Maddie, Anya, Ela on our was to Foca
Sam looking at Greece and pondering life
Jo pondering life in the ruins...
the family in a tomb
hot springs over Roman ruins-very cool swimming
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Lost In Translation...
Okay, so I know I told everyone, "Oh, when I get to Turkey I'll update my blog and then you'll know all about what's going on." Yeah, right. There is such an onslaught of new emotions and experiences that it is so hard to sort through all the details of each day. But man, if you guys could be in my head with me at nights, you'd be so amazed. I really write some great stuff there. I'm even impressed, but then morning comes, my feet hit the floor and life takes off again.
What I'm going to do is the best I can. I think I'm going to try to update this more than once every two months. No promises.
I've learned to expect the unexpected. Last night was a perfect example of life here. Sam has been going to this new youth group here. It meets about 30 min. away. The people who take him call and say they have to leave two hours early because there is going to be a birthday party before youth group, and Sam should wear slacks. Sam says, "What are slacks?" So, he goes to meet the boy and they take a cab (I thought the dad was driving them). They have a great time and Sam even learns to dance a few dances. Then at the end of the night, Troy says to Sam, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I'm having a sleep over with these other guys." And then he leaves. While Sam is standing there, pondering which bus to take to get home, someone offers him a ride. It all works out, but that's just the thing, you can never count on what you think is supposed to happen. You have to expect the unexpected. I never thought I'd send my son out, all by himself, until 11:00 at night in a foreign country.
Another thing that I am learning is how amazing and different America really is. Our language helper was looking through our photos and asking questions about different people. As Bill and I were answering her questions I was watching her trying to process the fact that so many people are not married and still have children and how strange that concept was to her. I began to realize that I have become desensitized to so many things in our culture.
Last week we went to see Colossae, Laodicia and Heiroplois, all cities from biblical times. In Revelation, there is a letter to the church at Laodicia. God says to them that they are neither hot nor cold and so he will spew (that's such a great word!) them out of his mouth. This is cool because Laodicia is in a valley between Colossae where the water is always super cold and Heiropolis where the water is always hot. They tried to run water from each of these to have both hot and cold water but once it got there it was lukewarm and everyone was mad.
My whole point in all of this, is I was wondering how much I, we in America, have become lukewarm in our attitude towards sin. We don't encourage it (usually) but neither are we shocked and upset by it. I have asked him to let me see sin with his eyes and teach me how he wants me to respond. Thank you for listening to the sermon of the day...
I have come to see that we really are blessed with so much and so many choices, sometimes maybe we have too many options and too many good things, I don't even know anymore. I know the economy is really bad right now, but I still think that we can find joy in each day even if its only laughing at ourselves.
What I'm going to do is the best I can. I think I'm going to try to update this more than once every two months. No promises.
I've learned to expect the unexpected. Last night was a perfect example of life here. Sam has been going to this new youth group here. It meets about 30 min. away. The people who take him call and say they have to leave two hours early because there is going to be a birthday party before youth group, and Sam should wear slacks. Sam says, "What are slacks?" So, he goes to meet the boy and they take a cab (I thought the dad was driving them). They have a great time and Sam even learns to dance a few dances. Then at the end of the night, Troy says to Sam, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I'm having a sleep over with these other guys." And then he leaves. While Sam is standing there, pondering which bus to take to get home, someone offers him a ride. It all works out, but that's just the thing, you can never count on what you think is supposed to happen. You have to expect the unexpected. I never thought I'd send my son out, all by himself, until 11:00 at night in a foreign country.
Another thing that I am learning is how amazing and different America really is. Our language helper was looking through our photos and asking questions about different people. As Bill and I were answering her questions I was watching her trying to process the fact that so many people are not married and still have children and how strange that concept was to her. I began to realize that I have become desensitized to so many things in our culture.
Last week we went to see Colossae, Laodicia and Heiroplois, all cities from biblical times. In Revelation, there is a letter to the church at Laodicia. God says to them that they are neither hot nor cold and so he will spew (that's such a great word!) them out of his mouth. This is cool because Laodicia is in a valley between Colossae where the water is always super cold and Heiropolis where the water is always hot. They tried to run water from each of these to have both hot and cold water but once it got there it was lukewarm and everyone was mad.
My whole point in all of this, is I was wondering how much I, we in America, have become lukewarm in our attitude towards sin. We don't encourage it (usually) but neither are we shocked and upset by it. I have asked him to let me see sin with his eyes and teach me how he wants me to respond. Thank you for listening to the sermon of the day...
I have come to see that we really are blessed with so much and so many choices, sometimes maybe we have too many options and too many good things, I don't even know anymore. I know the economy is really bad right now, but I still think that we can find joy in each day even if its only laughing at ourselves.
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