Merhaba (hello)!
I arrived here almost two weeks ago, and thought I would share a few highlights! In no particular order, here are a few things that have stood out to me:
- Discovering a beautiful place to walk by the sea, which is only a fifteen minute walk from my apartment
- Trying local food
- Going to my neighborhood's local bazaar. It's every Thursday, and is set up on side streets covering several blocks. It can be overwhelming, but it's also a neat way to experience more of the culture!
- Starting language school and meeting my classmates.
- Becoming comfortable with navigating public transportation. It was intimidating at first, but it's exciting to start to feel comfortable getting around the city by myself!
- Seeing how many cats there are in the city! They're everywhere (from parks to inside shopping malls), but are well taken care of and loved by everyone.
- I arrived in the midst of Ramadan, so it's been interesting to see what that looks like in this country. There's tents set up for iftar (the meal that breaks their fast), almost every restaurant has a special iftar menu, and every morning around 4:45 drummers go around the city to wake people up for suhoor (the meal eaten before dawn).
- It's also been interesting to hear the call to prayer. It's a reminder to me that although there is so much beauty in this city, there is also a lot of spiritual darkness, and there are many people here who do not know God for who He is.
My time so far has definitely had it's ups and downs, but I've found so much to love here. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed, sad, or anxious in the midst of so much change, but it has also been exciting to discover a new place and culture!
In the midst of all the change, God has reminded me that He never changes, and I can spend time in His presence no matter what country or season of life I am in. I was able to attend a church service here, and it was powerful to get a bigger picture of the global body of Christ, and of God's presence across the globe. I'm thankful I serve a God who is present with me no matter where I am!