Last Day - Worship and Good-byes

[by Charlie]

This was our team's last full day in Antalya. We began with worship, and I had the privilege to preach a second time, this time on the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace. Basically my approach was to share my ignorance about being a religious minority and encourage them through the faithfulness of these three teenagers who were exiles in Babylon. I enjoyed the experience again this week and sensed it was well-received. Suzy, Mike, David and Katie taught the Sunday School during the worship time. At one point we were all brought up front, thanked and prayed for. After the worship we said our good-byes to people in the patio and walked over to a restaurant with a beautiful view of the ocean and spent several hours sharing and debriefing our time in Turkey. That was a good time in which we shared about what were the highlights of our time here, what was hard, what was surprising or different than what we expected, what we learned about ourselves, and suggestions for future groups...or even for ourselves if any of us should come back next year. We also revealed to each other who our 'Secret Pal' was and shared what our favorite Turkish meal was. Mine was the grape-leaved wrapped fish I had for lunch while on the river rafting trip.

After that, Mike, Suzy and I met with our liaison, Pam, at Starbucks (which is the best air-conditioned building in Antalya) and spent another hour and half debriefing with her while David and Katie hung out at a table nearby. Despite the length of time involved, all of it was good and helpful and necessary as we bring our time here to a close. After that we all walked home - Mike, Suzy and David in one direction...Katie, Pam and I in another. After Katie was safely escorted to her home, I finally made it back to mine around 10:30. A LONG day...but a good one.

I gave a couple of gifts to my hosts - a handcrafted wooden cross made by a man in Atascadero, and a Thomas Kinkade tapestry - two uniquely American-made items for them to remember their time with me. Plus, I gave Metin my IMPACT t-shirt. Each of us either brought something or bought something to give as an expression of our appreciation of our host home's hospitality.

I am tempted to include some of the thoughts and feelings that came out in our debriefings...but I simply don't have the energy. Mentally, I am spent. And besides, I have to pack. We leave for the airport at 4:30am tomorrow morning.

SO...consider this my last blog...though if I get inspired on the plane ride back, I might write one more. But I suspect that from here on out, each of us will be 'blogging in person' as we share with our home churches about what we did and how this trip has impacted our lives.

For those of you following this blog, thank you for reading and thinking about us, and most of all for praying for us. I hope that this has helped you feel connected to our work in Turkey, and given you a sense of the way in which God has been at work among us. We could not have done this without your support and belief in the value of this trip.

Teşekkürler ederim! (Thank you very much!)

Glory Tanrı! (Glory to God!)

Charlie

Our last group shot after our dinner and debrief, overlooking Antalya Bay with the sun setting just off to the side and behind us.

Day 13 - Women's Conference

by Charlie]

LONG DAY. I walked to the cultural center early for my quiet time and then finish work on the sermon for tomorrow...but it was locked. Walked to Starbucks for the air conditioning and planned to just buy tea, but they didn’t have any tea, so I ordered the next cheapest thing (besides coffee, which I don’t drink) and it cost me 7 TL (Turkish Lira). Oh well. After that, I checked the door again...still locked. Walked around the Kalieche, did a bit of shopping, and returned again...still locked. But I noticed a familiar motorcycle this time and knocked. Erkan, one of the pastors, opened the door and I came in. Not much sermon prep time left as the women soon arrived for the Women’s Conference we were leading. Suzy, Jehanne and Katie were involved with the conference, while Mike, Bobby, David and I were in charge of child care. (Pretty risky putting all grown men in charge of a passel of little children.) David and Katie soon arrived after a morning at the beach with some other teens.

Child care turned out to be surprisingly easy. The conference was four hours and I was thinking, “How will we keep them entertained for four hours in this heat and humidity...and outdoors to boot?” Well, there were only 3 girls, one boy and a baby, so that helped. Then somehow the slide apparatus and swords made out of balloons (we managed to find another unopened package of them) fully occupied them for the first hour and a half. Then lunch and the craft time for the women took up another hour and a half, leaving only the last hour, and the left-over craft supplies kept the kids busy until it was all over at 5pm. Piece of cake. Mike and I then cleared the outside tables of food and dishes...washed, dried and put everything away...so at the end of the day the women wouldn’t have any clean-up to do.

The retreat itself went very well, with Suzy leading the first hour and half, Katie getting everyone started on the craft options, then Jehanne taking the last hour with a testimony and teaching. Some worship singing and prayer wrapped up the day. Suzy worked very hard planning this retreat time, and has been brilliant in coming up with supplies to keep the children entertained and educated during Sunday School and the two teaching times (Parenting Class and Women’s Retreat) in which we provided child care.

The evening was spent at Erkan and Belgin’s home (one of the pastors and his wife, who is now the new cook for the cultural center) in which we feasted on a great dinner, followed by a great dessert (ice cream and baklava), and then conversation which lasted until 11pm. We heard the testimonies of both Erkan and Belgin, which moved us once again to the beautiful way that God works in the lives of those who seek him.

Tomorrow is our last day in Turkey, and our time with the Turkish church will conclude with the worship service. We will take the remainder of the afternoon to debrief our time here prior to leaving, then enjoy one last meal with our host families, pack up tonight, then fly out Monday morning at 7:50am. That means the van picks us up at 4:30am. I will post one last blog tomorrow night, then the next time to hear from us will be in person.

Feeling richly blessed,
Charlie


Noel Baba (Father Christmas), aka Bobby, fending off an assault of balloon swordfighters.


