It’s funny how things change. When I first signed up for the Race, Turkey was nowhere to be found on the route. Now, here I am spending the month of December in Istanbul. Surprisingly though, this country has been my favorite so far on the trip. We are staying in Taksim, a large suburb of Istanbul. Many people know English, and it has been a blessing to be able to communicate. This place reminds me of New York – busy, crowded, full of life, shops galore… More and more I am discovering just how much I enjoy the big city life. God has definitely provided again – we are living in a cute little apartment right in the city – with Team Unwritten in the apartment above and Team Ninja directly below. It’s very homey, welcoming and warm. We’ve been hard at work to fill the place with homemade Christmas decorations, and even found a miniature tree which we’ve adorned with multicolored lights and garland. Oh, also, there are four Starbucks in the area which definitely contributes to my reasoning for thoroughly enjoying this city!
Ministry-wise, we get to be ethnographers for the month. We were given a specific, unreached area of Istanbul in which to meet locals and initiate meaningful conversations about their lives, finding out about their background, family, education, occupation, religion, dreams, aspirations, and whatever else the Lord prompts. Basically, we are conducting interviews, taking notes on the conversations, and then sending that info to our ministry contact here in Turkey for possible missionary placement in the future.
I am super excited about engaging and building relationships with the Turks and have gotten the opportunity to meet a few younger high school and college aged girls. I am learning that ministry is really a lifestyle – being intentional about my surroundings and environment and the people I come into contact with on a daily basis. Ministry is not necessarily a painting project, orphanage work, or VBS session. Everywhere I go, my focus needs to be completely on Christ and how he’s leading me to act or respond in a situation. Ministry is not a 9-to-5 job in any sense and it has taken me awhile to comprehend that. It’s all a matter of orienting my entire life around the Lord – not only at certain times when I feel like it.
