Cappadocia

 We took a short trip to Cappadocia to visit the ancient churches there that have been carved out of the rock.

 Just having some fun and enjoying the view.

 We climbed to the top of this castle.

Here was a kitty who was helping to sell things.

What a beautiful place!

 Our guest especially enjoyed seeing all the historical sites.  Here he is sitting at the table in the nunnery thinking about what life would have been like for them.

 Here we are in the front of the church.  It must have sounded beautiful when they sang together inside those stone churches.

Friend's Birthday Party!

 Here the kids are all gathered around the newest fad: Trash Pack, which are little rubber garbage figures that they just love to collect.

 We wish many wonderful years to this friend on his birthday!  He is 11 years old today!

We also had great opportunities during the party to chat with parents.

Student Picnic

 We had a great time enjoying the beautiful weather and God's creation.

 There was a mother bird feeding her baby.

 I just loved these cute baby birds.  They were a species that I have never seen before.

 We also so a frog and another interesting type of bird at this lake which is near our city and a great place for picnics.

God's Cake

I took this wonderful story that my mom sent to me and with my friend's help, we translated it and shared it with our friends here:

God's cake.... 

 

Sometimes we wonder,
'What did I do to deserve this?' or
'Why did God have to do this to me?'
Here is a wonderful explanation!
A daughter is telling her Mother how everything
is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend
broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and
asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the
daughter says, 'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.'
'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers.
'Yuck' says her daughter..
'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!'
'Would you like some flour then?
Or maybe baking soda?'
'Mom, those are all yucky!'
To which the mother replies:
'Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves.
But when they are put together in the
right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! '
God works the same way. Many times we wonder why
He would let us go through such bad and difficult
times. But God knows that when He puts these things
all in His order, they always work for good! We just
have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all
make something wonderful!
God is crazy about you.
He sends you flowers every spring and
a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen.
He can live anywhere in the universe,
and He chose your heart.

Tea Corner

This is our corner of the balcony away from the birds and using the shade of our building to create the perfect place to enjoy a cup of tea.  We have planted flowers to make the view more enjoyable.

We have a lovely umbrella for shade on the other end of our balcony.

We love to sit under it and have tea with guests.

She remembers us!

We went back to visit our duck and look how she remembered us!  She sure was sweet but is so much happier living in a natural environment.  Sometimes it's almost like we hear her quacking still.  I'm sure you all can see the cat in the background.  They actually get along just fine.

The Perfect Father

 I was reading with a friend where God says that He is our Father and she had a really hard time with that concept.  She said it seemed so human.  And so I told her that for me, my dad has been a great example to me of the characteristics of a good father.  And that is what God is trying to tell us in His Word: He has the characteristics of a perfect Father.  My dad helps me understand how God can be a father to us.  I know that not everyone has a good example of a father figure in their life, especially in this country, and I see how that makes it very hard for people to understand why God would say something like that.

My dad has always been there with me, showed me love, spent time with me, and encouraged me.  I wanted to share with you guys some of the things he wrote to me recently.

"I love you because you are you and I love you even more because of who you have become. Things like honesty, your dedication to his service and the sacrifices that are a part of this. I am a very proud parent and I know that we as parents have been blessed more than we could have imagined. You are special and you make this world a better place for us all. It humbles us to want to do more and that is a good thing. Having you as my child has shone me that if nothing else that raising a child is an investment and this work provides rewards that sometimes amazes us. Please keep up the good work and stay strong and you will continue to be an inspiration to many."

I thought of this verse: Galatians 4:6-7 "Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. "  I am so thankful to be God's child.  I am so thankful that we can have such a close relationship with our Father God.  My friend doesn't understand this yet, but I hope that someday she will.