Closing the women's conference with prayer.


Precious little Kaira sharing a "Ho,Ho, Ho" moment with Noel Baba.


Group shot just before we prayed together to end the evening.

Day 13 - Youth Group

[by Charlie]

As our time of ministry in Turkey is drawing to a close, I find my senses becoming more acute, my thoughts intensifying, and times with the people here feeling more precious. Today was peppered with episodes with people - sitting in Starbucks drinking frappacinos and talking for an hour with Melis...walking back to my host home and reflecting on my time in Turkey with Fahti...listening in on a conversation (in English no less!) between Halil and some Arab Muslims who were challenging his belief in Christianity...saying good-bye to Enes, whose last day as the cook at Paul’s Place was today and who won’t be here on Sunday. These times weren’t particularly special, but that is what makes them special – simply to be with the people and be included in their lives. I will leave feeling like I didn’t do enough, but knowing I was supposed to be here.

Tonight we led the Youth Group meeting. I started things off with a game from my youth ministry days which seemed to be a big hit (I will spare you the details), David helped lead the worship singing time, and Mike gave the message which was based on the letter to the Laodiceans (which I have learned is pronounced Laodikea). I was able to sing along in English as they sang in Turkish “As the Deer” and “Glorify Thy Name.” Somehow that felt special – a sort of neo-Pentecost declaring the works of God “each in our own language.”

As we finished one of our songs, we were drowned out the sudden broadcast of the Muslim call to prayer. Let me just be frank – it is one of the most obnoxious and hideous sounds I’ve ever heard, if for no other reason than it is amplified so loud that whatever ‘melody’ is present is distorted beyond measure. But as it drowned out our ability to sing, the song leader began to play his guitar quietly and invited people to pray. I was struck by the juxtaposition of the quiet prayers of young Christian believers with the loud, harsh call to prayer emanating from the Minaret behind us. I was sitting behind most of the students and found myself moved by the thought of the faith of these young people and how much of an “island” this church is in a sea of Islam. I could not help but think, “I know nothing of this kind of faithfulness.” It confirmed in me my decision earlier in the day to preach on the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego on Sunday. (sermon preparation occupied the latter half of my afternoon today). As Fahti and I talked during my walk home tonight, I said that in America it is almost too easy to become a Christian. Here in Turkey, when people come to Jesus and choose to follow him, they know what it will cost them. He said “yes.”

Other tidbits of the day included Suzy spending the afternoon at the beach preparing to lead the women’s conference tomorrow, my going to Melis’s father’s store and buying a couple of souvenirs, and Katie giving her IMPACT water bottle to Fahti because he made an off-hand comment that he liked it. When he expressed surprise at the quickness of her gift, she replied, “I’m Turkish now.” He then said he would treasure it forever. We also gave away the second and final horseshoe chain and ring puzzle to Bahar to take home to her family. She was delighted.

Faithfully (that is, what I know of faithfulness) in Christ Jesus,

Charlie

Young Turkish believer worshiping in song.


Playing "Touch Telephone" with the youth group.


Suzy presenting Pam with her belated birthday gift, and doing it with classic Suzy graciousness.


Our Impact Team as we enter Laodicea. We practically had the entire ancient city to ourselves that day. Note the bandage on Katie's leg. There's a story behind that. :)

Katie and Mike holding up the heated bath arches. Good thing we came along that day or thousands of years of history would have caved in.

A Wound Reopened to Help Others

[by Mike]

Again I find myself writing with the haunting, and actually quite annoying, sound of the Imam crying out the call to worship from the Minaret adjacent the church. I pause waiting for it to end so that I can think clearly enough to write.

Yesterday was so painful. As many of you know, Suzy and I, and truthfully David as well, lost a boy, Benjamin, at birth about 6 years ago. Yesterday, we were told that Yilmaz and Tanya awoke to the horrifying loss of their baby of 4 months. Regardless of the time of the loss (4 months or 9), the pain is the same. Suzy and I were asked to go with Pastor Hans and Pastor Erkan to the hospital and then to the cemetery. We did not know what we would see and what we would feel.

A tidal wave of pain and sadness overwhelmed me. The memories of this event and the realization that dear friends are experiencing this terrible pain was almost too much to take. It would take pages to explain the misery we felt.

It is very challenging to know what to write. This was and is so difficult for me. I watched the necessity for Yilmaz to be strong and set his emotions to the side. I remember doing this and waiting over a year to allow these feeling to be addressed. He was a sturdy support for his bride, loving and serving her "as Christ loved the church". His poor wife Tanya walked tenderly in his arms of comfort and wept continually. Your heart would break to see the sight.

We left the hospital in near silence, entered the van, and rode to the cemetery. We were driven to the Christian section and gazed into the grave as Erkan led us in Turkish hymns. The service was very emotional for all. As the men took turns with the shovels to help Yilmaz bury his daughter, Elizabet, Tanya wept and finally collapsed. Yilmaz, a slight man, rescued his solid wife and carried her into the van with strength from the Lord. You could see his desire to serve his bride and the pain and emptiness in Tanya.

Oh, the sadness.

When we went through this same event, we heard such useless and sometimes painful words from well-wishers and found that the most helpful individuals in our life were others who went through the same experience. Interestingly, I don't remember much of what they said and more that they were "just there". And this is how we were, present with little to say.

