then she wouldn't want to do it'. That's a bit more complicated grammar in Turkish! But, despite the many 'don't do that's, it was a neat weekend. Kind of like VBS. Never really thought I'd do anything like that here. It was a privileged to be able to see these kids that are growing up in the faith. It's more than a rare thing to meet a child who has grown up on Bible stories and is being taught Truth here, so that was really sweet to see. And, of course, kids will be kids, will be kids. Children are so alike. I think my favorite moment of the weekend is a borrowed moment of Melissa's. She's 'reading' a story with this one little girl and the child is 'reading' the story to Melissa. Obviously this child cannot read, we're pretending here. So, the pictures are a sea creature themed story and then she gets to the end of the story and the last pages read something like...'And Jesus told them not to smoke, it's bad for them. And drink lots of water.' No matter where you are, kids just say the funniest things! It was a tiring weekend, but I'm so glad we got to serve those ladies in a small way. And, don't worry, we did have a few free moments. At meal times when we could sneak away for a few minutes, there is one place that makes a rolled up sandwich type food that I have mentioned before on the blog. (the 'doner'). The restaurant is called Liverburger. Supposedly, it will change your life. We've had it before. It never changed our lives, but it was pretty stinking good. Thus, we ate it once a day every day while we were in Antioch! The last day, they gave us balloons and said, 'see you soon'. I had to let them down gently and tell them that they'd have to find new Customers of the Week, we were heading back home!