Hey guys!
It is Mary here! Writing the blog from Turkey! YES TURKEY. Absolutely insane, I know. Today is day 4 here and we got to stay in another part of Turkey called Isparta.
We woke up having breakfast at the hotel we were staying at! I had pancakes with Nutella and some oranges! Very simple breakfast for me! We then started the day with a hike around Pisidian Antioch, being able to walk the roads Paul walked on and be in a synagogue where the Gospel was first spread. As we walked around the city, we stopped in an ancient theatre and heard facts from our guide, Ozan. He shared about the city and who was ruling at the time. I was able to look around and see all the hillsides, filled with so much green and history. It was beautiful to see the stones and see an unpreserved city, really showing the beauty of history. Craig also shared a word about Paul in Acts 13 & 18, of how His skills he developed, helped Him be able to share about the gospel. He challenged us to question what skills do we want to develop to bring the good news to everyone for God’s glory? We were able to walk into a time of history when this city was hustle and bustle. A small town where Paul preached the Gospel. What a blessing it was. As we walked all around, we were able to come into a synagogue, where Maddy shared a word as well, on how we can become numb to the gospel, but at that time, the Gentiles hearing it was everything. It changed their lives completely. How easily I forget how the Gospel changed my life so drastically, and it is my duty to let others know that good news. To let them know they don’t need to work to the Lord anymore. They just need to believe. What a kind and loving God to invite me to Himself.
After leaving Pisidian, we then were on our way to a museum! It showed how Turkish people lived and how an Augustus temple looked like. The amount of history is so cool to see. It was then lunchtime! We then went to pizza place and had bread, soup, salad, and pizza! Mediterranean food is so good, and I never thought I would be here, being able to eat authentic Mediterranean food like this. What a blessing it has been to travel. As I have been here, it has been overwhelming with all the information I am learning, but what a joy it is to learn. We then took a 3-hour bus ride, learning the history of Turkey, looking at the pretty scenery, and arriving at our hotel.
We arrived at the hotel, which has a spa and huge pools inside and outside. It is super cool I get to experience hotels like this with my Joshua siblings! We all swam and relaxed, then met up to eat dinner, where there was a buffet not only of dinner, but of dessert!! We all were astonished we got to experience this and overwhelmed with the choices!
We have a busy day tomorrow ahead of us, so we are heading to bed! Thank you for reading about my day! See you tomorrow 🙂
-Mary Getty (Current Student)