We never know how the Lord will use us. Why did the Lord want for us to be here? Sometimes it is exactly as one would expect. So I can preach and encourage the family with whom we are staying, to lead a parenting seminar, to lead a woman's conference, to play guitar and lead worship...these we expect. Perhaps the less expected events are the most important.

Mike

Day 12 - Parents...the Good and the Sad

[by Charlie]

The heat and humidity were back with a vengeance today. By 10am you’re all sweaty and sticky, and you stay that way for the rest of the day and night. Then you have to decide if you want to take a shower so you can sleep comfortably...but then wake up already sweaty and sticky before the day has started. Or sleep miserably all sticky and sweat and then take a shower in the morning so you can start the day feeling fresh and clean. Either way, by 10 you’re all sticky and sweaty again anyway. One could shower in the morning and evening. I started off a night showerer...switched to morning...and now I’m back to nights. The hotter and more humid the weather – the better the night shower feels. (Not a particularly inspiring start to this entry...but it just happens to be my state of mind at the moment.)

This morning I walked to the church (St. Paul’s Cultural Center). That felt really good. Wish I had done it sooner. It puts me out and among the people. It took about twenty minutes and took me through the town. I stopped by a fruit stand and picked up a big peach, and after washing it with my water bottle, ate it as I continued my walk to the church. By the time I reached the church I was dripping wet...but it still felt good. After our debriefing and lunch, Suzy and I worked on our Parenting Class presentation, and then I spent several hours working on the handouts and a few other things for the class. We had 8 participants, all women except for one man. It is hard to assess how useful it was. Definitely it was for a few, but I was introducing some new concepts I believe. Teaching Logical Consequences can be challenging enough in English – imagine having to work through a translator. But we got through most of it. One mother in particular asked some very specific questions about certain behavior problems, and she became the ‘example’ for the logical consequence principles, and in the end I think she received some very helpful suggestions and a better understanding of how she needs to approach how she responds to her daughter. At the end, we all wrote the names of our children on slips of paper and put them in a basket in the center of the room, then gather around them and held hands in an act of dedication while Erkan prayed over each family present and for the children represented by the cards in the basket. While we were teaching the class, the rest of the team was providing child care for the children of several of the parents. They had their hands full!

That was the Good. The Sad part was that early in the day a young couple went through the devastating experience of losing a baby four months into the pregnancy. Mike and Suzy accompanied two of the pastors to the hospital and spend the later part of the afternoon and early evening with this couple. They have one young child of six and wanted this child so badly, you can imagine the disappointment and pain. It was a powerful time of just being with them and grieving alongside them. They spent time at the hospital and then went to the cemetery for the burial, as this is something they do immediately here in Turkey. I could say more based on what Suzy and Mike said to me, but I will let them tell their story, if they so choose, in another blog. Clearly, though, God used them in a special way today for a deeply hurting couple.

I came home and was greeted with a new fan in my sweat box (aka bedroom), so I am pretty excited about what looks to be a more comfortable evening.

Days 10 & 11 - Walking through History

[by Charlie]

It’s 10:30pm on Wednesday, and we just returned from two days of visiting some of the sites of ancient Turkey where the church was present. We spent time on Tuesday in Laodicea and Colossae, as well as a trek up through the travertines of Pumulake for a refreshing dip in some of the most amazing pools of water you’ll ever see. At the top was the ancient city of Hieropolis as well. Today (Wednesday) was spent visiting Ephesus, where we spent a good three hours walking the streets of that amazingly preserved ancient city, followed by an 8-hour drive home.

At Laodicea, we gathered in the shade of one of their stone walls and read the opening chapter of Revelation and the letter to the church in Laodicea. In that letter the church is criticized for being neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, and for that, God would spit them out of his mouth. The “lukewarm” reference would have resonated with the Laodiceans because their city water was that way – neither cold nor hot. One commentary reference puts it this way:

"Their one weakness was the water supply. Water had to be piped in to Laodicea. Cold water could come from the abundant supply at Colossae, but by the time it traveled the ten or so miles from the cold springs, it was lukewarm. About six miles away in Hierapolis were hot springs, but that water, too, was lukewarm when it reached Laodicea. Whether they piped in the cold or the hot water, it arrived at Laodicea lukewarm."

In addition, we saw the ruins of their main bath site, and the sign explained that the bath was composed of three pools – one that was hot, the middle one that was lukewarm, and the final one that was cold. One can only hope that upon receiving the letter, the Laodiceans chose to become hot once again.

At Colossae, there is nothing but a small hill, flat on the top, and now used to raise wheat. We hiked the short trail to the top and stood in a circle in the center of the hill and each read a favorite passage from the book of Colossians and then joined hands and prayed. Because of the steep and narrow path, Bobby was not able to make the hike and join us at the top of the hill. In case you’re wondering, the following passages were read (not in this order):
1:15-20 Charlie
2:1-5 Mike
2:6-10 Katie
3:1-11 David
3:12-17 Suzy
4:2-6 Jehanne

At Ephesus, we stayed in the most delightful little Pension (small hotel), and at breakfast this morning, we passed a Bible around and each read a paragraph from the account in Acts when Paul went to Ephesus, and the riot that ensued when the silversmiths realized that the preaching of the apostles was having a negative effect on their silver trade, since that depended on the people’s worship of the fertility God, Artemis. That was a good start for our trip into Ephesus, and since we started at the bottom, one of the first things we saw was the Great Theater where the riot ended up. It was a reflective moment indeed to sit up high in the theater and imagine Paul and the apostles down below.

