dern raisins...

I'm home safely. I arrived in beautiful Bentonville at 4:30 this afternoon (that's 12:30am in Antalya). I had quite an interesting time in all of my flights, but it was "uneventful" in regards to missing planes and the such. I'll be posting more about my journey home later. Now, I'm going to enjoy a steak and potato with my Dad, Sis, and bro-in-law. Ahhh...its so nice to be home. Thanks to everyone for your prayers. Get ready for more stories and debriefing episodes as I work through all I've learned this summer throughout the coming days!

Oh, great story about the raisins. Unfortunately, my green bean caserole cannot wait. Let me just say...don't bother claiming them if you ever bring them to the US. Its not worth your wait in customs.

can it be?

How has this summer passed so quickly? No, its not technically "over," but I am finishing a huge chapter of my summer tomorrow. I will be flying to Istanbul tomorrow evening, then continuing on home on the next day (due mainly to a horrible mis-hap with my tickets...ugh.) Turkey will be a thing of the past. I cannot believe it. I have invested two months of my life here, but it only feels like 2 weeks. Tomorrow must last. So many goodbyes to say and double-cheek-air kisses to give...

I have learned so much from this country and these people--things I never expected to learn. Debriefing my brain is going to take some time. Luckily, I've got a good 15 hours of flying ahead of me. The stories will be limitless. Memories of my time here will feed my heart for a good while. I am anxious to share with all of my supporters, but much of me wishes to stay here and continue on in the memory-making. American soil does sound sweet-tasting, though. See y'all soon!

Ephesian for a day

A few days ago Christina, Ryan, Sam and I decided on a whim to head over to Ephesus ("Efes" in Turkish--also the name of the famous Turkish beer). This trip is about a 6-7 hour bus ride from Antalya. We caught the overnight bus, leaving at 11:30pm, arriving at 7:00am...we thought.

Over the hills and through the woods we went, traveling up the western coast of Turkey. I was lucky enough to see most of the countryside because of an unfortunate seating arrangement in which I was placed in front of a 6'5" football player who needed every bit of knee space available. Needless to say, I was in no position to recline, less I wished to shatter his kneecaps.

We arrived in Selçuk, the city closest to the ruins of Ephesus, at 5:30 am. Guess what is open in Selçuk at 5:30am? Anybody? Anybody? That's correct, absolutely nothing. We sat in a sleepy stupor on park benches of the bus lot for about 30 minutes until one of us said, "hey, lets just walk around." We started walking the sleeping city when we realized that Ephesus was only about 3 km away...an easy jaunt at sunrise. So, we headed to Ephesus with the sun rising over the Temple of Artemis behind us (more on the Temple later).

Forty-five minutes and 3km later we had wound our way up the hillside to the ancient city, only to find out that the Ephesians sleep in as well. Or, they must have back in the day, because the park of the ancient ruins did not open until 8:30am. Decision time: do we wait on more park benches, 3km closer than we were before, or, do we meander back to the city and try to find something to eat/do/sleep on.

Then, like the "Icee" sign at a gas station after a long, hot car trip with the fam, we see a half-cracked-open gate with something like "no tresspassing" written on it. Er...I mean, it might have said that...my English skills are slipping the longer I am here... We weaseled through the gate, snuck down some unpaved terrain, and ba-da-bing...we were in the middle of the ancient city of Ephesus...an hour and a half before the city would wake and allow in the rest of the world.

We roamed around, unguided and unabashedly, discovering the city of old. We sat in the empty Great Theater, where Paul tried to persuade the angry mob that yelled "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" for 2 hours (Acts19). We wandered the streets, reading the book of Ephesians, just imagining... It was unbelievable and quite surreal to think that Christianity spread, from the very city we were in, to all of Asia. I carried my Bible in one hand and camera in the other. My finger marked the book of Ephesians, and I would stop every 100 yards or so to read on, like I was reading the letter for the first time. Paul was writing to me, encouraging me, teaching me how to relate with my brothers and sister in Christ, how to live in unity, how to obey and serve, and how to dress myself with the armor of God. I discovered this book again, but for the first time.

