A Mighty Fortress

I had the neat opportunity yesterday to attend a Korean Choir at an ancient church in Istanbul. Aya Irini Kilisesi, which means Church of the Divine Peace, was built around 532 AD. It is closed to the general public and only opened for special events. Several of my Korean students' parents sing in the choir and it was a treat to watch them perform songs in Turkish, Korean, English, and other languages as well!!

One of the best parts of the night was a special performance by a Korean American saxaphonist. He started off his set by playing Amazing Grace, then You Raise Me Up, and finally the best for last....Back at One by Brian McKnight!! It was just great.

There was also a special tribute to the Turkish Veterans that had served in the Korean War. During this time the Korean choir was joined by a Turkish choir and together they sang a Turkish Folksong and a Korean Folksong. It was quite an honor and neat to watch. In the picture above you can see the 2 choirs performing and the Veterans standing in front.

Afterwards I went out with a few friends to grab a late dinner. It was a fun night even though the weather was not too good....the cold, rainy season has offically arrived!

Blessings

I started this post several weeks ago, but am just now finishing it! Several weeks ago some of the guys from my home fellowship, PBC, came for a visit. Selma and I were SO EXCITED about seeing some familiar faces and enjoying their fellowship. I ended up spending most of the weekend with Selma so I would be close by to participate in all the fun activities - dinner on Friday, brunch Saturday morning, IGA Carnival, House Group and American Football game on Sunday. It really was such a great weekend and just refreshing and encouraging for them to be here. Highlights of the weekend: 1) Showing them around school, especially my classroom. 2) Dave O speaking at my house group...brought back some sweet memories of college class.

Meetings, Good Food, and Cold Weather!!

That sums up my recent trip to Germany. I was in a small village called Kandern to attend an Education Conference about teaching internationally. It was so neat to be with other teachers that are living abroad and teaching at international schools. I enjoyed comparing notes and was greatly encouraged to be able to share the joys and struggles of being a teacher. Even though the days were long and tiring with meetings, it was a nice little retreat being in a small quiet town. The weather was also MUCH cooler than where I live - it was kinda fun to bundle up for a few days. But by far the best part was all the good food. I had some amazing food from some all sorts of restaurants - Greek, German, Chinese, Turkish, Italian, and for lunch every day a ham sandwich :) I was also able to bring back some tortilla chips, almond bark, lipton pasta sides, gouda cheese, and bacon. My friend and roommate Joan subbed 3 days for me, what a blessing. All in all it was a great trip, but Ill be happy to see my kids tomorrow.Isnt the town so cute?

On Sunday we took a beautiful hike up to this old castle, it was lovely.

A Life of Change

Well I have moved again.

Back to the apartment I lived in during the spring.

After many thoughts and talks with people I decided (with a lot of guidance) that the best decision was to move back to be closer to my school and other teachers. It was a hard decision, but I know the right one. The commute was beginning to be too much on me physically and mentally. I spent almost 2 hours each days riding public and I thought/hoped it wouldnt be that bad. But I was wrong - being out in the city daily is just draining, and then on top of that teaching full time! I am hoping that now I'll be able to better focus on school during the week, and then enjoy being out in the city on the weekend.

We had another long weekened (Monday and Tuesday off from school) and so it seemed to be the best time to pack up and move again. The whole process (packing, loading it up at my old apartment, driving, unloading, and unpacking at my new apartment) took less than 24 hours. I had A LOT of help though from two great families here - they are amazing and will do anything to help me out, I'm quite grateful for them.

Walk Like an Egyptian...

Two weeks ago I took the most amazing vacation!! I had Monday and Tuesday off from school, so I decided to go to Egypt for a long weekend. My dear friend lives there and it was wonderful to see her life there and catch up with her. It was perfect timing for me and a much needed vacation. It felt so good to get out of my city…even though I went to another big, congested, polluted city! I really enjoyed Egypt and seeing all the cool things there – the Pyramids, the Sphinx, Egyptian Museum, Nile River, Garbage City, etc. But the best part was seeing my friend and just being away for a few days. She was a wonderful tour guide and was so gracious in taking my roommate and me all around her city! Here are a few pictures from the weekend…me riding a camel through the desert, the Nile River, and hanging out at the Cave Churches. Be sure to check out facebook for more.

Where does time go??

I can't believe it is already the end of the month. This is going to be a short post, because it is past my bedtime. But I just wanted to let you know that I am indeed alive. I have been super busy with school and life, and therefore haven't had much time for communicating with you sweet people :) Thanks for reading my blog and wanting updates! Ill post a blog/pictures from my recent trip to Egpyt, as well as an update on my life this weekend!
For now enjoy this picture: a lovely evening at Chili's with some good friends!

First Week of School

Well I survived my first 1st week of school! Isn't that strange. It wasnt my first 1st day of school, just first 1st week. Confusing, huh? Anyways school started last Tuesday, Sept 1 and first day back had its struggles. I have a very active and talkative group, so I am still in the process of figuring out the best methods and management styles to use. I keep reminding myself that they are different kids than my group last year, and as a result need different things from me as a teacher. I've got several cultures in my class this year: Americans and Koreans, one Turk, and one South African. I am looking forward to the joy and challenge of learning more about each one of them. Here are some pictures of my rearranged and newly organized classroom...

Dont my bulletin boards look great?? A very good friend came out to school last week and did them for me! Thanks, Britt!