First Purchases

I went to the international fellowship here today.  It was such a blessing to be able to sing in English, and Turkish, and Korean!  It's a diverse group and I think that is cool because it is more like how heaven will be.  I went out to lunch with my co-workers and then they had a welcoming party for me.  It is good to already know people here who are helping me get settled in and feel at home.
Here's what I ordered for lunch:

It's called pide and is sort of like pizza with less cheese and delicious chunks of meat.



Later I decided to venture out to the market by myself and see if I could get a few of the things I needed and practice my limited Turkish.    I was looking at the socks and the seller asked me where I was from.  I told her and then tried to say I just arrived 3 days ago and my Turkish isn't very good but I will be be staring class soon.  I wrote down her name and she said I could call her "chorapchi teyze" which means "Auntie sock-seller" and told me to come back on Wednesday to the market and see her again.  It's encouraging to have a Turkish friend already.

Here's me and my socks and new towel.  Apparently I pronounced the word for towel wrong because it took them awhile to figure out what I was looking for, but I got one!  Next week, I'll give you a tour of my apartment and neighborhood!

On My Way

Here's me and my suitcases at the airport.  This is all I could take but it will be plenty.  You can buy almost everything there except Reeses. :)  I'll survive.




The airport in Chicago had these really cool lights.  I had to take a train really far to get to my terminal and I was thankful for a long connection time.



It's really freeing to be traveling without a cell phone.  I remember when it used to be like this.  I'm totally on my own; no one can reach me and I can't call anyone else.  It feels more focused and requires more trust.  I like it.  I am really looking forward to this new season where I will have an opportunity to redefine habits and and refocus on what is most important.  I know this is important preparation for the future.


On my Turkish Airlines flight all the chairs were this beautiful turquoise blue and they gave us these blankets.  It's my favorite color!  How fitting!

Goodbye Party

Some friends threw me a goodbye party and it was so encouraging to have so many people excited to see me go!  My friend May also came and I was glad she was able to meet these dear friends of mine.

My nieces

Last week I got to go to my nieces' school and see them present their research projects.  I am so proud of their hard work and I will miss being able to be there for things like that these next few years.
This is Allisyn's howler monkey report and Ashley's research on the Marx brothers.

 Ashley and her best friend who hangs out with our family all the time made me a book of all the things they'll miss about me.  I almost cried and I'm taking it with me, along with pictures of all those I love to decorate my walls.

Leaving...

I used to read in books about someone having a lump in their throat the never went away and I never understood how that could be.  But now I do.  I thought I was getting sick or something.  I have that about to cry pain all the time now.  Leaving forever is hard.  I'm ready to be done with it now.  2 more weeks to go.  And then begins the insecurity of arriving and the mountain of beginning.  Yet, 

"I have a shelter in the storm

when troubles pour upon me

When fears are rising like a flood

my soul can rest securely

Oh Jesus I will hide in You

My place of peace a rest

No trial is deeper than your love

that comforts all my sorrows

With faithful hands that cannot fail

You'll bring me home to heaven"

My migrant life

I talked to my future roommate today on skype and found out that she has family visiting the first week I will be there so she asked me to stay with our team leader for that week.  It was a surprising turn of events but I always say that home is where I sleep so I will be flexible.  It is not ironic that my first week in the country will be one of transiency and variability.  This life and job is like that.  He will not let me forget that.

I'm enjoying my last adventures in Eugene with friends and family.  It's hard to leave everyone but I know this is what I am supposed to be doing.
Saying goodbye is harder for everyone else than for me.  I am going off to a new adventure and they are staying here.  But I am immensely thankful to have so many people who care about me so much and are supporting me in this.

 My gramma came to visit this weekend.  She witnessed us moving the computer from Rose's room to mine and getting rid of more of my stuff.  My suitcases are half packed in our living room.  I want to be packed early so I can focus on spending time with people.