Day 4 of Turkey,
Hierapolis, Colossae, + Laodicea Imagine going to three cities… in a day… but we did that! Hey guys! It’s Mary here! It was day 4 in Turkey today and it was full of adventure. We started out our day on an HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE! We woke up at 5am and left for the field we would take off from! We got there and seeing the balloons start to take off was insane. How cool it was to see where we were going to be. It was our turn to take off and what a blessing that was. It was scary but then it was so peaceful, seeing the sun start to rise, and all the balloons rising together. As we flew, we saw the salt lands up in the air and the hot springs with it, which refers to Revelation 3:15-16. So cool to see what Jesus refers to, so the people will understand what He is trying to say to them. Our pilot was awesome, super accommodating, and funny. Shoutout to him for keeping us safe and landing us safely.
Next, we headed to Hireopolis! We went on a long hike around the city, showcasing how big it was. We saw many sarcophagi and many ancient ruins. It was cool to see the history all around. Many disciples of Christ walked through these cities, and that fact alone gave me goosebumps. We then went and walked around the springs of Hieropolis, feeling the water pools. It was a cool experience to see the water Jesus was talking about when He made it so personal to the churches, using things they would understand.
We then headed to Colossae, which hasn’t been excavated, and read the book of Colossians. What a surreal experience to imagine that that letter was carried there, to be read to that church, right in the spot we were at. I could see rocks pointing out, indicating a city not found yet, which excited me to see that this place one day may be excavated and history will be revealed once again.
We then moved to our last city, Laodicea! As it poured rain, we waited for the rain to calm, and we walked into the ancient city. Many parts of it are still being excavated, which was cool to see how much earth is actually moved to get to these cities. We saw two theaters, one excavated and one not, which gave the feel of history. Walking in on ruins that I never thought I would see. Speaking of things I thought I would never see, we saw a house church. One that the Letter to the church of Laodecia in Revelation was likely read at. We read the letter in that space, which was so cool. It reminded me of Jesus always relating back to us and always reminding us He is forever, while these cities, the things of this world are not. They crumble and wither, while He is steadfast and endures forever. We ended our time in the gift shop and headed back to the hotel!
We relaxed in the hotel by swimming once again and later in the night I got a massage! What a cool blessing to be able to experience these things. God is good, kind, and faithful. Thank you for reading!
-Mary Getty (current student)
Hey dudes,
Today we went to Hierapolis, Laodicea, and Colossae, All really cool spots. Colossae was just a hill, but Heropolis had a lot of well-preserved ruins, including not just the acropolis, but a church as well. Laodicea also had really well preserved ruins and there was still more to be done. We also saw Saint Philips’s tomb and a church that was dedicated to Him, and we had a few scripture readings throughout the day as well. Overall, today was full of learning and geography, and it was amazing to see how the bible interacts with the world we see. With the scripture behind each site. It brought to life the truth and relevancy of the bible. When you see each site in its geographical distance and culture, and you read the scripture behind it, all the truth and descriptions of the bible come to life in a different light.
It has been such a blessing to have made it this far. I pray I continue to grow and see the truth of the bible brought to life, and I hope the same for the family I have grown around me.
-Isaac Gustin (Current Student)