TURKEY AND PAUL

Who knew how cool this place would be?! Everyone kept saying that this should be on the travel bucket list with Paris, China and Italy because it’s so incredible! I really enjoyed understanding the context in which Paul went to preach the gospel there and I have a greater appreciation for his missionary efforts! Fun fact: The church just BARELY created the Central Eurasian Mission which includes Turkey effective July 1, 2015. Turkey’s GETTING THE GOSPEL!

 Turkey is just north of Jerusalem, and about an hour and a half’s plane ride from Tel Aviv. It is BEAUTIFUL! We spent a lot of our time next to the Bosporus Strait which is a waterway that separates the Asian Turkey from the European Turkey, and also at cities of its northwest corner. It is a very Muslim country and there are mosques everywhere like you’d see LDS chapels in Utah. It reminded me so much of France! Very European. There are cats and dogs everywhere which the community just takes under its wing and they just hang out with you. There are a lot of veiled women with long conservative clothing, and in general everyone is really modest. They use the Lira currency. Everything is super cheap there! Known for its tiles used in architecture and in dishware.  Tesekkurler (Tay sheck u laur) is thank you and Merhaba is hello. They have a blue evil eye everywhere. It’s a bit superstitious, but they believe that it wards off bad luck. We are required to wear head scarves and take off our shoes when we enter mosques for respect. Men and women worship on different sides, and there are places to clean your feet outside the mosques. The food was so yummy there! We ate every meal at a nice restaurant, and I definitely gained a pound or two. . .#worthit.

Sunday: We flew in and visited the Hagia Sophia, a famous church that was turned into Mosque that is now a museum. There are many Arabic symbols that still remain. It’s famous for its huge dome, and the whole thing only took five years to build. I was staring at it and was awed that it was built in 360 and replaced in 415 AD.  Had dinner on the rooftop of our hotel with such a beautiful view.

 Monday: Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar shopping, and even a private Boat ride on the Bosporus.

Tuesday: Early wake up call, long bus ride to Gallipoli Battlefield memorial. That was cool to sit around with the whole Dr. Allred group and think of the soldiers that fought there during WWI. We walked along the beach and just pondered. There was a beautiful memorial, and we sang “God be with you til we meet again,” and it made us all emotional. We then headed over to Troy and saw the excavations there and all piled into the big wooden horse there.

 Wednesday: This hotel was the BEST! It was a resort with a huge buffet and a 10 second walk to the beach where we went swimming. We went to Assos, which is located on the coast. Paul walked here a lot and passed by nearby cities often. It was a rainy day and we got SOAKED. I loved Dr. Whitchurch’s devotional. “The source of their trials was Christ and the source of their comfort was Christ.” He talked about Paul and how it mentions in the NT that Paul decided to walk one of the distances alone, which was probably 20 miles. Acts 20:13. Dr. Whitchurch suggests that he did this to ponder his role among the saints and the work that the Lord had for him to do. What kind of things would you think about with that much time on your hands? Dr. Whitchurch also recounted a time where he was in the hospital and he had a long time to think about his life and priorities. As I listened, I couldn’t help but think of my major and my future and my priorities. The thought came into my mind about how much I love French, and the French people. I always want to retain that and know it’s part of who He wanted me to be and that He wanted me to experience.

The Pergamum Acropolis was cool! It has several old Hellenistic remains of a Trajan Temple, an Athena temple and an Alter of Zeus. There was a huge theater there where Dr. Allred addressed us. Across the way you can see what used to be a phoney hospital in Christ’s time that worked priest craft to “heal people” but would really only take the people most likely to get better, treat them, and try to propagate their reputation. We talked about the woman in the New Testament with the issue of blood, and how she probably tried hospitals like this to heal her and nothing worked. But once she learned of the Savior,  with her faith she knew that all she had to do was touch His cloak and she would be healed. I loved imagining that.

