More on Istanbul

Today is Monday, October 16th, and we have been in Turkey since Friday. Let me catch up on what has happened:

From D.C.: Flight departure time: 5:18 p.m.

1:30 p.m. (all times in “ish”) – leave Medefinds' for Metro station
3:35 p.m.– arrive at Dulles airport via MetroBus (25 min. behind schedule)
3:45 p.m. – after being sent to the wrong line, arrive at correct check-in counter only to be told we’re too late to make the flight … hearts sink.
3:46 p.m. – agent realizes he misread the departure time and we CAN make the flight.
3:47 p.m. – agent’s printer jams.
3:57 p.m. – still at the counter, but reminded it could be worse: the girl behind us left her purse (yes, with credit cards, cell phone and passport) in her friend’s car that just dropped her off.
4:05 p.m. – Brooke is required to go through special screening. J takes his bags one direction, Brooke another.
4:15 p.m. – Jason and Brooke scramble to find each other in a security line of what is, no joke, more than 1,000 people deep.
4:45 p.m. – no way we’re going to make it through security in time. Encouraged to see if a United agent will walk us through.
4:46 p.m. – Brooke runs to opposite end of terminal to find United Rep. Rep. is frustrated and walks away mid-conversation, thankfully to return with a kind Supervisor who gives the nod.
4:50 p.m. – Brooke runs back across the terminal to get Jason out of line. J & B both run back to Supervisor (are you keeping track? Brooke has now run the length of this terminal THREE times!). And remember, there are THOUSANDS to navigate between. NEVER seen an airport so jammed before.
4:55 p.m. – walked through thanks to kind-hearted Supervisor. Split again for separate security checks. Brooke in line for special screening (aka puff air in your clothes and check EVERY compartment of your bag) – interesting and reassuring if you’re not watching your departure time tick closer.
5:10 p.m. – J&B both make it through security and end up on the same shuttle to our gate.
5:14 p.m. – arrive at Terminal C – gate is on opposite end. Start running again …
5:16 p.m. – arrive at gate, where agents say, “Miller?” (hmm, nice to be known) and we board as the doors close.
5:18 p.m. – we sit down, hold hands, and take off.

Only with God’s help did we make the plane. Strong reminder at the BEGINNING of this trip: all we can do is be along for the ride.

We arrived in Istanbul after a quick layover in Frankfurt. Ally met us with her friend Lisa and they drove us back through the city of Istanbul and across the Bosphorus via ferry to Ally’s pad, a 9th floor 3 bedroom apartment she shares with a roommate. The city is huge, estimates of 17-20 million people. The country is 99% Muslim . The city is split on 2 continents: Asia/Europe. Western culture and influence, predominantly materialism, shows itself everywhere. These are a proud people, passionate about their beliefs, religious and otherwise. Obviously a difficult place to encourage discussion. In the past 20 years they know approximately 2800 who have accepted Truth. 2800 out of 17-20 million. Success here is not determined by numbers.

Friday night we take a bus 45 min. across the bridge from Asia to Europe to meet friends for a birthday party. It is during the month of Ramadan; fasting during the day, eating only after the sun goes down. As the sun sets people move more purposefully to get home. Their “hunger” drives them to their homes (more on this later). After getting off the bus we attempt to get a cab, but no luck - 25 cabbies pass us and tell us no, they are going to eat. We finally get there. This part of Turkey catches you off guard. It looks like any major metropolitan area. Many shops, restuarants, cars, taxis, and people.

Saturday we slept for 13 hours. Finally we feel rested. Went to the largest “walmart” -esq store I have ever been in called Carrefor. Unbelievable the amount of stuff they had. Modern Istanbul seems obsessed with stuff. Tried a couple different Turkish foods, and so far I like them all. Food is good, price is better.

Ally … ah, she’s a strong girl. This is a tough world for her to be in. Tough for us to see someone we love in a hard world. Today she said something important – just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s bad. Though we can see her weariness, she is strong. Confident. Not in herself (though she is far better at Turkish than she gives herself credit for!), but strong in her purpose and calling here.

Sunday we went to their morning gathering. How good it is to worship with fellow believers. I talked with one of the guys there about the whole definition of success in this situation. He said “many come with grand ideas and they burnout fast. This is a slow place where only relationship breaks these barriers and then not often.” He compared it to China. “In China, everyone had open ears for truth but shied away from relationship. Here, everyone is open to relationship but shies away from truth.” I wonder if this isn’t what we in America are becoming? Open to people but closed to ideas outside of what we have pre-determined? Father I still don’t fully understand your will for Brooke and I both here and on the trip itself. I am afraid of a language I don’t understand, and a people who hate my background. Deliver me from fear. Give us purpose. Help us to really know you and your people.

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As Jason wrote a petition for deliverance from fear, I (Brooke) was journaling my very struggle with the same:

I am scared. Scared of being purposeless. Scared of not having anything to give. Scared of invading and being a burden rather than a blessing.

So I must again identify what is true, right, noble, etc. When Jason asked, my tongue was stuck – will my fingers do any better?

True … the Father never rejected anyone for feeling weak, lost, or broken.
Right … the broken who didn’t reject Him, either.
Noble … the battle for my heart.
Pure … the instruction to be on my knees. Why do I feel so inept in this so often?
Lovely … Jason’s tender care of me when I hit these battles.
Excellent … the hearts of those that have encouraged us in this endeavor.
Praiseworthy … that He is on the throne. There was a song about that at this morning’s gathering, and it’s chorus is reverberating in my head … want it to echo true in my heart as well.