art.

if anyone reads this and you have some ideas for themes of a photography art show, let me know. i am working on having a show in May or June at an art studio, but i need a theme.. working through some ideas but i am interested to see if any of you have idea(s).... i would like for it to tie back to the message of Christ/redemption/new life somehow....

thoughts?

it seems like spring is coming. although it's been a mostly mild winter, there's something that's always so refreshing about spring coming. new life. new smells. the feeling of sunshine on my skin. sitting outside. going to parks. tulips. people come out of their winter hibernation. it's crazy how many people seem to hide away in the winter here.. the city comes alive again when you can feel the sunshine. something in my spirit comes alive again in the spring. not as if it were dead, just resting..

next week, i'll be seeing 20/20 if all goes as planned. i'll update you guys afterwards... but it's very exciting! and just crazy to think about...

i forget.

i've been reading through exodus for a few weeks now... the stories in exodus are some of my favorites in the Book. i am so much like the people of Israel. they were freed from slavery and oppression in a great way and they continued to forget it was God who brought them out of Egypt. they were freed and they rejoiced. but then they forgot that He is the Redeemer. they were rescued from their pursuers and they rejoiced. but then they forgot that He is the Rescuer. they saw Him work powerfully and perform miracles. but then they forgot His power. they thirsted, he provided, they rejoiced. but then they forgot.

today i read exodus 16. it talks about how the people of Israel hungered but there was no food. they forgot that God had provided in the past, that He called them out of Egypt, and that He is more than able to provide food for the day. so God showed up and provided meat and manna (bread) for the people of Israel. each night they would go to bed and each morning they would wake up to find something they had never seen before. the ESV describes it as "a fine flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground"... i don't know about you but if i saw fine flake-like things on the ground, i would be much more prone to think it was some kind of precipitation than a means of food. i would probably have been a little skeptical... and they were.

moses explained what it was and told them to take their fill. they got how much they thought they needed and for each person, it was exactly what they needed for the day. then he told them not to leave it for morning. he knew that they were only half-hearted in their trusting God's providence... still, some kept it until morning, but it decayed, smelled, and bred worms. God wanted them to trust Him that He could provide what they needed each and every day. but they didn't.... they trusted in their own wisdom in keeping what they thought they needed.

on the sixth day, he told them to gather twice as much so that on the seventh day they could rest and have Sabbath. they did as they were told, but they still went out on the seventh day to look for manna. God already told them He had provided for two days, but they didn't listen. they forgot. they didn't believe Him.

the end of the chapter finishes by saying that the people of Israel ate the manna for 40 years. FORTY YEARS! for forty years, God provided what they needed for each day. i am sure after a few months, some of them started expecting it to be there. they probably were no longer amazed by God's ability to provide this "fine, flake-like" manna. some of them probably reasoned it off and forgot that it truly was the Lord providing for them. He had been so faithful but they still probably forgot.

i am so much like the people of Israel. He has freed me from much and i forget. He's shown me that He is my Rescuer, my Redeemer, my Provider, the One that is powerful, the One that loves me... but i forget and forget and forget. what would happen to my life if i really remembered these things every single day?

*Sarah's hospitality with a volunteer team

     A big part of any volunteer team's experience is meeting and spending time with Turks. This is a huge desire for many of them, but it can be challenging at times because of schedules, cultural differences, and language barriers. Last month a team of high schoolers came in town for a week. Before they came, they expressed a strong desire to visit a Turk's home. I knew this would be an amazing experience for them, so I contacted my believing friend, *Sarah. Sarah is a woman who became a believer just five years ago but you can see the love of J*sus even in her smile. She is always full of joy and very full of love for others. 

     I emailed Sarah and asked if it was possible to host this group one night for tea or dinner. She very willingly agreed and was excited about the opportunity to meet and host them. Three days after the team arrived, we went to a local fellowship on Sunday morning. It was a great time of pr*yer and w-ship and new experiences for the team. the service was completely in Turkish and it was refreshing for me to w-ship with the people I live with and challenging and eye-opening for them. After fellowship, we all headed to Sarah's house. 