 Thursday: This was Ephesus! SUCH A COOL PLACE! Probably one of my favorites. It’s a city that’s more or less still intact, with a library, dwelling units, their water system, and even there sewer system which was so intelligent. These people were smart! Nike even got their brand name from this place. I felt like I was walking through a place that people once called home, and experiencing what Paul would have seen as he came to preach and chastise there. It specifically talks about Paul in Acts and how he came to that HUGE amphitheater there. Such a fun place!

We also stopped in Priene which still has large piles of broken columns and remains of an Athenian temple, close to where Paul started his return from his second mission. Here, Paul asked the Elders of Ephesus to come and meet him. Paul told them that this was the last time that his converts would see him, warned them of apostasy, and quoted the Savior who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” a saying that is not in the four gospels, but just passed by word of mouth. Paul prayed with them, and as they accompanied them to his ship they wept as they said farewell to their beloved apostle. Talk about feelings of leaving my own mission and saying goodbye to the people I loved! This especially hit home because Elder Scott had passed away a few days before hand, and we were able to remember OUR beloved apostles who have all recently passed away. Scott, Packer and Perry.

 Friday: Did some shopping in Bursa!

Saturday: We visited two of the places where the Seven Ecumenical Councils were held around 325 AD through 787 AD . The first place we visited (7^th part of council) in Ayasofiya Camii (Church of Divine Wisdom/Mosque) and the other was at the Constantinople Palace (we didn’t get to go there, but had a devotional on the beach next to where it used to exist). At this time in the Apostasy, there were many different opinions about Jesus Christ and His divinity, where He fit in the Godhead, and the plain and precious parts of the gospel were being taken away. To the best of their ability without correct authority or the fullness of the gospel, Christian leaders met to try and preserve these beliefs. Even though they didn’t have authority, LDS belief is that they were inspired by God.

For those who care, here is part of the Nicene Creed:

“I believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, and only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages; God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten and not made, of one substance (GR homoousios: “same substance”) with the Father, by whom all things were made, who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven. And he became flesh by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man. He was also crucified for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate and was buried. And on the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and sits and the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. . . .” (“Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible”, p. 263. Lockyer, Bruce, Harrison, eds.)

I am grateful to these people and to God to help us have people who were inspired to help keep the doctrine. As you can see, some of this creed isn’t 100% correct, but it helped preserve many doctrines that could have been even more polluted throughout history. I know God helped these people!

Turkey was such a fun trip! I would be to the point where I’d almost feel bad that we weren’t studying a ton during the week, and then, I wouldn’t feel bad. J It was a blast and we were spoiled!

People Highlights:

·         Running through Canakkale with Spencer, Celeste and Kassi and finding a zip line and a workout park

·         Clayton’s “Little Town” song that never got old but made me forget the real song

·         Clayton and Lauren bonding moments (singing, talking through bathroom stalls, “I did not come here to by sho--, wait I’m going to see how much those are,” “I like playing dress up with boys”

·         Teaching Spencer and Trace French along the road trip

·         Shopping for Turkish rugs with Trace, Mackenzie and Rebekkah.

·         Singing Ipod Idol with the whole bus

·         Riding a sketchy Turkish amusement park ride with Thomas

·         Gospel conversations with Spencer and Jezz.

·         Tender Mercy talking with Kassi on the bus and feeling the spirit as we talk about our missions and our future families.

·         Our cute Turkish guide, Yasemin! (This is the main idea, behind of it, you are probably all too sleepy to do too much history. . .).

·         JT taking everyone’s sleeping pictures.

·         Dr. Chadwick’s berry magnum bar.

·         Blake’s 60 lira checker jacket at Bursa.

·         Being roomies with Chanise! That was definitely inspired. We needed each other, and talked a lot about life, parenting, maybe going on a mission. #neverwenttobedontime. #pillowchat

·         Jumping in the Bosphorus Straight at night in our clothes with Rebekkah and Rizek. I LOVE THE WATER!

·         Helping the Turkish woman that fainted in the bathroom with Kassi.

·         Finding two Parisians at the Topkapi Palace and MELTING inside to be able to converse in French in the purest accent there is!