Another Year and the Race Through Italy

Happy Cinco de Mayo to all in this time of transition for many. College graduations are taking progress and it is interesting to think that it has been a year since our own walk across the stage. Around this time last year is when the girls heard the idea about starting this school in Albania and began to embrace this crazy idea as their own. I was trying to enjoy the end of my senior year while sifting through different possibilities for the future. I will be entering this summer as a changed person with a different perspective and situation than last year. This experience has been the most challenging and richest year of my life and, after feeling nudged, I have decided to come back for another year of this adventure.

Coming into this experience as a last minute addition and after going through a whirlwind of new possibilities, discernment, and efforts to gain support for this mission, I could not get my head around potential of staying another year. Part of my discernment suggested that Albania would be a time of growth and formation but it would not be a long-term call to service. I was also encouraged to let go of all pre-conceptions of how God would be using me and to fill the need where I would be placed. Gathering my perspectives, my approach to service here is that I would return home to pursue other possibilities unless I felt God leading me to stay. A couple months ago, the time to make a decision about whether we would be staying or not was approaching and I had yet to feel such leading, so I was getting excited about coming home.

One weekend, Jessica called me and asked if she could come over to share something with me. She talked about the feelings and words that had been stirring in their apartment and how she believed she had received a sort of vision for the ministry she would be called to in the future. At first, she viewed this as an invitation to return to the US next year to pursue this mission, but Kristi had been receiving feelings for weeks about Jessica as well. Kristi was able to confirm the things Jess had seen as affirmation, but Kristi also felt that she was supposed to tell Jess that it was not time for her to return yet because she was needed here for another year. Following this experience, Jess told me that she felt comfortable and thought that she would be staying in Albania.

I was very happy that God had been moving but I could tell that she had more to say. Like Kristi, she told me that she had been receiving thoughts about my situation for some time and felt led to tell me that I was supposed to stay as well. The weight of this conversation fell on me as I realized my perspective on the coming year was changed by these few words. I was excited to return home and enjoy the freedom of post-college/pre-marriage life in the US, but I recognized that this was the leading I was waiting for. She described how she had been observing me in the way I work and interact with the students and felt that I could not be replaced next year. Continuing to take in the vastness of these words, I thought to myself “Owned!” The meaning here was twofold: whatever ideas I had been entertaining about the near future had been swiped from me and, as a follower of Christ, I had sacrificed my life to the Creator meaning that I was in a sense owned and compelled to follow what I sensed to be His guidance.

It so happened that my situation was closely parallel with Jessica’s. During my time of reflection in the morning, I had received a sort of revelation from the Lord about a message that I could bring back to the church community in the US. Without yet receiving any guidance to overturn my default stance of returning, I felt that this experience suggested that I return to the States to begin discovering my life and ministry where I believe I am called in the long-term. However, shortly after receiving this eye-opener, I got a call from Jessica and the conversation that I described earlier seemed to overwrite my leanings in the short-term. I may be called to ministry in the States, but it was not time to return because I was still needed in Albania.

I knew that I would need some time to process and pray about what had happened, but over the weeks I grew more comfortable with the decision to stay. Now, with no new leadings to counter this direct experience, I have embraced this decision and have become excited for the possibilities of further growth, learning, and opportunity here at this school. Our last day of school is on June 15 and we will be staying a few days to wrap things up, but I will have about 10 days (yet to be planned) before I will meet my parents and younger sister in Frankfurt as she completes the same choir tour that I went on with the amazing Christopher Dock Touring Choir six years ago. The plan is to travel in Switzerland, Italy, and Germany for about three weeks before returning to the States in the second half of July. I will be remaining in the States for about 1½ months before returning to Lezha around September 10th.

I have not made many plans for this time but I hope to visit friends and family, re-charge from a stretching year, prepare for my classes and responsibilities at LAC next year, sell my car, and find some work to make money. I would appreciate any help that could be provided for achieving the last two. If you know someone who could be interested in a 97’ Honda Civic EX with less than 100,000 miles, all the typical long-term maintenance parts taken care of, a manual transmission, and in beautiful condition then let me know because I will be looking to sell it in August or September. I am also open to hearing about any kind of temporary work opportunities that would allow me to do something different and make some money while I am home. Please continue to pray for me during this time of transition as I attempt to take advantage of my short time at home before returning for another year service in Lezha.

After Easter Sunday, we had one day to rest, write a blog post, and pack before leaving early in the morning for the Tirana airport to catch a plane to Italy. This 5-day race through Italy was planned as the school’s Spring Break trip and we had a group of seven students come along with the Shahini’s and us teachers. It was exciting to be visiting the beautiful and historically rich Italy, getting a break from school, and to interact with a group of our students in a different context. Unfortunately, it was forecasted to rain at every one of our destinations and I got quite sick for the span of the trip. However, since we were traveling in a pre-planned tour with a bus and we did not have a large group of students to be responsible for, I was able to take advantage of and enjoy all of our visits while resting on the bus and in the hotels. Our fears of heavy showers ruining our vacation were never realized as the rain held off until the last day in Rome and we were able to follow through on all of our plans with some surprisingly beautiful days.

The trip began by flying into Venice, which was exciting for most of the students because it was their first time on a plane. We connected with our tour group, bus, and guide and made our way into the historic city. The only public transportation within Venice is by boat so we hopped on a water taxi to head to the Rialto Bride before walking through the heart of the city to the beautiful Piazza de San Marco. The basilica was gorgeous and represented Venice well as a collision point of east and west. During the late middle ages, Venice emerged as a naval power and served as the entry point for eastern goods into Europe. In fact, the face of the basilica is covered by rich mosaics depicting the acquisition and transportation of the body of Saint Mark from Ottoman lands to be buried in the basilica because Mark is the patron Saint and protector of the sea. Inside the basilica, the architecture reminded me of the Aya Sofia in Istanbul with the same structure seen in the dome with the walls and ceiling covered by golden mosaics. The artwork, floor, and aura had an eastern flavor while maintaining its identity in the Renaissance and western Catholicism. As with every gorgeous basilica that I entered during this trip, I felt rushed by our rapid schedule in an atmosphere where I would have loved to reflect and relax.

While walking the square, I began to have a virtual sort of déjà vu as I realized I had been here before in a way that has been made possible only recently in our 21st century world. One of my favorite video game series in college was Assassin’s Creed, which has games set in the Holy Land and Renaissance Italy. Having visited the Holy Land I had been struck by this indirect identity with a historic site before, but it was much stronger in Italy because the sites were well-preserved and were depicted in the game based on programmer’s observations of the modern cities. As I looked around the city my mind flashed back to the more epic and violent traversing of the city I had done in the game. I had climbed the basilica and that tower; I had jumped from this bridge to commandeer a gondola; I had struck down many who resisted my discovery of the mysteries driving the storyline in the very streets I was walking. This virtual déjà vu certainly has its limits but it was very interesting to actually visit places I had explored and seen through a personal perspective before.

Most of the group took a break to eat lunch in a nearby restaurant, while I satisfied my need to experience and explore when given the chance. I walked over the bridges of the promenade and looked across the channel to view another grand part of the city isolated on its own island. The magnificent winged lion, the symbol of Venice, was seen in prominent positions throughout the city reminding me of the historical imperialistic dominance and vast wealth procured by the city of Venice. Eventually, I ventured down an alley to look for something cheaper than $20 dollars to eat and I encountered a maze of obtuse angle turns, channels, and alleyways that was very difficult to navigate. Without any sort of familiar street organization it was hard to keep a point of reference and I found myself stumbling across the same locations I had already been. After re-aligning myself by asking a shopkeeper the correct direction of San Marco I was able to find my way back to the basilica where the group was going to gather.

Soon we boarded another water taxi back to the bus and we headed inland to Padua. We walked through the cobblestone streets of the city to the Basilica of Saint Antonio. With its brick façade, this church was not very impressive on the outside, but it uniquely redeemed itself inside. The central nave was quite simple, but the view of the central altar and apse was very striking with its delicately tall appearance intricately decorated with dark hues of blue and red and supported by intense groin vaulting. There were several richly decorated side chapels offering a more intimate feel and the side aisles continued around the back of the apse to the gold gilded mausoleum of Saint Antonio. After departing the basilica we walked a short distance to the Prato della Valle, which is one of the largest squares in Europe. We relaxed in the central lawn that is surrounded by a channel with rows of statues on either side before heading back to the bus late in the afternoon and heading to our hotel for the night which included eating at a McDonalds.

The next morning we left the hotel around 9:30 and headed into the heart of Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet. Near the bus stop there was an open square with a Roman amphitheater and some dress-up Roman soldiers who enjoyed drawing attention to themselves by grabbing women. Then we strolled down a street of expensive fashion shops and came to the entry to the Capulet house which was covered in gum and graffiti put there by people hoping to receive blessings in their relationship. Inside was a small courtyard with a bronze statue of Juliet that the superstitious suggest gives good luck in love, but certain areas were noticeably more worn and shiny than others leading to the conclusion that many think this is the way to get extra good fortune. Next, we walked through the main square with a clock tower and continued through the streets and strolled along the river. There was an imposing brick fortress with a barricaded bridge that used to provide the only entrance into the city.

We then drove southwest and arrived at Pisa. The leaning tower of Pisa served as the bell tower for the religious complex that also consists of an impressive monastery, basilica, and baptistery. These buildings were huge masses of marble built separately among the grass of the open square standing as the only landmarks within the city. Since you had to pay to go inside all the buildings none of us did and much of our time was spent trying to figure out a way to take a good picture with the leaning tower. I decided to make a scene and try something different by holding up the tower with my feet, but due largely to my lack of physical ability along with the camera angle, it was a failed attempt so the girls and I settled for a more conventional pushing battle. One thing I discovered was that if you stood close to the tower and looked to the top, the clouds were moving in such a way that it made the tower look like it was constantly falling on top of you which can be fairly trippy. That night we drove to a large mall outside or Firenze where we found some dinner and spent the evening before returning to the hotel.

The third day we spent in the heart of Tuscany starting in Siena. It was a beautiful morning, which was crucial for enjoying the beauty of this hilltop city that offered our first views over the Tuscan countryside. We walked through the streets of the city and I noticed a much different feel. There were fewer tourists and local life was more evident with carpenters, road workers, and artisans going about their business and having discussions in Italian. The city was full of motorbikes navigating the narrow stone streets. The architecture also had a more down to earth feel as simply constructed earth-toned houses lined the streets with green shutters and flowers on the windowsill. The pace of life was noticeably more relaxed as the morning sun began to seep onto the streets.

After sauntering through the tight streets, the city opened up into a large square sloping down to the bell tower at the Piazza del Campo. We were given some free time so I quick glanced at a landmark map and headed across the city. After a good walk I found a church situated at the top of the hill with a spectacular view across the valley to the other side of the city crowned by the gorgeous Cathedral shining at the top. I spent some time taking in the sights and the moment and then walked through the church before rushing back to meet the group on time. We then visited the Cathedral that I had seen, and although I was the only one who paid to go inside, it was well worth it. The outside was gray marble with green marble stripes and the front was covered in intricate statues. Walking inside I had to pause near the entrance to take in the dynamic appearance of the place. The interior was constructed with an alternating white and blue marble while the walls and ceiling were decorated with beautiful paintings and sculptures. There were some beautiful side chapels and a library full of old books and vivid bright colors. The entire duomo was very ornate but the great variety of tones and textures made it feel more natural and my senses were not overly bombarded by too much of one thing. The balanced lighting, sense of space, and the judicious use of gold made this one of my favorite churches.

Dini was outside waiting for me and since the rest of the group had not gone inside they had already left. We wondered around the city slopes for a while and Dini pretended to steal a camera from a group of girl tourists before we located the rest of the group. We then traveled to the famous towered village of San Gimignano. The town was full of tourists and shops near the entrance, but during our free time I walked to the top and found this vineyard surrounded by old walls and a small tower. From here you could see both over part of the city with its towers rising to see who will be the tallest and into the surrounding Tuscan countryside. The earth-toned buildings with red tile roofs reflecting the sun stood in contrast to the patchwork of farms and trees and the mountains loomed off in the distance. I would have loved to relax on the hillside with some local cuisine and wine while the sun set to watch the landscape slowly fall under the cover of night in true romantic Tuscan style. However, at the request of some others in the tour group, we returned to the mall and spent a couple hours shopping which was very exhausting for me at the climax of my sickness.

The next morning we drove to the top of a hill that provided a wonderful view of the city of Florence below. This city was the birthplace of all the greatest Renaissance artists and it remains the cultural center of Italy today. The skyline of the city is dominated by the Basilica of Saint Mary di Firenze (of the flower) and that was our first walking stop in the city. The huge red tile domes and the patterns of green marble give the basilica a distinctive exterior, but the bland interior was very disappointing. Next stop was the Piazza della Signoria that was full of statues depicting various stories of mythology and history including the kidnapping of the Sabine women and the copy of the David. We then made our way through the streets that were lined with statues until we reached the river and the bridge with houses built on the sides.