Well, as I am writing this, my head is falling over, so I will sign off for sleep. Tomorrow is our parenting class, so I’m looking forward to just how it will go. However it goes, I am hoping for a meaningful time for all parents.

Charlie

I forgot to put my scandisk card in my camera prior to our departure (left it in my computer), so I don't have any pictures to post from the past two days. You will just have to use your imagination!

Day 9

Wow – a totally complete night’s sleep! Whoopee! Almost 10 hours. I walked to the church for the first time, which felt really good. Felt like I was really in Antalya. Even found a “Lira Store”, which is equivalent to our “Dollar Store.” We helped with a children’s program outreach this morning, a kind of VBS without any Christian content (it’s against the law to witness to children) and it went well. I spent the afternoon preparing our Parenting Class that we will teach on Thursday. A real challenge to pick and choose from a six-week course and condense into 3 hours, which will include translation. Suzy and I will teach it together.

We had an awesome home visit tonight at the family that Katie is staying at. They were wonderful hosts with a powerful testimony. The couple has four children – three beautiful daughters and a handsome son. When I told the father he had 3 beautiful daughters, he replied (in Turkish) that he had 4...and pointed to Katie. I told him, “Yes, you do.” He asked if I would give a blessing and we joined hands together and I prayed for the family and for their witness in Antalya.

We came back a bit early because we’re off to Colossae, Laodocia and Ephesus tomorrow and the next day. I will not have internet access tomorrow night, so there will be no entry tomorrow.

Just a short one tonight...

Charlie

The family that we visited tonight. So much fun.

This picture will make sense once your read the blog below.

Day 8 - Our Seond Sunday in Antalya

[by Charlie]

Today was our second Sunday in Turkey. Three members of the team (Bobby, Jehanne and Katie) were responsible for teaching the children’s Sunday School hour, and did a great job. Bobby taught the lesson on Jesus searching for the lost sheep and it was reinforced by Katie leading the children in making sheep out of balloons. Meanwhile, upstairs in the worship service, David was assisting the music with his guitar and I was preaching. Not knowing just what I should preach, I took my cue from what God has been teaching me and doing in my own congregation. I had preached a series of sermons on prayer during Lent, and opted to use one of those, which I shortened considerably due to the extra time translation adds to any sermon here not preached in Turkish. It was well-received and many of the Turkish believers took the time to express their appreciation to me. As my first effort at preaching in a foreign country, it was unfamiliar territory, so I was understandably a bit anxious ahead of time, but not at all once I got started. I enjoyed the experience, felt comfortable in front of the people, and most of all, grateful that God seemed to use it.

After worship we mingled in the patio, this time drinking lemonade instead of yogurt, and then being treated to carrot cake in honor of Suzy’s birthday. She was treated to a round of “Happy Birthday” two times actually – once at the end of the worship service and once in the patio. One treat was to meet a young woman, Heather, who had just flown in from England on Friday. She Googled the internet for Christian churches in Antalya, and the Turkish church was the first one up, so here she was. She ended up accompanying us to lunch after worship.

Because of our long day on the river yesterday, after lunch (which means about 5 o’clock), instead of going to the beach, people spread out doing various activities, including the IMPACT team. I chose to go to the Antalya museum and see the incredible artifacts from the Perge archeological sight on display there. The statues and stonework were amazing. After that I spent some time in the park visiting with my host home couple and another couple from the church, and then it was a short walk back home via and ice cream vendor.

Upon arriving home I felt my exhaustion, and promptly fell asleep in front of my computer. Metin awakened me at 10:30 pm, and now I am writing this entry before falling asleep for good.

Until tomorrow,
Charlie


Katie experimenting with making a lamb out of balloon before Sunday School.


David with the worship music team practicing ahead of time.


Charlie preaching with the aid of translator Hans


Fellowship in the Courtyard after worship.


The birthday girl with hubby and two friends. The carrot cake was obviously quite popular.

Day 7 on the River

[by Charlie]

Just came back from our River Rafting Trip with 37 people from the Turkish church, ranging from a couple of small children of one of the pastors, to youth, young adults, and a few others who work with and serve the church. We drove for about an hour and a half to get to our destination, with one poor girl throwing up several times along the way. Our van was raucous the entire way with laughing and singing and clapping and even dancing in the aisle between the seats. Mike and Katie were even recruited as dancers at one point.

The day was filled with great fun and interaction with the people of the church. I got to see in a first-hand and close-up way just how delightful and gregarious these folks are. Let’s see...we paddled and splashed each other all the way down the river, leaped from a high rock into a watery pool below, jumped and dove from a platform high above the river in a tree, and even jumped into the river from the balcony of the place we embarked for lunch. Speaking of lunch, oh my, a wonderful spread of bread, rice, a delicious cabbage salad, potato salad (don’t think of American potato salad) and fish cooked in grape leaves that was absolutely delicious. They serve the fish in its entirety...but I opted not to eat the head. Back to the river...it was also full of the usual pulling people into the water, in which I was a victim at one point when Halil decided it was time for me to get wet...as if I wasn’t already.

In talking to one of the pastor’s on the way back to his house (where I’m staying), he shared how most everyone in their church, if not all of them, simply don’t have the kind of discretionary money to go River Rafting, so the only time they have been able to do this is when IMPACT teams have come (in this case for the past three years) and we budget so we can subsidize a substantial portion of the cost for each person. The cost per person was 35 Lira, and we paid 25 so that the average cost was only 10 Lira ($6.44) for a 160 kilometer round trip bus ride, about 3 hours on the river and a sumptuous lunch. Pretty good deal.

