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Turkey

Our 2015

January 12, 2016

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I’m know I’m a little late on the train to the new-year/year-in-review stuff, but it’s still January, so I say it still counts. It’s fun to take a look at all we’ve done and where we’ve been in the past year. We experienced a great deal of change and transition in the last 12 months. Here’s a glimpse at what we were up to in 2015:

January
We traveled back to Turkey after spending the holidays in Michigan. I broke my arm (first broken bone ever!) and had surgery. I spent January and the next several months in recovery and physical therapy.

February
We seriously considered the possibility of moving to Korea and David had a phone interview. We had fun with our students during Spirit Week and I wrapped up the elementary cheerleading season. David and I started a no-poo hair care regimen (stopped using shampoo and conditioner products).

March
We officially decided to move to Korea for the 2015–2016 school year. David ran a half marathon in Antalya. We traveled for Spring Break and spent a few days in Paris (1, 2, 3, 4).

April
We spent the rest of our Spring Break exploring Italy: Venice, Florence, and Rome. Back in Turkey, I started taking language lessons from a sweet Korean mom.

May
We took an incredible trip to Northeastern Turkey with friends and saw Ottoman bridges. We also spent a few hours in the country of Georgia! May was a busy time as the end of the school year came to a close.

June
June was a fun, crazy, and emotional month. I traveled to the southern coast with the senior class and spent time in Kalkan and on a boat cruise. We said far too many goodbyes – to our students, our church, our community, our friends (that became family), and the country we came to love so dearly. David’s parents and two of his brothers came to visit and we toured them all around Turkey (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). We celebrated our fourth anniversary.

July
After we packed all that we could into seven suitcases, we flew to the States for three weeks. We visited Michigan and Arkansas and got to see my mom’s new house for the first time! We arrived in Korea July 22. David began training and orientations at the school.

August
David’s first day of school was August 10. I said goodbye to my 19-year-old cat named Blue. David started assistant coaching the high school cross country team.

September
I started taking Korean language classes. We experienced our first Korean jjimjilbang (bathhouse). We took our first trip outside of Seoul to Sokcho and climbed Ulsanbawi.

October
David’s cross country coaching season ended. A friend from David’s hometown (who currently teaches in Japan) came to visit. We continued to adjust to school and life in Korea. David started an online grad school class.

November
I volunteered on a school retreat in Daecheon and made over 300 pancakes. I also started an online portraits shop. We traveled with a school group to Suncheon Bay and Yeosu.

December
David finished his first semester teaching in Korea! He also wrapped up his grad school class. We flew to the States for our three week Christmas break.

What a year it has been! Through it all, Lord has been steadfast and gracious. It’s encouraging to look back and consider all the ways He guided, directed, and provided. I look forward to all that 2016 holds!

Check out our other year end posts here:
» 2014 Year in Review
» 2012 Year Infograph

Benedicts in Turkey: Istanbul

November 12, 2015

Leah

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We’ve made it to the final installment of our two-week Turkey tour with David’s family! We had two and a half days in Istanbul and I think we were all happy to be in one spot for more than a couple of hours. We arrived Tuesday afternoon and David and Sam returned the rental car. (I was glad to have it off of our hands. Driving in Istanbul is nuts!)

We stayed at Antique Hostel in the Sultanahmet area and recommend it. It was in a perfect location and had a yummy breakfast and a great price!

Istanbul is one of my favorite cities. David and I visited many times while we lived in Turkey. (Check out our previous posts with more travel details here, here, here, here, and here.) It was always a great getaway and change of pace from Ankara. And with $30 flights from Ankara to Istanbul, what could be better? It was a place where we could explore and relax at the same time. We were glad to share our favorite spots with the family and explore a few new places, too.