Soon we were given a big chunk of free time so Kristi, Jessica, and I decided to locate the museum where the original David by Michelangelo was located. We were told that the group would not go to see it because it would take too long, but we were surprised when within a half hour we were gazing up at the statue. David is holding his sling with a rock inside and is supposed to be looking with anxiety at Goliath. Due to how famous the statue is, we took a long time to study and analyze the figure and it was nice to accomplish something that was on many other people’s bucket list. There was many other works of art in the museum but the most interesting find was a bowl designed as a replica of something described in a historical account from Ming China. When you rubbed the handles the whole bowl vibrated emitting a loud hum while the water rippled or even danced. For some reason my fingers were very adept in bringing out the full potential of this bowl which caused people to wander away from other exhibits and into the small room out of curiosity. We wandered around the city some more before returning to the bus.

That evening we made an unexpected stop during our drive to Rome at the hilltop town of Orvieto. We rode a cable car up the slope and arrived at another gorgeous cathedral that looked like a smaller version of the one in Siena. Although we only remained here for about 45 minutes, I ran through the streets exploring and discovered that I really liked the feel of this town. There were not many tourists and most sections of the town were for locals. The streets I explored were scarcely populated, picturesque, and contained many curious places to eat, hangout, or shop. This was the first time we had been out as night fell and I enjoyed the different atmosphere although again I was rushed to return to the group.

The final day of the trip it finally began to rain and it was time for Rome. Our first destination was Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. We waited in a very long line outside in the light rain in order to enter the church, but it was certainly worth the wait. This basilica boasts the largest interior of any church in the world. Upon entering, it was difficult to gauge the massive scale. Eventually, the size began to sink in as I found that it took remarkably longer than expected to walk to a given location and that people seemed to disappear as they walked away from you. The nave of the church was huge in itself, but the apse and the wings of the church were large enough to be their own cathedrals. In fact, each part had its own seating like a separate church and there was a mass being celebrated in the left wing as if there were not thousands of tourists to distract the parishioners. Inside were several famous works of art including: Michelangelo’s Pieta, Rafael’s Transfiguration of Christ, the baldachin Papal Altar, and the Chair of Saint Peter both by Bernini. I believe this is the most richly decorated church I have experienced, but it was not overwhelming at all because of the vast size and variety of styles, which produced an otherworldly and transcendent feel. The church was so huge that I felt like I rushed through to see the whole thing and take pictures but I was still the last of the group to leave the church after a half hour.

After gathering the group, we walked to the Trevi Fountain, which is apparently one of the most famous fountains in the world. The allure of the water and art of the fountain was dampened by the steady rain, which made pondering and picture taking difficult. The teachers and most of the students went to grab a 30-minute lunch at a small Chinese restaurant which was the first taste of Chinese for many of them. The next site was certainly one that I recognized, the Pantheon. This circular structure toped by a dome with a large open hole in the center featured the largest dome in the world for over a millennium until it was bested by the basilica in Florence, though still it remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world today. Having virtually climbed through the whole in the top and descended to the floor, I had felt scale of this dome before. Since the Roman acceptance of Christianity, the Pantheon has functioned as a church, but the main attraction was certainly its unique construction.

Upon departing, we soon found ourselves standing in a large square with another fountain that contained an Egyptian obelisk and a separate fountain stream for the main rivers of the four major continents: Nile (Africa), Ganges (Asia), Danube (Europe), and the Amazon (the Americas). We were given a curious amount of free time, so I bolted off again in the direction that seemed to have the most potential and I found picturesque streets as well as an important intersection in the city with a bridge that offered a great view of the Tiber, Saint Peter’s Basilica, and the Castel Sant’Angelo. I also noticed that Romulus and Remus myth remained such a part of the identity of the city that they have a bronze plate of the brothers being nursed by the she-wolf along with the famous S.P.Q.R (Senatus Populus que Romanus = Senate and the People of Rome) featured on every public trash container.

As the rain subsided we headed into the anticipated heart of the ancient city of Rome. We first visited the Italian National Museum and, since we were given unclear instructions about time limit and the group always gathered late, I decided to not worry about taking some extra time to see if I could find a view. I climbed hundreds of steps and ran through an exhibit to uncover a wrap-around balcony that offered an amazing panorama of the old city. The Roman Forum was on the hill near the museum while the old central street was lined with partially preserved structures culminating in the Coliseum. I spent some time trying to imagine the bustle of life on this street in Ancient Rome and the noise that would periodically rise from the Coliseum as 50,000 spectators reacted to the bloody spectacle before them. However, I knew I would be late so I found the group waiting and we walked along the street to the Coliseum.

To be honest the Coliseum was not as tall or grand as I had been expecting. It was a massive accomplishment considering it was built over 2,000 years ago, but with all the other things we had seen, this structure did not surmount its predecessors in the way I anticipated. It was still awesome to be able to visit this site that is very well preserved, but we did not have enough time to go inside which was a letdown. I walked all around the structure to take in the design and ended at the Arch of Constantine. This triumphal arch was the situated next to a road that still contained the original Roman stones. I lingered between the Forum, arch, and Coliseum for a minute to take in the heart of the ancient city from the slopes of Palatine Hill on which the city was founded before being summoned to the bus for our departure. We drove to the airport and made our stand in the crowded security lines to take off and watched as the lights of Rome grew faint marking the end of our 5-day race through Italy.

This trip was a great opportunity to see so many wonderful things in Italy. There are certainly disadvantages to traveling in a big tour group, but having everything provided and planned for you and being able to move quickly and cheaply from one place to another in a tour bus was crucial to being able to see what we did with the size of group we had. Although I am usually a person who likes to visit new places, the fact that I rarely had the opportunity to explore or take in the feeling of a place and the overwhelming historical richness and natural beauty of Italy makes me very excited to return this summer during the trip planned with my parents. I now have a better understanding of what to expect and what to look for and it will be great to be able to move at our own pace.

Back at LAC things are moving along and we are trying to keep up. Our long schedules are beginning to wear a little on all of us and I feel that my productivity has been slashed. Fortunately, I now have less deadline work because most of my resources are coming from last semester and I am simply improving little things here and there while trying to work ahead to prepare for the mass of new content that will be mine to teach next year. However, there are a lot of side projects to take care of in preparing for the end of the year and to begin transitioning for next year. With only six weeks left of school, I am hoping to recommit myself to spending as much quality time with the students, in the community, and with the Lord as I can. My busy schedule has made me feel holed up in school without having the ability to focus on doing a few things well and I want to lean on Christ to allow Him to take control of my time and prioritize what needs to be done before summer.

This quarter so far has been more of a normal schedule, so we have had Bible club three more times. After moving the time to be earlier we have gotten a larger turnout, but this has also meant that students are often distracted during discussion. We have had some fun times with them playing a variety of games and have discussed the spiritual world/the soul, why there is so much suffering in our world, and the relationship between science and religion. Discussion is give and take because the students are often very interested, but they are very easily sidetracked and it can be difficult to keep them attentive long enough to give a cohesive explanation.

In history class, I just finished my unit on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which I am easily excited about. Like in bible club, the students were usually very interested, but they are easily distracted by things that are different from what they thought. Because they know so little about the religions that are ingrained into their own culture, I think it is incredibly important for them to understand the basic historical formation and main beliefs of these faiths. The unique differences and views of salvation can play a huge role in the way people view the world. I hope that the combination of this instruction and bible club will help the students become more aware of the importance of religion in our world and encourage them to ask critical questions about our faith and their own spiritual formation. Please pray for progress in this slow process and that God would open their hearts and begin to work his way into this community.

After Easter, we had a few rainy weeks in Lezha, but the past 10 days has been beautiful with the warm sun making its return. There has not been any notable change in the food situation, but I have had some opportunities to eat some good food. One of these times I was invited by of one of my students who used to live in Greece to come to his house along with Elvis (the other Greek) in order to try some Greek food. Both of his parents were cooks in Greece so the food was amazing and there was so much variety including: two types of rice, some greens, potatoes, ground beef patties, chicken, pork, salads, Tzatziki, a special sauce recipe from Crete, bread and more. We spent some watching motorbike videos and they told me how every boy in Greece has one that they would race and how when they left their motorbikes in Greece it was like losing a part of themselves. The students who have lived somewhere else have shared that it has been difficult for them to come back to Lezha because there is not much to do besides go out for coffee or play soccer at a calceto.  They have also suggested that the local culture is not fond of new or foreign ideas, so it can be stifling to those who have experienced another style of life and had part of their identity changed.

This past Tuesday, we had off school for Albanian worker’s day so I went to the beach in Shengjin with the two Greeks. After only a couple hours of swimming in the dirty water and getting some sun, Elvis invited me to come to visit with his family at their house on a mountainside. Despite being unusually exhausted, we climbed the path up to his property where I was introduced to his family and had a feast placed in front of me. His grandfather was happy that I was visiting his house because I was the first American he had ever seen. It began to get a little emotional when he talked about how I reminded him of his one son who had left to live in the States. He said that I honored this place because of my appreciative attitude and he wanted an American to experience something uniquely good about Albanian culture to go along with the bad. I was very honored to be so welcomed by this family and privileged to have had such a meaningful interaction with a group of people that I had never met before and could communicate with only with limited words and gestures through Elvis.

My time on the mountain with this family gave me a wonderful picture of a rustic lifestyle that had mostly disappeared from the industrialized world and stood in strong contrast to the packed living conditions in Lezha. The homes there were built in the 19th century and were simple single-story houses built with wood and stone covered in plaster. There was only three rooms and the ceiling was so low I had to duck down, which would get old very quickly if you lived there. Elvis told me how he lived there when he was young and how as many as 20 people had somehow squeezed in that small house to live together back in the good old days.

What luxuries the house did not supply, the natural surroundings made up for. There was a mountain stream that provided a non-stop supply of fresh water. There were patches of gardens, trees, and pasture all worked into the green slopes of the mountain. We ate cherries, climbed a tree, chased after sheep, laid in the shade, drank directly from the mountain stream, sat on a donkey, sipped the local wine, threw sticks, and ate some more cherries. I thoroughly enjoyed this time because it allowed me to get away from all the noise and concrete in the small radius where I live my life here to experience God’s creation and have a genuine interaction with the Albanian culture. As I sat in the shade to escape the heat and heard traditional Albanian music being played through a stereo, my mind wandered back to my time with the Bedouin in the desert of Jordan. Although the landscape was quite different, the combination of hard work and a slower pace of life in the wild harmonized with the simple eastern-style melodies to provide a similar experience of simpler times. I am very thankful to Elvis and his family for their hospitality and I hope to have the privilege of returning to that special place again.

The return of warmer weather has beckoned a renewed interest in soccer. Last week we I played for the first time since the advent of winter and it felt good to run around. Although I had only watched two soccer games the whole year prior to a few weeks ago, I watched a significant part of four games within the span of several days. This is because the Champion’s League finals have been taking place and all the men are glued to the television screen as the best clubs in Europe battle for dominance. There are so many things that frustrate me about soccer and I cannot believe that some of the procedures have not been adapted, but I still find myself getting excited when there is so much hype surrounding a game and I understand who is playing. Ken Horst came to visit for a couple days to go over the details of our budget and stay, and one night he went out with Dini and I to watch one of the games. I have found myself shouting sometimes during intense parts of a big game when a goal is scored or big opportunity missed, but Ken (as a long time resident of Italy) was very excitable and it made the experience more amusing. It is amazing how all of Europe can be so enthralled by this game, but in the US we remain largely unacquainted with these contests. The final will be a Spanish-free bout between Chelsea and Bayern Munchen on May 19.

Things may be coming down to the end for this year, but there is still much to be done. Please keep each of the staff members in your prayers as we encounter whatever stressors will fly at us toward the end of the year. Pray that we are able to maintain order in the school and our classrooms as summer approaches, that we have clarity to see the big picture, and that we can effectively make the adjustments that are needed for an expanding school next year. Pray that we would find our strength and drive in the Lord and that our tired bodies will be invigorated to take advantage of the rest of our time this year. Pray particularly for VMM and the school boards efforts to locate and recruit more teachers for next year. We are going to need many staff additions to be able to adequately handle the increasing responsibilities while still retaining the time to be a purposeful mission presence in and outside of school. There are a lot of plans that have yet to be made and tasks that have yet to be accomplished, so please keep us particularly in your thoughts during the next month and a half. Thank you for all of your support and may God bless your efforts wherever you are.

Kalofsh Mire – “Have a good one.”

Simple Truth for a Complicated World

I seem to have gotten into a natural rhythm of writing one post per month because another month has passed and it is April. Time has certainly not slowed down as I am not quite sure how that time has past already.  It is the end of the third quarter and the beginning of spring break here at LAC and there is a lot of action on the horizon. The warmer weather has continued for the most part and that has created a more comfortable atmosphere in Lezha. The feeling of spring is setting in bringing an expectation of the coming end of school, travel, and my return to the United States.