Well, an important lesson I am learning in Turkey is that if its too good to be true, it probably is. Security found us. Luckily, we played the "ummm...I'm a tourist...I don't understand what you are saying..." card, and got away uncuffed. We had decided before entering that we would exit when the park opened, buy a ticket, then go back in. We headed for the ticket sales, walked up with our tails between our legs, bought the entrance ticket, and headed right back in! I think that Christina even got a picture of us "locked in," on the other side of the gates, with tourists waiting to enter.

After the park opened, movement was extremely limited. People flooded in like moms into ToysRUs on the day after Thanksgiving. It was hard to find room to breathe. We spent about an hour or so longer in the park, then realized that we had seen the most and best in those twilight hours earlier in the morning. We decided to head out about 11:30, each of us feeling a little more adventerous and a little more Ephesian than when we stumbled off the bus that morning.

The rest of the day we spent as any other tourist group. We got ripped off at "The Virgin Mary's House," where we paid close to 20 lira to see "where Mary retreated after Jesus died," we went to the museum, mainly because it was airconditioned, and we visited the Temple of Artemis. I was told that this was one of the 7 wonders of the world. Could have fooled me. It was a big swamp with one big column in the middle. Aparently, at one point in history, it was the sight of an amazing temple to Artemis, the God of the Ephesians. Now, its a nice home for bullfrogs, watersnakes, and cute little turtles. But hey, 1 down, 6 to go on the wonders of the world list...

Finding a bus home was a whole adventure in itself. I lost it at the bus terminal, as at least 10 agents tried to sell me "best price ticket, lady." I just screamed and they all fled. Seriously. I should try it more often when being mobbed by sweaty men trying to sell me something (it happens more than you want in this culture). Well, we wouldn't be boarding a bus home until 11:30, so this gave us more time than we knew what to do with. We decided to take another bus out to the coast, about 9km away. This was the Agean coast, something else I would be able to cross off the list. We stayed there for a couple hours, wishing we had brought our swimsuits, but getting as wet as one can without one. Then, we went back to the town for dinner in a cat-infested restaurant. Christina hates cats like I hate things that flutter...so she almost couldn't eat her meal. I just threw water on them.

11:30pm came, we loaded the bus, and were off...back to Antalya. Guess who got the seat in front of the giant again...??? Yes, yours truly. But, by this time my feet were throbbing so badly that I could really care less if his kneecaps were shattered by a reclining blow. I popped the "night time sleep aid" shot the seat back, and thanked God for allowing me another day to discover His Truth.

God is alive here. Ephesus wasn't filled with believers that day, like back in the 1st and 2nd Century. Possibly the four of us were the only practicing Christians in the whole city, but God was still there. He is still anxiously waiting for His people to cling to Him, like they once did in that city. Artemis is dead, she never was alive. Her statue is in a museum, with big "NO Flash" sign hanging over her. Her temple is a swamp. She has no power in that place. God has never left Ephesus, but the knowledge of Him has been swept away. I learned from a Spanish tour guide that the harbor actually ran right up to the city at one point, but now had retreated, as I mentioned before, to almost 9km away from the city walls. Polluted rivers had corrupted the land, somehow forcing the Agean coastline away from the city. The harbor was the lifeline to the rest of the world for the Ephesians. Now, her people had pushed this resource so far away that it meant little, if anything, to the life of the city. 'How ironic...' I thought to myself.

:-)

I'm not sure what was so funny, but this shot captured my state of joy and laughter, which I was more often than not relishing in, while my team from Arkansas was here with me. Man, I miss those guys. Can't wait for the picture party!!! This was taken at Zeynip's Kitchen, a favorite spot of ours for home-cooked Turkish goodness. Note: I've joined James in the "steal awesome pics from Brett's blog" conspiracy.

love at first bite

There's no other way to put it...I've fallen in love. It's a beautiful thing. I met him at the Algida stand and my life has not been the same since. We met at the beginning of the summer. Recently, we have been seen around town together at least once a day--twice when its hot out. Er...I mean... Well, things are going great for us, but the end is in sight. I can't imagine us keeping up a long distance relationship. I don't think he will ever come to America....unless I can make a deal with the Schwann's man for a special order.

safety update

For those of you keeping tabs on all the bombing incidents, you are probably wondering if I have been effected (affected? I never know...Ms. Sisemore would be ashamed...). Though Turkey is quite a bit closer to Iraq than the United States, a realization I had a few weeks ago that, quite honestly, gave me chill bumps, I am not close to any of the recent bombings. However, there have been 3 or 4 bombings in Turkey. Antalya is not close to any of the unfortunate cities. İzmir is the closest city where a bomb exploded and it is at least 6-8 hours away from me. I actually have not even heard, through Turkish news sources, any detail of the events. But, I don't speak Turkish, so that's not saying much... Please do not worry about my safety too much. Yes, I'm in what we would classify as "not the safest place on earth," but I am comfortable with the security of this city. Being in God's will is not the safest place one can be, but it is the most secure. I covet your prayers, so pray like crazy!

