Home School

Ok... I think this is the last of our Jennie pictures. It's already one month after her visit, so its about time!!

Jennie was such a big help in getting us on track. She helped us break Lucy of her pacifier habit, have a little sanity time, and get a good start on home school. I wish we could have kept her!!


Noah working hard on his handwriting.



Lucy working hard at distracting us.



Callie and Jennie working together.

Hmmm. I Guess That's why They Make Guide Books!

I have been dying to see the newer Sultan's palace that was later the home of our country's beloved leader and hero. So, again, having Jennie here was a great excuse. Unfortunately, once we got there we found out that it was closed on Thursdays. BIg disappointment! Here are some pictures from outside the gates.


The clocktower.



The main gate.



The side gate.



The view from the water.

Touring the City

Having Jennie here gave us a great excuse to go see some of the touristy things in our city! Justin was gracious enough to stay home from the office one day with the kids so that Jennie and I could take in all the sights. We took the city by storm and were on our feet from sun up until sun down!! Here's what we saw...


I loved the beautifully ornate painted domed ceilings in the harem of the Sultan's palace. Pictures don't do them justice!



Fancy sink, don't ya think? I doubt they found this little number at Home Depot!



Even the door throughout the palace were ornately hand painted.



Jennie and I posing a top the cradle of civilization. This waterway had more than once changed the course of world history.



The kitchen. I love soup and all, but this is ridiculous. They had a special little crane that hoisted the pots from the counter to the fire.




At one time this was the largest cathedral in the world. Once the Ottomans invaded and the people were converted they slapped some minarets onto it and it became a mosque.





A mosaic of Jesus in the former cathedral.



The washing area outside of the mosque. Before prayers, you must cleanse yourself in order for your prayers to be acceptable to God.



A simit salesman. Simits are like hot dogs in New York City. They sell them everywhere. They are like thin sesame seed bagels.



Jennie and I had to wear headscarves to visit the largest mosque in our country. It is truly awe-inspiring.




The spice pazar (market).

St. John's Basicilca

This is one of the ancient churches where St. John is said to have spent the last of his days, and where he is buried. This was the last stop on our tour that started here, and then went here.


The fortress behind the church.


An ancient crypt.



Lucy strolling through the baptismal. Wonder if St. John himself baptised new believers here?





The area is pretty ruined, but still amazing.


A hallway- you can still see where the pipe was laid for the plumbing!!!


I just wonder... if they had plumbing way 2000 years ago, why does mine suck today. You'd think they'd have had enough time to perfect it!!!

The Good 'Ole Pink, Yellow, and Green!

Living in a culture that is com- pletely different than American culture takes a little bit of creativity! You never realize how much you rely on the external cues for seasons, holidays, etc. For example, walking into Wal-Mart and seeing all of the glorious school supplies used to help me get excited about back to school time. Strolling through the mall (I know its sad) and seeing the Christmas decorations while listening to the faint Christmas music playing helped me to gear up for Christmas. (Irregardless of the fact that it was barely November!) The fireworks stands began to pop up on corners (at least in Kentucky) and we knew it was almost time for a 4th of July barbecue.



Anyhow, we don't have those external reminders here. At least not for our religious and national cele- brations! So, we have to be creative in cele- brating! Here is Jennie's and my attempt to bake a red, white, and blue cake for the 4th of July. Unfortunately, I was determined to use a cake mix and the only one that I had was yellow. So even with a heap of food coloring, the color was a little skewed! Oh well, it tasted good! As you may notice, there was enough frosting to give us a sugar high that I'm not sure we've come down from yet!! That's how I like 'em!!

Kahvaltı

Today, some friends invited us to go to a local park with them for kahvaltı- its like brunch. It was wonderful!! We went to a resturant on top of a wooded hill. There were actual flowers, trees, and even grass!! The restaurant had an open buffet brunch, and it was fun to ask our friends what some things were, and try new things! Because they invited us, we were their guests and they treated us. It was incredibly kind. There were beautiful paths with playgrounds all the way back down the hill. The kids could run and play.