One of the highlights in March was my birthday and the events associated with it. First of all, the 14^th of March is an Albanian holiday called Summer’s Feast Day. This is interesting in itself because I have certainly never associated the middle of March with summer and it also falls before traditional Albanian spring day, which is a subject of confusion among the locals here. It is a day to go outside for picnics and celebrate the changing season, so it was decided that we would cancel school giving me the day off. It was a relaxing day spent sleeping, on the roof reading, and working. For dinner, the ladies asked me would I would like to eat and I suggested a Mexican casserole because we have had nothing Mexican day and my mouth was watering thinking of some of the things my mom made. They made the effort and combined a bunch of things available here to make something that was very tasty and certainly in the right neighborhood. At school the next day, many of the kids dressed like me wearing a tie. This was quite amusing and an appreciated change of pace from the surprise parties. At lunch they showed the movie they had put together with pictures and appreciative statements before giving me some gifts including: Albanian music CD’s, a historical communist party pin, party mix, and olive oil (per request).

It was decided that the three girls and I would travel to Prizren, Kosovo that weekend in association with my birthday. This turned out to be a very relaxing, convenient, and cheap trip because the father of one of our students insisted on driving us himself and he would spend the night with some family. It was a surprisingly beautiful two-hour drive through snow capped mountains and old villages to the town of Kukes near the border where we stopped to get coffee. We then continued for another half-hour across the border and into Prizren, where we located a pension to stay for the night. It was late afternoon by that point and we spent the rest of the night walking through the historic center of the city along the river stopping to look at old churches and mosques before grabbing some food and spending time in content conversation.

By the way, before I continue to describe the trip…As I have mentioned before, I post my pictures onto albums in Facebook. Now I always thought this was an ordinary way to display media but I have gotten comments in the past about how I should put pictures of the places I am describing in my blog. I describe many places in my writing and it would take up too much unnecessary space and time to post that many pictures on my blog. So I suggest opening up my Facebook account in a new tab or window to see pictures of what I am describing as you read. You could even put the two windows side by side on your desktop to view both simultaneously. The pictures for this trip to Kosovo are in the second half of the album titled “Albania 6.” I hope you found this message helpful and that you enjoy taking in the dual media experience that modern technology has allowed us to take advantage of and enjoy. Side note – If you are not my friend on Facebook and you are reading my blog then perhaps you should shoot me a request, unless you have made the decision to not use social networking. If you are one of my students, I am sorry but you know that I have decided to not accept your friendship on Facebook so you will just have to do without the pictures or ask me to show you them sometime. Now, back to the story.

The next morning, I decided I would set out earlier because I did not want to miss any of the sights and I tend to enjoy spending time in churches and other historical settings more than the girls. It did not take me long to feel comfortable with the fact that we had seen much of the city last night and there were a few main sites that could easily be covered before we left that afternoon. However, I did discover two sites that turned out to be my trip favorites. I had read online that there was a Serbian quarter of the city that had been destroyed during the war and uprisings as recently as 2004. It was easy to see this abandoned section from the main path, but I wanted to get a deeper experience. I decided to build up my courage and cautiously venture down a questionable path through one of the destroyed streets and into a couple of the skeleton houses. As I walked through a large gap in the wall evidently caused by explosives and tip-toed up a partially destroyed staircase to a series of rooms without any roof, I began to think about the Serbian family that lived there. It was very interesting to imagine dinner being cooked and eaten, children sleeping in their rooms, and people walking in the streets below. However, that life had been destroyed by yet another complicated layer of conflict that is so characteristic in the history of the Balkans.

After gazing over the city below from the abandoned buildings, I made my way back to the main path and over to a small church that was nearby. The old church was constructed of stone and sat high on the hillside above the city giving it the feeling of a holy refuge. As I walked through the door I noticed that this church had fallen victim to the violence as well. Serbians are fervently Orthodox and have often found themselves in conflict with the majority of Muslim Albanians that make up much of the population of Kosovo. Today, the many religious differences are often downplayed in the region in attempt to avoid old rivalries and conflicts. The Catholic and Muslim populations in Lezha interact without much thought to their religious differences. As I mentioned earlier, this does make additional sense within a context where the majority of people are not devoted followers of their faith and are often not even cognizant of the basic doctrines or history of their religion. Most of the time people label themself as a Catholic or Muslim based on their family roots and traditions.

Getting back to the church, the main structure inside was mostly ruined with the roof blown off and grass and weeds growing among the standing and fallen pillars. The walls were still intact and were beautifully constructed giving it a sense of sacred space. After meandering about in the sun, I entered into fully intact side chapel that seemed like an peaceful place to pray with its intimate space and high arched ceiling allowing the light to shine in from windows at the top. I noticed the walls seemed worn and scarred by past damage, but as my eyes began to adjust to the dimness, I was soon astonished to notice faint outlines of figures on the walls and ceiling. As my eyes grew more accustomed to the unlit space, beautiful detail and color began to emerge and I found myself feeling very blessed to be standing in another painted Orthodox chapel. I have come to value the sacred and mystical atmosphere that these spaces provide, but this sanctuary was unique because of the striking contrast of peace and conflict. The eastern depictions of biblical scenes and saints beckon within me a sense of awe and serenity, but the scars and burns of war were noticeably present giving me a new perspective on the layers of faith and conflict in the region.

After spending some time reflecting on this new perspective, I made my way back down into the city to join with the girls for the rest of the day.  Having scouted out the sites ahead of time, I again took on the role of guide as we made our way through the center of the city and up the path rising to meet the slopes above.  We made our way back to the church and I noticed what a huge difference the sun can make on the appearance of a place within a few hours. It was almost noon and the sun was blazing down on the city (we were fortunately blessed again with wonderful weather) bringing out new details and colors as it reflected off the red tile roofs and silver domed mosques below. The yard of the church was now kissed with sun and the light brought out the lovely colors in the stone. The paintings inside the chapel were much easier to see now that light was pouring in from above, but I was glad to have come earlier to experience a more mysterious unveiling process that truly emphasized the hidden beauty of this place. Even the view of the abandoned Serbian quarter of the city did not seem as questionable and opposing, but it felt good to have braved the shadowy remains alone in the morning.

We relaxed in the chapel for a while before continuing up the path to the Ottoman fortress at the top of the hill overlooking the city. The outer walls of the fortress remained partially intact but the rest was ruined structures and piles of stone. I could now see across the entire valley that Prizren sits in surrounded by snow-capped peaks in all directions. We decided to spend a couple hours relaxing at the top enjoying the view and the sun. I found a patch of grass overlooking the city and lay down to finish the last few chapters of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. This book is a rich commentary on our faith and at that moment I found myself, once again, appreciating the timing because after doing some more specific reading the past few years, this book brought me back to the basics with a new found clarity and perspective. I realized how beautifully intricate and yet how simple it is to follow Christ. We often make faith and the church into something with so many parts and programs that we begin to lose sight of the simple goal. C.S. Lewis writes, “The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, and even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. “(171)

Just as I began to reflect on this simple truth, the noontime call to prayer resonated from the city below. A different voice echoed from each of the 26 visible minarets in the city below and they were joined by bells from several of the churches. I crawled to the edge of the wall and let my head hang over to catch the wind and the sound from below. In that moment, I once again felt the complex layers of history and reality in that place. I found myself presented with another evocative contrast: the goal of our faith and existence may be simple, but the world is incredibly complex. How do we present the Gospel in a world that has fallen away from the simple truth?

All I know is that we cannot do it in our own strength. Starting this school in Lezha has brought me into a much different context than I have ever experienced in the past. There are many realities that are unique to each place that cause the people to experience and react to spirituality in different ways. By our very nature we are somewhat hostile to the simple truth, but we serve a God who broke through the barriers to become one of us and defeated the condemning power of sin. His Gospel is not limited to a certain context, but it is for all people at all times; a universal truth not limited by culture, race, time, or conflict. As I gazed over the historic city in the valley separated by a tranquil river and isolated by mighty mountains, I pondered the complicated uniqueness of each place and how all of the wonderful detail in the world was created and supervised by my Lord and Savior.

I remained at the edge as quietness fell over the city again. After my reflections had run their course, I returned to finish my book as the girls tossed rocks at random objects. In the afternoon we made our way back down into the center of city to eat lunch in the square. We experienced the Turkish flavor of the city by getting some kebabs with bread, cheese, and olives. To finish our time, we relaxed in the sun and conversed for a couple hours before being picked up by our ride and taken back through the mountains to Lezha.

At school, we have continued to experiment with afterschool activities with the students. There is usually about 6-12 students who come to Bible club and we play some fun games before having a time of sharing. The last two times Jessica and Kaitlyn have shared a version of their testimony as a way to introduce their faith to the students and to raise questions, which has gone well. Last week the female teachers also hosted a sleepover for the girls that turned out to be a great success. There has been some division between the 10^th and 11^th grade girls in the past, but both grades came together to for this event. After nearly an all-night discussion involving the sharing of impressions, stories, and tears the girls thanked the teachers for allowing them to have this time together because they grew to like and understand each other.

Since all the girls had planned an event some of the guys began to wonder if we would do anything. After school, I decided to take a group of them out for coffee and we had a great time joking around. Some of us continued to go play basketball, which was an interesting experience that at times was more like keep-a-way than an actual game. After hanging around the court, there was a feeling of what do we do now? It became obvious that some of them did not have anywhere to go for the night so we walked through the city, got some food, and sat in the park to talk. The night continued to progress and we played some pool, walked around, and got some fast food before parting ways. It was nice to spend casual time with the students because we have been limited in this aspect by our full after-school schedule. I had been acting much differently throughout the evening than I do in my classroom and several of them commented on how it was crazy that I was also their teacher. On the way home, one of the students that I had hung out with in the past told me that I was so different from the image he had of most Americans. These more informal opportunities certainly help to open the door to sharing with the students.

This past Saturday we took a field trip with the majority of our students to Tirana. Three of our students had qualified for the semi-finals of an international public speaking competition and we went along to support them. As we expected, we were not allowed to be present during the presentations, so the teachers chauffeured the students to places they had been asking to go for months. We went to a center with bowling, pool, and arcade games then strolling through a large shopping center before eating at a not so fast-food restaurant for a meal. The transportation was interesting because we had 20 some students all crammed into a half-bus and I was the only American on board because the Shahini’s and the other teachers were driving in a different car. The driver blared popular music while the students yelled to each other and danced in the aisle. There was not much I could do but to find amusement and accept this situation because the students wanted this to happen for some time. None of the three students advanced, but they all did well and were satisfied with their performance. 700 students from Lezha submitted essays for the competition, 3 out of the 5 representatives came from our school of 30 students, which is an awesome testament to our work. It was great to work with each of these students to improve their essays and speaking because they made so much progress and we are very proud of them for representing LAC.

This Easter weekend marked the culmination of the Lenten season. I was able to remain more committed to spending time with God and I think that this will continue, but I felt like I only experienced mixed success. A couple weeks ago, I tried to get into a regular habit of meditation, but after trying for a few days I felt like it was so forced and I was frustrated by always being distracted, so it died. I hope to work up renewed motivation and to develop that aspect of my spiritual life in the near future because I think it is very important. I think that my reflection has allowed me to recognize and focus on praying for God to work in different ways in my life ever shaping my character to be more like His own.

On Good Friday, I went to the Catholic Cathedral to be in a contemplative atmosphere and to follow the liturgy leading up to the crucifixion. At the end, the cross with Jesus was processed slowly to the front where it was placed for people to kiss and to approach Jesus and his sacrifice. The Eucharist was then offered at the end before the lights went down. Easter morning we had a 7am service at the church with a lot of praise along with an interesting drama and song by the women. We then ate some food that had been prepared for breakfast before I went out with many of the younger crowd for coffee. Rafael and his wife along with a healthy and happy Paulo returned just in time for the weekend and it was nice not to worry about playing guitar for worship.

I learned from my English students that a major religious tradition here is to have the Easter feast officially blessed. On Saturday morning, bread, cheese, and garlic is brought to represent the food and is blessed by a priest. It also seems to be a Catholic requirement to paint eggs on Easter. When I told one of my students that I had not done so, he gave me a strange look suggesting I was not being a devout believer. Painted eggs are handed out by many (almost like Halloween) and there is this tradition where one person strikes their egg against another person’s and the victor keeps the one that cracks.

With the 4^th quarter beginning next week, it is time to look toward making preparations for the end of this year and the coming of next year. We have been getting buy with out busy schedules for the past months, but now it will really be important to make time to meet with each other to discuss the many unanswered questions. There are so many preparations that need to be made for next year a lot of plans that need to be made to improve the school and the way we function. With nearly a year of experience under our belt we need to make responsible decisions on how to limit difficulties we encountered this year from occurring in the future. I know that we will each be stretched as we try to meet the non-stop demands that will be thrown at us, but with God’s help we will make it through ready for what is to come. First, we need to tie the ribbon on the 3^rd quarter by finalizing our grading and entering them into needed report card sheets that I designed for each student. We will now begin to look for new students for next year and an important part of this process was the website that I have been working on, which was just recently published live onto the web. It is an amateur job that I did with the help of a template and changes will have to be constantly made to grow and improve it, but it feels good to have created something that I knew nothing about. I have to specifically thank Mark for all of his support and expertise that has allowed me to get by on my end as techy. You can visit the website at:

http://www.albanianchristianschool.org/

As the year continues on, I am so thankful for this opportunity and for all of those who are supporting us. I am continuing to learn new things nearly every day and having a positive impact on the lives of these students is irreplaceable. Spending a lot of time alone has allowed me to notice more how I interact with the outside world. This context is very unique and all of us are learning about how personalities (with aid from Briggs-Myers analysis) and gender can play a role in the way we view and react to the world around us. I am learning so much that I just hope I am able to take it all in and meaningfully apply it somewhere before it passes on and is forgotten. Please pray for me as I continue my journey of personal enlightenment and formation under the Lord’s strength and leadership.  Pray for motivation and wisdom for all of the staff at LAC as we confront the questions and business that will fly at us toward the end of the year.  Pray that we will be able to discern God’s plan for this ministry and that He will use each of us incomplete individuals to accomplish His perfect purpose here. Also, remember David and the Troyer’s in your prayers. From what I last heard, Milt is still in a long process of recovering from what was likely pneumonia, while David is still very much struggling with his frustrating nerve condition that shows no sense of direction. Please pray that they will be able to sense God leading them as they pick up their lives at home and for a strong healing and encouraging presence over David who could so easily give into frustration. Thank you all for continuing to surround this community with your prayers.

