Turkey.
What an interesting place! I got in late last night, so I wasn't able to see too much of the city as it was dark on the way from the airport to my apartment, but my initial impressions of the place this morning have been like a cross between an eastern European country and what you would think of as a typical, Middle Eastern Islamic country. Really, the city and the countryside itself appear to be more eastern European (pretty green country with rolling hills and lots of trees, and then old, breaking-down apartment complexes and neighborhoods - it certainly has the feel of a more impoverished city than the main cities in western Europe, but then again, we're on the outskirts out town), but the abundant towering mosques and the people themselves give the place more of a Middle Eastern feel. And I guess those two things make sense considering the location of Turkey; I think I was just expecting something a little more Middle Eastern looking. Hmm.
But my adjustment has gone great so far. My flights over here were uneventful except for the fact that we flew out of Chicago in the middle of a storm, and I have never flown through so much turbulence in my life! If it weren't for some fear the the plane was going to snap in half, it was actually pretty fun - like a 40 minute long Six Flags ride. It seriously felt like a giant baby had a hold of our plane and was shaking us like a rattle or like what I imagine it must have been like for WWII pilots to fly through anti-aircraft flak on bombing missions (I know - pretty much the same thing, huh? Haha). But other than that I made it here safely, met and chatted with my 2 roommates - J.J. and Mitch, also teachers at the school - got settled in the apartment, and had a shower before bed around midnight.
I decided I'd see how I felt in the morning before committing to church, but I slept great all night and woke up at my alarm at 8 feeling like a champ, so I went for it. Church was an interesting experience as well. The building itself is a few minutes walk from the apartment, and is an unmarked, transformed 2 story store front. Other than a military base church about an hour away (that is only open to American citizens for security reasons), it is apparently the only Evangelical church in all of Ankara - a city of 4.7 million people. There were about 50 people there this morning. There are 3 services on Sundays - the first in English, the second in Turkish and translated into English, and the third in Farsi, for a local Iranian minority group. I only went to the first service today because I got invited out to lunch afterwards, but I'm planning on going to the second service regularly too. I really want to get involved with more of the local community. Oh, and I forgot to mention that there are security personnel at the front door who screen you with a handheld metal detector before you first walk inside. A LITTLE different from what the greeter does at Crossroads Bible Church! ;-)
Anyway, after church I had lunch with the principal at Oasis as well as his family and we had a great time. They have one 4 year old - excuse me: 4 and a HALF year old - daughter who wears her hair in 2 pig tails and is probably one of the cutest kids I've ever seen. After lunch my roommate JJ gave me a tour of the school and showed me around town. Tomorrow I get to try my hand at shopping! Haha. Oh boy - not only am I on my own for food for the first time in my life, but I have to deal with buying completely foreign products, and not only that, but all labeled and priced in Turkish - and then I have to experiment with how to prepare them. And also not starve. It will be an adventure. ;-)
Well I don't have a ton yet, but I promise that pictures will come soon! :-) I just wanted to let everybody know that I'm here, safe, and off to a good start. Thanks so much for all your prayers!
-Aaron
P.S. - I forgot to mention the coolest thing of all! I'm literally RIGHT across the street from a park with an outdoor TURF soccer field that was in use all afternoon today by a bunch of local high school Turkish boys. I know where I'll be spending my Sunday afternoons!! :-)
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