     I have experienced Sarah's amazing ability to host and cook before, but she exceeded my expectations once again. Soon after we arrived, she brought out simit (bread), börek (pastries with potato and cheese), home-made pickles, and tea as we sat around talking with her. Then, a few of the students helped her prepare dinner. It took a while, so we had a relaxing afternoon hanging out in her apartment. When it was time for dinner, we had soup, rice, meat, salads, french fries, vegetables, and other side dishes. None of the students quite expected how much she prepared and it was all delicious. 

     After dinner and dessert, we sat around on couches and Sarah asked "How did each of you come to know J*sus?" We took turns telling her how God called us to Himself. Each person had some unique way God revealed Himself to us and how He changed our lives since we started following Him. For all of us, and for Sarah, too, it was such an encouraging time. It was beautiful to hear and think about this God who can use so many different and unique ways to call us to follow Him. As the night wrapped up, we all gathered around Sarah and  pr*yed over her. We pr*yed that she would be a light to her Atheist husband, to her family, to her neighbors, and to all she encounters. We pr*yed that He would keep and protect her and that He would strengthen her faith in Him and dependence on Him daily. It was a beautiful night of fellowship. 

journaling.

i've had 2 of the busiest consecutive weeks here than i have in a loooong time. i have been journaling like a mad woman, but not blogging much. i'll catch you guys back up very soon, when my brain is working a little better. :) it's almost MARCH! wow.

winter flakes.

it's been a couple of weeks since I got back from Egypt. i was pretty busy getting ready for a group to come in. they came in on thursday and they are fantastic. i already love working with them. it's been a lot of fun... but it does keep me pretty busy!

some things i have noticed about the culture... according to American standards, Turks are SUPER flaky. (to put it technically), haha... i cannot tell you how many days I have planned to hang out with friends only to have them back out on me. some top reasons/excuses include (but are not limited to): i have a guest, i have to study, i am feeling ill, my parents won't let me go, i forgot i had other plans...and the list goes on. those all sound like somewhat legitimate reasons, but more often than not, they are excuses/lies. knowing this makes it a little more frustrating.

yes, it is the culture. yes, it's normal for them. yes, in america i am used to a little more consistency. but that doesn't change the fact that it is frustrating.

i've also noticed that Turks are WAY flakier in the winter.. it's almost like they hibernate for a few months and then return... i would say that in the winter at least 75% of the time that I make plans to hang out with someone, they back out or reschedule. in the spring and summer, that number increases to probably 40 or 50% of the time... i generally am not too surprised or discouraged by this, but when you are here TO meet people and spend time developing relationships, it can be disheartening at times.

oh so much to look forward to with Spring just around the corner! :)

Cairo/Alexandria Day 4

Cairo/Alexandria Day 4

today, we took a train into Alexandria. We planned to leave the apartment at 8, which turned into 8:15. april and i needed to withdraw money, so we went to the ATM up the road. as soon as April stuck her card in, the machine ate her card. we both stood there dumbfounded and a little freaked out. but, our friend whose house we're staying at ran over quickly to the rescue. she said some things in Arabic, a man came up, unplugged the machine, and the card spit out. just like that. awesome.

so, we missed the 9am train, but we planned to take the 10am train. as we were approaching the station, i (of course) tripped, twisting my ankle pretty hard. i wobbled into the station, and we ended up getting a ticket for the 11am train, which would be great except it took 3 hours to get there and everything closes at 4pm. do the math.

so, we sped to the library, through it, and on to the catacombs. the library was impressive. but the catacombs....were......amazing! they were so cool! we had a random tour guide who wanted to tell us everything...twice. as in "this is a man. a man. this is a woman. a woman. excuse me, there are 300 tombs. 300 tombs".... pretty funny.

after the catacombs, we grabbed a taxi, which ended up to be pretty funny as well. the driver, Brahil, is about to start teaching English. He had a great laugh and a sweet personality. and, he wasn't too awkward, so that was nice. he took us to the Bay and then picked us up a couple of hours later to go to the train station. i felt like i was on the Amazing Race. haha.

When we were at the bay, we saw the fortress (from the outside), the Mediterranean (from this side, we've seen it in Turkey from the other side), an area with amazingly colorful boats, and then ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant on top of a nice hotel. we ate on the rooftop, outside, and the view was spectacular. It was right after sunset, so we were imagining it as a great place for a proposal.. ha.... but the food was fantastic. we shared honey chicken, fried rice, and fried bananas with ice cream--all DELICIOUS!

then, Brahil came back and took us to the train station. (Side note: Brahil is an interesting combination of Brittany and April--at least in our minds...we all laughed about this). Brahil took us into a cafe at the train station and treated us to Egyptian tea--yum! very good day.

