we made it!

so....! Jediah and I arrived in Baltimore safely monday night. Many people were surprised to see us already (some decided that since we were here Convention had already started!) but there wasn't more surprised than Jediah's mom and dad who certainly weren't expecting to see us sitting on their back porch, hiding behind newspapers at 10 pm. It was delightful to see their reaction. Somehow it feels like we never left. Is that why it's called 'home'? Home base is certainly the place for us right now. ABD yesterday was fantastic. Unfortunately I slept through half of it as it was already 2 am for me... P Schaller mentioned P matti's trip to Baku at both the lunch rap and the night class. He seemed so inspired by the testimony of his time there!
So we are staying with my parents for the time being, and boy is that a treat. They are so fun and edifying and caring. We were able to get our car back right away which is an added blessing and allows us to be everywhere for everything.

After a week of packing - my best packing experience ever - and saying goodbye to everyone we know in Istanbul God gave us a sweet travel time and an added blessing. On the second plane from Franfurt to Dulles, we were asked to move to other seats and ended up sitting next to a wonderful man, a minister, with whom Jediah spoke for quite a while. At the end of the trip he handed us some money to 'help get us started' ($100!!!) Needless to say that God is a timely God.

If you live in Istanbul and you're reading this, make sure to write us an email soon. We had such a great time with Niyazi and Irada just before we left, what an amazing couple they are (see www.istanbulggprayer.blogspot.com for specific prayer requests for them)
Can't wait also to hear from the KURDISTAN team, and specifically from Becky/ pumkin/ mouthful.
:)

written on a day when the team house seemed to be beyond my capacity! (you will recognize Amy Carmichael's "My Quietness" Poem, slightly modified)

Where is My Quietness ?
By Sarah Carmichael

O Thou Who art my quietness, my deep repose,
My rest from the kitchen, my holy and steep hill, Fair is The small bedroom, where I hold me still.
Back let them fall from me, my clamorous neighbors,
Languages multiplied;
From crowding meals and meetings of sense I flee, and in Thee hide.
Until this team house be overpast,
Thy hand will hold me fast;
What though the tumult of the storm increase,
Grant to thy servant strength, O Lord,
and bless with peace.

des nouvelles en francais...

En ce moment le temps nous joue des tours, un jour le vent nous gele les os, le lendemain le soleil nous chauffe la peau, alors les rhumes se multiplient, mais aussi les fleurs et les bourgeons qui ne savent pas trop quoi penser du temps, eux non plus. Les cafes sortent leurs tables sur les trotoires, les criards des minarets semblent etre encore plus forts et envahissants, a travers les fenetres entr'ouvertes, le marchand de legume avec sa camionette de la 2eme guerre mondiale etale ses fruits et legumes en bas de notre fenetre et crie a tue-tete. Mais le printemps, on aime!
Jediah a rencontre un peintre Turque qu'il observe de temps en temps quand il est dans le voisinage. Ma voisine, 'the cat lover' ou 'the lady with the red hair', comme on l'a appele pendant longtemps jusqu'a ce qu'on lui demande son nom (m'enfin!! il etait temps) m'a emmene au cinema avant-hier. Tout en Turque, tabi / 'bien entendu' , ce filme a ete tourne a Istanbul meme. Malgre tout, il ne fallait pas etre trop genie pour comprendre le scenario, dont le hero, a ma plus grande horreure, devient un fervent musulman et enfin un terroriste. Je n'en croyais ni mes yeux, ni mes oreilles. Les gens autour de moi ne semblaient pas etre alertes.. heureusement, les dernieres minutes du film revelent les vraies intentions de chacuns et montrent le soit-disant hero en personnage faible qui s'est fait dupe par une mafia iranienne... ouf. je respire...
Jediah et moi planifions de retourner a Baltimore en Mai et d'y etre jusqu'a la naissance du bebe prevue en septembre.

Istanbul Colors

The above painting was done by a new friend of mine, who happens to be quite famous around these parts; his name is Ahmet Fazil Aksoy. We met on Easter Sunday early in the morning as the church gathered at one of Istanbul's most scenic parks with a great view on the Bosphorus. He was up on the hill catching the moment on his canvas. Across the Bosporus to the right is a silhouette of Hagia Sofia and the blue mosque crowing the hills of the golden horn, to the left the Asian hills of Kadikoy. Follow the water between these two scenes into the mouth of the sea of Marmara, round the Princes' Islands and top it off with a chain of mountains edging the horizon and far side of the sea. What a view! Ahmet has traveled the world during his painting career of 30 years and he believes Istanbul is the most scenic city in the world. You'll have to come and decide for yourself. It's hard to catch on camera but his paintings do quite a good job. He has a website - click on WORKS to see nearly 300 of his paintings. Consider leaving him a comment saying you are a friend of mine. http://ahmetfazilaksoy.net/v3_plt/platin.aspx?platinID=33&section=1&lang=ENG That morning I was privileged to watch him paint for over an hour while he instructed me on what brands of paint, what size brushes, and type of canvas to use. He also gave me numbers for his friends where I could buy discount supplies. Then we made plans to meet again so I could learn more. To my surprise he called me the following Thursday early in the morning and said - I'm over at the park if you'd like to come watch. We had the best time together - as he painted and talked about his trips in the states and I sat on the back of his white mini-van. I had the biggest smile the whole time as I couldn't get over how personal God is to build me up like that. I love to do oil paintings - but it has been so long that I have forgotten how. I don't know if I'll paint again but it was so much fun to think that God may touch this man's life. Pray for him, perhaps there will be much more to the story.
Jediah