Gezuar Pashket! – “Happy Easter”

Moving Right Along

It has been about a month since I last posted and that time has flown by in good rhythm. Things have remained stable at LAC as we reach the halfway point of third quarter. This stretch has flown by and it is hard to believe that it is already March. As we pull away from winter we have been left with beautiful weather for the past couple weeks. We endured one of the coldest European winters in recent history and I am very glad to no longer feel cold all the time. For the past few Saturdays I have been able to put the spare mattress out on the roof to do some reading, studying, and resting in the sun. This year my expectation and joy at the changing of the season and the returning warmth of the sun is the greatest it has ever been. I have been able to sleep without worrying about my wrap strategy keeping tight and to teach without wearing a winter coat. This means that the tie has returned allowing me to feel a little more professional and colorful.

 The warm weather has led to an increase in activities. Last weekend, the teachers took a large group of students up to the castle on a beautiful morning. It was a day after Prime Minister Berisha had come to town to commemorate Beselidhja, the signing of a defensive alliance against under the leadership of national hero Skanderbeg to resist the Ottoman Empire in 1444. The road up to the castle was completed in time for the celebration marking the end of a notable process for Lezha. At the top we ate lunch and played dodgeball, volleyball, and guitar. On the way down I got a surprising phone call from a local friend asking if I wanted to play American football on the beach. I could not miss this opportunity since it would be the first time playing football and the first time back to the beach since the fall. Playing was a lot of fun, but it showed how out of shape I had grown because I was exhausted and very sore for days. It was an interesting experience because these guys were athletic, but they had little idea how to play football, so it was a little unfair. It felt really good to get out into an open space to run and throw my body around a little because winter had kept me closed up.

Over the past month I have grown attached to a simple breakfast of two clementines and half a banana. At school, we have replaced the catering with one of our student’s parents bringing in sandwiches, burek, and pizza. I usually get a sausage sandwich with a cheese burek for lunch, which costs $1. Two weeks ago I decided to go out and buy some new things to eat so I found sliced cheese, sausage, mayonnaise, pickles and chips to go along with bread, lettuce, tomato, and hot peppers to make sandwiches. It felt good to revive this food that had been nearly an everyday mainstay in college. The warmer weather has also brought a return to my desire for salad that I have been eating with olives and feta cheese. As a side note, I have completed last three seasons of Seinfeld this year since I usually watch an episode while eating dinner and I have now moved onto watching the Office. The girls and I have made it a Friday custom to go out for pizza on Friday night, which is usually accompanied by a new personal favorite, red wine and coke. This is a great way to spend some time in non-school conversation with each other and relax around some great food to kick off the weekend.

 At school we have begun to incorporate new things and figure out our after school schedule. All the kids are involved in this online math program that customizes itself to the needs of each student. This is intended to fill in some of the content gaps that may have been left by the Albanian school system and prepare them for taking more advanced math classes in the coming years, particularly since math has been our most problematic subject. We have also begun student clubs including basketball, volleyball, Ping-Pong, soccer, music, public speaking, and bible. There are a lot of complications involved in working these into the school routine but these clubs represent great opportunities for interaction with the students and education in the future. We fastened some screws into the side of the building and conveniently placed tree along with painting lines on the stone to produce an impressive volleyball court in the courtyard.

 Bible club has met twice on Friday evenings in an attempt to create a youth group type atmosphere and give the students something productive to do on Friday night. We have been playing a lot of games with them to create a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Linda Miller, one of the summer class teachers, had returned for a couple weeks and she brought a bunch of American games including Yatzee, Uno, Imagine if, and Catch Phrase. This last week we played Capture the Treasure and Duck, Duck, Goose with the kids before having a conversation about what questions they had about religion. Conversation was limited at first, but then Jessica shared her testimony as the students listened closely and they began to ask a lot of questions. They understand very little about religion and their affiliations are mostly due to family and traditions rather than faith and knowledge. We have so much to cover and it will be an adventure to see where God leads us as we begin to share our faith with them and open up in meaningful conversation. Please pray particularly for this time and ask God to reveal Himself and use us to share his love to these students.

The clubs have completely filled up all of our time after the school day. In addition to evening classes, meetings, and Albanian class, these clubs mean that I am busy until 6pm every school night. Although I am changing and adding resources, I am glad that I have a strong handle on my history class and that I do not have to learn all new content for class. My two sections of World History class have progressed through an introduction to history and the ancient civilizations of the Near East, China, and India. We are still playing with some changes in school discipline and have had to incorporate in and out of school suspensions since some students have been having problems adapting their behavior to our school environment. Despite some difficulties, overall the students are doing well and it is very exciting to see them improving and growing to appreciate this school community. My evening classes have been fairly relaxed and I have been taking my Tuesday conversation class out for coffee every other week and one night we went out for pizza. We usually have some very good conversations and they feel accomplished since they have been able to understand and contribute in English. Our evening classes are gaining students, so it feels like we are well established and have a pretty good reputation in the community for evening classes as well.

 Three of our students were chosen to represent Lezha in the regional final for a public speaking competition that will take place in Tirana. They each wrote essays and now the teachers are working with them to improve their essays and public speaking skills. We also had a parent teacher conference day last week. Each of the parents come into one by one to talk to the group of us teachers about how their student is doing. This is something that does not happen in the public school system and most parents seem to be very appreciative of the support and attention that we offer to the students. They are all very supportive of our suggestions and they do not question our teaching ability as a reason for why their students are not performing up to their expectations. I think we have built a good reputation and created a largely supportive community of parents. While Linda was here, she also worked to start a women’s group with the mothers of the students and they are planning to meet at least once a month. It is important that we are able to reach the community outside of the school and this is an incredible opportunity for ministry and conversation in the future.

 Last month, Kaitlyn had her birthday and the students planned another surprise party for her complete with a treasure hunt, gifts, cake, and a video from the students. That night I had planned for one of my evening class students, Reni, to pick us up and take us to his parent’s restaurant. We never told Kaitlyn what was happening, but we drove out to the nature preserve lagoon and braved the dirt roads in his Mercedes to reach this beautiful retreat restaurant situated on Albania’s mini Everglades bordering the ocean. The location would have been better taken advantage of in the light of day, but that was not a possibility and this added to the mystery of it all. Reni showed us around and then joined us along with his fiancé for a spectacular dinner of fresh salad, fish, eel, and duck. I believe that fire simmered fish was the best I had ever had and the others thought the same…caught that day, wonderfully cooked, and perfectly seasoned. We enjoyed some great conversation before making our way back home.

 One annoying issue we have encountered is with our residency paperwork. Klementina and Dini have been working with a residency officer who is constantly assigning them new tasks to fulfill for the paperwork to go through, likely in hope that they will pay some money under the table to get it taken care of. Dini and I had to go to Tirana to clarify some details and everyone seemed to have a different idea of the requirements. Finally, a few of us went to the US embassy to get some paperwork that should wrap up the process, but you never know with the system here.

Just a few days ago, we got a big and sad surprise. Klementina came into my classroom and told me that the Troyer’s would be going home. At first, I thought she meant home from school for the day, but then I realized she meant all the way home. Milt has been feeling sick the past couple of weeks and he has not been able to shake his flu. He had visited the hospital last week and gotten some anti-biotics that had been having some negative side-effects and then he was having some chest pain. A doctor visited him, and with his past heart complications, it was decided that it was time for them to go home to find out what was wrong and ensure his safety. This all happened very quickly because one day they were here, and then the next day before I finished teaching they were gone. We have received news that after a night in the hospital, it was determined that his chest pain was likely because he had been coughing a lot. Please pray for Milt as he continues to recover and for both of them as they transition out of their period of international service into life in Ohio again with their family. I would like to say thank you to the Troyers for all their care, willing support, and effort in starting this school. They definitely played a crucial role at the beginning when we were in over our heads in new issues and challenges and we appreciated Milt’s input as an experienced school administrator. We will miss them as a staff at LAC, by the students, and I am sure by their English class students, which they so dedicatedly taught over the past half-year.

 I have continued to spend a lot of time in the evening on studying my content, creating resources, planning my lessons, and following other topics of interest. My lifestyle here is so different then anything I have experienced in the past because when the school day is over, I always have the evening to myself for studying, eating, working, and entertainment. One thing that I had recommitted to during my reflection while in Turkey was a more regimented schedule for time with God. The craziness of January led me to forget this goal as I was praying often throughout the day for support because we needed it right away. With the coming of Lent, I have been reminded of spiritual discipline and instead of giving something up, I decide to commit to a basic schedule of prayer and bible reading every night in addition to my devotionals in the morning. I have spent some time every night trying to fulfill this goal, but has often been difficult because I feel closed in by work that I want to get accomplished, distracted by many things, and very tired by the time I am ready for bed. I certainly want to improve my efforts and commit to spending more focused time to reading scripture and listening for God’s voice and I hope to feel like I am in more of a natural and productive rhythm by the end of Lent. I also believe that God will bless our time if we give more of it to Him, but this is not something that I have practiced much in the past. Please pray that I will have the discipline to take time out of my evening to spend with my Savior and the focus and discernment to have meaningful and deep interactions with the Lord of the universe.

Thank you to all of you who have continued to support LAC. I have been noticing that I have less Facebook and email activity than I did toward the beginning of the year and I think it is easy for people to become focused on what is in front of them. Part of this is simply because as I separate from college life, I will also begin to separate from many of the people who I spent a lot of time with in those days. Either way, I especially thank those of you who have committed a part of your life to continually working with us, supporting us, praying for us, and remaining interested in our lives here. We feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity of ministry in this place, and the tools that we have been provided to work here have allowed us to create an loving and professional environment in Lezha. Pray that our influence continues to grow and that we will remain true to the path that Christ is laying before us. God bless each of you and I hope you notice and enjoy the coming of new life and opportunities in the spring.

Zoti ju dhëntë gezim! – “May God give you Joy.”

Through the Washing Cycle

I mirepritur. Cfare po ben? – “Welcome. What are you up to?”

God has been faithful. The past month has seen a lot of struggles, joys, and periods of growth. The stretch from mid-December to mid-January was the most exhausting month of my life, but it was so great. I am walking the life-long path of learning to fully lean on and rest in the Father because the real world is too complicated and frustrating for me to go at it on my own strength. I have really found value in pausing in the morning and at night to put things in perspective and hand over my doubts and struggles to God. “Be still and know that I am God.” The Lord is always beside me and He will prepare me for everything that is on my path if I focus on Christ. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Everyone has struggles, but I am slowly being transformed by the renewing of my mind. I am working at handing over all of myself as a living sacrifice, but because of the sinful human condition, some parts are holding on tight. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” By learning to accept the inconceivable Grace given to me, I no longer carry this burden. Despite the challenges, I move forward in humble confidence, for Christ has already won. I can rest assured that I am in the capable hands of the Almighty. In the presence of our Creator and Sustainer, we are fulfilled to live in joy and peace despite our circumstances. We are each called to live in this victory to work toward bringing the Kingdom of God to fruition on this earth. Why should I live in fear and doubt? “If our God is for us, then who can ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?” Let’s go people; it’s time to get outside of ourselves and realize what we have been given.

Coming back from Turkey exhausted the day before school was a lot to handle, but fortunately I had worked hard to get ahead. I hardly had time to anticipate the arrival of Elaine Moyer, former principle of a pretty great high school that I attended. She is a member of the LAC board of directors who has been a supportive friend to all of us and has such extensive experience and ability in education and communication. One day I dropped into the office running about my business only to find her sitting and talking with Mrs. Shahini. Elaine also brought my world history textbooks and way too much treats sent from home (in overweight luggage – none of which was charged). She had agreed to spend 10 days with us to offer her distinctive assistance. Her qualified and stable presence was just what we needed during such a hectic time.

Over those days we met as a staff nearly every day to work on our story, vision, approach, misunderstandings, disagreements, policy, curriculum, and scheduling. It was difficult and tiring at times, but we were able to resolve many important things that we needed to move forward as an established school. Despite the mental and physical strain having these meetings in addition to our school responsibilities, we persevered and were able to be very productive. Dini and Klementina went to the States for five days in the middle of this period to be a part of important meetings and fundraising efforts, so they were exhausted as well. Ultimately, the progress and understanding that came from this time rejuvenated all of us. We are so thankful to Elaine for her assistance and encouragement at a critical time that allowed us to refocus as a school.