My evening concluded with a lengthy conversation with my host family about their hopes and dreams for the church and how important a church building in the future will be in the fulfillment of them.

Each day I am here and the longer I live with and spend time with the believers in Antalya, the more I realize the radical uniqueness of their life in this city and the importance of supporting what they are doing. To be just very, very small part of that feels huge to me.

Tasting a bit of their dream with them,

Charlie

Friday Day 6 - Youth Group

[by Charlie]

Today was a day without appointments or ministry assignments during the day, so after our daily debriefing in the morning, several of the team went to visit the Antalya Museum which contains all the artifacts from the archeological site at Perga we visited on Tuesday. I chose not to go at this time and spent the afternoon working on my sermon for Sunday and beginning the outline for teaching the Parenting Class next Thursday. After the museum trip, Jehanne took her host and daughter to the beach, and was a delightful time for them.

At Youth Group, I unveiled the two Horseshoe Puzzles I brought with me, and they were a huge hit. The youth were mostly frustrated, though with some help, a few were able to solve it. The biggest fan of the puzzle was one of the pastor, Erkan, who wouldn’t stop until he mastered it, and even was able to solve it blindfolded, which brought cheers from all. In fact, he like the puzzle so much, he asked if he could have one, to which I happily obliged. That was the point after all, for them to enjoy after we leave.

Mike led the meeting and gave a brief talk on the Prodigal Son outside where it was cool, then we went upstairs into the worship center and worshiped together in song. I recognized one tune – Beautiful One – which was fun to sing in Turkish. I’m beginning to recognize the consonant and vowel sounds better and can pronounce words I see for the first time. Many of the youth appeared very engaged in the singing, and several we freely raising their hands. After the singing we showed one of the DVDs that Joe Castillo (our Maundy Thursday SandStory artist) gave me to take to Turkey. We showed the one based on the Prodigal Son. Very powerful.

After youth group we took all the youth (and adults present as well) out for ice cream. It was a surprise announcement, which met with no objections and we all took off down the street into the main commercial area to an ice cream shop. I couldn’t help but compare what we were doing to what we could never do at our church in the states. There is no way we could get away with an impromptu trip away from the church with 15 youth without signed permission slips for everyone. Once they get dropped off at the church – that’s where they stay because that’s were parents assume and expect them to be. But not here. It reminded me of the old days of youth ministry...and just as fun.

Thanks for praying,

Charlie


Several girls attempting to solve the horseshoe puzzle.


Erkan refusing to give up until he masters the puzzle.


Mike teaching on the Prodigal Son while Halil translates.


Worshiping in the church sanctuary with David adding fullness to the sound with his new 12-string guitar.


Ice Cream youth group style in Turkey. They heap several flavors of ice cream on a big plate, pass out the spoons, and away you go! The ice cream is of a different consistency than ours, so it didn't melt like ours does.

Day of Planning and Prayer

[by Charlie]

Yesterday was a day of planning and meetings for worship and prayer...along with a bit of sightseeing and dinner with our Turkish friends. Suzy and I meet with three people to discuss plans for our Parenting Seminar. That went well and we have high hopes it will be a meaningful time. My time with a young couple later that night confirmed that there is a great need for good teaching on parenting, especially from a Christian perspective. Suzy’s work as the Director of the pre-school at ELMO, my training as an Active Parenting Facilitator, and both for our history in raising children ourselves will hopefully result in a meaningful time for all. Class is scheduled for next Thursday night.

We talked briefly about the youth group which will take place tonight and that Mike will lead. David will assist in leading the worship time, and the rest of us will be there to participate and lead in any way that is helpful.

The evening was spent in home groups – meetings for sharing and prayer. I went with Pam (international mission worker with the church for the past 7 years) to a home way out at the end of town while the rest of the team went to home closer to the church. Both were times of significance. For me, I found myself in the presence of Turkish believers who had come to Christ in remarkable ways, and we shared our stories of coming to Christ and talked at length about prayer and how it works, and in the end, about praying for people to be healed. In some ways the questions and mysteries about unanswered prayer and why some people don’t get healed are hard enough in straight English...much harder when trying to translate to Turkish! But I think it was a rich time. Oh, and they were very interested to know what things, uniquely Christian and spiritual, that I (Laura and I) did to raise our children. That was fun to talk about the principles my wife and I employed as well as some of the stories of how they came to faith in Christ.

It was eleven o’clock by the time I got back to my host home – tired...but grateful to be a part of what God is doing to build his kingdom in Antalya.

Thank you for praying for us. Being here is an extra-powerful reminder that everything we do is for naught without the grace and power of God at work in and through us. We bring our availability to be used by God, our sensitivity to what God is doing, and our willingness to be obedient in the moment to step and in faith and say or do what he asks us to.

For Him,

Charlie

Showing David and Katie how to blog

Katie Shirley and David Dobreski are getting a quick lesson in blogging.

Weather, Minarets, and Paul

HI All,

We had a great trip yesterday to Perge and Aspendos with Metin, one of the pastors of the Turkish church. We left about 10:00 and were there by 10:45.

