God's Faithfulness continues!

Traveling to Turkey began with a few interesting experiences! My first night in Turkey started with hotel confusion as I considered staying in a large foreign city by myself per hotel reservations or traveling to the resort which was unplanned. I chose the resort which meant waiting around longer for an available shuttle. As I arrived with other exhausted staff members, we were driven to our bungalow's for our first half-night sleep! Slowly drifting off to sleep, my phone rings in the bathroom! A few locals apparently thought I would enjoy making new friends in the middle of the night! A phone call to security ended their fun rather quickly! 

Highlights of our conference in Antalya included meeting friends I made from orientation serving in other places in the world! We were all moved by the history of TeachBeyond in the past 60 years! Beginning as a singing group, they have grown to sending dedicated men and women all over the world, serving in International schools and English camps while sharing the love of Jesus Christ with students and local cultures! Here is a short clip of the founders of TeachBeyond (JanzTeam) singing in a quartet! JanzTeam started as a radio and singing ministry in Germany with crusades that reached thousands of people for Christ! God's faithfulness continues to flourish! 

Through afternoon tours, several of us walked in the streets of yesterday! Visiting Roman ruins of Perge, Apendos, and Side were also highlights of Turkey! Excellent guides shared their knowledge of Turkish and Roman history with a sense of humor and even purchased strawberries for us from a roadside stand! I was reminded of Paul's travels as we visited Perge from Acts 13:13-14. Walking the streets of Perge, I wondered about the lives that Paul touched in this bustling town so many years ago. I was also reminded how God continues to touch lives in Turkey. A local pastor in Antalya shared testimonies of God's faithfulness through the years and how He is impacting lives today! The Saint Paul Cultural Center was built in 1999 and holds ministries that reach lives in the surrounding community. The vision is to restore Christ to the Turkish mosaic through connecting the body of Christ and the people of Turkey! Funds for the church were raised within one year and the body is still growing!! 

 One of the streets in Perge. The columns were on the ground from earthquakes but were set up again.

 Here is the theater in Aspendos. Live concerts occur in this theater and would be wonderful to hear!

The Mediterranean Sea at our resort outside Antalya!

I learned so much and loved every moment I spent in Turkey! This is just a snapshot of my time with friends, new and old. On my way home, I was blessed with a weekend in Istanbul and will post more soon!

One of the many cats at the hotel who curled up on my lap while I was reading!