turkish photo exhibition and a wild christmas ahead.

(a local cobbler)

Even though it’s just been a week, it seems like so much has transpired since the last blog entry. It has been a really enjoyable week as far as the projects we’ve been working on for our class and for the exhibition, as well as just meeting different people around town.

In class this week, as we are still learning about design, we worked on making mini magazines. For these, we had to find and issue of injustice in the world, and show what the bible has to say about that specific issue of injustice. We were divided into groups of three, and after praying, our group felt that we should make a small book about poverty. It is obviously a very broad and often times complex issue, but we attempted to display God’s heart for this in as simple a way as possible. There are surely a lot of statistics out there on the state of poverty in our world, but we wanted to focus more on God’s heart that longs to care for the poor (physically or spiritually). It was definitely a challenging experience, working with three different personalities, styles, and opinions and to make a document that flowed together in one style, theme, and message. In the end though, it was really cool to see a finished product come out the time and energy that we put into it, and I look forward to using these skills in any future publications we may be creating as a school.

We also spent some time this week preparing for the exhibition that we were able to do this last Friday in the city center of Selçuk. As a school, we decided on the theme of “Exposing Beauty” in Selçuk. Each of us displayed one or two pictures, and for each picture, we chose a word (which had to be translated into Turkish) that reflected the beauty that was shown in each specific picture. With our pictures we wanted to show how each part of the community comes together to make the whole of the community. As I talked about in last week’s entry, it was difficult to do this without simply saying things are beautiful the way they are. So many of the qualities in the people are beautiful, but are not yet being used for God’s purposes. I really feel that so much more of the beauty will be evident when they have revelation of all that God has created them for. He hasn’t made them for a set of do’s and don’ts; rather, he has made them to live and delight in relationship with himself.

(the exhibit in the city center)

(aramak is turkish for seeking. this was the photo I used for the exhibit)


(prayer time at the central mosque in selcuk)

(Nurettine, my new kadesh)

I am brothers with a 64-year-old Turkish man. One day this week, as I was sitting outside the mosque on a bench, I suddenly found my eyes covered by a pair of unfamiliar weathered hands. I continued to be blinded by these hands for a few seconds, until I was finally released from the grasp of the unknown trickster. As I got up, I saw it was a man by the name of Nurettine, who I had met last week at the washing area. Nurettine doesn’t speak a bit of English, but I was able to understand that he wanted to take me to have tea with him. So, I followed him to his regular hangout spot, a large smoke-filled tea house with various other old men, playing rummicube, reading newspapers, and watching the National Geographic channel. Nurettine introduced me to some of his friends and bought me a couple cups of Turkish çay (tea). We sat for a while, sometimes just sitting, other times attempting to communicate without the use of a common language. It probably would have seemed to be a little weird, awkward, bizarre, etc. to anyone who was watching, but I really found it to be quite enjoyable. One thing I was able to understand from the conversation is that he said we were Kadesh (I don’t know if this is the correct spelling, but it’s the way it sounds), which is Turkish for brother.

I loved spending the afternoon with Nurettine, but it was hard to not feel as though I could portray in my words the life I’ve found in relationship with Jesus. I don’t necessarily know how I can do this, but I hope my interaction with Nurettine has helped him to see the infinite value that he holds in God’s eyes. It’s in instances like this that I have to believe that God has the ability to reveal himself in much more deep and personal ways that I can ever do for him.

(nurettine, watching the national geographic channel)

(nurretine, taking a picture of me on his cellular telephone camera)

So, this has been our last full week here in Turkey. This Wednesday we will be taking our Mid-Term exam for the SBS portion of our trip, reviewing the study in the bible we have done over the last couple months. After this, we will have a couple weeks free for Christmas break, until we begin our studies again in the beginning of January. As some of you know, a couple years ago I was able to spend a few weeks working with a church in Bulgaria. During this Christmas break, God has put it on my heart to return to Bulgaria to see these friends and spend time with them and their families. We are also hoping that there will be some possibility of going to some of the gypsy villages with the pastor of the church while we’re there.

I really feel like my friends from the church there can use some encouragement in their faith, as much of the Christianity in Bulgaria is still seen as dry, stale, and inapplicable. My friends in Bulgaria have certainly expressed the great importance of Jesus in their lives, but it seems as though it may be difficult to find people their age who are similar minded. When I left Bulgaria two years ago, I didn’t know if I would ever see any of those friends again – I am so excited that God has provided a time where this looks to be possible.

(krassimir, myself, danail and blago in bulgaria)

I really believe that your prayers have been and will continue to be effective in the different ministries God has been putting in my path. Some ways you can continue to pray:

• That God would be revealing himself in the hearts of the people here in Selçuk, specifically Nurettine and those in similar situations as him.

• That God would bring smoothness to all the details of travel over this Christmas break, both for those in our school who are headed home for the break and for those of us who are traveling elsewhere.

• That the break, and the time in Bulgaria would be fruitful, whether we’re spending time with friends, or going to the gypsy villages.

• Health. They tell me it is very cold and snowy in Bulgaria right now.

I look forward to the next update I’ll be sending your way. I’m not sure exactly when it will be, but there is a good chance I may be writing the next blog to you from a snowy Bulgaria. This will most certainly be a very interesting Christmas season, and I hope you will find encouragement this time of the year as you remember Jesus’ coming into our world to bring us life, in all it’s fullness.

Timothy

(photogenx students and staff - photo: john paul vicory)