On a Saturday, Elaine and I decided to hike up to the local castle as the others were incapacitated. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the fresh air, dramatic views, and insightful conversation along the way. During our conversation at the top, we were interrupted by a few kids who seemed excited to meet Americans. I tried converse with them in broken Albanian and they were very friendly, but soon more and more kids showed up. All of a sudden, there was group of around 15 boys on the wall above us in addition to the ones around us. The nature of this interaction quickly changed with the added numbers as they began asking for money, cursing, making unpleasant gestures, and dropping rocks. With no other people around, we figured it was time to get out of there. Unfortunately, we had walked around the wall to get a good view of the city below meaning we were far from the path to get down. We began to walk quickly away, but I kept one of them close by making deliberately confused and friendly conversation to make sure the rocks did not drop too close to us. It seemed that they were trying to intimidate us to get some money and the kid I was talking to told me he told Germans. I continued smiling and told very pleasantly told them I had no Dollars, Lek, Pounds, or Euro (I actually didn’t). Eventually, we made it to the path and, after some more asking for money, the kid I was talking to pointed down the path. I was relieved when they stopped following us, but soon they starting lobbing rocks at us. Elaine and I commented about not wanting to have a similar experience as Stephen (first martyr) so she made her way down the slope as quickly as possible while I tried to watch for, dodge, and deflect approaching stones. Even when we were far away, there were still stones whizzing close by as one or two of them had solid arms, which made me nervous because I could just see one of these cracking one of our skull. We made it down without any direct hits, reflected on how pervasive gang mentality can be, and decided it was time to get some food and coffee. Just another day in Albania.

Arriving just before Elaine was ye old David Jost. Things were crazy busy and he was sick and exhausted from traveling so we did not have much time to talk at first. Before he could recover, we had entered the cyclone of meetings. It soon became apparent that he was dealing with debilitating nerve issues that had reemerged in the past few weeks. He was in constant pain (heightened by the cold), sleeping most of the day, frustrated, severely limited, and distracted. Although he was not the same presence he had been during the summer, I appreciated having a fresh presence and perspective. I am glad to say I have lived with Dave to witness his humility, relaxed yet disciplined style, unique combination of passions, and what I label as a binge/famine approach to the material world. Our interactions were classic, as always, because his irrefutably unique approach to life brings out an intensively sporadic side of my personality. We generated gospel jam sessions and ridiculous imagery, while discussing about renewable energy, world events, spirits, ministry, liberalism/conservatives, Mongols, ancestral-proprietor imperialism, nerd topics, education, and Mennonite hegemony. I think it is safe for me to say I have never had a friend like Dave, and it is my guess that he would say the same, which created a distinctive bond. As we planned for the coming semester, it became apparent that his physical condition would keep him from performing effectively in school and he needed to return to the States to receive medical attention, recover, and just get warm. I wish him the best during this frustrating time of life and all of us at LAC hope to see him return. Please pray for that his problems could be identified, for recovered strength and diminished pain, for healing and comfort, for guidance as he moves forward, and for peace of mind.

LAC is as strong as ever. We have begun the second semester after successfully completing our first semester with 31 students. Our reputation seems to be high and gaining a sense of durability in the community. With the departure of David, each of us teachers has a full load of morning or evening classes, clubs, and other responsibilities. I am officially teaching two morning blocks of World History, two sections of evening English classes, and will be starting Bible and sports clubs after-school. It is comforting to have a semester of school under our belt and many of the kinks worked out. Although we are always encountering new things, this semester is more concrete allowing us to function more efficiently. It is an exciting time of dreaming, experimenting, fitting pieces together, adjusting, growing, and having our mission slowly unfold before us. Please pray for us as we plan and implement an organized after-school program with the students with a combination of tutoring, programs, and clubs. I will be starting a Bible club as a way to begin discussing religious issues and ministering to the students. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be present in our meetings and for the hearts and minds of the students to be opened. We hope that this time will help to build a strong sense of community that can be shared by everyone involved in this school.

With reaching the half-way point, I now have the ability to look back and adapt my approach, expectations, pacing, and discipline to better fit the needs of the students and the school. It felt fulfilling to adjust my syllabus and rules handout, while recognizing that most things worked well. I finished history class with 11th grade by using a combination of a verbal exam and timeline project as the final exam, which I gleaned from my high school experience with Mr. Joe Hackman. The verbal test was something new for the students who got worked up, but in the end did fairly well. Teaching this class was mostly a fun time and I was pleased with the outcome, but I am also looking forward to getting the 10th graders back and starting fresh. I believe my students were able to develop skills in critical thinking and writing, while working on character development, behavior, and understanding the complexities of the past. Pray for strength and encouragement for each of the teachers as they start their new classes and continue to build this school. May we be quiet and receptive to the Lord’s guidance amidst the busyness of the school year.

Please pray that plans for the future of ministry here would be revealed. There are different ideas floating around (expansion, facilities, activities) that people are getting excited, but we want this project to remain in line with God’s scope and timing. As a part of this, pray for guidance in the recruitment of staff and the development of the roles they will serve next year. Continue praying for me as I wait and discern God's will for next year. Pray that I would be open and listening to hear God's voice if He wants me to stay. May I be taking in all I am supposed to learn and experience while I am here. As the end of the year draws closer, pray for wisdom as I seek what is the next step and how I will move forward with the confidence that I am in God's path and not my own.

Life in Lezha is quite cold as Europe has been experiencing the coldest winter in 30 years. My patented sleeping method is still holding out and conserving energy. The cruel weather apparently coincides with a drastic worsening of power supply as we have been experiencing school days involving long periods without electricity. As if it was not cold enough, no heating or light in the classroom makes for a different school environment, but that is Albania. To go along with this we have also had some problems with leaks and flooding in the building, which always provides a chilling and frustrating work-out.

Although the temperatures drop, my connectedness to the community has started to rise after a couple months of mostly isolation. I have been able to find time to go out for coffee or out to eat with Dini, the girls, Tori, or others from church. I also probably doubled the time I have spent playing Ping-Pong in the past few years by playing for a couple of hours one night with Tori and Dini. Because Rafael has returned to Brazil for a couple of months, I have taken up playing guitar in church to lead worship with Norma. This is good because it has forced me to practice at least once a week, which I had not been doing for months. The other thing I had been neglecting during these months was physical activity and I began to notice dismal changes in strength and appearance. In an effort to combat this downward slide, I played soccer with a group of students last week and have worked out the past two weekends.

As a staff we have also been making some visits. Unfortunately, most of them have been for deaths in the family, but they still provide an opportunity to learn, experience the culture, and interact in a genuine way with members of our community. During the initial days of mourning, the close family members will weep loudly for a couple days while visitors come offering condolences and often give money after drinking raki and coffee. These donations serve as a way to aid the family and pay for funeral expenses in the absence of social security. When we went to Adelajda’s house for a quick visit we were expecting warm hospitality and we got it and then some. At first we socialized around a table eating fruits and drinking, then they brought out some deserts as I began interacting with her two younger brothers (one Mr. Vogelushi). After a couple hours, her mom insisted that she was going to make fish for us. Soon we were eating a full course meal, playing poker with the boys, and digging up interesting items from the house. We all had a great time interacting with this family in their home and experiencing generous Albanian hospitality that was crowned by the bestowing of food gifts that probably weighed around 50 pounds in total (olives, fruit, wine). Just this past weekend we were invited to Irena’s house and her family includes Armelda, her younger sister from my evening class, and Ermelinda, her cousin…they are two excellent students who are rarely separated from each other. This time we knew we would be eating, but again a warm hospitality was poured through a wonderful variety of food and friendship.

As things begin to slow down after a whirlwind of experiences, I sometimes reflect on what I left behind in the States. I realize that many things are happening at home without me and that some things will be different. The most exciting thing is that my sister Laura gave birth to a beautiful boy named Luke making me an uncle, but I will not be able to hold him for 6 months. The other female types of my family had another meaningful trip to Haiti, friends are meeting, people are making important decisions, and others are getting married. After my trip, I got some Christmas packages at home containing letters and snacks from friends and family. Pretzels, trail mix, and cheez-its are even better when you have not seen such food in many months. This made me think of simple things I love at home and the people that I have not seen in some time. While I am not missing home, I am beginning to realize how long a year is and how much can happen in that time.

One person I have kept in close contact with from home is my cousin Pat. He is living in his own place, working at a great new job, and living the post-college American life that I have left behind. We graduated together, so he is going through many transitions as well and one he has encountered is a renewed spiritual inquiry. We have been discussing the Bible, science, other faiths, and theist philosophy. Not only is it really exciting to see him become passionate about his faith and get involved in ministry, but it has encouraged me to learn more as well. The last two weeks I have been looking online to read more about philosophy, science, Mormons, and Mennonites. The busyness of starting a school has left me little to study anything other than history, but I hope to be able to commit more time to this type of inquiry to have more knowledge to work from as I continue into the next steps of life.

I will include some initial reflections to my study on Mormons, which I decided to research because in the past I have said I dislike their faith stance of claiming to be Christians because I believe they twist my beloved faith perspective too far. I will say that there are different LDS streams and not all may share these exact points of doctrine, but they are generally accepted. My study suggests they may be followers of Christ, but they do not adhere to some of the most basic doctrines of Christianity and have all sorts of, what I consider, distorted theology. Apparently, God lives on another planet, we are all eternal spirit children of God, Jesus was the first of these and was not part of God - He was anointed as Christ at the age of 30, in order to be saved you must be baptized by this Melchizedek priesthood (originating from an interesting passage in Hebrews 7), we can earn our salvation through works, we can become gods just like Christ, Jesus blood covers those who reject him, the early Church fell into total apostasy after the death of the original disciples, Joseph Smith is the "Prophet" of God who brings His final revelation, and they claim devout Jews left Jerusalem during the Babylonian captivity and traveled to America to eventually restore the true Church. They may follow Jesus and be good people, but because of these beliefs among many questionable others, I am not comfortable with labeling LDS folks as "Christians", even though most of them would call me a “ignorant bigot” because of this. Hope you found that interesting, particularly with the religious narrative that always follows presidential candidates during election season in Christian communities.

That is all the relevant and interesting things I have to say for now. I cannot mention enough how present and faithful God has been during this time. All the success we have goes to Him because truly none of this would have been possible without our Father. He has been working through issues that none of us have the ability to solve on our own. Please continue to pray for wisdom, encouragement, and empowering for each of us at LAC. We are moving forward, but we need God to remain our conductor who can lead us to the destination of His choosing. Thank you for all the support and I hope you are each able to feel surrounded God wherever you are in life.

“God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.”

New Frontiers: Turkey

Greetings to all of you! I would like to preface my description of my travels in Turkey by letting you know this post is very long. However, I believe it has a lot to offer those who brave this text. First, you'll be able to understand what I have experienced and live vicariously through me. And secondly, I learned a lot on this trip so I would like to pass on some of my learnings to you! 

Finally, if you would even consider going to Turkey, this can act as an excellent detailed travel guide for you on what to do and expect as well as revealing a lot of important historical background. Despite some difficulties, I feel like this trip was executed well and it really changes the way you view yourself when you take on the risks of such an undertaking and tackle it on your own (of course with some help from the Guy upstairs). There are so many upsides to traveling by yourself that I have discovered and I would challenge anyone, who thinks they are willing, to try it for yourself sometime. Now, I would suggest reading this in parts, as I certainly did not write this beast in one sitting. If you are going all out, perhaps you should grab some coffee or Red Bull to keep you progressing. Enjoy.

My story about traveling to Turkey starts with travel arrangements. I had planned on taking the bus, but about 10 days before I found out the bus schedule was about as inconvenient as it could be. They had buses leaving on the 22 (day of the Christmas program) and 25. One was a several hours too early and the other was late, so I decided I needed to buy a plane ticket. However, this presented a problem because I had not done any research and did not have any sort of itinerary in mind, so I did not know what dates to choose.  On Saturday night I spent about 6 hours reading my tour book and came up with an aggressive plan and decided I needed as much time as I could get. That night I booked a flight for the afternoon on the 23rd and would return the morning of January 2 giving me 10 days and New Years in Istanbul.

After a late night with the Christmas program I packed up and readied myself for anything. There was a lot of unknowns as I would be traveling alone, in winter, and without any reservations. I was hoping that it would not rain much, that I could get from place to place, that hostels would be open and available, and English speakers would be available to help me.

Day 1

Thursday afternoon I flew to Istanbul and took the metro to the bus station. When I went outside it was pouring rain and I did not see any station. No one seemed to speak English to help me find the station. Eventually, I found a long row of buildings with hundreds of signs listing different destinations and located the name of my first destination. Relieved I asked for a bus ticket, but the man said it was full and that there were no other buses until tomorrow night. I was a little disheartened because things were not working out and it was cold and wet. However, after asking around someone pointed me to a man who spoke good English who told me I could take a bus that night to a city nearby where I was planning to go. I walked the long row of buses until I located the bus and got on board. For the next 11 hours I sat on the bus trying to read my tour book and to sleep. My neighbor was a large Turkish man who pointed to himself and said “sergeant”, but he was friendly and bought me some tea.

