Update on Team 2

Team 2 has been having internet issues so Donna has asked me to inform everyone that they are sorry they haven't been able to update the blog this week. In addition, she wanted everyone to know that they are no where near the American consulate and the attacks did not involve any random attacks on Americans.

Continue to keep them in your prayers!

Day One

After some MUCH needed rest we were ready to get started. We were lucky to have a few precious moments with the first Turkey team (who passed on some valuable wisdom they had picked up over the last week) before heading off to visit our brothers and sisters in Altin Temppe. We didn't understand much of the service (as it was entirely in Turkish), but it was AMAZING to hear their passion and faith as they sang together. That feeling of faith and awe easily translated for us.

That afternoon we walked around our neighborhood and tried to get acclimated to our surroundings. It was quite the adventure asking for directions and navigating through the streets with our phrase books, but we all made it our destination and felt more and more confident with our Turkish as the day went on. That evening we were able to take in the beauty on the riverfront and even had the opportunity to stumble upon some Turks dancing in the park...it was a great time of bonding as a team and enjoying Turkish culture.

We are so thankful to our Father for blessing us thus far and opening our eyes to more and more of His character. It is amazing to see all the people walking the streets in Istanbul and realize how our Father works in so many different ways and that none of these 15 million people are out of his reach! It give us an entirely new perspective as we walk around the city. We are excited to see what tomorrow holds.


p.s. We are having some technical difficulties but hopefully we will have pictures up by tomorrow!

27.5 Hours later....

Team 2 arrived in Istanbul. Our journey began at 3:00 Chicago time at O'Hare when our British Airways flight was two hours delayed. We stood in line for an hour, ate our last American meal courtesy of British Airways meal vouchers, all safely passed through security and finally boarded the plane. We sat on the runway for another two hours as a traveler decided to deplane and needed his suitcase. Finally though, we took off and arrived in London six hours later. Once in London we had to transfer to Terminal 5 to get re-booked on flights to Istanbul and wait in yet another line. We were all switched to the same Turkish Airways flight --back in Terminal 3 -- leaving at 4:30 PM London time. We found an Irish pub and ate fish and chips with our second set of meal vouchers -- have to have fish and chips in London! Full stomaches and tired bodies, we headed to our gate, where not surprisingly, we were delayed for another 30 minutes. After boarding our Turkish Airways flight we sat on the runway for another hour and finally, finally took off. We landed in Istanbul at 11:45 p.m. or 4:45 p.m. Chicago time. The whole plane, lead by our team, cheered and clapped!

After clearing customs (another LONG line) we headed to the baggage claim, Colin found his backpack first, Sarah and Jim found their suitcase and soon everyone had found their bags...except for MeriKim, Monica and me (Katie). We filed a claim with Turkish Airways, filed a claim with British Airways and left the airport without our suitcases. It's been 3 days since we've last seen our bags and we are asking our father daily for them! Living without clothes, toiletries and accessories while adjusting to a foreign country has presented a challenge for us, teaching us we must rely only on Him (and hand washing clothes!). We made it to the hotel around 2:30 a.m. and were anxiously awaited by Donna and Team 1. We could not wait to see them!

It was quite the adventure, and one I'm sure we'll never forget. But we are greatfull for safety throughout, a bonding experience to share and individual TVs on both planes!

21 Park people. two continents, one day,

maggie, dave and donna have been on two continents on the same day for more than seven days in a row, but on Saturday, both teams of workers got to got to say they've been on two continents in the same day.

While some of swam in the Bosphorus, the second team was traveling to Istanbul and learning a lot about patience.Their flights were delayed, baggage was lost and connections were missed, but when they arrived at 2:30 a.m. (Istanbul time...28 hours of travel!) they looked great! Tired, yes. But still in amazing spirits. We thank our Father for what he did through that time spent in lines and getting meal vouchers and sitting on runways - and we are confident there is something big in store as they begin work on Monday. As Donna explained, the waiting that we did (especially her) put us in a position that we should all hope to be - totally dependent on Him...when everything else is beyond your control and you are just not sufficient without Him.

