Another Inspiration

I hope you guys like some of the pictures I have been adding. They are only a fraction of what I have. Anyways, on the last blog I talked about a cd that really helped me keep focused while I was in Turkey. For this blog I thought that I would share about a book I read while there. At the house of the host family where we were staying there was plenty of good literature to keep us reading but I picked out this one. I don't know why I chose to begin reading it. The title is somewhat appealing but not really that capturing and as for Brian McLaren, all I had ever heard of him was negative so I already had a bias. But I read it and how glad I am! Another funny thing is that I usually don't read fiction unless it is classic, but when I began delving into the book I soon realized it was McLaren's clever way of keeping the reader captivated. So many times with "Spiritual Literature" from authors like Max Lucado or John Piper I found myself getting bored or I would understand the main point of what they were communicating and set the book down. McLaren's story, however, kept me interested until the end. I don't recommend this book to anyone who is comfortable or content with where they are in their faith. After reading this book, actually I have realized that's not a good place to be. I also don't recomend this book to anyone that is so sure about certain aspects of their faith (excpet for the biblical truths that the gospel communicates) that they will defend it until blue in the face. Instead, this book is for people who want to learn and are questioning how to to make their faith applicable in an ever-changing world. The book offers ideas and topics that I had never thought to question. It challenged me to the very depths of my soul. Some would say that a mission trip would not be the place to do such a thing, but I did and I think I came out of it better than what I went in.

Sorry about the Pics...

So I am very sorry that I STILL haven't put any pics up on this blog. I just got a job so that means I will be making some money and then I can afford to develop all of the snaps I took.
I wanted to take this oppurtunity to talk about some things that really inspired and supplemented me while I was in Turkey. Some of you may know that I am a big Thrice fan but I found myself not really liking hteir newest album all that much. I felt like it was repetitive and not very deep. While I was in Istanbul I started listening to the album only because I was getting tired of the rest of the songs on my iPod. I was appalled. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The lead singer Dustin Kensrue took his love for Christ and his amazing ablility to produce powerful lyrics and mixed it all together. I don't think I have heard someone worship God in that way. The music itslef is heavy and even dark at times, which helped my in Istanbul because it is a very dark place. But the lyrics are so blatantly worshiping God that it is nothing but inspiring. Granted, it is harder to make out what he is saying when he screams but I genuinely think that is his way of showing his passion. Songs like "Music Box", where he says "We are not alone, we feel an unseen love, we are sons and heirs of grace, we are children of a light that never dims, a love that never dies..." these lyrics inspired me and comforted me in a place where most are so lost. He even writes a song in the perspective of Peter, when he denied Jesus, called "like Moths to flame". I highly recommend this album to ANYONE that is a follower of Christ, even if this isn't your style of music, I think it is valuable solely because of the power of the lyrics. Thrice has found a way to worship God in their music without ever saying the word "God" and without making it so obvious as to pigeon-hole themselves into a purely Christian genre, where they wouldn't be able to influence as many non-believers. Way to go guys, you got the idea!

Still Learning...

Because of my extreme desire to not make my trip to Istanbul a momentary spur of spirituality or an "excursion", as Jeff would call it, that's impact doesn't last more than a few weeks after my arrival home, I have decided to take keep taking steps forward, and continue my learning. I think that this blog would serve as a valuable tool to not only express my new findings but to also share with those who may be an such a journey as I am on.
If there is one thing that I can take with my from my trip to Turkey is that I do not, and will never, have it all figured out. Too many times I see myself and my peers with an arrogant attitude of certainty; A boastful, defender's perspective that only further blinds us from new horizons. Sure, there are infinitives, there are absolutes, but one can ever stop learning (even from non-believers, Muslims and Turks!) and as a believer it is so easy for us to fall into a trap of thinking we have it all figured out, just because we have the most important truth of all, Christ.
So I will continue to blog, not as someone who knows it all and wants everyone else to think the same thing, but as a learner who wants to share his experinces with other, hoping only that he will have the chance to hear about what others have learned as well.

Back in the U.S.

Well, I am back in the states and it is a mixed bag of emotions. I first wanted to thank everyone that has supported me through prayer and gifts. I don't think the trip would have been the same without all of the support. I am also glad to be back in a country where there are so many believers. In Istanbul, a city of 14-15 million, there are about 1,000 Christians. We take for granted the spiritual freedom that we have here in the states and sometimes that lack of passion castrates our faith. Those people don't know truth and it is my hope that we continue to militantly intercede for those believers that are still there, so that they may be successful in moving Turkey. Islam gives no assurance of salvation and there is not hope for then while on earth. Pray that God continues to reveal himself, as He already has been doing, through dreams, visions, persecution of Christians, and conviction of sin.
Now that I am back it is time for me to get a job and school will start soon. My prayer is that I never forget that land and those people that I met We must have a global vision for our faith, and we must never become content or secure with all of the opportunities, that we often confuse as luxuries, that we are offered in this land.