It was the first time that I have felt completely comfortable with people here. They are very kind and patient with us (and our langugae is improving), so I understood everything we talked about! It was such a great feeling! We talked freely for 4 hours as we were together. We laughed about the early days of our friendship that required 20 minutes to complete a sentence because we had to use the translation dictionary so much! Wow... times, they are a changing! What a relief!!!

Enjoy some pictures from the morning!


What better to shore up a good brunch than ice cream?



Half way down the hill. On the swing.



My sweet friend, swinging. She is 5 months pregnant with their second child! OH... I cannot wait to hold that baby!!

Bleeekkk!

Lots of water and power cuts lately. The power I don't mind so much because it forces us to chill out and read by candle light or watch a movie on the laptop. Its kind of fun. The kids get a little scared, but love playing with their flashlights! As for the water cuts... I hate 'em!! You never know when they will be and once the water comes back on, it runs a little muddy for awhile. YUM!

Callie the Carpet-Maker

After we toured the ancient city ruins we ate lunch at a carpet store. Our country is known for its beautiful handmade carpets. The carpet makers provide a yummy lunch and a demonstration of how the carpets are made. It was so fun. Of course after its all over there are very helpful customer service representatives ready to answer any questions and hopefully sell you a carpet!!




Callie helping the lady hand knot the carpet. They go from a pattern. The girl making this carpet said it would take her an entire year to complete. Probably more now that Callie had "helped!"





She taught Callie how to tie the knots, and let her do it!



This girl demonstrates the process of removing the silk from the silk-worm cocoon. It was amazing, and her hands were incredibly soft. The cocoon is made from a single strand of silk. They have a very delicate and precise process that enables them to unwind the silk without it breaking.



Callie and her friend posing with the silk braided bracelets that one of the carpet makers made for them.



Lucy and Callie watching the carpet maker



The demonstration. It was so fun to see all of the carpets of different materials and hear about the process of making them. As the guy was talking about particular carpets guys would come and snap them out all around the room. By the time he was done with his pitch the floor was covered 1/2 foot deep in hundreds of beautiful carpets.

Paul's Hood

We had one day in the middle of our conference for excursions. We chose to go visit one of the amazing ancient cities where Paul, as in the apostle, used to hang out! It was amazing to think of all of the Biblical accounts in this context! I mean... Paul was here... on the same street I was walking on! Simply amazing!! It was hotter than Hades, but it was worth it!!


These kids don't even know how awesome this is.



the first (smaller) ampitheatre



Noah in the ampitheatre.



Our family in one of the ampitheatre corridors.



Byzantine cross



Reconstructed wall carvings



Callie posing with some ruins.



Main Street



this guy is looking for his head



hill houses- built right into the hill, one on top of another



beautiful archway



intricate carved doorway



another carved doorway



Jennie and me on the potty



beautiful tile patio in the front of a house



This (and the next 3) is the current excavation project. They are unearthing the hilltop homes. They were built like townhomes- side to side, several stories high. The tilework, painted walls, and mosaics are beautiful. It was surprising how advanced the people were.









Jennie, the kids, and me on the steps of the library (from sort of far back).



the library



Inscription across the doorway.



This is the second, and larger, ampitheatre. Paul was nearly flogged on the same stage where I stood!



An Italian man sang "O Solo Mio..." center stage in the ampitheatre to demonstrate the acoustics. It was beautiful! The ampitheatre is huge.



This road led right to the sea. Now the water has receded a little, so it stops short of the sea. But many years ago it was the end of Main Street- where all the ships, traders, merchants, and seamen would come.



The Apostle Paul defended the God I love in this very spot before an angry mob. He was bold and courageous and full of faith. May I be the same!!


Touring this ancient city was one of the highlights of our conference. It is humbling to walk in the very places that you read about in the Bible. It is a little more than challenging to consider that Paul was just a regular guy, like you and me. Yet with great faith, he furthered the Kingdom of God. It is fun to think of the lives that were impacted since the early centuries- to picture them here in their environment. What's better still is knowing that God is still the same as He was then, and He is faithful and trustworthy!