The Nanny Diaries

So, things have been shaken up here a little bit over the past few weeks. I've shared with most that I'll no longer be giving English lessons here. My internship has ended earlier than I'd anticipated as far as English lessons go...so we've been thinking, praying, and asking for wisdom about reasons for staying, obviously other than my heart's motivation. If I'm going to live here, how am I going to do it...As far as everyone around me is concerned, if my internship or what they see as 'job' is finished, what now they may ask? Welcome to my life as a nanny. I love children and the Lord's opened a door and led me to seek out giving the time I was using to teach, to some families around here that it can be a blessing to and give them some extra time to get out and do what I love and am called to to do in all my 'extra' time (which is most of my time, smile)--be with and lift up the people we live among. So, I've started watching a few children during the week as what I now refer to as my part-time 'job'. I love Turkey, I live here because He's called me here, my time here will not be finished until the fall and I--however I can be legitimate as I'm staying here in the eyes of those around me--am willing to do it in this way. If they see this as my 'job', then that's enough for the next 7-8 months that I'm here. Some of you may be thinking, from nurse to nanny, English teacher somewhere inbetween there? But I'm here for so much more. I hope you realize that by now and have joined the journey by falling in love with this land and these people with me and getting a heart for them. He is working here and I want to keep on being a part of it. "Better is one day in His courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." When we're being obedient to go and stay where He's called us, I've found I'm much less concerned with the titles of what I'm doing and just blessed to stay and be part of it, however I can. I know why I'm here. And, if you could see a few of these precious children, it's no big thing to love on them a bit every week. I mean, look at that face. This is an older picture. We've got teeth galore now and I tried to get her to say my name yesterday. I kept trying to get a 'Je-ssi' out. Easy enough, but I kept getting a 'da-ddy' instead. We'll keep working on it. I'm already in love. I feel that more pics are to come of some of my new adopted babies! Today, we went out to lunch with one of our friends from the university and it was a really interesting lunch. We talked about the practice of covering one's head in relationship to Islam. She is very devout in what she believes and covers because it is written in the Koran that she should do so. Legislation was passed recently that girls are allowed now to wear their headcoverings at universities, but she shared some insight about why; however, she still continues not to cover at school. She's such a precious friend. We have to come to a very good place in our friendship where there is room for open-ness and questions in conversation about things of the heart. She actually may now officially be our coolest friend in town because she has a car and is one of the only local girls near my age that I know with a car. She was insistent on giving us a ride home from lunch even though, really the walk might have done me good after all the pizza I ate...well, that and the fact that with intersections being as few and far between as they are here, I think it actually took us longer to drive home than it would have to walk! But, she was excited.