Paris Comes to Town

There's just something comforting about a friend coming to town. I love it. Whether things are going really bad, so so, or fabulous...a visit from someone you love just makes it even better. It just does. That's the way it works. And it works in your favor! I have felt kind of so so lately, so I was so glad to have the Parisian person I love in town this week. She flew in for a whirlwind tour of Turkey this week and spent a few days here with me. I was so so glad and really just needed to see her and spend some time with her. It's gotten warm here and I think I get restless when the seasons change. Re-evaulating and thinking about what took place in the season leaving me. Where the season to come will take me. I have been a bit overwhelmed lately with getting to the point where home is 6 months away and then really having to questions whether that's the right path or not. I've felt a bit lonely lately and I guess, I've just been overwhelmed in spirit lately. My sweet friend and I left America at the same time and we'll probably go home at the same time and we've walked this journey together, so it was just so great to have someone to talk with, laugh with, just be with and 'debrief' with about the past few months since I saw her in Paris. That's my new term. I always have things I need to 'debrief' here. I just have so many emotions on any given day, that are so different than I had in America. So, it's just nice to have someone who gets that and gets me...and HUGE, someone I have missed come and visit and do that together. It was a great week. I needed a great week and it was a great week. Next week I am going out of town with some of the folks I live and partner with here. I think it will be a good week. I feel like I haven't been able to see enough people this week. Sometimes, you just have one of those weeks here. Everyone cancels on you and it's just hard. My life is to be in people's lives and when they won't let me, it's hard! So, the thought of going away another week and then coming back to all of those relationships sometimes is a bit overwhelming to me. But, I think I need some rest. I've found that I'm just a bit tired lately and from exactly what, I'm not sure, but life wears on me here more. But the visit this week started some times of refreshment that I think will continue into next week as we relax and worship together and spend some time of course 'debriefing'. Here are some pics from my friend's visit... so i like pictures.

The Parisian and my closest Turkish friends...they all happen to speak English, but Girl Scout's honor, I usually speak Turkish with them! But, we made an exception for her!

Here we are holding up Cleopatra's Gate in Tarsus. It used to be the sea gate to Tarsus. Rumor has it that Cleopatra met Mark Antony under this gate. How dreamy, huh? Anyhoo, this was one of the stops on the tour. When we ran the 5k in Tarsus, we ran under this gate. Very cool. I felt cool when we ran under it.

Here we are at 'Paul's Well' drawing up some water. You can pay 2 lira and see where the city of Tarsus thinks Paul's house was! That exclamation point is a bit sarcastic. They also think Daniel's bones are buried here...I don't think that totally makes sense. But, I will go with them and say that since Paul was from Tarsus...technically this could have been his neighborhood. Why not? This probably was his well. (smile.)

Paris came to town bearing gifts in the form of crepe pan and Nutella. Delicious. I'm practicing my crepe flip in this picture. Very impressive catch you just missed there. I was excited, and you would have been too, had you seen what I did to the crepe before this one! Perfect gift. I've had 3 crepes already this week since the gift came on Tuesday! Cholula, really, I live on the Med. Summer is coming...what were you thinking! We love it way too much!

This was the before and after taste testing of our local drink here. It's akin to beet juice, I think. You have to try it if you're here. It would be like going to the south and not drinking sweet tea. Don't even try to convince me you can do it...or would want to! But, I have to admit, it's not my fave. But, she came. She tried. She lived. And I love her for it!