EASTER WEEKEND

SATURDAY NIGHT: 1st Concert in Onay Sanat Cafe, in the heart of Istiklal Street

Here Jediah and his good friend Faruk. Please keep praying for his salvation!!

Elina flew in from Finland with her violin and her gifts to serve us during this Easter Season. She beautified the choir and added a wonderfully heavenly touch with her music.

My friend Umran (on the R, with scarf) who lives in Kadikoy on the Asian Side came for a little while with her friend, Nur, before heading out to another concert in Taksim. Umran is a fan of Rock music - she plays in a band and so i'm sure our concert was not what she was used to! On top of that she is a devotted muslim and i could tell she was a little uncomfortable when P Matti was preaching; it's amazing she even showed up. She is so sweet. Please keep praying for her.

Our neighboor, Nazife, came to the concert as well, with very little notice.

The next morning at 6:30 am, Nazife and her sister, Aynur, were both waiting outside our house to come with us to the SUNRISE BREAKFAST in a Park nearby.

L to R:

P Matti, a great Turkish man (oops, i forget his name) Jediah, Sarah, Aynur, Zumrad and Nazife. Nazife then attended the church service at 11 am and showed up for the 2cnd concert, sunday night, with her daughter, Shebo. Shebo's both an artist and a flight attendant with the Turkish Airline. She asked me if we could meet to pratice her english and she'd help me with Tukish. Neither her nor her mom are believers.

There was no sun for our sunrise breakfast, but P matti spoke on seeing the invisible; it was a perfect live illustration!!! Later we noticed a famous Turkish painter up on the hill, he was painting the same scene we were looking at but his had a sunrise ;)

today...

Well, today was such a poopy day. I know that's not what you came to hear about, but sorry, that's just how it is. Should I blame it on the hormones? maybe i should and stop wondering.

We did have a great prayer meeting with the ladies from the church this afternoon (Dr. Liisa fr Finland, Margot fr Chermany, Irada fr Azerbaijan, Alfiya and Zamira fr Uzbekistan, and yours truly from where i come from; all speaking the universal english language)

We have a great and busy weekend coming up in honor of the celebration of Easter:
Concert Saturday night (Elina is flying from Finland for that occasion, with her violin of course) I think we'll try to keep her here. Not for the violin; I have my reasons.
Sunday Sunrise breakfast in a nearby park. 'Bring your breakfast, tables and benches are provided. and sunrise"
The view is sublime from there, it's going to be sweet.
Then regular AM service at 11 and another concert at night. The concerts are happening in the Santa Maria Church and in the Onay Sanat Concert Hall on Istiklal for those who are familiar. Great spots to invite friends.

Last night our corner grocery owner told jediah he'd be interested in the breakfast in the park. (you might remember him, he's the one that looks like Joe Murphy, but is not AS good-looking as J.M.)

Jediah just left for Eminonu (2 tram stops away) to meet Taygun for 'Cay'.

Last sunday morning was a remarkable service. P Matti spoke about the value of meditation and defined it in clear terms for our new believers. Good refresher for us 'old' believers as well.
"Without meditation (masticating on words) Bible reading becomes mechanical." Wow. that's a major revelation :)
And so we live our lives by e-v-e-r-y Word that God spoke, and still speaks. It's a good life, like Matt Sliva would put it.

one tired pregnant woman

nothing less than a miracle

for those of you who knew that we had some serious problems with our return tickets, here's some shocking news: it's all good; we have return tickets for may 19th.
ok, ok. so with all of you praying it's not so shocking.
but still.
The situation was soooo messy... one manager from United said we had been completely erased from their system only showing a return ticket reserved for june 17th that could NOT be moved and threatened to discharged us if we didn't stop insisting.
There are many reasons why we wanted to be back in the States waaay before that. (one of them being that a group of 15 people is moving in our house end of may... )
Tonight when Jediah called for one last desperate attempt to get the date changed, he 'happened' to talk to the most helpful agent ever.
Well... thank you for praying...

Team Turkey and friends