Tomorrow, we're sleeping in a little and then heading to the Sewing Shop our 2 friends work at. they make incredibly cute bags, aprons, etc. with traditional Egyptian fabric. Then, on to the airport.... sad to leave, but it's been an excellent trip.

Cairo Day 3

Cairo Day 3

we started out  (relatively) early this morning to head to the Pyramids & the Sphinx.... something i have always wanted to see, so I was really anticipating it! It was awesome.. April and I shared a camel ride, which is a bonding experience, but very fun, and especially fun done in Toms (shoes), which we both wore. haha. 

after those, we went to Garbage City, a recycling project in one of the poorest parts of the city. The people there live in extreme poverty, but have been taught how to make all kinds of things out of lots of materials and fabrics. I bought some things because they were awesome and they were supporting the work there. 

after going home to rest for a bit, we headed to the Nile for a sunset cruise.... very beautiful. and then we met up with some more friends at Outback for a DELICIOUS dinner. the 6 of us shared a bloomin' onion and then April and I shared a blue cheese side salad, Alice Spring Chicken Quesadillas (AMAZZZZING!), and a Bloomin' Burger.... i thought I was going to explode because I was so full after but it was worth it. yum! 

Tomorrow= trip to Alexandria!!! yay! 

Cairo Day 1 & 2

i am long overdue on an update.

buuuuut, i am in Cairo, Egypt!! Since I am terrible at journaling, i'll be updating on here with what i'm doing here. it's not great writing, mostly for my purposes, but feel free to read it anyway. :)

april (my roommate) and i decided to visit some friends in Cairo this week. we headed to Cairo on Sunday night, after a 3 hour delay in Istanbul due to snow. we got in Cairo after midnight and went to bed a few hours later. we started the day early, after only 5 hours of sleep on my part. we headed to the Egyptian Museum, which was fascinating. then, we walked across the Nile (by bridge, of course) and wandered around in search of the Opera House and food. we spotted the Opera House but were unsuccessful in finding food until we headed back. We both enjoyed different varieties of falafel. we then wandered around the Coptic area of town, seeing the Coptic Museum (which was stunning) and weaving in and out of the village like streets packed with different religious houses (the Hanging Church, a synagogue, and a mosque). we finished there and headed back to the apartment we're staying at for dinner. then, we headed out (this time with our friends) to the Khan el Khalili (market). It's beautiful and packed full of amazing things to buy. I bought some camel bone earrings, an alabaster candle holder, a journal covered in a traditional Egyptian fabric, and a couple little knick knacks. then, we headed to a cafe on the Nile for shisha.

a very fun first full day in Cairo! Tomorrow the plan is: pyramids, garbage city, nile tour, and outback steakhouse!!! :)

sweetness.

my heart is prone to wander. this i know very well.
but he deals kindly with me.
i am his child and he calls me back sweetly.
in my time here, i have seen his sweetness.
in just a year, i've watched him move more clearly than i ever have before.
in things that we (i) normally would think are small...
He's shown me they are HUGE and intimate.
every little movement is a reason to praise.
a cause for joy.
it's made the reality of my frailty oh so clear.
it's caused me to face the fact that i'm full of sin.
over. and over. and over.
he is good and he has poured his grace over me.
he's used people who don't even know him to show himself to me.
to affirm where i am.
his sweetness. his power.

tonight.

i asked for music recommendations on my facebook status the other day, and the best so far is The Civil Wars. I downloaded a live album for free on noisetrade, and man, they are awesome.

tonight, i went to the B study i've been going to with *anna. it was really cool because there was a talent show. so people from lots of different countries performed. i just sat back and enjoyed. and took photos (see facebook).

afterwards, anna and i were walking back with a couple of Russian-speaking people she met at the B study. we stopped in at a vintage/second hand shop. the ceilings were at least 20 feet tall and the room was stacked with clothes and other knick knacks... it was pretty sweet although i didn't spend much time searching the racks. the owner wore a funky hat and cool glasses and smoked his cigarette with a dinner-length cigarette holder. we all sat outside the store at a picnic table talking over çay for an hour or so after. the walls were decorated with whimsical paintings, vines, & interesting creations.

