Hazy hills

I wonder if the mountains were hazy like this when the apostle Paul and his friend Barnabus sailed out of this city (Acts 14:25-6). I wonder if these majestic peaks brought to mind a quotation from their Hebrew Bibles, or stirred their hearts in praise. I wonder if they took strength and courage for their journey from knowing that the God who made these hills had called them into his love, and was the one who had sent them to tell the world about his love through Jesus.

Walked down to the sea today--only a half mile from where we're staying--and traversed the winding concrete steps down the cliff to dip our feet in. We went back later for a swim!

I got a chance to meet Andrew, with whom I'll be doing some worship leading over the next few weeks. Tomorrow morning is a meeting for everyone helping with the English camps and VBS for the next few weeks. It's nice to have this gradual introduction to our busy time here.

Arrival in Antalya

After 22 hours in transit, Tyler and I arrived in Antalya, Turkey last night. I cannot remember an easier passage into a foreign country. We bought our Visas for $20 in the Istanbul airport and as we passed through Passport control, the border officer hardly even looked at us!

We know little about this place, except that at first appearance Antalya is a beautiful city. This morning I sat on the balcony outside our room. From the balcony you can see the Mediterranean Sea and the Taurus mountains behind it. Most places we go, we go for ourselves, to see the beauty, to climb the mountains, to get an education, but Tyler and I have come here for God. All we know about Antalya is that God longs for the hearts of the people here. God is the king of this city.

One week till departure!

Last week was a whirlwind. With help from our great friends in Wheaton, we moved out of our apartment. Then we camped our way to New Jersey for a wedding, and had a great time catching up with friends from Middlebury College. Now we're with Meg's family in upstate New York. We fly out next Monday!

Saying goodbye to our empty apartment.

Antalya is a coastal city of about 1 million people. We've heard that it's a beautiful spot!

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting our blog! We'll have pictures and updates along the way.

Here is our current summer itinerary:

June 20th - Pack up our apartment and move stuff into storage
June 25th - A friend's wedding in Jersey City, NJ
June 26th-30th - Visiting family in Adams, NY
July 1st-3rd - In VT for a family reunion
July 4th - Leave for Turkey!
July 5th-August 6th - In Antalya, Turkey