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...