Oh, and this is a random shot of myself during a sleepless night where I just got too inventive with my digital... I look super sleepy, but its actually just a combination of my lazy eye and my aversion to the flash.

life at the Med

This is the beach where I can be found toiling away, day after day. Ha! We take the Tramvay ("tram" in English) to the end of the railway and we are dropped at this beautiful place. Just a little twist and turn down this hill takes us straight to the Konyaltı Beach Park. The kicker is getting back up the hill in time to catch the tram home!
This is just one of the many uber-schwanky lounging areas at the beach park. I totally don't fit in. I believe I might be the only one strolling through with Chacos on and a hemp necklace. Alas, I stroll on by.
A little taste of the sea... This shot is from the park that I walk through each day en route to the Cultural Center. I take the long way, but it keeps me away from İşiklar, the westernized and European infested street.

out to sea

Squinty eyes and all, here I am on the boat trip we took with our Turkish friends and newly-arrived New Englanders. There is a castle in the background, which if you squint (like I am demonstrating so eloquently in the picture) you can see.
Here we are still in the harbor. The back row, from left to right is Birsen, Ahmet, and Sam. The front row is Lindsey, Pelin, Özkan, Elle, Ryan, and Christina. I am, of course, taking the picture. We sailed for about an hour right at sunset. It was beautiful!

check the shades

This is Pelin and me on a trip back from Side. The bus trip was about an hour and a half from Antalya. Pelin is a really great Turkish girl that I have become close with through my time here. She is in high school, with one year remaining. I stayed with Pelin's family for about two weeks this summer (remember the anti-fan family?). Her parents allow her to hang out with us quite a bit, which is huge. In Turkey, children under 18 are not allowed to be "preached at," in simple terms. It is against the law without parental consent. Please pray for her.

bird's-eye view

The mountains are quite in perspective, but this is a view from about the 16th floor of an apartment building. I could count three mosques from my vantage point, with one pictured.

history all around

I walk by the remains of this castle just about every day. In fact, a great cafe, called the "Castle Cafe" is located just on the other side of this turrett. Pictured in the background is a tiny bit of the harbor and some of the Antalyan skyline.

Harbor

This is the harbor of Antalya. The wall of the old city is in the background. This is the place Paul would have sailed in to and docked his boat. Just imagine...

a little ham

I'm not sure what this little guy's name is, but he hung around arts and crafts quite a bit!

Fish-eye view

The mountain in the background is Mt. Olympos. I roasted a smore on its eternal flame--one of the many hilights of my trip. This shot cuts out the beach, but you can imagine a pebble beach. This was the location of the Olive Grove, the summer camp.

Bonkers!

We look extra scary, but don't worry...its just face paint. These are some of my best friends from camp. High school students are in the back row and counselors are generally in the front row. I was a "medic" in this great game of tag. I was the good guy, along with the others in the picture with red crosses on their faces. The "bonkers" were the people with the crazy face paint. We convinced ourselves that the only way to get rid of the face paint was to go splash around in the Sea. Hey, it was a great excuse, though a shower would have worked just fine! I'm in the front row.

The first of many...

This is me on a sailboat in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Çıralı. We took all the kids from camp out on 4 of these 40 passenger boats (60ft.? maybe? my Dad would know...) Olympos is in the background. Sorry for the blur, the others will hopefully be clearer.

sizzling

It's just been too long...

To my faithful bloggers: do accept my apology for not updating more frequently. Internet cafe's are just too incredibly smokey for me to stay in long enough for my creative juices to begin flowing. Now, luckily, I am in a much more creative environment. What makes this place so great is the fact that...I HAVE AIR CONDITIONING!!!!! Let me start where I last left off...

