1.  Baby-sitting the kids

Who knew there were so many spiritual parallels between our watching (or raising) children and our relationship with God? The kids were a blast, we adored their parents, and it was fun to giggle and be silly and remember their joy at the simple things in life, like bubbles, or passing motorcycles.

 

 

2. The Hamam

Otherwise called a Turkish Bath, this was a fun experience to share with April, Aubrey and Brandy. Washing off some of the World Race dirt that had been accumulating was really nice, too!

 

3. Christmas video

                Being silly with the team was so much fun, as was figuring out what we should put for each of the twelve days of Christmas! If you have seen it yet, it's on my blog here. Many, many thanks go to Matt for compiling it all and putting it all together in fantastic fashion.

 

4. Christmas

Oh, of course this is on here! Yes, I love it because it's the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus. But it was also a day to relax and spend with my team and April and Logan. At one point, I looked at Matt, hard at work on his computer, Aubrey laughing with April on one couch, Marissa laying down on the other, the smell of food wafting in from the kitchen, and Colin and Jodi in the other rooms, Skyping with their families, and I had already talked to mine. An overwhelming sense of love and joy enveloped me.  (And starting a day out with Secret Santa and cinnamon rolls (thanks, April!) never makes a day bad!)

You may wonder at the blue tongue picture. Here is all I will say: if you ever have a cough that won't go away and begin coughing during Christmas dinner, and Matt Patch happens to have a cough drop in his pocket, don't take it! It's not actually a cough drop, but a prank candy, which will turn your mouth blue. Even worse, everyone will be laughing, but you won't know why, so you will laugh along with them. You'll even comment on how you want to buy more of these cough drops, because they taste like blueberry candy, not like medicine.

 

    

 

 

5. Pedicure

The boys (Colin and Matt) got the girls pedicures for our stocking stuffers. Great stocking stuffer! April went with us and we just had a fun time talking and laughing while 22 years of dead skin got sloughed off of my feet- yuck! But I highly encourage you to go get a pedicure; who knew they were so fantastic? Apparently, the razor thing they use in Turkey to get the skin off of your feet is illegal in Texas. Oh, well.


 

6. Hearing part of Matt Chandler's "Jesus wants the rose!" sermon

Logan had us listen to a bit of this one. A pastor had had people in the congregation pass around a rose and when he asked for it back, it was no longer beautiful, but wilted and falling apart. Likening this to sexual misconduct, he asked, "Who would want this rose?" implying that no one would want it. Matt Chandler, then, says that it took all he had not to stand up and yell, "Jesus wants to the rose!" He died for that rose, and he loves it dearly. He died for you and he loves you dearly. Your sin just proves you need Jesus- just like everyone else.

 

7. Doners

Just a fun food from Turkey! It's pronounced "do-nair", not "do-nur", as Logan had to tell us over and over and over and over again.

 

8. Riding a camel

After seeing a waterfall, we walked out of the park and immediately saw five camels. YES. Camels are really cute for some reason, and when we found out it was really cheap to ride one, we couldn't resist. I won't lie, I was terrified to be so high up (my fear of heights is odd, considering I'm quite tall) and mad at myself for somewhat perpetuating animal cruelty (making a camel lie down all day until it's ridden? And who knows where they take them at night...), but it was quite fun once I quit screaming.

 

9. Finding a pair of jeans

                My pair of jeans died in rather spectacular fashion while in Montenegro, and I'd been trying to get by with my capris and gauchos  since. A Turkish wintry day will get you to buy a pair of jeans, though. Plus, it meant I didn't have to wear outfits like this anymore to try to stay warm! And even though my teammates got great joy out of telling me what, exactly, was wrong with this outfit, I still think it's kind of okay.



 
 

10. IGVP

                One thing this trip has taught me is that people are pretty much the same everywhere. Sure, skin colors, languages, and cultures change, but we all want to be loved, we all giggle when someone we like talks to us, we all get frustrated at times and we all laugh. The goal of this organization is to facilitate reconciliation through photographs that show our common humanity. While pictures of war and starvation grasp at our heartstrings, it is the pictures of people waiting at bus stops, and grandpas laughing at their granddaughters that remind us we are all human, and we all share this earth, and maybe we could love each other a little bit more. (Oh, and also cool? This is pretty much Marissa's Kingdom Dream, telling stories through words and photos and getting those stories out there for people. Thanks, God, for throwing that into her lap!)


And what's on my NOT Top Ten List?

Getting pooped on by a bird! I knew as soon as it hit my head that it wasn't an errant raindrop...