Day 2

The long bus ride left me with a sore tailbone, but I caught the next bus to Goreme in Cappadocia, which was only an hour and a half. The situation I found myself may have been an act of God because I heard someone speaking English. I decided to introduce myself and see what I could find out. Turns out that the women, Sharon, was an American who was teaching English at a Turkish university and other guy, Arkhan, was her Turkish teacher. Arkhan was a native of Goreme and had agreed to meet Sharon to tour the area over the weekend and they asked me if I wanted to join them. I said there may be a few places I would want to get to, but I would definitely be interested in hiking the valleys with them.  After a shaky start to the trip, I felt comfortable and fortunate.

We arrived in the late morning and I quickly found a cheap hostel to check into before heading by bus to the underground city of Derinkuyu with Sharon. The city was 10 levels of rooms carved out of stone, over 80 meters deep, and could hold up to 50,000 people although most was no long accessible to the public. The city been used successively by Hittites, Romans, and Byzantines as a hideout from invasion, persecution, and the harsh elements. We walked through the rooms and winding passageways as a tourist officer explained some things to us. There were churches, burial rooms, wells, stables, and lots of large circular stones that could roll to function as doors.

After exploring the countless passageways we slowly headed back to Goreme where I ran to visit the Open-Air Museam. This was an area with dozens of churches carved into the interesting rock formations by communities of monks. Most of the chapels had been beautifully painted with icons and Biblical scenes in a diversity of colors that were awe-inspiring. As the night fell, I ran back into town and walked through a couple of shops and realized how much I liked Turkish decorations such as lamps, candleholders, tea sets, fabrics, and hookah. Some day when I have a place of my own I am thinking I will devote a room to Middle Eastern décor.

Exploring town at night, I thought about how it was Christmas Eve. It was my first Christmas away from home it would be quite unique. I walked around the lit town singing some carols to myself as a light snow began to fall. I sat down on a curb to think and take in my surrounding when I realized I was right across from a mosque. Celebrating Christmas in a country where almost everyone was Muslim meant I carried the reason for the season in my heart and I spent some time praying for the Muslims entering the mosque as the call to prayer echoed through the valley.

The three of us travelers had agreed to meet that night and Arkhan took us to his house for dinner. This experience added to the distinctive atmosphere of the night as the whole family was devout Muslim. The women wore coverings and served us homemade food as the family came into to fellowship with each other. My first time in a Muslim household was on Christmas Eve and I was very thankful to have this opportunity to experience, learn, and reflect. Arkhan and his family were so hospitable and wanted to provide everything for us.

To cap the night the three of us went to a hookah bar to relax, converse, and listen to live Turkish music. This was such a rich conversation as I unloaded many questions on Arkhan, who was not only a devout Muslim but also a Fulbright scholar who had taught Turkish at Cornell for a year. We talked about Turkish culture, politics, history, religion, and some of the intricacies of Islamic practice. He completely supported all dietary/health constraints, believed Mohammad was actually transported to Jerusalem from Mecca and ascended to heaven one night, but he did not stop to pray during the day. I learned that Turkish is an identity very fiercely separated from both European and Arab realms. The people had carved out a unique worldview and history by living at the crossroads between both worlds. I also learned that many Turks no longer wan to join the EU because of recent problems and noticing how it could cause them to compromise their identity. It was difficult to stop thinking about how abnormal and awesome this Christmas Eve had been. I returned to my room in anticipation of sleep because I had gotten very little the past two nights.

Day 3

The next morning as I opened the door of my room I was greeted by a white Christmas. There was about 4 inches of snow on the ground and it would continue to fall the rest of the day. Although a white Christmas is always coveted, I was not sure if I wanted it this year as it would affect my ability to tour the area. Nevertheless, the three of us set out for the local castle and climbed it for what was supposed to be one of the best views in the world. Unfortunately, the snowstorm reigned supreme and there was no visibility…I was disappointed because we could have been on the top of a mountain anywhere.

As we descended through the town and made our way into the Pigeon Valley the storm began to calm and we were left with a peaceful snowfall with much improved visibility. My disappointment began to ease as I looked at my gorgeous lunar-like surroundings covered in white snow, a truly remarkable sight. The snow-capped tree limbs would hang over either side of the path framed by outlandish canyon walls on either side. It was very slippery navigating the valley in my sneakers, but I was surprised how well my old faithful classic Nikes held up in the snow. After hours of hiking, the moisture was only beginning to make its way to my socks.

Back in town we visited my hostel so that I could warm up, put on some new socks, and cover them with double plastic bags. During the break we had an interesting conversation as some others asked me all about Anabaptism because I had mentioned being Mennonite. We set out for the Love Valley after lunch, which was more peaceful until we lost the main path and decided to glide down a slide-shaped slope to reach the valley floor. I realized again how fortunate I was to have two adventurous companions who were willing to go off the beaten path to explore the beautiful surroundings. This valley was full of the narrow chimney shaped rock formations that make Cappadocia so unique and we explored a couple that had been used for shelter in the past. As the sun set over the canyons, we walked back into town and Arkhan again invited us for dinner. Eating warm home-cooked food was a welcome experience after hiking all day in the snow. We then parted ways before I boarded an 8-hour night bus that would take me west to Pamukkale.

Day 4

The bus arrived while it was still dark and freezing cold. I soon found another American who was willing to travel with me for the day and we discussed our plans. He was a small, red-haired liberal fellow from Wisconsin who was taking a break from his studies in Denmark. In the morning we walked up on the side of the travertine slopes covered in white calcium deposits up to the Roman city of Hierapolis. We first took off our shoes and walked along the steaming blue hot spring pools that cover the slopes before entering the Necropolis. We took our time exploring the extensive ruins including an agora, stadium, latrine, temples, amphitheater, and churches.

The coolest remains were from a church built over the site where St. Phillip is believed to have been martyred. The site was at the top of a hill and had a long staircase leading up to an impressive structure with great views of the city and landscape below. We enjoyed climbing into and on top of many of the ruins to satisfy our adventuresome urges. The sun was warm in the afternoon and we relaxed next to the calcium pools before making our way down the slopes barefoot (required). That night we gathered some fruit and ate in a restuarant in town before I boarded my afternoon bus to Seljuck. The bus arrived at night and I quickly found a hostel where I had a conversation with a Turk and two girls from Austria before going to sleep…turns out they have never seen the Sound of Music.

Day 5

The next morning I decided the easiest way to see everything in a day was to take a tour. The first stop was the temple of Artemis, which was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, but has now been reduced to one pillar and a few stones. It was interesting to imagine what this massive temple would have been like; the guide mentioned it had similarities to the great hall in Karnack Temple where I had been in Egypt.

We then traveled to the ancient city of Ephesus, where Paul traveled (Ephesians) and where St. John likely ministered. The city used to be the center of commerce in the region and this was perhaps the most extensive Roman remains that I had seen. There was a stadium, a massive amphitheater, long streets, terraced houses, temples, baths, colonnades, latrines, fountains, statues, a huge agora, and the famous library of Ephesus. Most of the city had been buried a few decades ago and it was interesting to imagine life in this bustling city. There was evidence of gladiators, churches, and the guide told us there was an underground tunnel from the library to the brothel for the wealthy men who wanted to secretly indulge in this amusement while protecting their image by telling others they were doing research. There was also a ton of cats all around the ruins that functioned as tourist attractions in their own right as many got distracted from the guide and began taking pictures of or playing with the cats. I noticed that there are a slew of cats and several dogs throughout Turkey.

After spending hours exploring the ancient city, we went for a buffet lunch that was included in the tour price. Obviously I enjoyed getting my money’s worth, but I also met three girls from California and we discussed higher education. Next, we drove up a winding mountain road to a small house that is believed to have been the place where Mary lived out her final days. The main reason it has been traced to this area is because scholars believe that John the disciple, who was charged by Jesus to take care of his mother, spent part of his ministry in Ephesus around the time when Mary is believed to have died. So Mary would have accompanied John on this journey and other signs have pointed that she would have retreated to this peaceful location on the mountain…she must have been in good shape to hike up there.

Following a quick visit to the house, we were taken to a Turkish carpet shop where we were shown how silk is extracted and spun, how the distinctive double knot is executed, all the different kinds of carpets and embroidery, and of course asked to purchase some of their wares.  After watching some Koreans throw their money around, we were dropped off for a quick visit to the ruins of the Basilica of St. John before sunset. Tradition holds that St. John was ministering in Ephesus where he wrote his gospel before he died and was buried at the site of the church. That night I walked around with the three ladies and then had a conversation with a young local man over hookah before jumping on my 9-hour night bus to Istanbul.

In the middle of the night I was surprisingly awoken when the bus drove onto a ferry. I had not thought that the fastest way to Istanbul would involve crossing the Dardanelles back into Europe. This was a welcome surprise because this was the point where the armies of both Xerxes and Alexander the Great would have crossed to invade each other’s territories. It was hard to imagine how the Persians would have constructed a pontoon bridge across such an extensive area of water, but the army was so huge that this was the only feasible way to cross the Hellespont. It was also nearby the site where the infamous battle of Gallipoli occurred during WWI, which plays an important part in both Turkish and Australian/Kiwi national consciousness.

Day 6

Within a couple hours of landing in Europe, we reached Istanbul where I was dropped off in the morning in the old part of the city named Sultanamet.  After shopping around a little, I found a hostel that I was satisfied with and booked a bed for the next five nights…finally I would have a bed and a sense of being settled.

I would like to take a break to point out some trends that I noticed during my time in Turkey either by chance or reality. The first is people had frequent difficulty answering their cell phones. I cannot tell you how many times I heard someone say “hello, hello” in a loud voice and proceed to hang up. It happened everywhere and it made me wonder what was the deal. The second was public relationship drama. In Istanbul I observed two arguments, and I think I saw one guy try to propose. It was New Year’s Eve and he was down on one knee, the girl was walking around evidently thinking hard. It seems she did not say yes because when I returned I saw them part ways and he was having trouble walking. He had to prop himself up with a tree, so I felt really bad for this guy.

The third was people thinking I was Turkish. Many people would start talking to me and, when I responded in English, they would either look at me confused or tell me they thought I was Turkish. It was nice sometimes because many of the shopkeepers would not bother me while they hassled others who looked more touristy. With the help of my kaffiyeh, I had some English speakers ask if I was Muslim, while others joked that I was a part of the Kurdish resistance. One man told me that my eyebrows were what made me look Turkish.

Another thing was how liberal all the American travelers were. The majority of those I interacted were vegetarians, they talked about stratified income taxes and social security, made cracks at George Bush, and studied modern art, education, or psychology. I began to notice (during thanksgiving as well) that a majority of travellers seem to be liberal, particularly when you look at those staying in hostels, and they criticize how so many Americans never leave the country.

The final thing was how those I traveled with commented about how I served as their religious and historical guide to sites. I got into a few conversations about Church, Roman, and local history in which I did a lot of explaining from my past studies. People were very impressed by my knowledge and I thought it was really cool how even my teaching at LAC had prepared me with the understanding I needed to more fully take in my visit.

When the first morning in Istanbul arrived, I went to breakfast that involved a satisfying buffet of coffee, hard-boiled eggs, olives, granola, yogurt, and French toast. I set out for the sights of the old city starting with the Aya Sofia. I bought a 72-hour pass that would get me into most of the main sites and looked to hitch on with a tour guide group, but after being frustrated I decided to buy an audio guide, which was exhaustive but satisfactory.  This place is amazing. Built by Justinian in the early 6th century after the previous churches had been burnt down, the church in all of its grandeur still is present today. The central room has to be one of the largest indoor open spaces in the world because there are no pillars to support the ceiling and the massive dome. The church was converted to a mosque when the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453, but the mosaics and frescoes were preserved because the Muslims covered them in plaster rather than destroying them. Now everything has been uncovered and partially restored to reveal an interior covered biblical scenes, colorful designs, and beautiful Islamic calligraphic script. The collision of faiths with such a magnificent space forces one to wonder about the events and history that has occurred in and around that sight.

Although I did not want to leave, eventually I made my way out of the Aya Sofia to explore the streets of Sultanamet.  I walked into decorated tombs of former sultans, down a central street where obelisks from Egypt stood over the site of the ancient hippodrome, and into many gorgeously decorated mosques that were hidden gems dotted across the city. I eventually descended to the coast and walked along the shores of the Bosporus enjoying the sun and atmosphere of the city on my way back to the Aya Sofia. Across the square, the Ottomans had built a new mosque to rival the grandeur of the Aya Sofia.

The Blue Mosque, having avoided the chaos of constant reconstructions, was more impressive from the outside with its uniform design, six minarets, countless domes, and large huge courtyard. The inside was beautifully decorated with Islamic designs and script on a background of wonderful blue tiles, from which the mosque got its nickname. However, to again attest to the architectural genius or craziness of the Byzantines in the achievement of the Aya Sofia, the vast open space in the Blue Mosque requires the support of four massive pillars. As I walked through the mosque I could not stop thinking about how beautiful the Islamic decoration was without any use of images. Furthermore, the sheer number of massive, beautiful, and historically rich mosques within Istanbul is astounding and perhaps unmatched by any other city in the world.

