Saturday, February 20, 2010
Antalya, Turkey
We were blessed earlier this week to be able to visit another Biblical city, Antalya.
A notable historical figure who visited Antalya was Paul of Tarsus, as recorded in the biblical book, the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14:25-26), wherein Antalya is referred to as Attalia. St. Paul and St. Barnabas went to Antalya and sailed from there to Antioch after preaching in the Pisidia and Pamphylia regions. (http://www.antalya.fm/history_antalya.html)
We first flew to Istanbul and then took a connecting flight to Antalya. Eric and I had meetings there for three days while the children stayed in their classes. The food was amazing! I already knew that there was a heavy Turkish influence on the culture here in Macedonia but it was interesting to see it first-hand. The food, dress, and customs are similar as here.
A disturbing item we often saw for sale in Turkey was the "evil eye". There are "evil eyes" for sale here in Skopje but since there are more Muslims in Turkey, it is a more high demand item. Usually bracelets and other trinkets have the eye symbol on them, which are believed to ward off any bad luck that they think may be intended for them. It's a type of voodoo. (Picture taken from www.thecoveredmarket.net)
As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, it was a very sad thing for me to see these "evil eyes" in such abundance. Let's pray that all peoples will see that their trust and protection in life should be found in our Savior Jesus Christ. Christ shed his blood for us so that we can trust Him for salvation and not live in fear.
Isaiah 41:10 (New International Version)
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
A notable historical figure who visited Antalya was Paul of Tarsus, as recorded in the biblical book, the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14:25-26), wherein Antalya is referred to as Attalia. St. Paul and St. Barnabas went to Antalya and sailed from there to Antioch after preaching in the Pisidia and Pamphylia regions. (http://www.antalya.fm/history_antalya.html)
We first flew to Istanbul and then took a connecting flight to Antalya. Eric and I had meetings there for three days while the children stayed in their classes. The food was amazing! I already knew that there was a heavy Turkish influence on the culture here in Macedonia but it was interesting to see it first-hand. The food, dress, and customs are similar as here.
A disturbing item we often saw for sale in Turkey was the "evil eye". There are "evil eyes" for sale here in Skopje but since there are more Muslims in Turkey, it is a more high demand item. Usually bracelets and other trinkets have the eye symbol on them, which are believed to ward off any bad luck that they think may be intended for them. It's a type of voodoo. (Picture taken from www.thecoveredmarket.net)
As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, it was a very sad thing for me to see these "evil eyes" in such abundance. Let's pray that all peoples will see that their trust and protection in life should be found in our Savior Jesus Christ. Christ shed his blood for us so that we can trust Him for salvation and not live in fear.
Isaiah 41:10 (New International Version)
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Thank you UBC ladies!
Thank you to the women of Union Baptist Church for making many scarves, mittens, and hats and sending them our way! Here is our friend Kevsera. Eric first met Kevsera last year while working at the feeding program that Baptist Global Response sponsored. These pictures were taken at one of the Roma educational sites. Kevsera and many others are keeping warmer this winter due to your generous gifts. Thank you for using the talents that God has given you to bless others!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Germany
Last week we had a wonderful time in Germany. What a great time of encouragement it was as we met with other company workers in the beautiful village of Rehe, Germany. I had never seen so much snow in my life! Sawyer enjoyed the class he attended.
Then we took three vacation days to visit friends, Steve and Clayne, that live at the Wiesbaden Military Community. Sawyer had a terrific time playing with their two precious daughters and their dog! We enjoyed good ol' American food there at Wiesbaden and on the Ramstein airbase, including Macaroni Grill, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Subway. We were able to go to the village of Weilerbach, where I was able to see where Eric use to live back in his Army days. I was also able to see where his old job was in Kaserslautern, and where he attended church in Spesbach (which is now meeting in Landstuhl). We visited Heidelberg, where we saw Heidelberg Castle and enjoyed a cold day with our friends. It was a blessed time!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)