We departed from Turkey almost two months ago already, but it was such an overwhelming experience to be a pilgrim in the country where a big part of the new testament plays off that I struggled to put it into words. Here is my attempt at celebrating the highlights!
We arrived in Istanbul, a cosmopolitan city located halfway in Asia and halfway in Europe with a strong Middle Eastern influence. The streets smell of incense and turkish delight and various kinds of fruit teas can be found in every sidewalk cafe and street market.
Here I found that Psalm 16:5 is a sure reality. "In Your presence there is fullness of joy!" It was wonderful to explore the diversity of God's creation in this city, being always in His presence and overflowing with joy:)
We made our way over to the coastal town of Kusadsi where we camped for a few days, digging into scripture relating to the surrounding area. We visited the ruins of Ephesus, the congregation to whom the letter of Ephesians was written, as well as the ruins of the famous temple of Artemis as described in Acts 19.
It was incredible to see that the only thing that now remains of this once majestic temple, is one lonely pillar in the middle of a swamp. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
Our next stop was Pamukkale, a town nicknamed the "cotton castle" because of pure white limestone deposits that cover the entire mountain, giving it a cloud like appearance.
All day long I stood in awe of our creator and I was reminded of Isaiah 1:18 "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
From there we set out on a 700km hitchhike expedition to Göreme, Cappadocia. We left in groups of three, trusting God for divine appointments, protection and provision as we step out in faith in a foreign country with a foreign language.
My faith was small, but my God is huge! We arrived at our destination the same night with full tummies and an even fuller heart. He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:14) When we are faithless He remains faithful. (2 Tim 2:13)
The next morning we woke up to the sight of freedom. Hundreds of hot air balloons were we soaring through the sky at sunrise looking down over a landscape of indescribable rock formations. These pillars of rock served as shelters for the persecuted church in ancient Cappadocia. On closer investigation we found various tunnels and rooms on the inside of some of these pillars. Göreme is a true jewel of God's creation.
Finally we took an unexpected detour to Gaziantep in the south of Turkey, on the Syrian border. We linked up with a lady who we met earlier on our journey in a hostel in Jerusalem.
Her main ministry is a school for Syrian refugee kids, but her life is a ministry in itself. In her life I saw what it looks like when God makes you brave and gives you peace that surpasses all understanding. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27) In a volatile environment she shines the light of Jesus unashamedly, bold and brave, yet calm and gentle...and she is seeing the harvest coming in! She was a huge encouragement and example to me of someone who walks with Christ!
I celebrate Turkey. I celebrate the place and the people and our extremely blessed time there. But most of all I celebrate my God, the Creator and Orchestrator of all of our stories, the One who is worthy to be praised forever. Amen.