Field Trip

A little while ago - well about a month - I took my 3rd grade class on a field trip! My students last year asked and asked to go on one, but I just couldnt get myself together enough to go adventuring in a foreign country with a bunch of 8 year olds. So one of my goals for this year was to take my class on a field trip. We just finished a Social Studies Unit on the culture and country of Turkey. To kick off this unit I took my kids to Miniaturk, an outdoor museum full of miniature models of famous sites in Istanbul and all around Turkey. It was really a neat experience and I learned a lot - the kids of course had a blast!!

Afterwards we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at McDonalds. It was a really fun (and successful) day, thanks to my wonderful parent volunteers!

Refuge

I just returned from spending a few days down in Bodrum for a Women's Conference. What a great getaway it was. It is always good for me to get out of the city for a bit and do something fun. And I did indeed have a very fun weekend. Three of us teachers left straight from school on Thursday and met another friend at the airport to fly down together. All weekend we were beating the crowds...at the airport, checking into the hotel, dinner buffet, conference checkin, etc it was awesome.

There were so many great things about the weekend - seeing another part of Turkey, renting mopeds for about $14/day, meeting new friends, the unlimited amount of turkish food we got, catching up on The Office, the constant supply of american candies and chocolates, singing at the top of my lungs, sleepovers, being on the Mediterranean, etc. But I think the best part of the weekend was reconnecting with my Father and just being with friends. It felt so nice to hang out...away from school, away from Istanbul, away from the normal life and just be girlfriends. A bit of reassurance that I am okay here - that life is good and He is more than enough for me. Praise Him.

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.