Blue Mosque:

Hagia Sofia:

There was an awesome open-air bazaar while we were there with a long stretch of vendors from all over Turkey selling handmade goods and food:

Basilica Cistern and the Medusa head:

Grand Bazaar and lunch at the Fes Cafe:

We were there during Ramazan. After the sun set, all of the Turks came out to the square with their picnics:

Taksim:

Fish sandwiches on Galata Bridge:

Galata Tower:

We celebrated our fourth anniversary along with the family’s final send off meal. It was a huge spread of döner, kebap, hummus, prizola, meze, and more. We left stuffed and happy.

After a few fun and shopping filled days, the family’s time in Turkey came to an end. They took the Friday 6:00 am flight. We sent them off on their shuttle bus, went back to bed for a few hours, then left for the airport ourselves to head back to Ankara to pack up our lives and close our time in Turkey.

We were thrilled to share Turkey with David’s family. These two weeks were also a farewell tour for David and me. I never could have imagined how deeply I would fall in love with this country… how quickly the people and culture would work their way into my heart. Turkey challenged and grew and changed me for the better, and I count my time there as one of God’s greatest gifts in my life. I pray we’ll be able to go back again one day! Until then, I’ll look forward to that next glass of çay.

Teşekkür ederim, Türkiye. Türkiyem çok seviyorum.

Benedicts in Turkey: Troy and Çanakkale

November 1, 2015

Leah

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After spending the night in Bergama, we drove 3.5 hours north to Troia and the ruins of Troy. (Did you know Troy is in Turkey? I thought it was in Greece!) For a time it was believed the city mentioned in Homer’s Iliad was fictional, but a British man discovered the ruins in 1863.

It was raining that morning, so it was rather miserable to be outside. We sat inside of the “replica” Trojan horse for a while to avoid the rain. Had we had a tour guide and if the weather had been clear, I might have enjoyed this stop more. We hurried through the site and I didn’t read many signs.

Theater:

This area was significant because it showed four layers of civilization:

The view from Hisarlık across the plain of Ilium to the Aegean Sea:

After Troy, we took a ferry boat across the straights to the European side of Turkey. The car ferry cost only 30TL! I was impressed by that. We saved a significant amount of travel time by taking the ferry. (We were on our way to Istanbul.)

It was nearing dark and the weather was still rainy. David really wanted to see the site of the Battle of Gallipoli (aka the Battle of Çanakkale). We drove along the water in Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park to the Çanakkale Martyrs’ Memorial.

The battle took place April 1915 – January 2016. The Ottoman victory was a defining moment for the country. Eight years later, the Republic of Turkey was established.

The Water Diviner movie starring Russell Crowe came out last year and gives an interesting perspective of and shortly after the war. I recently finished reading Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières. The novel is another great period piece.

The memorial structure stands 41.7 meters tall. Here’s Ben standing at the base of it for scale:

It was sobering to see the graves and names of fallen soldiers. It is estimated over 100,000 men died during the Gallipoli Campaign including Turkish, British, French, New Zealander, and Australian soldiers.

After the sun set, we made our way to Gallipoli Konukevi. We were very impressed by this guesthouse! The small apartments were modern and spacious. Their breakfast was wonderful as well.

Benedicts in Turkey: Pergamum

October 26, 2015

Leah

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After Ephesus, we drove to ancient ruins of Pergamum (aka Pergamon) set in modern day Bergama. We considered taking the cable car up to the acropolis, but instead drove up the hill. Pergamum is one of the Seven Churches of Revelation and is mentioned in Revelation 2:12–17. Today, the location is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It was David’s and my first time visiting the hilltop fortress. The extent of the ruins are not nearly as impressive as Ephesus or Laodicea, but I’m glad we got to see the theater. The theater of Pergamum was built in the 3rd century BC directly into the side of a hill. It could seat 10,000 people and was the steepest theater in the ancient world.

Pergamum was a prosperous city. It was a political center and had the second largest library in the ancient world. It also had the Asklepion hospital and health spa. The city was especially known for its pagan worship with temples dedicated to the Roman Emperor Trajan, Athena, Dionysus, Demeter, and Zeus. Christians here faced a lot of persecution. Antipas was martyred for his faithfulness to Christ.