My day continued as I made my way to another impressive structure. The Basilica Cistern, also built by Justinian, is hidden under the streets of the city. After descending down the stairs my eyes took in an seemingly endless space supported by countless pillars. Over 100,000 sq. feet of space to hold nearly 3 million cubic feet of water, this was the largest but only one of several large underground cisterns that were necessary once the cities sources of outside water were cut off from the aqueducts. This stupendous network of water supply is one of the components that made this city nearly impossible to siege. 

When I resurfaced, the sun had nearly set and I made my way to less touristy part of the city to grab a cheap dinner on the street. I ate a lot of dóner (shaved chicken sandwich) because it is cheap, delicious, and decently filling. There was a lot of bustle in the evening along the alleyways of the city and I spent some time exploring before being confronted by another huge mosque glowing in the night. The call to prayer had just sounded so I made my way in to observe hundreds of local Muslims observing their prayer time. There was a steady stream of believers who would come in to pray next to one another as the “Ummah” or community of faith. I sat there observing, listening to the chanting, and reflecting on Islam, practice of faith, discipline, and my experiences of the day. I was certainly in a unique place. I felt so blessed to have reached Istanbul safely and was looking forward to sights and learning experiences to come in the next days.

Day 7

After asking for some traveling advice and eating breakfast, I took the train to Yedikule Fortress (Fortress of Seven Towers). Although very few tourist go to this out of the way site and the tour guide mentioned it is in a questionable part of town, I think this was an essential stop. This fortress formed the main entrance by land into the city during Byzantine times, in fact, at one time there was a triple triumphal arch that was plated in gold. I was disappointed to be charged an entrance fee into such a run-down location, but I was glad there were few people around as I navigated the ramparts. Climbing up the towers and running along the walls offered a glimpse into the ancient past of the most defensible city in history. The views were likely some of the best in the city as I was high over all my surroundings and the new and the old of Istanbul surrounded by water. I was really able to take in an appreciation for the organization and size of the ancient city.

From the towers I was able to look down along the triple wall network that protected the western land approach to the city. There was a moat with a raised wall on the inside, a small defensive gap before a higher outer wall that could support the defense of the first layer, and another gap before the massive inner wall that could support the outer two levels and that was impressive in its own right. With the land side sealed by this impenetrable network, the other three sides were protected by a single wall built close to the shore to prevent enemy forces from being able to land. Furthermore, the northern approach by the Golden Horn was sealed off by a massive chain that stretched across the water to a fortress on the far side. Attacking the city was hardly feasible before the invention of the cannon and siege was nearly impossible since the city had stored huge surpluses and could be supplied from the Black Sea, Mediterranean, across the Bosporus, or from the land side. To cap it off, this fortress protected the main gate with massive towers built along a wall to enclose an additional defensive field. This defensive network created a slaughterhouse for anyone stupid enough assault it directly as each level supported the outer defenses. Since I had just taught about this in history class, it was awesome to be taking it all in directly and experiencing this masterpiece.

Next, I walked into the heart of the city through countless streets where thousands of people when about their daily business with barely any tourists in site. Eventually, I arrived at the Grand Bazaar which is a massive enclosed space with countless shops. There are so many colors, scents, and noises in that place that the atmosphere was certainly unique, but I was not about to get caught up in it all and begin shopping. Being naturally critical of spending money on material goods, not knowing what type of traveling opportunities I would have in the future, and not having room to fit it in my pack, I was limiting myself to very few purchases. However, I did spend time wandering around the streets and into the shops to experience this highlight. The bazaar was so huge that trying to pass around it was a serious time commitment and hassle that I encountered when I returned on Sunday and it was closed.

After exiting I continued to walk around the walls of Istanbul University and soon encountered the wonderful Suleymaniye Mosque. This mosque had a beautiful courtyard and some of the most elegant internal decorations that I had seen. Continuing on I soon came to the main entrance to the university, but noticed a nervous energy in the square. I spotted a squad of well armored police equipped with gas masks and noticed a small group of students assembling. Soon these students walked to the steps above the square and began shouting “Allahu Akbar” among other things. I asked around for someone who spoke English and eventually someone told me they were protesting against the universities apparent enrollment discrimination against conservative or radical Muslims. I also noticed they had an inflated suicide bomber Santa and a sign that said “Noel”, so I gathered that they were suggesting that while the city allows Christmas to be recognized for tourism, they do not allow devout Muslims to enter the university. While no violence occurred, the situation seemed a little tense and it was an interesting thing to encounter while roaming the streets.

After having some serious struggles at the bus station finding the correct bus, I eventually was helped by an English speaker to board a bus that would drop me nearby Chora Church.  The site is an old Byzantine Church that had been covered in plaster when the Ottomans took over, but was recently discovered to be one of the most stunning examples of Byzantine art in the world. The walls and ceilings were completely covered in vivid frescoes and mosaics portraying images of Christ, Mary, the Saints, and dozens of biblical scenes. It was very cool to be completely surrounded by art and to decipher what the meaning of all the depictions were.

This site was very far from everything else in the city, but since I did not want to spend money for a taxi individually, I decided to take a crack at the bus system. This aggressive step came back to bite me on the return journey. Losing track of my direction in the winding streets I boarded a bus with the location I wanted to go posted on the front. I had not thought at the time that I had boarded it going the wrong way and that during rush hour, this loop could take around three hours. In addition, I did not have a ticket and when I tried to purchase one from the driver he seemed to suggest that this was not allowed. No one on the bus spoke a word of English, so people kept staring at me and I believe the driver, initially thinking I was Turkish, assumed that I was trying to sneak a ride without paying. I knew I had really missed something when I was the only one left on the bus and the driver pulled over and turned off the engine. I tried to explain that I was an English tourist who spoke no Turkish and he became very understanding. He bought me some tea, I tried to explain where I wanted to go and he acknowledged that I was on the right bus. I no longer felt like a complete idiot. It took over another hour crawling through traffic before we arrived at the stop where the driver emphatically motioned that this was the place, so I thanked him for being understanding. Hey, if nothing else, I got a free ride and a learning experience. Little did I know that the busing fiasco would be trumped by a far more difficult learning experience later that night.

Feeling like I had wasted a lot of time, I was glad to have five days in Istanbul so that I would not miss seeing anything important. I grabbed some fish sandwiches by the water and decided to take the much simpler tram into the new part of the city across the Golden Horn. When I got off, I knew that where I wanted to explore was far away, but I was not about to take a bus so I took out my map and began making my way through the city. It was nice to get a feel for the everyday more modern part of the city before reaching the bustling pedestrian center of the new city along this long cobblestone street where no cars were allowed.

This place was cramped and there were people everywhere. I had my map out trying to make sure I did not miss anything and attempting to locate a good place to sit and drink or eat something. During this time I Turkish man approached me and asked what I was trying to do. I told him and we began to converse about all sorts of things. Eventually, he asked if I wanted to join him for dinner and I agreed. We sat outside on an overcrowded street lined with restaurants. He asked me if I had tried fish and suggested something, later he suggested we get some salad and local liquor, and feeling as if he was trying to host me I agreed. He also ordered some fruit and additional fish to cap the meal. When the check came it was $55 dollars and he said we would split it since we were both men…I was a little surprised because he was ordering things on his own, suggesting things to despite me saying I just wanted something small, and was talking about how money was no issue for him, but I did not see it as unreasonable as I had agreed and had shared in most of the meal. While during our conversation he made some ignorant remarks and seemed to be focused on material things, I found it interesting listening to him talking about his life and gaining another Turkish perspective.

After dinner, he asked me if I had been to a Turkish pub. When I said no, he said I should try it before I leaved and invited me to join him. I figured it could be interesting to experience a more local atmosphere that could be found at a pub, so I agreed. I followed him into a building and down some stair into a dark lounge type bar area with tables. He quickly lead me to a table and asked if I liked wine or liquor more, when I responded “wine” he asked white or red. This all happened very quickly and I had little time to assess the situation, but now that we were sitting and I had removed my coat I looked around and did not like what I saw. I noticed the waiters were wearing ritzy suits and that there was a empty pole in the front of the room (evidently for female entertainment).

I began to feel uncomfortable and while thinking what to do, the man asked for some fruit to be brought and told me to relax. Well it was too late for that, and my discomfort only mounted when the wine was poured and he requested a new glass because he was a little smudged. I kept thinking who is this guy and what is this place I am stuck in? How could this be classified as a Turkish pub? And I had just told him how I could not really afford to spend money like I did on dinner on a normal basis. I did not eat anything and I decided to tell him I was uncomfortable and wanted to leave. He was a little put off, but said no problem and asked for the check. I tried to escape by suggesting that I did not want him to have to leave because I felt uncomfortable, so he could stay, but he said we would leave together.

Well when the bill came, my fears proved true as the bill was around $350 dollars and he again lightly remarked that we would split it. Now I was put off. I tried to explain how I had not ordered anything, eaten anything, had told him I did not have much money, was expecting to go to a pub for a cheap drink, that I felt it was wrong to ask me to pay, and that I could not afford this. But in front of the waiter he asked if I was drunk (infuriating), said that I was acting like a child (vexing), told me I had agreed to come with him and to drink (exasperating), and that we would split the bill (enraging). I was about as upset as I could be, yet I tried to keep my cool.

I tried to think if there was a good way out of this, but I figured going to the police would not help because I had been with the man for a while and had agreed to go to the “pub” with him.  I also did not want the money to be such a big deal, but I had been working so hard to keep this trip affordable and that was about to burst open. I was grabbing my head and swaying back in forth in my frustration. I took out my wallet and told him I did not even have enough money. He looked at what I had and I offered all the applicable currencies I had available (not Albanian Lek or Croatian Kuna) and when I pulled out all my small bills, he even had the audacity to push them back at me and tell me they were good for nothing. Well, I put all my “adequate” money on the table, about $120 and the manager said it was fine, that they would cover the remainder…what a noble sacrifice considering we didn’t eat anything. They told me to stay and enjoy myself (are you kidding me?), but just wanting to escape I got out of there as quickly as I could.

I ran across the street to find a place to sit and try to process. I felt about as angry and disgusted as I had ever felt in life. The whole way the man acted and talked combined with the atmosphere of the strip club made me feel sick. I felt used and I hated sin very emphatically at that moment. I prayed that God would give me peace, use this occurrence as a learning experience, and to keep this anger from sowing bitterness in my heart. I cried a little and punched a wooden post a few times. I began to ask why I didn’t deny his invitations and why I did not react quicker and with more assertiveness? I knew that these questions were mostly unfair on myself because I could not have known under the circumstances, but there had to be a reason that situation occurred. I learned that I have to be more careful and assertive in my interactions with others away from home, and that every situation may not result in a genuine atmospheric experience.

I began to walk and consciously made the decision to try to forget about the money and move on to enjoy the remainder of my vacation. This did not happen very quickly, as in my anger I had lost all track of time because suddenly I was at a landmark that seemingly was supposed to take much longer to reach. The Galata Tower marks the highpoint and only remaining part of the Genoese fortifications that built across the Golden Horde during the decline of the Byzantine Empire. The way the tower was lit and glowed above the city gave me a sense of encouragement and I continued to ask God that He would work to make this a result in something good.

I took the tram back to Sultanamet and headed for my hostel, but I had some fear that overcame my anger. What if this guy was upset and came looking for me? During the course of conversation I told him where I was staying and what I was planning on doing tomorrow. I discussed these concerns with the guys at the front desk, but they assured me he would not come looking for me and if anyone did ask for me they would tell them I was not staying at this hostel…a lie that I felt fine with (perhaps an interesting discussion topic).

Before bed I talked with one of my crazy roommates who had been traveling throughout Europe for about 4 months. I asked him about his experience a couple of places, but all he talked about was the price of beer and chances of getting laid. He did have an amusing story about getting deported after flying into England because he did not have a return flight and the customs officer suggested that he was trying to steal coveted English jobs. Hearing how something really sucky had happened to someone else made me feel like I could relate and helped me to move on.

Day 8

The next morning I awoke with no fear and took delight in my French toast with honey and jam as there was no syrup, but this was delicious. I first headed to the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, which I found out was famous its collection of carpets. There were a few rooms that really were quite impressive displays of huge, old, and beautiful carpets. Other displays included beautifully decorated Qur’ans, jewelry, and other luxuries.

Next, I decided to sneak in my tour of the Bosporus before the predicted rains came. I decided to take the hour and a half tour rather than the all-day venture, which was a great decision because it got quite frigid, I had seen enough, and I needed to save some time in order to see everything on my museum pass before 72 hours expired. The boat cruised by the Dolmabahce Palace, the sprawling modern city, and the two mighty suspension bridges that crossed the Golden Horn. The sight I was most interested in was Rumeli Hisari, the fortress built by Mehmet the Conqueror opposite of the existing Ottoman fortress on the Asian side of the Bosporus. These twin fortresses were used to cut Constantinople off from supplies coming from the Black Sea. With Ottoman control of the Mediterranean and the surrounding lands, the city was isolated and soon fell after a lengthy period of cannon barrage.