there was another girl there, wearing a bright yellow jacket over a bright purple jacket and a hippie skirt over jeans. she told us her mother is egyptian, her father lebanese and she grew up in switzerland. she's been in turkey for 2 weeks and plans to stay 3 or 6 months, or more or less. this night was full of some very interesting conversation and thoughts. it was like being in midtown (memphis) again. i loved it.

i need more creative, free-spirited people in my life here. seriously.

project 365.

i re-did my blog to something simpler and i made a header that fit the title. :)
also, i decided today to do Project 365, taking a picture a day for the whole year. i'll be posting the pictures on facebook and i also made a blog:
http://brismi365.blogspot.com/

check it out if you want a [somewhat] daily update. i may not actually update it every day, but I will have a post for each day.... :)

faith, works, & thanks.

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. " -james 2:21-24


"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
  to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night"
-psalm 92:1-2

coincidence?

yesterday, i met with a friend here for our first day meeting for accountability. later that night, i talked with a friend (online) about talking more often for accountability... without me mentioning i had just gotten back from meeting for accountability. she is a friend i talked accountability with in the states during college for a little while....

also yesterday, during my accountability time, we talked about memorizing scripture more... then today, my team decided to start memorizing scripture twice a month for our meetings.

hmm. both things came up twice in 2 days. think He's trying to teach me something? haha.

year in review.... hoşgeldiniz 2010!! :)

12,776. the amount of pictures i took in 2009. that's not including the ones i deleted already.
5,859. the amount of those added on facebook.
1,140. the amount of photos i was tagged in on facebook this year.

8. the number of countries i have been in this year. (turkey, america, england, macedonia, bulgaria, france, portugal, netherlands). although, i only spent a few hours in bulgaria, france, and the netherlands.

1. the number of nephews i gained this year. jackson avery... cannot believe he is over 8 months old already. what a cutie.

1. the number of weddings i went to this year. also my favorite wedding. so chill and laid back. annnnd it was my TWIN SISTER'S! :)

i stayed in 1 apartment ALL year... the only year i've lived in only one place (with one roommate) since i lived with my parents... i had only 1 job all year! (which was quite a change from 2008. i had 5 jobs then).

i spent 344 of the days of the year in turkey.

this year has been one of much change from other years. much growth. much trust. many blessings. many many many times of seeing God work beyond what i could ask or imagine. many new friends. many opportunities to share the hope i have and the grace and love i have experienced. this year i have had to trust Him more and in different ways than i have ever had to before. i've done things i didn't think i would ever do. i have spent more time alone than i ever have in a year before. i have learned so much about myself. i have learned even more about my Father. i've seen Him forgive. i've experienced him redeem. i've watched Him work. it's been one amazing year.

2010. it seems like some time way in the future....i know this year is going to be one of even bigger change and growth. i will be here about 6 1/2 or 7 more months and then i'm headed back to the states. when i get back, i will have a place to live and a job, both of which i am amazingly thankful for. i'll be working with students at the university i graduated from 2 years ago (by then, 2 1/2 years ago). i am nervous but very, very excited about what that will mean and what experiences it will bring. i love living here and i cannot imagine what it will be like leaving, but i am so very thankful that i have something established to look forward to when i get back.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! :)

clumsiness plagues my life.

tonight i went to an american friend's house for a Christmas celebration. we ate lots and lots of Christmasy foods (mostly from America, which is even better!!).... and my friend's dad told the Christmas story to our non-American friends... (Turkmen, Turk, Russian, Moldovian).... it was a fun time....

Two Turkish guys, April, and I were the last to leave and the guys offered to walk us home... We thanked them and began to assure them we would be just fine on our 15 minute walk to our apartment... One guy was worried it would not be safe (but trust me, it's probably the safest place I've lived... and if you know me, you know i've lived in a sketch place or two)...

so i said "don't worry, i can fight"..... riiiight as i fell off the curb, which was pretty high, and my foot strategically went into a hole in the street and i almost face-planted... i twisted my right ankle, scraped up my left knee, and caught myself with my hands.... apparently i was wrong about being able to get myself home safely.. but it was pretty hilarious. i was also unsuccessful in getting the guys NOT to walk us home. but, it was a funny walk home as I told them many stories of my clumsy habits....

meet you there.