Dılemmas 3 and more...

So I have been havıng trouble decıdıng what to blog about. I could tell everythıng that has been goıng on wıth the trıp but then that would be no fun when I got back. A dılemma that I have been notıcıng ıs the fact that I am not used to publıc transportatıon. Despıte the fact that Turkey has one of the most elaborate and amazıng publıc transportatıon systems ın the whole world, (ıf you have been to New York...Istanbul puts ıt to shame) and wıth good reason, the cıty ıs huge. They have buses, taxıs, trams, subways, ferryboats and they are all super easy to understand. They are also constructıng an underground raılway that goes underneath the Bosphorus wchıch ıs pretty amazıng. (If you dont know what I am talkıng about, now would be the tıme to get on Google Earth) But the thıng wıth Turks ıs, well, they dont really belıeve ın deodorant and on a packed bus ın the mıddle of summer that can get real ınterestıng. I mean they pack these buses, the doors barely beıng able to shut sometımes. I thınk ıt ıs funny but some dont. Anyway I lıke not havıng to spend money on gas (Its about the same prıce ın lıra as ın the states but for a lıter...ya I saıd a lıter) but I do mıss drıvıng. I am ınterested to see how that wıll pan out when I get back, granted ıf my car ıs stıll operatıng, haha because I have never not drıven for thıs amount of tıme sınce I got my lıscence.
Here ıs the thıng, though. I am havıng a hard tıme meetıng people and really connectıng wıth them. I am really dıscoverıng how much I am an ıntrovert and I thınk ıt ıs hınderıng my chances of sharıng wıth people. Pray that God wıll keep offerıng those dıvıne appoıntments and also pray that I wıll have the courage and strength to capıtalıze on them. Thanks for the support.

Dılemmas? Contınued

There was so much to say I needed two posts. If you know me, you also know that I lıke my steak and I lıke my eggs. Not necessarıly together, but I love them both at the polar ends of the day. There ıs no steak ın the restaurants, although I have heard that you can buy ıt at the markets ıf you look hard. They have döner and tavuk whıch ıs lıke lamb and chıcken they put them on spıckets and shave off the meat kında lıke ın Mexıco. Now, I enjoy these meals, especıally when they are put ın a pide - or sandwhıch lıke thıng- but they dont have eggs for breakfast lıke I frequently enjoy, they only have simit, whıch ıs bread. It ıs everywhere and Dr. Atkıns would roll over ın hıs grave ıf he knew about thıs place. The one good thıng ıs that ıt ıs really cheap. I wıll post more thıngs as they come up and trust me they do. I love you all and thank you so much for the prayers. Everyday gets better here and I am lovıng every mınute. We are goıng up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea tomorrow on a boat to swım and have food so that wıll be fun, especıally sınce I am newly haırless. I am also enjoyıng your responses to the posts so keep them comıng because they are very ınspıratıonal.
Through Hım,
A.J.

Dılemmas?

Once agaın, I am sorry for the lack of bloggıng. I thought that I would use thıs entry to talk about some of the thıngs that I have been fındıng as, well, dılemmas. If you know me, you know that I enjoy some thıngs and I enjoy them very much. Let`s begın wıth coffee. There ıs none. Well actually, they have thıs ınstant Nescafe stuff that tastes lıke you bought ıt at teh 99 cent store. They just dont drınk ıt, they gıve ıt to the crybaby foreıgner and then laugh at them as they grımmace. They lıke theır chaı (or çay) and that ıs all. However, theır are numerous Starbucks but they are outragously expensıve. If you do fınd a good cup of joe, dont expect to have half and half. Instead, they have süt whıch ıs powdered mılk that doesnt get refrıgerated. Nıce. And just my luck, theır ıs no such thıng as Sweet and Low, only sugar cubes. I am ımprovısıng, however, so dont worry.

Finally!

Hey everyone and sorry it took so long for me to finally post. So much has happened here in the last week I can't even begin to explain it. I love Turkey and the people are amazing. Many of them know English so it isn't hard to carry on a conversation. My Turkish however is really bad but I am learning. I developed some film and hopefully you will be able to see the pictures. It was a long flight here and for the first couple of days and we were pretty much speechless. I still feel lost many of the days here. We went to Ephesus yesterday but I don't have the pictures yet. Sometimes I wish I could communicate with some of you more but I am having a blast learning about the culture. Keep up with the emails and the prayer requests. Love you all so much. p.s. everything on the internet is in Turkish, so I can't post pics... sorry.