The foundation of a temple:

I didn’t walk down to the bottom of the theater, but the boys and Mom did:

After we finished exploring the site, we headed to Efsane Hotel for the night. Bergama was a smaller city and it felt more conservative than others we’ve visited. Dad was still on the mend from his stomach bug and turned in early, but the rest of us had dinner at a Domino’s Pizza.

Benedicts in Turkey: Ephesus

October 22, 2015

Leah

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I’m nearing the end of recapping our two week tour of Turkey! Looking through all of these photos is making me homesick. I want to drop everything and head to the Turkish coast.

After Pamukkale and Hierapolis, we drove to Kuşadası and spent the night at Sergent Hotel. It was a great hotel with a fantastic view of the beach. They were so helpful and accommodating.

Unfortunately, Dad had been battling a stomach bug for a few days, and ended up going to the hospital the next morning for antibiotics and fluids. David and Mom took him while the boys and I walked the boardwalk, peeked into the shops, and stuck our feet in the Aegean. The Turkish coast is paradise. I mean, look at all these blues:

After a few hours, they came back from the hospital. Dad was feeling a little better and we drove 18km north to Ephesus.

Ephesus was a major port of commerce in the ancient Roman world. Over the years, the waters receded so it no longer sits directly on the coast. The city was famed for its Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders. The apostle Paul spent time in Ephesus and had a heart for the believers there (Acts 18, 19, 20). It is also one of the seven churches of Revelation (Revelation 2).

Ephesus was one the first places David and I visited when we first moved to Turkey. We enjoyed showing the family the ruins, library, terrace houses (completely worth the extra entrance fee!), and theater. I can’t believe how blue the skies were this day!

Ephesus kitty with Nike Athena:

Hercules Gate:

Family photo inside the Theater of Ephesus. It can hold 25,000 people and has perfect acoustics.

After a few more Magnum bars, we drove three hours north to see our third of the Seven Churches of Revelation.

Benedicts in Turkey: Pamukkale & Hierapolis

October 3, 2015

Leah

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We changed into our swimsuits at Laodicea and drove 12km north to Pamukkale. (David and I walked up the limestone travertines back in October not once, but twice!)

Pamukkale means “cotton castle” in Turkish and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Entrance costs 25TL or is free with the Müzekart. The boys loved sitting in the hot springs, damming up the canal with their bodies, then letting the mineral water rush down to the boy at the bottom.

At the top of the hill were the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13). We got to the site a little later in the day and didn’t have a lot of time to walk around before the sun started to set.

We did walk up to the theater. Hierapolis suffered several earthquakes, but this theater was reconstructed with 98% of the original pieces!

We had two more of the seven churches of Revelation on the schedule for the next day. After gözleme for dinner, we drove 180km west to the coast and stayed the night at Sergent Hotel in Kuşadası.

Benedicts in Turkey: Laodicea

September 24, 2015

Leah

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After a final breakfast in Çıralı, we piled the bags and everyone back into the car and drove four hours north to the ruins of Laodicea, one of the seven churches of Revelation. (Rev 3:14–22.)

This was David’s and my second time at Laodicea; we first visited last October. It was exciting to see how much excavation had been completed in just eight months. And there’s so much more to be done! Rocks and columns peek out of the untouched fields surrounding the site.

Entrance cost 10 TL or was free with the Müzekart. Laodicea is a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site.

This was the Christian church in Laodicea. The archaeologists were working while we were there:

The Temple of Athena:

Laodicea was the lukewarm church. They did not have a water source, so they piped in water from two nearby cities. One source was hot and the other cold. By the time the water arrived in their city, it was lukewarm and smelly with minerals. The ancient pipes are around the site. You can even hear the hollow underneath the stones of the main street.

Dad is checking out Pamukkale in the distance here. (It’s that white spot.) We visited the limestone hill shortly after we finished at Laodicea:

The weather was anything but lukewarm. The sun can be brutal in the summer! While the boys walked to the newly excavated stadium, I sought shade and a Magnum ice cream bar in the small shop.

The family loved exploring this Biblical site! Next up… Pamukkale!