There was a lot of pacing and running up the stairs until they arrived safely at our hotel. Once they did though, I witnessed Donna dash out our hotel door like a lightning bolt - almost as fast as Co Joe is when he is walking to a restaurant. We are all so excited for you and what our Father is going to do through you this next week and more!

This may be team 1 signing off for now, as we head to the European side this morning. Thanks for all of your thoughts to the Father!

Boating on the Bosphorus

We have been continually blessed on this trip and Saturday was yet another example! The entire group was able to go boating on the Bosphorus with some of the people we have met over the week. İt was incredible to see how vast this city really is. We are positive that after we return to a cıty of 3 million people it is going to seem like small town America compared to being in a city with 17 million people!

The hightlight of the boat trip was being able to swim in the Bosphorus for a couple of hours. We jumped into the water from anything we could find (top of the boat side of the boat some random floating thing in the water etc). We competed in swimming races. We are sure Skat started a new trend in denim swimwear (check next month´s GQ for a visual). We were able to see kids we taught one more time. We learned how to belly dance and snap Turkish style. We heard more stories of Hıs faithfulness. And we were able to reflect on all Our Father has done in us and through us during this INCREDIBLE week.

It was an amazing way to end the week here on the Asian side. We look forward to touring the European side during our last two days.

a sprınklıng of photos

on frıday, we said goodbye to the children and women weve been teachıng. We shared our faıth wıth sısters and brothers and found that our Father has a rıdıculous sense of humor when he wants to brıng people together. (Ill let Maggıe tell the story...Needless to say, He wıll make thıngs happen organıcally wıth cırcumstances that He totally orchestrates, and ıt ıs so fun to be a part!)



Here ıs a random samplıng of photos from Thursday and Frıday...



(fırst) Rosıe plays wıth the kıds at the Englısh Club. These kıds were amazıng balls of energy, speakıng multıple languages, lovıng theır ayran and beıng excıted to speak to theır Father before lunch.




(second) Betsy and Ilke eat dondurma (out of thıs world gelato-lıke ıce cream) on Bükada, whıch means Bıg Island. Ilke took a couple of us theır and we spent the whole afternoon wıth her and her boyfrıend. She ıs just one example of the connectıons we made - and the connectıons we hope to sustaın through lots of love and humılıty.



(thırd) Joe and Sakne and a Muslım women that he met on a park bench who just turned to hım after a couple broken sentences and saıd she wanted to learn Englısh.


(fourth) Scott, Elvan, Rosıe, Sakne, Yesım and Ashley durıng the last nıght of teachıng. These women come from dıfferent backgrounds and have very dıfferent storıes, but we got to wıtness bondıng between two of them and just encourage them ın theır walk, theır Englısh skılls and show our Fathers love to followers and Muslıms.



(fıfth) A group at dınner at what become one of our favorıte places to eat. The restaurant owners taught us a lıttle bıt of Turkısh and were so generous and one of them came to one of the Englısh lessons.




What a prıvılage thıs has been to see mıracles and get to see answers to our requests to the Father - all ın the mıdst of an amazıng cıty!

this is danny talking now...and the picture above is me on the rocks during a time of worship.

i've had an unbelievable time thus far. the culture of turkey is excellent...from the people...to the language...the food...the tea...and the landscape. we have been engaging with people here - soaking in all that we can. it has been a privilege to be involved in bringing the Good News to the Turks.

in the mornings, i have had the privilege to teach both adults, and kids (ranging from 4 to 13). I have taught english extensively to a woman named sokina (sp), who is a woman involved in the fellowship here. it has been great getting to know her, and i've done my best to bestow a bit of my knowledge to the people. additionally, i have spent my time teaching some of the children here. the kids here are the next generation of workers here in turkey...its awesome to hear them approach the throne at an early age, in the midst of certain future persecution. it was my joy to spend time with them.

there are a few guys i've gotten to know pretty well here, and have been able to share my faith with them. it's humbling to be used as an instrument for His purpose. continue to lift us up here, as there is still work to be done in the coming days. i look forward to His plans for the rest of my time here.

in Him

danny