"there is a part of you that feels profoundly unworthy. that feels not good enough. that is acutely aware of the ways in which you've blown it. that realizes in very living color that your life is a mess. you have a past that seems chained to your foot wherever you go. it haunts you. the ecstatic, counterintuitive message of the gospel is that God wants to meet you in that place and bless you. not when you get through there. not when you get back together. not when you fix that. in it. in the midst of it. buried in it. so that you can barely breathe. God wants to meet you there with the grace of Jesus and announce to you blessed are you. i'm with you. i'm on your side."

-mars hill bible church. rob bell. intentions. 12.6.09.

...what now?

......now what? my turkish class ended in may. my turkish tutoring ended this week... so now the only 2 scheduled things i have during a week are ETT on wednesday nights and house group on sundays.... i need to figure out what i am doing here and how best to use my time. hoping to get on campus on a weekly basis... ask for that for me, too.

yesterday i read the whole book of james on a bus ride. it's short, but it's intense. and convicting. but it's packed full of so much Truth. an older man was sitting beside me and most of the time he was looking over my shoulder. a little awkward, but maybe he knows English....?

i'm learning more and more that i need to be seeking and fighting for Truth in my own life every day. sometimes it's easier to remember than others. and then there's times when my old self tries to tear me away from the person He's changing me into. i am selfish. i am prideful. i am sinful and dirty and stained. but praise Him that He sent Jesus into the world to make things right. things are not how they are supposed to be. i am not how i am supposed to be. but God, in His infinite wisdom and abounding grace, sent Jesus into the world to rescue it. to provide a way. to bring peace. and love. and reconciliation. to make all things new. even me. all things.

He has reminded me of His simple goodness a lot lately. He IS good. and His mercy endures forever. forever.

one of the best weeks in a while....

this week was one of the best weeks i have had in a while for a lot of reasons... i had my last turkish lesson [which is somewhat of a relief], i had a neighbor come by and apologize for asking me to lie for her [totally unexpected], a friend texted me asking for a copy of the Book [um, wow!], i gave it to her and she agreed somewhat enthusiastically to meeting once a week to read and discuss it together [WOW!!!], lots of people came to ETT [as compared with 4 the week before], two of the girls asked me on to campus for tea/coffee soon [much wanted], aaaaand i heard news on what i will be doing when i get back in august.. and it's SO exciting!!!

i am very content here and i know that now, more than ever, he is at work in people's lives around me. he's blessed me SO much by allowing me to see a little bit of what's going on in this place. as happy as i am here and as little as i want to think about leaving next august, i am soooo excited about what i'll be doing when i get back. i am so thankful that He has provided this opportunity for me. i know i will need continue to spend a lot of time in prayer preparing for that which he's called me too. UofM, i'm coming back in August! [except without all of the books and studying--yeah!]...

also, tonight we had an ETT Christmas party! we played a lot of silly games like musical chairs, bingo, pin the nose on the reindeer, limbo, etc. and had some great food.... but, the best part is a LOT of people showed up.... 31 people came. 11 Turks. 10 Americans. 8 russian/moldavians. 1 estonian. and 1 turkmen. quite a diverse group. so here are some pics to enjoy....

no much.

a little over a month ago, my lens on my camera started acting strange.... it's not top notch by any means, but i was pretty worried about it costing a lot to repair... that worry and being busy made me wait all month to get it fixed... so, wednesday when a friend was in town visiting, i decided to take it to a shop.. i went from store to store until one guy recommended and walked me to the Nikon store... it was an official Nikon store, not just some camera repair shop. so, i dropped it off. i know it's silly, but it was hard to leave it, not knowing how long it would take. the guy said a couple of days, but when i dropped off my computer last november, it took like 4 or 5 weeks! 

so imagine my surprise (and excitement) when my cell rang on friday (yes TWO days later) with a guy telling me it was "finished"/ready. and then i asked how much it would cost (to be prepared) and he said.... "no much"/nothing/FREE! i thought it was too good to be true, but i left pretty quickly to trek the hour or so across town to the shop in the rain, very excited all of the way... and when i got it, it WAS free. and fixed. still amazed. i know this may seem like a trivial concern, but i was concerned and i really see it as a way God provided for me. He's done that SO many times in my life and I still get nervous about it. But He is good. 

anyway, on that note, here are a few of my favorite recent pics.. more on facebook.