I returned from Olive Grove, the summer camp, about a week ago. Camp was amazing. My soul was refreshed by the children and life-long relationships formed with the counselors. My bed for the week was the sick bed in the nurses office, but no complaints were heard from me. I ended up being used all over the camp. I led arts and crafts for a few hours a day, helped out with the "Learning to Lead" program for the high school students (much like the Leader-in-Training program I went through at Dwight Mission), led songs at the childrens campfire, and even announced the lost and found at lunch. The ironic part about this whole situation is that the camp director didn't think I could be used at the camp. She said I could come for a day or two, but that they might run out of things for me to do. I ended up being stretched all over the camp! It was very sad to leave all of my new friends, but I have no doubt in my mind that I will see them again. Even if that means I have to travel to them in Guatemala or Pennsylvania, I look forward to the day we meet again.

Upon returning to Antalya, I moved back in to Pelin's house (the anti-air family), with intentions of finding a new place to live. It was a tough decision. Really. I felt like I was just beginning to break her in, and really starting to understand her life. However, "A", my new roommate, was in need of a roomie for the summer to help her with the bills. The girl that was living with her moved back home for a few months to support raise and visit family. So, "A" asked me to stay with her for the remainder of the summer, only charging me a small rent--to cover electric and water. Incredible. I jumped on the opportunity. Little did I know the fringe benefits that would follow...

"A" lives quite close to the Cultural Center and right in the middle of the part of Antalya that I do most of my tromping around. Plus, I am now the proud recipient of free internet access, free long distance phone service, a fan IN MY ROOM, and...drum roll please...AIR CONDITIONING!!! Its a beautiful thing. I am also able to cook for myself, which saves me money (and the extra poundage I was putting on with all the take-out food!). I went to the Bazaar this week and stocked up on fresh veggies and fruit. I did a little bargaining, all in Turkish, which brought my total bill for a weeks worth of food to about $5. I was quite proud of myself, if you can't tell.

The newest summer team from New England arrived about a week ago. I am co-leading a cultural exchange program with the Americans and their partnering team of Turkish university students. We meet for a couple hours a day in a semi-formal setting where we discuss different cultural issues (i.e. weddings, families, dance and music, holiday, etc.). We each have a conversation partner that we meet with one-on-one to chat throughout the day. After the discussion, we go out and play. Literally. As a large group we usually hit the beach. Hey, while in Mediterranean Turkey, do as the Mediterranean Turks do... Or, we play frisbee, American football and Turkish football (soccer), or volleyball. We have dinner together, then hang out at a Nargile bar or Türkü bar. Yesterday, for a change, we took an excursion to Side. Side is an ancient city founded way back in the days of the Hittites. Yeah, its old. I was stunned by the history and architecture. Of course, we hit the beach in Side, too. We will meet for about 3 more weeks together. The team from New England is great. I've never really experienced New England culture, but I think I like it. They are funny and pushy and loud. I like that. They make themselves known, which is not good sometimes in this cultural setting, but I like it. Christina and I have really hit it off. She plays hockey for M.I.T. Ryan plays football for University of New Hampshire, Sam is a Theology major at Boston College, and a couple others go to a small, private school in Vermont. Quite a mix of people, each integral to our team.

God is teaching me about relationships on a huge scale--how I need them and how He created me to need them. The independent Jennifer is softening. I'm starting to really need people. I do miss home, though. I miss the relationships from home quite a bit. I have a new prespective on them now and can't wait to nourish them when I return to the states.

God is also shaping in me where He needs me in His plan for His Kingdom. God has taken me 1/3 of the way around the world and eight time-zones away to show me that He just might need me back in the Western Hemisphere. We'll see...but I feel God whispering me in the direction of Latin America. I can't count of a yell from God, but I will definitely be spending much more time in prayer about direction for my life. I would appreciate the same from anybody reading this.

Hmph...did I leave anything out? Oh, I should mention that I bartered a guy down on a pair of sunglasses. I did the ol' walk away trick and told him that I could get them much cheaper in Antalya, and a better pair at that. Well, he wouldn't stand for that, so he gave them to me for half price. I strutted away with a designer pair of shades, bright orange (by the way). Nobody from my group liked them, except Christina, but that didn't stop my beaming. Hey, what can I say, guys like girls with skillz...numb-chuck skillz, bow-hunting skillz, bargaining skillz...