It was quite warm; but, such is Turkey. To take a sidebar about the weather...it is always very hot and very humid (during the summer that is). We are moist all of the time which could be annoying but everyone has a good attitude about it. I think that the Turks set a good example of comfort amidst challenging situations and we follow their example. Their kindness is legendary and it seems that they wouldn't dare let something like weather get in the way of hospitality.

Well, back to our trip to Perge and Aspendos...it was really very enjoyable. We visited the ruins of the town of Perge where Paul landed upon arriving in Turkey. It was insightful and heartwarming to imagine where this great leader walked and how the message that he carried with him is the same today for us as back then.

As I type this I am interrupted by the loud and haunting cry of the Imam's call to prayer. This happens five times a day starting at about 4:45 with the last being at about 8:45. This can be heard throughout the town, literally. Sadly, one of the Minarets from where this is blasted for all to hear is directly adjacent the church. So, even at the church, the Turkish Christians are persecuted and reminded of their extreme minority.

Thank you all for following this and praying for us and especially for the Turkish Christians.

Mike

Tuesday and Wednesday - Days 3 and 4

[Blog by Charlie]

So far no one else since we arrived in Turkey has had the time to sit down and use the computer to contribute to this blog. I don’t want to hog all the space on our blog, but since I am the only one with a computer, it seems I am in the best position to make the time, even at odd hours, to write about our experience. So here I go again!

Yesterday our main activities were home visits – one in the afternoon and one in the evening (each visit was about 2 hours). These are times to get to know members of the church in their homes, share testimonies and stories, eat, laugh, pray and be a mutual witness of the work of Christ in our lives.

Our first visit was to a couple in which the wife became a believer after the husband, and after she became pregnant with their son. The father is currently having a difficult time because he lost his job in large part because the employer wouldn’t pay him because he was a Christian. And in addition to being unemployed, is suffering from complications from diabetes. We spent time talking (Bobby shared his story), drinking lemonade and praying for them. Bobby Holmes has been quite a hit. They’ve never seen a large, white-haired, white-bearded Caucasian man quite like him before. If fact he looks like Santa Claus, so they’ve nicknamed him “Noel Baba” (Father Christmas). We’ve started to call him that as well. We concluded the time by praying for the couple together and ministering the healing grace and power of Jesus to them.

Then we drove outside the town to another family – a couple from the church with five children. That was a delightful time spent drinking Turkish tea, eating plates of various cookies and crackers, topped off with a large platter of fruit. I’ve haven’t tasted such consistently delicious fruit since my own childhood. We heard a powerful testimony from the mother who became a believer during the pregnancy of their last child. Complications in the pregnancy resulted in a diagnosis of permanent paralysis whether she had the baby or not. Through a dream God told her she didn’t need to be afraid, and when she woke up the fear was gone. She gave birth and there was and is no paralysis.

We spent the day today sightseeing the ruins at Perga (where Paul landed on his first missionary journey) and at Aspendos (where there is the best preserved amphitheater in the world). Amazing experience to see and walk amongst such history. At the Aspendos theater, Mike stood in the center of the stadium floor and launched into a soliloquy from Hamlet. Everyone in the theater grew quiet and watched and listened, and the team (who was up on the topmost row) could hear every word clear as a bell. The acoustics are amazing. Anyway, it was a fun moment which drew a nice applause from the other tourists present, and shouts of “Bravo!” from the IMPACT team.

I’m finding this experience to be increasingly revealing. People – regardless of nationality, ethnicity, customs or culture – have the same struggles. We all use different sounding words, but the human experience is the same. The desire for meaning and peace and hope and purpose – we all share that. An awareness of our not being the good-enough people we should be (sin) and a yearning to know the source of our existence (God) is something that is universally shared. And in every story I hear, it comes out again and again. And what also comes out is this realization that God, if he is to be a God worthy of our devotion, must be a God of love. And when the people of God reflect this God-love, it is attractive, if not irresistible.

And, out of a conversation with one Turkish believer today, I realize even more I know nothing of what it takes to trust in Christ apart from the religious freedoms I have known all my life in America. I have never had to think twice about the risk my faith poses to my family, my job, my safety...or my life. Do we really know what we are singing when we sing the song, “Blessed Be Your Name?” (Matt Redman song)

With my eyes and heart seeing new things every day,

Charlie


The first family we visited. It should be obvious who Noel Baba is. :)

The second family we visited, along with one of the pastors and his wife. The hospitality of the Turkish believers is amazing.

Getting Started

Blog from Charlie

Today was spent mostly in with an orientation to the church, the ministry and Turkish culture. In addition we spent time planning our schedule for the next two weeks with the leadership of the church, and then spent a decent amount of time going over finances, both past and future (anticipated) in order to be sure we don’t end up in the red.

In our orientation we learned words not to say such as “peach” or “sick” as they sound like very bad words in Turkish. We should also avoid pointing or blowing our nose in public, and be sensitive about looking women in the eye. Simple things we might do in America have much different connotations in other countries.

Financially we appear to be in good shape. We made the decision today to spend some of our IMPACT budget money to subsidize a water rafting trip for the church. We hope to have 40 members of the church participate.

Tonight is our first night in our host homes. I had a great time getting acquainted with the couple I’m staying with, but because they both speak English well enough for us to communicate. Some of the team are with people who speak only Turkish, so it will be interesting how that works out.

After only 6-8 hours of sleep since I got up at 6am on Friday, I’m desperately hoping to sleep soundly...and long tonight.

Charlie

Monday Day 2

I'm showing Jehanne how to enter a blog and how to import a picture.


