By Becca:

We woke up early this morning to take our first swim in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea! We wandered through old town (Kaleichi) to the steps of MerMeri Beach Club, paid a small fee, and stepped onto the brown sand of the shore. The water was a bit chilly but quite refreshing once we started to venture out. The sand turned to pebbles which turned to boulders as we swam out in the salty sea. The water was very clear but there is not much to see- some bright blue little fishes, limpets, and crabs along the outcropping rocks. The water got bluer and bluer as we got deeper. It was so beautiful and we were all so excited to experience a whole new body of ocean. Due to all the salt, we were quite buoyant and it was fun to float and bob around so easily. Surrounding us was the ancient harbor which Paul sailed into so many eons ago, georgous rock cliffs spotted with little cafes and vegetation, and remnants of a mighty Roman fortress and wall. And across the way were towering mountains that we never even saw the day before. What a nice surprise on such a crisp and clear morning! We feel very lucky to be able to experience God's amazing creativity all the way across the world! What an awesome morning!

Now we are hanging out in our hotel lobby, catching up on our journals, devotionals, and talking story. Ramazon will be coming soon to pick us up and drop us fully into the Turkish culture... our hosts homes!! We are nervous due to the language barrier, but looking forward to a new part of our adventure.

Thanks (Teshekkurler) for all your support and prayers. We'd probably still be wearing the same clothes without it! God Bless your day and ours...