The cruise gave me the opportunity to experience a crucial part of the identity of the city as the Bosporus has been an incredibly important strategic trading point for much of history. It was great to be able to see both sides of the city sprawled out before me in order to take it all in. In addition, I met some Iraqis while wearing my kaffiyeh and they seemed very excited to meet an American. They told me how they loved America, I figured they were business men who were profiting from our liberation and had not experienced any of the fighting directly. When I inquired about the national opinion on American interaction, they said they thought it was a fairly even split. Good to know our “shock and awe” campaign was not a waste.

I made my way back to Sultanamet through the famous Spice Bazaar; rows of shops dedicated to spices, nuts, and other delicatessen. One guy called out to me from a shop and asked why I was wearing a kaffiyeh. When I explained that I had studied in Jerusalem he inquired about my stance on the conflict over Palestine, when I suggested that I saw problems and justifications on both sides he gave me a hard time. He explained how he hated Israel and that, if I was Israeli, he might have killed me. While I found that unlikely, I asked him why he hated Israel so much and he responded by saying they stole land and if they didn’t have America supporting them, they would be eliminated in a second. It seemed that he was unaware of the fact that Israel without support had overcome a couple attempts by Arabs to wipe them out. Either way, I decided that he amused me and that I would buy some of the nuts and dried figs that he was selling to snack on.

The next stop was one of the crown jewels of Istanbul, Topkapi Palace. In fact this could be taken literally as it functioned as the royal residence of the Sultan until the 19th century and it contains both crowns and jewels. This part of the city is walled off from the rest of the old city and only the sultan could pass through the entry gate mounted. The first court was massive and was open to anyone who wanted to enjoy some time in the gardens near the royal residence. The second court was only for people on royal business, the third court was for select officials and members of the Sultan’s family, and the fourth court was the Sultan’s residence where few other people could venture.

The entire palace is just ridiculously elaborate and there is gold everywhere. There is an extensive harem that would not only house hundreds of the sultan’s concubines, but would also be the residence of much of the royal family, most notably, the mother of the Sultan. The council chamber contains a grate in the wall through which the Sultan would listen to the proceedings and he could end the meeting at any time by drawing the curtain in front of the grate. The royal treasury contained many rooms devoted to things covered in jewels, gold, and ivory. There was one of the largest diamonds in the world, several incredible thrones, and many elaborate weapons. Even more fascinating were the religious artifacts the palace claimed to hold including: the sword of David, the rod of Moses, the turban of Joseph, the brain of John the Baptist, the beard and teeth of Muhammad, the footprint made in the stone by Muhammad before he ascended into heaven at the site of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the swords and Quran’s of the Prophet and the 4 Caliphs, and the keys to the Ka’aba in Mecca.

It took forever to explore the palace as each new room involved taking in the elaborate artwork and rich furnishings. The Ottomans must have had too much money at their disposal in order to concentrate such a ridiculous amount of wealth in one place. This place drew quite a crowd, for even in the winter the lines were long and the corridors were packed with people. It made me appreciate the benefits of traveling in the winter because the religious artifacts would have likely taken all day in order to see up close. It was difficult even then as people were packed into the rooms and were pushing and growing impatient to see the relics. At least there was an imam to chant soothing melodies to lighten the mood.

That night I grabbed dinner on the street and headed to see the Whirling Dervishes perform. I was glad that I had reserved the ticket the first day I was in Istanbul because I had a front row seat to this unique opportunity. The brochure that was given to us helped to explain the fairly complex Sema ceremony. Dervishes are Sufis, a mystical branch of Islam, who believe in achieving union with God through ritual and asceticism. There are sources that describe dervishes piercing themselves, drinking venom, and eating hot coals without being harmed. This ritual was more sterile and was aimed at achieving union with God through perpetual spinning.

The ceremony started with music and chanting of verses from the Qur’an before the dervishes removed their outer cloaks and began to salute each other in procession. Their initial rotations around stage represent the creation of life on earth and the breath of life entering mankind. Eventually, the dervishes began to spin with one hand facing up and the facing down to symbolize receiving from God and giving to the earth. No one faltered even when they suddenly stopped whirling and bowed. I actually had an opportunity to talk to one of the Sufi musicians after the performance to inquire deeper into the ritual, but his English was not good enough to understand my questions. He mentioned that the Sufis train physically for this, but I would assume there is a spiritual element involved. In order to achieve union with God, their mind must leave the spinning body behind to encounter God. In other words, they forget that they are spinning and only focus on achieving union with God, which aids them in spinning for several minutes and to not fall over when they suddenly stop. If the ability to perform the ritual was totally physical, then I am not sure what the point would be.

Later that night I wandered around the city at night. I talked with a Portuguese couple about traveling for a while and ventured into another mosque to observe evening prayers. I located a bar that had a free dervish show, but it was a guy by himself using a recording. When I exited the bar, I meandered down some steps and suddenly found myself underground surrounded by remains of the old Byzantine city. I walked the corridors for a short time before arriving at the door to another cafe. In how many cities do you venture through ancient corridors while directly bar hopping?

I continued to wonder through the city and eventually laid down on a bench between the Aya Sofia and Blue Mosque, both glowing spectacles in the night, dueling for my attention. To my surprise, as soon as I lay down, a cat jumped on to me. I started petting it and it got really affectionate quite quickly. It was purring and gnushuling (anybody know the real word for when cats spread their paws against when they are happy – apparently a reflex from when they used drink milk from their mother) in no time. I was happy to have a companion and was quite amused by the quickness at which this cat was completely comfortable with me. Some of the locals found it odd and were wondering how I got it to be that way. They were trying to catch other cats to take a photograph, but they were completely ignorant of the way to appease animals. I started playing with the cats in the area by making rustling sounds and sticking something over the edge of the benches. I had a few chasing me around and then caught one for the Turks to take a picture with.

The next morning it was New Year’s Eve and I had dedicated the morning to visit the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. This was certainly an underestimate, as I would spend most of the afternoon there as well. There was the Museum of the Orient that contained statues, carvings, and treasures from Hittites, Babylonians, Persians, and Egyptians among others which was interesting because, again, I had taught these civilizations in history class. The other smaller building was the Tiled Kiosk, the only remaining classic example of secular Seljuk architecture, which housed collections of beautifully decorated pottery.

The main museum was a large undertaking for someone interested in the local history. The first hours were spent looking a sarcophagi, sculpture, and reliefs that were found in various tombs including the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great. It was cool to see how many things depicted everyday life in ancient times with such clarity and skill. The next stage was devoted to the findings at Troy and trying to decipher the meaning behind the many settlement layers to uncover which is most likely the city from Homer’s Iliad. The final and most consuming phase of surveying came with the rooms devoted to finds from the Byzantine era of the city. I read all the displays describing the city’s organization, defenses, and importance and took in all the related artifacts. There were more mosaics, statues, and reliefs giving me glimpse into life in the ancient past. Constantinople was also essentially the heart of Christian development for many years, so the Orthodox Christian component adds to the grandeur. I did not think I could get so psyched about a museum, but when I realized it was nearly 4pm by the time I was exiting the complex, the evidence suggested the contrary.

After making some wandering observations within the city, I returned to my hostel to garner information and plan a New Year’s Eve touring route so that I would not feel like I missed out. I asked a few locals what they suggested but heard no consensus or anything that excited me, so I set out with a plan of my own.  First I walked through the streets of the old city on my way to the Golden Horn to find passage across the Bosporus to the Asian side of the city. This allowed me to take in the city at night from the water and to scope out all the action. My thoughts were confirmed when the main source of light came from the general direction of that pedestrian street in the new city.

I bought some dinner on the street at much lower prices and walked around a bit before hopping on another boat around 9:30 to take me back across to the new city. From there I made my way to the city center and found thousands of people cramped onto this single street. I paused for a bit before walking the street among people whistling and shouting in anticipation of midnight. Then I took the tram around 10:45 back to Sultanamet and walked back to my hostel which was supposed to have a great party. Not only was the party at my hostel lacking, but there was not really anything exciting on the street. There was music but not enough interest to get dancing going, so people were just awkwardly interacting with each other. Around midnight we all went up to the roof of the building to watch the fireworks, light some sparkles, and share salutations. I decided there was no point in lingering and was in bed by 12:30.

Day 9

The entire city was asleep and so was I until about 10:30. I ate breakfast and ventured out wander the city one last time and to indulge in the Grand Bazaar again. I considered trying out a massage at a Turkish bath, but it was 60 euro. While walking a man greeted me and asked where I was from. We started talking for a while and then he asked me if I had been to a carpet shop. I told him yes but explained that I was not interested in buying a carpet because I did not have the money, the space, or the desire. After some more talking he insisted I come to his shop with no obligation to buy but to have some tea and conversation. I had told him plainly I was not interested and had assessed the situation to be clean, so I followed him to his shop.

He gave me tea and talked with me about his business and showed me a bunch of carpets throwing a lot of hypothetical questions at me like, “If you were interested, which design would you choose?” I reminded him I was not interested and suggested maybe I could get his business card in case my travel tales raised someone’s interest. He insisted I choose my favorite and then he began to bring down the price. Despite me saying not interested, he eventually cut the price down to a 1/3 insisting he could not profit on this price, but since I was the first customer of the new year, he needed to sell it for good luck. Remarkably, when I insisted and got up to leave he got agitated. He said it was stupid to miss out on an opportunity like this. After walking a bit he asked me for money for the tea…I looked at him, he wasn’t joking. I said, “You invited me despite my insistence on a promise of hospitality and no obligation, now you are pushing me to feel obligated and going back on your hospitality. This is disrespectful and not good business.” He didn’t like that very much and said that only 1 tea is hospitality, but I had 2 or 3 and that I was not an American because I was rude and like a child. There it was, a second time being called a child by a truly admirable character. I told him thank you and to have a good day and he responded by telling me to shut-up…alrighty. I laughed to myself saying, “some people”.

Istanbul is the urban center of Turkey with the noticeable European influences, but I felt that I had a much better experience with the people the farther east I went. In Istanbul, shopkeepers and other people in general seemed to put on a friendly cultural facade for the sake of profit and did not really deeply engage in the traditions of place where they lived. Despite talking to several people, I did not have any deep or meaningful conversations there as people seemed to be consumed by materialism or worldly concerns and distractions. They did not seem to be interested in me as a person, but just as a source of temporary entertainment. My New Years’ experience only confirmed this feeling as all around me I did not see any constructive reflection or conversation. All people seemed to be concerned with was drinking, finding some girl, and themselves. Instead of having good conversation and celebrating with dancing or song, these people sat around looking at their phones waiting for something to happen.

When I combined this blahness, the lack of integrity I felt in conversation, and the disgust I felt after throwing my money away, I saw poignantly how empty the world could be. I saw a lack of purpose and inner joy. I felt the heavy curtain of sin all around me and I felt so blessed to have been saved by grace. I thanked God for giving me a sense of call, security, hope, purpose, peace, and joy. I had experienced the other side at different moments during this trip and it strongly galvanized my attitude of combating sin in the world and in my life. I saw the importance of maintaining righteousness and grace in the face of mistreatment, of trusting only in God to keep me from drowning in the swamp of communal sin. I wanted to break through the deceit, emptiness, and immaturity that surround us and to make a hole for God’s light to shine through.

Well after that episode I was disappointed to learn that the Grand Bazaar was closed on Sundays because I was thinking of buying a few things. I walked around the bazaar and it seemed like forever until I had gotten around the thing after being trapped by seemingly unlikely dead-ends. Having enough of the city after the days experiences, I headed back to my hotel to rest. On the way back I decided to visit the Blue Mosque again since it was free and take in the Islamic splendor one last time. 

I spent the evening writing my previous blog and organizing myself to leave very early the next morning. Before bed I was drawn downstairs by the sound of a saxophone. There were some Spaniards who had arrived and were musically inclined. I talked with a few different people from Poland, France, and Spain while listening to some guitar and experimental sing-a-long attempts.

Day 10

In the morning I took a shuttle to the airport, where I think partially because of being exhausted, I got tired of seeing Turkish faces and was very ready to return “home” to Albania. Within a few hours I was back and thrown back into my life at school with all its work, complexities, and joys.

My ten days in Turkey were such a blessing and an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life (with the help of this blog). I felt intellectually, spiritually, and psychologically stretched and rewarded by what I encountered. Another thing that I have pondered after experiencing the regimented life of a devout Muslim who has the discipline to stop and come to prayer every day is the role of rules. While I have always believed that freely choosing to do something is better than only doing something out of regimen or habit, I believe that certain parameters are needed. In my spiritual life over the past few years I have approached time with God as when I desire it. While this has worked sometimes, a lot of the time this allows me to push it off or forget about it. Like a call to prayer, maybe I should set certain times that are non-negotiable for spending time with the Lord. I am glad for the new perspectives to remind and motivate me to pursue likeness with Christ. I will never come close, but there is no better model or purpose in the entire world.

Ah-salaam alaikum. Peace be with you!