The team sitting in the courtyard at Paul's Place before lunch.

As you can see, she now knows how to post a blog and insert a picture!

Day 1 - In Country

Blog by Charlie
July 4, 2010

Despite over 30 hours with but a few wisps of sleep on the plane and finally getting to bed at 1:00 AM Antalya time, I was wide awake at 5:00 AM, which is my usual Sunday morning wake-up time. We are staying in the La Paloma hotel in “Old Town” Antalya (Caleici – pronounced Cally-ee-chee). Beautiful and quaint, right off a narrow cobblestone/brick road. We had a lovely outdoor continental breakfast in the courtyard and I had a chance to walk the streets a bit before we went to church at 1 PM.

Worship was held in an upstairs room without air conditioning. Turkey at this time is very hot and VERY HUMID. Everyone was sweating and waving fans of whatever could be devised. The man next to me kept mopping his brow with a handkerchief. Still, it was packed and enthusiastic. The worship leader, Erkan, acknowledged the miserable conditions and affirmed everyone attendance by stating, “...but we’re here because of God.” We were all asked to come up to the front and introduce ourselves, which we did. The sermon was translated to us via headphones by Pam, an American missionary from Seattle who has been working at the church for about 7 years. She had to be enclosed in a small sound booth and just about expired from the heat. Metin preached, one of the associate pastors and he talked about the importance of silence in order to hear God speak to us. I dozed off just a bit due to my lack of sleep, but for the most part hung in there. The singing was led by a robust little band, of which several songs had been written by one of the band members. The only song that was imported from the United States was “El Shaddai” by Amy Grant. I recognized that tune. Service lasted an hour and 45 minutes. Afterwards we had a “Fellowship” time in the courtyard of Paul’s Place (the international center where the church rents space) and I was treated to a unique drink made of milk, yogurt and something else of which I knew not. It was rather sour, but I suspect I could get used to it.

After that (it’s now about 3pm) it was a medium distance walk to Pasha Bay restaurant with about equal numbers of Impact and church members. I ordered a spicy lamb kebob, which was quite good. One nice treat was getting to see Tim Fearer, and we were able to sit next to each other at lunch. He will be here with us for a couple of days.

After lunch we took the tram to Antalya Beach and played volleyball and swam in the Mediterranean. Now that was a treat – water exceptionally clear and comfortable. Best ocean swim I’ve had in many years. Not nearly as salty as the Pacific...or so it seemed. Then we took the tram to another restaurant and had a light dinner around 10pm, though I just ordered a chocolate milkshake and nibbled on one half of Katie’s grilled cheese sandwich. Then back to the hotel.

The day was filled with a ‘getting used’ to being in Turkey feeling. For the Dobreskis, it was a happy reunion time with many of the friends they had made last year, and for the rest of us it was getting acquainted with new people we anticipate will become new friends for us. I had conversations with many – one young man who is unemployed in part because of his faith (a conversation translated part of the time by Tim, then by Pam, and finally by Murat – it was a tag team conversation!). Another conversation on the way to the restaurant was with one of the band members (guitar player) who shared how he became a believer. Everyone in that church has a story and I look forward to hearing them and getting to know the people behind them.

I close with a somewhat humorous ‘coincidental’ scripture that was my reading for today. From Luke 10, it’s when Jesus sends out the 70 and tells them to “.Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals..” I figured I got the ‘no bag’ part when I left the craft suitcase home.

Grateful to be here and for all your prayers,

Charlie



The Courtyard at La Paloma


Outside St. Paul's Place


During worship


Late Night Dinner

Travel Day

Merhaba! (that’s “hello” in Turkish from Charlie)
July 3, 2010

I’m sitting in the Istanbul airport terminal waiting for our flight to Antalya, after a 10.5 hour flight from Chicago. Everyone on the team fell sound asleep at some point except me. I had moments of semi-consciousness as I listened to my iPod, but that was about it. You can see the picture of us all in our seats. Each seat back had an individual screen and you could pick from quite a selection of movies, TV shows, music, games, etc. I watched Casablanca for the first time.

Cross Training finished with some strong teaching and a very meaningful and moving day of personal sharing amongst the team as we shared our testimonies about coming to faith in Christ, which really became a time of sharing our life stories, or at least parts of them. The evening concluded with a rich time of worship, a footwashing ceremony with each team and then communion.

For me the two things stand out regarding what God was doing in me this week. The first is experiencing a real sense of coming together as a team. There is a deep appreciation for the wonderful variety of people on our team. Times of sharing naturally spilled over into praying for one another as tender pieces of our lives were exposed and offered to the group. We have truly come to enjoy, trust and care for one another in a rather compressed amount of time.

The second thing is what I would call a ‘stripping away’ of my need to be ‘prepared’ to do whatever we might be asked to do. Some of my concern about being prepared has stemmed from the fact that our purpose is more relationship-based than task-oriented. Of course all IMPACT teams come prepared to develop relationships, but there is usually a very clear task or project they will do and they know what it is ahead of time. For us, we are here to be a part of their community – to get to know them and simply share our lives. Yes, we do have some things that we will do, such as a women’s retreat, Sunday School with the children, visitation, etc. But nothing we have been able to get ‘prepared’ for in the manner I am accustomed. I did spend quite of bit of time getting craft supplies for the women (stamps and other materials to make greeting cards, courtesy of my wife) and all the leftover VBS supplies for the children. I felt at least somewhat prepared to offer that toward activities we would be doing. But as the week progressed, we didn’t have enough information to really plan much of anything around these activities, and then, unbelievably, I forgot to pack the craft supply suitcase in the truck that was taking us to the airport. I realized it halfway there, but by then it was too late. All that effort and expense...for nothing. Why God? How hard would it have been to have received just a little nudge from the Spirit to remind me to go into the other room where it was stored? Now I’m not blaming God, as it was me who forgot. But by the time I got to LAX I realized that most all my attempts to plan and be in at least some measure of ‘control’ over what was going to happen, for one reason or another didn’t happen. It was as if God was saying, “Stop trying to hard to orchestrate your experience. Just GO. Take yourself and I will go with you. You need to learn to trust me – and trust yourself.” So I am learning in yet another way to step into something of an unknown future, knowing only that it is the future God has set before me and that he will be in it ahead of me. These words of Jesus continue to have increasing meaning for me in this season of my ministry: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. (Jn. 5.19) I set forth in this new and unfamiliar land to pay attention to what God is doing...and then do it with Him.

In and for the glory of Christ, Charlie

Photos Cross Trainning

Cross Training Day 1 pictures

[blog from Charlie]

David and Jehanne getting ready to walk across in tandem on the high ropes balance beam


David reaching for the rubber chicken


Jehanne suspended precariously over molten peanut butter


Charlie losing his grip and causing Jehanne to become moltenized

Cross Training at La Sherpa

Blog written by Suzy

Greetings Friends!

After much anticipation and planning...we are here! Our team consists of Jehanne Brown, Katie Shirley, Bobby Holmes, Charlie Little, David, Suzy and Mike Dobreski. After a full day yesterday (see Charlie's previous blog post), we are truly getting ready. La Sherpa is a beautiful place that serves as a launching pad for all teams traveling to various countries including Turkey. We are in the mountains above Goleta, although we are not so far away from our homes, it seems that we are far away.

I am so pleased to announce that Mike will be coming up for the last day of Cross Training (tomorrow) as he will be able to go with us to Turkey after all. Please pray for us as we await God's answers regarding a job for Mike.

We will be leaving for LAX on Friday morning early and then arriving in Antalya, Turkey late Saturday night. Please also pray for safe travels and for health as some of the team members have been sick.

More Later!

Thanks for reading our blog!

Cross Training Day 1

[blog from Charlie]

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

We’ve just finished our first full day of cross-training. Began with worship at 7am in the outdoor amphitheater – beautiful view overlooking a canopy of lush, green oak trees and then out into a blanket of fog. So we couldn’t see the ocean...but we knew it was there. Our day was filled with a series of team-building exercises lead by a group called Teamworks. They were excellent as they lead us through a number of challenges which required us to work together and rely on each other to succeed, drawing out the strengths of the individuals in the process. The result, by the end of the day, was a team. Some of the events were hard, both mentally and physically (like rescuing a pair of soft squishy balls in the center of a rope circle of hot, molten peanut butter – see pictures), other were fun to solve such as picking up different items that were placed outside a rope circle (representing our goals) without stepping outside the circle (see pictures) and still others were challenging in the sense of overcoming fears as we tried our hand at the high ropes course (see pictures). As the day progressed our appreciation of each other and our trust in one another increased...and the bonds of fellowship deepened. It was a rich time.
From worship & devotional time to breakfast to team building exercises (all day with a lunch break in the middle) to a group picture to dinner to a teaching time to quiet time to worship to a leaders meeting and prayer time...well that was our day which ended for me about 10:30 pm. Today will be the fullest day of the week. Good thing...I’m exhausted! ...but ‘full.’ NOTE: PICTURES WOULDN'T UPLOAD...LOOK FOR THEM IN A LATER BLOG.

Blessed to be here, Charlie

Great Weekend!

It was a great weekend! Good time at the Presbytery meeting with the whole team, then we had a wonderful Turkey Roast on Saturday night, with Bree, Ramazan & Karen, and the Mike and Suzy and David Dobreski all in attendance. (Thanks to the Dobreskis for providing the Turkish Delight and the furry ball things.) Bree joined in the roasting when it was her turn to speak. I guess it doesn't take long to know me well enough to poke fun at me! :) She did a great job on the spot, I must say. Ramazan was awesome, too, giving us all a good sense of the situation in Turkey facing Christians and the need for a building of their own. We took an offering for their church that night because in the afternoon a $25 check from my son put me over the top. I have now raised all my support! Worship on Sunday was also special because both the Arkans and Dobreskis stayed over and joined us. It was really special to officiate the Lord's Supper with Ramazan, standing with him as he broke the bread and spoke the words in Turkish, "This is my body, broken for you." I think we are off to a great start as a team;!

Merhaba from Charlie Little

This is Charlie Little - Merhaba! Hello and yes, I am going to Turkey! Sad to say it, but at 59 this will be my first passport adventure! We've had a couple of team meetings and we are a great group already! I am Looking forward to the commissioning at Presbytery this Saturday, May 1, and then our church's "TURKEY ROAST" Saturday night, where my congregation will 'roast' the Turkey-bound pastor (that's me). I'll let you know how well I survive the ordeal. :) The financial support has been phenomenal so far, and I am anticipating a great response at the Roast.

We're going to Turkey!!!!

Join us on our journey this summer to Antalya, Turkey!!!! We know we will come back changed. Stay tuned...